Iram turned away, towards the horizon, the neighbouring house in the distance. A long minute passed in silence. And just when Amaal thought she was losing the most promising writer she had possessed in KDP so far, Iram turned to her and gave a nod. They stared at each other, that kindred spirit renewed. And Amaal smiled. Iram returned it with a small, tentative one of her own, and Amaal broke into a grin.
“I don’t understand how you do it.”
“Do what?” Amaal asked.
“Be this logical, hard-to-please media head one minute and this cute gardener the next.”
“Talent, my friend, talent. And experience.”
“You look so young…”
“28.”
“What?” Her eyes widened. “I thought… well, the way you are… you… look 28 but you act 48.”
“Ooh you haven’t seen me act 8,” she winked, then turned around to grab her cup.
“Amaal.”
“Yes?”
“Thank you.”
“For?”
“You’re the only person who believed that I am not a spy here, without any proof.”
Amaal shook her head. “Don’t take it to heart. They are ex-military. And badly burned at that. I am not defending anybody’s actions here, not yours nor theirs. But in work, as in any home or relationship, you have to take the good with the bad. Hmm?”
“Hmm.”
————————————————————
“You made her stay back?!” Samar came barreling again to her. Not to her Media Room this time, but to Atharva’s office.
“Slow down.” Atharva warned. Samar ignored him and came to her — “You convinced her to stay?”
“Yes.”
“I told you last night to revoke her access.”
“I had a conversation with Atharva this morning. He wants to retain her, and so do I.”
“She is a spy!” Samar turned to Atharva, his voice setting into a cold, low snarl. Atharva glanced from him to her. And Amaal got her cue.
“We can finish this later.” She scooped up her laptop and walked out of the room, the door falling shut just as she heard the words — “Aamir Haider…”
Samar did not even wait for the door to fall fully close. “Aamir Haider.” He clipped. “Aamir Haider killed four people from our platoon and you open our party to his daughter? Aamir Haider had Chaturvedi massacred. I was there, in front of her when they tore her arm out of her socket. I was there when she cried hugging the wall because she was bleeding and there was nothing to stop it or keep the baby…” he choked. His eyes began to blur.Slow down,he told himself. If the floodgates opened, he wouldn’t be able to stop anything.
“Samar.”
“No. Don’t give me that look. Don’t gaslight me into thinking that I am the only crazy man here among the four of us who can see right through her.”
“She is not her father. She is not a spy either.” Atharva said softly, like he was talking to a wild animal. “Her publisher’s office is in that building. The story corroborates.”
“Why does every story of hers need to be corroborated? Why is she getting into these controversies from the get-go? Think, Atharva. Think. She is fooling everybody here. Nobody is this naive. Nobody is this innocent. She is too good to be true.”
Atharva sighed. “What do you want me to do?”
