“Throw her out.”
“On what grounds?”
“Are you kidding me? This is our party. What we say goes.”
“So close to the election, you want me to throw out a good speechwriter who just joined the party and has already seen so much, heard so much. If it does not become a whistleblower campaign, it is sure to damage our reputation if she tells on how we treated her.”
Samar scoffed — “Bullshit reasoning.”
“Let’s do this. She will work solely and directly with me. Unless required, you won’t have to interact with her.”
Samar stared at Atharva, losing him. He was so blinded and so far gone that nothing was getting him back now. Everyone around them was the same. Samar felt helpless. He was rattling the cage here and there was nobody to listen. So he shut the floodgates. And decided to wait.
“As you wish.”
He turned, opened the door and walked out. An opportunity would come. Sooner or later, it would.
17. The opportunity came, sooner rather than later…
The opportunity came, sooner rather than later, and fell into his lap.
Only a few days later, Atharva found him in Adil’s office, where he had confined himself as usual whenever he needed space to work in the chaotic house.
“Can I come in?”
“The door is open.” Samar adjusted his specs, going back to the booth lists from Jammu. He would have to start taking more interest in Jammu again. The last few weeks had distracted him from one of his primary jobs in the party.
“How is it going?” Atharva clicked the door shut.
“Going.”
He came and stood there, leaning on the table. Samar glanced at him over the rims of his specs.
“You are going to say something that I will not like.”
Atharva nodded.
“Did she email your manifesto speech to Awaami?”
“She is not working for Awaami.”
“And how do you believe her?” Samar retorted. “This publishing bullshit can be a ruse constructed to fool us! I have been watching her…”
“Look I know you have issues but…”
“I don’t have any personal issues with her Atharva.”
“Who are you lying to?”
Samar stilled. It was personal. It was deeply personal. It was about Chaturvedi and him and everything that was not ok anymore.
“Fine,” Samar held up his hands.
“It’s been too long, Samar. We have to forgive the past, otherwise there is no future.”
“Easy for you to say.”
“No it is not. It is not easy for me to say and you know that,” Atharva countered. “It is no secret what happened then, we both know it cannot be forgotten. But holding it is only going to hamper our growth. Agreed?”
