Twist in Time

Consequences

Akshara didn't come to work in the morning the next day. She had already texted him last night and said she would be late telling him that she still felt unwell. Because she knew the chaos that would unfold and she knew she didn't have the heart to face him like this.

She hadn't eaten anything in the last 24 hours.

Nor had she had anything to drink.

Hadn't slept a minute.

She just lay there numblessly, waiting for the impending doom she was going to cause.

Her face was tear-stained everywhere, eyes numb, body shaking as she felt sick to her core.

Abhi.

Her heart cried out.

She closed her eyes shut just imagining his state. He would be so heartbroken. He had worked so hard.

She had her phone switched off the whole morning because she was not strong enough to face the notifications.

Watching the clock tick tock.

It was 11 AM.

She knew she could not run away forever.

Taking a deep breath, she turned on her mobile phone. Fingers trembling, she then clicked on the 100s of text messages and notifications that had started pinging on her phone, including the inevitable - the headlines:

"BIRLA ENTERPRISES LOSES MH"

"BIRLA ENTERPRISES STOCKS PLUMMET AS INVESTORS PREDICTED TO PULL OUT"

"BIRLA ENTERPRISES: IS THIS THE START OF THE END?"

"INDUSTRY ANALYSTS PREDICT THAT BIRLA ENTERPRISES WILL FALL"

Akshara felt the world swallow her as a lump formed in her throat. She then clicked on a video that had been shared in the news articles.

A video of Abhi.

Her Abhi.

It was the paparazzi surrounding Abhimanyu as he had just walked out of his meeting. There were cameras swarming in his face, giving him no personal space whatsoever. Crowds were gathered to watch the commotion. He looked worn out and tired, completely crestfallen and numb. They swarmed him, hounding him with questions and following his every step as Abhimanyu's bodyguard and Charles tried to maintain some distance.

"Mr Birla... how do you feel having lost the biggest deal the company has had till date?" a news reporter asked.

"Mr Birla... we heard there was a leak, can you comment on this?"

"Mr Birla how will you recover from this shock? This was the biggest upset a company has scene... can you comment on your competency?"

"Mr Birla do you think you are behind this failure?"

A worn out and tired Abhimanyu turned and forced his most polite game face. "No comments right now... I will be back to discuss at a later point"

Akshara's heart broke watching the video. To others, he may have looked composed but to her, she knew how broken he was. His normally warm eyes were cold and grey, completely distant and dejected.

He looked destroyed.

"And you - you are the reason behind this Akshara" she reprimanded herself closing her eyes. "You never brought anyone any happiness ever did you?" she chided, tears falling down her face.

She noted that there was one text message from Abhimanyu that had appeared on her phone at 9 AM before everything had occurred. She clicked on it.

"Good morning jaan, I hope you are feeling better today... going to head into the biggest deal of my career in a while, wishing you could give me a hug"

That did it.

The tears she was trying desperately to hold on to came out torrentially once again as she sobbed. She hit her hand desperately on the side of the bed, wanting to hurt herself for the pain she had brought him.

Guilt seeped through every bit of her.

She fell to her knees, her entire body giving out as she cried into her hands, wishing she could destroy herself with the very hands she had destroyed Abhimanyu.

***

Akshara stepped into the office around 1:30 PM having spent the past couple of hours trying to arrange herself and get a grip. She wanted to see Abhimanyu, desperately.

She know she had no right. She knew she was the reason for his pain. Guilt was pulsating through every heartbeat of hers.

But she couldn't help it.

She couldn't help herself.

She wanted to wrap him up in her arms.

She wanted to cry but she couldn't.

She deserved to torture herself.

She deserved this pain.

Punishment.

She walked into the office, noticing the gloomy atmosphere straight away. Everyone had their heads stuck to their computers, and no one spoke. Some even had their cheeks stained with tears indicating that there had been tears that had been shed.

Another pang hit her, people had worked hard.

And she had first-hand observed it.

She walked up to the ever-so-bright Tara, even she was sad and looking down her cheek pressed against the desk in melancholy.

"Tara..." Akshara whispered slowly, shaking her.

Tara looked up from the desk straight away, "Akshara" she cried, "will I lose my job?" hugging her tight. "I am earning for everyone in my family... Mumma and Papa were so proud"

Akshara looked sorrowfully at her co-worker, she had grown fond of Tara ever since the retreat but she did her best to develop some distance, she had never had friends in her life.

Still, she felt the need to comfort her.

"Don't be silly... Sir would never let that happen" Akshara assured and Tara reluctantly nodded.

Akshara then looked around at the dim room, noting that Abhimanyu's office was empty.

"He hasn't come in today..." Tara said, answering Akshara's unanswered question. "He's not come at all"

He didn't come?

At all?

Where was he?

Akshara looked back at Tara and nodded slowly, walking towards his office.

She touched his door and closed her eyes.

"Abhi" she sighed "where are you?... please"

And just like that Akshara felt her phone buzz.

"I'm sorry I'm leaving like this but I need to go out of the country for a few days to sort this mess. Don't worry about me. I'll be back soon love. Missing you more than you would ever know."

You are not ready for the next couple of twists!!

N x