Aboli

Part 3

As she ran away from his room this time she was even more conflicted. When he confronted her about the things she had done, including trespassing on his family property and vandalising his car, he had warned her that he would inform her mother if she erred again. The gravity of the situation became apparent to Sanyukta. She had never meant to damage his car, having been driven purely by impulse when she saw him getting intimate with random girls. Helping oneself to fruit from other people's trees without their permission was one thing, but she had never done anything like this before and she could not figure why she had been provoked into behaving so mindlessly.  Despite the bravado she had exhibited before him in his room she had been plagued by guilt and remorse, and she rushed to confess her crime to the one person whom she revered above all.

The moment she saw the expression on Sanyukta's face Anju knew something was wrong. Her daughter's catharsis surprised Anju, and she became increasingly agitated. She held her peace until the following morning when she asked Sanyukta to get dressed and literally pulled her along into town on her two-wheeler. As they stood before the facade of the modern office building Anju parked her vehicle in the visitor's parking and dragged her daughter by her arm to the office on the top floor. She asked Sanyukta to wait in the lounge area and approached the receptionist, requesting her to announce her arrival to the boss. After a couple of minutes she was shown into the office and the two men seated at the majestic desk rose to their feet to receive her, greeting her politely and offering her a seat. Harsh Singh Shekhawat as well as his son Randhir seemed surprised to see their unexpected visitor.

"Sorry to walk in on you so abruptly Harsh, but I had to come, it is about Sanyukta. I do not know what to do with her, she runs wild with the boys in the alley causing mayhem and yesterday she confessed to having vandalised Randhir's car. I am truly ashamed of what she did. If not corrected for her behaviour she will end up becoming a sociopath." Tears glistened in her eyes as she spoke, expressing her helplessness. Both men looked uncomfortable and Harsh quickly offered her a box of tissues, wondering what to say to the single mother of the teenage girl with deviant behaviour. "I am sure she will come around, Anju, she is still a child." He said softly, warming up to the woman sitting before him who had once held a special place in his heart. That had been a long time ago but it was water under the bridge now. 

"No, she will not Harsh, nor can I wait until it is too late. I need a favour, I want you to let her work in your office during the summer holiday starting this Monday. I know your personal assistant Nafisa is going on maternity leave soon, and you are looking for someone to take her place temporarily. Sanyukta is not yet eighteen but she can be an intern, you need not pay her as she needs to compensate for the loss she was responsible for. Let her start learning beside Nafisa, if she is under your watchful eye in the formal atmosphere of the office she will have no choice but to fall in line. Please Harsh, I need your help to set her on the right path, don't say no, I implore you." She pleaded. "Is she willing to take on the job, if not then it will only make her unhappy. I do not want her to suffer for her childishness." He replied. 

"She is waiting outside, let me get her, we can ask her right now." Anju rose abruptly, giving the men no time to react to her. She stepped out and was back in a minute with Sanyukta who looked quite nervous, having no clue about what to expect. Without mincing words Anju explained to Sanyukta what they were there for, telling her she was expected to give her consent. With three pairs of eyes riveted toward her Sanyukta paused for a minute before hesitantly nodding her agreement, meticulously avoiding to look at Randhir. "Are you quite sure you want to work during your holidays, Sanyukta? You deserve a vacation." Harsh almost whispered out of compassion for the fatherless girl. "I am certain about it, I also want to apologise for the mischief I have been up to. I am sorry, this will not happen again." She spoke in Randhir's direction in a timid voice, still avoiding his eyes.

"Renuka and I will be out on holiday for six weeks, we leave on Sunday. Randhir will be here managing the office till I am gone, and I have also asked Parth to do his bit. Sanyukta, you can report to Randhir on Monday morning, I will leave instructions with him for work to be assigned to you. Collect your appointment letter the same day. Randhir will introduce you to Nafisa, you can tell her your dress and shoe size, you will be assigned a uniform when you arrive. We start work by nine in the morning. And good luck with your first ever job!" Sanyukta merely managed to mumble a thank you. Harsh gestured to Randhir who stood up to lead Sanyukta across to the PA's cabin where he introduced Sanyukta to Nafisa as a fresh intern. Nafisa, who was heavily pregnant, smiled at her and gave her a brief overview of her job.

While they were gone Anju thanked Harsh profusely for his generosity. "I am afraid my past is coming back to haunt her, Harsh, she does not know why she does these things and I cannot tell her. I hope working here will make her less restless and manic. And I also hope Renuka does not have a problem with the arrangement." Anju spoke, rising to her feet, looking straight into Harsh's eyes, who seemed a little affected by the mention of his wife. "Honestly, I think if we avoid telling her anything right now it will be better. I am taking her on a holiday, hope she is in high spirits when we come back." He sounded a little unsettled for just a moment. "Have a nice trip, Harsh, let's hope my girl is as good as her word." She turned to face Sanyukta and Randhir and soon mother and daughter were escorted to the exit. 

"You did not tell me that Sanyukta did it." Harsh quizzed his son. "I was unsure myself about who did it, Dad." Randhir replied, lying about Sanyukta for the second time. "Well, I must say the kid has a keen sense of humour, you should know better than to romance girls in your car so brazenly. Next time get a room, son!" Harsh badgered his son, who grinned sheepishly in return. He was not about to tell his father that Sanyukta had done it to spite him rather than to amuse herself. Especially not now when the girl was going to work right next to him. He had never expected her to go and confess to her mother about it. Even if she apologised to him indirectly he needed to give her a lesson or two over her defiance. He tried not to think of what had happened after she crawled over that tree branch into his room, rather his thoughts drifted to the impending Monday morning, when as promised, she would be there to report to him. He smirked, thinking about the irony of fate.