Misconceptions ✔

Chapter 8: Chief Minister. Arjun Mehra

Salaam everyone... How are you all?? I know I promised to post this chapter in the last week but I was not keeping well and the rains started to support my ill health too... :(

Here is the next chapter... Happy reading...

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Arjun is reminiscing the moments that transpired that day. He knew the officials are corrupt in India but not to this extent, if only he can help some people in his constituency, he will be able to get a goodnight's sleep. Why can't the people help others who are in dire need? Will he able to get answer to this answer anytime sooner? Of course YES. The living example is sleeping beside him peacefully. Only because of her helping nature, she is beside him this day. If she didn't get down from her scooter to help the man on the road, she would have never been here, with him and play pranks on him. He didn't know if he loved her or not- yet, but he is damn sure he likes her to the extent that he can keep her with him the whole life playing victim to her pranks and catching pillows thrown to his face. That doesn't take either of them anywhere; she will leave his life after six months no matter what. If only he could stop her from leaving his house and life. No, he cannot do that. He has so many responsibilities to be fulfilled and that exclusively demand the absence of Radhika in his life as his wife. There are many "if only's" in his life. What can he do to erase some of them from his life? He has yet to figure that out.

Sighing he let himself drift to sleep keeping aside the future that lay before him. His thoughts again wandered to the conference room where he held meeting with all the officials that day. He knew he should never speak to any official rudely, so he kept his emotions at bay as he always does and proceeded to the hall. He was greeted by all smiles but many are nervous ones because a meeting with an educated and London-return Chief Minister is no less than a hellion task to them. They need to make him understand the differences in the formation of laws of both the countries. But they didn't know that even though he is a London-return guy from the body, he is still Indian at heart. He knew the loopholes in the law of our country and by using those loopholes only people were able to escape punishments in many cases. But that's not the issue he is going to discuss today. This is entirely different from any laws ruling the land and it is the emotional connect that has between people. After greeting the people with a pleasant smile unlike the other people gave him, he took his seat. He thought to start with a question and he knew the answer of every person sitting over there. But he needed a genuine one at that. So he asked that question right away.

"Do you all love your parents?" is the silence-breaking or silence-shattering question he asked. The officials sitting over there didn't expect this question obviously, so they took their sweet time to answer the question that only raised the impatience levels in Arjun. Why can't they straightaway answer the question? It is a simple one, isn't it? After confirming they heard the correct question, all the officials nodded their heads in a yes and also saying it loud. Finally, Arjun got the answer he required.

'Is that only your parents you love or every other person who can be supposedly your parents or any other relation at that?' is his next question. Alright, this is a tricky question because if they say yes, then he can ask his next question directly. But if they say no, then that can lead to another question that will entirely change the course of discussion they are about to have. Seems the officials are not at all using their heads because they all answered yes to his question. Perfect. Now he can drill the nail on their heads.

'If that is so, why the old lady who was dragged to the road by her tenants is still on the road with only a banner hanging on her head as her protection and that too only two blocks away from here?' (He knew this because he visited the place along with Pawan by taking the address from Radhika.)

By seeing the heads that hung low, he knew that he struck the right chord, but no, he has more.

'I know I can get only this answer before I take any drastic action, you people have to take the action now. If I get any negative results, you people have to know the consequences, right? Then here it goes, every official involved in corruption from now on will be issued notices on their character and their names will be on the blacklist and also their names will be uploaded with pictures on our official site stating their crime. This is more than the punishment you will get by a suspension. If you people are suspended, you will be cursed only for some time but if you are on duty with your faces blackened in front of your juniors, you will get to know the true meaning of shame. (Seeing the pale faces of the officers, he knew they are picturing the entire scenario in their mind.) More number of complaints on your list more will be the punishment. MLA's and MP's are no exceptions to this. If the list exceeds five that will be the day I dissolve the Government. (He knew his ministers well to allow him to dissolve the government, they have come to this party only to increase their assets value. He also knows this decision will cause a rift in his party and internal conspiracies will be a common issue. He has to overcome all these, only then he will be able to live peacefully with no burden weighing on his head and heart.) And also the woman, in this case, is my mother from today, any harm to her will be regarded as harm to me. Get back to work; I need positive results and the meeting is dismissed.' Said Arjun and dismissed the meeting with a wave of his hand.

It was only after all the officials left the conference hall did he see the face of Pawan. His mouth was wide open as he is seeing his friend Arjun in a very new light. He knew the guy who is jovial and lives his life to the fullest and not the one who can threaten an official with their job security and make it look like they had a normal discussion of dinner items. His friend is truly changed in these years and he didn't have the slightest inkling about this. How can this happen? His train of thoughts came to a halt when Arjun is asking his opinion about his decision. There is no way in hell he will oppose the decision of Arjun as he knows that is the best punishment ever given to any official who gets himself involved in unlawful issues. They are here to protect the law not to override or break it. In his answer, he can only hug his friend tightly and he just did that.

Next few hours flew by with the signatures on numerous files and also reading all the modifications related to the projects happening in his state. If he has to offer a suggestion, then he needs to know the minute detail of the projects.

At about six in the evening, he called it a day and made his way to his house where his lovely wife is waiting to blow his head off with another issue totally.

Her face is so red after eating the sweet (that is what she called it); he had to hardly control his laughter. He almost laughed on her face for her mistake- almost. But he knew better, he shouldn't make fun of her when she clearly said that she doesn't know how to cook. After that, they shared the dinner and retired to bed.

His hands were itching to touch her face which was glowing in the soft moonlight but he decided against it. He shouldn't harbour any feelings when it came to her when he very well knows that she can never be his. His thoughts or to be more precise his thoughts in sleep were disturbed by the alarm he set the other day. He woke up only to see his hands and legs on his wife and she is sleeping peacefully even with his weight on her. That means this happened the day before too and she didn't even complain about that. What kind of woman is she? Is he lucky to have her in his life even it is for a short amount of time?

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End of the eighth chapter. What will happen now? Will Arjun confront Radhika about his sleeping position on her or will decide against that? And jealousy track is on the way, who will be jealous of whose relationship will be revealed later because we know that both have feelings for each other, right? ;) I know this is a teeny-weeny chapter but something is better than nothing right, so came up with this chapter. :D If you have any doubts on the terms used in this chapter, let me know about that too, so I can explain them later in my replies.

Do let me know your views on this chapter from the comments section below and also share your love through your votes. 

And I'm really sorry if this chapter is not to your expectations. :(

Have a great day everyone and love you all. :)