Moonlighting...
Sam pinged him incessantly
"Hey call karo mujhe"
"WHERE ARE U?"
He didnt answer, he stood by his fave window and stared down
There was no beer at "this" office
Ranjan even got rid of the crates of Dom Perignon champagne he received around Diwali and New Year... after the scandal
He walked out as Mrs Sagar stumbled as she stood up, "Coffee?" she asked
He shook his head and wandered the giant hallways leading to the CEO's area
The offices were mostly empty, the CTO/CIO, CMO, CSO" all C level guys checked out around 7 it looked like
He paused before he approached Imad's door, Ranjan's "suite" was beyond Imad's
Imad was the gatekeeper
Maruti could be super annoying
They used "Excelsior as a shining example of customer service delivery and overall "ultimate buying experience"
Japanese partners, netas and Maruti execs showed up frequently without calling
"The babu culture" as Ranjan referred to it, nobody respected any one else's time
"How do they expect me to sustain the "buying experience" if they interrupt my work day?" he could often be heard lamenting in the hallway
Imad stood up reverentially
It wasnt sincere and it make R&B cringe
"Is he still around?" R&B asked softly
"Umm I think so... i was in a meeting" Imad lied
"With who?" R&B wondered
"Maruti" Imad responded to R&B's mental question
R&B nodded in an aloof way
He walked tentively into Ranjan's suite
He wasnt around
There were pictures of Nivi every where, possibly a picture from every day of her life? he thought
The biggest one wasnt "big" a 2ft by 2 ft one where she sat on the floor wearing a yellow kanjeevaram lehanga and a green blouse and flowers strung across her curly haired head
There were pictures of Shubhang and Lasya and Nandu and Shravu
None of him... or Ma or siblings
The PC was still on the giant monitors flickering more pictures
He walked over to his daughter's pic, and stared at the eyes
He smiled and walked out
"Kaam tha?" Ranjan asked tucking his phone into his pocket
"Not really" he shook his head
"Khaana khaayega?" he asked
" Are u not headed out?" R&B asked
"Ghanta aur karanga kaam betaji" he said, stifling a yawn
Imad handed him some Maruti shipment invoices
He did "as much" as he did 30 years ago, strangely...
"Khaana keh de beta" he instructed Imad
"French food sir?" Imad asked
"Umm... no... I have a quick meeting... and will head back" R&B said
"Bolta kam hai" Ranjan beamed with pride
R&B half smiled
Walking back
Finding Trehaan peering over the chest high Mrs Sagar desk to look at something she was showing
"
"Boss! Kee haal hai tuadda?" Trehaan smiled back slapping
R&B nodded
"Great" he said
"Do u want coffee?" Mrs Sagar offered
"Mrs Sagar... asee tey beer peyange" Trehaan said
Mrs Sagar squirmed "No longer" she said
R&B wondered if the brothers stayed up late at night drinking
Like the uncivilized Arya Samaj Rd car brokers
"U first" R&B said politely
"Koi help chahiye kya?" Trehaan asked pompously
He found his phone
Sam's texts hammered him
"Where did she go?" he asked abt II
"Aur kidhar APNE GHAR... she snatched the baby from me" Sam said hurt
"Post partum nerves?" he texted chuckling
"Biwi ki tarafdaari?" Sam accused
"No idea... cant talk" he said
Sam sulked away
"How is she?" he asked II ABOUT NIVI
"Are u asking the mother? or the daughter?" II argued
"Thats great progress if Sam taught her to text" he mocked
Trehaan shifted uneasily, and sighed audibly
"Go away" she ordered
He wondered what position was she in
Cuddling her daughter on his couch as she stuffed her face with the Munirka namkeem gossiping with Vandu as Tamil soaps played loudly
Or Nivi wandered the kitchen hoping to eat stale crumbs off the floor as she cooked sambar and rice for herself?
Or spread a simple blanket on the front lawn and sat there watching the stars as her daughter crawled around her
"Boss... zaroori kaam hai?" Trehan reminded him
"Oh yeah" R&B said
"Has Samar left for the day?" he asked
Trehaan nodded thrilled
"I wanted to look at the workshop vendor list... he said"
Trehaan's face fell
He texted Chachu frantically
Within minutes Ranjan showed at his door
He didnt nod, so Ranjan couldnt come in
"Kisi vendor se matha pachi karna hai to mujhe bata" he said
"Umm no... I wanted to look at the last order placed with the fuel injection system supplier" he said carelessly
Trehaan sat by him and yawned out loud...
"Main batata hoon tujhe 1700 supplier haingey" he said
"The Hungarian company Fusion tech" R&B said reading Argent email on his laptop appearing preoccupied
