| Agastya |
ONE WEEK LATER :
There's no end to this quest. On my way to find a place where I can seek refuge from the guilt I feel for killing Natasha, a place where I won't get burned from the flames around me, where I thought I'll get cocooned from the world, I ended up becoming fire myself. I'm aflame, I am burning, I am destroying everything around me. And there's no end to it and when it will end, it will all be ashes and this is all because of Lavanya. Whatever poison I utter, the way I talk, act and behave is not the way I ever thought I will do. Even my dad says that I have never been this bitter ever. Especially after Natasha's death, I shouldn't be doing all this but things are not in my control since she left me. I have been harsh on myself so that I can pay for Natasha's death, I have been bitter to people around me because they try to tame this newly awakened fucker in me, and Lavanya? She is of no help. When after seeing what troubles I have caused my father, and when I decided to leave my ways of self destruction, she has again intruded in my life and I can't help but act cold. Lavanya doesn't deserve the good side of me. Maybe that's a sign of God that I am bound to stay like this. Ruined and messed up.
I warned Lavanya so much, to stop meddling around, but despite knowing that I can hurt her, she just.. keeps on hanging. Buzzing with a sound so loud around my flames, making them flicker. She doesn't budge by anything I do. She yells at me with an utterly irritating voice. I want her to give up and make her lose in front of me, but she fights back. I hate her determination and perseverance to the core. Sometimes I think her wings would put off my fire, instead of catching it. I am still finding my way through it. I hate her with all my being. She's so irritating and gorgeous that it's difficult to handle her. Every time she walks into me, I feel uncontrollable hatred towards her. Hatred for her being so distractive and destructive for my mind and heart. Lavanya smells of roses, and now I have begin to hate to admit that they are my favorite. Her bright smile that she flashes on everyone except me, triggers me. Her beautiful tanned skin whenever comes in contact with mine, even the slightest of brush, burns me because it unravels the side, I haven't had in ages. I need to stop her, at any cost.
"Done with the fight or won't you guys stop until you break each other's head?" Vidyut's voice is full of sarcasm as he struggles to walk into my office with a heavy pile of files in his hands. He was talking about the verbal spat I just had with Lavanya during lunch. That woman frustrates me to another damn level. She has problem with each and every decision of mine, just because mine are better than hers. Jealous soul.
"That's a nice idea actually." I reply, with my eyes stuck on my MacBook.
"Why are you always messing with her?" He makes himself comfortable on the chair placed in front of me and crosses his hands. I have observed how Vidyut has developed a soft corner for Lavanya, which I absolutely hate. Nobody should get close to her. NO ONE!
"I like playing around." I breathe nonchalantly.
"Lavanya isn't a toy. And why are you behind her, just because she took your position?" He asks and largely, sounds like her advocate.
"Its maybe a small thing for you but not for me." I say as a matter of fact, in a serious tone.
"But you were never unprofessional." Vidyut replies with something which finally makes me look in his direction. How dare he?
"Who is being unprofessional?" I narrow my eyes for I am astound to hear the word. In fact it has always been me who has not mixed my personal life with my professional life. "I put my points, she put hers. And I get the support. Simple."
"You know her inputs are equally brilliant but you -"
"- She still needs to learn. And why the fuck are we discussing her?" I cut him off because I don't want to fight with him over a nonsense allegation. I don't care what he thinks about me. Love takes maximum of her decisions with excitement and heart which are not good for long run, they are almost impractical. She hasn't come out of her rebellious and 'fiery' days when she was a journalist. She doesn't realize that she is now at a respectable position and I won't risk the reputation of Highlights because of her childish nature, hence when I suggest my plans, the board members and our journalists support me over her and that's not my fault.
However I won't deny that very often, I cross her, I intentionally sabotage few of her amazing plans and even pick up fights with her because obviously! How can I let her work in peace?
"Because she's the only thing your current personality is all about." Vidyut replies and I roll my eyes over his statement.
"Vidyut only if you haven't been an old friend..."
"At least someone can knock sense in your head without getting hurt in return." I watch him laugh and relax in his seat. Vidyut is a guy I respect and adore in the whole office. He is here in Highlights since the year I joined it. We practically started our career together but as much as he is allowed to comment on me or know a little about my life outside this office, he is also not the one I have confided into, about everything. We don't talk much or may I say I don't share everything with him. It's still more of a good formal friendship I have found in him. I haven't had any good friends post my masters because when I was crowned the CEO, all I gained were competitors and rivals but Vidyut is a nice man and trustworthy too.
"Stop talking about her. Now give me the details about Sheena Bajaj's scandal and pass me on my rum." I say.
"You are not drinking in the office again." Vidyut hates my habit of drinking alcohol but it's tough to explain him that I have forgotten to function without it. It runs in my veins more than blood.
"It's none of your business." My gaze on him and the voice with which I said it, both were harsh so he timidly began to pass me on the bottle. Just then, Lavanya entered my office in a rush.
"But it is my business." She declares in a loud voice. But instead of focusing on her words, my fucked up mind makes me ogle at her shamelessly. Dressed in a brick red balloon sleeves satin top which she pairs with a small black pencil skirt, she is filling my cabin with her usual fragrance. The tiny skirt hugs her body curves and ends up above her knees. Her wavy hairs are styled perfectly in accordance to her overall look. Lavanya has an ardent love for hand accessories which can be seen time to time. Her Gucci watch, the bracelets and rings that matched her ear studs, outshine her from the rest. As I take my own sweet time to scan her from bottom to top, my eyes finally meet her furious ones. She instantly takes the bottle away from Vidyut's hands.
"Agastya Raichand I'm talking to you." She affirms when I pull out a miniature Gin bottle from the side drawer.
"Aren't you tired? Only now I told you to shut up." I sip from it, not meeting her eyes anymore.
"And only now I told you to shove that 'shut up' in your ass." Lavanya throws the bottle away in a polythene and rests both of her hands on her butt and replies with a smirk.
"Jeez! Look at the language of our CEO." I narrow my eyes at her as I stand up from my seat, pointing my finger at Love.
"Vidyut just look at the manners of our managing editor, or may I say, ex CEO." Her expressions change from teasy to angry in a minute. She loves bruising my ego.
"DONT YOU FUCKING DARE-" I scream at her.
"- I dare and I am saying put that tiny bottle down! You are not going to drink in the office hours. At all." Lavanya utters in a seemingly authoritative tone which doesn't really suit her.
"Who are you to tell me?" I grit my teeth. She can't give me commands just like that.
"You get butthurt when I recite my position to you again and again." She pouts as she finally gets hold of my Gin.
"Love stop it!" I try to stop her but she dumps it in the same polythene like some police officer who keeps a check on people in public parks.
"I'm going out guys." Lavanya turns around, her curves make a delicious sway as she does that, saying this to Vidyut who isn't able to contain his laughter. Motherf*ucker is enjoying the fight.
"Love give it back to me. How can you-"
"I can and I will. Don't forget Agastya Raichand that I'm your boss. All the people have been complaining about you. The girls don't feel comfortable when their senior always comes office, all drunk and wasted." She is exaggerating. I have never come to office drunk and wasted. I know how to handle my liquor except a few times and it's never been in office. There's a reason why I had distanced myself from Highlights back then.
"Who the fuck is complaining?" I step nearer.
"Are you going to harass them now!?" Lavanya's eyes go wide at the prospect of me doing something like that. How can she even think -
"Shut the hell up Love. I'm just asking." I breathe, controlling hard to not touch her delectable shiny skin.
"You are cursing."
"Don't get on my nerves." I say turning my head. Love tests my patience a little too much.
"I'm going to Mr. Patnaik's office. See me there." She says snootily, in the most carefree attitude, enjoying my agitated self. Annoying is her middle name, I tell you.
"I hate you." I blurt out.
"It's an 'us' moment darling-gggg." I heard her saying as she left and the door slapped against the frame. Vidyut finally let out his laugh and I look at him ferociously.
________________
"Sir I'm not going to work in an environment anymore where I'm not being heard or obeyed." Lavanya complains dramatically, framing the issue, and painting me the villain. She is standind in front of Patnaik with her hands resting on his table. I have been called into Mr. Patnaik's office since 'My Boss' has literally filed a complaint against me for my unethical working tactics.
"What has happened Lavanya?" Mr. Patnaik asks. He places his tomato-like head on his fist for anything that involves me, interests him.
"Agastya Raichand has happened. Who else can be this catastrophic for me?" Lavanya replies, moving her hands in the air, overdoing the complaint.
"She's exaggerating." I murmur which makes her look at me but I continue surfing while having her gaze on me.
"No! I am not." she snaps back and looks at Mr. Patnaik "He comes to the office whenever he wants, he doesn't attend those specific meetings which I arrange -"
"I try to maintain my distance from her."
"- he doesn't listen to me or my suggestions, takes my electronic signature without my permission for the sake of airing some pity news headlines -"
"-Secured the highest TRP in last month every fucking week. Couldn't have done that with her ideas." I say cutting her off, proving my point. And this can't be overseen by him. He knows how much TRP we gained by airing all those news headlines by not following Lavanya's instructions.
"-And lastly he consumes alcohol during office hours. Being a stake holder, you need to teach him a lesson." She continues despite my point, her ball like circular black eyes with long lashes never leaving me. No! Her eyes are not circular in shape in general, its only when she's angry. And anger and frustration are so evident that I mentally chuckle.
"Do you think I'll listen to what Mr. Patnaik will say?" I yawn and put off my phone.
"But you will have to listen to what the board members will say." Mr. Patnaik says in a serious tone, eyeing me as if he would eat me up. I am also sure he would have, if it is in his control. Poor man! He walks out leaving us alone in the office. This man hates me from the day I insulted him at the launch party and I know he will arrange something against me, now that Love has given him a golden chance.
"Exactly! Oh my God! Finally! See! Justice gonna prevail. Yes! I'm so happy." Lavanya screams with happiness, looking at me. Her happiness know no bounds on Mr. Patnaik's confirmation.
"Whatever kid." I blow out air and I didn't realize when did a small smile play on my lips seeing her all jolly and happy. It is just a moment maybe and it's surely not her.
"I'm not a kid." I hear her saying as I close the door of the cabin, leaving her alone with a frown on her beautiful face.
It was the next day when Miss Lavanya Annoying Sinha announced about the revised rules that had complete prohibition on alcohol consumption and it also stated about some fine that we have to pay if anyone is found drunk. She was extremely elated while telling that to all of us and I was..? I don't know. I didn't have a loud reaction, in fact my eyes didn't move an inch away from her petite body frame. Love was extremely happy with her first win against me. Maybe for the first time, I saw one of the biggest smiles on her face from ear to ear, her highlighted cheek bones going up, and eyes sparkling with excitement. The score was finally one on one according to her. And after looking at her, I didn't feel like reacting or doing anything in return, even though I was defensive about it earlier. Strange!?
Have I accepted that it's one of God's plans to lessen my habit of drinking?
_______________
SOME DAYS LATER :
Today I am so proud of my employees. We covered the story of policemen sabotaging a terrorist attack. My amazing reporters didn't care about their lives, and went to the site with great enthusiasm and have returned back with all the necessary footage and information that will take our channel to new heights. The news is going live in an hour and in print by tomorrow. My employees risked their life for this story and I am going to reward them for this.
"I can't believe Agastya, you are the limit." I listen to her yell. Can there be any freaking moment when she is not yelling at me? Fuck her! Dressed as usual, at her finest, she storms into my cabin and I can feel the rage with which she is burning. Her deep brown eyes are red, her body is shivering because of the anger.
"Calm down Love. What did I do now?" I enquire politely, closing the file, I have been reviewing.
"You very well know what you did Agastya Raichand." She says in a slightly hoarse voice, a transformation she brings every time she fights with me.
"No! I don't." I cross my hands and lean back in the chair because this time, I really don't know what made her temper so fucking high. Neither I am curious to know but I know she will spill it nonetheless.
"Oh! Is that so? So you know nothing about The Inaam political rally?" She says, her eyes looking at me as if I am some traitor. But I am happy that she talked about it because I was about to discuss it with her myself. For the first time ever, and for the history books record!
"Oh that. I too wanted to talk to you about that. Look at the pictures and the multiple interview segments my team -" I say but she didn't let me complete.
"Exactly! Your team. You sent your team? Your chosen people. When I had already selected Mia, Rohan and Riddhima to cover this rally." She replies in an offended tone while my dislike for her increased a ten folds, just now. For an efficient boss, the important thing should be that we shall cover all the news and stories with perfection before any of our rivals, the concern should be about how to do it, not about who's gonna do it. But time and time again Lavanya keeps on proving why I call her immature and why I am behind her and her position.
"They are newbies." I say monosyllabically and uninterestingly.
"And that's why they would have done it in a better way, with more enthusiasm and determination." Lavanya bangs my table and leans towards me with rage.
"But my team did such a great work, you have to look at it once." I still try to knock some sense in her and also, to be as polite as much I can be with her because I didn't want to ruin my mood.
"I don't care about your work. Agastya I'm tired fighting over pity things with you. Why don't you stop?" Tears begin to form at the back of her eyes. But do I care? Again she is the one who is taking this conversation towards our personal problem but people have the audacity to call me unprofessional.
"Why should I stop, give me one reason?" I continue.
"At least think about the employees who trust us. Mia, Rohan and Riddhima were so excited to lead that entire story about the rally. I entrusted them with that and you should have seen it with your own eyes how much they were excited for it. They had been preparing for days altogether and you changed the whole team just one day before the event. Who the fuck are you to do that?" Lavanya looks almost on the verge of crying as she was fighting. She certainly would have grabbed the collar of my shirt, if we haven't been on an arms distance. I am literally confused if she is in pain about her team or because it is me, who crossed her?
"I'm their boss and I know very well how to do it. It wasn't their cup of tea to handle the rally so I just -" I lean back in my chair saying that but soon my eyes pop out at her actions. Lavanya took hold of all the files lying on the table, and came to my side. She was searching for something in my drawer frantically. I was too stunned to stop her but still I grabbed her hands.
"You just what? Huh? You know what Agastya?" She say in between and despite my struggle to stop her from doing something stupid, she takes hold of something and continues "You are a blind man who can't look beyond yourself.."
"Lavanya stop!" I panic as she lights the lighter in her hand and begins burning all the files. She actually searched for a fucking lighter? Does she plan to burn both of us alive too?
"- your position and your hatred for me. Why should I stop?" Her words come out between heavy breathing. She isn't able to breathe properly because of the smoke and why don't she put those burning papers down?
"Stop it Lavanya. Put it down! I'll ring the fire alarm. This is my bloody office." I yell and grab her by her arm, and the pages get dropped on the floor, here and there, as we face each other. Tears trickle down Lavanya's face when she looks at me for a minute. For a moment, everything just stopped. Love didn't continue to do what she is doing and I run my hand up her bare arm, caressing it softly, to which, she let out a breath and closed her eyes in response. Her strawberry pink lips quiver as she is crying hard and shaking even when I am holding her, firm. I can't believe that I have made her hate me so much that she doesn't care about herself anymore. She could have got burnt. But -
It's no longer a battle about the lost opportunity of those three employees, but about the feud between us. It has hurt her ego that yet again, it's me who took over her story. Her anger has increased a million folds today. It's as fiery as the fire which was burning near us, destroying the papers. But isn't this the whole point?
Give up Lavanya! So that I can stop. Please.
I take her face in my hands, which is all wet with tears but as soon as I trace her lips with my thumb, she shot her eyes open. She is looking at me as if she is in deep pain, while wiping her face. I try to stop her, but she struggles against me and begin gathering more documents from my table and quickly, burned them to ashes in front of me, in a blink of an eye before I could process. I pity her for she was doing the most childish thing in the world. She tossed the lighter behind her in anger. The dark blue coloured curtains, which cover the window, caught the fire, just behind Lavanya. I pulled her closer and thankfully the increased amount of smoke turned on the alarm and the shower started, putting off the fire ultimately. But it was too late as the papers were half burnt and rendered useless. I yanked a teary Lavanya towards me with force that she ended up against my torso, her nails dug into my shirt as we stood close, under the shower.
"Of course it's your office. And why do you fear. You can magically bring another report, another string of interviews with your team or maybe you can do it all alone." She growled and her tears choked her. I had never seen Lavanya like this before. Tormented, destructive and enraged. She was behaving like some hormonal teenager, outraged and hurt for no reason.
"Lavanya it was important for our company-" I tried to explain because for the first time, whatever I did, I did because it was in favour of our firm. It had nothing to do with my hate for Lavanya.
"- I don't care! I don't care about you just the way you don't care to see their sparkling eyes, their enthusiasm and energy." She reasoned and began to hit me with her fists.
"Why do you do this? You don't know how much important information it was -" I asked about the burnt papers because no matter what, her actions were mad and unnecessary. Even if she hates me or I hate her, our actions shouldn't affect the reputation of Highlights.
The shower had drenched us completely, by the time. My blue shirt had become see through.
"I know your team would have done the best of work, after all it's your team but what about emotions Agastya? What about the passion I saw in those three people to conduct their first major story? What should I answer them? That their CEO is powerless? Why did you do to this to them? It's not me Agastya. This time it's not me who has got hurt, it's your employees, who think that they will learn, they will grow in your company, who have got hurt." She blabbered while wiping her tears away from her cheeks. Her confrontation was useless because it's all about her feeling powerless and not their failed attempts. In fact I'm sure, she hasn't even talked to her team, and had come to me straight.
"Shut the fuck up Lavanya! I swear I'll end up doing something I'll regret. STOP RIGHT NOW!" I said in frustration. Till how far I can control myself?
"Are you gonna hit me?" She stepped back in horror but I held Lavanya by her waist to stop her from stepping on the ashes and an almost dead flame, the showers had stopped by then. How could she ever think of it? What made her think so low about me? I looked at her with an emotion unknown to me. When did her opinions start bothering me? In fact this is what I wanted. A broken, tormented Lavanya Sinha, just that she isn't giving up the way I want her to. But why am I feeling bad? I sighed at my own thoughts.
"I WILL.." kiss you. "..EXPLAIN IT TO YOU." I said and mentally cursed myself for even thinking along those lines but all I could concentrate was her face and her lips which I wanted to shut badly so that I can crush this feeling for once and for all. Attraction is fatal and I only belong to Natasha. I will be fucker if I ever deceive her because I know she's here. I keep her alive, with me, because there's no other way to live, myself. Every time. My Natasha!
"I'm surprised that you have an explanation this time. But I don't want to listen to anything. I'm going. We are not covering the rally. That's it." She pushed me and said in a decision making tone. Lavanya walked out of my cabin and I yelled loudly "Burn everything and then walk out! As if nothing happened. Typical Lavanya Sinha. You just know how to destroy. Be it papers, be it lives."
I could see a group of staff members outside my cabin, looking at us, fighting like mad people. The cleaners came inside and began cleaning and I realised how much damage she had done to the output of hard work we all did without a break, including her. Office was working even on Sunday but she just chose to burn all the documents. Thankfully we keep soft copies and the clippings and recordings have already been handed over to the tech team. The news will get air on anyhow but there are certain papers which were exclusive and she had burned them all.
I sat down on the chair, after having such a draining ugly fight with her but her face doesn't tend to leave my thoughts. Lavanya's outburst, her piled up frustration against her delicate expressions, her demanding eyes unsettled me. Was there something more to her anger? Did I miss a point? Because this reaction wasn't normal. In fact it wasn't what Lavanya would ever do. But she did. Only professional tiff wouldn't make her so crazy but what else could there be? I was thinking when...
"Sir these are some half burnt papers. Please take a look at them before I throw them out." The cleaner said and I sighed,
"There's nothing lef-" I was saying but my eyes fell on some certain cards and photos and no way she did it! I can't believe it.
"NO FUCKING WAY YOU DID IT LAVANYA! WHY?" I screamed at the top of my voice.
_______________
A/B : Lavanya has hanged Agastya's system. She's his fatal distraction but looks like she has done something big this time.
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Happy women's day girliez. <3
Lavanya and Agastya's Outfit Inspo :