Without her boss's approval, Aradhna took matters into her own hands, uploading the interview late into the night. She felt a surge of satisfaction knowing that the truth would soon be revealed to everyone on Sunday morning news.
However, when she woke up the next morning, her excitement turned to confusion. "I want to see the news," she demanded eagerly.
"There's no story, I've been watching TV all morning," Jagruti retorted, refusing to relinquish the remote.
Frustrated and bewildered, Aradhna sought out Vikram on her way to his cabin. "Where is he, where is our boss?" she exclaimed.
As she finally saw her culprit her voice tinged with urgency. "I can't believe it, you did it again. You think you can see women's truth, but what about your truth?"
Reyansh met her gaze with an unreadable expression, prompting her to continue her tirade. "You believe only you can be right. Is this your commitment to journalism?"
"We don't run only one-sided news at News Nation..." The voice blares through the office from every screen, and Aradhna is taken aback. She turns immediately to find the interview running on the channel during primetime news.
"This is my story, it's airing now," Aradhna fumbles with her words as she faces back at Reyansh.
He seems unfazed and moves towards his cabin.
Throughout the day, Aradhna finds herself distracted, her thoughts consumed by Reyansh. She can't help but stare at him whenever her eyes catch sight of him, and his demeanor raises curiosity within her. For a brief moment, she even feels a pang of remorse for shouting at him and assuming the worst.
The next morning, Aradhna notices an unusual level of attention directed towards her, leaving her puzzled as to what could have caused it.
Suddenly, she receives a call from her old boss. "Hey Aradhna, funny story—I found out today that someone filed a #MeToo complaint against your boss. Who's the girl?" His tone is superior, as if he's making fun of Reyansh's ordeal.
Aradhna is taken aback by the news leaking out so quickly. "I've heard that the board of directors is replacing him with some puppet of theirs who will be less rebellious. Oh Aradhna, the company will soon sink after the scandal, and without him, you were good here."
Feeling uncomfortable, Aradhna quickly cuts the call, her mind swirling with uncertainty and apprehension.
___
Aradhana took a deep breath before addressing the HR team. "I filed a complaint against the company's post last Friday, and I can see how upset everyone in the office is. But getting someone with courage fired—it's said now that an honest reporter's job is always in danger. Yet, one who sees the truth without fear is worthy of praise. And Reyansh Lamba is insane; his insanity is his weapon."
She paused, gathering her thoughts before continuing. "So, I gave it a lot of thought. Must I overlook his misbehavior, given his courage? Must I condone his despicable behavior for the sake of good reporting? No, because I am a journalist, and also a girl. If I remain quiet and suppress my voice, wouldnt it be wrong? Can we separate a persons talent from his behavior?"
Vikram tensed up as he listened to her words, exchanging looks with Sunaina, the HR representative. Aradhana persisted, "As far as I know him, he is extremely arrogant, insane, weird. He speaks anything out of turn to everyone and anyone. He challenges the entire world and proudly asks them to refute him. Such people are rare, but the same Reyansh has such rigid views against women and such wrong thoughts that at times I have the urge to slap him and give him a lecture that he is wrong."
"But maybe hell understand, only when everyone tells him this. To be honest, when he touched me, I felt very awkward and very furious, but I also realized that he had no bad intentions. He wasnt eyeing me up or something. Actually, the problem lies with his views and perspective."
Aradhana concluded her statement with determination. "So please keep my complaint on record for the future, but today let him off with a stern warning. This should be in the files, but today I am not taking any action against him."
Sunaina, called Reyansh into the conference hall and break the news to him. While having this conversation in the glass cabin he kept his eyes on Aradhna, who was across the room, as she had returned to her cubicle, feeling a mix of emotions.
___
It had been several weeks since the incident, and one morning we were seated in our cabin as Vikram briefed us on a story. "Guys, Minister Brijesh is really pursuing us. We cant take any risks with this," he said, looking visibly concerned.
Reyansh interrupted abruptly, surprising everyone. "You can stay scared, Vikram. I will take the risk. If we dont take risks, we'll be presenting half-truths like some of those insignificant.com's," he declared confidently, his gaze fixed on Aradhana as if he was addressing her directly.
Suddenly, the atmosphere shifted as one of the interns burst into the conference room, singing "Happy Birthday" to Reyansh while holding a cake. Vikram and Sunaina's demeanor changed instantly as they tried to stop the intern, while Aradhana watched in confusion, unsure of what was happening.
As Aradhana observed the scene, she couldn't help but wonder why Reyansh reacted so strongly to the birthday cake. It was just a harmless gesture, wasn't it? Yet, everyone's tense reactions suggested otherwise. Reyansh abruptly stood up and grabbed the cake, swiftly tossing it into the dustbin with a resounding thud, his expression unreadable. Aradhana felt a pang of confusion and curiosity, realizing that there was more to this situation than met the eye.
"Please Leave Everyone!" Reyansh voice echoed.
As Reyansh poured the liquor into the dustbin, igniting the flames, Aradhana watched from outside the glasses of the conference hall, her mind swirling with thoughts. She couldn't help but feel a pang of empathy for him, sensing that there must be deep-rooted wounds driving his anger towards life.
___
Later, in the cafeteria, Reyansh approached Vikram, who seemed engrossed in his phone. Despite Reyansh's attempts to grab his attention, Vikram remained distracted, much to Reyansh's annoyance. He handed Vikram a mug of liquor, attempting to engage him in conversation, but Vikram's attention remained elsewhere.
"Oh my friend knows me so well! But I am here for you." A still drunk Reyansh trying to get his reaction mumbled.
Finally, Vikram opened up, revealing that he had been talking to his girlfriend about his current situation. Reyansh listened intently, his expression softening as he realized the extent of Vikram's struggles. However, his response was laced with bitterness, expressing disdain for the idea of becoming "someone's dog".
Vikram gently urged Reyansh to address his own problems, emphasizing the importance of taking care of himself. He pointed out that Reyansh hadn't been home in days, urging him to spend his birthday in the comfort of his own surroundings.
___
In the secluded washroom of the penthouse floor, Aradhna quietly administered her insulin shots, the sound of the needle piercing her skin drowned out by the distant echoes of chaos outside. Suddenly, her ears caught the fervent chants of "Down with Reyansh Lamba" reverberating through the air. Peeking through the blinds of a nearby window, she witnessed a group of unruly individuals wreaking havoc, their destructive fervor aimed at the very foundation of the office.
Feeling a surge of concern for her colleagues, Aradhna's phone buzzed in her hand, displaying Vikram's name on the screen. His voice carried a sense of urgency as he relayed the alarming situation unfolding within the premises. "Aradhna some thugs of minister have breached our premises. There are very few employee here I am locking the MCR so they won't destroy it, Can you please inform the police." With a determined nod, Aradhna assured him of her assistance and swiftly made her way out of the washroom.
"And Aradhna please find Reyansh and take him some place safe, he is still very much drunk. He isn't in this floor but if the thugs find him they will harm him, Please Aradhna!"
Vikram's plea resonated in her mind as she navigated through the chaos, her thoughts racing to find a solution. The safety of Reyansh weighed heavily on her mind, knowing all too well the potential danger he faced in his current state of inebriation.
Aradhna's heart raced as she processed Vikram's words. Without hesitation, she dialed the police and relayed the urgent situation unfolding at the office premises. As she moved swiftly through the penthouse, her mind raced with concern for her colleagues and Reyansh's safety.
She instantly knew Reyansh must be locked in his penthouse. Upon reaching Reyansh's room, she found the door unlocked and pushed it open cautiously. The room was dimly lit, and Reyansh lay sprawled across the bed, still in a drunken stupor. Aradhna's heart sank at the sight, realizing that he was in no condition to defend himself if the intruders found their way to the penthouse.
With determined steps, Aradhna approached Reyansh, gently shaking him to rouse him from his slumber. "Boss, we need to leave. There are thugs in the office, and we have to get you to safety," she urged, lowered her tone as the voices outside started getting louder.
Reyansh groaned, his eyelids heavy as he slowly blinked awake to the dim light filtering through the room. His head throbbed with the remnants of morning, his senses dulled by the lingering effects of alcohol. "Happy Birthday to me, Happy Birthday to me," he slurred, his voice laced with drunken mirth.
"Reyansh, you need to listen to me!" Aradhna urged urgently, her voice tinged with concern as she sat on the corner of the bed to get him to stand and move out.
"Please, don't tell me someone's throwing me a surprise party," Reyansh muttered, his brow furrowing in annoyance as he made a feeble attempt to rise from the bed. "If they are, they'll all be out of a job by the end of the day."
Aradhna knew she had to act swiftly to prevent him from venturing outside for office. "You're living in your own world right now," she reasoned, moving to block his path and gently guiding him back towards the bed.
As Aradhna dialed Vikram's number, her heart raced with anxiety, knowing the gravity of the situation unfolding outside. "He's in no condition to handle this, Vikram," she explained, her voice trembling slightly with worry.
"Please, Aradhna, do what you can to keep him safe," Vikram's voice echoed through the phone, his concern mirroring her own. "He's not himself today, it's his birthday and he's... shattered."
Feeling a wave of helplessness wash over her, Aradhna resolved to do whatever it took to protect Reyansh and diffuse the situation. But as she heard the loud footsteps approaching, her sense of urgency heightened, and she moved quickly to silence Reyansh before he could make matters worse. Covering his mouth with her hand, she met his gaze with a pleading expression, silently urging him to cooperate.
She pushed Reyansh against the wall, his unsteady frame barely able to support itself under the weight of intoxication. As his back met the cool surface, Aradhna's hand remained firmly pressed against his mouth, restraining him from making any noise.
With a struggling gaze, Reyansh attempted to communicate something, his eyes locking onto Aradhna's hand gripping his shoulder tightly. He made a muffled plea, urging her to release him so he could speak.
"Miss Sahani, what section does this come under?" Reyansh's slurred words were barely audible beneath her hand, his eyes reflecting a mixture of confusion and something she couldn't read. "You will go to jail for this!"
His words caused Aradhna's heart to race even faster than before and she froze for what felt like an eternity looking him in his hazel eyes.
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