Previously on Mumbai Blues...
Scene: Mumbai calling
"Arshi ke saath waise bhi yaha bohot log hai, aur abhi ke liye main Jhanak ke alava aur kuch sochana nahi chahata. Muze jald se jald Mumbai pohanchna hoga" Anirudh thinks to himself.
"Jhanak main aa raha hoon Mumbai!"
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Anirudh in his new Mumbai apartment
Anirudh is standing by the window of his new Mumbai apartment, gazing out at the sprawling city skyline. He managed to find a place close to the office, so close he could see the office building right from his window.
He picks up the phone and calls the office where he'll start working tomorrow. The same receptionist answers.
"Hello, Regency Enterprises. This is Nadia. Who am I speaking with? "
"Hi, This is Anirudh Bose speaking. I just arrived in Mumbai. I wanted to check if my office space is ready to go."
"Mr. Anirudh Bose?... I am sorry sir. But can you please tell me your designation to find out more about this?"
"Yes, I will be joining as VP of Planning and Operations. I have already spoken with Mr. Shubramanyam on the phone before my arrival."
"Oh, I see sir. I see that here now. Yes, sir, your cabin will be ready for you tomorrow to use. We have also set up all the equipment necessary as well. The entry card is also ready. You can get it from the security officer when you come to the office."
"That is great to hear.... Listen, I wanted the list of newly recruited employees at the company. I wanted to select one person to assist me on a day-to-day basis."
"Sure sir, I will send all the information to you here shortly"
"That's great. Thank you!"
Anirudh hangs up the call and takes a deep breath, still staring intently at the office building.
"Jhanak, kya tum bhi yaha ho?" he mutters to himself.
He closes his eyes, trying to picture her in his mind, to feel her presence around him.
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Regency office
On the other side, it's Jhanak's first day at the office. She stands outside the building, her eyes brimming with dreams and hopes for her new life. She closes her eyes momentarily, thanking her mother and trying to grasp the peace she hasn't felt in months.
As she breathes in Mumbai's air, a thought of Anirudh creeps into her mind—an image of him smiling at her. Suddenly, she senses him calling her name, "Jhanak." Goosebumps spread across her skin, and she opens her eyes quickly.
"Jhanak, tu sirji ke bare mein nahi sochegi... kabhi bhi nahi," she mutters to herself with determination.
Taking Shivji's name, she walks into the office, a mix of nervousness and happiness swirling within her. Despite her efforts to push thoughts of Anirudh away, his presence lingers in her mind. But she knows she has to focus on this new beginning and leave her past behind her no matter how much it hurts.
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Anirudh's Mumbai apartment
Anirudh lays down on the sofa, his eyes closed, and a hand resting over his head. Taking deep breaths, he feels the solitude and silence, almost like therapy. He listens to his inner voice, his mind overflowing with thoughts of all the events that have occurred in the past months. Among all those thoughts, one face is common. All the good and bad moments he spent with Jhanak flash before his eyes. The pain and turmoil she felt, he felt, their last conversation, and her words...
"Aap kya sochate hai usase muze farq padta hai... bohot farq padta hai..."
Suddenly, the sharp sound of a notification on his phone jolts Anirudh out of his thoughts. He has received an email from Nadia, the receptionist at Regency Enterprises. Massaging his eyes, he grabs his computer to read the details.
"Let's see here... okay, about 10 newly hired employees. Jhanak kaha ho tum..." he mutters to himself as he scrolls down the pages.
Jhanak's CV appears with her photograph. Anirudh's eyes stop at the sight of her. He feels a rush of emotions seeing her face among the list of employees.
"Thank you, God... thank you, Jhanak... thank you..." A tear of happiness rolls down his cheek, feeling assured he has indeed found Jhanak and will be meeting her soon.
He starts looking through her employment contract and details. There is a photocopy of her graduation certificate as well. Anirudh can't contain his happiness seeing that.
"Finally, Jhanak... tumnae kar dikhaya! Tumhe pata bhi nahi muze tum par kitna naaz hai. Good job , Jhanak. Kaash main tumhe ye mil kar keh pata!"
He finds Jhanak's offer letter among other documents. She was hired on a contract position for 6 months, with a condition to get a full-time opportunity depending on her performance.
"Agar muze dekh kar Jhanak resign kar de to? Wo aisa bilkul kar sakti hai... main aisa hone nahi de sakta."
Anirudh realizes he needs to make sure Jhanak cannot leave after she finds out he is her new boss.
Anirudh makes a copy of the document and starts editing Jhanak's signed offer letter's penalty clause digitally on his computer. He adds a clause stating if Jhanak ends the employment before the end of her contract term, she will be liable to pay her full 6 months' salary with benefits along with 15 lakhs as "liquidated damages" to the employer as compensation for the delay, inconvenience, and loss of revenue caused by her absence.
"Done..." Anirudh saves the document with a proud smirk on his face.
He dials Regency's front desk to inform them about the personnel change.
"Hi, this is Anirudh Bose speaking."
"Hi, Mr. Bose. Did you receive my email?" Nadia answers on the other side.
"Yes, I did. I see that Jhanak Raina has joined most recently and she is a fresh graduate. I think she is the perfect person for me to groom, and since she has not joined any project yet, it will be much easier for me to onboard her."
"Yes, sir. I will assign her under you and let Mr. Shubramanyam know."
"Great, thank you. I will see you tomorrow."
Anirudh hangs up the call. He looks at the clock. It's almost mid-afternoon.
"Jhanak 5 baje office se chute gi. Mil nahi sakta par office ke bahar kahi wait kar hi sakta hoon. Ek baar dekhna hai muze ke wo thik hai ke nahi," Anirudh thinks to himself.
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Regency office
Jhanak is at her desk, her first day at the office nearing its end. She spent all day yesterday searching for a room, shelter house, or a girls' hostel. She has a few leads she needs to follow up on. Last night, she managed to stay in a girls' hostel reception area, but that can’t be a permanent solution.
Jhanak gathers her belongings and her bag with all her stuff. As she is leaving the office, she notices a sofa in a corner of the room. She bids everyone goodbye and comes out of the office building.
Anirudh has been waiting outside the office building at a shop for nearly an hour, hoping to catch a glimpse of Jhanak. As Jhanak steps out of the building, his heart skips a beat. He is not being able to look away from her. It feels as if he hasn’t seen her in years, not just a few days.
Jhanak is waving her hand to stop an auto rickshaw. An auto finally pulls up and Anirush suddenly realizes cannot let her out of her sight. He immediately jumps into his car and starts following the auto from a distance.
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Mumbai streets
Auto stops in front of a girls' hostel. Anirudh parks his car at a distance to wait for Jhanak to come out. Jhanak makes a quick visit and comes out looking disappointed. He quietly follows her as she visits several hostels, each time returning with a crestfallen expression. He has figured out that Jhanak has not found a place to stay yet in the city.
Night falls, but Mumbai is still awake and buzzing. Jhanak recalls the sofa in the office she saw earlier - not a perfect solution but at least a place she can lie down tonight.
"Abhi office jana hi thik hoga. ek do din me room mil jayega kaha hai girls' hostel walo ne. Tab tak muze office me hi rukana padega"
She calls for an auto again to head back to the office.
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Regency Office
Anirudh feels confused as Jhanak enters the office building late at night.
"Jhanak office wapis kyu aayi? Kahi ....office me hi sone ka irada to nahi? Kya main use mere room par le jao..." He almost opens the car door. But then closes it again realizing it is not going to work.
"nahi agar main samane gaya aise hi to mana kar degi, aur kahi phir se bhaag gai to?"
"Par aise office me itani raat ko, it's not safe. Aur kisi ne dekh liya to problem ho sakati hai...kya karu?"
Jhanak manages to convince the security guard that she needs to work for a few more hours and might stay late tonight.
Meanwhile, Anirudh sits in his car, trying to figure out how to ensure Jhanak stays safe. He recalls what Nadia told him about the office entry card being with the security guard.
"Yes, I can go inside. Security officer koi na koi to duty par hoga hi" He thinks to himself.
Anirudh rushes towards the office building. He finds a security guard at the desk, trying to get comfortable to sleep again.
"Hello sir!" Anirudh calls out just before the guard can doze off.
"Aaj sab ko sona nahi hai kya?" The guard mutters to himself
"Kaun hai aap?" the guard asks Anirudh in an irritated tone.
"Yes, main Anirudh Bose hoon. VP of Planning and Operations."
Hearing his designation, the guard sits up straight and adjusts his posture.
"Ji Sir. Batai ye. Main aapaki kya madad kar sakata hoon"
"Nadia ne inform kiya tha ki muze security desk se mera entry card pick up karana hai. Kya abhi mil sakata hai?"
"Ji zaroor sir" the guard replies, shuffling through the entry cards until he finds Anirudh's. He confirms the photo on the card is indeed Anirudh’s and hands it over.
"Great thank you! I have some work in the office. So, I will be late"
"Ji sir.."
Anirudh grabs the card and rushes upstairs, his heart racing as he searches for Jhanak.
He moves quietly through the dark hallway, uncertain of her exact location in an unfamiliar place. He is also anxious about being spotted by Jhanak while he is looking for her.
Suddenly, he pauses and walks backward to peer inside from the glass window. There, he spots Jhanak, peacefully asleep on the couch in the corner. The sight takes him back to that magical moment in Kashmir when he first saw her dancing.
"Agar muze dekh legi to phir gussa karegi. Tab bhi kiya tha... kya tha wo Mr. gondogol..." The fond memories flood back, bringing a warm smile to Anirudh's face.
Anirudh's heart swells as he watches her, the moonlight casting a gentle glow on her features. In this quiet moment, he feels a deep connection—a longing to be close to her again. She is wrapped in her dreams while he stands silently, captivated by her beauty.
He tiptoes quietly into the room, careful not to startle Jhanak. Turning off his phone to avoid any unexpected interruptions, he settles onto the floor at the far end of the room.
From there, he can see her, hidden in the shadows, while remaining out of her line of sight. After three agonizing days that felt like an eternity, he finally got to see her again. In the silence of the night, his heart is pounding with a mix of relief and longing, and he is afraid this sound is enough to wake her up from her peaceful slumber.
"Jhanak muze vishwas nahi ho raha hai ke tum yaha ho. Main tumhe dekh pa raha hoon...
Aisa lag raha hai jaise kai dino ke baad main mere dil ko aaj chain mila hai....
Kya tum muze miss karati ho Jhanak?... Shayad nahi... " Anirudh thinks to himself as he admires Jhanak, silently sleeping just a few steps away from him.
She is so close yet, so far...
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To be continued ...
Up Next: So Close Yet So Far - Continuation
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