A Crafted Coincidence

Previously on Mumbai Blue ...

Scene: So Close Yet So Far

Anirudh wants to keep looking at her but he knows it's time to leave before she wakes up. He tiptoes across the room, gently opens the door, and steps out. Before leaving, he looks back from the window to have a last look at Jhanak.

"Abhi 5 bajane ko hai. Everyone will be here in 3 hours. Jhanak will also wake up soon. I will go back to the apartment and get some 2 hours of sleep before I come back to the office... aaj mulakat hogi Jhanak! "

(I hope you guys enjoy this chapter, the back-and-forth gunfires between our Runak! 🤗 )

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Regency Office - The next morning

Jhanak wakes up to the sound of her phone alarm. It's 6 in the morning. She sits up on the sofa and looks out the window. The first rays of the morning sun dance on her pristine skin, enhancing her beauty in a way that takes away one's breath. Blissfully unaware that just beyond her line of sight, the one she loves - the one she was missing last night - is curled up, catching up on his sleep after watching over her all night.

Jhanak runs her hands over her face to wake herself completely. She knows before anyone comes into the office she needs to get ready for the new day in the office and remove any traces of her belongings and also needs to get something to eat from the canteen before she starts her day as she did not have dinner last night.

It's 8 in the morning, employees have started arriving at the office. Jhanak refreshed and ready sits on her desk, greeting everyone with a warm smile as they come in. Anirudh arrives at the office front desk, hiding his face with his briefcase whenever he spots a woman who looks even remotely like Jhanak.

"Kya musibat hai! Itana darr muze school me kisi teacher se nahi laga jitana abhi lag raha hai! Jhanak kya halat bana di hai tumane meri! Mooh chupate chupate office aana pad raha hai! " Anirudh mutters under his breath.

"School teacher? Sorry, I did not get you, sir!" Nadia responds, puzzled by Anirudh's strange comment.

"Nothing, Sorry! Hi! I am Anirudh Bose. We spoke on the phone yesterday. You must be Nadia!" Anirudh diverts the conversation.

"Yes, nice to finally meet you, Sir! I hope you got some good rest after your travel and like Mumbai so far!"

"Rest..." Anirudh mutters sarcastically to himself, scratching his head slightly as the word rest feels foreign to him these days

"Yes, Mumbai is great! Love it here! Can you show me to my cabin and also where is my employee Jhanak?"

"Yes sir! Your employee Jhanak has already arrived at the office. She was the first one to come into the office today!"

"First one to come in the office... of course.... gayi kab thi?" Anirudh thinks to himself.

"Would you like to meet her first?"

"No, No" Anirudh denys strongly. Realizing how strange that might have sounded to Nadia, he corrects himself. "I mean I would like to see my cabin first and then I will meet her later in the day. Which way is my cabin?"

"It's this way sir" Nadia points in the opposite direction of Jhanak's desk. Anirudh takes a sigh of relief.

Nadia shows Anirudh his cabin. It's situated close to the room where Jhanak and he spent last night.

"Can you move Jhanak's desk to right outside my office, please? It will be easier for me to work with her in case I need her"

"Sure, sir!"

Nadia then goes to Jhanak to inform her about her new boss and the new desk she will be working from. She gathers her belongings and moves to the desk right in front of Anirudh's cabin. Anirudh quickly pulls up a file against his face as he sees Jhanak coming near her desk.

Nadia informs Jhanak that she should greet her new boss first and directs her towards his cabin.

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Anirudh's cabin

"May I come in sir?" Jhanak asks, standing at the door.

"Yes, come in..." Anirudh responds nervously, forgetting to mask his voice. He lightly bangs his head with the file, realizing his mistake.

Jhanak feels the voice is strangely familiar but shakes off her doubts and enters the office with a warm smile on her face. Anirudh is sitting with his back facing Jhanak, gazing out the window.

"Hello Sir, My name is Jhanak Raina. Nadia informed me I will be working under you from now on. Nice to meet you, sir" She approaches the desk in anticipation to see her new boss's face.

Finally, the moment he prepared so much for has arrived. Anirudh knows what he needs to do.

Jhanak suddenly notices the nameplate on the desk with the words "Anirudh Bose". She gulps in disbelief, confused.

"Ek se zayada Anirudh Bose bhi ho sakate hai duniya me Jhanak, tu bhi kya soch rahi hai. Sirji yaha kyu honge?" As she thinks this, Anirudh turns his chair towards her.

"Nice to meet you too Jhanak..." He stops as soon as his eyes meet Jhanak's. His expression is carefully crafted to show surprise, while Jhanak is utterly shocked to see him.

She stands there, frozen in disbelief, staring at Anirudh with wide eyes and raised eyebrows. Anirudh also acts shocked to see her again, pushing his chair away and slowly standing up.

"Jhanak..?" Anirhdh exclaims

"Sirji..?" Jhanka exclaims at the same time.

"Aap yaha? Aap yaha kaise? Aap yaha kya kar rahe hai? Aur aap mere naye boss? Aap ki company to Kolakata main hai na?" Jhanak starts asking questions rapidly.

"Main bhi yahi soch raha hoon. What a coincidence!" Anirudh responds, a smile spreading across his face, happy to see her.

"Coincidence? Kya? Main nahi manati. Itana bada coincidence kaise ho sakata hai? Isame zaroor aap ka hath hai!" Jhanak starts to get hyper

Anirudh raises his hands in a placating gesture.

"Jhanak, Relax. Maine tumase kabhi jhoot bola hai? Haan, tumhare liye kai baar jhoot bola zaroor hai..."

"Mano ya na mano ye coincidence hi hai! Mere aaj first day hai and you are assigned to me as my employee. Ye to acchi baat hai na? I am a very good boss! Do you know how lucky you are? Muz se tumhe bohot kuch sikhane ko milega" Anirudh tries to lighten the tense atmosphere.

Jhanak, fuming with anger, glares at Anirudh, not believing his words one bit.

"Jo bhi ho, muze aap par bilkul bharosa nahi hai! muze aap se kuch nahi sikhana. Muze aapaki shakal bhi nahi dekhani. Aap mere naye boss hai, to main aaj ke aaj iss job se resign karati hoon!" Saying this Jhanak rushes towards the door!

"Alright! Main tumhe nahi rokoonga! Jane se pehale 15 lakhs company ko pay karake jana?" Anirudh speaks, playing with the ring on his finger, smirking wickedly.

Jhanak halts at his words turns back and asks in a confused tone, "15 lakhs? Kis liye?"

"Employment contract 6 months se pehale break karane ki penalty hai, 15 lakhs, along with 6 months of your salary and benefits" Anirudh turns the laptop towards Jhanak, showing her the details of the penalty clause specified in the contract she signed.

Jhanak is puzzled as she reads the contract, scrolling through the screen and finding her signature with the date.

"Yeh woh document nahi hai jo maine sign kiya tha. Yeh, nakali hai! Ye aap ne add kiya hai na?" Jhanak looks at Anirudh angrily.

Anirudh raises his eyebrows with an expression of disbelief,

"Maine? Maine? Tumhe lagata hai ye Maine add kiya hai? Tumhe pata bhi hai tum kya bol rahi ho? Main iss company ka malik nahi hoon, nahi HR hoon, jo mere pass itani authority ho... and that will be a crime. Aur kisi ko company me pata bhi chal gaya to sabase pehale muze fire kar denge. Mere against case bhi ban sakata hai, and I will never land any other job!"

Anirudh's explanation makes total sense. But Jhanak is not buying that all of this is just a big coincidence.

"Phir bhi... Muze aap par bharosa nahi hai. Wo kya kaha aapane, HR. Muze unase baat karani hai, aur confirm karana hai ye contract sahi hai ya nahi!" Jhanak talks back with a little less confidence this time.

Anirudh sighs, realizing his explanation did not get the job done. He needs to now prove to Jhanak that the contract is indeed not forged. It's risky to involve HR but he will have to take that gamble if he wants Jhanak to believe the contract is not forged. He has a plan in mind, but hopefully, luck supports him as well.

He picks up the phone and calls the front desk. "Nadia, could you please send someone from HR to my cabin? We need to verify some contract details." Both wait patiently, passing each other looks while waiting for someone from the HR department to come.

A few minutes later, a woman from HR, Maya, enters the cabin. "Hi, I am Maya! You needed something checked, Mr. Bose?"

As Jhanak turns to greet Maya, in that split second Anirudh very cleverly presses keys on his keyboard to hide the forged contract and pulls up the original one on the screen instead.

"Thanks for coming, Maya. There's been a misunderstanding about a contract, and I'd like you to verify its authenticity for my employee here," Anirudh explains, gesturing to Jhanak, who stands with her arms crossed, still fuming.

"If you can come here and take a look to see if all looks correct and valid" He points towards the laptop asking Maya to take a look at the document on his laptop.

Maya steps closer to the desk next to Anirudh and scans the document quickly. "It all looks correct to me sir. Why is there any issue?" Maya asks Anirudh.

Before Anirudh can answer, Jhanak interrupts. "Yes, mam. I was not aware of the penalty terms on the contract when I signed it"

Maya reviews the contract again. Anirudh presses his finger on the head nervously, hoping for Jhanak to not mention the 15 lakh clause to Maya.

This contract appears to be perfectly valid, Mr. Bose. It includes the standard penalty clause for breaking the contract within six months, which is typical for short-term roles."

"This contract appears to be perfectly valid Ms. Raina. It includes the standard penalty clause for breaking the contract within six months, which is typical for short-term roles" Maya responds

Maya further explains, "This is how generally the short-term contract roles are at our company. You were hired quickly even though you just finished graduation because we were in urgent need of people.

In case someone leaves in between it will be a great issue to meet the timeline for this project that you are assigned to"

Maya is referring to the contract penalty rule, which states that Jhanak will need to give at least 2 months of advance notice before she wants to leave the job, while Jhanak is thinking about 15 lakh penalty. In any case, Maya's explanation is working in favor of Anirudh.

Anirudh takes a sigh of relief as he sees Jhanak is buying this explanation. Before Jhanak can ask any more questions, he says, "Thank you so much Ms. Maya for quickly stopping by. I know you must be busy and have plenty of other things to do" He turns his gaze at Jhanak momentarily and flashes her a sarcastic look.

Maya takes her leave and the spat continues between Jhanak and Anirudh.

"To tassali ho gai? Ye corporate world hai Jhanak. Isse liquidated damages kehate hai. Tumhare liye ye ek job hai, par company ke liye ye bohot hi zyada high stakes project hai. That is why, I was called here as well on an urgent basis. Agar ab tumhari ye jasoosi khatm ho gayi ho, to kuch kam kar le?" Anirudh leans back in his chair, feeling he has conquered the major obstacle.

"Thik hai!" Jhanak replies, and Anirudh looks down with a slight smile on his face. But then she adds, "Main job nahi chod sakati par boss to change kar hi sakati hoon na?"

The smile fades from Anirudh's face, and he realizes the battle is far from over. The fort has not been conquered just yet.

"Ye sabzi mandi hai? Aloo na mile to gobi hi sahi?" Anirudh scolds Jhanak, his tone sharp.

"Waha nameplate par title dikh raha hai?" Anirudh points at the nameplate.

"VP of Operation and Planning. VP... Mere upar kaun hai pata hai tumhe? Mr. Subhramanayam, President of this company. Tumhe boss change karana hai? President ke liye kam karogi? Jao baat kar aao unase."

Jhanak is about to say something but Anirudh does not let her speak and continues, "Aur kya kahogi tum? Sir, it's my second day at Regency, but without any solid reason, muze job ke second day boss change karana hai! Kyu ki main kahi ki maharani hoon, muze company ke VP ke sath kam nahi karana hai!"

Jhanak stands in silence fuming with anger, staring him up and down for a few moments.

"Haan bilkul aisa hi bolungi! Kahoongi ke muze kisi aur project me kam karana hai. Agar zaroorat padi to bata dungi ki main aapako personally janati hoon!" Jhanak responds with a stern voice.

"Listen Jhanak..." Anirudh is getting ready to argue back but he notices Mr. Subhramanayam coming towards his office.

Mr. Shubhramayam enters Anirudh's cabin.

"Mr. Bose!" Mr. Subhramanayam approaches Anirudh's desk to shake his hand.

"Hello, sir! How are you? Nice to meet you again!"

"Did you find your accommodation comfortable? How was your trip to Mumbai?"

"All good sir. Thank you for making all the arrangements on such quick notice."

"Not a problem. We are glad to have you on board. I came by to talk to you about the dance talent show - Rising Stars - which our company hosts every year. I am sure you are aware of it."

"Yes sir! I love art and I am aware of the show"

"Yes, I know about your love for art. I have attended the corporation's Kaleidoscope every year. It's truly a magnificent show to witness. And that is why I want you on the team for this show as well. Please make it a success"

At the mention of Kaleidoscope, Anirudh senses the opportunity here to bind Jhanak for good to him.

"Thank you, sir! That is why I am here! Actually now that you mentioned Kaleidoscope, you must know Jhanak here. She is a new recruit and she performed this year in the event" Anirudh directs Mr. Subhramanayam's attention to Jhanak.

Jhanak is startled by the sudden introduction, quickly folding her hands in a respectful namaste.

"Sirji main janati hoon aap kya karane ki koshish kar rahe hai" Jhanak thinks to herself

"Jhanak..." Mr. Subhramanayam looks at her, trying to recall her face.

"Yes, sir she performed in the new face segment. She danced and also got a trophy. She was also featured in an ad shoot with Mr. Aditya Kapoor, the Bollywood actor!" Anirudh adds more details, trying to leave a strong impression of Jhanak on Mr. Subhramanayam.

"Oh yes. I remember now! It was a mesmerizing dance!" Mr. Subhramanayam finally recalls Jhanak from the company's event. "We’re thrilled to have such a talented artist on the team that will be organizing the dance talent show. And getting to work with you, Mr. Bose? I’m sure you’ll be a great mentor for her. You’re very fortunate, Jhanak. Make sure to seize this opportunity!"

"Yes, sure sir!" Jhanak responds with a forced smile to Mr. Subhramanayam, then grits her teeth and shoots an angry look at Anirudh the next moment.

"Oh! You should also participate in the talent show, Jhanak! No, you must! If a company that hosts dance talent shows can’t recognize the talent of its own employees, what good is the talent hunt?" Mr. Subhramanayam adds enthusiastically.

Anirudh nods in agreement, resting a hand under his chin while stifling a smile as he catches Jhanak's eye. He had aimed to solidify her position with him, but Mr. Subhramanayam had managed to achieve both goals in one fell swoop. What an interesting turn of events!

Jhanak glares at Anirudh, her frustration simmering as she realizes her plan to switch teams has backfired. Now, she’s not only stuck with Anirudh but also expected to participate in the talent show herself.

"Yes sure sir!" she replies, forcing a respectful tone while shooting Anirudh a sideways glare.

Anirudh quickly averts his gaze, a smile creeping onto his face as he turns back to Mr. Subhramanayam. "Thank you for putting your faith in us. We won’t disappoint you!" He shakes Mr. Shub's hand, subtly emphasizing the word "we" as he glances at Jhanak, a smirk playing at the corners of his lips.

As Mr. Subhramanayam exits the cabin.

Jhanak immediately fires at Anirudh, "Aapane mere event wale dance ke bare me kyu baat ki?"

"Jhanak! Event ki baat Mr. Subhramanayam ne ki. Jab topic utha to Maine sirf mention kiya! Ye koi secret those na hai? Aaj nahi to kal pata chalana hi tha. Tumhare CV me bhi to isaka mention hai!" Anirudh cleverly deflects her accusations.

Jhanak closes her eyes briefly, taking a deep breath. There’s no way out now for her. Anirudh, feeling victorious, is on the verge of celebrating but manages to contain himself, settling for a triumphant smile instead.

Jhanak turns her gaze towards Anirudh, who now feigning a very serious look on his face and standing tall with his hands in his pocket avoiding direct eye contact with her.

"To batai ye.. kya khidmad kar sakati hoon main aapaki , Sir!" Jhanak asks in a defeated, sarcastic voice, emphasizing 'sir' as she speaks.

"Meri khidmad kyu karogi tum Jhanak. Kam karane aai ho, to kam karogi" Anirudh unbuttons his blazer, hanging it on the coat hanger, revealing his shirt fitting perfectly on his biceps.

He rolls up his sleeves, showcasing his muscular arms. Jhanak momentarily shifts her gaze to his arms, then quickly looks away.

Anirudh sits back in his chair like the boss he is and continues, "To jaisa ki tumane suna, our team is responsible for organizing Rising Stars, it's a dance talent show, one of the major ones in the country. Tumhe pata hi hoga!"

Jhanak nods in agreement, still grappling with the reality of Anirudh being her boss.

"To aaj se dance practice shuru kar do!"

"Kya?" Jhanak responds immediately, her shock evident.

Anirudh gives her a puzzled look as if he does not understand the absurdity of his words.

"Event ko organize karane me, mera kam dance practice karana hai?" Jhanak adds.

"Maine aisa kab kaha?" Anirudh trying to play innocent

"Aap ne abhi abhi to kaha!" Jhanak inquires, her confusion growing.

"No, part of your job Jhanak. Of course tumhe office ke bhi kam karane honge.

Kuch on-site work bhi hoga. Par dance practice uname se ek hai, jo tum shuru kar sakati ho...aaj se. Ground floor par practice area hai, along with gym... To main jab gym karoonga, tum dance practice karogi." Anirudh has already planned Jhanak's next 6 months in his head.

"Ye kya bakwas hai?" Jhanak responds in disbelief raising her voice this time.

"Tumhe ye bakwas lagata hai? Jhanak ye hamari reputation ka saval hai. Mr. Subhramanayam ne kya kaha suna nahi? You must participate. You will be representing our company there Jhanak. This is quite a serious responsibility." Anirudh retorts, never without excuses.

He continues to explain further, "Agar koi important kam nahi hua, to tum dance ki practice karogi. Simple! Take today for example. Aaj mera first day hai, so I need to still organize my work. Once I have a plan, I will assign you work."

Jhanak shoots daggers with her eyes, clutching her fists. Anirudh is again deciding her path for her, and she is not enjoying that.

"Nahi sirji, iss bar nahi! Aap jaisa chahenge waisa main bilkul nahi karoongi!" She thinks to herself with determination.

She has too much to process for today, so for now, she decides to take her leave.

"To abhi me jaoon? Kuch kam ho to bula lijiyega! Sir!" Jhanak grits her teeth.

Anirudh shakes his head with a carefree expression, playing with the small fidget on his desk.

"By the way, congratulations Jhanak! Tumahra graduation certificate dekha Maine" Anirudh says as Jhanak is about to leave.

Jhanak looks back at him with a slightly softer gaze this time.

"I am proud of you Jhanak. Really, really proud of you!" Anirudh says, his tone sincere and warm. He fulfilled his wish to congratulate her personally.

Both exchange an emotional look. Jhanak's heart flutters at his words. Despite their contentious relationship, it felt good to be congratulated on achieving a major milestone in her life despite all the challenges. She resists the urge to smile and responds, "Aap ka shukriya. Aap ki wajah se main exam de payi thi."

She can be angry at him, but she is not ungrateful. She knows Anirudh worked very hard for her to be able to take her exams in Kashmir despite all the difficulties.

Jhanak takes her leave and steps outside Anirudh's cabin. As she returns to her desk she notices, that her desk's position is conveniently right in front of Anirudh's cabin, providing a perfect view for him to monitor her. Her anger which had momentarily subsided, erupts again.

She slams her hands on the desk in frustration, surprising a few people around her. She quickly regains her composure and sits down, glaring back at Anirudh with simmering anger.

Seeing Jhanak staring back at him, Anirudh presses a button on the remote to close off the privacy blinds of his cabin. Seeing this Jhanak lets out an expression of disbelief and starts to pull her hair slightly and rub her head.

"Anirudh Bose... Anirudh Bose... Anirudh Bose..." She silently mutters to herself, her anger boiling over.

On the other side, Anirudh takes a victory lap around his cabin, his plan having worked like magic. He stops by the window to slightly open one blind and peek at Jhanak. He sees her sitting with her hands on her head, taking deep breaths to calm herself down.

"Tumhe rok to liya kisi tarah se Jhanak, ab tumase maphi mangani hai!", he whispers to himself. He knows today is but just a small victory, keeping Jhanak around won't be easy.

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To be continued ...