KaYa FF: Flames II Epi 10 - Pg 62 II *NEW* PM LATER - Page 20

"Miss. Kashyap!"

Ananya was shaken out of her reverie by his firm voice calling her name. Seated opposite him in his cabin, she bit her cheek, trying to overcome the overpowering nervousness she always felt when around the man who was her once-upon-a-time-crush.

It was astonishing, even to herself, how such a dauntless and indomitable spirit as hers was intimidated by him, every time he came face-to-face with her. It had been more than two weeks since she had joined KKN, and she was now quite used to seeing him everyday.

In fact, now her infatuation had pretty much died away. She was so disillusioned by his style of working that she desired no more contact with him than was unavoidable.

But even now, she found it impossible to get over her erratic heartbeats when in his presence.

"Miss. Kashyap?" he said again, this time his annoyance more evident. Ananya coughed.

Kabir was puzzled by Ananya's strange behavior. She had been sitting in silence for the last five minutes in his cabin, totally lost in her thoughts and fidgeting with her fingers. She was occasionally giving him distant smiles, and had not wielded her sharp tongue even once. She seemed so lost in her own world that she did not even answer on his calling her name repeatedly, but yet he could feel her sharp gaze on him.

Having succeeded in gaining her attention, he cleared his throat.

Why did he call her?

Oh to see whether she would talk to you and smile at you, so that the two of you could live happily ever after!

"Shut up!" Kabir muttered to himself.

Ananya's stared at him, surprised. "I didn't even say anything!" She said indignantly, and scratched her head.

"I wasn't speaking to you!" Kabir scratched his neck to avoid the flush of embarrassment rapidly covering his face, while she looked at him, even more confused.

"You speak with yourself kya?" she chuckled, but abruptly checked it as Kabir glared at her.

"Umm... I wanted to discuss..." Kabir stopped, trying to think of something to discuss. It was one of the most embarrassing situations he had ever found himself in.

"Discuss...?" She prodded him to continue.

Kabir began turning red with embarrassment. He, who was always on top of things no matter what the situation was, was finding himself so helpless and lost!

"How are you?" he said at last, and immediately winced for he realized he had made a complete fool of himself.

"That, my health... is a matter of discussion?" She said, surprised and amused at the same time.

"Yes, it's my duty to make the reporters feel comforta..." Kabir made some attempt at redemption.

"Of course, sir! I know the lengths you went to just to make me comfortable here on my first day here. I couldn't have wished for a more supportive boss. A man of his words, eh, Kabir sir?" Ananya said, in an overly sarcastic tone that irked Kabir all the more.

"Here I am trying to have a civil conversation with you, but you seem to spit fire, Miss. Kashyap!" he said, losing his cool.

Ananya winced at his tone. She shut her eyes, and counted down from ten to one. Taking a deep breath, she opened her eyes and smiled at him. "Sorry sir," she said. "Yes, I am fine. How are you?"

To say he was taken aback by her calm demeanour would be an understatement. "Eh... I am fine as well. How's work?" he said, at last.

Ananya made another attempt to control her anger at this mundane conversation. What in the world was that man trying to do?! "Just the way you make it - perfect!" she said, after a pause.

Sarcasm rules!

"I see you still don't want to bury the hatchet?" Kabir stood up, and walked over to Ananya, leaning over her chair. Ananya kept her cool.

"I don't see why should I be interested in forming any sort of a relationship with my editor in chief. That we are able to have a conversation, a perfectly civil one, is more than enough."

Kabir, who was struggling to control his anger, gave up. This woman, a mere junior reporter, was provoking him endlessly! Why he was affected so much by her flippancy, he could not comprehend, but he was!

Ananya had not anticipated an encounter at such close quarters with him. She was visibly unnerved, as she felt his warm breath fanning her face "I don't understand this "perfect" civility, Miss Kashyap," he said, in a steely voice.

Ananya paused a while to collect herself, before she replied, "Sir, it's just that I've realized that you aren't as important to me as I had first thought, and moreover, that you aren't that man I had imagined and expected you to be, so..."

"Shut up for one second, if you can, Miss Kashyap. I felt that I was, perhaps, a little too tough on you on your first day, and to make you feel a little more comfortable over here, I thought I would have a decent chat with you, but you, Miss Kashyap, fancy yourself to be above all this, right? You want to shower me with all the sarcasm that your little head there can afford you! Suit yourself, then! And I really can't be bothered about you think of me! I don't give a damn about whether I am the man you imagine and want me to be or not. Why, I don't even care about whether you exist or not, and you've just proven that you aren't worth even a second glance."

A deathly silence ensued.

Both looked equally affected. Ananya was deeply stung by this outburst, but what hurt her most of all were his last words - not even worth a second glance. But why was she bothered?

Kabir bit back a curse as he saw sadness reflect in her eyes for a second. What in her made him lose his temper?

Having got over the shock and sadness of the moment, Ananya fought back. "I don't see why you are interested in a simple conversation with a woman who isn't even worth a second glance!" she said, irate. "I think we have enough work to keep us fruitfully occupied at least through the office hours. I don't see why we should waste our time in each other's presence, when neither of us derives any pleasure from this conversation. Yes, you have succeeded in your motive - you have shown me my place quite well, now. There is nothing further for us to discuss, I presume. You are my senior and I respect you for that. That is all."

Kabir shook abruptly, as strands of her long hair brushed across his face as she got up to leave. In a few swift steps, she had reached the door to his cabin.

Suddenly, she paused. "For a man who doesn't care about society's opinion of him, it is surprising how a mere reporter's lack of appreciation bothers him," Ananya said, confusion and triumph reflecting in equal measure in her voice. "Strange!"

Kabir could've banged his head against the wall in that moment.

What the f*** was he thinking!

Wait, was he even thinking? Why were her opinions important?

Unable to find any other reasonable answer to his questions, he reluctantly admitted the truth to himself.

He was attracted to her.

Period.

Trying to divert his attention from his laugh-worthy attraction, he decided to take the next flight to Delhi. Malvika had worked around the bureaucracy and managed to convince the Finance Minister for an interview with him, regarding the central fiscal budget. Since it was just the week before the official announcement of the budget, and pre-budget speculations were filling the air, an interview with the Finance Minister was just what KKN needed to boost its ratings. The interview was scheduled only for the next evening, but Kabir decided to leave immediately. A little time away from Miss Kashyap would definitely do him some good!

Kabir was forced to call Malvika a God-send, yet again!

If Malvika kept doing this, she might get a place in heaven very soon.

Malavika was peeved by Kabir's lack of attention towards her. She was extremely conscious about maintaining her image as a focused and no-nonsense professional, and did not like mooning around men and appearing to be desperate, but Kabir Sharma was not just any man.

He was a magnet - it was impossible not to fall prey to his charms. She had almost thought that things were going her way when he started taking her out on dinners frequently.

But Kabir kept things strictly professional, and not once did he venture into personal spaces. Even Malvika felt utterly powerless in his presence, and none of her usual coquettish ways were at her disposal with him.

Kabir Sharma had considerable shares in the company, so had she. If they came together, they could be the majority stakeholders in KKN, and she could become one of the most powerful women in the field of journalism.

But such ambitions were meant to be a secret.

She put on a fake smile as her handsome but pea-brained boyfriend came into her cabin. She wasn't unaware of his roving eye or his intermittent casual flings, but she didn't really care. She wasn't serious about their relationship, nor had any hopes for its future. He was just a source of entertainment for her. He would bring her gossip from all around the office, fawn over her with his honeyed praises, giving her an ego boost, and of course satiate her desires.

"Hey, sweetheart, how is work?" Manav asked, with a large smile plastered across his face.

Malvika gave him an equally insincere smile, and said, "Great! I was missing you terribly, though... Where were you today?"

"That's a surprise, Malvika. You've almost forgotten that you have a boyfriend, nowadays. What with Kabir sahib all around now!" Manav chuckled, while Malavika snorted in an unladylike manner.

"Oh, please, Manav! You've never considered me a girlfriend, or that roving eye of yours would've got some rest, so let's not get into that topic," she checked him, sharply. "You tell me, how much gossip can you get on that Khurana's son?"

Manav lazed casually on the couch, and helped himself to a can of chilled beer. "Wants you or Trisha or basically any woman to interview him! Tharki saala...Oh and yes, I've spoken to Partho Maitra, the Nobel Prize winner. He's agreed to come over for an hour's chat with us sometime this week," Manav said, and received an appreciative nod from Malvika in response.

"I'm impressed. So there isn't anything big this week other than that rape case, that road safety drive and these two interviews, right?" Malavika asked.

"Paralympics...We need to keep a watch on that, since India is expected to perform quite well this time," he said.

"Hmm... that's good news. Anyways, I am going to my hot tub to get a much needed relaxation..." her hips sashayed as she walked away. She turned behind and tilted her head slightly.

Malvika was no less than a gold hen for Manav. It would seem utterly foolish to give up on her... at least now.

Easing off his shirt, he followed suit.

"No, Ronnie, tell me, what do I think of myself? The queen Sheba? For the first time Kabir sir wanted to apologif to me, but I refufed that fol..." Ananya stuffed another pani puri into her mouth and continued pouring out of her woes and regret at having behaved like that with Kabir.

"Annie..." Ronnie's half tired voice came through the receiver.

"Haan, now you also get tired of me and call me silly for ordering pani puri in a five star hotel and chomping them with Sunny! I know in five star hotels one must chomp on creme brulee or stuff like that but you know that I can't resist chaat! I've been waiting so long for that MLA's son anyway. And I feel so low after having behaved so foolishly, that I just needed some comfort food to revive my spirits! And anyway, what's wrong with pani puri?" Ananya rambled on, while Ronnie listened on in exasperation.

"Annie, topic was Kabir Sharma, not pani puri!" Ronnie bit back a laugh, while Ananya faked a sob. "Waise, where are you?"

"At Grand Maharaj. Chal rakh, I'll send him a sorry message." Ananya relished the spicy liquid oozing out of the puri, and shook her head.

"Sunny, I've paid my bill, you pay your half and wait outside the hotel. I don't think he's coming today. We've been waiting for two hours, and it's almost eleven," she said.

"Arrey, but where are you off to?" Sunny grumbled at the bill.

"Washroom!" Ananya said, and walked away.

Sunny shook his head and walked back to where his scooter was parked. "Parking da yeh hi problem! Hotel kahi toh parking kahi!"

~*~

Having dried her hands, Ananya dialed Kabir's number. She caught sight of her flushed cheeks in the mirror and chided herself.

She didn't care about what Kabir sir said to her, because she was above taking people's insults to heart. But for her to get anywhere, professionally, staying on the right side of her editor-in-chief was absolutely imperative.

Kabir's eyebrows rose, as he saw Miss Kashyap flashing across his phone. He kicked off his shoes and socks and settled down comfortably on the bed in his hotel room, taking his own sweet time in receiving the call.

He answered her call at last. "Tell me," he drawled into the phone.

His exhaustion and fatigue disappeared, as he prepared himself for a witty and sarcastic repartee with her.

But all he heard was her quivering voice. "H... help..." Her muffled sobs shook Kabir, and he sat up on his bed, cursing himself for not having answered the call earlier.

"Ananya, what's wrong... are you fine? What happened..." he asked, worried.

Kabir clenched his fists in frustration as he heard the call being ended, his instincts telling him that something was definitely wrong.

He debated whether he should call her back or not. If she cut the call, was it wise to call her back? Not knowing what to do, he called up Ronnie, from whom he learned that Sunny and Ananya were at the Grand Maharaj Hotel.

He immediately dialed Sunny's number. As he turned on the television, the blood drained from his face.

"We have news coming in just now from sources that there has been a terrorist attack at the Grand Maharaj in Mumbai. We do not have any estimates of the damage done as yet, but several casualties..." Kabir sat, shell-shocked, his eyes glued to the screen.

Sunny was screaming hysterically on the phone, "SIR! Ananya andar hai! Main bas abhi bahar aaya... Ann.. an..."

"Ananya..." he whispered.

~*~

A/N : This actually happened. A journalist family friend of mine was in the Taj during the tragic event but she survived. However, it may not be the same for Ananya... So yes, this is another of our famous cliffhangers and we truly wish you enjoy it. Will Ananya escape? What will Kabir do? Keep reading to find out!

With love,

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