Guys...update is just fabulous...loved each bit of it...your writng is such sauve n beautiful ...that feels just keep readng...n readng... 👏
Thanks a ton dear, means a bucket lot for us!One of d best story 😳😳..is wat I feel...u gals r going with...so nice of u guys...that u have litraly owned to keep us happy...with such beautiful piece of yr writings...n thus ...I m one from your fandom...so adorable yr work is...great going gals..😳Aww, your words are so sweet!Ahh..Dear Annie...is so innocent... N naive..that she resond her own promotion...n Malvika was so amused to see her questionng her own promotn..bcs she didn't knw the goodness of this gal...😳😳Well... there's a bit of innocence in everybody... now how long that lasts is something we have to wait for :)N yeah...phone convo...so cute...when Kabir said now 29...ahh it was...so teasng 😆 of him as always...yet adorable as always 😳😳Yeah :)The best of all...which has just started..with Annie at Kabirs house...awesome part...Poor gal.. With her Strawberry slippers 😆😆But that is wat is the effect of The Kabir Sharma ...on evry gal.. 😳😳😳..n especially... Wen she's our dearest Ananya... Who day dreams...of Mr.Sharma as Raj with her in the heavenly beauty of Kashmir 😆😆Hahaha, well I would say she was more in a hurry to reach on time than fawn on Kabir for every second of her life... but yes, day dreaming about a Mr. Sharma is definitely getting on Ananya!N I just loved Kabir wen he said her..."Who said I'll let you go before the sun sets?" 😆😳..no dbt every fangal wud just go blushing...hearing this from him 😳😳😳That's my fav line too.All n all...loved it so much...N thus many a tyms feel like disturbing u guys ...agn n agn n asking...abut guys jaldi update karo yaar... 😆😆Well one of us are having exams! So it will be a bit late *cough*N since...Annie has just arrived at Kabirs house...eagerly waiting 4 a whole kayalicious update ...Dekhte jaye ;)Update soonest... 😳😳...N sorry commenting so late...was a bit busy...with colg...No issues! Thanks for comment dear!
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Ananya took a sip of her coffee while continuing to intently study the contents of the file before her. In the two hours she had spent with Kabir, she found herself with an entirely new perspective on the entire Kashmir issue. She now understood the Separatist movement from its roots. The militants didn't look like mindless, radical maniacs any longer; she saw them now as men with a mission, and therefore all the more dangerous.
She had seen most of the articles and news reports in the file she was holding earlier, for she had always been politically aware, but now it felt like all the bits and pieces were falling into place in the big picture. She realized how incomplete her study of the Kashmir issue was, and how underprepared for her assignment there she would have been without Kabir's guidance.
"But remember, Ananya," Kabir paused to take a sip from his mug. "Do not get too involved in the agenda. They are more dangerous than you can imagine. Jitni khabar milti hai, ussi se khush raho. Be an intelligent reporter, but not a foolhardy one."
"But sir, what if I can see something wrong going on right before my eyes? Should I just keep quiet..." Ananya broke in, earnestly.
"No!" Kabir said, shaking his head. "All I am telling you is that you are reporter, not an intelligence agent or a defence personnel. You are not equipped to delve into sensitive matters all by yourself. Trying too hard to find information can be fatal, and I am not exaggerating when I say that. If you do indeed find any serious issues, please discuss them immediately with me. I'll connect with my resources to ensure your safety, and we can devise the safest way to investigate your leads."
"Hmm...alright. Sir, you had an interview with Osman Qadri a year back, right? What is your personal opinion on his motives behind suddenly organizing this peace rally?" she asked him.
Kabir chuckled, "Questioning the questioner, eh? I won't answer that, Miss Kashyap, but I can tell you that most of us are taken aback by Qadri's move towards peace... probably a step..."
"To gain public prominence and an alliance with the PDP or the NC? I mean he's one of the most prominent leaders out there, and even though he's infamous for his militant activities... this one step can make his future," Ananya said, cutting Kabir off with a thoughtful air until she noticed a wry smile on his face.
"Be careful with your words Miss Kashyap," he said, after a pause. "You make sense but suna hai na... silence is golden."
Ananya rolled her eyes, "Arrey I spoke my mind because it was only you before me!"
Kabir passed her a few more files profiling all prominent leaders of the present political scenario in Kashmir.
"Whatever questions you have regarding them will be through me, or through Senior Inspector Wahid Mirza. He'll be there to receive you at the airport. Here's his picture," Kabir passed her a photograph and noticed a little giggle escape her lips.
"Would you mind sharing the joke with me?" he said, slightly annoyed.
"Nothing, sir. It's just that when you said Senior Inspector Wahid Mirza... " Ananya tried to imitate Kabir but stopped abruptly as she saw him raise his eyebrows. "I was expecting to see a fifty year old man. But Mirza sahib seems to be a handsome chap in his mid thirties! A true Kashmiri! Over that he's a Mirza... any connection with Mirza Ghalib?"
For some reason the praise of SI Mirza left a slight bitter taste in his mouth. "Of course! Shayri likh likh ke he's become a Senior Inspector. Ananya, you aren't going on a field trip... it will be better if YOU CAN PLEASE FOCUS!" Kabir snapped at Ananya, who froze immediately. Her cheeks burned with anger, but she bit her lip and remained silent.
There was an awkward silence between them that lasted a few minutes, and during the course of which Ananya could feel slight humiliation and shame replace her anger. He was right - they were discussing an extremely sensitive matter of national importance, and she was behaving like a juvenile!
It was Kabir who broke the silence. He began to tell her how she should filter the information that came through and trust no one. "And, if any one of these people..." Kabir spread the photographs of a few men across the table. "Approach you, contact Mirza immediately and get out of their way ASAP. When they speak to someone, it usually spells death for that person. Get it?"
Ananya quietly nodded her head.
"See, Ananya, it's not my job to advise you on your research and safety but then... it is my responsibility to do so. I know you are politically very aware and have a sizable bank of knowledge when it comes to political scenario in Kashmir, but Kashmir isn't Mumbai or Delhi where you can just take up a story, do your research and head on-ground. You need to adopt a totally different approach to your assignment," Kabir said.
Heading to an area of unrest always irked Kabir, especially since the death of one of their reporters last May. He knew, however, that he could not stop her, but wanted to at least prepare her with the required knowledge.
"The most important step for you is to assess the risks you will face before going into the field. Asses the risk if you're going to be physically attacked or in between a crossfire. Secondly, we know that establishing contacts is necessary but don't trust anyone. The only one you can completely trust is here in Mumbai. Do you understand?"
Ananya nodded her head, again.
"Great, we're good to go then!" Kabir stood up and stopped Ananya from returning the files.
"These are only copies of the original ones - carry them with you. I am sure they will prove useful," he smiled. His smile dimmed a little as he perceived her nod in response.
Realizing that his outburst had led to this subdued behavior of hers, he decided to lighten the mood.
"Waise you're pretty decent with on-field reporting, but as your senior, I'll give you a tip. Think like the audience - news breaking and news reporting are different. If you can match the frequency with what audience wants to hear and know and would want to learn... bingo!" Kabir smiled as he recollected his mentor's advice from years ago. Ananya felt herself smiling a little as she saw him relax, but she immediately stiffened when Kabir made eye contact with her.
Shaking his head, Kabir continued "Don't try too hard to gain someone's interest and never try to sensationalize details. What sets a great news channel apart is that we don't hyperbole, we present the truth in a more... delectable manner."
"And that is about the end of my advices... and mind that since you're a part of KKN all this is coming completely free!" he laughed. There followed an awkward silence in the room as Ananya merely smiled in response.
Coughing slightly, he put his hands in his pockets as Ananya packed her bag.
"Thank you," she said, softly, her cheeks still red from the embarrassment.
"You're welcome!" he smirked, as Ananya hesitatingly made eye contact with him.
She scratched the back of her neck shyly as she tried to look at him, but conscious of having made an utter fool of herself, could not gather the courage to meet his eyes.
Kabir looked on amused, as Ananya stumbled towards the door.
"I... that... I mean Mirza was stupid." Ananya closed her eyes and bit her tongue as Kabir raised his eyebrows at her.
"Mera matlab, the joke and unnecessary discussion on Mirza Sir was... stupid. Honestly, it's not your job to care even if I go and kill myself in Kashmir but you showed concern enough to prepare me so well for my assignment. I know, it does look like I'm insulting you when I don't take this seriously but trust me... I respect you even more after this. Thank you, thank you so much for all this..." Ananya fidgeted with her fingers and rambled on, while a still more amused Kabir leaned against the door frame, waiting for her to stop.
Sensing after a while that her speech was never ending, Kabir grinned and shushed her. Ananya turned red and stopped immediately.
"You speak too much."
Ananya coloured further and she tugged at a loose strand of hair "Yeah... yes, actually I don't speak that much but..."
"Again!" He pointed, eliciting a genuine laugh from Ananya.
"See, I don't mind you cracking jokes, but you just need to know the right time to do so. Anyways, let's proceed." Kabir smiled genuinely while Ananya walked beside him, feeling extremely awkward.
"What's wrong?" Kabir asked after Ananya remained stiff for a good ten minutes.
"No... nothing." Ananya gave him a tight lipped smile and continued to fidget with her fingers.
"Miss Kashyap..." Kabir drawled.
"Yes?" Ananya looked up, a little startled.
"You don't like being shouted at..." Kabir stated. Ananya shook her head.
"No, it's not that. I just..." she started.
"Don't like being stupid. Miss. Kashyap you really have to stop being so hard on yourself. Kaunsi badi baat ho gayi? You made a careless remark, I reprimanded you for that and that's it! You can't kill yourself over this! Bohot choti baat hai, Ananya, iska batangar mat banao." Kabir said, placing his hands on his hips.
Ananya's eyes widened and she walked upto him "No way, Sir, you weren't wrong here. It's just that..."
"STOP. Tell me what happened right now, just tell me!" Kabir crossed his arms across his chest.
"I just got carried away," Ananya mumbled.
"That's it! Being perfect always is not a bad goal, Miss Kashyap, but to survive in this world you need to develop a thick skin. You don't need to please everyone to get ahead in life. Get that?" Kabir said, with a smile. Ananya nodded and smiled back.
"Good... so..." he stopped as he saw Ananya heading towards the door. "You're leaving?"
"Should I stay?" Ananya crossed her arms and blushed faintly.
Kabir raised an eyebrow. "Will you, if I give you a reason?"
"There are only two things that can keep me. Case and..."
"And?"
"FOOD!" Ananya winked. Kabir bit back a laugh and stared in amusement at the child woman before him.
"Sure! But wouldn't you like to look around my house before dinner?" he asked, with a smile.
~*~
"Wow..." Ananya whispered, as she took the plush penthouse in.
Kabir smiled as Ananya looked around in undisguised wonder, her eyes widening like a child's.
"Were you, by any chance, an interior designer?" Ananya asked, after innumerable oohs' and aahs' at the exquisite furniture.
"How do you know if I haven't hired one?"
"Of course, Kabir sir ke isharo pe ghulami karne kaun tayyar nahi hain?" Ananya quipped but quickly silenced her giggles as he raised an eyebrow in response.
"Dinner..." he could not help letting out a chuckle, as Ananya skipped to the kitchen.
"Dum Biryani, raita aur papad!" she exclaimed, smacking her lips. Ananya looked excitedly at the food, while Kabir just rubbed his eyes - was this girl for real? He had seen women pretending to have no desire for food whatsoever while here was this girl, her eyes shining at the sight of food, making no attempt to hide her joy.
Looks like food really turns Miss Kashyap on.
Which brings in graphic images of strawberries, whipped cream, choc...
Hold your horses Kabir Sharma!
Kabir's cheeks flooded with color and he chided himself for letting his thoughts stray. No way were the statistics right about men thinking only of...
As Kabir gazed at Ananya, innocently licking her fingers as she helped herself to generous portions, he gulped. The little satisfied click of her tongue, watching her close her eyes as she savoured the food made him hot under his collar.
Damn, they were right!
"Ahem, Miss Kashyap... I'll just be back," said a very stiff looking Kabir, and made his way to the washroom.
Poor Ananya, unbeknownst of the myriad of emotions running through him, nodded her head.
~*~
"So, you like food?" a much calmer Kabir asked, as he bit into a tender piece of chicken, fascinated by Ananya's changing emotions after every morsel.
"Like food? I love food. Indian, Italian, Chinese, Thai, Lebanese... just name it! Raste ka Frankie ya Sanjeev Kapoor ka Yellow Chilli, you'll find me everywhere. You see, enjoying food too... is an art."
Kabir saw a childlike glint of satisfaction in her eyes and smiled at her innocence.
Throughout the dinner Ananya kept him entertained by her mile a minute speeches, mindless of Kabir's replies or lack of them. She reminded him of a free butterfly, fluttering gaily in the wind.
"Excuse me," Kabir said, picking up his phone and frowned slightly.
"Kya hua?" Ananya asked, her smile fading as his frown deepened.
"Nothing, some news just got leaked."
"What!" Ananya almost choked, while Kabir calmly passed her a glass of water.
"It's nothing new, Ananya! How do you think we manage to get fresh news round the clock? We always have a few of our men in other's offices... so it is but natural that we have you know... trouble," Kabir said with a shrug of his shoulders.
It was then that the reason for a private meeting in his house dawned on Ananya. She began to appreciate what she had read in her books about news reporting being the most volatile industry in the current scenario.
"In fact, one of Manav's stringers has his eye on me. He would have told Manav of our secret meeting now."Ananya's eyebrows shot up at his words, while Kabir just shook his head. "What else did you think is rivalry, Ananya? Delivering sarcastic comments every half a second? I am jealous of Manav as well... but he, he's envious. Anyway, it's better they think we are on a romantic rendezvous than anything else."
A slight blush was noticeable on her cheeks at his last comment. Kabir suppressed an urge to comment on it and continued with his dinner instead.
"Thank you, truly... thank you so much!" Ananya smiled as Kabir nodded in reply.
Kabir was rather amused that Ananya didn't ask him why he went to such a length to help her, but was also grateful to her for that.
His heart warmed up instantly as he saw Ananya helping to clear the table. It felt so domestic. But bittersweet memories from the past came rushing back, and his smile faded as soon as it had formed.
"Sir?"
"Uh, yes...did you call out to me?" he said, startled out of his reverie.
Ananya squinted her eyes and analyzed his expressions silently. "Ah, nothing... I was just interested in this picture of yours. You look so young!"
"You mean I am old," he teased. Ananya opened her mouth to retort but decided to ignore his teases.
"No, I meant you seem too young to receive an excellence award..." she drifted off, pride and hero worship reflecting in her eyes.
Kabir felt his chest swell as he memories of his earlier achievements floated in. "Nothing came easy, Ananya. I have sacrificed a lot more than you can imagine to reach this station in life."
Taking the photo frame into his hands, Kabir smiled at his younger self. "But I have certainly no regrets. I would not want my life to be anything other than what it is."
"So you've always wanted to be a journalist?" Ananya asked, leaning against a counter top.
The skin near his eyes crinkled as he burst into laughter. "Oh dear, those days! I wanted to be everything I saw. From a doctor to an actor, there wasn't a single job I didn't want to do. And my overindulgent mother, she was always my pillar of support and driving force."
"Was...?" Ananya muttered.
"She died, two years ago," he sighed.
"I'm sorry."
"Don't be, she lived well. After papa died when I was in my early teens, maa was everything to us. She single-handedly raised us, my older brother and I, and ensured we were equipped in all ways to face the world." A fond yet sad smile hovered over his lips.
"She was an excellent woman, then," Ananya smiled warmly. Kabir was grateful to see no signs of sympathy in her eyes, only simple admiration.
"How about you? What did you want to become?" Kabir asked her, after a pause.
Ananya chuckled slightly. "I wanted to join the army, be like papa. But honestly, I did not have courage enough for that! I discovered my passion for journalism during high school when I saw yo... yeah, then I did a journalism course and here I am!" Ananya bit her tongue. She had almost revealed her decade-long crush to him.
Kabir raised an eyebrow and was thoroughly amused. Of course, she took it back just in time, but he wouldn't let her go so easily!
"Sorry I didn't get you...when you saw...?" He cornered an embarrassed Ananya who desperately sought for an excuse.
"It's late..."
"Not yet, I don't like it when people don't complete their sentences. So, as you were saying..." The blush on Ananya's cheeks deepened further and she wrung her fingers together.
But as she caught a side glimpse of a smirk on his handsome face, she scowled and said, "Ever since I saw you cover the 2004 tsunami! Why... wasn't that the very event that brought to the fore as a prominent journalist."
Kabir was caught off guard. He had not expected her to say it in his face, and had no ready answer for once.
"Chalun phir?" Ananya gave him a last beseeching look and slipped into her strawberry slippers.
They couldn't help but share a soft smile at the comedy of the slippers.
Ananya was surprised but also slightly glad when Kabir followed suit with a pair of keys. "What? I am dropping you, it's late," he said, in response to her questioning glance, and headed towards his car.
Ananya found it rather strange that the man who could go on speaking for hours and express so much would turn so stiff and be at a loss of words to explain an honest gesture. There was a lot more to Kabir Sharma than met her eye just then.
"Hello, maa? Haan abhi nikli hoon, thode time me aa jaungi. Nahi nahi, dinner kar liya hai maine. Ok, see you! Bye." Kabir looked on as Ananya filled her mother with details, struggling with her seat belt simultaneously. He leaned forward to help her, but her sudden change of expressions did not miss his eye.
Ananya looked out as the metropolis whirred past her, and sighed softly at romantic numbers playing on the radio, stealing glances every now and then at the man on her right.
As always, she marvelled at the enigmatic personality that was Kabir Sharma, but today she saw a lot more to him - a boy who lost his father too early, a boy who stepped into the shoes of being the eldest despite having an older brother, a boy who would not accept defeat, a boy who dreamed to make it big.
It all made him so much more human.
Kabir turning sideways, caught her looking at him, but Ananya didn't shift her gaze this time. She kept her eyes latched onto his, drinking in the depths of his brown irids.
She felt warmth gush through her system as his pupils dilated in response. Yet her eyes refused to budge away... a feeling of tranquility floated.
Kabir pulled the car to a stop in front of her apartment complex, got out and opened the door for her. It seemed natural that she held his hand to get out, yet that simple touch sent sparks jolting their spines.
Kabir gently shut the door and looked into her soft, chocolate eyes. He traced her full cheeks and pillowy lips.
Driven by his heart, he leaned forward till his breath fanned over her mouth.
A weak Ananya leaned against the door to hold on.
Kiss me, she groaned in her mind.
Oh God, I need to kiss you... his insides seemed to scream.
"Goodnight," she whispered.
The soft, innocent whisper broke the trance.
The haze in Kabir's eyes cleared as he stared at her for a few seconds and stepped back, a dull red blooming near his neck and cheeks.
"Yeah... goodnight," came his voice in an odd and husky tone. Ananya tucked a few strands of hair behind her ears and tried to regain her composure.
She had so wanted it to happen - it felt like a sinfully beautiful dream!
"Thanks for tonight!" she cringed at her squeaky tone as Kabir nodded his head in response.
"Bye! Have a safe journey!" he almost whispered as Ananya walked slowly into her building.
Ananya turned back with a coy smile and gently waved to him.
She skipped all the way to the elevator and felt a strange rhythm in her heartbeats.
What was happening?
~*~
Kabir found himself driving almost subconsciously towards Marine Drive, questioning himself for his actions.
Something happened today. When the wind blew and she placed her hand in his to step out of his car, his palm was nearly burnt.
His lips curved into a soft smile as he remembered how he almost kissed her.
Ananya flung herself onto her bed and hugged the file close to her with an unknown emotion making its way through her bosom. She tossed and turned in her bed but nothing could rid her of the butterflies in her stomach.
An email notification on her phone served as a welcome distraction.
But her smile faded as she read the contents of the email.
The journalist in Ananya overpowered the lover in her. All the emotions wreaking havoc within her were relegated instantly to the background.
Suddenly the entire picture became clear.
What the hell!
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