Part 4

I reached Didi’s place, and I was shivering. I couldn’t even explain what I had just gone through or what exactly I was feeling. I just went inside and sat down on the floor. I didn’t even sit on the bed or the sofa.

But Didi could sense that something was wrong. She knew something had happened. Without asking too many questions, she just hugged me and gave me the comfort I needed at that moment.

Then she asked,
“Tell me, Aashruti. What happened?”

Somehow, I managed to tell her everything.
She was angry. She immediately called my brother and informed him about everything. He was also extremely angry after hearing what had happened and told me that he would come to my office with me the next day.

Didi also told me to inform someone from the office, so I called my manager and told her what had happened. She asked me almost five times,

“Are you talking about Arbaaz Sir? CA Arbaaz Sir?”

Then she said,
“Are you sure, Aashruti? Because no one has ever told me anything like this about him before.”

I understood that she was also struggling to believe what I was telling her. I couldn’t blame her. Maybe, for her too, it was difficult to imagine him that way.

She then told me that since Arbaaz Sir had called me at almost 10 that night, I should call him back and record the conversation.

So I did exactly that.
I called him at around 11.
He picked up the call and asked,
“You reached?”
I said yes.
Then he asked,
“All good?”
“Yeah.”
Then he asked,
“How was the pizza?”
I simply replied,
“It was good.”
And I disconnected the call.

I sent the recording to my manager.
She then told me to come to the office the next day and inform Atharva Sir about everything because Vishesh Sir was unwell and wasn’t coming to the office.

I said okay.

That entire night, I just stared at the wall. My chest felt heavy, my body felt cold, and I couldn’t sleep.

I woke up the next morning, got ready, and reached the office. My manager and I went to Atharva Sir and told him everything that had happened the previous night.

He immediately called Vishesh Sir and informed him about the situation. Vishesh Sir said that he would come to the office by evening.

So I called my brother and asked him to come by evening too.
But Arbaaz Sir didn’t come to the office that day.

So I told my brother not to come anymore.
Later, I explained the entire incident to Vishesh Sir myself.
And his response was something I still remember.
“He is not that kind of person. Maybe he did all this by mistake.”
By mistake?
How can someone do something like this by mistake?
I didn’t understand how something like this could possibly be called a mistake.
Then he said,
“Come tomorrow. We’ll call Arbaaz Sir here, then we’ll discuss everything. We’ll make him apologise to you and give him a chance.”
Give him a chance?
How could you even think about giving him a chance before the discussion had even happened?
I didn’t say it out loud.
I just murmured it inside my head.

That evening, I went back to Didi’s place again.
And then I fell sick.
I had a fever and was hallucinating. My condition became so bad that I couldn’t even make it to the office that morning. 

The next morning, I somehow woke up, got ready, and reached the office with my brother for the discussion.

Arbaaz Sir came in.
He walked into the cabin.
And sat down.
The discussion was about to begin.