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The blast from my past

 Today I’m busy to finish my assignment. My editor cum sweetheart Neel, comes to me and says, “Come on, come on hurry up it’s gonna be in the morning edition”.

“Am done”.

“Thank Goodness. I know it wasn’t that easy, but I was helpless. I wanted only you to do this assignment. Or you can say that I only rely on you and this is also important for your career as well. It is going to be sensational. ‘The secret entente between the minister and the mafia.’  ”

I smile and kiss him, “Thanks for showing faith  in me, honey”.

He is blushing and says, “It's office sweetheart”.

“OOPS! Sorry but I can’t resist you.”

“See you after the office”.

He walks away from my cabin.

After finishing my assignment I’m feeling cool. The story is a great opportunity to prove myself. But the issue is quite sensitive. Don’t know what is going to be happened tomorrow! One day Neel got some evidence, by which we could prove the secret alliance of the State minister and the Mafia. I wasn’t sure enough. But Neel was excited; so I didn’t stop him.

Meanwhile, Lisa enters into my cabin and says, “Hey Ana, a new guy has just joined. Oh you don’t believe me, he is so cute!”

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I say, “Don’t you have any other job to do in the office?”

Lisa says, “Yup!  “cute boy  hunting”.”

I smile, “Who is this?”

She says, “Hired for the political section. Oh my God that mean he is with you! You are always lucky and the luckiest thing is the boss is your boy friend”.

“Oh don’t talk rubbish. Who the hell is this? I mean every single time they send these novices to me. They don’t have any idea how much I suffer for these people.”

“Don’t loose your cool, babe. I gotta go. I have to cover another “high society” party. You know the  rain dance party?”

“You are luckier than me because you don’t have to mess up with these dirty things like politics and criminals.”

“Honey, this is your misconception. Actually these “high society” people are nastier. Ask me; for the last four years I’ve been messing up with these nasty dogs and bitches. You can’t even imagine how mean these people are.”

“Now you are loosing your cool.”

“Okay Ana, bye for now”.

“Bye”.

The new guy knocks the door of my cabin. I’m busy over phone.

“May I come in?”

I look up and see  the “novice” I lost my foot hold. A blast from my past! I stood up and shouted, “What the hell are you doing here? And how dare you?”

He enters into my room and in a very calm way says, “I guess the owner of this publication house is not your dad.I remember your dad was  a worthless lazy drunkard. Is he still alive? I’m not here to see your face. I’ve got the appointment letter.”

“How dare you taking my dad’s name?”

 
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“Listen, I am here to prove myself and I am not at all interested to hear your bullshit. Give my assignment.”

Meanwhile Neel enters into the cabin.

“Oh so you are here. Ana he is…. Ahh… It’s the name of a former cricketer."

Novice says, “Laxman Shivaramakrishnan. Actually my dad is a cricket buff.”

Neel, “Oh such a big name! But both you and Anna share a common surname! Strange!"

“Call me Lax. I know it sounds weird but I think it’s cool.” After a while he drops from the blue and asks me, “What?! You didn’t change your surname?”

Neel asks, “Pardon me?”

Both me and Lax together shouted, “Nothing!”

Neel says, So Anna now he is your responsibility. Have a good day guys.

This is the most embarrassing situation of my life. Laxman Shivaramakrishnan is my ex-husband. We got married when we were in college. I was 19 and he was 21. We didn’t even finish our college yet. We eloped because our parents were against the inter religion marriage. I belong to a Christian family and he belongs to an orthodox Hindu Tamil family.  We got divorced within a year. Because after marriage we realized that “marriage” is not a piece of cake. We didn’t even know the meaning and the basic requirements of marriage like commitment, money and most of all “respect” for each other. Both we were tired of fighting and arguing. One day he crossed all the limits. I can’t forget the punch on my nose. One day he got out of control and punched me. It was the end of our relationship. Yeah we were so young for marriage and divorce as well. But after ten years why he has come back to me I don’t know. Ten years ago I left Chennai and came to Delhi. After a long long struggle I’ve secured my position in the society. Right now I’m living a cool life. I’ve a career and a successful dashing boy friend. I had almost forgotten my past. I never wanted to look back. All I remember is Lax’s mom. Her husband was against our relationship but she used to come to me and talk for hours and hours. She cared for me.She was a very sweet lady. Even she used to bear all our expenses because we didn’t have our own income. After moving to Delhi, I left my past behind and moved on. Even I never called Mrs. Shivaramakrishnan. I was so busy in the struggle to survive. 

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Entire day I couldn’t able to concentrate in my work. The situation is really uncomfortable to me. When Lisa comes back, Lax asks her, “Hey beautiful, if you are not doing anything in the evening then I’m wondering if you join me for dinner.” Lisa seems to be overwhelmed and without thinking says, “Yes!” Lax looks at me and smiles like devil. I whisper, “I don’t give a damn”.

On the next day, when I reached to the office, there was a huge mess. The reason of the mess was the minister and mafia story. The minister threatened us to drag to the court. He brought accusation that we tampered the evidences like pictures and CDs. We were totally screwed. What to do? Lax seems to be so chilled  and relaxed. I know this time he will not miss the golden chance to annoy me. He comes to me and says, “You are still the same baby. Why do you take hasty decisions every time?” I was so disturbed that I shout, “Will you please just shut your mouth up?”

 
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“Okay okay!” He walks away.

We are all so stressed and disturbed. Neel calls the lawyer to help us out of the situation. Company president was angry with Neel. Neel  was  extremely depressed. He sits on the couch. He seems to be so helpless. His head was down. He says, “Everything is finished”. I don’t understand what to say or how to console. I simply hug him and say, “Everything will be okay?”

He asks, “But how?”

“Don’t know but my heart says everything will be fine”.  

The day was the worst day of our life.

On the next day we are still trying to get out of the situation. Neel enters into my cabin.

Suddenly our reporter Rajesh calls me. He makes me stunned. He says that police arrested the Minister. Police got some prove against him like files, videos etc. Actually after going through the column in our news paper, the minister lost his cool and called Neel. After a couple of hours he called the mafia gang leader. The phone was tapped.

It is great news for Neel and me and everyone. Oh what a relief! But in this mess I forgot someone, Laxman Shivaramakrishnan.

Everything about him is simply irritating. He enters into my cabin, by doing hip hop and says, “Yoooo ma'am! Wassap?”

I wish I could kill him. But it is quite expected from a guy like him. He always escapes from his responsibilities. He is a self centered fellow.

Neel says, “Hey do you know what happened?”

“Yeah yeah it is in every news channel.”

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Neel, “Okay Ana you go to the spot right now”.

“Okay honey”.

Lax drops from the blue! “Honey?”

I say, “Yeah “honey”.

He silently looks at me and gets out of my cabin.

I reach to the spot. Rakesh was waiting for me there. Police calls a press conference. The evidences are so strong that it is going to be so tough for the minister to survive. I ask Rakesh, “From where did they get these evidences? Who tapped the phone?” He says, “Yeah I’m also thinking that”.

After press conference and interview we come back to the office. I have to submit the report for tomorrow’s edition. But suddenly in the corridor I hear something. It seems like someone is weeping. It is Lax.  

He was saying, “Mom, it was my last chance to get rid of my sins and mistakes, but I lost!”

He says, “No mom, she loves someone else. Even she has abolished my name from her life and heart. She doesn’t even care whether I’m alive or dead. She is right. Why should she? But mom, it was not my mistake only. Then why should I only suffer? She has moved on. But why didn’t I? You know mom, I took a huge risk. Life risk. Yeah! I entered into the minister’s house, you can’t imagine how much risky it was! I could have got killed. I stole the files and videos and then tapped the phone with the help of one of my friends. Then I handed over all the evidences to the police. For whom, mom?” He breaks into tears.

 
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I enter into my cabin. I'm totally blank. I call Mrs, Shivaramakrisnan. She is delighted to hear my voice. I ask her the reason of his come back. She says,

“He loves you truly, deeply, madly, Ana. For the last ten years only I know how he had spent every moment of his life. I’m not taking his side, my child but it was not only his mistake. But when he realized his fault, he came back to you. His intention was not to annoy you. He took the risk just to make you happy. And I must say, I am proud of my son”.

I put the phone down and start my work. I mean submitting my assignment. My last assignment.

On the next day in the office everyone is busy in discussing the issue. I go to Neel’s cabin. He seems to be so excited today. But I say, “I need to talk to you”.

“Sure! What do you wana say? Actually I’m planning for a rocking weekend. Only you and me. The week was hectic!”

“Wait! Let me talk.”

Meanwhile Lax enters into the cabin. Seeing us, he says, “Oh! I’m sorry. Catching you guys later”.

I stop him, “Wait Lax.”

“Why?”

“Neel, this is my resignation letter.”

Both Neel and Lax drop from the blue. “WHAT?!”

“Neel, I wanted to say that I hided something from you. I mean about my relationship status. I am divorced. Lax is my ex husband. I hided everything because I didn't want to loose you. I wanted a good life. Yeah I am selfish. Only thought about myself.I am the most selfish person in the world.”

“You are kidding me!”

“Nope! I’m not”.

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Lax says, “Oh shit!”

“I’m sorry Neel. That’s what I can say.”

Neel was out of words. He was looking at me with a blank expression. I can’t look to his eyes. I come out of the cabin.

There is a bench outside. I sit there. Lax comes and sits besides me and says,

“Shit, have to search a new job again. Why do you take crazy decisions every single time?”

“It wasn’t crazy. I want to say sorry to you.”

“Even I should say sorry to you Ana. Sorry for everything especially for the punch”.  And he starts laughing.

“Shut up!” I stop for a while. “Lax, I’m so selfish”.

“No you are not. We did a mistake and no one should bear the burden of a mistake for the rest his life.”

“Was that a “mistake”? I don’t think so. Lax I have heard everything whatever you said to your mom. You made me stunned! I’m still thinking how someone could……………..”

 
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I start weeping.

Lax says, “Hey hey hey…. You know babe that I don’t like these melodramas. Cheer up.”

I wipe out my tears and say, “How could you still love me?”

“Don’t ask “how” “why”……. I love you. That’s it. That’s enough for me. You don’t need a reason to love someone.”

“Now we are matured enough to understand everything like relationship and marriage. I think we should give our relationship a second chance. It’s time for the new beginning.”

He says, “Not today.”

“What?”

“Today we gonna rock Delhi!”  He stands up, holds my hand and pulls me up towards him and starts running. “Delhi, we are coming!”

“Hey! What you are doing?”

“Yeah baby! We’ll go for a movie and then for dinner…”

“Hey wait! Not for the movie. We are going for boating”.

“movie”

“No”.

Yeah this is the new beginning. But some thing never changes.