A Whiff Of Fresh Air

Gaekwad Farms

She had come in with a medium sized suitcase. That was all she had, besides a crossbody across her shoulders. As Paras kaka escorted her inside, Shivani Chatterjee spoke non-stop. By the time she reached her room, she was

talking to Paras kaka like they were best friends forever.

Shivani was all set for her stay in ‘Maximum City’ - Mumbai. She had a cottage to herself, food served into her room and her favourite part of this job - animals all around her. And luckily for her, there were no dogs on the farm... the only animals she feared.

Her intention for taking up the job was to save whatever salary she got, and send to her father in Kolkata. After his premature retirement, it had become impossible to manage household expenditure, even in a not so expensive city like Kolkata. Someone had to take this step, her or Nandita. And Nandita was too timid to step out of the city. So, it fell on her shoulders to take up the responsibility of making ends meet in the Chatterjee household.

It was the very next day that she had that encounter with that mountain of a man. Although she knew it was her fault, Shivani refused to admit it. She was angry with him, for the way he behaved with a beautiful girl like her.

That was the thing about her. Shivani knew she was beautiful. But this guy.... stone face... no reaction at all! How could he not react, when he got to hold a beauty like her, in his arms?

Insult... terrible insult. But as she sat at her window, looking at the setting sun, Shivani thought back to the moment he had caught her. His touch, it was so....... she felt like...... finally....... she was home. Her mind replayed how she had

got her foot stuck and just as she was about to fall, he had caught her close to him, she had sunk her face into his broad chest, fearing the fall. His musky body odour somehow making his physicality, so much more attractive. Her mind replayed the entire sequence in slow motion. When was the last time, she had noticed a man so closely?

How strange! If anything, she should have felt uncomfortable, a stranger holding her so. Yet, she felt....

Shivani opened her eyes abruptly... she was getting carried away. If she met him one more time, she would give him a piece of her mind, for being so impolite with a gorgeous girl like her. He would know not to mess with her again.

Besides, if he was the trainer of the horses, she was the Vet. She was definitely his superior in rank!

Gaekwad Mansion

Mrityunjay was going all out to win the elections. He wanted to touch base with every ward, every MLA, who was going to fight on a Swaraj Party ticket. Since his elevation to the position of party president as well as the CM candidate from Swaraj party happened at the very last minute, he didn't want to make too many changes.

But if he met all the probable MLAs personally, that would be a big morale booster for the party and workers. The party was also excited to the brim. After the autocratic way in which Godha ruled the party, Mrityunjay's style seemed like a breath of fresh air. Finally there was someone who would hear and value everyone’s opinions. This was the sentiment in the party workers at the Swaraj Party headquarters.

Gaekwad Farms

He had come home after a long and tiring day. The day had been full of meetings and discussions. He had to go for a rally the next day to address the farmers in an area which was infamous for farmer suicides. As he walked in, completely exhausted and tired, he found the door of his cottage wide open. That was strange. Paras Kaka never came into his cottage so late in the night. Who could have come in so late?

He went in slowly and steadily, pulling out the gun he always kept with him, for self-defence. There was no one in the hall. He went towards his painting studio slowly and there she was, studying his paintings, in rapt attention. She seemed so lost in studying the artwork on the canvas, that she had not even noticed him entering. She was looking at his most recent project which he had decided to call 'Kalpana'. He had wanted to get it framed once fully done, with

that name etched at the bottom.

As he stood there watching what she would do next, the girl picked up his paint brush and scribbled something at the right hand bottom corner. Then she put the brush back, just as it had been and turned around. She jumped at least a

meter high into the air with fear, startled at his presence there.

Mrityunjay scrutinised her, his eyes dancing with amusement and interest, at the girl’s reaction. She stood frozen, as though she had seen a ghost. The humour in his eyes disappeared and he stood glaring at the girl.

"With whose permission did you come into my cottage?" he demanded with a serious face.

"My best friend runs this place. I don't need anyone's permission to walk around the cottages here," she answered defiantly.

Mrityunjay's eyebrows rose again with amusement, as the girl made a fool of herself. "I suppose, you are talking about Paras Kaka?" he asked the girl.

"You call him Kaka too? Me too..." she reverted, her eyes glittering with mischief.

"So tell me," he inquired, going up to his dining table and pouring himself some water, "since when do you have this habit?"

"What habit? Look Mr Horsewala... That maybe your horse, I mean, you may be the trainer of the horse, but I am the new doctor here. I am responsible for the well being of all these horses. So, if you want your horse to be well looked

after, you better be nice to me....”

Shivani continued to talk non-stop. When she finally looked at him, she saw him approaching her swiftly and she

stood in rapt attention. And then, he walked upto her, grabbed her hand as she watched awestruck, and picked her up.

"You've not been taught how to behave with a girl..." she accused him, as he carried her, trying vehemently to free herself.

He took her outside his cottage and let her go unceremoniously. "And you, have not been taught how to speak to your boss," he said scornfully, his eyes staring at him blankly, giving nothing of thoughts away and slammed the door on her face.