"Get down. This is the place," said he, sliding his scooty into the office parking lot.
Janvi leapt from the backseat onto the bare ground, just like Quiroshi from the front.
"Our office is in the seventh floor," said Maahir as they stepped into the elevator. Janvi, somehow, managed to force Quiroshi into the box with them.
"That's high," said she viewing her image in the steel door, standing along side him. The violet outfit she had borrowed from Nancy looked really good on her. She made a mental note to thank her later.
A red light glimmered above them as the lift halted and the door opened. Maahir turned right and pushed open a glass door. Janvi and Quiroshi followed him into a large, dimly lit office. A number of open cabins were arranged on the left ending at a huge glass wall that looked onto the main road. It was veiled with red blinds, slightly opened just at the middle.
There were three rooms and a just one, substantial cabin at the end on their right. The first room was restroom and the second one looked like a conference room with a big table at the center, several swivel chairs around it and a white board, full of red and green scribblings, hanging on the wall. The third room's windows were covered but Maahir marched past it to the last cabin.
This one was filled with files, papers and documents and smelled rusty. A man was kneeling under the desk probing for something on the floor.
"Good afternoon, Chief," said Maahir, taking his stretched out forefinger and middle finger to his forehead. The guy who was bending over tried to stand immediately but the underneath of the desk was in his way.
"Ouch," said he, and came out scratching his back of head. Only when he got up and looked at her directly, she realized how intimidating he was. He appeared middle aged, in late thirties or so, but the deep lines on his face implied humongous experience and maturity.
And surprisingly, he was in formal attire. He was dressed in light blue shirt tucked in black pants. A tie was hanging loosely down his neck. The way he bore into her eyes, she was sure the first question was going to be 'Who are you?'
But, "Good afternoon, Maahir," was all he said after taking that ardent gaze off her. He piled some papers from the desk and headed for the previous room asking, "What brings you here at this time, Maahir? The meet is scheduled for only 6. I know you like to be punctual but coming two hours earlier is still too much."
"I want you to recruit her into our squad, Chief."
He paused at the door knob and let out a small sigh.
"Vikasa!" shouted he and instantly a young woman sprung up from the second cabin, with her fingers on head, saluting.
"Yes, sir," said she before yawning.
"How many minutes do you think it has passed since I asked you to submit the report?"
She got her hand down and looked at her watch. "One hundred and fifty seven minutes, sir!" said she, saluting again.
"That's more than enough time for a nap, I say. If the report doesn't come to my desk in fifteen minutes, you are not taking any requests this week."
He turned the knob and entered the room.
"Wait here," ordered Jane and Quiroshi sat near the door obediently.
"Take a seat," said he, arranging the papers and settling himself in a chair.
Jane immediately sat without thinking and Maahir followed. This room too was full of papers and carried the same rusty smell. The only garnishments were a computer on the table tilted to the left and an old green bureau at the corner.
"So," continued he, facing Maahir, "What makes you think I am going to recruit some name-unknown girl you brought along into my squad?"
"Well, it's not a secret that majority of our squad was scouted by you unilaterally. Regulars aren't your style, I guess. Don't you think so too, Chief?"
Janvi caught a glimpse of sarcasm and a glint of smile behind those words. The Chief was about to retort when the door opened and the girl from before showed up. She was holding a pad in one arm and a foldable chair in the other.
"Here's the report, Chief," said she placing the pad on his table. After that, she coolly spread the chair and sat beside them.
"Why the heck are you sitting here, Vikasa?"
"Why?" repeated she, pulling a bewildered expression. She was in a purple top and broad blue jeans and had her hair tied up in a pony tail. She looked really pretty.
"I know something fascinating is about to happen here and don't you think it's unfair to leave me out, Maahir?"
"I don't really care, Vikasa. Anyway, I feel like she'll work out, Chief. Just give it a try. It's not new to you, right? Let her be an apprentice. All I ask for is just one chance."
The Chief positioned his hands upright and sunk his chin in the palms.
"What is your atrial ability?" asked he.
She got fazed at the sudden question and even the lines she had memorized seemed to falter in the face of the Chief.
"Err.. I'm-m an Anima, sir. I can communicate with the animals and they can respond to me if they want to."
"Interesting," said he, "And you think that's enough to get into Trixy? Do you know what we do here? Do you even know what Trixy is?"
She bent her head down and continued silence. She certainly lacked answers for his questions and was not confident herself of her suitability for the job. Does she really possess the necessary qualities in her? Or is she being greedy? Maybe she is still a criminal. It's not like she handed over a resignation letter to her clients. What if her past chases her? Too many questions were running in her mind and she wasn't able to answer a single one of them.
"Is that what's important?" asked Maahir, "Even I didn't knew the workings of Trixy when I joined. She can learn them. Missions, she can breeze through, are definitely there. She can be in my team. One-"
"And which team will you be in?"
"I know!" said he, shooting his arms up, "I haven't done anything effective since joining. But I promise. It will be different this time."
"And where does that confidence come from? What does she have?"
"You won't know unless you atleast consider her. Just once, Chief. We will lose nothing."
'"I will-"
Jane stood up so suddenly and with such a ferocity that her chair got shoved a few inches back. She clutched her fists tight and bowed low. "I am not going to feign knowledge in any of the things you mentioned, Chief. Just like you said, I'm a complete amateur. But I can assure you that, if you decide to recruit me, I will give everything I've got and act with utmost diligence not to stain the honour of Trixy."
Everybody went quiet. The prolonged silence was promptly broken by a loud crunch made by a cookie getting snapped into two between the teeth of Vikasa. She, on observing everyone's ardent glare at her in tandem, stretched her arms out and said, "Eeh too want huh?"