As decided Manvi went after office to meet Atul. As soon as she was going to knock on the door, Atul himself opened the door hurriedly and bumped into Manvi.
"Really sorry! Atul said"
"Sir you asked me to come after office..", Manvi nervously mentioned
"Well, something urgent has come up, and I'll have to leave, give me your number we will talk on call!", Atul said in a hurry.
Manvi gave him her number, while giving him his number she for the first time noticed Atul. Tanned skin, sharp jawline and straight nose, had he not been her senior she would have swooned over him.
Atul left shortly and Manvi thought the day is for over now.
In the evening when she came back from office, her phone beeped. It was text from unknown number, at first she thought it must be Atul but when she went through the number it was Agam.
'Have to talk!', Manvi's anger started coming back.
'Another scheme, just shameless bunch of people.'
Her phone beeped again, 'I want to talk about what you said in the morning, is anything of it true? Please reply!!!'. Manvi was getting pissed at continuous text from Agam, when her phone rang.
In fit of rage she picked up the phone and said, " ....yes everything I said in the morning was true, Agam. My father and mother died in the accident, I was shattered it when uncle gave me his hand and told me to not worry I am not an orphan. But it was just a trap nothing else, all he wanted was my father's money, he thought I am just a college going kid all he has to do is coax me up to sign those papers, but I was actually taking on my father's office affairs. I already knew my dad's work and college was just a sheer formality.
When the attempts to coax me up failed, he tried to do things by killing me...."
"I see, but how did you escape from your death then?"
Manvi froze, her lips went pale she looked at the screen and it was Atul on the call and not Agam. She knew she messed up.
"I am really sorry sir! I...I didn't... actually I thought it's...", Manvi fumbled with her words.
"Answer my question Manvi!", Atul commanded.
Manvi then sighed," My uncle Sanjay tried to kill me thrice times before I disappeared, sir. First in a road accident, which was averted, because I controlled my car without breaks. I thought it's just an incident but I became suspicious, then one day my uncle ordered Cyanide from one of his pharmaceutical factory, I was sceptical so faked illness and asked for my food in the room itself, food came and i threw all of it. Next morning, I saw through my window, that the street dogs laid dead since they ate the food i threw. I was terrified sir, so I took all my belongings and ran away."
Atul then asked, "So why did you join army at lower ranks, if you ran away with all your belongings?"
Manvi said," After I ran away, I went straight into the office and told my secretary that I would be taking all the operations in my hands! For the sake of my family reputation I just took over the company but didn't revealed the reason. I told my secretary that I would be managing the affairs from distance only. Meanwhile, my uncle was trying to detect me and kill me, I knew the danger so gave the operations to my most trusted colleague Agam. I had to go for my finals and as expected uncle tried one last attempt to kill me, but I had my own sources so I somehow escaped. Straight from there, I joined Army and disappeared."
"So you lost everything!" Atul said.
" No sir! I have my shares and there is no decision that the company can make without my consent. So I am in technically still the owner, but Agam slowly drifted towards my uncle."
"So what changed, how did they found you?", Atul asked.
"It was time to show myself ,sir. To show Agam that he is making bad decisions lately. What I didn't anticipated was that they would show up like that", Manvi said.
"Did it worked?", Atul asked.
"Yes sir! It did. Seems like Agam has been manipulated.", Manvi said.
Atul then said, "Tough affairs, what's next?"
Manvi said, "Preparing for leadership ranks in Army sir. I came in Army for protection, but now I want to serve. I love this way of life."
Atul laughed and then said, " So how much progress in that then?"
Manvi smiled and then said, "Would make it, Sir!!!"
Atul then said, " If you want any help, you tell me, is that understood?"
Manvi felt a ache in her heart, it has been a very long time when she could actually feel the warmth of someone being there, she sobbed, "Yes sir!!"
Atul could feel something was wrong but didn't pressed it, " Fine then!"
"Goodnight sir", Manvi said in a very soft voice.
Atul wanted to talk more but hanged up.