Reporters aberrant 24

That day couldn’t end much well. I had gone for dinner with Richa, Sunny and Baby. Richa was much more happy than a clown. Baby said, ‘Alright let’s play a game. R u all ready?’. Everyone agreed. She explained, ‘So the game is: Anyone of us will give a word and whatever u
can relate to in the beginning or whatever comes in your mind when you think of the word, u need to say it. U can’t waste much time. Only
3 secs to think, ok?’. Everyone groaned. 3 secs
for one word? She pleaded and finally we agreed to play. Firstly, I asked Richa, ‘Care’. She replied, ‘Friends’. I smiled. After all a friend
saved her life today. Baby asked Richa, ‘Devil’.
Richa said, ‘Apurva’. I knew he was her ex so I didn’t react. Sunny smiled and asked, ‘Pain’. She replied, ‘Ronnie’. And everyone fell silent. No one said anything. Apart from the commotion
created by people for watching T20 match. Kohli had apparently hit a 6 and everyone in the hotel were cheering, ‘Virat!!! You r a savior!!’. Someone else cried, ‘Virat!! I love you!!’. Well,
that was awkward as everyone started staring at the young girl in 20s. However, we couldn’t participate in the celebration. That name still
resounded in my mind, ‘Ronnie..’. Surely, his
demise brought immeasurable amount of pain to us,… especially to me. Richa got up, ‘Sorry guys but I have to leave. Good night’. She left,
sniffing back a tear. I went back home, trying to
reconcile to the present time.

The next day, I reached office late. Conference meeting was on and I had missed it. But Manav sir did not protest. Speaking of Manav, I forgot, that he too was involved in the previous conspiracy. What was his role? I went next to Richa and said, ‘Hi! Morning. Um.. Do u mind if I ask you something?’. Richa replied, ‘Of course not Ananya. Ask me’. I said, ‘What was Manav’s role in the conspiracy?’. She looked at me as if studying my emotions and then replied, ‘When Khalid sir’s brother started threatening me, I didn’t know what to do. When he sent me the sms, Manav sir saw it and I had to fill him up with the details and he agreed to help. He did not inform Khalid as he thought that he might get cross with him. That night when u came to check on me, Manav sir also came in later on. So.. He suggested to follow what the boss was saying as he might screw up kkn’. I nodded, seeming to collect it all. I gave a file to Manav sir and came out of his cabin, only to see Ronnie’s picture. A frame with Ronnie and all of us stared at me. Everyone call me brave after what happened yesterday, but for the first time,… I felt weak…. As if someone had taken away my soul..