14th January 2019

            Anwar tapped his fingers on the desk waiting in silence for her to speak up , his father Rashid had dreamed of creating awareness among people about the world around them . His father wanted people to have a chance to know the truth about the reality of the world rather than the way those in power wanted to portray the world. 

                 He had started The Local Mirror  in a bid to do so. Spread the truth and create a world where every one gets a voice.   And he succeeded to an extent. It had been a monthly paper at first and after giving it 12 years ,he had decided to publish them four times a month. 

           Though The Local Mirror had a steady range of followers.  It never could compete with the well known establishments and ten years ago Rashid Passed away leaving the paper into the capable hands of his son Anwar .

           Anwar took the reins of the paper and lived up to his father dreams . And incorporating modern views about the society and publishing articles that talked about social taboos led to fresh set of readers . And due to the increase in demand ,Anwar had opted to make it a daily newspaper while investing his own house as a mortgage for the loan to expend the business .

                 Still The Local Mirror was not a well known paper and neither could it compete with them ,so when Ragini Gadodia applied for a job . Anwar was taken back by surprise , one look at her resume .He knew the girl could have any job she desired and could have lucrative salary package as well .

              Yet she opted to work at The Local Mirror and Anwar decided to give her a chance to prove her mettle and she did within the first few months . She began to create a hype about her articles that were always well researched and she never hesitated to break some rules to get to the bottom of the truth .

                 She was also the one who suggested they go online with the newspaper as well for a small subscription , Anwar was old school and was reluctant about it but she convinced him and even helped him along with setting it all up .

                Anwar trusted her and allowed her free rein when it comes to online publishing  and even when he was surprised by her sudden marriage ,he agreed to let her work when she insisted she didn't want to take a vacation . And the months that followed Ragini had been more involved with the paper than before and he was beginning to admire her and expected her to raise in the ranks soon enough. 

        And  so when she asked to run a Advertisement for Missing Person , a week after her marriage, he agreed and yet when he saw the ad with no name or picture .He wondered the secrecy behind it ,he even offered to place the ads on well known papers to help her reach a wider audience but she declined the offer and yet insisted that a ad should run for every single day on their paper .

             Until two weeks ago ,she asked to stop the ads . Said she found the person but Anwar knew she had been lying and yet let it go considering it was her personal choice and today for the first time she asked him to do something that  was against his very  own set of beliefs

          " The Local Mirror isn't a gossip column . How do you expect me to publish a article that  choose to slander a person as a murderer  " Anwar voice raised as she remained silent when he asked for a explanation

       When he got the article for approval last night ,he was taken back by the fact it was written by Ragini and awhile he couldn't publish it ,he still wanted to know why she deviated from her authentic articles .

          " How is the truth a gossip? , I have written nothing but the truth " Ragini answered back still looking unfazed by him.  A trait he admired in her up until she was his opponent .

             " Look ,I won't ask about your source as I know you won't say , but calling Rajeev ,the auhtor out as a murderer because there is one  crazy person murdering people and reenacting the crime scene from his books is far fetched. 

             You heard the police report ,he is co operating in the investigation and the article you wrote is clearly making him look like the murderer when you have no proof whatsoever . " Anwar tried to reason with her logically  as he hated that one of his trusted Reporter was veering towards speculations.

         " The last victim had been an old woman who should have died naturally in her sleep and not murdered by some crazy psycho and i haven't called Rajeev as a murderer just a coward.  I just demanded him to show up his face than hide behind secrecy.  " Ragini answered back. 

           " Fine ,but you still blame him for the death of the old lady because you assume he refuses to co operate with the killer demands . Also every bit of truth you uncovered about  the case haven't been known to the public ,while I admire that you have uncovered the connection between Roshan death and Mrs Sarabhai death .

               I won't help you tip of the killer by your article ,the reason police are keeping it in wraps is because of it and by writing a article it will jeopardize the case ,  I don't care that this article will garner more readers . I refuse to do it " Anwar answers back firmly ,because what few more readers when it could possibly result in more death of innocents .

              " She is different ,she is always ten steps ahead of you . It because you all sit and react according to her game plan ,she let Roshan FIR leak and people are praising her for eradicating a rapist and yet no article about Mrs Sarabhai , the 70 year old woman who lived all alone.

              My article will shake her up ,I know it will . The news we are onto her . It may not get her caught but will shake her up at least a little . You don't know how much I want to catch her , do you think I will do something that will cause a setback " Ragini argument held some reasoning that Anwar found himself wavering. Yet he wasnt prepared for the backclash  

          " Fine ,but on one condition. You will rewrite the article and make it look like an assumption than truth . All the facts you wrote make it look like you were speculating about the murders not believe in them .

             If you want the murderer to be shaken up ,she will be when she knows you are onto her and if the rest of the world dismiss you article than  that fine by me " Anwar relented ,he doesn't like gossip but truth as a gossip is better than having Ragini run the article as truth. 

         " No ,I won't start writing gossip ,even if it the truth " Ragini lashed back and walked away ,Anwar assumed it will the end of the topic ,not realizing with Ragini ,she will always remain twenty steps ahead of him.  

             *********************

         Pari looked at the anguished face of Arjun and hated the person who is destroying his happiness bit by bit , the last  two weeks she learnt a lot about her old self .

         Including the fact she had been engaged to marry his cousin , a fact that caused her to worry even though he had gotten married to her cousin ,according to Arjun .   Also the fact she was a doctor  took her by surprise, to be caught in a limbo without knowing anything about yourself then finding them all together had been overwhelming . 

        So she asked Arjun to give her time before telling her about how she was caught up in his wife death  . And he agreed ,and Pradeep who had taken to visit often shared few things about her life as well .  Yet it wasnt enough to know everything about her. Pradeep had been her neighbour and more like a sibling as they grew up he confessed and Pari grew to see him as a sibling now .

                  Both Arjun and Pradeep  were cautious not to overwhelm her and she took her own time to come to terms with her past ,yet she always had been curious about her one living relative . Her cousin .

            So when she asked Arjun to subscribe for The Local Mirror ,he agreed and apologized for keeping her a secret from her cousin . And so she began to read her cousin articles every single day .

          And by her articles ,she began to form a picture of her . Pari felt her cousin was bolder than her ,from the way she didn't hesitate to write against big names . And what started as a effort to know more about her cousin ,led her to read the Paper religiously , it was because of that her eyes spotted the Article even when it wasnt in the first few pages. 

           It was  a book review, and yet Pari read through , because it was written by her cousin .

           
     By the time Pari finished reading the article ,she knew something was wrong.  The article was more about the author than the book and when Ragini ended the article with a demand that he should come out of hiding before his actions cost more lives . Pari become increasingly aware that her cousin was taking about Arjun .

           Yet she called the Author as Rajeev ,it was all too confusing for her . That she ended up showing it to Arjun . She immediately regretted it when his face turned pale . 

          " It no surprise ,your cousin blames me . After all I deserve it " Arjun answered back after awhile .

     "  No ,you don't . Just because someone harms others using you as a excuse doesn't make it your fault " Pari answered back ,she may not know much about it ,but the police visits and Arjun staying behind from work all made her realize it was a grave matter .

         " I don't think ,you will feel the same after I told you ,how it destroyed your life " Arjun answered back ,and Pari knew it was time for her to hear the full truth.

          The real reason she hesitated from asking him had been because of the same fear ,that once she knew the truth .It may change their dynamics and yet she couldn't continue to let him suffer either.
      

   
        " So tell me ,how am I involved in your wife death " Pari asked him and when he told her ,it didn't change how she perceived him one bit but it was too much for her to grasp that she fainted by the end of his speech. 

             She vaguely remembered him rushing to her side before she lost her consciousness . When she finally woke up ,she saw both Arjun and Pradeep hovering near her . She managed a week smile for their benefit yet her heart felt crushed by the truth .

            " It not your fault Arjun ,and neither was it your fault bhai . " Pari spoke up at the anguished look in their face ,she had taken to call Pradeep bhai and saw the flicker of relief at their face and yet she also noticed a determined glint in Arjun face as he walked away from her room .

               But her mind drifted back to his daughter who rushed in to check on her and Pari found herself forgetting all about it ,at least for a moment.

              *******************

           Laksh Maheshwari was furious ,he didn't wait for his wife to come home . He went to her office , he hadn't asked anything from her . He promised to set her free when they found Swara but he was still wallowing in despair after Swara death ,he failed to see what his wife was up to. 

           So today when his father threw the paper to his face and demanded why his wife was dragging their family name into gossip ,he was shocked . Laksh knew his parents didn't approve of Ragini and barely tolerated her job .

                But Laksh always admired her ,and it turned into fury when he read the book review . He finally understood the reason behind his father anger .  He marched into her office and was surprised to find it already occupied by someone else . 

          " You went behind my back and did what you wanted ,I should fire you for your actions ,give me one reason that I should continue to let you work " Anwar voice echoed in the room ,as Ragini eyes flickered to her enraged husband .

            She didn't know what she did this time to make him angry.  And yet both Anwar and Laksh reined in their thoughts while she introduced them ,Anwar left the room with we will talk later look and Ragini turned her attention towards her husband .

           " How could you write such a article ,how dare you call him a coward . Do you know him ,do you know him enough to make a assumption like that and is this how you write all you articles " Laksh kept raging at her and yet Ragini couldn't understand why he was so in support of Rajeev . Then she paused to hear what he was really saying ,he kept insisting she didn't know him but underneath lay the truth of it .

          " Who is Rajeev and how do you know him " Ragini question stopped him in his tracks as he turned to glare at her.  Yet refused to answer her . And Ragini knew he could use his anger at Swara death to find the answer, If she told him the truth why Swara died ,maybe laksh would tell her the truth and yet she also didnt want laksh to become a murderer.

           She was still contemplating how to make him spill the truth, when Laksh attention diverted from her to his phone as he looked surprised by the caller id, she noticed the look of surprise in his face as he answered the call.

              " Bhai " just one word was spoken from her husband and yet he remained silent awhile the person at the end of the call kept talking . It was only when he ended  the call he turned towards her

            " You wanted to meet him right . He agreed to see you , that what you wanted right, to find the man behind the books all for your fame.  " Laksh voice held the suppressed anger but Ragini was too preoccupied with the knowledge she was finally going to meet the man who caused the death of her family . Not realizing the price she need to pay for uncovering those secrets. 

P.S : " That it for now. Let me know your thoughts and Feedback. Hit the votes if you liked it "

Juanita Reid