‘No, no. I won’t allow it. You have taken the trouble to come all the way and…’
‘What’s the big deal? If one has a car, these are just minor detours.’
‘Just for a couple of minutes, sir.’
‘Not today. I’ll tell you why.’
‘Why?’
‘It’s possible that Mr Samant might not like the fact that I’ve dropped you home in my car.’
‘He’s not like that.’
‘Listen to me. I’m telling you for your own good. I won’t misguide you.’
‘Then the fact that I came in your car…’
‘Yes?’
‘Can you drop me here at the corner? The building at the next corner is where I stay.’
‘That’s good. Shall I stop? Get down carefully, okay?’
‘I would like to thank you…’
‘Don’t mention it, please.’
The next day…
Your husband can see you getting down at the corner. So getting down earlier is no way to prevent him from knowing.
Vandana was surprised to see the note at her desk. She wasn’t angry, nor did she bother to complain to the boss. But the note had touched a nerve. She decided not to take a lift in her boss’s car from now on.
She was restless the whole day. She had stopped speaking to others and was spending more time with the boss. You people in the office, you too had decided to not speak to her.
Don’t deny it. You all had deliberately restricted your interactions with Vandana Samant. You are such cowards. Nalini Sardesai, Varsha Mankar, Saroj Sharangpani – they all had gone through a similar situation, and now Vandana was the victim. But you guys couldn’t differentiate between those girls and Vandana. Varsha Mankar was an opportunist. It was unfair to compare her to Vandana, who was like an innocent flower.
It is possible that the eye can’t see the difference between powdered sugar and powdered alum, but don’t you have anything other than your eyes to judge a woman?
Of the five senses, the eyes are the closest to the brain. Why is that? So as to be able to discern whatever the eyes see using one’s brain.
But you did not behave properly. Your intentions were dubious from the outset. Otherwise, you would not have stopped talking to her.
You were comfortable in your own world, and when the boss, the highest person in the office hierarchy, decided to take matters into his own hands, you kept quiet, worried that you might be exposed.
The boss had decided to expose all of you, and you were silent while Vandana was scared and unsure.
She kept to herself the whole day, but something strange happened in the evening.
Chikhalikar came in to meet the boss. Vandana Samant was in the cabin when he entered. He asked the boss,
‘Sir, I’d like to leave half an hour early. I’ll come in an hour earlier in the morning to make up for it.’
‘Sure, sure. But what is it that makes you leave early?’
‘I’ve joined typing classes.’
‘Arre, what kind of typing are you learning now?’
‘Marathi typing, sir.’
The conversation changed the moment the boss heard that it was Marathi typing.
‘How long has it been since you started?’
‘About fifteen days, sir.’
‘What are you going to do after learning to type in Marathi? Write notes to girls, huh?’
‘I don’t get your point, sir. You seem to have misunderstood…’
He took the notes from the drawer and threw them at Chikhalikar, saying,
‘This is the proof. She is Mrs Samant. She will tell you the details.’
Chikhalikar collected the notes scattered on the floor and said,
‘This is a baseless allegation. They have not been typed on my machine. If you don’t believe me, you’re free to come to my typing class and check all the machines. But please don’t make such allegations.’
‘Are you threatening me?’ Ghanekar sir asked.
‘I won’t tolerate any such allegations against my character. I cannot accept this. It is not right to smear my name in such a manner.’
‘Leave the notes here.’
‘I will keep them as evidence and maybe show them to Mr Samant, if need be.’
He left the room in a huff. He had mentioned Mr Samant. He may not have meant it, but Vandana was scared. The boss found an occasion to pacify her.
‘You shouldn’t have accused him directly of having typed the notes.’
‘Mrs Samant, I know these crooks much better than you do. Don’t worry. He won’t do anything.’
‘But…’
‘Don’t worry. Don’t you believe me? Arre, people react when the truth comes out. Just see, the notes will stop now.’
He was wrong.
There was a note the very next day. It read,
The man holding the bird isn’t necessarily the bird catcher.
Ghanekar sir had no doubt that this was Chikhalikar’s doing. He was now sending the notes as revenge.
‘Shiva!’
Shiva came in and stood in front of the boss.
‘Send Chikhalikar in.’
‘Sir, he’s on leave today.’
‘How do you know?’
‘His son came this morning and left a letter for leave of absence.’
The boss was quiet for a while. The very next day, he summoned Savardekar to issue orders for the immediate transfer of Chikhalikar.
The notes continued to arrive.
There was only one way out of the situation. He asked Vandana to move into an independent cabin. Obviously, this cabin was next to his own, and there was a door connecting the two.
The head clerk didn’t have a cabin, but the newly appointed Vandana, who was a mere clerk, was given one. In order to prevent any unsavoury allegations, she was made his personal assistant. Her workload decreased while the gossip around her increased.
Relationships deepened.
Interactions increased.
The gossip and discussions gained intensity.
The notes kept coming.
Vandana Samant was disgusted. She was trapped and didn’t know how to extricate herself from the situation.
One day, while dropping her in his car, Ghanekar sir asked,
‘Mrs Samant, has the frequency of the notes reduced?’
‘Not at all.’
‘Why didn’t you tell me?’
‘Sir, one can’t cry if the same person dies every day.’
‘You can’t take it so lightly.’
He stopped the car and asked Shiva, who was dozing in the back of the car,
‘Shiva, are you paid to sleep the whole day?’
‘Sorry, sir. Won’t do it again.’
‘Saale, we gave madam an independent cabin. How does
