"I spy you!" - 63

“Hello, Elder sister! Waiting for me?” asked Durjaya. He was on a scooter and alone. She just smiled at him and sat behind him. She did not trust herself to speak civilly because Pushpahaasa ignored her!

They reached office in silence. She went to her seat and checked for any specific mails. Surprise of surprises! There was a postal mail from Amruta!

Vasurpradha felt guilty that she was not able to tell Amruta about what she actually did. So, the letters were routed in a painful way!! A post box number in a post office which was far from the office; from there a staff’s job was to collect the letters and dump it in another post office which was half way to the office. From there to a third post box address. From there it was reaching her. So, the date of the letter was quite old.

Amruta had written about the renovations she had to carry out in both her house and Vasupradha’s! The rains created havoc by seeping into the houses. Once the rains subsided, she had carried out the repairs and she happily had closed her letter saying that, ‘next time you come, it won’t have any water seepage and I will ask the routine question – when am I seeing you next?’

Vasupradha did not have any reply for Amruta’s last question. What can she say? The projects were getting heavier and heavier.

As she had heard and read in some books, the persons who work well would get more and more assignments. By her luck or by her sheer hard work, she was getting good name every time she was assigned a covert job. As she was coming out every time with flying colors, she was given tougher jobs.

Of course, this time she did not know yet whether she had done a good job. She felt that her recent trip was a fiasco. She was lucky to come out of it alive.

She went to meet her boss Mr. Padmanabha. Strangely he was very detached. He greeted her as if she was in the office every day and not gone out at all. There was no mention of what happened to her etc.,

She started to say, “Sir, I came back from the trip....” and she was rudely interrupted by a lift of his left hand. “I am sure I can read your report” he said and looked at her hand and continued, “Ah, I can see that you have put your report in a file. Please leave it and carry on”

Vasupradha felt as if she was being pushed away. She swallowed two times and started to leave the room. Generally, her next assignment would be decided when she comes back.

May be there are no assignments immediately she thought and moved to open the door.

It was at that moment Mr. Padmanabha said, “I almost forgot, you have to leave tonight by bus to an interior city in the middle of the country. You would be briefed about your role when you reach there. Check your mail and note down the address where you have to go” and got immersed in a file.

Durjaya filled in some details. “Elder sister! You have to go out of station” he said and she nodded as she knew about it. “This time it is quite special. You will do as the other colleague says. That colleague will meet with you when you reach the destination”

Oh God! Must be very dreary job, she thought, not knowing that she was very far from the truth!