Part 89

"Bhai..I couldn't open the Safe... the combination is changed...Did you change it?" Aakash came in, panic struck.
"Damn it! Why would I change?" Arnav was furious.
"Aman!" screamed Arnav. Aman came rushing in.
"Who changed the combination of the lock?" asked Arnav.
"Lock?" asked aman looking frightened.
"The lock of the Safe where we keep all the confidential documents, Damn it!" Arnav snarled at Aman..
"Oh! Safe lock! I changed it!" said Aman with a sigh of relief.
"What?" both ASR and Aakash yelled.
"Sir I changed it last week and wanted to inform you about it. I found someone had tampered with the lock so I had to replace it and change the combination. Last week you were busy with your court cases sir!" He justified himself. ASR cooled down.

"Ok Aman, thanks for taking care. Now go with Aakash and open the safe. Remember! I want all the documents intact!" said ASR calming down.
"Yes sir!" Aman and Aakash went out.
His cell rang! It was Raj. It was almost a midnight there. "Hey BIL" raj spoke pleasantly.
"Hi!" said Arnav. "What was the problem? My CEO had called me up some time back, said you have a major breakdown! Is there anything I can do? I am into data security, you know that!" Raj was genuinely concerned.

"Yes! we had a bit of a problem! but everything is under control now! Thanks Raj!" said Arnav feeling good that someone was ready to help him come out of crisis. He felt relaxed!

"And I loved your Dad's gift!" Said Arnav.
"Oh! it was my suggestion!!" Raj said claiming his share of credit. Arnav laughed.
"So how is my buddy, Tej?" asked Arnav in a happy mood. The thought of Tej brought smile on his face. They had developed a special bonding.

"Oh! he is sleeping! He wants to go back to India.. Ready to go alone!!" said Raj laughing.
"And, please let me know if you need anything!" said Raj.
"Yes, Raj sure and good night!" Arnav disconnected the phone smiling.

He wondered how the news flew so far! "JiJAJI you are really smart! Now the swards are drawn!!" He thought sitting relaxed waiting for Aakash.

Aakash came in with the bunch of documents. They both scanned through the papers and they found out the data safe plans.
The automation deploying company also had deployed the fail safe plans for data security. All the data gathered by the physical servers in the company office were automatically mirrored in two other remote servers on the different locations with a delay of maximum three days. The details to retrieve the data was given in the document with password protected procedures.  ASR and Aakash took a sigh of relief. So at the most three day's data loss is expected.

“Aakash, when do we backup the data? Daily?” asked ASR.  Aakash thought for a while..

“Yes, Bhai.  Backup from every desktop is done daily... but... wait a minute...!” he got up excited. 

“Bhai... the data doesn’t get deleted from the desktops... ~” ASR smiled.  Aakash nodded in realization...!!
"Bhai, I will take care of this... I will set it right in a couple of days!" said Aakash confidently. ASR nodded.
"Aakash, we have to find out who is his man in our office! And we need to report about this breakdown" They both lost in their thoughts, thinking about a name and again striking him out of doubt!

"Bhai the security head has already reported the incident and taking it further!" said Aakash. ASR nodded.

*** ***  **
Anjali went into the kitchen. The maid was busy helping the cook. "Yes madam, do you want anything?" she asked Anjali politely.
"Umm. can you come to my room?" asked anjali. The maid nodded and went behind her.
"Umm.. What were you talking about with my husband, yesterday?" Anjali came straight to the point. And then trying to cover up said "Its not that important.. but i found you annoyed! What is it? Can i be of some help?" she asked looking at nervousness of the maid.

"No madam, you already have done so much for us! i am really indebted to you, madam" said the maid staring at the floor.
"What were you talking about?" Anjali asked with bated breath.
"Um.. i was asking sir about my family pension work, madam. and...." She hesitated..
"Its ok! You can tell me. I will not tell anyone." Anjali assured her.
"Madam, sir had asked me to tell him whatever happens here when he is out." the maid said and sighed.
Anjali gaped at her. She was confused. "Why would he do that? What does he want to know?" Anjali thought confused. The maid still lingered there. Anjali looked at her.
"Madam, you have done so much for me... Pl... Please be careful" the maid could warn only this much and could not tell that her madam's husband is the real threat.

Anjali nodded and asked her to go, pondering on what the maid just said. "Whom should she be careful from?" She felt nervous, something unwanted, undesirable was coming on to her. She felt a surge of pain in her abdomen. She cried clutching it. The maid came back running.

The maid supported her and requested her to take rest and went to get some juice for Anjali. Anjali closed her eyes, drops of tears rolling down the corner of her eyes. Her intuition was sending some bad signals. She gently kept her hand on her stomach.
"Di!" her younger brother, chote came in. "Di? Are you ok?" asked Arnav sitting on her bed. She tried to get up. Arnav helped her sit upright. "Di, what happened?" he asked.
"Nothing chote... it’s just anxiety..!" she said faintly.
"Di" he rested his head on her laps. She stroked him like a small boy. He felt his mother's touch.
"Di, what all did you get from our house?" asked Arnav dreamily.
"Whatever I could Chote!" she said closing her eyes.
"Chote do you want to see?" she asked sceptically. She knew he never wanted anything related to his past.
"hmm!" he said, still resting his head on her laps.
"Really? Shall I open the Pandora's box?" she asked excitedly.
"Hmm!" he got up and bending down pulled the huge box from below the bed.

Chote straightened himself and walking up to the door to shut it tightly. He came back to the box and bending down saw the combination lock... "Di.." he said excitedly.

"Yes..its 804" said Arnav.. "No its 840! I had set it as your birth year and my birth year (84 and 80) she said smiling.

"No Di! its 804!" said Arnav confidently. She shook her head grinning. Arnav flared his nose and challenging her said "Bet? Ten rupees?" He looked at her. "Ok!" she said equally confidently.

Let me try 840 first your combination. He tried but it didn't work. He looked triumphant! Then he tried 804 and it worked! He grinned like a small boy.
"Ok, baba! You win!" she accepted her defeat and taking out her purse gave him 10 rupees. Arnav kissed the note and kept it in his pocket. He looked at his Di. She had already reached their childhood.

He held her hand and they both opened the box! Arnav and Anjali kept gaping at the contents for a very long time without even touching them. Tears had already started rolling down her cheeks.
Arnav held her hand tightly and said. "Di you sit here and I will take out the contents!" she nodded and sat on her bed.

He closed his eyes and sitting on the floor, dug his hand in the box and took out a battered stuffed toy. He opened his eyes and looked at his Di. She had also closed her eyes not wanting to know what he was taking out from the box. They both grinned looking at its state.

"You know.. You used to use this like a foot ball when papa scolded you not to play with your real football in the house!" she said stroking the toy fondly. He took it from her and kept it aside.

Then he pulled out a miniature jewellery box. It was for Anjali's doll. They both looked at it and she got up from the bed to search for her favourite doll. They pulled out her doll with missing eyes and a hand. but her clothes were beautiful and hand stitched by their mother. Anjali cuddled the doll, keeping a hand on her own belly.

"Di.. you are blinded like this doll!" Arnav thought sadly.

Arnav had dug his hand in the box. They got his old flattened football. He took it out looking at it mesmerized and tried to blow the air in it...! Anjali laughed.

"Chote I think I have your geometry box also. You stuck pictures of your cricket heroes .. Wait I will find out! She rummaged in the box and took it out. He opened... all cricketers in 90s were crammed stuck on the insides of the box. His pen, tools and even the eraser was intact. He ran his fingers on it dreamily.
He pulled out a wooden carved box and both of them spoke "Mama's treasure!" and opened it eagerly.

It was full of their mama's belongings.. her bindis, tikas, her comb, her safety and hair pins, her string and needle. Some laces, buttons, embroidery threads, a small black and white photograph of her husband; their father, some receipts of items purchased .. some coins, her handkerchief..." they took out the things one by one looking at each other sharing the same memories. Arnav looked at each one longingly .. as if longing for the feeling of his mother's touch!
They kept the things back in the box and Arnav kept the box aside with teary eyes.

They pulled out Arnav's tiny one single school shoe! "Di! The other one i threw at that Mahesh who was teasing you!" Arnav shouted in excitement. "And I threw my geometry box at him!" she said grinning.

"Di, look at this! Papa's shaving kit!" Arnav had got scolding from his papa when he had tried to use his papa's razor! Anjali patted him on his head. "You need it now!" she said looking at his stubble.

They pulled out their old clothes. "Why did you take these with you,  di? You could have got something else!" asked Arnav.
"These were all we had, chote! Mamma Papa’s memories..." she turned her face. He smiled!  “Yeah... memories... happy, beautiful memories....!”

He pulled out a small brush house! He raised it and showed it to his Di. This was their tooth brush box where they hung their tooth brushes when they were in Delhi. All the four used brushes were intact. He kept that aside.

They kept on pulling the things one by one recollecting, reliving the memories attached to them. When he pulled out the last one.. The small trophy he had won in tricycle race, he raised it in the air as if accepting it now and raising it to show it to the applauding crowd.

He stood in the middle of all the littered things from the box circling and looking around! Anjali pressing her hand on her mouth looked at the huge heap of things in astonishment. "How could I collect all this in that short period of time?" she wondered.

They stood there for a long time and then coming back to senses started stuffing the box hurriedly. Arnav suddenly remembering something.. picked up his football, his geometry box, his papa's shaving kit and the brush house... said "Di can I keep these with me? please..Di!" She nodded. They stuffed everything else back and pushed the box under the bed. His Di looked little exhausted.
"Di, i will get tea for you here!" he made her lie on the bed and went out. He brought in tea for her and coffee for himself and they had it peacefully.

"After so long, we are sitting like this, Chote!" she said dreamily.
"Di.. Promise me! You will always stay with me!" He said hoarsely.
"I promise!"said she, keeping her hand on his.
"And always stand by me?" he asked "Yes!" she said.
"Di! I want to take you to our house! Sheesh Mahel!" he said closing his eyes and holding her hand.
"Chote! I am sure, you will, one day!" she said dreamily. They both were lost in their own thoughts.
"Ok, Di!" he said after a while picking up the cup from her hand. "Di you take rest and i will dash back to my work" said Arnav and left with the belongings holding them to his chest.