Nayantara Singhania

Anusia gulped the invisible knot inside her throat and softly knocked on the door of her senior's office, holding a stack of black leather files. She was visibly nervous and stressed, tapping her feet continuously over the ground.

Her senior who was typing something vigorously in her laptop, stopped and looked towards the door. Finding Anusia, her assistant standing at the door, she nodded and signalled her to come in.

Anusia took a deep breath to calm her nerves down and twisted the knob of the glass door. The door opened and as she was about to step in the office, the files slipped out of her hold and fell on the floor.

She kneeled down without wasting a second and started collecting the papers, stuffing them back in the files hurriedly.

She quickly took a glance at her senior and found her senior staring back at her, with arms folded. The invisible knot started to form inside her throat once again.

She had been working under her for two years and still she could never understand what was going on inside her senior's head. Just like right now, she didn't looked annoyed at her clumsy nature displaying itself once again but she was niether helping her anxiety by staring at her continuously with no emotions in those pair of eyes.

Anusia grabbed on the last piece of paper and stood up from the floor, finally walking into the office and closing the door behind her.

' Nayantara Ma'am ' She said, making an attempt to break through the thick slab of ice in the office.

' Yes. ' Nayantara answered, watching her without a break.

' The file..file of Raichand's case is missing. I...I also tried to contact the witnesses but they are...' Anusia gulped again, looking at the floor.

' not answering your call' Nayantara completed her sentence. She didn't seem to be suprised with the negative development of the ongoing case, though.

But Anusia looked at Nayantara with suprise. She had expected a stern reaction out of her and also calculated her future plans, if she was fired today.

Fortunately, luck lady was on her side today.

' I don't know how....how the file disappeared from my house ma'am. I had searched every corner of my house but I just couldn't find it. I live alone, so it's not like someone else have shifted the file. ' Anusia ranted. Her anxiety was kicking her to the last inch of breaking down.

' Go back to your seat and sort out these files first. ' Nayantara said, leaning back on her chair.

Anusia looked at her with suprise once again, and then slowly nodded her head, turning around to leave the office - thanking her luck lady for the mercy. If she had been fired today, her mother's leukaemia treatment wouldn't have continued further.

When she applied at Singhania & Co. two years back, three of her peers who had worked here, had continuously warn about the ice she would rub her face on since they were fired at the smallest mistake.

Nayantara Singhania, her boss who is in her early thirties only was a prominent lawyer, known for her out of court negotiations. If she takes a case, she will win it. There is no other option. Also, the rumors speaks that even Mr. Goswami who was a elected member of parliament had walked in the police station himself confessing his crimes because of her cunningness. The case that could have been dragged for ten years atleast, got wrapped in seven months of being filed in court.

Hence, Nayantara Singhania didn't had a good reputation among other lawyers but her clients never stopped.

The fact Anusia survived under her for two years despite being clumsy and sometimes late at work due to emergency hospital visits for her mother, was a matter of amusement for her peers now. They would joke about Nayantara having a crush on her.

Funny, but it would make her bisexual heart flutter. The thought of your hot smart boss having a secret crush on you.

Anusia quickly walked out of Nayantara's office and sat on her desk, taking a deep breath. She looked at the photo frame of her mother smiling brightly in there, unlike now. This was the only reason why she applied here.

Singhania & Co. had only seven employees including her. They had the highest annual package in the market. So, it was a dream job for anyone in the legal field if they can overcome their fear called Nayantara Singhania.

Nayantara looked at Anusia fumbling through the pages in the files and closed her eyes.

She had expected Raichand Case file to disappear and the witnesses to back off, as the hearing day was close.

Her father would always say how money can even get us a glass of milk from a wild tigeress. And this has been nailed inside her head.

Raichand case is a high profile case involving the Raichand Chemicals and three workers who died due to poisonous gas leak. There were another four workers who were hospitalised and they were suppose to be the witnesses in next hearing. But now, everything has been erased.

That's how Raichand think.

Nayantara opened her eyes and picked up her phone which has started vibrating on her table.

She recieved the call.

' The file is with me. I have picked it up. ' An elderly woman spoke from the other side of the call.

' Okay. I will be there at six. ' Nayantara said and ended the call.

She looked back at Anusia again.

Anusia had completed sorting out the files. She seem to be relax comparatively.

Nayantara was about to pick up the landline and call her in, when two men - one dressed in formal suit and another in yellow hoodie walked through the main door of the office.