The Plunge Read Online Free PDF Page B

from the heart of the city. The project would destroy the mangroves, dislodge the fish, and turn the place into breeding grounds for politicians and thugs. The slums were loathsomely dirty. They housed a vulnerable population, deprived of basic amenities. Disturbing thoughts…
    It was still raining when the train reached Currey Road station. She walked through the drizzle, covering herself with the umbrella to escape unwanted attention.
    She loved the ten-minute walk to the office, except the last stretch near the stinking men’s urinal, which made her want to throw up each time she passed by it.
    The newsroom was buzzing with activity, with most of the reporters already in.
    “Hi, Anjali!” Priya called out from the far end of the room as she entered. “You look tired,” she said, hurrying towards her.
    Anjali checked her face on the glass divider of the chief’s cabin.
    “How was the trip?” Priya came over and sat down next to her.
    “Good, but tiring. Is sir in his cabin?”
    “Not yet,” Priya said with a shrug.
    Anjali switched on her computer and checked for Siddharth’s reply. She could not stop grinning when she found four emails from him. Wow! That was something.
    She felt feverish as she went through the email:
    Dear,
    How was your trip to Kutch? Hope things are better for the quake-hit. Did you see any major change in these eight months between your two visits?
    I missed you sorely during the past week.
    BTW, I’ll be in Mumbai on November 2 and 3, for a meeting. Let’s meet. We’ll discuss the details later.
    Yours
    Siddharth
    P.S. Don’t panic. I won’t eat you up; at least not this time. Hey, don’t blush, silly.
    What? Was he really coming to Mumbai? He would meet her? Her palms turned cold but sweaty. It was difficult to decide if the trembling that originated in her brain and ran through the rest of her body was the result of the journey she had just completed or the one ahead. The only way for her to escape the blizzard of thoughts was to busy herself in work.
    If she filed her story before the bureau chief came in, he could go through the copy and forward it to the Delhi office without delay.
    As she started working, Priya sat next to her and watched her key in the story with unsteady hands. The rest of her colleagues did not seem to have noticed her.
    As usual, Lara was the centre of attraction. She was sitting with her legs crossed, the chair pulled away from the desk so as to give a provocative view of her waxed legs.
    “Unbearably sexy,” one of them had commented the day she walked in, months ago. All male heads had turned to admire the new advertorial head.

    Two weeks passed quickly. Anjali was in a dreamlike state. The mirror became her favourite object whenever she was alone at home. Would he like her? Did she look skinny or just slim?
    She slid the kurta off her left shoulder and looked fondly at the black mole that stood out prominently against her dusky skin. It would show up if she wore her deep-cut magenta blouse. The blue chiffon sari with embroidered magenta border should be perfect for the day.
    Would she be able to chat with him as freely as she did on the Internet? Would she still feel as strongly for him once he stood before her? She felt nervous.

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    7     
    CHAPTER
    Rendezvous
    S iddharth sat on the sea wall that ran along the coast at the Marine Drive and watched Anjali step out of the taxi. She almost tripped, distracted, as a breeze tugged at the sari from her shoulder.
    She did not look around for him among the tourists wandering near the archway. That was strange, though perhaps not for someone as moody as Anjali.
    Anjali walked to the left side of the Gateway and disappeared into the crowd at the quay. Siddharth hastened after her.
    They were no strangers; having shared their thoughts about almost everything under the sun on the Internet over the past few months. She called up once in a while, though he preferred emails. He loved her voice. It was like