Dirty trick

I saw her for the first first time in the Chairman’s office when I went to his office to attend a meeting. She stood out amidst the many women working there. Tall at 5’.5” with a glowing skin, a silken hair, well aligned sparkling teeth and in an elegant salwar suit, she stole my heart at the first sight. When Mrs. Agnes introduced her as Ranjana from a reputed B school and the new technical assistant to Chairman, my jaw fell down in admiration. She made a shy smile at me and accepted my hand for a handshake when I proffered it. I made it a regular habit to drop in at Mrs. Agnes office thereafter on some pretext to cultivate Ranjana.I could discern from her shy looks and smiling eyes that she also had fallen for me. We soon became fast friends and things began to change from mere friendship to passionate lovers. We decided that we were made for each other and wished to marry soon.
I knew she was from a very affluent family while I was from a family of modest circumstances though I had a string of academic achievements and marked for a quick rise in official rungs. She dropped the oblique hint about her parents’ cool response to her expression of love for me. It appeared that thereafter whenever she wanted an evening out with me, they maneuvered some work or reason making her cancel her date with me. She stood steadfast in her decision to marry only me and this infuriated her parents who indulged often in emotional blackmail. Her meetings outside office practically came to an end. We could only exchange information during lunchtime at my cabin. She was not willing to antagonize them by marrying me without their blessings. She was insistent on their approval. She assured that she would talk to them again telling them that she would remain unmarried if they were not to concede.
I was in my room that evening listening to some old Hindi songs in my bedroom at the first floor thinking of Ranjana and how she would convince her parents. All of a sudden to my great surprise Ranjana barged into the room. It was the first time she visited my place. Without uttering one word she gave me a big hug and started smothering me with kisses. When I struggled to get free of her embrace, she laughed hysterically and would not leave me and held me in tight clasp. I was flustered with happiness at the thought that she must have won over her parents. Even before I could ask her the reason for happiness, the phone in the hall on the ground floor rang. I wrenched myself away and rushed to answer the call. "Hello Rohit here.” I said. It was Ranjana’s dad on the other side. ”Rohit, I am unable to talk. Please come home immediately. This is an emergency,” he said in a choked voice. I asked him “Uncle, why what happened? Is everything ok? Tell me. Does Ranjana know?” He replied, “It is only about her. She has a left a note early in the morning that she is giving up her life, as we did not agree to her marrying you. She had asked us not to search for her as she would have drowned in the sea within a hour. We have alerted the police and they are all fishing out the sea and its shore to trace her body. Aunt is devastated. She is crying hoarse that she should have allowed her to marry you. It is too late now. Please rush at once.”
Shocked, I looked at my watch. It was 6.30pm and it was already dark.She could have killed herself by this time. Suddenly a fear ran through my spine. Who is this woman at the first floor? It was unlike Ranjana to have hugged me that tightly and kissed me non-stop.She had never done that. I was hesitant to go up. I thought of her hysterical laughter and that made me panic. There was none around. Should I run away I was pondering when I heard her loud voice”Rohit, what are you doing so long at the ground floor. I am waiting for you to tell you how I have solved this intractable problem. I know you wouldn’t approve of it. Come here. I will explain.” I was fear struck and stood statue like at the bottom of the staircase. When I heard her coming out and again with her hysterical laughter, I turned deadly pale ready to run out. ”Have you seen a ghost? Why are you terror stricken? “She asked.
Convinced it was her ghost, I began to tremble when she ran down the stairs and warmly hugged me. “Don’t worry I am no ghost. I am your Ranjana hale and hearty. Pinch me hard. I played a trick on my parents. I am sure it will work. I have left a note that I am committing suicide by drowning. I think this will bring them round. Who was that on the phone and why are you ashen?” Recovering somewhat from the fear, I asked her to show some evidence that she was real and not an apparition. She laughed hysterically again and said she can kiss me more to prove her being alive. I knew now that Ranjana was mine for ever having won over her mother by this subterfuge. “I think hundred kisses not one more or one less would convince me that you are in blood and flesh” I told her as I closed my arms around her.