It was pitch dark.  Saheel had to strain his eyes to see the house in the distance. Except for a lone lamp, everything was invisible. The bus had dropped him almost a kilometre away.  He dragged his luggage and his tired body towards the gate. “Madam has left, you are too late. She said she will see you in the morning. Come I will show you your room.”

The pitter-patter of the rain on the roof made it almost impossible for Saheel to sleep. He tossed and turned in bed for a long time. The noise of the birds chirping woke him with a start. He walked towards the window. A cool breeze and a thick mist entered the room. Thick flora and fauna surrounded every inch the eye could see. So this is what they call a rain forest, he thought.

Saheel had taken up the job as the estate manager of a coffee plantation in the small town of Coorg. He wanted to run away from his past.

“Good morning Mr Kulshreshtha. Sorry I could not see you last night; hope your room was comfortable?” “Yes ma’am, I got very late coming in,” For a moment he was mesmerised. Ms Tanishka Simha’s beauty. He had heard that the women from Coorg were exceptionally beautiful. One of them even went on to become Miss World, but when he saw it in person he was dazed.

“Mr Kulshreshtha, as mentioned in your letter of appointment your prime responsibility will be to ensure that the esteem of the estate is maintained and high standards of ethics are followed. My grandfather has built this estate with great love and it is my duty to keep his dream alive. I am given to understand that there are some lacunas and I would want you to bring them to me. You are welcome to call me anytime 24x7.” She smiled and left the room.

Saheel did not realise when the day had passed and it was already 7 pm. He closed his laptop and headed towards his jeep. It was still raining heavily. His driver cum caretaker Ramu greeted him with a smile and Namaste. He reached his room and Ramu immediately got him some good coffee. Coorg speciality he told Saheel. “Does it rain all the twelve months?” Saheel asked Ramu. “No Sir, but most of the year. After Cherrapunji this region has the highest rain fall.”

While waiting for Ramu to prepare his dinner, Saheel chatted with him. He came to know that his boss and owner of the estate Tanishka was running the estate after her grandfather expired a few years ago. Her mother, the rightful heir of the coffee estate was abandoned by her father because she fell in love with a mere school teacher as her grandfather would put it. As fate would have it, Tanishka was orphaned when her parents were killed in a freak accident. At the tender age of 8 Tanishka was brought to the estate by her grandfather. She was schooled from home and her life was very lonely and secluded.  As per Ramu, she is very warm-hearted but has a shield around her.

A week into the job, Saheel began to discover misappropriations in the deals of the estate. What Saheel had discovered was going to be very difficult to prove and convince Tanishka. Saheel knew he had to tread carefully.

Tanishka visited his office once in a day to review things and enquire about his well-being.  Saheel had begun to admire her. She was meticulous in her work, very caring and always smiling. How come she was still not married? He asked the question to Ramu during one of his chats over dinner. He got to know that Tanishka’s grandfather had made a will which concerned something to do with her inheritance and her marriage.

Slowly the time he spent with Tanishka increased. She knew the business well and was open to new suggestions. Sometimes the meetings went into late hours and she ordered food for both of them. Saheel began to feel more than admiration for her.  He felt like telling her that she looked beautiful, or that he loved her company. But then, she was his employer, heiress to one of the biggest coffee plantations worth millions of rupees. How could he even dream of being anything but her employee? But then his heart felt something else.

“Tomorrow you have to drive me to Bangalore. I have gone through your proposal of opening roadside coffee outlets on the highway and I like the concept. We can discuss on the way. The proposal is to be reviewed with our consultants and I would like you to be present to answer any questions they may have.” Tanishka did not even wait for a response from Saheel. 

Wow, she looked so different in western outfit. It was the first time Saheel had seen Tanishka in casual wear.  His expressions may have given it away, because Tanishka smiled at him in a knowing manner. They chatted about work for most of the journey. He was probing with the thought of cautioning her about the money being misappropriated, but decided against it till he had proof to show her. “Saheel, what does your name mean?” she asked him casually. Oh it means………….

“I never got a chance to ask you, but are you happy in your new job? Do you miss your folks back home?” she enquired. “Yes, ma’am”, he evaded the second question. He was so immersed in his work that he had almost forgotten that he had a past.

“That was a great meeting.  What do you think?”  Tanishka looked very happy. Saheel nodded. It was getting late. The incessant rain had made visibility almost nil. Tanishka’s driver had not come and Saheel was driving the car.  Suddenly the car stopped. The road was blocked, there had been a landslide on the mountains and no traffic was being allowed through. “Looks like we would have to spend the night in the car, maybe an opportunity to get to know each other better. Saheel found that odd.

Days passed without Saheel seeing Tanishka. Both of them seemed to be avoiding each other. Saheel had decided to quit his job. He knew things were not the same. He also knew that he had to tell her what was happening in the estate. To tell her the story of her cousin siphoning off money to the local goons in order to get a political ticket.  How his life and her life were both in danger. He also knew that Tanishka would not believe him because he did not have proof. He decided to write a letter to her and leave.

The aroma of the herbs and eucalyptus in the atmosphere made Saheel feel better. He was packing his belongings and getting ready to leave. On the night Tanishka had told him her story, he was heartbroken.

On his way to the bus stop a car pulled up and the driver beckoned Saheel to get in. Saheel thought he was getting a lift to the city. But the driver took a different route. “Where are you taking me?” he asked a little worried. The driver did not reply.

Should I jump out? It must be the cousin of Tanishka he thought. He had exposed him and he must be taking revenge.

The car pulled into a deep forest in front of what looked like an old house. The driver just pointed towards the door, signalling Saheel to go in.

He was surprised, rather shocked to see Tanishka there. “Sorry to bring you here like this.” She spoke non-stop for what seemed like a few hours. Saheel could not believe what he had heard. “I need you Saheel, just as your name suggests, you are my saviour. I am ready to abandon all my wealth, everything only to be with you. Tanishka told Saheel that for many years she was deeply into depression and had to take heavy doses of drugs. When she met Saheel and fell in love, things had improved. Saheel’s mind was spinning. “I love you immensely Tanishka, I would give my life for you, but I did not know I meant so much to you.” He gently hugged her.

Now you do not need any more therapy, the doctor told Tanishka. Looks like love has healed you completely. 

The opening ceremony of the 100^th coffee joint was being celebrated.  Saheel and Tanishka were welcoming the guests.  Her cousin was already behind the bars and the coffee estate was once again flourishing.

“I think it is time to formalize our relationship. Would 14^th February be a good day for you?” she nudged Saheel and he smiled and said, “I love you sweetheart!”