Part 11 · The First Clue in the Mystery

Part 11

The helpless face of an old farmer, Meghla standing beside him

The First Clue in the Mystery

Arriving at the office the next morning, Meghla was still thinking about the previous day's incident.

One single piece of sondesh, priced at five thousand rupees!

The thought simply would not leave her mind.

Just then Ananya came and stood at her desk.

— "What's wrong? Why do you look so worried?"

Meghla glanced around and said in a low voice,

— "What exactly is that sweet shop?"

The smile faded from Ananya's face.

She said slowly,

— "I don't know anything... and even if I did, I wouldn't say. Because I need this job badly."

With that, she went back to her own desk.

Around noon, an elderly farmer came to the office.

He wore a faded dhoti-panjabi. In his hand, an old file.

The man said in a trembling voice,

— "My child, my file has been stuck for three months. Please help me a little."

Meghla looked at the file and said,

— "Please have a seat. I'll go check on it."

She went to the manager's cabin and told him about the file.

Rajat Dutta opened the file, glanced at it once, and said,

— "It'll take time, as per procedure."

Meghla came back out and told the old man.

Disheartened, the old man sat down on a bench.

Just then PA Sanjay slowly went and sat beside him.

He said very quietly,

— "Grandfather, if this matter is very urgent, there is one way."

The old man looked up with interest.

— "What way?"

— "Go buy some 'gulab-khas' sondesh from the 'Madhumoy Sweets Emporium' up ahead. Sir is very fond of that sweet."

The old man asked innocently,

— "How much does it cost?"

Sanjay answered,

— "Only five thousand rupees."

Hearing this, the old man's face fell.

He said helplessly,

— "My child, five thousand rupees would cover my household expenses for a whole month."

Sanjay shrugged and walked away.

Meghla was watching all of it with her own eyes.

Something inside her trembled.

She reached into her bag to take out a thousand rupees to give to the old man, but stopped herself.

Because she knew — even buying the five-thousand-rupee sondesh would come with no guarantee at all.

The old man slowly walked out of the office.

As he left, he only said,

— "Has justice for the poor been sold off too, these days?"

The words cut a deep mark into Meghla's heart.

In the afternoon, Binoy Sen suddenly came to the office.

He asked Meghla,

— "Any trouble with the work?"

For a moment, Meghla wanted to tell him everything.

But seeing Rajat Dutta's people all around, she fell silent.

She only said,

— "No sir, everything's fine."

After Binoy Sen left, Rajat Dutta stood watching Meghla from a distance.

Suspicion rose in his mind.

"The girl's noticing too much... need to be careful."

Meanwhile, Meghla made up her mind—

"I won't accuse anyone without proof. But one day, I will absolutely bring the truth to light."

She did not know...

that at that very moment, Rajat Dutta had already begun plotting his first conspiracy against her.

To be continued...

Part 12

Meghla standing in the manager's cabin with the altered report

The First Conspiracy

The next morning.

As soon as Meghla reached the office, she saw a few employees standing in front of her desk.

Everyone was whispering.

As she approached, one of them said,

— "There, she's here!"

Another said with a smirk,

— "Can't say anything to the owner's favorite employee!"

Meghla couldn't understand a thing.

Just then PA Sanjay came and said,

— "Miss Meghla, the manager sir is calling you right now."

The moment she stepped into Rajat Dutta's cabin, he flung a file onto the table with a grave face.

— "Did you prepare this?"

Meghla opened the file and looked.

Several important figures in the report had been altered.

She could never make a mistake like this.

She said calmly,

— "No sir. I did not prepare this report this way."

Rajat Dutta grew angry.

— "Then what? Did a ghost come in the dark of night and change it?"

Meghla said firmly,

— "If you look at the file saved on my computer, the truth will be clear."

The manager stayed silent for a few seconds.

Then said,

— "Go on, then. Go check."

Meghla opened her computer.

The file saved there was completely correct.

She took a printout and returned to the manager's room.

Placing the two reports side by side, it became clear — the copy submitted at the office had been altered.

Rajat Dutta pretended to be surprised and said,

— "I see... so maybe someone played a prank. Go on, submit it fresh."

Meghla stepped out.

But a question rose in her mind—

"Who changed my report?"

At lunch in the canteen, Ananya said quietly,

— "What happened to you today was done deliberately."

— "How do you know?"

— "Because the same thing happened to me once. First they try to prove you wrong, then the humiliation, then..."

She didn't say the rest.

Meghla asked,

— "Didn't you protest?"

Ananya smiled faintly and said,

— "I did. After that, my increment was frozen for two years."

That evening, after office hours, Meghla was arranging some papers at her desk.

Suddenly she noticed — PA Sanjay standing at a distance, staring at her computer.

As Meghla moved toward him, Sanjay quickly stepped away.

Her suspicion deepened.

She decided that from now on, she would save every important file on her own pen drive and her personal email as well.

If anyone tried to alter a file again... this time she'd have proof of the truth.

But Meghla did not realize — Rajat Dutta did not merely want to sabotage her work.

He was slowly building a trap from which it would be very hard to escape.

To be continued...

Part 13

Meghla refusing an envelope in Rajat Dutta's cabin

The Trap Begins

A month had passed.

Everyone was impressed with Meghla's work.

Files that others took two days to finish, she completed flawlessly in a single day.

Binoy Sen often remarked,

— "This girl has a real sense of responsibility."

This very praise became the biggest problem for Rajat Dutta.

He realized that simply altering files wouldn't be enough to bring Meghla down.

He needed to set an even bigger trap.

That afternoon, PA Sanjay came and stood at Meghla's desk.

— "Ma'am, sir is calling you."

The moment Meghla entered the cabin, Rajat Dutta said with a smile,

— "Have a seat."

This was the first time he'd asked her to sit.

Meghla felt a bit uneasy.

Rajat Dutta opened his desk drawer and took out an envelope.

— "I'm very pleased with your work. This is a small gift for you."

Without taking the envelope, Meghla said,

— "Thank you, sir. But according to company rules, it wouldn't be right for me to accept a personal gift."

Rajat Dutta laughed and said,

— "This isn't a bribe. Just a reward for good work."

— "Still, I can't take it. If it's meant as a reward, please give it through the company's proper process."

The smile slowly faded from Rajat Dutta's face.

He put the envelope back in the drawer and said,

— "Fine... you may go."

The moment Meghla left, Rajat Dutta said through clenched teeth,

— "I simply cannot stand overly honest people."

Sanjay asked quietly,

— "What will you do now, sir?"

Rajat Dutta stared out the window and said,

— "This time we'll raise questions about her character instead. Society trusts rumor more than merit."

The next morning.

Walking into the office, Meghla felt as if everyone was looking at her differently.

Two employees stopped talking the moment they saw her.

A female employee said, passing by,

— "Being too good comes with a price too."

Meghla, bewildered, went up to Ananya.

— "What's happened? Why is everyone behaving like this?"

Ananya glanced around and said in a low voice,

— "Since yesterday evening a rumor has been spreading... that you were alone with the manager in his cabin for a long time, and that you're trying to get close to him for special favors."

It felt like a bolt of lightning struck Meghla's mind.

— "What are you saying! I only went there for work!"

Ananya sighed and said,

— "I know. But a rumor needs no proof. It's the truth that has to be proven, not the lie."

Tears came to Meghla's eyes.

She understood... Rajat Dutta had launched his first psychological war against her.

And this war wasn't just about the job — it was a fight to save her dignity, her self-respect, and her future.

To be continued...

Part 14

Meghla taking notes beside Binoy Sen in a client meeting

The Owner's Trust

Even as rumors spread through the office, Meghla did not waver from her work one bit.

She thought,

"If I let myself grow weak, they'll be the ones who win."

Ten o'clock that morning.

Binoy Sen suddenly came to the office.

All the employees stood up.

Inspecting the work of several departments, he came and stood in front of Meghla's desk.

— "Meghla, bring me last month's report."

Meghla brought the report at once.

Binoy Sen looked over it all carefully.

Then he said in front of everyone,

— "Excellent work. I'm very pleased with the skill you've shown in just one month."

Whispers spread through the whole office.

Rajat Dutta's expression turned grim.

Binoy Sen suddenly said,

— "I have an important client meeting with me this afternoon. Meghla, you'll come with me. Take notes."

Hearing this, Rajat Dutta seethed inside.

After the meeting ended, Binoy Sen said to Meghla,

— "You work with great focus. Keep up this habit."

Meghla said humbly,

— "Thank you, sir. I'm only doing my duty."

Rajat Dutta watched it all from a distance.

He went back to his cabin and shut the door.

Calling Sanjay in, he said,

— "If things go on like this, within a few months the owner will move her into a senior position. Then our whole game will be over."

Sanjay asked,

— "Then what will you do?"

Rajat Dutta said coldly,

— "First you have to make someone small in society's eyes. Then the job goes. This time I'll create a situation where she comes to me for help herself."

That evening, just before the office closed, a notice came from the Human Resources department.

"Starting next month, one employee will be promoted to the position of 'Senior Executive' based on performance."

Everyone realized Meghla's name might be on that list too.

One employee whispered,

— "Is the new girl going to end up above us?"

Another said,

— "Rajat sir will surely do something about it."

The office had closed for the day.

As Meghla was leaving, she saw Rajat Dutta standing by the window, watching her.

A mysterious smile on his lips.

Just then Sanjay brought an envelope and handed it to Rajat Dutta.

Written on the envelope was — "Bank Home Loan – Application regarding Employment Certificate."

Rajat Dutta opened the envelope, smiled faintly, and said,

— "Ah... dreaming of building your own house? Very nice. Now watch how that very dream becomes my greatest weapon."

Standing at a distance, Meghla heard none of it.

She only looked up at the sky and said to herself,

— "One day I'll have a little house of my own. Where no one can insult me and throw me out."

But waiting along the path to that very dream was the most terrifying test of her life.

To be continued...

Part 15

Meghla holding a drawing of a house made by her nephew

Blueprint of a Dream

Returning home tired that night, Meghla sat on the small cot in the storeroom.

Just then her brother's young son Rahul came running in and said,

— "Auntie, look, I drew a house!"

Meghla took the drawing in her hands and looked.

A little house. A flower garden in front. A mango tree beside it.

Her eyes welled up.

She thought to herself,

"If only I too had a little house like this..."

The next day was a holiday.

Meghla took her modest savings and went to a bank.

The bank's loan officer looked over all her documents and said,

— "Your job is quite new. But once your position becomes permanent and you receive the company's Employment Certificate, you can apply for a home loan."

A smile spread across Meghla's face.

She asked,

— "Who issues this certificate?"

The officer answered,

— "Your company's manager, or an authorized officer."

Meghla thanked him and left.

A new hope was born in her heart.

Back at the office, she told Ananya everything.

Ananya was happy at first, but suddenly went quiet.

— "What happened?" Meghla asked.

Ananya stayed silent for a moment, then said,

— "It's Rajat Dutta who gives the final sign-off on the certificate."

The smile faded from Meghla's face.

— "What's the problem in that?"

Ananya let out a deep breath.

— "There's no problem right now... but there could be."

That afternoon, PA Sanjay came and said,

— "Ma'am, sir would like a word with you."

Meghla entered the cabin.

Rajat Dutta spoke with unusual politeness,

— "I heard you want to take a bank loan to build a house. Very good initiative."

Meghla was surprised.

"How did he find out?"

Rajat Dutta smiled and said,

— "Don't worry. When the time comes, I'll take care of all the paperwork."

Meghla breathed a sigh of relief.

— "Thank you, sir."

Rajat Dutta said slowly,

— "But remember one thing... in an office, not everything runs on rules alone. Some relationships have to be built too."

Meghla couldn't grasp what he meant.

She only said,

— "I want to earn everyone's trust through my work."

Rajat Dutta answered with a faint smile,

— "We'll see..."

The moment Meghla left the cabin, Rajat Dutta called Sanjay in and said,

— "The fish has started biting the bait. Now it's just a matter of waiting for the right moment."

Sanjay asked,

— "Sir, what if she doesn't agree?"

Rajat Dutta said coldly,

— "Then I'll shatter her dream entirely. Forget the house — she won't even keep her job."

Standing outside the cabin, Meghla heard none of it.

In her heart, there was only one dream then — a little house of her own.

She did not know... that very soon, Rajat Dutta would use that dream as a weapon to make the filthiest proposal of her life.

To be continued...