Advay had taken care to wear a jet-black sleek suit …. presenting himself as smart was important today for his own confidence. He had arrived on time in Thomas’s car, but the procedures had consumed half of his working day and left him dazed with admiration for the details….. He sat patiently waiting his turn for the elaborate security check going on before entering the imposing edifice den…… His eyes turned again to the magnificent stone door lost in an almost sublime contemplation ….. what stood ahead?
To onlookers, he appeared as this calm, poised man with the bearing of a wise and knowledgeable person. Oblivious to him, he was being observed by top men through the CC TV camera...... trying to gauge the man who was chosen by their top man, The Senor.
Thomas Naro appeared finally, profusely apologising for being helpless about the security checks and took him inside. The moment Advay entered he took it all in a flash. If the dinner, the day before yesterday, had been flamboyant, this setting was nothing less than perfectly professional.
The capacious hall with polished wooden floors…. A majestic mahogany table set with flower arrangements in the centre…….There must have been around fifteen seats, upholstered with the finest leather….Each seat had a small tab screen in front with a stylus just next to it…. Doing away with the regular pad and pencil…… a glass of water and a pretty porcelain tea cup kept inverted….. few dignitaries were seated already…. Advay nodded politely acknowledging their presence.
Once most were seated, Senor Garcia himself appeared flanked by important family members. Everybody got up for greetings, scrubbed clean-cut faces composing into humble contrition. Advay immediately noticed Senor’s slightly aloof stance. He moved with power and grace, filling the entire frame and beyond, taking over... declaring a presence…… as undisputed ruler!!
But he smiled, showing equal love and greeted everybody without any slight. When his eyes fell on Advay, his smile broadened and he started walking over. Advay promptly hastened to meet him halfway taking care to keep his hand down and allow Senor to have his supremacy with the upper hand. Senor was impressed by Advay’s respect but no obsequiousness. He was pliant and soft-spoken thanking Advay for accepting the invitation. Drinks were served. In small talk, Senor took out all information about Advay’s current work and family status.
Then another group crowded there requesting attention and Advay unobtrusively moved away. He couldn’t help but notice Senor’s complete cut-off...... inert presence...... as if the hordes of people thronging him were not there, and in his orbs.
It was more than half an hour before Senor took his seat and then the others followed. A lot of business issues were brought up for discussion and sanctions were sought. After a while taking the consent nod from the Senor, Thomas Naro walked towards Advay and cued him to present himself.
Advay stood up with a fabulously-commanding air, his face looked as if it were hewn from stone. He smiled and started in a posed power-packed tone.
“It is a great honour for me to be invited to this meeting and I want to convey my sincere thanks.”
One wouldn't have to hear his voice many times to know it or whom it belonged to. One listen, and it would stay etched in the mind, conjuring an image of a man not easy to look away from…….Thought the Senor!
“I have had a cursory look at your huge shipping business and I will not claim that I can make recommendations directly. The business is labyrinthine and multibranched. The algorithms for programming will be complex with multiple variables. Mr. Naro mentioned that you were looking at business transformation. That will need process integration and harmonisation. Each process will need expert scrutiny to eliminate redundancies to achieve optimisation. This will need collaboration with government officials as well to modernise the modus Operandi. a just-in-time strategy can be adapted to reduce inventory costs.
What I put here on the table for your consideration is a joint venture, representatives from the business side and myself along with my technical team in London…..” Advay spoke eloquently, power seemed to cling to him, and the air around throbbed with it.
Senor’s look was engrossed as he sat quiet, eyes trained on the younger man, not a muscle on his face moving, yet intuitively making mental note of every word.
Subconsciously perceiving the Senor’s approval, Advay’s head turned to him as Advay continued further, “You’re already aware that I have quite some work going on with Government projects. I have a repute in those circles achieved by a lifetime of principled work. It essential that Government approval is taken before I start any work.”
Precisely calibrated gazes...... every turn of his head..... even the flicker of his lids...... precise, clean movements, each conveying so much more ….deeper beyond the spoken words.
“But we do not work with any conditions from suppliers….. why should we go to the government for approvals….. and then such programmes can be written by our own team.” One of the family members spat impatiently.
The Senor pushed his screen down……as if to physically chastise the member. His eyes held majestic cold contempt as he looked at the man. Of course, the Senor always maintained that the family need to contain their contention and stick together in front of outsiders.
The Senor nodded at Advay with a comforting smile, “He is right. We do have an expert team who can assist you and more importantly, benefit from you to solve this complex business challenge that we ourselves could not tackle in past so many years.” The words were calculated, putting the bickering man in place without sounding insulting.
“Regarding the government approvals…..in your case, we shall make an exception to our dealing ways. We shall seek government approval and we shall hold IP rights over your delivered programmes.” The Senor gave his verdict.
What the Senor did not clarify was that Advay had specifically been recruited for this work; especially because of his connections with Government officials…. Seeking approval would indirectly build those connections with the Garcia family. The Senor also realised through his words that he would not participate in their not so legalised activities. But the Senor was OK with that. Only when the legal business prospered, money could be generated for other activities. Both were complimentary to each other. Over a period of time, once IP right was secured an extension of the programme could be built for other activities as well.
Advay realised the Senor had given him a ruthless deal….. designed to stun the opponent. This was perhaps why DD was opposed to the idea from the beginning. Advay had known the opponent was far more smart and shrewd, also unrefutably dangerous. It was best to stay in good books and not oppose the man, but Advay would find some way to safeguard his own principles.
With further discussions, a pilot was agreed which would be Advay’s complex algorithm. Advay also recommended the use of RFID and Bar code scanners for the first step of automation. He requested business support to confirm key variables for which the business head was assigned. After the meeting, Advay left with the Spanish business head, a senior soft-natured man. They were just at the gate, when Senor Garcia called from behind, “Mr. Albert!” Both men halted and turned, Advay with a smile, the older man nonplussed.
Senor Garcia passed his card to Advay mentioning that it had his direct number. “You can call me anytime for anything. A service done to me personally is a debt for me. Looking forward to hearing from you.”
Pooja had taken retreat to her bathroom where she could find complete privacy. Unable to handle the onslaught of her emotions, she sank to the floor with her head between her knees sobbing bitterly, her whole body shaking. She cried for that young Pooja who had desperately longed for this very moment. Darsh saying I love you! ......How she had suffered waiting and waiting, coaxing and finally giving up ….. all those frustrations came back to her mind…. The unrequited love leading to rage and isolation……To fight that lonely feeling she had gone and surrounded herself with people who didn’t give a damn about her. She was left with no choice but to assume it was all her fault, that she was unlovable…… And then to combat that feeling she had chosen to marry another man…..who had betrayed her trust completely..... a cascade of misfortunes!
Even when her husband had betrayed her, she hadn’t felt this enraged. With him rather an icy shell had hardened her heart and protected her from the swirling emotions now waiting to overwhelm her. Bhaiyya could have traced him anyhow but she had chosen to not look for him and put him in the past. There'd never been another man in her life who made her feel the way Darsh did. Even her husband was a mere shadow of Darsh, a reminder of what she'd never be able to have again.
But now she possibly could.
She could be happy again, like the olden times when every evening she spent with him….. chatting, sharing, loving!
No! She checked her thoughts, feeling aghast at how easily she’d slipped down memory lane. She knew time once passed never returns back. There would be too many complications……
She got up, washed her face and looked in the mirror.
An odd truth finally revealed itself…… She took many chances otherwise but had never taken one leap in her personal life. Over and over, she walked away from complications or the threat of unrest in her safe little bubble.
Yes! Safe little bubble where Adi was her entire world and her world was completely protected, sheltered by Bhaiyya…… She had witnessed how Bhaiyya had claimed Adi to be his son on Diwali day….. She knew how everybody loved Adi…. And with Bhaiyya being present, he didn’t need another fatherly presence.
Pooja stayed up all night, tossing and turning in her lonely bed waiting for dawn….she analyzed every detail of their last encounter like a lovesick teen…..Had she herself encouraged Darsh? ….. through her gestures, through her words? ….Was it because the love for Darsh had not died in her heart, just stayed dormant all these years? …..Again and again, her heart cried out….. They could become a true family in every way it counted. Wasn't that what was most important? ... Her head warned to stay away, but her body and heart cried out for more.
Advay sat alone in his room, his eyes dark, turned inward, concentrated in their own realm. He had somehow convinced Darsh and his own self that accepting the invitation was the best decision to make….. but now he would have to deal with the repercussions of that decision….. Once IP right was handed over, his programme could be used anyhow as they wished….. rather he knew, they would! It was for him now to safeguard his principles.
His thoughts strayed back to Chandni and the look changed to dreamy. He wondered whether she was still in DD’s concert, whether she had enjoyed his rock music….. whether she missed him as he missed her.
Chandni was not at the concert. She lay in her bed awake having put Adi to sleep…. Had Dev been here, he would sort out everything…. She truly missed him.
But then her other mind spoke. ‘Maybe Darsh could sing because Dev wasn’t there. It was but natural that he needed privacy.’
When she gave him the privacy, taking Adi away, did he not proclaim his love? What exactly happened between Darsh and Pooja Didi today? Why was Didi so perturbed?
When Chandni had first seen the two together, the thought of their being together had really thrilled her mind. But Dev had completely cut out her thought process saying that they were strictly friends and nothing more. She had let go of the thinking after that….. But today, the song….. Darsh’s pointing out to Pooja claiming that she lived in his eyes?....... or was it that Darsh’s love was not reciprocated by Pooja di…. But why? He’s such a nice person….. what’s the matter between the two?
Chandni just couldn’t put two and two together….. and then, Pooja had completely cut her off saying no questions, no mention to anybody.
It was a difficult night. Nobody slept. When morning came, Pooja tidied up and went to the kitchen. Her heart wouldn’t stop thinking about Darsh……. What’s the cost of this entire thing?...... All this churning of emotions?....... The only thing I’m certain of, is that my life and my heart will never be the same again.
As she stared out the window at the Paris skyline, the typical ennui seeped unwelcome into her consciousness. Her mood was as flat and grey as the weather.
Chandni came to the kitchen and saw Pooja…. Her eyes looked so deep and still with something lurking right inside……… an opaque shut down in them…... yet you could feel their sear. Does Pooja di also love Darsh?? The question tore at Chandni’s heart but she refrained from asking anything.
While Pooja and Chandni were setting the table, Darsh came in. Pooja wanted to run, but this time there was nowhere to run. Some inexorable force seemed to have conspired to make sure they came face-to-face with each other. Their eyes clashed, his glowing and gathering fire……. hers scared, embarrassed, confused…… She stood, still, inert like he was outside the pale of things... His eyes told a story of their own.
For a second, there seemed to be a lick of a flame in his intense eyes. His gaze was fixed on her eyes, and then slowly it travelled over her face in a slow appraisal…… coming to rest on her lips……. Pooja refused to look into his eyes but still, she felt his gaze in every pore of hers….. her pale pink lips trembled.
The air crackled with tension. To lighten things, Chandni spoke, “Come, Darsh!…… at right time for breakfast.” She attempted to smile.
“He must have eaten and come.” Pooja wanted him to leave and let her be in some peace.
He raised an eyebrow, a ghost of a smile on his lips as he found her comment humorous ….. Pooja wasn’t her regular self today.
“I’ll stay but I won’t eat.” He spoke in a soft husky lethally arrogant voice.
Pooja was on the verge of bursting out. It was simply not her nature to keep anyone hungry. She had said it for him to leave….. But if he was going to stay then he may as well eat…… Could they do normal things like eating, chatting together? Her core felt conflicted…… almost volcanic!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Phooooooo...... The meeting with Mafia!...... Advay handled it well; but he couldn't outsmart the Senor..... But natural, isn't it?...... The senor has reached his position after dealing with multiple difficult situations... he's senior by age, too.... In his comparison, Advay is a novice, though smart! So let's see how Advay safeguards his principles while delivering work.
Poor girl, Pooja....... A young, innocent girl who loved someone so very much and now after all these years, he is back..... She's unable to decide. Where will this love saga go now?
Hit your reaction button, please.
A widow, Gauri met her long lost friend Omkara in a family function, who still ...
Life Journey of two people poles apart in career, status and style. One is the ...
Drabbles for Shrimad Ramayana Contest
Comments (0)
View all