SOLID SOUL - THREAD 2 - CHAPTER 30 / PAGE 49 - Page 29

When r u updating dear. Pls upd soon

This is a fabulous story and I am glad I came across it!

wonderful and double update... But I did not receive a pm for this. 😭
I am not sure if I overlooked it in the previous updates but when did the guptas meet khushi's children??? I guess I will re-read some parts or maybe the clarification will come.
I am waiting when Khushi will meet the Guptas and Raizadas again andd how her relationship with Arnav will develop. I also hope to see the children in the element, contributing at ease the tension between the couple. I hope to read more soon, plz do pm me...

Read this story in 2 days...enjoyed reading it thoroughly...not many people know about this, came across this in hall of fame thread and am I glad I read it...hope you finish this wonderful story!

This was a very good FF, Please continue...

Yes pls. Continue. I hv been hooked on to it ever since u wrote the 1st chapter. Love it a lot. Pls do update it. N give it an ending. It needs a closure. Thanks.

Please update it soon.

Waiting since ages:(

Pls pls.

Dear all thanks for being so patient, well you have had no choice in the matter. Work and personal life has been so hectic that penning a few lines has become a luxury. Had hoped for some vacation time but have been pretty embroiled in a lot of family health and hearth issues. Had hoped to end this FF but the characters seem to have developed a mind of their own. More coming your way. Happy reading.

CHAPTER XXIX

7.00 a.m., Long Cove

Mason, Ohio.

The distant shrill of a ringtone jolted ASR out of his sleep. Mechanically, his arm extended to reach for the hand-set, only to discover his silent phone on the night stand. Alone again ... dammit!!!...Resignedly he pacified himself..."Heck Arnav, what was new??? ...he and alone went together." He grabbed his phone and surfed all the messages - 3 from home, 12 from Pam and the remaining 25 were from Aman. Well those could wait; his midnight musings had been productive. First things first, he commanded Siri on his iPhone to get his current location. He was now armed with Khushi's residential address. Further burrowing into the county auditor's web page for property details, listed a K. Gupta as the owner of the house and the value to the house made ASR's brow touch his hairline. The ever friendly web now provided him with her residential phone number. Again, she was listed as K. Gupta. He quickly edited his contact list to add her number, listed her as his next of kin and emergency contact. Khushi's picture was added thereby completing her profile in his contact list.

He now needed to have a shrewd operator on his side to deal with the takeover, leaving him free to deal with his wife. A sharp set of eyes that could work along with him as his equal and not require babysitting. And he couldn't think of anyone better than Mamaji who fit the bill to a T' and his finance manager Sarathy Subramanium. He emailed Mamaji and Sarathy to get their business visas for a four week trip to the US and copied Aman to get the ball rolling post haste.

Item # 3 on the agenda was an email to Akash and himself to start a special project to study the North American markets. Just in case...you never know...another potential location.

Feeling elated with himself, ASR waltzed into the breakfast bar to find the twins noshing their breakfast. Obviously Mohit had left for school. Rohan was dressed for school while Kiran was still in her night clothes. So any chance of cornering Khushi alone, was out. And Khushi herself was involved in an earnest telephone conversation and therefore there was no chance to engage her in any conversation. The only thing he could surmise was that she was going to pick up a copy of something from the caller. As she finished her conversation, only for a nano-second he noticed her posture stiffening. So a cordial chat was out of question since the touch me not' armor was well in place.

ASR: Morning, how is everyone...?

Kiran: Not good. & before you ask why not - bcoz, I can't go to school.

ASR: Ok so?

Kiran: It is going to ruin my chance of getting a 100% attendance record at the end of the year, duh?

ASR: Yeah duh me...so what now?????

He parked himself on one of the bar stools and helped himself to the staple American breakfast, a bowl of cold milk and cereal. The addition of freshly cut strawberries and almond flakes to the cold concoction did brighten the appearance as well as enhanced the taste.

Kiran: However...I get to spend the whole day with Mumma.

Kiran turned to her brother, Rohan, and looked at him in askance.

Rohan just raised his eyebrows and commented: Have a great day with MOM? And guess what ... I am going to be a car-rider today, no bus today.

Without further ado,

Khushi: Chaliye aapko drop kar detein hai hum (Come on let me drop you to your hotel).

And what was new, whatever the plans were, of course they did not include him and two hours later, he found himself brooding in his hotel room over the state of affairs. Khushi was singularly indifferent to him and from last night he knew carried a lot of unhealed scars. The status of his take-over bid was status quo - less than 50% of the board in his pocket. He mulled over the candidates or the kingpins, he referred to would switch sides: Hiten Ayush Wadhwani - the prodigal heir to the design-empire or Henry Ethan DeVry. Who to pursue - the best bet seemed to be DeVry. The day proceeded as he caught up with the happenings at the home office. Mid-afternoon brought forth summons from HAM for his and Pam's presence at the Good Earth offices.

The president, HAM's body language screamed hostility which did not daunt him, but it did put up his (ASR's) guard up. Not the one for prevaricating matters, HAM came straight to the point;

HAM: I believe you gave Kiran a drink yesterday.

Pam: Yes I did... Is there a problem??

HAM: Ms. Kaur what were you thinking...

Before HAM could finish, PAM jumped in...

Pam: The kid wanted a drink...

HAM (cut in sharply): Would you let me finish. Again... What were you thinking when you handed Kiran the pail of sugared drink?

ASR: What????

Pam: And as I said and I repeat...the kid wanted a drink and I was just being helpful. This should teach me a lesson never to offer my assistance to anyone.

HAM: Now wait a minute Ms. Kaur, I can stake my life here, Kiran confirmed with you...didn't she...about the juice being sugar-free before drinking it? The child has been diabetic all her life. It is a way of life for her... She has been trained not to accept drinks ...

Before HAM could proceed, ASR pounced: Pam you confirmed that the drink was sugar-free, I was a witness to that conversation.

PAM: I am sorry ASR, what is the big deal, I may have picked up the sugared drink and by mistake and may have handed ...

ASR: Dammit ... I could wring your neck.

If ASR's anger was white hot, PAM's petulant act was like waving a red rag to HAM.

HAM: It is a very big deal. Let me enlighten you with the ramifications of your Good Samaritan act. It sent that innocent child into hyperglycemia. And before you give me that holier than thou attitude, I am not casting any aspersions without evidence. After observing you in action during the coffee episode yesterday morning, a hunch prompted me to order the security footage of the lunch session. Here is your personal copy to catch your own stellar performance. Just thank your stars that the consequences of your actions were not catastrophic, else I would have let the cops & my lawyers have a field day with you. The laws in this country for reckless manslaughter are pretty severe by the way. And if you think for a minute that your exalted position as the soon-to-be Mrs. Raizada will win you any brownie points with me or with the law enforcement agency here, then lady you are sadly mistaken.

ASR: Mrs. Raizada...What ... You Mrs. Raizada??? Have you lost it Pam????

Things were spinning way out of control. It seemed a super-human task to put a lid on his anger, but it had to be done.

ASR: Mr. Mathur this is my employee and is under my care during her stay in the US. I hope you will let me deal with this.

HAM: I guess you have a point ASR. However I am barring her entry into these premises and violation of my orders will not be taken leniently.

That evening Parminder Kaur realized even if she had a miniscule of a chance to snag ASR, she had blown it to smithereens. She probably was one of the few that witnessed ASR's cold rage. By the time he was done reading her the riot, her dormant sensibilities had surfaced.

Her newly awakened conscience prompted her to apologize profusely that fell to deaf ears. The next 24 hours were the longest in Pam's life. She packed all her belongings in an hour for an early morning departure to Chicago and then to India. The irony was not lost on her when ASR personally drove her to Chicago, babysat her at the airport till she boarded the United Airlines flight to New Delhi.

Hi,