IPKKND - Vignettes - 27. Tujhpe Kurbaan Dil... Pt14/Pg31 upd 10/01/21 - Page 18

Dear dear all...

As many of you must already be aware, I'm back and posting new Vignettes on the IPKKND forum.

Please do watch this space and wait for an update on TKD this weekend.

love,

Aparna

Hello, All!

Thank you for your patience... I’m back after years!

Big hugs!

Part 12

Anjali looked straight at Raghuveer, “So, Mr. Singhania, what are you to do? How will you make amends for the tarnishing that the media did of the respectability of our venture? Of the women of Abhilaasha and Annapoornna? Do you intend to fulfill the commitment of journalism and make right the wrong done unto us?”

“It will be our privilege, Ms. Raizada. My team will be in touch with you soon to finalise the details.”

*****************************

There was a knock on the door just as he finished buttoning up his jacket. Looking up, he smiled, “Good morning! Itni subah subah aap kya hukoom leke aaye ho mere liye?”

Smiling in return, his visitor quipped, “Tumhe kaise pata ki koi hukoom hai? Vinti bhi ho sakti aap jaise bade logon ke saamne.”

Walking over with a laugh, he linked his hands around her neck, “Kyunki meri Maa, aap mere kamre me tabhi aate ho woh bhi subah mere nikalne se pehle, jab aap mujhe kuch hukoom dena chahti hai, koi strict instruction that your 37 year old son will end up agreeing to.”

“Acha?”

“Ji!” Leading her inside and seating her on the couch, he asked, “Boliye, Maa, kya kehne aaye the?”

Leaning back and fixing her trademark sharp gaze on her son, Radhika Singhania said, “Aaj tum Anjali Singh Raizada ke organisation ke iye media coverage karne jaaoge?”

Absolutely taken aback at this, Raghuveer asked, “Aap follow kar rahi thi woh story? Actually mujhe aaj kuch aur appointments hai, but I will be outlining it with my team. Shayad aage ke do-teen din ke andar hi humkarenge. Aap interested kyu hai, Maa, iss story me?”

“Becuase she impressed me like no other young woman has in a very long time, Raghu. The extent of the activities the Raizada women have undertaken successfully in the past few years will stun even you. Maine thoda research kiya tha kal woh press conference dekhne ke baad.”

Getting up, she continued, “Just let me know when you are going to do it, mujhe uncut coverage dekhne me interest hai, for an article that I’m working on.”

At his silent nod, she smiled, “Ab chalo, nashta taiyyar hai.”

“Aap chaliye, main aata hu.”

Sitting down to gather up the files spread on his table, full of papers his assistant had given him to read the previous night, he paused at a file photo of Anjali coming out the court room, securely held within her brother’s protective arm, flanked on the other side by her second brother, a cousin.

His eyes zeroing in first on Anjali’s controlled face and then on the absolute fury, ruthlessly banked on her brother’s, he sent a message to his assistant to clear any meetings he might have for a couple of hours. He was going to spend the morning digging a little into this brother-sister duo and their corporate empire. He needed to know every detail before he could embark on planning a media coverage.

*******************************************

Arriving at his head quarters, Raghuveer quickly finished up his headline review and emails and shut himself up in his cabin with his laptop and files of news that his assistant had kept ready.

Already having taken a quick review on the activities of Annapoorna prior to the now-infamous panel discussion, he was aware of the women behind it, but looking over the profile of the Raizada family, he was impressed in spite of himself at how each family member had independent interests apart from ASR’s business empire.

Other than Akash Singh Raizada who was a Managing Partner and Director, and Manohar Singh Raizada who had an advisory and HR role, other family members were not associated in anyway other than being Board members and major share holders. The only other family member who worked at AR full-time was a cousin, who had a Directorial role at one of the AR Hotels. AR Group was a completely professionally managed company.

ASR’s youngest brother, another Harvard educated professional, was a Plant Biologist, with an impressive resume for someone so young and currently associated with JNU; ASR’s wife herself was running an independent catering company that partnered with Anjali; Akash’s wife ran an NGO with people who were inhabitants of AR Group’s CSR initiative Prateeksha. The Raizada daughters-in-law, who he discovered were sisters, were also partners of the Gupta Sweets Chain, much to his surprise.

Not finding any mention of ASR and Anjali’s parents, his curiosity got the better of himself and he opened the file he had kept aside so far, the one named ‘Personal Details’ and found a brief on their deaths long back, how they had been brought up by their maternal uncle, aunt and grandmother, Anjali’s ex-husband and his imprisonment, ad a whole lot of details on ASR’s marriage to an unknown girl from Lucknow. All through his perusal, he noticed that Anjali, other than the content that was available on her Annapoorna initiative over the past few moths, had completely flown under the radar. It was as if she had disappeared after her move to Delhi, excluding a few mentions of her work at AR in its initial days, only to resurface a few months back.

Closing the file and leaning back in his chair, he steepled his fingers and took a moment to decide his next course of action, and deeming it right that he himself gets involved, seeing how the media spotlight was on him as well, ever since the panel discussion and the press meet, he called up his assistant to set up an appointment with Ms. Anjali Singh Raizada immediately.

**************************************

Anjali had just gotten up from the breakfast table, the whole family having enjoyed a leisurely breakfast, seeing how Khushi and Payal had point-blank refused to let their husbands go to work that day, and Dhruv too at home, when her phone rang.

Surprised to see her assistant’s name flashing so early in the morning, that too on a day she had said she would be taking an off-day, she answered, “Kya hua Neeta? Itni subah subah kaise call kiya?”

“Good morning, Ma’am. Actually, mai nahi karti aaj call aapko, par mujhe 9 baje se pehle hi Singhania Communications HO se call aayi thi, from Mr. Singhania’s Executive Assistant, to fix an appointment with you today. Maine kaha hai ki Mai aapko 9 baje se pehle ek off-day par disturb nahi kar sakti, aur unko stand-by pe rakha hai. Aapke instructions chahiye, Ma’am.”

Surprised that Mr. Singhania had kept his word and that too, so very promptly, she was about to reply when she suddenly looked up to find her brother’s steady gaze fixed upon her. At his questioning look, she nodded and replied to her assistant, “Haan, Neeta, tell them that I will give them an appointment, but I will be confirming the details within half an hour. Thank you.”

Getting up and coming to her, Arnav asked, “Kya hai, Di? What did Neeta want?”

“Chotte, subah hi News India se call aayi Neeta ko, to fix an appointment with me. Kal press meet me humne jo kaha, ki unko humare CSR initiatives aur Annapoorna ke baare me feature karna hoga, usske baare me discuss karne ke liye. Humne jo kaha, tumne sun liya na?”

Smiling tightly, he gave her a quick hug, “Neatly done, Di. Use the opportunity, lekin over-eager bhi lagna nahi chahiye. Aap aaj milna chahte ho News team se?”

“Haan, hume ye saare scandal jald se jald khatam karna hai, Chotte. Humne actually time iss liye maanga taaki hum sab discuss kar sake ki iss mauke ko kaise handle karna hai.”

“Toh chaliye, abhi decide karte hai,“ Arnav said, before calling everyone back to the dining table, for an impromptu discussion.

Everyone was of the unanimous opinion that this was a golden opportunity to undo the negative press they had gotten, and while the shoot of the feature can be planned for later, a commitment and an action-plan had to be done before the interest died down. With Akash acting as the minute-man, jotting down the suggestions flying all over the place, Arnav sat quiet, wondering how to go about it best, whether Anjali, Khushi and Payal should deal with the meeting or whether he should accompany them.

Able to read him like a book, Khushi leaned over and took his hand in hers. “Di sambhaal legi, Arnavji, aur hum dono bhi honge unke sath.”

Pressing back lightly, he replied, not taking his eyes off his Di, “I know, Khushi. And it is better that way. Jab logon ko pata chalega ki Raizada women can handle themselves, aur mere ya Akash ke peeche jhupke rehnewale nahi hai , they will think twice before hounding you.”

Looking over at Khushi, he continued, “Par promise karo ki, the minute you feel things are getting out of hand, ya meeting ka tone change ho rahi hai, you’ll call me.”

“Hum vaada karte hain”, she smiled, “Koi bhi takleef huyi toh hum aapko phone karenge.”

Smiling softly in reply, he took her hand again and turned to his Di, who was talking to Neeta, fixing an appointment at 11am with the team from News India.

****************************************

Walking into the office of Annapoorna, that Anjali had leased and designed herself, the three Raizada women sat down to plan the briefing, along with Neeta and two other executive assistant, who did a rotation with Khushi and Payal whenever their services were necessary and otherwise were full-time employees of their management division.

Sitting at the head of the table, flanked by her sisters-in-law, Anjali smiled softly at her staff, “Hum sabse pehle aap sab ke shukriya ada karne chaahte hai ki aap ye kuch dinon ki mushkil ghadi mein humare saath diye. Aur itni professionally handle kiye media ko.”

Beaming in pleasure at her praise, and mentally promising their undying loyalty once again as they always did to their kind-hearted Anjali madam, her staff got down to task, listing down all documents and previously filmed footages, photographs and media coverage that their three ventures, Prateeksha, Abhilaasha and Annapoorna, had jointly and separately gathered till date.

It was in the middle of this debate and discussion that their receptionist knocked and opened the door, smiling as she let in a surprise visitor.

Looking up in absolute pleasure, the ladies smiled, “Pooja!”

Author's Note:

There you go.... Anjali’s story is back on track….

Next update next weekend…

Superb, regularly aap ki Har Arshi kahani update karna . Humein khushi hogi. Dhanyavad.

Reserved.

I'll read the previous parts and come back to this chapter to get in the flow.

Will try to update this post by tomorrow with my comment for latest chapter.

👏👏👏🎉

I was waiting for you to start this up again!! 🤩

Lovely work as usual. I adore your writing style. And the strength of the women in your work is really admirable. I look forward to seeing how this goes. It's going to be an interesting ride I can tell. Don't keep us waiting too long!