AbhiGya FF: The Predicament |Chapter 1-Page 5| *10/10 - Page 3

Thanks dear 😳😳

This Chanchan is better and more trustworthy than the real one 😆😆😆

Will do dear 😉

Thanks Amaya..it's k

glad u liked it

my plsr 😳😳

umm..thanks 😳will do

A few weeks back, Abhi and Pragya were at a party hosted by an industrialist, having a huge account in PR Company where Abhi served as CEO. Several important media persons, models and some politicians were enjoying the conversation, drinks and food. Pragya was quite happily meeting everyone. A socialite beauty Tanu had been sitting with Abhi for over half an hour, giggling and sipping sparkling wine from her goblet.

"Abhi, you must meet the liquor baron Atlaf Rana, I will introduce you, and he is sitting in the lawn with his bodyguard."

"No Tanu, I have no interest in these types of people and their accounts."

"But you don't have to deal with him, once I introduce you, just ask one of your marketing heads to follow up."

Since the nature of their talks was confidential Tanu was leaning towards Abhi's ear, almost touching, Pragya couldn't help glancing towards them every now and then. Not that she was unsure about Abhi; she knew what Tanu was up to and did not want Abhi to get in any trouble after dealing her because she carried rather an unclean image in business circles. Tanu was quite infamous, having once been investigated by the Crime Branch during an enquiry into scandalous scam. Abhi and Pragya had argued often over Tanu and her ways. Abhi had always maintained an immaculate image free of controversies and scandals. Pragya was also well placed in middle management cadre of private insurance company.

A little later she could see Tanu taking Abhi to Atlaf Rana and then the three of them talking over drinks. Pragya felt cheated by her husband. She thought Tanu was becoming too cozy with Abhi and he was not avoiding her either. Pragya reached the break point when Tanu came to see them off, stood near Abhi's side of car and shook his hand a bit too warmly.

"Don't you think you got carried away in meeting with that infamous man and woman?"

"Oh dear! Just enjoy the music, hum along and relax, its more than a thirty minutes' drive back home."

"How can I just relax after seeing you being so intimate with that sl...of a woman and that hard core criminal?"

"You are over reacting."

"And you are crossing the safety limits."

"I know my limits. I am not going to have anything to do with any of them; today it was a formal introduction at a business party through a known agent who is also a socialite."

"But everyone including the media noticed you with them."

"That means nothing."

"But it means a lot to me."

"Listen, please drop the topic dear."

"You listen to me and pledge never to work with them."

"Okay...Can we know enjoy the melody?"

"Don't avoid me on this issue Abhi."

"..."Abhi kept humming along an old favourite song.

Once back home, having unwound, Pragya took up the argument again "Look I'm warning you about this emerging tie-up with that infamous liquor baron for acquiring PR account."

"But darling! My company will not enter into any agreement without majority vote from the directors on board and the business is going to be strictly according to RBI guidelines."

"But when he will be on the investigation agency's hit list and become connected to politicians, the media will surely drag you into it, being the CEO."

"I may get my directors' vote before reaching out to him."

"What if they ask you to go ahead?"

"Then I shall go ahead with shared responsibility. "

"But people around that man may still bring you deep trouble."

"Can you elaborate on this?"

"Look Abhi you are old enough to sense that and young enough to get hooked. I mean..."

"No I still don't get it."

"Well is it not enough that I'm asking you not to go ahead with it, just don't convey to company that any such offer is in the air."

"Firstly Pragya, I'm sorry to disappoint you but your advice, though important, is by no means binding on me in my professional decisions; second, even if I sleep over this deal, the offer may be sent to CMD directly and mind it my reluctance will be highlighted to boss...And then I shall certainly go down a few notches in my credibility and integrity."

"..."

"..."

The air in the room got heavier by the minute. Abhi feeling a sense of unpleasant suffocation, fetched himself and Pragya a glass of water.

A few minutes later, both were asleep...

Next morning Abhi got a mail from CMD, Harish Singhania asking for an urgent meeting in the board room for discussion on New Business'. Others to participate were Head Marketing north zone, special strategist and of course PS to CMD. The meeting was scheduled for 4 p.m. Never before, had he asked for new business meeting at such short notice.

As if this wasn't all, he found 3 text messages from Tanu, thanking him in so many words for last night's courtesy and for meeting the liquor baron on her behest. A little later there arrived a flower bouquet...'can't thank you enough'...Yours Tanu. All this against the backdrop of the previous night's scratchy argument with Pragya appeared somewhat bizarre. It seemed to signalize something ominous. The tough professional in him accepted' the challenge.

3.50 p.m., the elegant board room of Assure PR International Ltd., Abhi took hi seat carrying a thick folder of noted and his laptop. Miss Gonzalves the PS to CMD and Marketing Head Purab Khanna were already in attendance. Gaurav Narula the strategist had requested leave of absence. Everyone exchanged pleasantries and almost immediately Purab enquired "Any idea Abhi sir about the agenda for this urgent meeting?"

"No, in fact we should expect something highly profitable. Maybe an elite business proposal."

Four o'clock. Singhania entered the room and took his seat..."Hi Abhi and Purab, couldn't wait to call this meeting as the stakes are sky high and prospective client is in a desperate hurry."

"The IFRA breweries has approached us for new account for worldwide marketing and advertising, mark my words, marketing as well as advertising which means we, after 19 years of PR operations, will be putting our first foot forward into marketing our prospective client's product worldwide."

A pause in Singhania's speeches meant it was listeners' chance to talk.

"Sir have IFRA sent us a written request?"

"Yes Abhi, a mail to me, let me just now forward to you" and a click later Abhi could see the mail in his inbox.

The rest of the contents were in fact the repetition of what Singhania just narrated. So IFRA is moving through Tanu and also CMD to CMD, not quite usual protocol.

"Sir what is your first reaction?" reluctantly asked Purab.

"Well I don't react or decide unless you guys prepare a project report for internal presentation."

After a few more routine deliberations and cups of black tea, the meeting ended, the deadline for internal project report was in next 7 days.

Abhi already had a headache triggered by this rather complicated matter which had all the ingredients of a potboiler intra company and the biz media. So the IFRA means business' and Tanu's overtures at the party and her insistence on meeting IFRA chief were the beginning. The most curious was the offer for marketing their product by Assure PR. Why would a liquor company want to dismantle its own marketing network? Plagued with all these thoughts he promptly popped a headache relieving pill, leaned back in his chair and started his favourite deep breathing exercises.

Brainstorming popped up a few more questions to Abhi, and he could hear the sound of his own gently whistle that meant a plan had emerged and he needed to act at lightning speed. First call he made was to his trusted private Detective PD of course from his unlisted private sim.

"I need authentic info on the IFRA proposal including the facilitator."

..."And in 48 hours flat PD."

"You got it boss, please send me some money."

"In next 5 minutes PD."

"See you in 47 hours."

And auto erase' did justice to the call record at both ends.

Abhi had requested Purab for a preliminary Project report by next two days. He now had to cheer up Pragya before the project came into public domain and that was a pretty tough job. She was not an unreasonable person, professional or wife but her overprotective attitude seemed too much. He couldn't quite guess if Pragya was alerting him about possible involvement with IFRA or...Tanu, though she wasn't wrong either. IFRA was in news for more than few wrong reasons and Tanu had sprung quite a few scandals involving industry bigwigs...He had something on mind for tonight.

"Hi Prags! How are you placed? I will pick you up from office, let's go and see a nice movie and have your favourite Chinese dinner."

"Ok A, what time?"

"7"

"Oks."

The movie wasn't as engrossing as Abhi had hoped it would be..Pragya actually dozed off for a while, not being a movie buff. They made a move out of theatre a few minutes prior to the end, went up the escalator for their favourite Chinese dinner buffet. Pragya was maintaining an uncomfortable abstract distance from Abhi over dinner, probably still preoccupied with last evening's events and quasi irritable conversation. Abhi, though was a little extra cautious and avoided any reference to the crux, the IFRA deal, specially the way he had actually got the shock from CMD. He planned to keep Pragya totally blacked out of it until and positive or negative stream came out. But it was rather uncomfortable for him to hide things from her. He just prayed and hoped that she doesn't raise the topic anytime soon.

She didn't. Both were nearly normal in behavior at home and over home. But at office, Purab asked one more day for preliminary project report, sitting a little delay in calculations etc. It suited Abhi as PD's report was also expected in a few days' time. Meanwhile his own background check on shares and multiple project info in IFRA brought forwards decent growth of more than 10% in last year. Even more mind-boggling became the proposal for marketing to be outsourced! He definitely smelt mala-fide intentions or some gigantic blunder, bleak possibility of the latter. He could conceive the shape of things to come.