SS a Business transaction Updated (28 july 2015) ch 17,18,19pg 18 - Page 11

She woke up with a start and looked around herself unable to see anything she panicked did she loose her sight? May be she was abducted? Did Mukund start showing his colors already? Her heart started pumping blood at a self-destructive rate. She gasped for air but even air was blocked. She was in vaccum her mind panicked, she tried getting of this very comfortable cozy bed but alas her legs refused to budge. She felt as if she was being weighed down by something heavy and as if she was falling down a well of unknown depths. She mustered all her courage and screamed

"Help!!" No one came around to rescue her but it was as if she had found her voice back. She again tried

"Help!! Somebo.."

She couldn't even utter the whole word and she heard some thing rather some one. Oh someone was banging on the door. She tried to make sense of what was happening around. Door how could well have a door? Sense probably started coming back to her. She between her palms trying to figure out something coherent. She had boarded a plane all by her self, no with someone, but with whom and then it all came flashing back. She breathed normally and thankfully her ears also functioned normally now, for she could hear Arihant banging the door like crazy. Another minute and he would break it. She rushed to open the door, not used to the lay out of the room she successfully knocked an ottoman on the way and bumped her head in the door but finally opened it with a painful ouch coming out of her throat simultaneously. She was still struggling to breathe.

"What the hell happened here why were you screaming." Arihant clearly looked shocked

"I think I had a bad dream." She mumbled "does this room have lights?"

"It appeared as if someone was strangling you. Your voice was hoarse." Arihant said switching the lights on and for the first time Madhu saw where she was. She did come in this room yesterday night on her own foot but she was too hazed to understand anything. Partially due to sleep and partially due to the alcohol she had consumed in the flight.

"Bloody hell, it was you who told me to drink red wine as it would soothe my tired spirits." She said looking at Arihant accusingly.

"well it does so for every one."

"It did just the reverse for me. Can you explain that."

"Well it tends to bring the inner daemons of a person to the fore. I think you got scared of your own daemons. They must have been pretty ugly." He said sarcastically there was something about Madhu that irritated him always. Her desire for perfection may be or rather she was unlike girls he had known. He did not know how to deal with her so he resorted to sarcasm always. Madhu being the person she was never responded to his bait, she was no different today.

"What time could it be?" She asked looking around for a clock and she found one right on the wall in front. "It is already six in the morning? Why is it so dark?" she moved towards the huge wall with deep blue curtains that covered it in entirety. She pulled the curtain away herself to see the sun all out and past its infancy. They had vast expanse of land in front of them very nicely landscaped. She had been to Australia before with RK but not here. She had been to Sydney which was quite like any big city of a developed country, beautiful but busy and populated. This was different and she liked this solitude for now. She wanted to be with herself for some time. She needed to think her way ahead, she was used to planning her every move but she was in to get the biggest lesson of her life. The biggest planner was the destiny and man but a player. She was staring outside and Arihant knew what she was thinking. He knew it was time to bell the cat. The problem was that this cat had the worst claws ever and he swallowed the lump that had formed at the base of his throat. It was just six he could at least take another couple of hours before breaking the news of her latest acquisition. God knows what she would do then. For now he took her leave and left her all by herself. He needed to think of some peaceful way to break her peace.

Around nine she had joined him for breakfast. She had now gotten hold on her self. She did not look lost and terrified instead she was the same confident person he was used to seeing on a regular basis. They ate their breakfast in peace. Once done she broke the silence,

"OK so I am really thankful for all that you and sir has done for me. If not for him I and my family would be in an awful mess."

"Look ...God what do I address her as?" He started of trying to break the news to her but then lost his way instantaneously. It was a big question, before he used to address her as lady love to irritate her but now calling her that was not possible after all she may not know but she would eventually be his sister in- law. So lady love was out of question. He could not address her as Bhabhi she would kill him even before the whole word left his tongue.

"Miss Mallik"

"Excuse me!" she looked at him in shock is an understatement.

"Well I am trying to respect women you see." She continued to look at him with her two dinner plate sized eyes spotted with little olives.

"Oh" was all she could say.

"I think you should go through these papers." His hands were clearly trembling when he handed over the transfer deed along with a huge file of all other documents to her.

"What is this?"

"This belongs to you. It was actually bequeathed to you by RK."

"Bequeathed??" she looked horrified

"Ohh you got me all wrong. No no he is perfectly fine and living. I just meant to say he wanted you to have it may be like a starting point."

"I don't need any more of his kindness. He has already done much more than my capacity of repayment. I am not talking of repayment in terms of money."

"I insist you should go through it. This is like an opportunity for you to repay him in cash and kind both."

She looked at him confused and then took the bundle of documents from his hands and started reading them. She had just gone through the first three pages and was already seething with anger and panicking with fear.

"What the hell is this?"

"Why would he do that?" She had paled and trembled. This was the worst thing that could happen to her. She had to be dreaming. She pinched her self and it did hurt.

"Oh common it cannot be that bad" Arihant tried to comfort her

"That bad? This is like death sentence to all my dreams."

"Ms Mallik as far as I can recall you were ready to Join RK in good and in bad. How about bad first?"

"I can't believe this. He did this to test my allegiance? I would have done anything for him happily, he just had to say it. This is how he treats me for I dared to open up my heart to him. He stabbed me from behind. I will never forget it." Tears rolled down freely from her eyes. She felt betrayed by some one whom she trusted most. She had always believed that RK understood her desire to become an entrepreneur and have her own successful business someday. She never thought he would ruin her dreams thus. If she failed in this which is 99.99 percent likely, she would end up a lawful bankrupt that too in a foreign country. She saw her hopes her dreams shattering to a million pieces right in front of her eyes. "When did you get my sign on these? Oh no don't answer, I remember airport right?" She asked furious

"Yes" came a feeble and short response.

"What an idiot I am? You all taught me a good lesson for life. I will never trust anyone ever again." She got up and left for the room where she had spent the night. She needed to think. She did not have the time to sit and cry there were decisions to be taken on both ends personal as well as professional. It was a do or die situation. The mine was open pit. There had already been a severe case of radioactive leakage in amine not too far away. This mine was hell hole. Selling off her share was not possible for it wont fetch enough to pay of the debts and compensation. During the previous mining operation RK industries had gone ahead with some mining malpractices courtesy pressure tactics of Dipali. Her cousin Sikkander Bhatia was a Mining engineer and she had pressed RK to deploy him as engineering head in these mines. The down fall of the entire project started from the day Sikander landed on the fields. They weren't able to meet the targets consistently. Production fell down, and to increase production occupational health and safety regulations were flouted resulting in a major accident leading to the death of 20 workers on the spot and leaving many more injured. This accident landed the entire organization in a dispute with workers association 15 years back and till date it remained unresolved. The irregular disposal of mineral dust had created three huge mountains that lead to a row with Department of environmental conservation. They had not been able to fulfill contracts and now had disputes associated with many other companies. In all there was a back log of disputes and legal disputes was not something that Madhu knew how to deal with.

"Ab kya hoga?" she murmured to her self

"Yahan baith kar rone se to kuch hoga nahi. Utho socho aur karo." She heard him speak, her father, she turned arround instantaeneously "Papa." He was no where to be seen she slumped back in the chair. There was a feeble knock on the door.

"Enter"

"You speak like RK." Arihant said coming inside.

"Look Miss Mallik what is done cannot be undone. We have to somehow navigate our way out of this situation. I know it is not going to be easy and anything that I say or do will not aide me in gaining your trust. Let me put it like this, how about we watch each other like hawks and still move ahead. You may not accept it but this is much better than the hell hole that you had landed in with Mr. Mukund Dixit. On that thought he is arrested and your uncle is absconding. It won't be so for long. If I were you I would take this opportunity to pay back all those obligations Miss Mallik that RK bestowed so generously. I hope you do understand that the concept of free is but a trap. One more thing Just so that you know Aniket has got your father's accident case reopened. It seems it was a murder."

"No" Madhu was shocked. Her father was the sweetest man ever who would have wanted him dead and why?

"Very much yes mam. The police was able to get some info to this effect from Dixit. It seems Mr. Chaudhary is the culprit here but it would need more investigation and more evidences."

"I want to talk to my Mother." She felt devastated and brutally deceived. She was trying to wrap her head around everything but it was extremely complicated for her simple mind.

"This situation is dark tunnel if you keep move then you will see light in the end. It can be a long and trying struggle but it won't be dark forever. The quick sand that you had fallen in had no way to get out. It would eventually sucked in your mother your sister too. I hope you see this as an opportunity than as a course. Life is business and we have to deal with it like with any other business transaction. Calculate your risks, your investments and your possible profits. You see no risk no game. It is upto you if you are game enough or not. If you think that you will go ahead with this transaction then tomorrow we have an appointment with Swift and Associates to work things out." Aniket turned to leave a shocked but yet a contemplative Madhu behind.

"Can you leave those papers on the dresser? I never go to a meeting unprepared." Madhu said in a neutral, calculative and business like formal tone. Aniket left behind a huge bundle of documents and a CD for her.

"I will send a Laptop in a while."

"Ok" Replied Madhu without moving an inch. Once she heard the door close she turned and stared at it. something was bothering her. Arihant's attitude he was different. This was a puzzle and she knew she did not have all the pieces yet so she would have to connect as many pieces as she could. For now the mine was her rescue boat though it had a hole in it. The storm was brewing up she knew and she had to keep this boat afloat as long as she could. She was sure there was a lot more to this transaction that met the eye.