KDP SS: The Groom - Page 2

"Another signature is needed here..." The HR manager marked the place with a small cross and Nisha hastily scribbled her initials. "Anything more? So many formalities..."

"Yes Ma'm, this is a MNC. An organisation of global repute. I understand you have come from a much smaller concern, wherein the systems are still..."

"In the eighteenth century!" Nisha completed the sentence and the HR manager smiled formally. Once you are in here, you will realize the ground reality. Everything has a plus point as well as a negative one.

"Ok, Ma'm, all formalities done. Now I will show introduce you to your colleagues and leave you with them. They are waiting for you!"

Nisha looked in awe as the manager led her through a biometric access controlled door. Wow. So this was a global MNC. Wherein there was some such thing called flexi-timings. You could take your work home and of course, there was no such thing as late mark' Nobody objected if you had 4 cups of coffee; in fact nobody even noticed it!

"This is your desk. Akshat, the Head of India ops, is waiting for you in the conference room...!"

-----

"Welcome, Nisha!" Akshat rose from his seat around a long table in the conference room.

Nisha was privately taken aback. She was not used to people addressing her like this. And least from someone who was going to marry her sister-in law! Akshat smiled his understanding.

"So all set? Liked your desk? And Laptop?"

"Is that for me?"

"Of course. All these facilities are provided so that you can take your work home, if need be. And we practice flexi-timing. In other words, if you are able to fulfil your targets within the stipulated time, we don't care about your leave. Attendance is something trivial!"

Nisha smiled in relief. Now that was something she could never adhere to. This was pure bliss compared to the previous organization. Huh! Archaic one, belonging to the 18^th century. There you were expected to stand to attention whenever the boss came by. And worse, address him as Sir. Sycophancy personified...And here, everyone was on the first name terms. Nobody bothered on the small formalities..

"Lost somewhere?" Fingers snapped in front of her. Lost in her thoughts, she never realized when Akshat left his seat and was standing next to her. She smiled sheepishly.

"Ok, time to go to my desk..."

-----

Days flew by. Nisha settled down well in the new setup and made quite a few friends. Akshat and Gauri got engaged in a grand ceremony at a five star resort in the presence of family and a few close friends. Nisha felt a pang of jealousy every now and then. Gauri, her simpleton nanand, was all set to marry into a rich family wherein there was no dearth of anything material. Even her engagement saree, sponsored by Akshat's family was out of the world. Nisha was sure it was far more expensive than her imagination. And the solitare engagement ring...what's more, the diamond necklace Akshat's mother had placed around her neck was surely worth lakhs. And the marriage was yet to happen! Call it one's fate...

Someone cooed in her ears and she gave a startled squeak.

"Didnt like the ring?" It was Akshat.

"No...nothing like that. Just that...I had never.."

"imagined anything like that, right?" He put an arm around her shoulders. "I can understand. The Sawants are nowhere in comparison with us in terms of the financial worth. Maybe you got something very simple for your own engagement?"

Nisha nodded tearfully. The arm around her shoulder felt so comfortable, something she had never experienced with Nachiket. Unknowingly, she cuddled closer to him and he squeezed her arm in understanding.

Ok, I will get you something similar sometime later. Right now, you can burn in desire... to ashes!

-----

One fine day. Akshat summoned her to his cabin.

"So, Nisha...how is work?" She settled down comfortably in the chair opposite.

"Fine, Akshat. Just cleared two files and four are waiting!"

Akshat leaned forward. "The reason why I called you here is this. We have a collaborator who wants to invest a substantial amount in our business. Now that's possible on one condition. We need to put a team in their place and a team here who will be a go-between me and the team there..."

Nisha's eyes widened at the span of the effort. This was growth, aggressive growth. But how was she involved? And was she involved? Obviously. From the little time she had known Akshat, he was never a person given to loose talk. She was involved. Indeed. Else, why tell her all these details? His next words confirmed it.

"You are on that team!"

"What? But where? And in what capacity?"

"You will be doing much the same work as you do here. I have talked to all your friends in confidence, and they say that you are a good team worker. So, welcome aboard the team!"

To say that Nisha was taken aback was an understatement. So far, she had never been recognized, neither at her home, nor at the previous workplace. And here...

"Relax, Have some water!" Nisha drained a glass of water placed in front of her. Akshat leaned back in his seat and continued. "There are a few formalities to be completed before the official agreement is signed. First of all. Do you have a valid passport?"

"Yes. I do have..." How could she ever forget that? The aborted Australia trip was like a sour dream.

"Good. Now the formalities. You need to deposit, a sum of five lakhs as a surety..."

"A sum of five lakhs? For what?"

"Consider it as a bond of some sorts. The company pays for your visa, ticket, lodging and boarding expenses. Once you reach the foreign shore, where is the guarantee that you won't quit the job?"

"But Akshat, surely that doesn't apply to me? I mean...I am family, right?"

"It applies to everyone on the team. Including myself. And once the project is over, the amount will be refunded to you!"

It took her a while to regroup herself. The sum was not a trivial amount, something that you could write it off. Did she even have that sort of money? Gauri's engagement had burnt a neat hole in Nachi's account already. Then it struck her. The money Amma had sent earlier! It was locked up in a FD in her mother's name. Should she break the FD? Convincing her mother would take some effort. But she would do it. And as Akshat had explained, it was only a deposit. Once she was back from the project, she would deposit it back in the account.

Akshat saw the questions flying through her head and smiled to himself. The trap had been laid, the bait taken. Now for the kill...

"Ok, Akshat, I will deposit the money. Just give me sometime..."

"You have a week to do that. Now mind you, the same rules apply to everyone on the team. So, all set to fly abroad?" Akshat stood up. The discussion was over.

"Yes, I am looking forward. Just one question, though. How long do we need to be there? I need to inform the family..."

"6 weeks to begin with. And then, as the project proceeds..."

Nisha nodded her understanding, mentally framing her future communication with Nachiket. "And where are we going to be?"

"Australia!"

Neat twist. I guess in this story, Akshat is turning out to be Vicky2.0.

Originally posted by: kamalsh56

Neat twist. I guess in this story, Akshat is turning out to be Vicky2.0.

Anyone around? Posting in a few minutes before I hit the sack.

"Australia?" Nachi choked over his dinner and Nisha hurriedly passed him the glass of water. "You mean to say, you have been selected in the team that will be in Australia?"

Nisha smiled proudly. "Yes. I am in that team. You know, Nachi, the project is in collaboration with such a prestigious client that...once it gets successful, sky is the limit. Believe me!"

Ayee joined in.

"Thats great, Nisha. Congratulations. And all the best on the road ahead!"

"Yes, Vaini. We are all proud of you!" Gauri was not far behind in expressing her joy. Nisha took another bite and looked around. Everyone was so happy. Even Baba, the one with a perpetual sour attitude, was also smiling his appreciation.

But there was a lone dissenting voice. Nachi didnt seem happy. His next words confirmed it.

"Do you have time to think this over? By when do you have to commit for this trip? Assuming you have a choice?"

"Choice? Where does that come in? I have already agreed to be on the team. Who would miss on such an opportunity..."

"So your career has suddenly become more important than home? Family?

"Nachi...at least finish your dinner in peace..." Ayee, the peacemonger as usual, intervened.

"What peace, Ayee? There is nothing called family values here. At least she should have asked me before committing!"

"What's there to ask? You would have agreed readily? And what do you know about opportunity? You had one, you blew it away. Look where it got you: all this concern for the family and all that. And you still want me to have that sort of consideration?"

Nachi pushed his half eaten plate away. Ayee looked at him in alarm.

"It's bad to push your food away like this, Nachi. These things can be discussed later!"

"What's there to discuss, Ayee? She has already taken the decision. Never even thought of talking to me, forget asking!"

Nachi stormed to his room, much to the chagrin of everyone around. Nisha followed suit.

Looking at the retreating figures, Ayee sighed inwardly. Where was all this headed?

-----

A few blocks away, two men were going through the documents signed quite sometime back.

"All in order. How did she react to the Australia placement?" The tall lanky one asked the shorter heavyset one.

"Excited. As expected! She is a typical woman with a lower middle class mentality. She has never set foot on an aeroplane, forget going abroad..."

"And the deposit?" The tall lanky person was a man of few words.

"She showed a bit of hesitation initially. But then, something clicked somewhere..."

Obviously, the tall man mused to himself. You have money. A neat sum coerced from someone, hidden away somewhere...

----

A few blocks away, the air was thick with apprehension as a couple indulged in what is best termed as a domestic cold war. The unspoken words culminated into a full blown vocal exercise when Nachi's hand accidentally brushed against Nisha's hindquarters.

"Cant you sleep properly?"

"Of course. Sorry..." Nachi withdrew his hand to safety.

"Sorry..." Nisha articulated the word through clenched teeth. "Male Chauvinistic pig!"

"What did you say?"

"Don't speak to me. You are jealous!"

"What nonsense. Jealous?"

"Of course. You couldn't go abroad because of your father. And now I have got a chance. So you had to react in this way during dinner!"

Nachi sat up in indignation. "Now you are being unreasonable. The situation then was different! Baba had just suffered a hypertension attack and..."

"Which wouldn't have happened had you told them earlier. I kept on egging you to do that, but you never..."

"Yes, that was my mistake. I admit it. I am sure Baba wouldn't have reacted in this way otherwise. Even now, he has no objections to you going abroad. The only thing is, you could have atleast asked me before consenting to all this..."

It was Nisha's turn to flare up now. "Exactly as I said. Male chauvinistic pig. You have no issues regarding your wife working. In fact, you want her to work so that she contributes to the home expenses. But when it comes to her career growth, you start digging in your heels..."

Nachi cooled down a bit. What Nisha said made sense after all. He put an arm around her.

"Not like that. Just that this could have been a joint decision. But you agreed before even asking me!"

"So you would have agreed whole-heartedly?"

Nachi was quiet for a while. Just now, as things were settling down in the domestic front...Nisha mis-interpreted his silence as usual.

"See, that's what I had assumed so far. You are not happy with this development. Correction. You will never be happy with my progress!"

"Dont be silly now. Of course I am happy. But there are things that carry more priority than one's career. Family, for that matter. And with Gauri's wedding round the corner..."

"Are that will anyway get postponed! Even Akshat will be on the trip the whole time..."

"What? even Akshat will be there?"

Nisha rubbed her hands in glee as she sat up, her eyes shining. "Think about it. This assignment will mean a lot of money. And who knows, we may get a second chance in life...just like Gauri is all set to get after getting married to Akshat..."

And that happened to pacify Nachi to a large extent. But not entirely. If Akshat was also going to be away, then...But for how long? and when would the wedding happen? Earlier the better. Before Gauri developed second thoughts about Shiv. He switched off the lights with a feeling of disquiet.

----

The next day dawned as usual.

"As it is, she never does anything in the house. And now with this new thing..." The old lady murmured to herself while managing a whole feat of exercises by the kitchen top. She deftly stirred the vegetables with one hand, reducing the flame of the adjacent burner with the other as the tea threatened to boil over. Turning to her daughter, who had just come out of her bath, she wiped her hands on her apron.

"Sarita, have your tea. I have made it the way you like...with Ginger and Cardamon!"

"Thanks, Ayee. And what about the others?"

"Everyone had it except Nisha. She is talking to someone on the phone!"

"Must be someone from her office!"

Aaji rolled her eyes as Sarita nursed the hot brew in her hands. "Perfect for a weather like this..."

"And did you notice...?"

"What did I miss?"

"Nachi doesn't seem very happy with all this development!"

Sarita was lost in thoughts for a while. "I think we will leave it to them. Its their life after all!"

Aaji was not to be put off. "I also overheard them speaking yesterday. Nisha had to deposit a sum of 5 lakhs for this trip!"

"5 lakhs?" Sarita was taken aback. It was not a small sum for her. "From where did she get that sort of money?"

"Nachi asked her the same thing. Nisha said the office advanced her a personal loan!"

"Is it so? Must be. The concern that sends her on such an important project, must be willing to advance such loans to the employee..." Sarita's voice trailed off, but the nigger in the woodpile still remained. And she couldn't put a finger on to it.

Wow!! you write so well...waiting for the next installment!!! please do write soon, curious as to what happened next!!