FF: Raya Story - New Chapter 21 updated, Pg 54 on 27 Nov 2016 - Page 15

Thanks.. wanted to highlight Priya and her dad's relationship... One of the things I thought was very well portrayed in BALH...

Raya meeting.. in the next 2-3 chapters...

Thanks.. wanted to highlight Priya and her dad's relationship... One of the things I thought was very well portrayed in BALH...

Thanks .. Writers like you and others on this forum and of course RaYa.. are the inspiration for writing.. I hope you continue to read...

Chapter 12

Ram is back in Mumbai. Goes home from the airport to keep his stuff and head to work. Briefly.. Krishna interrupts him...

Krishna: Ram... Hold on... Kahan baaghe jaa rahan hain... Abhi tho aiye ho...

Ram: Maa... Main kaam pe jar aha hoon... Our annual audit from the regulatory authorities are on Monday... Lots of stuff to do... Vikram has been managing so far.

Krishna: Oh... Ok... Teek hain... Tum jao... But just tell me.. What about Priya beta?

Ram: Maa... She had sent an email Maa.. I have responded to her... But Maa.. you should not have tricked us into emailing one another... Not right...

Krishna: Dekh beta.. agar yeh nahi karte to... you guys would not have taken the initiative... Phir bhi... Any progress that I can report to Priya's mother?

Ram: Please patience Maa...Aur aap ne bataya nahi ki who Bangalore main hain...

Krishna: Ok beta.. I won't push you.. But you can't leave it in balance... I did not tell you is for 2 reasons... ek to tu conference main busy tha... dusra... she was not in town...

Ram: Ok... Maa... I will wait for her response... and think about it after the audits... ok?

Krishna: Ok... Beta... Good luck with the audits... Do not over work or stress yourself... take care beta

Ram: Ok Maa.. Bye...

Ram gets to work.. Meets Vikram... Both get busy in prepping for the audit... Lots of meetings... documentations... Absolutely no personal time... They hardly get any time to talk to each other about the conference or for Ram to talk about Priya (both the proposal and conference lady stories). All this takes a back burner.. till Monday. Rams siblings had to cancel their family dinner for the weekend... Ram finds a few minutes in between to respond to Priya's email on Thursday evening...

Hi Priya,

I just wanted to quickly respond to you.. as I am very busy till Monday... I am delighted to hear that you value family as much as I do...

I will inform my mother, and we can take it further after Monday.

Take care,

Ram

Meanwhile, Priya meets Anjali on Friday. She discusses the possible opportunity for working on a research project. Anjali agrees and is excited to work with Priya. Most of the weekend Priya spends writing the proposal and sends it to Vikram on Saturday... She is excited, hopeful. In this process her mind is off from Ram (Proposal) and RK (Conference)... She had read Ram's email on Thursday night... and thinks..great that works for me too... Things are moving slowly...

On Sunday morning, Vikram reads Dr Sharma's proposal including the budgeting... He feels that finance wise this seems feasible... I should forward this proposal to my research team... and see what they have to say... He sends an email to his research team.. but does not mention where or who the proposal comes from... and requests for a critical review of it...

Ram and Vikram gear up for the audit on Monday. Things go smoothly... barring a few minor issues that need to addressed, they have a very good audit... Both of them are relieved... They decide to celebrate with the team at a local bar... Before Vikram calls it a night.. he finds that the proposal he sent has a green signal from his research team... I need to fix an appointment with Dr Sharma... mostly have somebody from the research team... go over to her lab... see how things might work. He also remembers Ram mentioning fondly about this Dr Sharma... Since he has met her... things might better work out if he joins as well... I guess that's the best thing to do...

Day after the audit... Ram and Vikram go out for lunch... Ram wanted to speak some personal stuff with Vikram...

Ram: I am so glad this Audit is done... and nothing major propped up...

Vikram: You are right... a big relief .. until the next year...

Ram: Sahi bol raha hain... Neha must be mad na with you...

Vikram: Haan yaar... tujhe pata hain na.. Kitni nakre karti hai.. jab mujhe itna kaam karna padtha hain tho... She knows... But uski aadat hain...

Ram: Good.. Warna... tu bahut waqt office main bitata hain...

Vikram: Tu bol raha hain... Aur Mujhe... Tu itna kaam karta hain...

Ram: Arey chod na... tumari tarah to family yani.. neha ka pressure nahi hain na...

Vikram: Isliye tho kehta hoon. Shaadi karle... Tu kuch bata raha tha... us din.. koi ladki ... Maa ne dekha hain...Kya hua?

Ram: kuch nahi re... Bas hum logon ne ek do baar email exchange ki hain... Aur maine bola bhi hain... ki main apni family ke liye ladki dekhne ka faisla kiya hain...

Vikram: Arey Paagal... Yeh koi bolta hain kya... woh ladki kya sochigi...

Ram: Main Paagal to nahi hoon... She replied that she is doing it for the same reason...

Vikram: Kya?????? Shocked... Phir tum dono Paagal hain... aur match bhi acchi hain... Shaadi ke liye yes bol de...

Ram: I have not met her only... Aur...Thinks about the conference lady... And stops at Aur.. Big pause...

Vikram: Aur Kya... Kya hua tujhe... Kis soch main pad gaya...

Ram: Kuch nahi yaar... Tu bol

Vikram: Kuch tho hain... Par tu nahi bolne wala hain... I will leave it for the moment... Tujhse ek Baat karni thi...

Ram: Kya hain...Kuch problem hain kya.. Neha se baat karni hain..

Vikram: Arey Nahi.. Problem nahi... Kaam ki baat hain... Kuch dino pehle ek Prof ka email aiya tha... Woh conference me hamare booth pe visit kiya tha... Abhay ne meri B.card di thi... That person emailed... with a research proposal... Maine use apne team ko bhi dikhaya hain... All of them liked it.. and want us to pursue this further... I personally liked it too.. I want to send the research head to meet this person...

Ram: Cool... Accha hain... Mujhse kya chata hain?

Vikram: I want you to accompany the research head to meet this person at the university...

Ram: Me?? Kyun..

Vikram: According to our research team.. if we do not pursue this... it will get a lot of funding from other agencies... so.. we need to get this person on board for our company... Getting people on board .. is your strength...

Ram: Ok .. maska mat maar... I will go... Just set it up...

Vikram: Good... Waise... Khanna yahan ... boring ho gaya hain.. need to find some other spot...

Ram: Sahi main... Actually I heard ki... hamare office ke next street pe.. ek naya khula hain... next time udar...

Vikram: Ok deal... Chal khatam kar... phir chalet hain...

Both finish lunch and head back to office.. Ram gets busy with post audit work..while Vikram gets to setting up a meeting with Dr Sharma... Thursday morning at the Insititute.. Asks his assistant to get tickets for travel to Bangalore for Wednesday evening and hotel bookings.. For his research head and Ram..

At Priya's house in the evening..

Priya is just checking her email... and is ecstatic at reading the email from Mr Shergill.

Hi Dr Sharma,

Thank you for sharing your proposal with our company. We would like to meet with you in person, preferably at your institute. I hope Thursday morning 10 AM works for you. The company Co-Founder and Chairman Mr Kapoor and our research director Mr Desai will travel to Bangalore to meet with you to discuss this proposal further and work out a deal with you.

Please let us know if this works for you.

Regards,

Vikram Shergill

K&S Pharmaceuticals

Priya responds right away after a brief look at her calendar.. accepting the meeting time and date. She also forwards her office and mobile number if there are any changes in the schedule.

Priya: Papa.. Papa...Maa... shouting at the top of her voice...

Shipra: Kya hua Priya.. chilla kyun rahi ho...

Priya: Sorry... Maa.. Papa kahan hain

Sudhir: Aa raha hoon... Bolo kya baat hain

Priya: Papa... aap ko yaad hain... woh ek proposal baija tha maine...

Sudhir: Haan... Kya hua?

Priya: Papa.. woh log mujhe milne Thursday aa rahe hain.. yahan..

Sudhir: Cool beta... wonderful news... Kaun aa raha hain?

Priya: Company ka chairman aur Research director...

Sudhir: Phir tho... they really liked your proposal... Bahut achha... Good luck...

Shipra: Good luck beta... thinks to herself...I hope the other proposal .. shaadi ka bhi fix ho jaye... I will be very happy...

Priya: thanks papa...Maa..

Priya is happy and waiting for Thursday... I will email Ram.. after Thursday.. if he was free.. he could have emailed.. or his mother would have contacted maa... so it can wait for a few more days...

Vikram gives the itinerary to Ram on Wednesday morning...One important thing that Vikram has convienently forgotten is that Dr Sharma is the same person ..who gave the talk at the conference that vikram wanted Ram to attend. His schedule says he is meeting Dr Sharma on Thursday morning at 10 AM.. Tickets to Bangalore on Wednesday at 3 30 PM.. He thinks... Bangalore again... do I have time to meet Priya? Should I... This is so sudden... Calls his mother.. Krishna has an idea...

Krishna: I will get you the address.. If you have time this evening or tomorrow evening... why don't you call them and go...

Ram: Ok Maa.. Just message me the address and I will decide if I can meet them...

Krishna has already got the address from Shipra in previous conversations... She messages Ram Priya's address and home telephone number. Krishna is excited that Ram is following up this proposal.. She has half a mind to tell Shipra ji.. But refrains... She is not sure if Ram will get the time to go and meet... Let me see if Ram calls and meets them...

Ram... receives the message from his mother.. and tries to see if their house is on the way from airport to his hotel .. or ways away... It turns out that it is not too much of a detour for his travel... and he decides in his mind,, if there is no delay... I will meet them this evening.. Should I let Priya know...Not sure if she will even check the email during this time... She will mostly be home. Evening around 6... With these thoughts... and ...unaware of who Dr Sharma is... takes his flight along with Mr Desai to Bangalore...