Heya!
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Chapter 7
The day had grown to be bright but the clouds gathering in the sky heralded the probability of rain and the first snowfall of the season. Ishani sat in the cabin of her office examining the files of the new contract regarding building constructions in the East England. The work of the construction was about to start by the end of this week. The project was one of the most ambitious ones as this was going to establish Indians' expertise in the Dalal Market after its success along with a new face of Ishani Parekh's. Also this deal was in direct competition with Robertson Group who had lost this contract by mere bad luck but made a strong comeback after few days and become a direct threat to Ishani and her team. However, the fear of losing the most contract was short lived, for this morning Ishani was welcomed with a grand news of the day (grand news' was what she said to herself). She was informed by her associate, Mr. Khanna, that now RV too was a part of this contract. He had taken the responsibility in his hands a couple of hours ago.
Ishani was busy in her work, her head buried deep in the bundle of the files, examining them carefully when her phone rang with an annoying sound. She hated when non-workers called her just to have some gossips about things going on in her life; though she never liked discussing her personal matters with anyone. Ishani disconnected the call, but it rang again, this time sounding more irritating. Frustrated, she picked up the call.
"Hello," she said feeling exasperated but not forgetting her manners.
"Hey, baby!" a flirty male voice returned the answer.
"Who's this?" Ishani asked not recognizing who was on the line.
"Baby, it's me. Your Chirag," the man said. "You don't even remember me."
"No, no," Ishani stopped working and replied, "I was just busy with my work. There are various contracts that need to be completed by the end of this month, so didn't realize this was you."
"Okay," Chirag said, "but you should remember it's our marriage next month. You are coming back, right?"
"No."
"No?" Chirag was shocked to hear her answer, "But why? What do you mean? We are getting married next month. That is the only choice you have. You are coming."
Chirag spoke all this quite rudely, but Ishani was not surprised. He would often act like this and then apologize. This behavior of Chirag's had always surprised her because he hardly exhibited the qualities she had fallen in love with.
"You heard this all right, Chirag," Ishani said after a while, "I had talked to Panditji after Kaka told me the date of my marriage had been decided for the next month. They all were excited, but I asked Panditji to give me another date if possible; and he presented me with one that falls at the end of the summer that means exactly after 7 months."
Chirag was shocked; he was muttering something under his breath that Ishani could not understand. His blabbering was saying he was disappointed.
"That is the truth. And I'm too young to get married, am I not?" she asked, hoping the man she loves would show a bit of clemency by not yelling at her.
"But why don't you want to marry?"
"Because marriage is not the only destination one has to reach. Please, Chirag, try to understand! I have my papa's business to look after; and with the condition improving currently it seems we'll be much better soon."
"Anything for you," saying this, Chirag hung up the call.
The phone calls from her family about her marriage were increasing day by day; after her mother and grandmother it was her uncle who had called her asking her to come back to India for the marriage. But her contacts with several people, and luck had served her well to postpone it for a considerably long time.
Ishani gave a light sigh. Her eyes fell upon the newspaper lying there idly as if it had nothing to do or think. She opened its pages and on a page which had several articles about Ranveer and his business antics. There was as usual no photo of his anywhere but more than half of it was dedicated to him. She felt a tremble in her heart every time her glance was cast upon his name. Ishani's life had been turned upside down in these 3 days where every time she looked anywhere it was Ranveer and his name that was intervening. She wondered if he had kept himself away from her on purpose so far, never ever showing up anywhere she had been to. A new question was added to the list of never ending questions that could be answered by Ranveer only.
********
"May I come in, sir?" Rishi, Ranveer's associate said, asking for the permission to enter his cabin. Ranveer looked at him and nodded lightly which meant Rishi was allowed to enter the room.
Ranveer looked at him questioningly while Rishi spoke, "Sir, there's a problem in the accounts. A large amount of money is missing from the company's account without any detail of its whereabouts. And..."
"And what?"
"Sir, when we investigated, we found that..."
"Is there anything you are hiding, Rishi? Speak up!"
"We found that the missing amount probably has been transferred to Ms Parekh's account. She is working with a group supporting them financially which is absolutely impossible taking her company's financial condition into consideration. The question arises: Where did she get enough money from to contribute for such a large group? The people she is helping won't mind buying her company, once and for all. Don't you think there is something very wrong?"
Ranveer's expressions had changed from curiosity to those in anger. Rishi noticing this looked at him apologetically and a little "sorry" came out of him.
Ranveer was going to say something- most likely a reprimand- but Puneet, Ranveer's manager, who was standing there listening to the conversation silently, spoke up,
"Are you mad? Do you have the slightest of idea what you are saying?"
Rishi was confused, and looked at his boss who looked furious now.
"Who made you calculate all this, Mr. Vyas?" Ranveer said angrily. "Not always your evaluations are meant to be correct."
"I don't..."
"For your information, Ranveer went on as if he was not interrupted by Rishi at all, "the amount of money you found in Ms Parekh's account was transferred by me. She needs a financial support, and the new contract is going to help her gain one more attainment- a must needed feat in her business. Obviously, she was not ready to take this as a help, but she did as a part of our partnership, and on a particular condition. And yes, the money was transferred from my personal account that's why you were not informed."
"I'm ashamed of what I said, sir. But then who do you think is responsible for the con here? Who could dare to do such a malevolent thing with us?"
"We'll see that very soon," Ranveer said, and dismissed Rishi.
"Sir," Puneet said once Rishi was out of sight, "I'm also wondering the same. How are we supposed to find the real culprit? The amount as Rishi said is actually very hefty."
"I will see that. But whoever it is cannot hide from me for too long."
Ranveer looked absolutely calm during the questions asked regarding the theft in the company unlike few moments before when Ms Parekh was being accused for the crime. It seemed he knew somewhere- or likely guessed- who the culprit was but Puneet did not dare ask anything else.
He always marveled at his boss's capacities and way of life. His boss, in general, was very kind unlike the speculations by the masses outside his office cabin. He would help anyone without letting them know who he is. Puneet recalled an incident few days back when a man was found stealing a loaf of bread from a shop next to the office, and the cops were about to arrest the wretched man, RV had saved him and gave him a trivial job (for the man was unable to do anything important; and he needed money badly) for which he thanked Ranveer.
Why RV wore a mask of a self-centered, selfish man remained a mystery to Puneet even after working for one and a half years with him. There were hundreds of questions that he wanted to know the answers of but never could gather courage of asking them. RV had had no friends, and Puneet had seen him only with his competitors that too in meetings or auctions; and whenever he would ask anything about this Ranveer would reply in an inexplicable manner, "Best friend has 11 letters, so does back stabber; so it's better to have real enemies." Puneet would have nothing more to ask or say, for this is how his boss was, and had been ever since he had met him.
Sometimes Ranveer looked like a fictional character to him: enigmatic, next to perfect in his work, having that incessant strength to work for hours without getting tired and yet perfectly normal to those who would meet him first time.
"If I ever write a book my protagonist would be like him," Puneet often said to himself.
And today if he said the thief of the company could not be spared from his boss it was impossible for the thief to run away.
****
Mr. Zaveri called Ranveer to see him in his office to discuss about the new Diamond deal that both of them were the part of.
"RV, this time the diamonds are more in demand, therefore we have them delivering sooner than planned. Are you fine with it or you need more time?" Mr. Zaveri said.
"No, not at all, sir. It's better because there is another project I am to work upon. It'll be good if this gets done sooner," Ranveer said.
Mr. Zaveri was pleased. He had always admired this quality of taking responsibility without hesitation in him and this is why he wanted Ranveer to think second time about his proposal of marriage with his daughter. So he thought of bringing the matter into focus again.
"Ranveer, I know you are occupied with a lot of work; but personal matters are equally important," Mr. Zaveri said.
Ranveer nodded, "I know."
"Did you think about the proposal of the party evening?"
Ranveer realized what Mr. Zaveri meant by this.
"I have told you that, sir. I'm not thinking about that for now. After lots of hardships I found my place here and it's not possible for me to focus on anything else for now," Ranveer meant half of these things he said.
"I understand that. Your mother was saying you need sometime for your own; but did you think over it?"
Ranveer started feeling uneasy. The thought of marrying someone else had never crossed his mind, and whenever someone came with this he would very gracefully abandon the proposals and people would but give up on him. He was told by someone that young women out there were mad for him, and wanted to propose him. To this he replied, "Tell those beautiful ladies that few things are impossible to attain."
"Where are you lost, RV?" Mr. Zaveri asked when he found no answer from him.
"I'm sorry, sir, but I am not ready for this," Ranveer said with a resolution.
The older man knew now it was Ranveer's final decision and he would not change this, but he somehow wanted his wish to come true.
"Excuse me, sir. It's time to go now," Ranveer said and sped out of the room.
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