Chapter 10
Puneet knocked Ishani's cabin door late in the evening. Ishani gestured him to enter as he made his way in.
"I'm really sorry, Ms. Parekh. I was caught up somewhere," Puneet said apologetically.
"No, no. It's alright. I know you must be busy," Ishani replied.
"Is your work done?" Puneet asked to which Ishani nodded.
"Please sit down," she said. Puneet sat on the chair.
Ishani's heart was beating fast now and an emotion which she was trying to resist was bubbling up from within her. She knew Ranveer was always good in stocks and it would not have been harder for him to earn money and this status but she was trying to figure out the reason of him distancing himself from everyone including even himself.
"Well, I met him in very strange circumstances, Ms. Parekh, if you ask me," Puneet started, quite confused from where to start from. "Do you remember 2 years back in late September there had been a huge fall in stock market?"
Ishani nodded, "That was the time my father too lost lots of his shares and then saw a massive fall in business."
"Yes, and that had caused a terrible recession in market and many employees were fired because companies did not want to keep extra employees," Puneet continued. "Unfortunately or now I should say fortunately I was one of the people who were fired that month. I was not experienced in this field and did not have higher grades either that became the cause of my misery. And it continued for next 4 months. Whenever I went to an interview they rejected me saying I lacked experience and they could not hire me as for them their company and its reputation was more important than an amateur employee."
"Then?" Ishani asked.
"Then one day I bumped into a young man who was not much older than I. I was going for a job interview that day and was in hurry when this guy hit me mistakenly. I apologized in hurry and walked off but could not see his face. But my another chance went in vain as I was rejected 30th time in 4 months. I was tired, frustrated and returned back to the same place again and heard the same voice; but this time not talking to me. He was RV sir. He was talking to someone on phone and when he saw me he came towards me and asked, Looks like you did not get your job.' I nodded and asked him surprised how did he know that I was looking for a job. He replied saying, Your face says it all.' I did not say anything but kept quiet. After some time he spoke again, What went wrong?' I without any hesitation told him everything from the day I was fired to the one I was rejected 30th time. He smiled and said, Would you answer my one question?' I nodded. If you overtake second position in a race which one you would be on?' He asked. I immediately returned, Second.' He was impressed. Exactly!' he said. That's where the logic and common sense works and it does not come from degrees but from within and gets chiseled with time and experience.' I did not understand what he was saying. He then told me that he needed a new, innovative, hardworking worker with radical ideas and thoughts and he just saw that glimpse in me. Without my knowledge he had hired me. Since the morning things were not making any sense and RV sir's sudden aid came as the most unbelievable thing for me. I was confused initially but then he extended his hand and said, Hi! This is RV and I hope you got the solution of your problem now.' That was when I got to recognize him and was shocked. In the era of dropping numbers of shares in the market there was a name that had managed to grow from the depths of unknown rapidly. I smiled, Thank you, sir.'"
Ishani was listening to this all carefully and a smile crossed her lips. She knew Ranveer could never drift away from the things he had learnt from her father and his Mota Babuji. It was her father who had taught him to take chances in newer talents in business, for you never knew who could change the course of the incidents in what directions. Ranveer had proved this, and he had chosen the right person for sure to be his most trustworthy employee. When anyone would be running for the experienced and older employees so that they get better counsel and help Ranveer had hired someone who was as new as he himself was and given him one of the vital jobs in his company.
"So, that was how you met Ranveer," Ishani said softly. Puneet affirmed.
"Then from the next day I found myself working in his office. Although the place was fine it was causing some troubles. RV sir had received an important contract few days ago and was working on it hard. He had a magical way with stocks and shares because none of us could see the benefit or loss in a share like he did. Sometimes, when I was new to him, I wondered if he was one of those overconfident lads who wouldn't bother reason on these things, and get lost in the crowd; but it was later I realized that his calculations and reasoning were far sharper than anyone I had ever seen. That was the reason he was trusted with one of the most talked contracts in Delhi.
"I remember the end of January, 28th of Jan, when we were to attend an important meeting in Mumbai but he seemed reluctant to go there. I had spent nearly 10 days with RV sir and saw him winning everyday. Many businessmen wanted to meet him and discuss on how he was able to get everything done right but he refused to talk to anyone and that is how he earned the title of selfish RV. There came lots of offers for him to work for them because his company wasn't as big as others' and they believed he would work for them but RV sir refused to meet or talk to any of them. Anyway, coming to the January month, he did not agree to go to Mumbai but to complete the business work and finalize the other things in the contract he had to. I too was with him and in the evening he was asked to join his business partner in a friend's party in Palladium Hotel, Mumbai. I was back at the meeting place to finish the remaining work and came to the hotel we had stayed quite late, around 11.30 PM. RV sir was not there and even after a couple of hours he did not return. It worried me and I called him but he would not pick up my call. I called Mr. Malhotra, our business partner, and he said RV sir had left the moment he entered the party venue and did not even get himself introduced to his friends. That worried me because it meant something was wrong, and it indeed was! I saw him late at night stumbling through the stairs. He looked aghast: he was badly drunk, his eyes were bloody red and swollen, tears flowing from them uncontrollably and he was murmuring something to himself which I could not understand. I ran to him to aid him but he did not seem to notice my presence and kept on waddling off towards his room in the hotel. When I reached out to him he said with his weakening strength, Take me away from here!' In the state of perplexity I tried to pacify him as he could not even stand on his feet in that condition but he shouted in a trembling voice again, I said take me away, Puneet. It's killing me here. I will die if I stay here longer. It's so suffocating. Please take me away.' His last sentence almost pleading. I needed to call the doctor but he would not listen to me and I was forced to get him home by the next flight."
Puneet saw a trickle of tears falling down Ishani's eyes. She was trying to make herself look normal as nothing was affecting her the way it did, but was failing. The reason of Ranveer's condition that night hit her as her doing only, for the party he had to attend was her engagement which was delayed due to her father's steady financial loss and deteriorating health. A painful shiver ran through her, and with a low voice she asked what happened next; though she guessed what must have happened, and rightly so.
"In next few hours we were in Mumbai. The doctor was called for the checkup of RV sir, and informed us that he had had his blood pressure low due to excessive drinking, some pressure caused by work and some emotional calamity. He was not supposed to take any stress and workload until he got well. But RV had not known to take rest. The next evening when he woke up, he surprised us all with his another decision. He told his parents and me that we were moving to London and too immediately. His parents were not happy but he seemed very much affected by his trip to Mumbai and convinced them as well. We left India in next 3 days. His life here, in London, was considerably easy as the country didn't mind embracing newcomers. Also his business sense and understanding in his work was accepted by this place dearly. Slowly, slowly RV became a big name here too and many times people behaved the same way they did in back in India. However, RV sir did not change and ever since I have seen him like this. He works night and day. Attends meetings more than his strength allows him, yet keeps going on doing work as much he can. I have never seen him going on any vacation, and whenever asked he only says he isn't working to have vacations but wants to make more and more money. Many times I felt perhaps he was trying to prove something, but what? I think I guessed the reason of his condition that night right but never thought of bringing the topic into conversation again, and nor did he himself say anything. Since the day we landed in this place everything has been same without any change," Puneet finished.
Ishani looked at Puneet with an expected surprised look. Her eyes were filled with tears that she tried to wipe away every time they turned up. She looked at Ranveer through the transparent door of her cabin who was busy in a conversation with a client. She closed her eyes, then opened them hoping she could subside the agitated feelings in her heart that moment. But it was not easy.
****
Ishani spent the whole evening in the office but it became harder for her to focus on the work after listening to the whole story she had desired to know for a while now. She felt extremely tired because of working non-stop for hours. It was 10 at night but the silence around made it look like a midnight hour. Ishani picked up her belongings and started to leave. She had come merely 2 steps ahead when she saw the door of Ranveer's cabin open, with lights off. It was late and nobody was to be seen around. Ishani hesitantly moved forward and knocked the door. Nobody spoke. She came little forward.
"Anyone there?" she said, trying not to look anxious.
It was then something stirred there, and in a few moments she saw Ranveer emerging out of the darkness.
"Who else could be here?" he said.
"No, Ranveer. It was late, and I thought you would be home by now," she said, a nervous feeling overcoming her senses. "You look worried. Is everything alright?"
Ranveer stared at her face for a while. There appeared a concern in her eyes but it was mingled with exhaustion that had been caused by her continuous work today. He continued to look into her eyes for a time that seemed endless to him. He could not deny the way she influenced him even after all those years gave him the strength to fight.
"Ranveer!" he heard her saying loudly.
"Yeah! Ishani, this is very late. You should not have stayed for long," Ranveer said coming out to reality.
"I asked something. Is everything alright? Look at your face!" Ishani said, ignoring his last sentence.
Ranveer hesitated.
"There's some problem in our company. We have lost a large amount of shares in last one week," Ranveer replied after a while.
"Can I help in this?" Ishani said.
"It's not that. I'm not worried about losing shares, there's something else. There is someone in here who is playing with me, probably transferring some secret information to our rival group that is causing the frequent loss these days. And the person I have my doubts on is very close to me. I don't know if my feeling is right but I hope, Ishani, he is not the one. I can't take it," Ranveer said. Ishani could sense a gnawing panic in his voice.
"Ranveer, it's upsetting, I know," said she, not knowing what to say. "Please don't take stress on this. Remember what Papa used to say? Don't close your both eyes in business, because if you do you end up favoring a criminal.' And here too if you don't follow this advice you might face a greater loss. And don't you remember business isn't about emotions, it has to be only business. So, keep one eye open."
Ranveer looked at her and a soft smile came over his face. "I will," he said.
Ishani too smiled. "I think I should be going right now. It's late. You too are going, right?"
Ranveer nodded. "Yes, I'll be leaving now," Ranveer said. "Bye. See you tomorrow."
Tum Se Tum Tak
