IshVeer FF: Of The Soulmates Chapter 53(Page 144) - Page 20

"How can Mr. Watson do this, Ranveer?" Ishani asked Ranveer the next day. "The way he presented himself was silly, and the way he sent someone else to finalize the deal shows a very callous quality of his. If he himself was not in his manners how come he expected me to show any?"

"You are right," Ranveer replied. "He is not very good in business deals and sends his associate, Ms Anya, who you saw yesterday for them. Strange thing is that Mr. Watson not only took over your cafe, but also half of the company you own."

"What do you mean? I mean why do you find that strange? He could have done this because his ego was hurt," Ishani said, confused.

"Look, I have always had my doubts regarding this and truthfully I have no idea if I'm right or wrong. When for the first time I read your interview in one of the magazines I was impressed and hoped to see your progress in a positive way, but there was always something that made you crumble, wasn't it? How come despite all the efforts of yours you never picked up? I was forced to show myself because Mota Babuji's last memory could not be left in oblivion like this. And ever since we have started working together I have noticed there is someone who is not happy with your work and success; someone who wanted you to collapse the day you started working because someone accused you of stealing money from my company when it was done by someone else. I have no idea who this person is, but I'm sure he (or she) found an amazing excuse to destroy you today," Ranveer finished.

Ishani looked at him in shock. "I don't get anything. You mean to say there is someone else who helped Mr. Watson?"  Ishani asked.

Ranveer nodded, "And also there is someone who stole the cafe's papers. How many people did know about them?"

"Only Mr. Khanna, our associate," Ishani said, but looking at the change in Ranveer's expressions she immediately added, "but he's not here. He's busy in his daughter's wedding preparation that lies next month."

"So it perhaps is someone else. Anyway, we can find that out later before that I have something to show you," Ranveer said and took her to the conference room.

 Ishani looked puzzled while Ranveer switched off the lights of the room and signaled her to look at the laptop. Ishani could see various numbers, alphabets and names floating over there that she understood were the shares of the companies in UK because some of them were hers as well. She looked at Ranveer questioningly whose face glowing with a dim blue light was caused by the radiation of the computer screen.

"Look," he said, as Ishani's gaze followed his. "There is the data of today's share market. Can you guess something?"

Ishani looked confused and shook her head.

"It's alright," Ranveer replied. "See, there are these shares that have dropped in market today and the thing is that many of them are of Watson's. Also the good news is that your four shares have picked up; and that is something that was unexpected for him," Ranveer said pointing towards a red arrow on the screen.

"How does that help me? Wait, do you mean it is the time I should go for tit for tat thing as mine are better?"

"Obviously that is what I mean. And the reason Watsons fell so bad is you," Ranveer said.

"I?"

"Yes. When Watson took over your parts in the shares he did not realize there were other shares in which people had invested more that were supposed to rise high and that went against him. He came to believe that taking over any share is going to help him (perhaps your secret enemy did not tell him you were doing better now), and thus in hurry he paved a way for his own failure. Another thing that betrayed him was the products he had brought in the market-- they were defective and he in hurry of making a revolutionary change'- as he said it was- let them come out without enough inspection. As you saw, he's way too hasty and both the times it has turned him down. This is one of his weaknesses that I often use against him, and today again it has worked in our favor," Ranveer ended.

"I never thought it would be easy like this," Ishani said. "It isn't hard anymore, is it?"

"No, it isn't. And having known one's enemy's biggest weakness works wonders," Ranveer laughed.

Ishani stood up when Ranveer switched on the lights of the room and it was again filled with the whitish glow coming from the illuminated bulb. Ishani felt better now but wondered if everything was as easy as Ranveer made it look like. She wanted to ask him, but rejected the idea for the moment.

"It'll be alright," Ranveer said with an assuring look in his eyes.

"I know," Ishani said as she believed everything would be alright.

****

Ranveer came back to his cabin, feeling little better than he had done in last 24 hours. He knew the importance of the company Ishani was running as it was the only memory that kept her closest to her father without any external interruptions and heartaches. He had seen her breaking down at the mere thought of losing it, so he made sure Ishani gets everything of it back as soon as possible.

"Excuse me, sir," Puneet knocked at the door, and at Ranveer's nod he entered the cabin.

"Anything new, Puneet?" Ranveer asked, seeing a different look on his face?

"Your trick worked!" Puneet said. "By the way, did you tell Ms. Parekh that it was you who almost broke the backbone of the Watsons' by eradicating them from our partnership? Watsons had no other reliable support except us."                                    

Ranveer shook his head.

"I did not tell her this." Looking at Puneet's puzzled expressions he continued, "Puneet, Ishani lacks confidence, and she needs to work on it, and you do not get confident by just listening to be confident' by the people around you. Today she has taken a step ahead in breaking the barriers of fear she had created in herself, and soon she won't even need me."

"I don't think so," Puneet said immediately.

"Don't think what?"

"Uh--nothing. I mean she'd probably need you more than you think," Puneet said with an apologetic smile. He had come to understand Ranveer and Ishani better, and even though he made it look like he was unaware of the things going on between the two, he was getting to know the multiple layers of the relationship of Ishani and Ranveer which was supposedly extremely complicated. The sudden response of Ranveer's remark was generated from this awareness and Puneet believed he could not let his boss know what he was getting to know steadily.

****

After two days Ishani successfully took her company back from Watson. She felt proud, amused and a weird feeling of satisfaction crept in her heart. She wondered what Mr. Watson or his partner in crime might be thinking at the moment and she hoped to see their shocked faces at once. She remembered Anya's face and her evilly twisted eyebrows and an amused smile came over her. Ishani later visited the construction site which itself was doing great and the work was progressing rapidly. In one month there had been almost two floors completed with the minor work remaining in places.

"It is a great start indeed," she said giving a sigh of contentment and headed towards RV's office. Ishani wanted to thank him as soon as she reached there. But as she finally arrived at the office and proceeded towards his cabin she heard a loud shrilly voice reaching her ears. It seemed an argument was going on there, she hurried towards the room and the sight filled her with utter disgust and frustration. She saw Anya shouting at Ranveer and Puneet while the two of them stood silently listening to her with an annoyed look on their faces.

"How dare you!" Anya shouted in a dramatic way.  "How the hell could you even dare to exclude us from the partnership when it was meant to be continued for one more year?"

Ranveer still stood silent listening to her.

Anya continued, still in her irritating voice, "You know what, I have seen thousands of people like you come and go. And you are one of those young lads who won't even survive in this hustle for too long and you, Mr. RV, what do you think I know nothing who are you? I do know that you have been a servant your entire life, and even after being the billionaire you look like one. Look at your face for a while how it looks. Earning money and changing your dressing style does not change your mentality and this reputation and standard, and I swear you shall be forgotten in two days in a couple of years.  Just like a bloody worthless servant!"

Ishani clenched her fists as anger ran through every vein of hers, and Ranveer's silence made her want to wreak a horrifying havoc in this woman's life. Ishani knew Ranveer always was like this-- never minded people insulting him but she still felt as irritated as ever with the happenings.

"And you can never rise above your standards," Anya cried loudly when Ishani interrupted her.

"What on earth is wrong with you, woman?" she shouted, surprising everyone in the room.

"Well, well, see who's here!" Anya sneered, her lips pressing in a mocking smile.

"Really? You expected to see me?" Ishani returned. "Oh, and what did you just say about RV's looks, face, status and reputation?"

"Mind your own business, girl! What I said to him is not yours" Anya replied curtly.

"That is exactly what I am doing. And before talking about RV's face and looks, have you ever tried to look into the mirror to see your own reflection? Didn't it ever tell you, your round face looks worse than a broken egg?' didn't it ever show you how one day your cheeks are going intersect each other like two straight lines in mathematics? And your lipstick shade...it's so eww," Ishani said in twisting her lips in a sarcastic laugh.

"How dare you?"

"Ouch! It hurt, right?"

Anya looked at Ishani in frustration as if someone had stolen all the words from her dictionary to curse Ishani.

"And don't tell me you are a native British, because everything about you contradicts this truth or lie. Have you ever heard your own voice? You know what, when you force yourself to speak in British accent, it seems like a zebra is roaring," Ishani said angrily.

The level of Anya's tolerance was at its peak-- which Ishani thought was extremely low-- as she jerked her hand towards Ishani, but Ishani caught it.

"Not this time," she said.

"Ugh! You're too much!" Anya shouted. "Wait! By the evening the entire media will be laughing at you and you are going to lose your status even before you get it."

"Seriously?" Ishani said and laughed. "What are you going to tell them? That Ishani Parekh called you a zebra? That she mocked the way you look? I bet they all will agree with me. Just try once."

Anya seemed to give up on the argument as none of her antics worked with her two new rivals. She banged her hand on the desk in disgust and walked away muttering her usual chants.

After Anya had left Ishani turned towards Ranveer who looked as shocked as Anya had been few moments back. He had not spoken a single word since Ishani started handling Anya but he had once or twice waved his hand to ask Anya to keep quiet.

"What was wrong with you?" Ishani asked Ranveer, still fuming in anger.

"Ma'am," Puneet said, but as Ishani glared at him he shut his mouth and looked at Ranveer helplessly.

Ranveer said nothing.

"Ma'am, she was mad at RV sir," Puneet said without looking into Ishani's eyes.

"I know that. But why two of you had to shut your mouth when the most needed?" and without waiting for an answer she went on, "Is this the way people treat their business partners? I'd have killed her had she not left now."

"She was mad because she no more is a partner of ours as due to huge loss in her business, that I had told you, they could not keep up with us, so I had to rid myself from them," Ranveer said calmly.

"Yes, and RV sir gave her two minutes to justify her loss and why should we still be with them to which she began to talk rubbish; and before she could even complete her 1 minute we had you trashing her mercilessly. That was brilliant, by the way," Puneet chuckled.

"You two are impossible," Ishani said.

"Don't worry, Ishani. It was nobody's insult but hers and she again proved why Watson should fire her," Ranveer said. He felt amused as an old memory of his beautiful days with Ishani returned to him.