MehRya FF: Discovering the Magic Chapter28 pg148 (10/12) - Page 18

Chapter #5

He had to have been tapping the pencil against the notepad for some time, as there were now minute indentations visible on the still empty foolscap.

The tiny divots taunted him: illustrating how absolutely clueless he was in this matter. He didn't even have the evidence that he even knew how to begin the task assigned to him in the in the form of one or two scrunched up sheets of paper strewn haphazardly around his office. At least that would have indicated a level of indecisiveness, but he hadn't even reached that stage yet. Clearly, Shaurya thought, he: the man renowned in the industry for his negotiation skills, for the business acumen that allowed him the ability to broker multi-million dollar deals practically off-the-cuff, couldn't come up with a single f**king justification to convince one special woman that he was worth getting to know. He looked up at the walls of his office at the variety of business awards and magazine covers hanging there, all proofs of how good he was at what he did. Yet, now in a matter that felt akin to life and death to him than any of his past deals had, none of the accolades mean a damn thing. All Shaurya knew was that with time ticking away, he had still yet to find a simple answer to press his case forward with his MS.

So this is what failure felt like he supposed.

The rapt knocking on his door had him raising his head and he called for the person to enter.

"Namaste Shaurya Sir," Hina, his PA greeted him wearing a confused expression.

He nodded to acknowledge her, and waited for the reports she had come to deliver. When she paused with a look of apprehension on her face, he addressed her, "Bolo, Hina."

"Your light...I thought I must have left it on last night...I didn't realize that you would be in so early today. I must have missed your email. I'm sorry. Sir it..."

"There's nothing to apologize for," he said interrupting her spluttering. "There was no email. My coming in was a spur of the moment decision; nothing that you would have been aware of."

A look of relief crossed her face. "Thik hai Sir, here are the reports you will need for the first two meetings. I will just get you your coffee."

********

Inspiring

Ambitious

Industrious

Shaurya raised his head from the notations he was making. She was being far too generous, or should he say too cautious. And this wouldn't help him at all. He decided on another approach.

"So did you watch India's Super Cook, Hina?"

"Of course, Sir: every episode."

"Good, so on the same premise, give me your impressions but only in this setting. Don't overthink it, just tell me the first things that come to mind."

"Charismatic...Egotistical...Cru..."

A strained silence fell, which was finally broken when Shaurya looked up from his writing.

"I'm sorry, Hina, what was that: crude? Or did you mean to say cruel?"

Seated across his desk from him, his young PA looked very much like she was praying for the earth to open up beneath her feet, swallow her and just put her out of her misery. Drolly, Shaurya could understand why, as her list had quickly taken a turn from flattering to the exact opposite. The last indistinguishable word - whichever it actually proved to be - was hardly complimentary, especially when used in describing one's employer.

He averted his eyes to look at the list his PA had thus far offered:

After a minute, he placed the pencil down and looked up at the nervous woman in front of him. He offered her a small smile in hopes of putting her at ease enough to continue, now that it seemed that they were getting to the nitty-gritty of what he needed. "In your time with us Hina, have you found to me to be anything but fair to my workers?"

He smiled when she shook her head to agree with him.

"And that, no matter the methodology or the outcome of any task, that ultimately we strive to maintain a high standard of professionalism?"

"Haan..."

"Excellent. I'm glad you understand that. I just wanted you to be assured that none of the answers you give will have any bearing on your employment with the company." He paused so this fact sank in to the young administrator. "I just really need your complete candidness right now... Please."

His entreaty seemed to have done the trick, as his assistant cheeks had regained some color to them. Still he decided on different track .

"So, on the assumption that you did watch India's Super Cook , and that you did more than for professional reasons, I would really like your frank, your forthright opinions. Did you really watch every show?"

Hina nodded, and then seemingly more at ease, began speaking. "It quickly became a weekly viewing event for a bunch of us; something on the lines of the Game of Thrones parties we have when it airs... actually ISC had some similarities intrigue wise as it got going, in fact at times it seemed that all was missing was the blood and gore."

Shaurya raised an eyebrow at the comparison of the two shows, but nodded for her to continue. "And so, would you say that the list you've provided are opinions based on both your work experience in addition to watching the show with your compatriots."

"Yes Sir."

"Aacha. So, which word was next on your list of how you believe I came across: crude or cruel?"

He noticed again Hina's hesitancy, but before he could comment on it further, she rushed to answer him. "Both Sir, although if I had to select one over the other, I would lean towards the latter."

Cruel then. He added her choice to the list.

"And unfortunately, through your cruelty, your actions did come lead to some rather crude behavior on your part, Sir... It made for some definite conflict amidst our group."

"Bolo," he encouraged, keenly wanting to know what she had to disclose.

"Half of my friends to this day think you a disgusting pig, while the remainder were willing to give you a pass on account that the think you are so hot."

"And your view, Hina?"

She flushed, but did not waver in her response. "Ah, well it's a given you are pleasant enough to look at Shaurya Sir, but I chose to give you the benefit solely because I thought I recognized a performance for what it was. What I saw on the screen what not the Shaurya Khanna as I had come to know. You see, I have always believed that how a man treats his mother is an indicator of his true character. In fact, even when you are at your worst, I would call this to mind...it had gotten me through more than a couple of rough work days to say the least. And so, I thought it all an act. Ratings are the key nowadays, right Sir? But, I really had to draw on this belief though, when I realized that Mehek wasn't following the script, and in reality probably hadn't been on the plan from the beginning. That you were acting so self-servingly was ...disappointing to say the least. After a point I couldn't justify your actions to any of the group... and then, after a while I didn't want to. By then, you had become completely repulsive in my eyes. After that I continued to watch the show mostly for her: to watch her get the better of you. I was never happier than when she won. It was almost as if good had triumphed over evil."

It was Shaurya's turn to be stunned into silence. The young woman across from him had never given any indication of how she felt about him, which was ironic, considering his recent spiel on being professional in the workplace. However, her disclosure had left him feeling decidedly unsettled. Not that he expected nor needed to be liked by his employees, but other than Rajeev, Hina was the one he shared a keener association, by virtue of her duties. And, if he understood her correctly; she apparently had lost some if not all of her respect for him, if not loathing him entirely.

"Under the circumstances, it seems as if I should be grateful that you are still with the company, Hina," Shaurya questioned.

"I couldn't understand it, Sir; I still don't it; somehow deep down it occurred that perhaps you had some reason..." she stopped. Although she had probably been more than forthright than she had ever expected to ever be with her employer, she was prudent enough not to convey the supposition she and many of her peers had come up with: that her boss had been madly, albeit obtusely, attracted to the unpretentious contestant he constantly provoked on the show. If his body language on the talk show he had recently appeared on was any indicator though, when something similar was suggested, voicing this probably wouldn't be accepted kindly. Still, the idea wasn't something she could shake. But she wouldn't press her luck; she needed her job after all.

"Anyway," she continued with a slight smile, "There was still the matter of your mother...it's clear to everyone that she brings out the best in you...and that remained a constant with you. No matter what else you do, Karuna Ma'am manages to humanize you, so I've acted on the theory that deep down, you can't be all that bad."

"So, perhaps there's hope for me after all, you are saying?"

"I would like to think so Sir, for your sake" Hina answered honestly. She then looked at her watch, and stood up. "Your first meeting is in fifteen minutes," she reminded him. "More coffee?"

"Nahi, that's fine."

Taking his silence, as her dismissal, Hina stood and moved to exit. At the doorway, she stopped and turned back. "I wouldn't worry, Sir, I am certain that season two of ISC will be just as successful. But if you need to gather a larger focus group for more feedback, I'm certain I can easily arrange it."

Shaurya smiled ruefully: her views were a good enough start. "I'll definitely take that into consideration, Hina. Thank you for your time and your honesty... it has been very useful."

**********

Mehek didn't think it possible to feel as lonely as she did, that too despite the fact that all of her loved ones had been reaching out to her this morning. She had heard from them all in succession: the first being the extended video call she had had with everyone at home; all of them staying up past the time they should have been abed, to wish her well. In between the call had come the email messages: one from Sonal and a second from the Tripathi family, both wishing her well. Because she had made sure to give herself ample time, she had the time to respond to each, which had led to a promise to call her best friend at the end of the work day, plus a surprise incoming call from Rachna and Kabir who had taken the opportunity to verbally wish her as well.

And then had come the surprise.

She would be lying to say that her heart hadn't skipped a beat at the unexpected room-service delivery. It seemed very much a Shaurya Khanna move, a thought she held onto, until reading the greeting card revealed the procurer of the small floral arrangement and the sweet yogurt dish to be none other than Rajiv Sir.

"To new beginnings... All the best," the card had read, before being signed off by the thoughtful man. It had both made her smile, and settled her in knowing that HE hadn't located her. That was definitely the last thing she wanted to happen.

"Everything is perfect, and today will be the start of an amazing adventure," she reiterated softly to herself.

Yet she still couldn't explain why she felt so bereft; and more peculiarly, disappointed that he hadn't attempted to reach out to her. So much for wanting to be perceived differently. Obviously that too had all been and act, and the KK persona he had projected, completely fake. Now that truth had been revealed, Shaurya Khanna hadn't felt the need to maintain any pretense of the facade he had previously presented.

*Ping*

"Namaste MS: Shaurya here. I expect you are just about to walk out of the door, but I hope you have the chance to see this before you leave. As you can imagine you have been on my mind for much of the day and in particular, I've put a lot of thought into what you've asked of me. Obviously now isn't the time to get into that, but I didn't want you to leave for your first day, without getting a chance to greet you. Basically, I just wanted to let you know that you have the best of my wishes behind you as you begin your mystery assignment. I hope you aren't nervous... just remember they wouldn't have selected you if they didn't already recognize your talent: trust me in that. ... At any rate, my Mom never let me begin anything new without something sweet. I expect your family is the same, so I hope you have had your share already, but just in case you haven't, here's a virtual treat from one friend to another...All the best, Dost."

Gaping at the disarming smile her monitor had frozen on; poleaxed didn't do justice in describing how this unexpected greeting left her feeling. She didn't know what she had expected for, but it certainly wasn't the live video she had just watched. She had no clue who that was; the kindness of man reaching out to her was something she had never witnessed in Shaurya Khanna. Her KK: for certain, she could have expected something like this from him, but never...ever from the businessman who had tortured her endlessly. But there he was: at home, in his own kitchen, offering the sweet dish, probably of his own making to a long-distance friend, as if he really cared. It was a clear charm offensive: an effective one, that had she not known his true nature, she could easily have fallen for, as affably as he had presented himself. In truth, it would have been the perfect gesture: if only he wasn't who he was. Coming from him, she had to consider that it was complete subterfuge, and not be swayed by the kindness he offered.

Still, it was undoubtedly quite a sweet overture, one Mehek could not help pondering over as she took the obligatory spoonful of her own yogurt before she began gathering her things and left for her first day. Damn him for going to such extremes, and confusing her like this.

***********

Venturing to refill her water pitcher, it was a surprised Karuna that discovered her son sitting alone in the dimly lit kitchen, armed with his laptop, finishing off what looked to be a late night snack. Not a large one, by any means, but that it existed at all was shocking enough. Her health-conscious child was fastidious about his diet and painstakingly avoided sweets for the most part: even the simplest, and certainly did not advocate indulging in after-hour treats by any stretch of the imagination. Until tonight.

"Shaurie?"

Shaurya raised his head, and then moved across the kitchen to gather something. Meeting his mother back at the counter he had been leaning on, he took the spoon he just retrieved, with a grin on his face, offered her the last portion of the dessert from his dish. Karuna took it readily and after swallowing, began to address her child.

He interrupted her before she could even start.

"Aren't you always saying that I should partake of something sweet before beginning a new venture, Mom?"

"Haan, beta, but at this hour? What could you be possibly..."

"Just because it's night time here, doesn't mean the remainder of the world is at rest. This was the absolute right time for this."

Karuna immediately understood, and nodded her head. "May I ask then, if it is too soon for your efforts to have borne fruit, Shaury? Has she responded?"

"Nahi Maa, and actually I would be surprised if she did at all, but that's okay too, because if nothing else the timing of your arrival just confirms to me that I have started on the right track. And now, with my biggest asset beside me, I know for sure that my chances of success are very high."

Grinning he took the pitcher from his mother and turned to fill it for her, leaving the perplexed woman to stare at him in confusion.

He was talking in riddles, Karuna thought, but at least was far more sure of himself than he had been at the beginning of the day. As a mother, that meant the world to her. His happiness was everything to her, and she would always offer her support to him, even should it only be her presence that was required, as he had indicated.

"Come Mom, it's past time that you rested," Shaurya stated when he had returned to her. He nodded to her and began escorting her through the quite house, turning off the lights as they followed the route towards their bedrooms. At her bedroom door, he passed her the carafe and bade her goodnight with a light kiss to her forehead. Simultaneously he received what he had prayed for.

*Ping*

At this time of night, it could only be MS responding, so it looked as if he was off to a half way decent beginning. Whether she chose to thank him or curse him was yet to be determined, but at least she hadn't ignored him completely... and for now that's all he cared about...With a bit of luck, as he had been told earlier, there was hope for him after all.