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The end of love, the start of pain
Isha wished her clients good-bye as they got up to leave. Clearly, confusion was written across their faces as they exited the conference room. She just hoped that after the must needed convincing they leave the superstitious bs alone. Yash and Reshma were meant for each other. It was so damn obvious and Isha knew it. Being in the field for a really long time now, she knew that her feeling about this couple was right. Although Ashish was also doing his job by making them aware of what their horoscopes said.
After the room was empty, Ashish smiled at her and came close to her. She was feeling extremely uncomfortable at being such close proximity in the office.
"I have to do something Ashish...I'll see you later" She slipped out of the conference room before anything occurred.
--
The coffee seemed heavenly as Isha sat in their little cafeteria. Her nerves were still tensed from the little encounter with Ashish and not in a good way. She didn't know why but she never let him come close to her. Shrugging those thoughts aside, she continued sipping on her coffee.
Huzeifa walked in to get his regular coffee and seeing Isha there he had to talk to her. "Isha, India Marriages' CEO has invited us for their annual party. Did you hear about it?"
"Hmm. Huzeifa, I'm still not going to change my decision about them. This is my company and I don't want any other company to take over...and that's final"
"Isha, you know Mr.Kohli called himself to invite us for the party. You know he was merely in his teens when he lost his father..."
"Yes Huzeifa, you've told me this many times. Don't worry; I am not going to mind... you can go to the party"
"Okay but we have to give our answer by tomorrow noon...so promise you will at least think about it. It's a big deal for them to approach us".
Isha nodded her head in agreement and Huzeifa disappeared from there. He was such a cutie and he was acting like he was going to get his favourite toy. She smiled as she sipped onto her coffee.
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Rohan and Isha desperately tried to solve Vabhav and Sapna's issues with their relationship. Isha clearly told them that they are in this together and they had to solve it out together. Vabhav had got a job in Australia and he wished to go. Sapna, on the other hand, was an upcoming designer and wished to stay in Mumbai and pursue fashion designing here. Although, Vabhav was going for only a couple of years, they still couldn't come up with a solution.
"How about Sapna stays here for a couple of months, and there for some?" Rohan proposed that idea too.
They both thought about it and maybe it would work too.
"Hmm... maybe something like this could happen. I can ask my company about this and work on this" Vabhav said in a positive tone. First time throughout the entire meeting, they both were agreeing on it.
So there was still hope.
Tired from meetings after meetings, Rohan and Isha came into Rohan's cabin to discuss if Vabhav and Sapna be successful in making their relationship survive and suddenly the conversation turned towards Ashish.
"What do you mean?" Isha was nervous all of a sudden. She hadn't told anyone else about their little affair, especially Rohan. She knew he didn't like Ashish so there was no point telling him anything else. "I mean, do you like him?" Rohan asked.
"Don't you think that it's my personal life? It's none of your business Rohan".
"And no there's nothing in between Ashish and I. I'll see you later"
Isha escaped from there. It seemed like she was running away from this topic.
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Rohan knew that leaving Rishta was just impossible. It was his company so how could Vinay from India Marriages propose such a preposterous idea. They were, of course, the biggest matchmaking company in India and along with slowly spreading in the UAE. He was thoroughly impressed with their proposal about taking over Rishta.com and achieving new heights with them. He knew that if he discussed it with Isha, Ruchika, and Huzeifa (although he was already agreeing with the proposal), he could make this happen.
The evening's cool breeze felt pleasant to Rohan as he sipped on his drink at the bar. It was Mr.Kohli's party, the CEO of India Marriages, and he was nowhere to be seen. Sometime ago, he did come to talk to Rohan and rather swiftly disappeared. Poor Huzeifa was hunting everywhere for him.
A chuckle escaped from this mouth and he almost choked on his drink. He looked up from the bar and saw a girl standing all by herself. And because he is Rohan, he had to do the infamous eyebrow lift. He gulped his strong drink in one go and proceeded to go towards her.
He saw Huzeifa running past him towards the structural part of the house. He was a weird guy, intelligent beyond measures, talented and creative, and not to forget stubborn. Rohan was never sure how he ended up becoming friends with him but he just did. Rohan, Isha, Huzeifa, Ruchika were a team....they never knew each other properly but when they all came together, they just clicked!
He was pissed off because Ashish had become a part of that team. He just didn't click with them...or him. Earlier today, he had seen Ashish talking or rather getting too comfortable to one of his "clients". He suspicion grew after that and he was sure that he and Isha had something going on.
Ignoring this sprouting topic he walked on.
He looked towards where the girl had been standing...she was gone. Another night wasted and that too with Huzeifa, Rohan thought. Speaking of whom, Rohan went looking for him to see if he was alright. He marched up the stairs and saw him walking swiftly out of the house. He was pretty mad and he was already taking his bow tie off.
"Huzeifa, are you alright?" Rohan hadn't seen him mad like that. Not even when Ruchika fails to meet his deadlines, or when Rohan is late, or when anyone touches his precious laptop.
"Yeah, we are done. Let's go home" he announced.
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Huzeifa had been typing furiously on his laptop. His mac, his baby. He had no sleep last night and the 5 cups of coffee did not help at all! Only Sally knew how much wrath she has had to take from the past couple of hours.
Still not getting the figures right, he slammed the file on the table and leaned back. The unbearable headache was just one of many things that were bothering him. The due project file, the proposal by India Marriages, and his headache and to top it off the kind of face he saw of his idol.
He still couldn't believe that the man he idolized was so cheap. Sure he had done some exceptional stuff when everyone thought he would fail, but what he saw last night completely blew his mind. Wow, a man can change that much in his lifetime.
Huzeifa only wanted to remember his struggle and decided not to remember anything else. And they
had to give an answer by noon...and Huzeifa at least knew his answer. He did not want success to go to his head and he definitely did not want to end up like Mr.Kohli. He was just too content with his life and wanted to keep it that way. Success. Maybe they weren't just ready for that step.
But, in the end, it was Rohan and Isha who had to decide the final decision. And they both were standing at the extreme ends of this deal. He just didn't know how he would manage to get them to agree. Then, after finishing his 6th cup of coffee, he realized what he had to do.
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Rohan did not realize what made him stand up and yell at Ashish or was it Huzeifa he was yelling at? He still was confused about what made him draw the last string. Something just tugged hard and yanked at his heart. Huzeifa had betrayed him by supporting him till yesterday but now, he too left him in the middle of nowhere. His friends, his team, his colleagues, they were just backstabbing him one by one.
Ruchika was just not ready for this deal from the beginning; Huzeifa, who backed out at the last moment was a shocker for Rohan. Isha was not ready to listen to anyone. She had been lying to him about Ashish from the very beginning. Ashish was slowly taking his place in her life. He couldn't tease her anymore, annoy her, and just be plain friends with her anymore. He felt as if she didn't belong to him anymore. It was an emotion he couldn't explain. At that moment, he realized that everything had changed and he couldn't do anything about it.
"Huzeifa, you were ready for this deal till yesterday, and now you are saying NO!" Rohan stood up abruptly, causing everyone to gasp in shock. The entire boardroom was staring at him.
"Why the heck did you pretend to support me till yesterday!"
"Rohan, chill we can talk about this..." Ashish cut him off and maybe that was it for Rohan to lose it!
"You shut up, I'm talking to my team, and you don't belong here, Stay out of it!" he declared loudly.
"Rohan, how can you talk to him like that...Show respect and decency" Isha yelled to match it tone.
Rohan knew at that time that he had lost this battle and his friends forever. He threw the file away and left the board room. Dejected, he knew that whatever transpired between him and Isha will stay fresh in memory...forever!
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Isha was sitting in her cabin, thinking over the events that happened, especially the fight between her and Rohan. It had never been this bad between them; she still couldn't understand why Rohan was acting to childish. She was really mad at him and it never occurred to her that she might be one of the reasons. She was lost and confused.
Her phone rang and Vabhav's name was flashing on the screen. She was not in the mood to pick his phone up, she had issues in her own life to deal with but she knew that would be wrong on her part. She forced herself to talk on the phone. Just barely audible, but she managed.
"Isha, Rohan, I didn't know if you are together, but I put you both on conference call. Sapna and I have decided to call it quits. It's not going to work when we know that both of us wanted something else and she had to compromise because of me. She is a great person, but we were meant to be together until now, but from here, we have to go on our separate ways. She won't be happy there, and I won't be happy here. Thanks for supporting us till here."
He hung up the phone and Rohan knew that somehow, Vabhav had unknowingly given him the answer to his restlessness. He had to do this! He dialled Vinay's number.
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"Huzeifa, why did you call?" Isha was still in her cabin, sitting in the position. It seemed like today was just going to be one blow after another in her life.
"I have said no to India Marriages, I was trying Rohan, but he is not picking up so yeah...That's it"
"Okay Huzeifa, I know he is mad, but he will over it soon"
Little did Isha know he was not going to be over this...Never!
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