Translucence II - Complete - Page 28

Chapter 36:

The collective exhaustion of several weeks overbore the events of the day making him look haggard and five years older. He was slopping unceremoniously in his chair and seeing a newscast which the business channels were running for the third time in last two hours.

A red and white ticker also told the story of Khurana Capital finding an investor in Deshmukh and an Asian bank making them recover from the impending bankruptcy. He fathomed that no one that day would look at the ticker given how they were seeing the heir of Khurana Group being announced at their headquarters. The father and daughter speech was touching, he noted.

His refusal to attend the formal declaration wasn't thought as an aberration; he was rescuing Khurana Capital after all.

Satya came in with a bottle with amber liquid and Emily carrying three glasses. The three had put in more than what they could deliver and had managed to save few hundred jobs. Khurana Capital's share value had slumped to an all-time low and no one would even touch it with their stick. Fixing that would be the next step, as Maan assumed his job was going to be.

The pattern of drinking after a long day of work had sent in since they started haggling with every small vendor in Khurana Heavy Transport. Satya picked Emily and they both came to his cabin with scotch and glasses after a particularly draining day; moral draining was what the three were incredibly scared of.

The osmosis of their personal propaganda with industry know how left a bitter taste in their mouths; especially after signing off a contract.

Maan took the empty glass from Emily with a nod. Satya poured the liquid seven seconds later wordlessly.

Victories were overrated; they were now a mere measure of moral dilution.

"I didn't know Dileep Khurana was capable of crying," Emily remarked watching the formal announcement of heir to Khurana Group on television. "I don't think I have ever seen him show any sort of emotion in public," she said thoughtfully.

"Masking his emotions is one of his biggest assets Emily. However off late he his giving in to his age and is extremely reactive to his environment. Varun had a cut on his forehead when father threw something at him in anger. It was one of the times when he had totally lost control," Maan replied.

"Were you surprised when he chose Mitalee as his heir?" Satya asked. Maan shook his head.

"Mitalee is the most stable of us all; she has been in this industry for a while with solid academic background backed with the contacts she has built over years. It's remarkable the way she worked for Khurana Capital and handled JCI solo." Maan said and gulped the remaining contents of the glass in one shot.

"When do we start the transfer?" Emily asked softly.

"Soon," Maan said immediately. "We are prepared for this already right?" Maan asked. Emily and Satya exchanged a look.

As per the contract Maan signed with his father, Khurana Capital would be formally handed over to Khurana Group once the recovery process of the company was completed. As a strategic measure, he had relocated a vast number of employees if at all they filed for bankruptcy. Satya had drawn up contracts for all the employees, barring the three of them, for a plausible relocation post acquisition activities. Maan was glad that Dileep had accepted the terms without much hassle. Now that the company was in a path of recovery, employees had let out a sigh of relief.

"Yes we are prepared for it. Documentation and paperwork is available we need to make minor changes and then present it to the chairman. We have a month with us till Mitalee becomes officially the chairman to Khurana group." Satya replied.

"Not a day over week Satya," Maan said in a final tone. Satya nodded.

"What do we do next?" Emily asked tentatively. It was a question that was swimming in their minds for quite some time now and Emily was the first one to voice it out loud.

"You don't want to continue here?" Maan asked raising an eyebrow. He poured himself and Satya another drink and waited for Emily's answer.

"Will you continue to work here?" She asked walking back from the bay windows to the coffee table.

"I don't think so," Maan replied. Emily's hand that was pouring a drink stalled mid action. She looked up at Maan first and then slid her glance to Satya. "I don't think I can continue in Khurana Group anymore," he added and sipped the drink.

"Why can't you?" Emily asked nestling herself amidst sofa pillows.

"I don't know Emily. I honestly thought about it and have been thinking about it since Deshmukh's deal came through."

"But that was almost a month ago Maan," Emily replied.

"I just know that I cannot continue here. It has nothing to do with being heir or anything, honestly. It's suffocating and makes me claustrophobic." Maan twirled the liquid in glass and stared intently at the dissolving ice.

"What is suffocating you sir – Khurana Group or the industry?" Satya asked.

"I think it's both," Maan replied after handful of moments.

Satya stared at the drink in his hands and Emily looked away from the two men sitting across her. Everything that had to be done was done and now, nothing was left to do or even talk about.

"What about you two?" Maan asked a minute later, looking at Satya.

"The things we did in last two years has been tremendous educative and an experience people would take years to build. Satya, your portfolio would allow you access in any industrial domain. Once the word spreads out that you are in market shopping, they will flock you," Maan said chuckling.

"I am not too sure about that," Satya shook his head vigorously. Maan caught Emily's eye and winked at her. She grinned in response. "I will come to you asking for work once you settle down somewhere," Satya shrugged.

"Or you can actually go find a new job for yourself or continue your position in Khurana Capital," Emily rolled her eyes.

"I don't think I can work in Khurana Group if Maan isn't around. Trust me Emily, bureaucracy here will choke you. I have been there before," Satya said, nostalgic. "I am not sure how much Mitalee can influence over the top management of every company under Khurana Group but knowing Vikram, he will be highly uncooperative in future and Varun would likely follow Vikram around like before. Vikram was just usurped from the chairman post by his younger sister and he is going to start his own battle using Khurana Group as the ultimate prize." Satya's voice had lost the edge by the end.

"No one cares for the way a business operates anymore Emily. After certain number of years in the industry, a company matures and starts taking back step in tenders and contracts where they once fought tooth and nail for. Years into the industry make people follow the pattern a company would too; reputation, power and influence." Satya added on.

"So you don't know, right?" Emily asked Satya point blank. Satya nodded.

"I don't understand why you two are acting as if you have slaved half of your life to this industry to be this preachy. Come on Maan, you are what, two years into this one and you -" she pointedly stared at Satya, "- are six years into this industry." Emily rolled her eyes.

Maan and Satya exchanged smile invariably.

"What are you going to do?" Satya asked Emily.

"I'll find something awesome I'll assure you that." Her confidence was now just endearing to both men to her chagrin.

Maan poured one last drink to three glasses and raised his glass in a toast. The other two mimicked him immediately.

"To old friends, absent adversaries, new beginnings and forgotten didactics; may each one of us find the path to get out of this labyrinth."

"Cheers."

-- o00o --

Six months later

She noticed the change in atmosphere when she saw couple of nurses whispering. A flushed nurse gushed about the flirty patient who had whispered to her words of silk and honey and reduced her to a puddle of goo.

Geet rolled her eyes as she walked along the VIP corridor.

"Is everything alright?" She asked kindly to a new intern who was standing in front of a ward and looking at the door blankly.

"Yes doctor. Everything is fine. These wards are little overwhelming," the young new doctor looked at the floor. Geet smiled at her.

"I felt the same when I joined here first, you know? But just think about the way you see a hotel; based on the kind of rooms charges apply," Geet shrugged. "Let's go in together now, shall we?" Geet said pushing the door open.

"Missed me already?"

Geet rolled her eyes at that. The intern blushed.

"Why are you here Maan?" Geet asked flopping on a chair next to bed. Intern looked startled but was glad that she was ignored by the patient and also by her senior.

"I'll take it from here," Geet gently said to the intern who fled the moment Geet dismissed her.

"I am here because Emily is being an absolute witch. I swear I've never made her slave like this when I was her boss," Maan complained. Geet burst out laughing.

"You are hiding here?" Geet asked once her laugh reduced to mere chuckles.

"Obviously. Poor Satya isn't lucky as me. He is sucking it up," Maan said happily. "At least there is one person she can boss on and when I go back, she will be half angry too."

"Look at the bright side - you are only helping her move in Maan. Once that's done she won't be your boss anymore," Geet chirped.

"That's a comforting thought. I don't know why she refused professional movers and packers though. I mean the bank she works for is paying astronomical amount for the flat already," Maan shrugged.

"You know how Emily is obsessive of her stuff and besides I think that she just wants to spend more time with us given how all are schedules are splattered all over the map," Geet said. Maan didn't respond.

"Oh please, speak for yourself." Maan waved his hand dramatically making Geet smile amused. "Unlike you three, I never have conflicts when it comes to making plans. I am always free in the evenings or whenever you call me." Maan said.

"That is because you are treating BARC as your new playground. Being physicist there gives you a little edge over all of us," Geet grumbled. "Satya has it worse than me though," she added as an afterthought.

"Collaborating with Maya Handa – man, I hadn't seen that one coming," Maan sighed.

"Anyway, how long have you planned to camp out here?" Geet asked twirling the small gold band on her finger. In the last four months, it had become a habit for her to twirl the gold band whenever she was distracted or when she chatted with an old friend.

"I'll be gone by evening," Maan said grinning. "If Emily asks about my whereabouts – lie, deny, confuse or whatever. But please don't answer here. Okay?" Maan looked little desperate.

"I will do so. I will drop by later, okay?" Geet asked standing up.

"See you soon," Maan waved her.

And identical gold band on his finger twinkled as he waved her good-bye.

Life was good.

The End.

Music companion for the day: Cruel and beautiful world by Grouplove