She was sitting on that eloquent plush chair and was waiting with bated breath. Her excitement was palpable and her smile, blinding. This, was the moment.
"It's been years since I have loved you. All that I want is to have you beside me all my life. In other words, Prerna Sharma, will you-"
His words were interrupted by a loud bang. She ignored it.
She looked into his deep, beautiful eyes expectantly.
"Will you -"
Say it already!
The bang was louder.
She ignored it.
"Will I what?" she prompted.
Bam!
"What the eff!" she said leaping up with a start out of her bed. Her heart beat crazily and she looked around wildly her hair all tousled from the sleep.
Seeing it was her bedroom door that was being banged, she thought she'd inquire the banger what was the motivation behind their decision of breaking her door open early morning.
She was sure she was going to yell at the commotion creator loud!
Why?
Well, they disturbed her SLEEP. That sleep, which she adored above all. Maybe not all. There are some things that she really did love more than sleep. Like those nougat chocolates. And those gummy bears! And then there was Pani Puri! Could she ever say no to that? That was her first love!
And then she was dreaming about being proposed to marriage by Chris Evans! He, finally after some series of dreams which involved her chasing him relentlessly, gave in and was proposing to her today! These dreams, were a personal secret. She discussed them with no one which obviously is what is meant by a personal secret. She was a huge fan of Chris Evans! But the dreams were only a reflection of her likes and thoughts. Not that she was a crazy woman who would stalk a man to no end. No judging please.
To top it all off, the time was just ten past six in the morning. What did the banger want?
She undid the latch and opened the door with unnecessary force to create effect. She was annoyed. She had to make the banger aware.
It was their housekeeper, Shyamala. A woman of 70, Shyamala had been a part of their family since as long as she could remember. She was the cook and the housemaid. She was family and Prerna loved her to no end. She and her sorry excuse of a brother called her Shyamu.
"Shyamu! Will you please care to explain why you are trying to break down my door?" she said, her eyebrows scrunched, her hands on her hips.
As a reply she got a newspaper thrust in her face.
She rolled it out and there it was, stated in big emboldened letters
THE COUNTRY'S BIGGEST CORPORATIONS CALL FOR MERGER
And below it was a photograph of the CEOs of the two companies smiling at the camera.
She knew this information alright. One of the merging companies was where she worked. They have all worked for weeks on end to get this merger through. And yesterday an official announcement was made.
Prerna was an IIM B graduate with top credentials and grades. It was no wonder that she got into one of the best companies of the countries, the Kashyap Group, with not much effort. But she did make a lot of effort in her job and had quickly risen up the ranks of authority. She was now the proud Head of the Corporate Finance office. She loved her job and was proud of herself for being there. It took her a lot of struggle.
This piece of information interested her alright. What was it that interested Shyamu?
She looked at her, her eyebrow raised.
"Mubu!" she said, her voice laced with pride. Yeah. Mubu was her pet name. Don't laugh. "It's you!"
She pointed at a misshapen red coloured body in the background. It was difficult to even make out that it was a human body. It was in the farthest corner of the photo. She hadn't, obviously, noticed it yet.
But Shyamu had. And she smiled at Prerna with pride.
Prerna smiled back with pure adoration. "Shyamu!" she purred, hugging her and kissing her on her cheek. "I love you! And I promise I will be here one day!" she said, pointing at the picture of the CEO.
"Of course, Mubu." Shyamala said, her eyes teary. "Shall I get you tea?"
Prerna gave an excited nod and Shyamala scurried off into the kitchen to make tea for her. Her tea was the best!
Prerna sat on the sofa in the living room and began reading the article.
'Kashyap Group of Industries and Malhotra Group have decided to come together for the merger of their Telecommunications Segment. It was late, yesterday evening that the CEOs of the two Companies have arranged a press meet and made a formal declaration of the merger. They said the merger was going to bring some drastic changes in the telecommunications industry, which they assured, would benefit the common consumer. They also went on to inform that the merger was a mutually beneficial one and was very much in line with the Prime Minister's Make In India initiative. There were however, the CEOs of both the companies stated, a lot of internal matters to be settled.
Keshav Kashyap stated, "The merger would benefit the whole of Indian Economy and its common consumer in an unprecedented way. We are taking up all our efforts to ensure the benefits of the synergy that, we, as an alliance, have discovered, will be passed on to every consumer."
Dheeraj Malhotra went on to state," The main motivation fuelling this merger is, as Mr. Kashyap has clearly stated, the economies of synergy. But we also strongly stand by the Prime Minister's Make In India initiative. Telecommunications being one of the most booming sectors of the country and one of the high GDP garners, can play a huge role in this initiative. And this merger is a concerted effort towards it. It can work wonders for the economy."
For anybody in the dark, it was only recently that the eldest son of Dheeraj Malhotra, Akash Malhotra and the youngest daughter of Keshav Kashyap, Preeti Kashyap, have tied the knot. Many suggest the marriage was to strengthen the merger.
According to many Trade Analysts, this merger indeed was a beneficial one and carried many merits to it. What actually happens is a matter to be seen.
FOR FURTHER NEWS TURN TO PG 6'
On page six was a detailed analysis of what all could be the benefits of the merger to the respective companies, to the country's economy, to its public and the Prime Minister's initiative.
Prerna read through all of it, though she knew majority of it all, sipping her tea.
This was a big merger in the industry. It would definitely arouse rival reactions. However they wouldn't pose a major threat to the alliance. These were two top companies.
And with the merging happening, the employees of both the companies were pushed to work to no end. She had to report at the office in two hours.
She finished up her tea and went off to get ready.
An hour later, she found her dad working out in a jolly manner in tune with the music blaring from the music system and her mom reading the newspaper with the urgency and seriousness of a reader reading a mystery novel. Her brother didn't get up still. She expected nothing better. Lazy fellow.
"Don't pore over it so much, you will burn a hole into it." she said, approaching the dining table where her mom sat and served some toast and egg for herself.
Her mom was a Chartered Accountant and she had a thriving practice.
Her dad waved a genial hi to her across the hall and smiled at her. Prerna smiled back. He was a retired Government officer. He had worked with the Central Excise department.
"It's about the merger." Her mom replied.
"Oh! It interests you also! Only this morning Shyamu banged the door of my room down to tell me this lump of body is me." Prerna said, laughing and pointing.
Her mom laughed too. "I am reading because I want to know what my daughter is upto. She doesn't tell me much these days. Being so busy with work."
"I know right, mom! I am sorry. This is keeping me super busy!"
"I understand. You know, Prerna, your dad and I," she started only to be interrupted.
Her dad shook his head across the room in horror. "Not me!" he said.
Giving him a filthy look Prerna's mom rephrased her sentence, "only ME then, was thinking whether it's time you got married."
"What! No!" Prerna said, aghast. "I am only -"
"Twenty Six. You are twenty six. You should already get married."
"Nonsense mom. There is no right age for getting married."
"I know! But you don't even have a boyfriend!"
"You must be the first mom in the world that complains her kid doesn't have a boyfriend." Prerna said, rolling her eyes.
"I was thinking," her mom started again hesitantly, looking shifty.
Wait. This was funny behaviour. What was going on? Her mom was never hesitant.
"You were thinking what?" Prerna asked, her eyes narrowing in suspicion.
"Are you lesbian?" her mom asked, damn serious.
Prerna laughed. "No, mom! I crush over Chris Evans. Remember?"
"Ah! Should have thought. Anyway, give marriage a thought."
"Not any time soon," Prerna declared. "I have got to rush. Bye Mom, bye dad." she said giving her mom a kiss.
She got her car out of the garage, a shiny black Honda City she was very proud of. She called it Harry Potter. She loved Harry Potter and she loved her car.
She sped her vehicle, driving a little over the limit. Only a limit. It was okay sometimes. She would make sure she didn't hurt anybody. She was a confident driver. She had only fifteen minutes left and she had to drive upto the new office. The office premises changed to a new place, a mile away from her usual office. It was bought for the purpose of the merger.
There were five minutes left now. She manoeuvred her way through the speeding vehicles and was about to take a left.
And then, it happened.
She heard a loud bang and felt a massive thrust from behind, making her lurch forward in her seat. Her head hit the steering and the air bags already popped out. She shut the car off and checked herself for any injuries. She seemed fine.
Who the hell was this! That hitter hit her CAR! She had to check on the car as well. She got down form the car, her hair all messy, getting ready to yell her lungs off.
Thankfully, the lane was a relatively emptier one and she wasn't holding up any vehicles. She hated it when people started fighting on the road and held the whole traffic up. There were no vehicles here. Except her car and the hitter's vehicle.
She stomped her way to the back of her car. Clear, massive dent and ugly scratches. Rs. 80000 repair, for sure.
She banged the door of the hitter's car. It was a freaking Audi, black but that gave the hitter no right to hit.
And he had the indecency to just sit in his car after hitting another one with it. Is he crazy! What if she died?
The car owner got down, his movement lithe and graceful.
He was tall. He could be intimidating. His height was such. 6 feet probably
But Prerna was no less. She was 5' 8" and she stared back into the cold face of the hitter putting on her deadliest glare. His face was arrogant. Or maybe not.
The hitter's face was not even that cold looking. She was just being prejudiced. He looked fine. Like a gentleman. Nice gentleman. But he caused damage to her Harry Potter and to her also, almost. No excusing him. He had to apologise.
And pay for the expenses. Yeah. That too.
The guy removed the GUCCI glasses that framed his face and gave her a look mingled with irritation and impatience.
And then, it changed to shock.
Prerna scrunched her eyebrows. And then it hit her. All of a sudden!
Her face mirrored the expression of her hitter. Shock.
She knew that face so well!
And he was no gentleman.
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