Page 79 of Since the Night We Met
Siya focused back on the matter at hand. ‘Yes, to bring out the sapphire touch. Along with those, these are a set of Colombian emeralds we’ve acquired for the auction,’ she said, placing a black velvet box of emeralds.
‘I must say, these are remarkable pieces, Mr Kashyap,’ Aagman said, turning toward Kartik.
There was a murmur of interest and Kartik nodded. ‘This is why I’ve decided to make Shyamlal our primary supplier for this launch moving forward. His consistency and quality is unparalleled and—’
Abhay interrupted smoothly, ‘Before we make a decision, we’d like to show you something.’ He reached into the folder and pulled out copies of the inspection report.
‘These emeralds are not from Shyamlal’s collection. We sourced them from a vetted, independent supplier in Jaipur, Prateek Gem Traders.’
Displeasure was evident on Kartik’s face as he scoffed. ‘Are we to change our supplier now, Siya?’
Before Siya could answer, Dhruv cut in. ‘I sent Shyamlal’s emeralds in for testing and they failed the lab tests. Under the misleading advertisement of rare and natural stones, he was providing us treated gemstones with forged documentation.’
There was a beat. Then, Kartik arched his brow and asked, ‘You did what?’
The room suddenly felt colder and not because of the air conditioner. Siya had seen the risk of making her father angry but this plan was the best option they had. He couldn’t do anything once the investors signed off on the vendors. As everyone poured over the reports, her nerves fluttered.
‘I suspected they were being treated so I sent them in for an urgent quality inspection,’ Dhruv said, holding his gaze.
‘Shyamlal’s reputation is widely known so that can’t be right,’ Kartik said in a reprimanding tone. Siya hated that Dhruv was at the receiving end of his glare so she chimed in to gain his attention.
‘It is. The evidence is right in front of you,’ Siya insisted.
Kartik’s mouth pressed into a thin line, but he said nothing when he saw angry stares from investors directed at him.
Jaanhvi asked, ‘Kartik, how could you miss that? This isn’t clerical oversight. This could have caused a scandal for all of us.’
His jaw flexed as he said, ‘We’ve had a long relationship with Shyamlal and never had any complaints. His craftsmanship is unmatched!’
‘We can see clear proof of that,’ Kunal remarked, pointing at the treated stones. ‘You’re managing suppliers like family friends, not business associates. At some point, that is bound to become a liability.’
‘That may be exactly the issue. You seem to be getting soft in your old age, Kartik.’
‘I mean it might be time to stop managing vendors with your gut. Or maybe you should consider if someone else ought to make such crucial decisions,’ Aagman remarked with a smirk, and gestured to Siya.
‘Well,’ Kartik said with a soft, rueful chuckle but his palm clenched into a fist. ‘Ever since Abhay and Siya announced their marriage, I suppose I’ve started thinking more like a father than a businessman. Anyway, good catch all three of you.’
She blinked, her mind scrambled. She searched his eyes for the glint of veiled reprimand but found none of it. He was genuinely smiling at her, and it terrified her.
‘They certainly managed the fallout well. Honestly, it’s a wonder that the launch timeline hasn’t taken a hit.’
‘Are you confident this new supplier will meet our tight deadline?’ Kunal insisted.
‘Yes, I’ve spoken to them directly. They understand the stakes and have committed to full delivery on time.’
‘Good job,’ Aagman said.
‘We wouldn’t have been able to do this without Dhruv. He made sure every step held up under pressure and personally curated the list of suppliers,’ Siya said.
Dhruv seemed taken aback at her praise, and a sliver of guilt crawled through her as she thought back to all the times she’d taken a jab at him. She couldn’t remember if she’d ever praised, or even acknowledged his best work.
‘I’m glad this has come to a fruitful conclusion,’ Jaanhvi said.
‘In that case, I’ve got another meeting to get to. I’ll see you all at the auction,’ Kunal said, standing up and buttoning his jacket.
Everyone followed suit and after bidding them goodbye, Siya turned to gather her things until she heard Kartik say her name.
Here it is, she thought to herself, bracing for the hit of his harsh words, and turned around to face him. His smile caught her off guard.
