Page 66 of Since the Night We Met
‘Thank you, Namita,’ he offered with a smile.
Abhay rounded a corner, making a beeline for the conference room when his phone rang. He answered the incoming call from Raghav. When he gave a grunt as a greeting,Raghav snickered. ‘This is why I hate it when it’s my turn to wake you up. You’re such a grumpy caveman when you’re sleepy.’
‘When do you ever wake me up?’ Abhay inquired.
‘Never before, because I always find a way out of it and leave it to Luv to suffer your verbal lashings, but Meera had to head to the university early so I’m it.’
‘You’re off the hook,’ Abhay said, pressing the button to call the elevator. ‘I’m already at the office.’
‘What?’ Raghav asked, shock evident in his voice.
‘Don’t be dramatic, Raag,’ Abhay warned.
Raghav instead chose to double down on the drama. ‘Marriage has changed you, made you responsible. Now how will I live my life on the edge without your tardiness and the magical inability to tell time?’
‘There’s no need to get me pissed off at you. If you want me to punch you, just say the word.’ Abhay walked out of the elevator and made his way to the conference room at the far end.
Raghav waved off his threat. ‘Mihu also wanted me to check up on both of you and see if you guys would like to grab dinner together. How are you and Siya?’ he asked, sobered up.
‘Yeah, we’re good enough. Hey, listen, I’m heading into a meeting right now. We’ll see you,’ Abhay said, walking into the room behind his design team.
As soon as he entered, he caught Shyamlal Sisodia yelling into his cell phone but in a hushed tone, insisting that Kartik be put on the line immediately. But when he saw Abhay walk up to the head of the polished glass table, he quickly disconnected thecall, and greeted him. ‘Good morning, Mr Agrawal. It's such a beautiful day today, isn’t it?’
Every nerve in Abhay went on high alert. Suspicion settled in his gut like a stone. Something in his cordial smile seemed forced and sweet. He made a mental note to keep an eye on him.
***
Siya rushed up to the conference room a few minutes late, but paused at the door when coffee sloshed over the edge of the mug. Despite taking pride in her punctuality, she’d needed the nap more than anything else. She’d stayed up all night finalising the designs for today.
The fatigue hadn’t vanished entirely, but it dulled enough so she could focus. Thank god for coffee… and Abhay.
Before she could talk herself out of it, she quickly tapped a thank you message to him and sent it. She pushed the door open and came face to face with his smile as he read her text. She looked away before he could catch her eye, but a flutter of nerves whirled in her stomach. She took a seat across from him.
Of course, he couldn’t let it be. Her phone buzzed on the glass tabletop and she read the blinking message on the screen.
Do I get any rewards with this thank you? I’d feel even more appreciated.
She pressed her lips together, fighting a smile. He looked at her expectantly but she found it safer to take the bait.
Clearing her throat, Siya gestured for Shyamlal to begin. Tall and broad-shouldered in a neatly ironed charcoal suit, Shyamlal stood and walked to the big screen. His salt-and-pepper hair was combed back meticulously, and his bejewelled tie pin glittered in the afternoon sun. Shyamlal gestured to the screen with his hands and Siya noticed the bejewelled rings adorning his fingers.
‘Let me begin by introducing myself since there are new players in the game. I have been a silent partner in a prestigious gemstone export house named Glintstones for the last decade, and we’re offering an exclusive set of rare, natural Colombian emeralds.’
As he spoke about how they could use the gemstones in their designs, Siya ran her eyes over his proposal. While the professional shots of the gemstones from different angles was a treat to look at, his proposal lacked any information on lab certifications and origin source documentation.
She turned her attention back to Shyamlal, hoping he’d mention it in his speech, but when he ended it with a dramatic bow, Siya realised his pitch was all bells and whistles, with no substance underneath.
She stole a glance at Abhay and he was tapping his chin, looking unconvinced.
‘That’s an impressive presentation,’ Abhay said, leaning back in his chair. ‘But could we also see the gemstones in question and documentations supporting your grand statements? I’d like to inspect the stones personally, and I’m sure Siya would like a look at the certifications.’
‘Our brand’s reputation for quality is well-known, son, so I’m sure that won’t be necessary,’ Shyamlal said, turning briefly toward Dhruv, expecting him to agree.
Dhruv straightened his jacket, the crisp white shirt shifting beneath, and leaned forward. ‘Shyamlal Uncle is one of ourlong-time vetted investors. He has never been asked to display gemstones for approval before. Dad trusts him.’
Abhay asked calmly, ‘Do I look like Kartik to you?’
Before the tension could escalate, Siya jumped in. ‘We appreciate the pitch, Mr Sisodia,’ she offered a courteous smile, ‘but I hope you understand we’ll require a complete breakdown of lab certifications and licenses.’
