With you Forever

CHAPTER - 30

The whole conference room was filled with an awkward silence as Ishita out of nowhere started giving her part of speech.

- "And now I concluded here, but not before presenting this tiny chip that has a short recording inside it. I would be glad if you all would spare some time to listen this and I am sure that it will help you all to take a fare decision. Thank you." Ishita said, all the time maintaining the same calmness over her facial expression.

Rudra watched his daughter carefully. She looked as seren as the moonlight, but only if you would dive inside those eyes behind the large round spectacles, the blazing fire would be visible. She had done a very good job in hiding her emotions.

Rudra was proud of her. It never looked like she was desperate to prove Aahan innocent though she really was from inside. But Ishita managed to put the facade of calmness. She tried her best to keep her emotions at check. But her anxiety didn't remain unnoticed from the sharp eyes of Rudra Verma. After all, he was her father.

And how could a child hide her emotion from her father!

Rudra kept looking at Ishita only, unaware of the audio playing in the same room - that had grabbed everybody's attention.

"Hello, Mr. Basu." said a deep voice in the audio clip and everyone in the conference room was confused about who this voice belonged to. Indeed, there was no room left for any doubt that it was a recording of a phone call conversation and the person on the other side was none other than Abhay Basu. But the question that now surrounds their mind was regarding who could be the another person. They waited patiently for Abhay to speak.

It didn't last for few seconds and the riddle was solved. The voice was very much familiar and when Abhay Basu addressed the person, it became no secret anymore.

"Mr. Desai, I would like to talk direct to the point. There is no time and I just want to ask what's your decision? Whether it's a yes or no?" The hoarse voice echoed in the room and the owner to that voice - Abhay Basu had now sweat beads on his forehead. Though the room was air conditioned in the month of December.

"It's a Yes." The other person replied, whom everyone was assuming as Mr. Desai now.

"Great then. I will mail you the Logo now. But remember the deal. Don't open your mouth. Both of us don't know each other from the next minute you recieve the Logo design and I recieve my share of money. Good Bye."

And then after three 'beep' sound, there was no sound.

The audio clip ended there.

"That was not me. That... That... I am telling you that was not me." Abhay stammered towards the end, but the pleading inside his voice was already contradicting his statement.

Everyone in the conference hall were now relaxed. For sure there was no more tension of choosing side. Rudra Verma's face was enough to guess that there was going to be a full stop in Abhay Basu's career. And being the part of the selfish corporate world, now everybody would try their best to clear their image in front of the boss.

Ishita watched everything carefully. The conference hall was same. The chair arrangement was same. There were the same people present, but with different emotional and opinions. She chuckled internally. And they thought she was introvert. May be yes. She was glad that she never chose to be part of this fakeness, where people change their side, as if a snake in a daily soap that changed its form. They mould to fit into the good eye of their superior even if that require them to sacrifice their morals and ethics.

While Abhay knew that his game was over. But he was not ready to accept the truth. After all what is the truth? A theory that had acceptance of majority. And he still had to try... To get majority in his pocket, then won't his statement become another truth. As they said, say and repeat the lie till it became the truth.

But in that hall room, the majority was not calculated quantitatively but qualitatively. He knew the game of politics. It was not about how many people are on your side, it was always about on whose side the boss is. So he didn't loose hope. He was a very old and cunning player when it came to office politics. He just could not lost from a young woman who was afraid of social life.

"That voice was not mine. It is fake." This time he was confident while putting forward his lie.

If you have to represent your lie in front of people as truth, then make your self believe that lie as the truth first. It was an art and he was a master in it. After all, he had played this game with several youngsters and destroyed their career before too.

But what he didn't knew was, this time it was not only Abhay Basu V/S Aahan Chaudhry or Ishita, but a bigger shark was added to the picture. He thought he only had to tackle Ishita but he was unaware about Ishita being mentored by her father - Rudra Verma, who had mastered the art of office politics through out his life.

This was his company and he would not allow anybody else to perform any foul play and tarnish its image.

"But I never said anything regarding you being the 'Mr. Basu' in that conversation." Ishita replied. He face was straight and still, emotionless.

"Then what are you trying to prove? Why are you wasting our time by playing a stupid audio clip here?" Abhay almost shouted.

He was loosing his self control and Ishita smirked. A little more push and her part will be done.

"I enquired the numbers that involved in this conversation. One belonged to our company and the other one is the office contact address of Mr. Raghuram Desai, who happened to be the personal assistant of Mrs. Yesha Krupalini, the current CEO of the emerging start up - SUNDARA." Ishita firmly stated everything, eying the expressions of each and every board members. "SUNDARA is the one whose logo design matches with the one that we have designed for our client STYLE." She added as she realised that most of them have no idea about what the real issue was. They were just here to vote against an employee on the say of Abhay Basu.

"But... Ms..." One of the board members stopped trying to find her surname. Rudra Verma tightened his fist under the table.

"Ishita." She replied, earning his confused stare."I preferred to be addressed by my first name - Ishita." She replied and the latter one nodded abruptly. While Rudra made sure to look unaffected. But deep down the father inside him was breaking by each words that Ishita spoke about his identity.

"So, Ms. Ishita. As per my knowledge, the logo was designed by Mr. Aahan Choudhry and you being the HR of the creativity department had the design from him, right?" asked the man, whom Ishita recognised as Mr. Yashwant Chourasia, one of his father's close friends, but not close enough to know her.

"Remember the board members are still unaware of the real issue. But there are some who care for the company wholeheartedly. And with experience and wit, they can make you fell in their trap. So always be prepared. Speak less, because the more words you used, they will have more ways to manipulate your statement." She recalled her father saying this before. She was grateful to him for preparing her to face this in advance.

"Yes." She replied in one word. Mr. Chourasia twitched his eyebrows in displeasure. Clearly he understood her tactics here. But, he was shocked with her reply. She said yes, when she could have just kept her name clear by stating that Aahan hadn't share the design with her. But he was not someone who will just allow her to escape so easily. For him, the company was where he groomed to become what he is today. Money and respect - two needs of a man and both were given to him by this company. His loyalty was non-negotiable.

"So how can someone other than you two be involved in the leak of the design?" He questioned again. He expected her to be nervous, to be scarred but that girl had no expression on her face. Is she really in her early twenties!

"I guess that's what we need to find here, Mr. Chourasia. Now only you and your wife know the password of your joint bank account. Still a few days back we have heard your bank account being robbed by some online scammers. Now tell me how's this possible?" Ishita questioned, still maintaining an expression less face. She had heard this from her father. Rudra had already told her to capture everyone's weak point to tackle their inquiry about her weakness.

Mr. Chaurasiya was shocked with her preparation. While everyone was shocked with this new found information. Their eyes were now on Mr. Chaurasiya to see what he was replying to. It was so new for them to witness an young talent like Ishita staying adamant on her point when the argument was against Mr. Chaurasiya, a senior board member of the company who was also legal advisor of the MD. They were eager to know his reaction.

While Mr. Chaurasiya was amused. Although he had masked his emotions well, but deep inside he was testing the person standing in front him. He wanted to know whether she knew what she was speaking or like every other youngsters now a days, she was just here to gather attention. However till now he was half sure that the women in front him holds more power over her emotions to play a drama just for attention. She was standing in front for truth, for justice.

Still, he wants to be fully sure of it.

To be Continued...