Love that lasts

Chapter 10

Chandni's POV Continued....

I made sure I didn't go anywhere near Aryan all morning afterwards, as I busied myself in studying about Nanda and Associates, and checking out the business profile of Giridhar Nanda, its owner. I also held another meeting with Namrata and the HR team to discuss new training programs for interns. I loved my cabin, it was small but tastefully decorated and it gave me that much needed personal space, before I could fully mingle with all the employees of Synergy.

Around 11.30 am, I heard a knock on the door and there was Aryan, dressed in impeccable formal clothes of crisp white shirt and black trousers, with the jacket hanging loosely on his arm.

I scrunch my eyes and looked away.

"What happened now? Am I still not dressed properly enough for you?" He asked me crossly.

"Did I say something?" I tried my best to cover my nerves by talking in a confident voice.

"You don't have to say anything; I can read you fully well." He hissed back.

"Let's not waste time arguing." I hurried him hoping to end the discussion.

I grabbed my bag and followed him and then suddenly remembered, Rashid Chacha took my car away as he had to run some house errands that day.

"Is there any company car we can go in or should we call Taxi" I asked hesitantly.

"Don't worry we will go in my car, it's on old Prabhadevi Road, not too far from here."

I knew that already, as I studied about their company profile. Our office was on a small complex on Annie Besant Road.

I didn't feel like going in his car at all. Not after what happened the other day, but I didn't know how to put my objections through without sounding too insistent.

"Hmm, but I would prefer it if we go in a taxi. Do you mind?" I asked him calmly.

It took a lot of effort for me to remain calm and composed as Aryan's piercing gaze bore into me, as if he was trying to read everything that was going on in my mind.

"As you wish." He finally agreed and called for a taxi via UBER, which surprisingly came within a few minutes. But I didn't waste my time while we were waiting.

I asked him why we were meeting again today, as it seemed that Giridhar Nanda visited Synergy just two weeks ago, and was keen to sign the deal, from the meeting minutes I read.

"Apart from the niche products we make for the Defence forces, we also make small scale security devices that we can sell in the open market and Nanda and associates are one of our major and long term distributors of those devices. Their owner Giridhar Nanda had been insisting on getting a bigger margin since last year, but Raj Singh Ji kept putting him off due to the impending sale of Synergy. He called us last week demanding for a higher margin, and indirectly threatened us that he won't move stock out of the factory, unless we sign a new deal with higher commission. He even pinched one of our Senior Marketing Managers to their company, with the result that I am doing his job. And Giridhar Nanda also loves me too much and has even offered me a job with double the salary at his company.”

I widened my eyes in shock.

“Not that I am interested.” Aryan hastened to reassure me, “But I am hoping that my presence will somehow mollify him enough to agree." 

"Quite an underhanded person then!! I am sure Raj Singh ji would have been mad at his skulduggery. But we can't cut them off because they know our market too well. And he won't agree unless we agree to his terms. Hmmm....So you are a carrot I have to dangle in front of him, while I serve him the stick." I hoped I had read the situation correctly, and was glad to see Aryan's satisfied smile.

Once we were in the taxi, I asked him a few more questions and Aryan answered them all in detail. We talked a little before we finally arrived at the office of Nanda and associates.

"Welcome Aryan, welcome. You have made me a very happy man by coming to my humble offices." Giridhar greeted Aryan and shook his hands vigorously, not keen to let it go. He really seemed to love him a lot, as he completely ignored my presence behind him.

Aryan smoothly relieved his hands from his grip and slightly turned, and was about to introduce us before Giridhar Nanda jumped on to me.

"Now who is this young girl Aryan? Don't tell me it is your new girlfriend." He guffawed at his own joke loudly, and extended his hand towards me, but I just folded my hands in a traditional Namaste.

He too held his hands together and looked at me in confusion, and his brow furrowed, perhaps after observing my mangal sutra and sindhoor.

"Oh I am sorry Madam, you are Mrs..."

"She is Mrs Mathur, our new CEO and wife of Mr Vikram Mathur." Aryan's voice growled from behind.

"Ohh.. I am sorry Mrs Mathur. This is an honour indeed. I never guessed that you would grace our humble office. Anyway, please come in." He welcomed us in a flustered tone towards a small cabin, probably his office.

I gave Aryan a meaningful stare before following him into the cabin.

Giridhar Nanda seemed too taken back at my presence and went into a long rigmarole of how much he admired and respected my husband and his keen sense of business. He enquired after Vikram and our whereabouts etc.

I replied to all his queries in a few courteous words, and then decided I better jump right into the business talk.

"Nandaji, I understand you have been demanding a higher percentage commission to distribute our devices, am I right?" I asked him bluntly.

"Not demanding madam, we are too small a fry to use such high handed methods. We requested, as always." He replied in his greasy tone.

"You are absolutely right. If half of our stock hasn't left the factory in 3 weeks and our previous employee is now working with you but selling our competitors goods, I would hardly call that high handed. I think the right word here is underhanded...Mrs Mathur was just telling me." Aryan hissed.

Giridhar Nanda's eyes darted between both of us, as all the fake humility and smiles evaporated from his face. He still didn't say anything; perhaps waiting for us to speak first as he tried to understand what was our strategy here.

"Nandaji, please excuse Aryan, he is too attached to Synergy and that is why getting too emotional here. Everyone wants to increase their profile margin and expand their business and why should you be the exception? I totally understand where you are coming from. But let me spell it from my end. As you said you are too small a fry, and my husband has a large business enterprise. He would be least interested in going after you, or try to make you agree to the deal. You might be aware that we have also purchased another company called Mohit Enterprises at the same time as Synergy Inc. But what you DON'T know is that Mohit Enterprises are also keen to expand their business and go into distribution. And we plan to give all our distribution orders to them instead, and make everything internal, instead of depending on external companies like you, who are holding our business back." I spelt out my threat neatly, in a very diplomatic way.

"Madam this is very wrong, we have been doing business with Synergy for the past 10 years." Giridhar held his temper back with great difficulty.

"Of course Nandaji, and we want you to distribute our devices for 20 more years. And perhaps even start distribution for our other companies too, god willing. Once we are happy with your performance, we will give you ample opportunities to grow and be a major part of our other enterprises too. Remember that you are not dealing with a small company called Synergy anymore but with an owner who owns 100 other businesses like it." I said with a sweet smile.

"Madam aap ke mooh me Ghee Shakkar (what a sweet thing to say). Just stay on that word and see what wonders Nanda and associates will do now. Aryan is this really going to happen? I just can't believe it" Giridhar said gleefully.

"She is the Boss!" Aryan smirked at me.

"If she says it will happen, it will be Giridhar ji. Now let's finish off this small formality of signing the contract with the old commission rates. Shall we?" Aryan pulled out the file.

After half an hour or so, we were back in a taxi racing back towards our office and no matter how much we tried, we couldn't stop smiling. We didn't speak too much in the taxi but the moment we were out of it, Aryan and I raced towards the lift, to go back to the privacy of our office.

The lift was as usual crowded, but I gathered some courage and went into it, thanks perhaps to Aryan's presence.

But after the 10th floor, we were in the lift by ourselves.

"Mohit enterprises is going to be so surprised, if ever they come to know that their Owner's wife had lied so blatantly about their plans to expand into distribution." Aryan laughed out loud.

"YESS!" I too couldn't contain myself anymore and laughed out loud.

"But what if he did find out that we lied to him." I asked him nervously.

"Don't worry. This is just to get over the current crisis. Once we get the defence deal and I am 100% confident that we will, most of our business is going to be in that area, and we wouldn't be dependent on Nanda any longer." Aryan assured.

"Thanks Aryan for backing me up there, and lying equally well in front of that guy." I said sincerely.

Perhaps I got carried away in the joy of the moment and I blurted out.

"I never imagined I could work so well with you, that too on the very first day. We will be excellent partners if we don't rub each other the wrong way...." I stopped, as those very words brought painful memories back.

The smile on Aryan's evaporated too once he heard my words and saw my changed expression.

"Your dear husband lectured me yesterday that we should all leave the past where it belongs, behind us. But ask him when you go back home, what should one do, if the past comes back to haunt us in the present, leaving us with no choice??" His eyes had a wet sheen as he turned away from me.

The lift doors opened slowly and he walked out.

*****

 A/N

Chandni and Aryan's first day of working together. Chandni can be quite a charmer as well as great negotiator, don't you think? Everything was going smooth between Aryan and Chandni before their past crept back into the present. 

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