Sorry to keep you waiting for more than a month 😅 but this time

So let's start with the first one

Anuj absent mindedly twirled the magnet between his fingers as he stared into the blank space of the conference room.

He had agreed to an urgent meeting with the company's lawyer Mrs. Malhotra in the early morning but had been barely paying attention since she has arrived.

He might be physically present at the scene but his mind wandered off to the lady he hadn't seen in the last three days. He was worried about Anupama especially after the drama he witnessed at her house on Rakshabandhan.

It's been more than a week since then and he had hardly seen a smile on her face. He had tried his best to keep the atmosphere in the office light while working with her but it didn't work.

The woman did laugh on his jokes and smiled at his goofy antics but that smile didn't reach her eyes and this bothered him more than anything.

Not being able to see her distressed face, he finally asked if there was something that was bothering her but all she did was smile and said that she was just tired.

However, Anuj knew that it wasn't the case and his doubts were confirmed the moment Anupama asked if she could work from home for a few days.

Knowing how stressed out she was from managing everything, he instantly agreed without realising that it would also keep him from seeing her.

Since then, they have only interacted through e-mails and this caused Anuj to miss her even more.

He wanted to see her, her smile, hear her voice, her giggles, her laughter and most importantly her scolding that she was used to giving him every now and then for something or the other.

The right with which she scolded him for little things like not eating on time or overworking himself despite GK's opposition made him feel that he had made his place in her life as a friend and this overwhelmed him everytime he thought about it.

He tried his best to distract himself by engaging in work early in the morning but it wasn't happening. He was still thinking about her while Mrs. Malhotra went on with the discussion assuming that he was listening.

However, not receiving a response from him for quite some time made her wonder if he really was.

Sir.....will it be okay if we look into the proposal before you sign the deal?

Mrs. Malhotra asked to gain Anuj's attention but Anuj was lost somewhere else.

Sir?

She intervened again, gently knocking on the conference table bringing Anuj out of his thoughts.

Anuj:- Sorry Mrs. Malhotra....my mind is preoccupied with something else today. Moreover I have to leave for an event in a few minutes. So can we discuss this later?

He apologized taking off his glasses and rubbing his temples in stress.

Mrs. Malhotra:- Sure sir........this proposal can wait but there is something about the MG Group case that I urgently needed to discuss with you and it can't wait.

She said and Anuj's ears straightened hearing the name.

Anuj:- What about it?

He inquired looking at her and she took a gulp before answering him.

Mrs. Malhotra:- Sorry to inform you this late sir but we can't find enough evidence to prove that those bids were leaked to the MG Group.

She replied hesitantly and Anuj was shocked hearing this.

Anuj:- What do you mean we don't have enough proof ?.....You just told me a week ago that we have enough to prove Mr. and Mrs. Shah are the culprit in the case.

He questioned fearing that the video and witnesses weren't enough to convict Vanraj and Kavya but she instantly cleared it up that it wasn't the case.

Mrs. Malhotra:- Yes sir.....I did because we do have enough to prove that Mr. and Mrs. Shah stole those bids but we don't have enough proof that they leaked them to the MG Group.

She replied but Anuj was still confused.

Anuj:- Meaning?

He asked perplexed.

Mrs. Malhotra:- Meaning.....that we can't establish any link between Mr. & Mrs. Shah and the MG Group.

She answered and went on to explain the entire situation.

Mrs. Malhotra:- We can't find the person from the MG Group to whom they both leaked those bids. There isn't any record of them making a call to any employee or any person remotely connected to the MG Group and neither is there any kind of bank or property transaction that can be traced back to someone from the company. We have looked everywhere but we can't find anything.

She added and Anuj finally realised that it was more about the MG Group than Vanraj and Kavya.

Anuj:- So you are basically saying that without that link, we can't prove that MG Group committed fraud when they bid for the tender of that government project ?

He tried to confirm if what he was thinking was right.

Mrs. Malhotra:- Not only we can't prove that but also the tender of the government project which has been put on hold due to this case against the MG Group will go to them and we won't be able to do anything about it.

She informed Anuj leaving him in a bit of a pickle.

Anuj:- So what do you suggest?....I assume you have a plan to stop this.

He asked assuming that she had a solution and to his relief she did.

Mrs. Malhotra:- Yes sir we do. We just need your approval to go ahead.

She said but Anuj needed to know the plan before giving the go ahead.

Anuj:- What is the plan?

He inquired.

Mrs. Malhotra:- Sir you asked us to draw a settlement offer in case things go south in Mr. and Mrs. Shah case and I think we should use it to make our case against the MG Group stronger.

She suggested but Anuj wasn't ready to settle yet. He wanted to know more before agreeing to or dismissing her idea.

Anuj:- How can we do that?

He questioned and Mrs. Malhotra gave him a straight answer.

Mrs. Malhotra:-By taking the case against Mr. And Mrs. Shah back in exchange of them giving information and being witness in the case against MG Group.

She said but Anuj refused it instantly.

He was in no mood to let Vanraj and Kavya off the hook this easily just so that he can win the case against the MG Group. He wanted to teach them a lesson but taking back the case in exchange of them being witnesses was more of a reward than a punishment.

Anuj:- Sorry Mrs. Malhotra but that's not going to happen. You have to find some other way because I'm not letting those people walk free without any consequences.

He stated dismissing her idea but Mrs. Malhotra didn't give up.

Mrs. Malhotra:- Sir....I get what you are trying to say but they are not actually walking free without any consequences.

She tried to let Anuj know that they are already facing the consequences of their actions.

Mrs. Malhotra:- Their career is already over because of this case. They are being continuously slammed by the media and the only way that they would be able to land a job in the future is if they work in a place that has no connection to the corporate world.

She stated and Anuj finally started to understand her point.

Mrs. Malhotra:- Their lives are already destroyed and sending them to jail for a year or two will not make that much of a difference. It will only be a loss to your company since we won't be able to establish the connection between them and the MG Group. At least this way, we can punish them both.

She added but Anuj still wasn't fully convinced.

Anuj:- It's not about destroying their career or life, Mrs. Malhotra. It's about setting an example that if any employee of our company even thinks of pulling something like this in the future, they would have to face serious consequences and if we take this case back just in exchange of them agreeing to be witnesses, that's not gonna happen.

He expressed his concern and Mrs. Malhotra smiled hearing it.

Mrs. Malhotra:- Then it's good that we came up with a way to make sure that it does.

She stated in a confident tone and Anuj was left perplexed.

Looking at the confusion on his face, she took out a file from her purse and offered it to Anuj.

Mrs. Malhotra:- Have a look at this.

She said handing the file over and Anuj took a glance at it.

Anuj:- This says that in exchange for taking back the case, Mr. And Mrs. Shah not only have to provide information and be a witness in the MG Group case but also have to pay twenty lakhs in compensation and publicly admit their guilt along with an apology in a press conference.

He stated lifting his gaze up from the file and looking at Mrs. Malhotra with a smirk.

Mrs. Malhotra:- I hope this would be enough to set an example not only for the company but also for the world.

She added smiling back at him and Anuj was impressed by her work.

Anuj:- Good work Mrs. Malhotra.

He praised her for it and took another look at the file when he realised that there was something that Mrs. Malhotra had hid from him before.

Anuj:- But tell me on thing.....when you came to me a week ago to inform that Mr. and Mrs. Shah's lawyer has been coming to your office regularly to request a settlement offer, I asked you if we should settle or not and you suggested that we shouldn't because we have a very strong case against both Mr. & Mrs. Shah and the MG Group.....but there is no way you didn't know then that for you to have a strong case against MG Group, you have to establish a link between both of them....And since you did know that, why didn't you inform me about this earlier?

He questioned and she took a minute before answering.

Mrs. Malhotra:- Because we didn't want you to agree to give them a settlement offer so soon.

She said with a bit of hesitation as Anuj gave her a stern look which made her realise that he wasn't exactly happy that she hid this from him.

Mrs. Malhotra:- Sorry sir but it would have given the lawyer on the other side a whiff that they are in a position to negotiate the terms of settlement and we didn't want that. So, we let Mr. And Mrs. Shah sweat for a while pretending that we are in no mood to settle this thing and now that enough days have passed and the court hearing date has been set, they will have no option other than to sign what we put in front of them.

She apologised and explained the situation to Anuj while he listened carefully.

Anuj:- Well that was a good strategy Mrs. Malhotra but I don't like to be kept in the dark regarding my company. So next time you think of doing something like that, keep me in the loop.

He warned as soon as she finished and she nodded in acknowledgement.

Mrs. Malhotra:- I will keep that in mind.

She said as she took a gulp and Anuj decided to end the meeting as he was getting late.

Anuj:- So that was it or is there something else regarding the case?

He inquired looking at the time on his watch.

Mrs. Malhotra:- No sir.....just needed your approval to go ahead on this.

She replied, still waiting for him to give an answer on the deal.

Anuj:- Well I need some time to think about it. I will let you know as soon as possible.

He stated not wanting to make a decision right away.

Mrs. Malhotra:- Sure sir but we just have a week before the next court hearing and....

She tried to inform him that she needs an answer before the next court hearing but he interrupted her before that.

Anuj:- Don't worry Mrs. Malhotra. I will inform you of my decision much before that.

He said addressing her concern and she smiled at it.

Mrs. Malhotra:- Then....I should take your leave. I have an important meeting with another client.

She stated standing up from her chair and Anuj followed her.

Anuj:- Sure.

He said and walked her to the door.

As Mrs. Malhotra left, Anuj stood from his chair and walked upto the glass window in the conference room.

Closing his eyes, he pondered over whether he should take the deal or not.

Mrs. Malhotra was right. Sending Vanraj and Kavya to jail will do more harm than good to both his company and Anupama's family.

Samar was already facing problems in his career because of this case and maybe her other kids were too facing the brunt of it. Dragging this case would mean prolonging their suffering but wrapping it up through this deal would not make much of a difference in their lives. The deal would have the same effect on Shah's financial and social life as it would have in case Vanraj and Kavya went to jail.

He thought to himself as he found himself in a difficult position to make this choice.

If it had been a month ago, he would have instantly wrapped up this case by making Vanraj and Kavya take the deal where they would have confessed to their crimes in a press conference and apologised for it but now it was taking him much longer than he thought to make the same decision.

He wanted Vanraj and Kavya to face these consequences but at the same time, he didn't want Anupama's family to bear the brunt of it as it would hurt her.

However, he needed to make the decision before the next week and right now to him.....it seemed wrapping up this case would cause much less pain to Anupama's family than dragging it ever would.

************

Elsewhere, in a classroom of section A-1 in a college in Ahmedabad, sat Anupama revising her notes last minute before the internals began.

It had been a tiring week for her as she tried her best to solve the issues of Shah House that had resulted from Vanraj's case but to her disappointment, she wasn't any far from where she started.

Pakhi was keeping herself locked in a room in order to avoid going to school, Toshu as usual was blaming his mother and Vanraj for the tragedy that had befallen the Shahs, while Bapuji instead of uniting the family in this difficult situation and asking them to keep patience was reminding her about the respect and friends they have lost in the society due to the case and to top it all Baa was constantly visiting her in the dance academy in an attempt to coax her to help her son get off the charges.

The only person behaving like an adult in this whole situation was the one who she wanted to behave like a kid and share what's going on in his life with her but all she got from him was.....

Mai theek hoo mummy. Aap chinta mat kijiye.

It wasn't that she was less bothered by Toshu and Pakhi's problems than Samar's but she knew Toshu and Pakhi would always inform her about their situation as it is while Samar was someone who would always try to downplay it in order to avoid bothering her.

However, this time, no matter how much he tried to downplay it, Anupama didn't leave him alone. She called him everyday over the phone and Samar had no option but to pick it up because of the promise he made. He kept her in loop about his career and life and assured her that he would be back in Ahemdabad by next week.

Although she was constantly in touch with Pakhi on the phone as well and with Toshu through Kinjal, but Baa's words on the day of Rakshabandhan made her confront the duo in person.

She called them to the dance academy the very next day of Raksha Bandhan and tried to explain that how instead of paying attention to what people are saying about them and their family, they should focus on their studies and their work.

Mummy aapko pata hai na.....mai papa se chip ke aapse milne aayi hoo.....aur aap bol rahi hai ki aap yeh situation solve nahi kar sakti....

Pakhi complained in annoyance.

Anu:- Sweety.....koi bhi yeh situation solve nahi kar sakta beta....hume is situation ke saath deal karna seekhna hoga.....aur mai tum dono ko wahi samjhane ki kosis kar rahi hoo.

She tried to reason.

Mujhe laga aapne hume yaha yeh batane ke liye bulaya hai ki aap apne dosto se baat karke yeh case wapas le rahi hai...

Toshu voiced his thoughts, feeling disappointed by Anupama's explanation.

Anu:- Aur tum dono ko aisa kyu laga?

She questioned them for being presumptuous.

Pakhi:- Kyuki Baa ne.....

She began but Toshu glared at her and she stopped.

Knowing what she was talking about, Anupama spoke.....

Anu:- Mai aisa kuch bhi nahi karne wali......aur na hi AK Group yeh kabhi karega....isiliye is baat pe focus karne ki jagah.....jo main tum dono ko samjha rahi hoo uspe dhyaan do.

She cleared any kind of misunderstandings they had in mind and the duo didn't look happy by the response.

Anu:- Dekho beta.....life me aisii bahut situations aati hai jaha dost aur society humare saath khade nahi rehte.....bhale galti humari na ho lekin fir bhi hume wo uski saza dete hai.....humare peeth peeche humari burai karte hai.....taane dete hai.....yaha tak ki aise pretend karte hai jaise wo hume jaante hi nahi.....aur hum chahkar bhi kuch nahi kar paate especially tab jab galti humare kisi apne ki ho.

She started off calmly trying to address the situation.

Anu:- Lekin iska matlab yeh to nahi hai na.....ki unke taano aur baaton ke dar se hum ghar me chup ke baith jaaye....apni zindagi jeena chod de.....waise to mai tum dono ko bolti ki logo ki baaton pe dhyaan dene se accha hai ki tum dono khud par focus karo....khud apne aap me sudhaar laao...ek behtar insaan banne ki kosis karo....kyuki jab tum khud se satisfied hoge to tumahre liye logo ke opinions matter nahi karenge.

She said wondering if her kids would try and take her advice just for once but looking at their irked faces, she understood that this wasn't going to happen.

Anu:- But mai tum dono ko jaanti hoo.....tumahre liye log aur unki baatein kitni important hai...isiliye let me put it in a way that you will understand.

She continued knowing her kids way too well.

Anu:- You want people to stop judging you by your father's deeds......right?

She asked looking at the duo but they didn't answer.

Anu:- Right?

She asked again and Pakhi just hummed in response.