A honourable game

jagrutid

@jagrutid

Hope you're all having a great start to the weekend! - have a read and let me know what you think! please hit like and post. 

   A honourable game 

‘Pa’ said Kuki putting her head around the door frame of her fathers bedroom even though she knew it was time for bed.

‘Yes love’ said Rishabh looking over his glasses and taking his eyes off the book he was reading in bed.

He watched his daughter walk into the room her shoulders drooping carrying a frown more than a smile. 

‘Sad?’ he asked as she climbed up onto bed next to him and nodded expressively. 

He asked her what the matter. Now with Prerna also in the room although at a distance Kuki couldn’t possibly tell him what it was out aloud and so crept up to his ear and and whispered. Prena who was at a distance tidying up before bedtime got the feel she was being talked about.

“I’ll tell her off don’t you worry” says Rishabh as he hears Kuki’s grumble about her mother.

“Now you go to sleep alright darling.” He said kissing her good night. Agreeing she smiled and walked out of the room without saying good night to Prerna.

...

Prerna who approached the bed to adjust her side of pillows was understandably worried. 

“Is she okay..?”

“He nodded, Just complaining about her wicked step mother” he said with mischief in his eyes.

‘Mr Bajaj Aap .. — she couldn’t even find the words for a moment not funny” she huffed and then stepped into bed.

“The lemonade?” She asked thinking back to an incident this afternoon.

“The lemonade” he said with a smile still reading his book whilst Prerna settled to sit comfortably in bed.

Kuki had been charging the house help 50p for every time they went to the fridge for a lemonade or even water before Prerna had asked her not to. 

Mr Bajaj was certainly on his daughters side. 

“Well it’s good business acumen  you have to give her that - get George to visit the bank tomorrow morning and collect some coins”, Mr Bajaj thought if the staff had their pockets filled with 50 pence then what did it matter. 

“Keep my kuki smiling” he Said lifting his eyes of his book, taking off his glasses to put both to aside. Prerna took his words  as instruction She agreed replied knowing how important Kuki was to him. 

There was a comfortable silence between the both of them, Prerna dropped her head on his shoulder. The conversation they had at this time of the night was always free of the outside world.

...

Early rays of sun bask through the windows of the room Prerna sips tea in bed as Mr Bajaj checks his schedule of meetings for the day. 

Only to get a unexpected call from his PA.

“Sir Mr & Mrs Malloy Basu want some time in your diary” says his PA in her office tone of voice.

The Basu name caught  Prernas ears. 

Mr Bajaj who ha an eyebrow raised agrees to just 10 mins in his day.

As Rishabh put  the phone down saw  the complexity on his wife’s face which she soon shrugged. She’d made it clear that she didn’t want anything to do with Anurag.

....

“What can I do for you both?" asks Rishabh sitting back in his chair whilst Malloy and his wife look on at him the other side of his desk  guests in his office. One's who had come a long way at that.

“Basu industries is struggling" says Mohini sat up right in her chair. Arrogance would never leave her it seemed, “we’re here to ask you to put in a good word for us, level the playing field.”

Rishabh smiled for a moment. It was somewhat fulfilling to watch those who had insulted him and his own now getting their due. 

If you’re son had played the honourable game to start with then maybe you could have avoided a day like this.

“I’m afraid I don’t dictate what happens in the world Mrs Basu .. people will do business with people they want to do business with.”

“Now I’m afraid I’m running late for my next meeting. All the best.” Says Rishabh to close off the meeting but can see how Molloy had his eyes on Prerna who was In another meeting room with Mehra. The glass cubicles gave her away. 

“Can I speak to Prerna?” Asks Moloy who looks a lot more vulnerable than his wife.

“Mrs Bajaj -“ corrects Rishabh as he fastens the buttons of his blazer in standing  and proudly adds "she is my Co CEO and has a schedule of her own."

-"We”ll wait says Malloy quickly."

...

Wait they did, Malloy and his wife Mohini both sat in the reception to see Prerna.

Only both Prerna and Mehra had been summoned by Mr Bajaj.

....

“No help, no recommendations, no pity. Is that clear?.” Commanded Mr Bajaj from his chair at Mehra and Prerna. 

“Yes sir,” replied Mehra at once but Prerna was silent for a moment. She  was used to him letting her make her own mind up but this time she didn’t have that luxury.

“Prerna have I made my self clear?” Mr reiterates with his eyes staying on her to see her reply. 

Her yes to his satisfaction. 

...

Prernas focus was Snehas school launch, all else especially anything to do with Anurag she wished to be distant to. “They’ve been waiting there for 2 hours”now said Mehra as they looked over the model of the school that needed work. 

“I’ve asked them to go home but they’re still waiting” said Mehra. Although Prerna had  heard him she didn’t have anything to say but much to feel. 

.,

5pm and the close of the office day for Mr Mehra and Prerna. They both left the meeting room and on leaving found Malloy sat out I'm the corridor. it looked liked he'd been waiting all this time.

"Mr Mehra please wait for me in the car", says Prerna. 

A few minutes after Mehra leaves Prerna  steps closer to Malloy who tries to start a conversation. 

“Kaka babu aap ghar jayey please” (Please go home uncle”) she says politely.

“Not till you hear me out” says Malloy, seeing the fatherly look In his eyes hopeful of her Prerna pauses for a moment.

...

Elsewhere..

When Rishabh walks into the house having finished from the office a little earlier than Prerna he finds Kuki stood on the stool at the kitchen top counting her coins.

£5 she says looking at Rishabh who had just walked into the kitchen with a big grin. 

"Where are you going?" he says when he sees her climb off the stool with her coins held in her dress. 

"To give these back!"  she said funnily like it was self explanatory. Why was Pa asking a silly question.

Rishabh smiled with the knowledge that Kuki was picking up sensible characteristics. If she could play a honourable game at this age she would do later on in life. 

jagrutid2020-07-31 20:36:04