"Sometimes the wrong choices bring us to the right places"
Chapter 2
Sharon was seated in her cubicle with a pen tapping on her forehead and her eyebrows scrunched up in concentration as she peered at the contract in her hand. Mr. Menon had handed her a copy of this particular contract, made five years ago and currently obsolete, of JR Cements with one of the vendors, asking her to look for loopholes in the papers. The prices of the materials were exorbitant, she knew it, had done enough research to know. But apart from that, she was not sure if there were any other loopholes in the paper. That's what Menon Sir had warned her against. The contracts were usually phrased in such a way so as to favour the party who made it in the subtlest way. There had to be something she was missing.
"Sharon?" she heard someone call her from the back.
Sharon turned around to look at the person. Mihir. "Yeah?" she asked, only twisting her seat. Mihir was another trainee at the company. "Menon Sir wants to speak to you," he said.
"About what?"
Mihir shrugged his shoulders, "I don't know... Didn't ask."
Sharon nodded, "Okay," she replied, sliding out of her chair and pocketing her pen, she crossed the cubicles to Menon's cabin.
"Yes? Come in," was the first thing she heard after two knocks on his door.
Sharon peered in to make him known of her presence not yet entering. Menon Sir was sitting in his usual seat behind the computer. He was a bald fifty something man with his glassed halfway across his nose having slipped from peering down for too long. No matter how much his peers insisted, he would always get all his papers printed. I just don't trust today's technology, that's what he would say with disdain clear in the crinkling of his nose. If Sharon had ever loved someone like she loved her father, that would be Mr. Menon.
"Sharon, have a seat." He said, sorting the sheets in his hand and keeping them down beside his shut computer. Sharon easily obeyed his request.
Mr. Menon peered down at her from above his reading glasses, "So," he started with spirit, "R&S group of industries is commencing with full force, isn't it?" he smiled at her.
Sharon smiled back, blushing. Mr. Menon was one of the few employees to know how Sharon and the company were related. She hadn't yet told anyone of her last name, or anyone for that matter, and intended to keep it that way. She wanted to be treated equally, having understood what it's like to be one among the crowd. There was a certain charm in not being in the spotlight all the time. She discovered it a bit later in life.
"Well," he said, "Mrs. Raiprakash asked me to take you along to look after the documents of merger. And I personally think this is a brilliant opportunity for you to learn a bit or two about business. Merger is a very long and tedious process. Exposure to this will give you a lot of experience."
"Oh...," was all she could say, elated by her mentor's care for her career, "which company is handling the merger?" she asked.
"Simons and Co."
***
They were all seated in the small conference hall, discussing the details of merger. Sharon knew she should be interested; it was huge deal for her career. Also, she felt with a twinge of guilt, your mentor has so many expectations from you. But the fact that she knew the basis of merger couldn't bring her to be interested.
She was idly swinging her leg beneath her seat absentmindedly looking at Menon Sir to Rakesh Sir of Singhania Steels, along with them the Business consultant of Simons and Co, discussing the division and some other financial stuff. Financial stuff! You sound so dumb, Sharon! This is your field of expertise.
Sharon inconspicuously shook her head to come out of her trance, her mouth oddly stretching in an effort to hide her yawn. Apparently Rey noticed it, because he let out a cough that sounded a lot like laughter. Every eye in the room turned to Rey as he turned a little red.
"Er..." he cleared his throat, "there's an itch in my throat. Can I get some water?"
He was handed a glass which he sheepishly accepted. Now it was Sharon's turn to giggle but she made sure to do it in the most concealable way. Rey turned to her, raising his eyebrows. "Wanna go?" he mouthed at her.
Sharon widened her eyes in a chiding way. "Meeting" she mouthed back.
"Come on," he whisper groaned, rolling his eyes. God! Future owner of a company worth 5000 crores of rupees and he is least interested in all this. Sharon shook her head, admonishing, "Listen," she scolded him in the same mime language.
Rey stuck her tongue out and turned back towards the meet, eyes slightly hazy from boredom. Sharon tuned in again with a smile. Rey couldn't be least bothered with business. He had always been a loose cannon when it came to matters of genuine relevance. It was fine back in college but it really didn't help his career profile. She hoped Yash uncle found another heir to his empire because if this one took over, the company would surely go to shambles.
***
Sharon walked along the corridors moving from department to department trying to search for a vending machine. Actually that was the excuse she had up her sleeve if any prying eye caught her. She had already rejected two vending machines on the way since she couldn't find him in the departments they were situated in. Sharon was on the third floor; having descended four floors already, she was exasperated as much as amused by herself.
Fortunately the moment she opened the translucent door to the department, she saw him, somewhere in the rightmost cubicle in third row. He had his back to her but she could see the paper in his one hand, other placed on his forehead. There was a cup of coffee precariously placed right on the edge of the table, looking totally neglected.
As Sharon drew forward she realised that Swayam had the most impeccably neat cubicle of all except for a bunch of documents on the farthest corner from him.
Impeccable.
A feeling of pure disdain coursed through her, at the thought of the word. Sharon stamped on it. It was Swayam she was talking about, not her mother.
A paper from within the sheets in his hand flew away and he turned in its direction. His fingers reached in that direction to grab hold but clasped on empty air as his attention was caught by the figure on his right. Sharon felt her ears grow hot at being caught staring.
But Swayam, oblivious to her embarrassment or seemingly ignoring it, grinned wide at her. "Hey!" he stood up from his desk and walked over to her, the paper forgotten.
As Swayam came closer to her, Sharon's heart thudded loudly. What am I supposed to tell him? Why was I staring at him? By the way, why was I?
"Er..." Sharon loudly cleared her throat. "I... I was looking for a vending machine. Couldn't find one."
"Vending machine?" Swayam frowned.
"Er..." Sharon tried to stream the diva from St. Louis College, "that's what I said, didn't I?" But somewhere in the process, her confidence was lost, and it came out as a mumbled statement while staring at the ground.
"This way," he showed somewhere behind her back. She already knew where the vending machine was.
Swayam led her to a small cabinet beside the cooler. "You might have missed it because it's in a room." Oh... naive, little Swayam Shekhawat.
"Yeah... thanks."
She entered the room followed by Swayam. Filling one of the plastic cups with coffee, she stood there supporting herself on the counter. She lightly blew on her coffee.
In that small cozy little cabinet, Sharon looked at Swayam once and she was filled with this wild urge to crowd into his personal space, grab hold of that tie on his neck and slam him on the door with her body and... and nothing. Sharon you're not a horny teenager. Show some dignity. Where did this come from anyway?
"So? What brings you here?" Swayam asked, breaking into her self-admonishing monologue.
"Oh yes!" Sharon exclaimed. "Actually, we are here to sort the insurance and share percentages. JS Cements is merging with Singhania Steels. Our new company name would be RS Group of Industries."
"Singhania Steels? Isn't that Rey's dad's company?" Swayam asked.
"Yup, that's the one."
"Huh, you were quite close in college. It seems you're still in touch, huh? Actually, apparently more than just in touch," he grinned at her.
"Yeah...," Sharon replied softly, feeling the need to tell him. "Actually, this merger is not just financial, it's personal too."
Swayam stared at her, confused, "Meaning?"
"Er..." Sharon couldn't place why she felt so nervous saying this, "Actually I am getting married to him."
A/N : EVERYBODY PLEASE LISTEN UP! From now on, I am really sorry to say but there will be no PMs because my laptop is a little diva. It took me a lot of patience to put this thing up. But since there will be no PMs, I will update the title each time I post. I am really sorry for this but I am left with no choice. I hope that doesn't deter your reading experience. Thank you everyone for liking my work and do leave a comment if you happen to just stumble across it.
Also inspired by Mehak's suggestion, i am thinking of renaming the story as 'Mother of Coincidences' (XP) or the plainer one, 'Stumbled on Love' or her suggestion 'Rebound Love'. Which one do you prefer? Please leave a suggestion 'cos I am confused. :/
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