Price is right
Is the price right? Taruni has to weigh in more than just the price.
Faux Victory
Now Ajit is all ready to sell the building. Does Taruni even have any say?
Moneygetting
He returned to Delhi to figure out the Iris structural problem, the buyer was gone, he wanted to stick his middle finger to them by signing on Pavan Brokers, he was even willing to take a price cut
But Veer did the numbers and disapproved
Gopal worried he had created a monster by pulling his son into his construction business
Many families did so in Delhi, but his son was like a pit bull once he grabbed on to something he didn’t eat or sleep and wouldn’t let go even
Shubhangi approached the topic carefully, listen beta I am hoping we can all go out to dinner with the Kohlis Saturday night
He looked up from his plate pensively and stared at her
“Yes?”
“No… I cant”
“Why?”
“Because I am going back to Chandigarh”
She glared at her husband
He just gave his son a sombre look
She tapped his feet under the table
“Umm… go on Sunday”
“No I cant I am going to be shown two other pieces of property in Sector 41, I want to see if they are close enough to build a skywalk, and make it a office park
“Zonal regulations samajh lo aap”
“Oh yeah I am meeting the Commissioner on Saturday for dinner”
He tilted his head toward his Mom to explain why he cant go woth Kohlis
“You cant be doing this at 40”
“WHY?” Pradyut did not get mockery
“Umm… SHAADI kab karoge beta” Gopal mumbled in a weak tone
“Oh? That…”
“Yes THAT”
“I don’t know… haven’t thought about it”
“All your friends are married they even have kids”
“So? Good for them?”
“Yes yes… but what about you”
“I don’t know I haven’t”
“Thought about it? Kitni baar bologe beta?”
“I could lie but I don’t”
“Go on Sunday, push out your business dinner”
“the guy is not giving me the time of the day, I am having to beg… so no” he shrugged
Shubhangi was heartbroken
Gopal gently caressed her shoulder
“Veer ko kehti hoon he can do it”
“Veer has no clue Ma” Pradyut was irritated
“Bet..”
“Ma I will be back Monday alright?” he got up taking his water with him
He didn’t smoke or drink
“Kaha ja rahe ho?”
“Back to work”
“ABHI?”
“Yes”
He left
“What have you done?” she accused Gopal between tears
“I am sorry” he acknowledged
Saturday around Noon, Pradyut Munjal requested his rental car driver to take him to Sector 41, he got off and walked on foot, wandered through the blocks and blocks of somewhat rundown and fancy buildings a mix of both
The weather was great, cloudy and about to rain
He drank half his water pausing for a bit and stared at Bhushan books… across the road
Just as he was looking, a tall girl in a somewhat short dress and a loong pony tail unlocked, or struggled with the accordion gates… finally she pried it open and unlocked the next steel door and then the glass and went in
When the AC kicked on he could hear it
He wandered for 45 minutes and casually walked over
There were at least 10 people in there
He tried not to make eye contact
Just mingled, walked over to the books section
A Sikh man sat behind a desk on a computer, he assumed was the stockist Harkeerat Singh
There was no one else that looked like an employee
Taruni was shaking the archway like sensor by the front door that beeped for theft alert
“Uncle yeh band hai kya?”
Harkeerat had no idea he promised to call someone
“We have rare books” Taruni worried
“Pradyut walked to the front of the store and paused
She was staring longingly at UMich on her laptop
“Umm.. hi”
“Hi” she didn’t look up”
“Do you happen to have “the art of Moneygetting?”
She looked up in shock… she had strangely heard of it… she didn’t know how this guy wanted it
Great. He wants Art of moneygetting. But he is going to get something that he really isn't looking for.
Nisha, very curious to know this mans character. Will he save damsel in distress or will he use her as business opportunity?
What is his mother to do? She can't get the man to check out the brides.
Thats the only book title that came to his mind. Thats all he thinks about?
Hunter
He had Googled it moments ago by a rare book case, he just wanted to start a conversation
The signage for the store, the placement of rare books the marketing… the display was ALL off. He laughed in his head… this man did not know how to market books, this store is better off being shut down
“Umm.. Ive never heard of it” she said a little nervously
She was unable to find 90% of the products she couldn’t see, this was a tough gig, her mother had told her to shut it down
“Was it in the shelf?” she asked nervously
Their eyes met… they were of the not of the same height. She had arched eyebrows, and wore some kinda lotion for acne he suspected. He didn’t look like he combed his hair she realized. His glasses looked expensive to her, she wondered who he even was
She slowly glanced at his shoes
Expensive!!
“Umm if you leave your name and number I can ask Harkeerat Uncle to check with the dealer that brings those?”
“Umm.. that’s fine” he shrugged without sharing any detail
“We have many personal and financial self help books” she pointed to a glass case to her left
“Umm.. I can check those out”
“Sure”
“Why wont you allow people to hold the books” he quizzed pretending to be naïve
“Some of these sell for Rs. 5 or 10 lakhs even, we don’t want oils and spit running the pages” she waved her hand to indicate oil
“Do u really have such expensive books”
“Oh yeah” she said blithely
“Can I see those please?”
“they are all not in ONE case”
He laughed in his head again
The guy that owned this store must be an idiot he thought
“Why do you sell school supplies” he gazed curiously all around
She looked at him with curiosity too
“Why not?” she bristled
“Of course”
They walked toward the case
“These”
“What?” he asked looking at her face
“Self help books?” she was confused by his demeanor
“Oh yes”
He spent 20 minutes texting in front of the case and not really looking in
She noticed from her perch on the cash register
She struggled to find things other customers wanted, some unsuccessfully
Harkeerat walked up to the front
“Beta main nikalta hoon”
“Main inventory system dekh rahi hoon, mujhe lagta hai ek din main jaaoongi” “warehouse”
“Ajee warehouse nahi… bas storage hai”
“haa” she nodded
She was blindfolded and walking on no moon night it felt
“Who was her ally?” “Who is her friend?”
“Do logon ne call kiya assistant ke posting pe”
“Changa”
Pradyut walked back to the front
“I found one”
“Oh… u want me to get the keys”
“Sure” he shrugged
Harkeerat left… Taruni was afraid some customers were going to walk out without paying and by the time she returned to the cash register all of the browsing customers were gone…
Some boxes of pens, Graph notebooks, some phone cases.. were all missing
She was on the verge of tears
“I changed my mind” he said “Thanks though”
“Umm” she grumbled hiding tears
“What hours are you open, this is a fun store I could spend hours”
“Once a week max”
“Oh WHY? Is business bad?”
“Umm.. no”
“I notice there aren’t very many customers, must be a tough sell” he piled on
She stared at him deeply
“being near THREE schools within 3 kms?” she smiled gleefully
He was startled
“Don’t worry about us, thanks though for the concern” she smiled
“Sure”
“bye”
She went back to her desk
“OK we need to send in people to casually question her every day.. and get her to admit she would be better off selling, and I can swoop in” he texted Veer
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