26. Faith
26
Faith
Vera
Fourteen Years Ago
T he blinking clock in the center of the wall behind Suraj Oberoi’s large teak desk flickered as the minutes passed, letting Vera know exactly how long she’d been waiting. Three minutes. That’s all, but she felt like she’d been there a lot longer. The coolness of the cabin did little to reduce the uncomfortable heat bubbling within her.
Vera was not normally a nervous person but being summoned to the office of one of the most respected men on their side of the country was certainly cause for her to sweat a little. Sure, she had known Suraj Oberoi all her life, but she could count on one hand how many times they’d exchanged words. Adding to this, the uncertainty of why she’d been asked to meet him so suddenly had her on guard.
It couldn’t be because Nanaji had taken time off work yet again, could it? He’d been showing signs of ill health lately, and the doctors had ordered multiple expensive tests which Vera needed to convince her grandfather to agree to, despite their tight finances.
She took stock of where she was, the beige-white paint, a dark credenza pushed against the far end above which was a wall full of awards and plaques with Suraj’s name on it. Reed she had a plan and everything was absolutely wonderful.