Chapter 1 #2
‘About time you called back. Where the hell have you been? Hiding under a stone?’ Gaurav Rathore asked in a deep baritone voice.
‘Forget that. What’s happening there?’ Siya asked as she ran through the parking lot and slid into her BMW.
‘Your dad is in a mood. Nothing new. Did you have your breakfast?’
‘Oh my God! What is everyone’s obsession with my breakfast?! Gaurav, what’s happening there? When is the briefing?’ Siya asked, trying her best to drive responsibly. But if there was one day she badly wished she was in GTA, it was today.
‘Uh, it’s ongoing right now. I stepped out to take your call,’ Gaurav told her, and her heart dropped into her stomach. Dad didn’t wait for me, she thought.
It stung, bad. She shouldn’t be surprised by it, though, given the text he’d sent her. But a part of her had hoped to get a chance to add her two cents on the matter in front of the board.
As an introvert, single dad, Gaurav always felt out of place in the wild marketing team and had quickly become her only friend. He was one of the few people who was aware of her complicated relationship with her father, so he understood her silence well.
He said, ‘I’ll stretch it with a lot of demographic jargon. Hell, I’ll just read the script from my latest ad campaign. That’ll keep them occupied.’
Despite herself, Siya smiled a little. ‘No, you go back in. I’m almost there,’ Siya said, pushing harder on the gas. She’ll pay the fine if it comes to that, but it wouldn’t cost her more than being left out of the important business decisions.
When she got closer to the office, she saw reporters lined up at the entrance. No doubt they were looking for some controversial reaction from one of the employees at Kashyap Luxe. Thank god they had a back route entry no one knew about.
As soon as she pulled into the parking lot, she saw her executive assistant, Namita, waiting for her. Siya got out of the car, handed her the key, and rushed to the elevators.
Pushing the button for the top floor, she tried to get her mess of documents in order, assuming her father would ask for the current report of the two acquisition cases she was handling. She couldn’t drop the ball there.
When the elevator doors opened, she came face to face with Dhruv, the bane of her existence. For the hundredth time, she cursed her luck that she had a stepbrother like him. The anger only intensified when he smirked at her.
‘Ah, at last you decided to grace us with your presence,’ Dhruv remarked, folding his arms on his chest. Dressed in casuals, he looked lost in the chaos of the formal setting of an office, but his audacity reached far beyond that of her father’s.
Ignoring him, she walked past, but he didn’t take the hint. Following after her, he matched her pace as he continued, ‘Why are you headed to the conference room? Planning to clean up after everyone?’
The remark stabbed at her heart, but Siya knew better than to react. Dhruv seemed like the human equivalent of a vulture. Even a little hint of weakness, and he’d sweep down to tear her apart. So she simply smiled at him and asked, ‘Why? Did you make another mess?’
The smirk vanished from his smug face. ‘Not as big of a mess as you have created today. Dad is livid, Siya. Especially because he had to answer to the board regarding the absence of the company’s Chief Legal Officer,’ Dhruv gestured at her, his every word dripping with condescension.
Her heart hammered in her chest, and she could hear a high-pitched ringing in her ears. Siya could almost imagine the rage on her father’s face, and it sent a chill down her spine. She turned to retort and saw a red shadow on his cheek.
But before she could ask about it, Gaurav joined them.
His presence settled her a little, especially when he turned to Dhruv and said, ‘Didn’t expect to still see you here, Dhruv. I thought Mr Kashyap made it quite clear that he doesn’t want you hanging out around here for now.’
Dhruv looked like he’d just sucked a lemon, but he stayed silent. As the marketing head of the company with an infamously patient expression, Gaurav was his equal in both experience and position, and Dhruv knew that.
When Gaurav didn’t break eye contact, Dhruv smartly backed off and walked away, shrouded in the shadow of his bruised ego.
Siya breathed a sigh of relief and turned to thank Gaurav, who was already shaking his head. ‘I don’t know how you manage to maintain your sanity in his presence.’
‘Who said I’m sane?’ Siya half-joked, as they walked together towards her father’s cabin. ‘Why did Dad ask him to leave?’ she asked, curious.
‘The rumours had been circulating for a while about this partnership Gupta formed with Riaz. Dhruv made a huge deal about being friends with Al-hayat and how he won’t let it happen. Evidently, he failed, and your dad hates being disappointed.’
‘Tell me about it,’ Siya mumbled. Even as a twenty-eight-year-old woman, successful and revered as a lawyer, she hated the look of disapproval in her father’s eyes.
‘The meeting was a last-minute call, Siya. I was only able to attend because I was already here preparing the teaser graphics of the exhibition. Don’t beat yourself up over it,’ Gaurav tried to comfort her, but Siya knew better. She didn’t need to do that—her father would.
With each step she took, the knot in her gut grew tighter. By the time she reached the foggy glass door, she could feel her throat closing up.
‘I’ll be right here. Just breathe,’ Gaurav assured her, and stepped back with a nod. Siya gave him a grateful smile and turned around.
Time to face the dragon. Siya took a deep breath and pushed open the door.
At fifty-five, Kartik Kashyap was the epitome of generational privilege. His posture, his attire—all screamed of exuberant wealth. But it was his eyes that gave such a cold vibe that she shivered just being in the same room with him.
‘You’re finally here. I’ve been waiting for you. We have a lot to discuss, beta,’ he greeted her with a smile.
Siya faltered in her step. She had been expecting his classic icy glare, even a few curse words he had a tendency to hurl at the person who triggered his ire, but not the warmth he was showing her.
She couldn’t remember the last time he’d called her “beta” and just hearing it made the little girl in her giddy with happiness.
Words felt stuck in her throat, so when she stayed quiet, Kartik went on. ‘How are you doing? You look tired. Are you not getting enough sleep?’
Siya furrowed her brows, surprised by his concern. A sliver of worry tightened around her neck. What’s the catch? she wondered.
She decided to just get it over with. If he was luring her into letting her guard down with pretence, she wouldn’t let him. ‘I’m sorry for missing out on the meeting, Dad. I—’
‘It’s no big deal. It happens. Why don’t you take a seat?’ Kartik gestured to the chair across from him.
Cautiously, Siya approached it. She was still waiting for the other shoe to drop. When the smile on Kartik’s face widened, she gulped down the bile rising in her throat.
‘You are a spitting image of Arohi. If she could see you now, she’d be so proud of everything you’ve already accomplished in your life,’ he said, holding her gaze.
It took every ounce of patience she’d learned over her lifetime to keep a straight face at his comment. She couldn’t recall the last time he had spoken of his late wife. He hadn’t even bothered to attend her funeral.
Siya crushed her knee-length black skirt in her fist as she replied through her teeth, ‘That’s all I’ve ever wanted.’
Kartik turned to look at a picture frame sitting at the edge of his desk. His eyes turned misty, and he cleared his throat. ‘I miss her.’
She didn’t know who he was talking about, but when he turned the frame around, her heart roared with anger.
Siya remembered that trip like it was yesterday.
Beaches. Laughter. Love. All three of them had enjoyed the time, except her mother.
Kashvi was too young to remember, but Siya had seen the signs of their mother’s misery even as a young girl.
She refused to believe that her father had any good intentions behind bringing her up, nearly two decades after her death.
‘What’s going on, Dad?’
Kartik shook his head and kept the frame down. ‘Nothing, beta. Just getting mellow in my old age, I guess.’
This is a side of her father Siya had never seen before. She’d never even seen a hint of embarrassment, much less vulnerability. Worried, she asked, ‘Dad, are you okay?’
‘Yes. It’s just… today has been difficult. I wasn’t prepared for this competition at a time like this, and I guess I don’t have the energy to deal with it. But I must, because there is no one else I can ask for help.’
Help? Kartik Kashyap needed help? Siya couldn’t help but doubt his words. Her father is well-known for his cutthroat nature, so she didn't know how to trust this rare glimpse into his psyche. But when he wiped a tear from the corner of his eye, Siya couldn’t stop herself from reaching out to him.
She covered his weathered hand with hers and said with conviction, ‘I’m right here, Dad. You don’t need to ask. Just tell me what I can do to help our company.’
‘You know, your nana started this business with so much love and hope, and Arohi spent her life working towards making it a reality. After she passed away, you did such a good job of following in her footsteps.’
Siya’s aching heart soared to the sky and beyond at his praise. All she’d ever wanted was to make sure she stayed true to her mother’s vision, and this acknowledgement by him gave her a rare sense of satisfaction.
‘Now, I need you to step up once again, for our family’s sake. I don’t know what else we’d do if you are not fully dedicated to doing what it takes to get us through this tough time.’
This is it, Siya decided. This was her chance to prove to him that she’d do anything for their family, and she couldn’t mess this up. No matter what he asked, she’d do it.
‘Tell me, Dad. My family is my utmost priority,’ she urged him.
‘For now, I ask you to attend an important meeting with me tonight.’
Anxiety rushed through her veins. The thought of heading into a meeting with no preparation made her stomach churn. So, she gave in to curiosity and asked, ‘Who are we meeting?’
‘You don’t need to worry about it. All I can tell you is that it will decide the future of Kashyap Luxe. What I need you to focus on is whether you’re willing to do what it takes to keep us afloat in uncertain times like this.’
‘Always, Dad. I promise,’ Siya vowed.
‘I knew I could count on you, beta. You’ve been a blessing for our family,’ he tapped the back of her hand twice before pulling his hand away from under hers.
Siya was speechless. The sentiment he was expressing was a stark contrast to the message he’d sent her earlier. So, lost in thoughts, all she could do was nod in acknowledgement.
‘Be at the Imperial Grand by nine in the evening. This is really important for us, so I hope it works out in our favour.’
‘I’ll make sure it does, Dad,’ Siya whispered, trying her hardest to ignore the warning bells echoing in her mind.