Chapter 17 #2
Do I get any rewards with this thank you? I’d feel even more appreciated.
She pressed her lips together, fighting a smile. He looked at her expectantly but she found it safer to take the bait.
Clearing her throat, Siya gestured for Shyamlal to begin.
Tall and broad-shouldered in a neatly ironed charcoal suit, Shyamlal stood and walked to the big screen.
His salt-and-pepper hair was combed back meticulously, and his bejewelled tie pin glittered in the afternoon sun.
Shyamlal gestured to the screen with his hands and Siya noticed the bejewelled rings adorning his fingers.
‘Let me begin by introducing myself since there are new players in the game. I have been a silent partner in a prestigious gemstone export house named Glintstones for the last decade, and we’re offering an exclusive set of rare, natural Colombian emeralds.’
As he spoke about how they could use the gemstones in their designs, Siya ran her eyes over his proposal. While the professional shots of the gemstones from different angles was a treat to look at, his proposal lacked any information on lab certifications and origin source documentation.
She turned her attention back to Shyamlal, hoping he’d mention it in his speech, but when he ended it with a dramatic bow, Siya realised his pitch was all bells and whistles, with no substance underneath.
She stole a glance at Abhay and he was tapping his chin, looking unconvinced.
‘That’s an impressive presentation,’ Abhay said, leaning back in his chair. ‘But could we also see the gemstones in question and documentations supporting your grand statements? I’d like to inspect the stones personally, and I’m sure Siya would like a look at the certifications.’
‘Our brand’s reputation for quality is well-known, son, so I’m sure that won’t be necessary,’ Shyamlal said, turning briefly toward Dhruv, expecting him to agree.
Dhruv straightened his jacket, the crisp white shirt shifting beneath, and leaned forward. ‘Shyamlal Uncle is one of our long-time vetted investors. He has never been asked to display gemstones for approval before. Dad trusts him.’
Abhay asked calmly, ‘Do I look like Kartik to you?’
Before the tension could escalate, Siya jumped in. ‘We appreciate the pitch, Mr Sisodia,’ she offered a courteous smile, ‘but I hope you understand we’ll require a complete breakdown of lab certifications and licenses.’
Shyamlal hesitated briefly, and she felt suspicion tick in her pulse. His lips tightened but he eagerly said, ‘The gems speak for themselves, my dear, I assure you. They’re beyond reproach. I don’t usually need to go through such verification procedures.’
‘I respect the relationship you have built with my father-in-law, but that doesn’t mean we skip out on due diligence over it. It’s not optional for us, Mr Sisodia. This is a deal breaker,’ Abhay said his final word on the matter.
‘Of course, of course,’ Shyamlal said, casually waving his hand. ‘Though, I won’t lie, I’m surprised to see such formalities. Kartik and I have been friends for decades, and we never bothered with such useless details.’
‘Then you can count this as an exception,’ Abhay suggested.
Reluctantly, Shyamlal reached into his briefcase and began sifting through documents. Siya noticed Abhay angle away, tapping at his phone. A second later, her phone buzzed.
Does something smell a little fishy to you too, wifey?
She didn’t look down as her fingers flew across the message keyboard beneath the table, and that was the reason she added that word at the end. At least that’s what she told herself.
Yes, patidev.
Another ping.
Haw, don’t tempt me with dirty talk. We’re in public.
She shook her head and found it safer to not reply, but he wouldn’t let up.
Maybe he is jacking up the prices on fake stones to afford more jewellery and surpass Bappi Lehri in that discounted Bond villain suit.
Siya lowered her head and adjusted a page in her file to hide her smile. She discreetly sent a response.
Behave.
His reply popped up almost instantly.
Make me.
Her gaze snapped up just in time to find him staring at her, his expression maddeningly innocent, like he wasn’t flirting with her in a room full of high-level executives.
Shyamlal slid out a black wooden case and opened it. On a plush velvet tray lay deep green emeralds. The colour, dark and seductive, cast reflections on the ceiling.
Abhay snapped on a glove and braced his forearms against the table as he reached for one of the stones. He tilted the stone under the table light, studying it under a mini microscope. His thumb ran over its smooth texture and a slight crease formed in between his brows.
‘Which lab tested these stones, and how long ago were they tested?’ he inquired.
Shyamlal stuttered in his response. ‘I think sometime last month, but just look at them. The deep hue of these emeralds will elevate your jewellery line beyond competition.’
Abhay was frowning as he studied the stone with a tiny microscope, and it raised Siya’s guards. She turned her attention to the certificates laid out in front of her. Even before she got to the analysis, she could identify red flags.
The date stamps for the inspection were very recent, and there was no mention of whether any treatments were done on them.
The edges of the laminated certificate were glossy and barely creased. She picked up one document titled “Natural Untreated Colombian Origin” and after a thorough look, found several inconsistencies.
These certificates were the best forged work she’d seen. They could fool a small-time jeweller, but wouldn’t withstand against a civil lawyer who dealt with forgery cases for a living.
In that moment, her eyes locked with Abhay and he discreetly shook his head once. She understood that she wasn’t the only one struggling with suspicion. It seemed he’d come to the same conclusion.
Her phone buzzed next minute with his text.
When was the last time you saw rare, uncut gemstones being in transit in an unlocked wooden box?
Siya glanced at the box and sure enough, there was no lock on it. It was unheard of to travel with such luxury stones with no security at all.
‘Well, Mr Sisodia,’ Abhay began, his tone light. ‘At a preliminary glance, everything looks to be in place. I hope you understand that we’ll still require the stones to be verified independently with a full spectrum of tests.’
‘Not really,’ Shyamlal replied, irritation evident in his tone. ‘You’re making this unnecessarily complicated. Kartik will vouch for me.’
‘But it is complicated. This is a joint launch between Kashyap Luxe and Agrawal Jewels and they conduct a detailed vetting process for every vendor. Besides, I’m sure our investors would love to see these exquisite stones beforehand.
Trust me, you’d be giving them a treat, Uncle,’ Siya said with a sweet, diplomatic smile.
Shyamlal argued, ‘You don’t understand. I can’t just leave my rare and valuable products with you. There are a lot of factors to consider, security above all.’
Abhay chimed in. ‘I don’t see any locks on the wooden box containing the gemstones. It’s a very pretty box, but not exactly top-quality security. I’m sure we can find something much safer. It’s only a matter of a couple of days.’
His calm composure fractured and his nostrils flared. He stood abruptly and adjusted his jacket. ‘Do as you wish. I’ll be expecting to hear from you soon.’
He gathered his briefcase and threw a sharp look at his assistant, who hurriedly took it from him. Shyamlal turned on his heel and stalked out of the room. The door closed behind him and the silence felt loud enough to echo.
‘Dad sent a great supplier, but it seems the newlyweds picked today to play detective duo,’ Dhruv spat out, eyes darting between Abhay and her, and she felt her back stiffen with frustration.
She didn’t miss the way the junior members from his team snickered at his jab, and she badly wished to slap off his condescending smirk.
But she held onto the last strands of patience she could find and argued, ‘You know lab tests exist for a reason, Dhruv.
Or else, our dear old Uncle Chaudhary can show up tomorrow with a rock from his collection and claim it's a relic from ancient times.’
‘Business means risk, Siya, and if you’re that much of a coward, maybe you should stick to your cosy married life instead of trying to run a business.’
‘Everyone out. Now!’ Abhay snapped, his voice ice-cold. Startled, everyone quickly filed out of the room one by one.
When the door clicked close behind them, Abhay turned to Dhruv.
‘This is your only warning, Dhruv. Nothing gives you the right to speak to Siya that way, and especially not with an audience in the workplace. You either show her the respect she deserves or I can personally kick you out the door. You choose.’
Dhruv huffed. ‘What do you want me to do, just always bow down to her every whim? Because apparently, she has forgotten how this business works. Dad never asked suppliers to jump through hoops just to gain his trust. She’s dragging her feet over little stuff.’
‘Look at them!’ Siya shouted, and gestured at the emeralds. ‘Fucking use your brain for once in your life, and inspect them before you take Shyamlal’s word at face value.’
Backing her up, Abhay picked up one stone and held it out to him. ‘Or is it that you can’t tell a natural gem from a treated one?’
Dhruv snatched it from his grasp and studied it with the mini microscope. Siya saw the moment he found a problem because he went rigid.
Abhay asked, ‘Do you see how flawless it is? Natural, mined emeralds have inclusions. This stone, which he praised as rare and natural, has absolutely none. You know what that means.’
‘They might be treated,’ Dhruv said more to himself than them. ‘I can’t believe I missed this. But why would Dad recommend Shyamlal if he’s a fraud?’ he trailed off, his voice cracking at the end.