39

"Khushi..!" Shondeep called.
"Yes Sir?" Khushi responded.

"We have a meeting with the union coming up in Nanded. I need a report on the research; our team did on the unions and their leaders! We need to be prepared for this. Sir needs to be there, but I don't know his availability and readiness to come!" he said seriously.

"Yes sir! I will collect the reports from our team and compile!" she said.
"Do you want me to ask papaji?" she asked him.
"Umm.. Yes!" he said.

"And Arnav is coming!" he said. She nodded. 

"This is going to be a hell of a task, Khushi! Negotiating with Union for sustenance package is next to impossible! We badly need Sir in this!" said Shondeep.
"I will do my best!" said Khushi. 

Khushi was back to work after doing her morning chores. Arnav had gone to the office. There was a cease fire between Arnav and Khushi! 

She scanned through the research reports. The union activities since the Mill's inception were reported. Though it was a co-operative Mill two politically driven Unions were active. The workers were members of either party. Both rival unions only tried to pull each others legs. No deal so far in the history of the mill was struck because of the rivalry. The leadership seemed to be politically motivated and had no interest in the wellbeing of the workers.

She started reading the reports and compiling the highlights. Local political leadership was powerful. The workers were already suffering. She started tabulating the details of earlier negotiations with the union. Indeed, It was next to impossible to strike a deal. It took her entire day to compile the preliminary report. She sent it to Shondeep Sir with a copy to Raj, papaji and Arnav. Now it was upto them to decide their strategy!!

Papaji called up Arnav and Khushi that night.

"Puttar, this information is inadequate! We need a different approach. I have talked to our research team. They will submit the information in a couple of days and then we will be equipped." Said papaji. 

"Papaji, you will be there at the meeting!" Khushi declared cum asked.

"I haven't yet decided!" said papaji managing to keep her hanging.

"Arnav Puttar, is everything ok? Mummiji gets worried now a days!" he asked Arnav. Khushi nudged Arnav.

"Yes, papaji!" said Arnav in a soft voice glaring at Khushi.
"Thank you very much for sending Dasgupta!" said Arnav with gratitude.

"Oh! That was my last resort!" said papaji laughing.

"Papaji, how much does he charge?" asked Khushi curiously.

"What?..why?" asked papaji.
"No! I mean... he said he does not do anything for free!" said Khushi.

"Oh! Don't bother about him. I know his fees!" said papaji.

"Coming back to business, Arnav Puttar.. Raghu wanted to talk to you about some arrangements. He may call you up in the morning. Help him if you can!" said papaji.
"Yes! Sure papaji!" assured Arnav. 

Arnav disconnected the phone and looked at Khushi. She was smiling. It had started drizzling outside. He cupped her face passionately. He was in romantic mood and Khushi got infected with the same. She rubbed her nose under his neck. He took her in his arms and pulled her on the bed, pressing himself against her. He switched of the lights removing all the obstacles between them. His passionate kisses and hugs took her to the different world. 


Next day morning Raghu called Arnav. "I need some help from you! We are dealing with a new client for our silk fabric. I need some sample designs!" said Raghu.

"Ok! I can arrange!" said Arnav.

"Its Urgent and I want an expert to talk to my client!"
"Can you send Ms Lavanya for a couple of weeks here?" asked Raghu.

"Yeah! That should not be a problem. I will ask Lavanya to call you!" said Arnav.
"Thanks Arnav!" Raghu disconnected and looked at papaji who was sitting in Raghu's cabin.
"Done!" Raghu said. Papaji looked satisfied.

"But.. why? I mean we already have arranged for the designs from our team!" Raghu was puzzled.

"There is a deep thought behind it! You won't understand!" Papaji's weirdness had come back.
Raghu shrugged and smiled. 


********* ********* ***********

The entire week Khushi and Arnav were busy. They hardly talked to each other. Arnav worked for extended hours in the night too and Khushi couldn't complete her daily scheduled tasks even after working overtime. The Union meeting was getting on to her nerves.

Papaji called, "Khushi I am going to Nanded this weekend and you are coming with me!" he declared.

"But.. the meeting is in the last week of this month!" said Khushi.

"I am going ahead a week and you are coming!" he said. Khushi was puzzled she did not respond.

"I will talk to Arnav!" he said and disconnected.

******** ***** ******

Arnav came home late in the evening. 

"Khushi.. papaji called up!" he said.
"I know. He talked to me! He wants me to go with him!" she said looking at him.

"Is there a problem?" he wondered.
"May be! I don't know! I have worked on this project, so he may want me as back end support!" she said thinking.

"hmm!" he said. "And Raghu wants lavanya for a couple of weeks!" he declared.
"What?" Khushi was surprised.
"Yeah! But she is not ready to go to Kolkata! She said she can manage from here!" he said casually.

Khushi swallowed hard. "So, she is not ready to go! Haan? Why?" she wondered.
"Khushi...!" Arnav was waving before her eyes looking at her suspiciously.

"Haan?" she came back.
"Are you ok?" he asked.
"hmm!" she said "How can I be ok, when she is not ready to go and I have to go leaving you with her!!" she thought bitterly.

"But, why is she not willing to go?" Khushi pursued the issue.

"Forget it! Its her problem. I had asked her to talk to Raghu directly!" he said turning his back on her. She glared at his back angrily. "Hmm!" she said thinking.

She could not sleep that night. She was tossing and turning thinking about Lavanya. Arnav got irritated with the disturbance. He pulled her closer, wrapped her in a tight embrace and said "Chupchap so jao!" She obeyed.

Next day dawned as havoc. A nasty Article had appeared in the national news papers about the dirty politics going on in Fashion Industry in India and AR Group and KFH were prominently mentioned as colluding partners to kill the smaller players in the industry. Houses from Mumbai, Bangalore and Chennei had accused these two houses for snatching their business and contracts and blamed them for quoting low to kill the competition.

Arnav was furious! He paced the room up and down like a caged tiger clenching his fists. This article had come at the time when they together were to bag a French contract for Design, ready mades and Fabric supply. 

Raghu called him. "Arnav, I am withdrawing from the race and you know, cancelling the request for Lavanya! You know, the things are not going our way. We need to keep distance!" Arnav did not agree to this.

"Why should we? We have not done anything like what is mentioned in the article. Why should we succumb to the pressure tactics of our rivals?" he was enraged. He did not understand Raghu's stance of backing out. He was of the opinion that they together should fight it out, showing them who was the king. Raghu did not agree to this. 

"Aranv, we need to rethink about our strategy! We need to keep low for the time being!" Raghu clearly could not take the blunt and the media head on! Arnav on the other hand had drawn out his weapons and was ready to fight. Khushi could sense the clash. She also wanted these two houses to fight back and not keep low. Her fighting spirit surfaced. She could not understand Raghu's fears. 

There was a heated discussion between the two heads. Arnav being seasoned in this media scoops, wanted to retaliate and Raghu being novice as a head wanted to withdraw! Khushi wanted to talk to papaji about this but he was out of reach!! He wanted these two find the solution.

The article had created sensation and their phones never stopped ringing. Arnav had switched off his phone. He was fuming. Raghu was nervous and wanted to wait till the dust settled down. It was almost sure that the contract would go from their hands. 

Arnav went to the office fuming with frustration!!

Khushi called her Elsa Bhabi, MD of KFH!!

Elsa intervened!! Arnav, Elsa and Raghu had a closed door video conference meeting for a long time. 

There was a press note released by both the houses independent of each other denying all the allegations and assuring a fair game!! The collaboration continued!! Cognizance was given to the Article by issuing a simple, straight forward press note and nothing else.

Arnav called up from the office to tell her that he would not come for lunch.
"I am coming with your lunch!!" she told him.
"Khushi..No! I will manage here!" he said.
"No way!" she said disconnecting the phone. "I know who will manage for you!" she muttered angrily.

.........

She went to the office in the afternoon with Arnav's and Aakash's lunch.
"Aakash jijaji, got your lunch!" she met him in the corridors of the office.
"That's great!" Aakash followed her to Arnav's cabin.
As expected, Lavanya was in his cabin.

"Hello Lavanya ji! How are you?" greeted Khushi.

"Hi Chamakili! What brings you here?" asked Lavanya surprised.

"His lunch!" answered Khushi.

"But I already have ordered!" said Lavanya looking at Arnav for approval.

"What? I didn't ask you to order!" retorted Arnav. Lavanya felt hurt.

"I ordered your favorite pasta and salad, ASR!" said Lavanya trying to hold her ground.
"Oh! But Bhai loves Khushi ji's preparations!" said Aakash winking at Arnav. Arnav looked away.

"If the discussion is over, Khushi, serve the food! I am starving!" said Arnav ignoring everyone and opening the tiffin!! Khushi smiled and served food to Arnav and Aakash.

Aman walked in. "Oh! Wow! Tiffin from home?" he took a mouthful of roti and sabji and smacking his lips looked at Arnav expectantly! Arnav glared at Aman! Aman smiled sheepishly.
"Aman bhaiyya, have food with us!" Khushi invited him. He was waiting for that and immediately took a chair and settled down! 

"Lavanya ji, would you like to have lunch with us? Ghar ka Khana?" she asked Lavanya.
"No chamakili, I already have ordered my lunch!" Lavanya looked upset. 

"ASR, I will meet you later!" she left his cabin. Khushi's eyes followed her.

******** *************

Papaji called up Arnav in the night. They had a long discussion to strategize the Union Talks!!
Khushi was relaxed! She knew that Papaji would attend the negotiations and she was relieved. They were to leave early next week.

********** ********* *********