Chapter 3 Part ²

"The share prices of Maheshwari Industries dropped by eighty percent today early morning and the investors are withdrawing their investments. Now we have to see that whether the company survives the crisis or declares bankruptcy."

The news played on loop as Virat was busy attending the calls one after the other and trying to pacify the shareholders, while Radhika sat on the bed in their bedroom, all numb tensed and worried due to the sudden storm that had entered their life unannounced.

"What happen?", Radhika asked her husband who sat beside her defeated with his face between his palms, before he looked up at her and nodded in no saying, "It was a call from Mr. Goenka. He cancelled Meera and Rehan's marriage."

Radhika gasped flabbergasted before asking in tears, "How can they do this to our daughter. Next week is their wedding. Wedding cards have also been sent to all the relatives. All the preparations are already done. Now if the marriage will get cancelled, then it will be a great disgrace for our daughter."

"This marriage was decided for signing a merger contract between our companies. Now when the company is in such a bad condition then-", Virat could not dare to complete the sentence, whereas Radhika cried more on the ill fate of her child.

"But what we will say to Meera?", Radhika asked wiping her tears and virat sighed as he said, " Today or tomorrow, we have to tell her the truth. You look for the perfect time to share this bad news with her."

Radhika sobbed more and Virat took her into a side hug as he tried calling few more investors to find a way out of this problem.

But unknown to them, Meera was already hiding behind the wall of the threshold of her parents' bedroom, eavesdropping on their conversation. Her countenance all blank and stoid as she silently walked back upstairs to her own bedroom.

Locking the door behind her, she sat on the bed staring into nothingness, until she could not hold back anymore, and slowly closed her eyes thus letting the tears emerging down from her beautiful eyes.

This was not what she wanted when she prayed for her marriage with Rehan to get called off. Not at the cost of her family's happiness and future.

Picking up her cellphone from the side table, she dialed the last received call from yesterday late night. Dialing the number again and again, she patiently waited for the person other side to answer the call but it did not happen.

Meera chuckled sadly as the person for whom she was about to leave her everything behind and get married to him, now was not even ready to talk to her.

Dialing another number she said as soon as the person on other side accepted the call, "I want to talk to Mr. Rehan Goenka. Tell him that Meera Maheshwari is calling."

But to her dismay the person immediately denied to pass her request as he appologized saying, "Sorry Ma'am but Mr. Goenka is in a very important meeting."

Meera disconnect the call without saying or listening to anything further as she knew better that the person in Rehan's office was lying. Yesterday night when Rehan had called her, he had told her that his schedule for today is clear. They were even going for shopping some jewelleries for their marriage, until the news of the collapse of Maheshwari business came this morning and in split of seconds, her life changed. People changed. Relations changed. Priorities changed. Opinions and decisions changed.

Grabbing her handbag from the wardrobe and settling her dupatta properly over her shoulder, Meera walk out of the house. Sitting at the rear seat of her car, she only utter two words to the driver, "Goenka Industries!"

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"Where is black coffee? And where are the omelets?", The head servant asked in panic as she rushed to check the dining table only to see that few things are yet to settled on there.

She looked up at the wall clock which showed five minutes to eight and she immediately rushed back into the kitchen to get the rest of the breakfast.

The clock struck exact eight in the morning and the head servent sighed looking at everything present on the dining table in the perfect order, just like their sir likes.

Creaking of the shoes on the wooden stairs echoed and she looked up behind her to see Vivaansh climbing down the stairs while being busy in folding the sleeves of his black shirt with a grey coat hanging on his forearm.

Tejaswi came from her room at the same time and immediately took the coat from her son before hanging it neatly on the Backrest of the head chair and giving him the space to sit on the chair.

While Vivaansh was busy in checking the news in the newspaper, Tejaswi started serving him with omelets and black tea while saying, "Do you have to go to the office today?"

Vivaansh glanced at his mother for few seconds before diverting his attention now to his freshly served breakfast, as he nodded in affirmation asking, "You have some work with me?"

"Actually, Mrs. Gupta's daughter...She has came back from London. She is a very nice girl. So, I was thinking if you can meet her today. May be you like her.", Tejaswi informed and Vivaansh nodded his head in acknowledgement but did not say anything and continued to have his breakfast.

Tejaswi waited for few minutes for him to at least answer if he was going on the blind date or not, but was disappointed when he did not say anything except a nod.

After having his breakfast, Vivaansh got up followed by Tejaswi who immediately stood behind him with his coat and helped him in wearing that, before coming in front to fix his collars perfectly.

"today I have an important lunch meeting. But I will be done with that meeting in an hour of so. I can go and meet her after that. Meeting is scheduled in our hotel in Bandra. I will ask Rajeev to escort her to my private area, is that ok?", Vivaansh suggested as he was all ready for leaving for the office and Tejaswi smiled widely hearing him as she nod her head excitedly.

"I will ask them once and then will inform you soon. ", Tejaswi replied with a smile and Vivaansh nodded curtly at her before bidding her bye as he left for office.

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"Ma'am you can not go inside like this. Please ma'am wait.", The receptionist ran behind Meera as Meera walked straight out of the lift towards Rehan's cabin ignoring all the shouts of the lady behind her.

With the lady still following and shouting for her to stop, Meera did not stop as she opened the door with name plate CEO Rehan Goenka with loud bang, and she saw Rehan sitting on his chair while working something on his laptop.

"Ma'am please you cannot come like this-", The lady reasoned as she tried to hold Meera from her elbow, but Rehan raised his hand to stop her and then gestured her to leave, and the lady left after closing the door behind her.

"You were in meeting, weren't you?", Meera asked glaring him and Rehan sighed before saying, "Lets go somewhere else to talk about this. You don't have to create a scene here In my office."

Meera nodded before walking out of his cabin followed by him and every eyes in the office were only on them, but Meera cared less. They went to the restaurant on the opposite to his office and asked for a private area to avoid the outsiders as well as media who were already eager to know about even a smallest details in the couple's life.

Sitting in silence for few minutes until Rehan broke the quietness as he apologized, "I am sorry, I should not have lied to you about me being in the meeting."

"Why did you call off the marriage?", Meera asked straight away without beating around the bush and Rehan sighed before he said, "You know that our marriage was nothing but a business alliance between our families. Your business collapsed suddenly and we all know that if we still hold onto this marriage then it will affect Goenka's business as well."

Meera looked away for a split of seconds before looking back as she stared at the person in front of her with hurt in her eyes yet smile on her lips as she uttered grimly, "Thank you."

Rehan looked at her stunned and surprised as he had expected anything but a gratefulness from Meera after their marriage was called off that too in such conditions.

"Thank you for breaking this alliance and letting me know that what a great mistake I was doing by agreeing to marry a person like you. If this would have happened after our marriage, then I might had to live forever with the tag of a 'divorcee'. But I am happy that all this happened before our marriage and I got to know your true face.", Meera said calmly without a single trance of anger neither in her voice nor on her face, and that alluring smile playing on her lips hurt the male ego of Rehan beyond repairs.

Grabbing her bag, Meera got up and turned to leave but suddenly halt in her steps as she gazed back sincerely in Rehan's eyes before saying, "Marriage is a sacred bond and not some rubbish business deal. It is a pure relation where you don't share only happiness but every phase in your soulmate's life. You don't hold them only in their good times but also support them in their worst days. I hope you meet someone who can make you understand the real meaning of marriage. Hope to never see you again, Mr. Rehan Goenka."

And she walked out of the cubicle like a queen, only to collide with something or may be someone. Meera hurriedly apologized to the person without looking at the person's face as she was already broken and on a verge of crying.

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Vivaansh, after getting done with his lunch meeting, was sitting in one of the private cubical while waiting for the girl he was supposed to meet for the blind date, when he heard some commotion from the another cubicle beside his'.

He Ignored at first as he continued checking some important mails in his cellphone but the voices from other cubicle was loud enough for him to ignore. He was about to call the waiter to look into the matter but then her words took his attention.

And without his own consciousness he was already eavesdropping the private conversation between those unknown couple sitting on the other side of the wall. And somewhere her each and every word were exciting him more and more to hear them.

"Marriage is a sacred bond and not some rubbish business deal. It is a pure relation where you don't share only happiness but every phase in your soulmate's life. You don't hold her only in good times but also support her in her worst days. I hope you meet someone who can make you understand the real meaning of marriage. Hope to never see you again Mr. Rehan Goenka."

A small smile made its was on his lips as he felt proud at the bravery of whoever the girl was. It was not easy to bear the pain of the marriage getting called off, but the way that girl stood strong instead of crying over the loss, unknowingly made Vivaansh admire the girl.

His trance was broken as his phone went off displaying 'Mom' and he walked out of his private area to attend the call, but immediately collided with someone. He looked down at the girl barely reaching to his shoulders, with long straight black hairs and a bit chubby but beautiful in figure, apologizing him without looking up at him, and before he can react she was already gone.

She was wearing a beautiful baby pink colored palazzo suit with a white colored flats. Her voice had the magic to enchant anyone and even though he had not look at her face, but the way she was carrying herself into that traditional dress with those brave words he heard of hers from few minutes back, made Vivaansh knew that she is one beautiful girl he had ever met.

Staring at her retreating figure for one last time until she was not in the line of his vision anymore, Vivaansh then went away to attend his mother's call.