Chapter 41: chapter 41

Chapter Forty OneYash walked into the office the next morning dressed for battle. He shot his cuffs and tightened his tie before he strode into the conference room for the management meeting. There was only one topic on the agenda.He didn’t look at Kanak and Maya sitting on one side of the long conference table when he walked in. He took his seat between Ruchi, the company’s head of Human Resources and Pranav, the head of Legal. And of course douchebag, Gel Head who made the complaint, sat beside Pranav. “Shall we begin?” Pranav asked. All of them nodded. Ruchi quickly summarised the complaint and asked Gel Head if he had anything to add. The pompous little prat spoke about boundaries and consent and how he felt violated by being forced to dance with Maya and put his hands on her waist. “May I speak?” Maya asked. “Not yet,” Kanak told her sweetly. “Why not?” Pranav enquired looking between the friends and business partners. “We all have other things to get to. Let’s wrap this up so we can actually do that.”The door swung open and Aayushi Thakkar walked in. Gone was her sweet smile and her people pleasing personality. In its place was the legal shark that Aakash relied on for his corporate issues.“We were waiting for our legal counsel to join us,” Kanak replied, pulling a chair out for Aayushi who sat down with a smile and folded her arms politely, waiting for them to continue. Yash suppressed a smile at the row of formidable women facing them. Gel Head had no idea who he was taking on. “I have some questions for the complainant,” Aayushi said, turning those piercing Thakkar eyes she shared with Aakash on Gel Head. He quaked a little in his seat. Pranav swept a hand out, gesturing for her to go ahead. He looked faintly amused and trying to hide it. Clearly, he knew who he was dealing with.Aayushi put a recorder down on the table between them and said, “Just for everyone’s information, I will be recording this conversation so there is no miscommunication.” Gel Head quaked some more.“Let’s start with your testimony shall we? You claim my client coerced you into being a part of this campaign?” Gel Head nodded, seeming unable to form the words.“Would you have any proof of that?” “If I were a woman would you still ask that question?” he quavered in response, clearly coached on that response by someone.“Yes, I would,” she told him. “So, do you have any proof?”He stayed silent. “I would like to show you the volunteer’s contract that Social Butterfly had signed by all the volunteers in the ad campaign. It clearly delineates consent to be a part of the campaign in the last line.”She slapped a paper down on the table, pointing to the signature at the bottom. “This is your signature, isn’t it, Mr. Vignesh Sivakumar?” “She forced me to sign that,” he said, sweating profusely now.“How?” Pranav asked at the same time as Aayushi interjected, “Proof of that?” “She forced me to put my hands on her hips,” he said. “She grabbed my hands and put them on her hips. Everyone in the room saw it. I can get you eye witness statements.” “Everyone in the room saw her teaching you to salsa. I do believe that is the traditional form of the dance. It’s impossible to do it without holding your partner. We can produce enough eye witness statements to that effect.”“I would like it on record that my client’s reputation and her business’s are both impeccable and have no smears on them.” Aayushi sat back in her chair, her steely eyes still on Gel Head who was now squirming in his seat. “This ridiculous complaint is going to affect that and we are considering taking legal action to that effect.”“This is your client and her business’s first contract,” Pranav said drily. “She hasn’t had time to develop a reputation or to stake her innocence on it.”Aayushi raised an eyebrow and looked at him with interest. Pranav smiled back, equally intrigued by her.“Why would you do this?” Maya asked now. “You and I both know nothing of the sort you’re claiming happened. So, why?” Gel Head was perspiring in earnest now, not an attractive sight. “Answer her.” Yash’s soft voice with the menace winding through it had several people at the table jumping. Silence answered him. “You said Maya hasn’t had time to build up a reputation to stake in this conversation. I have worked with this firm for four years now. I’ll stake mine,” Yash said, keeping his eyes on Pranav and Ruchi and not looking at the other side of the table. “Professionally, my team vetted the team of Social Butterfly before awarding them the contract. We have found them to be both professional and ethical in all their dealings. So, I believe the responsibility of bringing them on board and on the office premises rests with me.”Pranav started to speak but Yash held his hand out to stop him. He wasn’t looking for fancy legal footwork at this moment.“Personally,” Yash said. “I have known Maya for years now and I know that her integrity is impeccable and her work ethic even more so. I will personally stake my reputation in this company and my proven and tested integrity on her both as an individual and as a professional. In my eyes and in my considered opinion, she has done no wrong. I know this for a fact. If I am proven wrong, I will tender my resignation with immediate effect.”Nobody spoke for several seconds. “That won’t be necessary,” Ruchi said finally, clearing her throat. “We need to take every complaint seriously. I too realise that there is no concrete proof of any misdoing in this particular case and yet, this inquiry is necessary.” Nobody said anything. There was nothing to say at that moment. “We don’t find any grounds to take this complaint any further. Mr. Sivakumar, it is my strongest recommendation that you look to withdraw the complaint and tender a written apology. Failing which-““Failing which,” Aayushi interrupted. “My client will file a defamation suit against you.”Gel Head paled even further. Ruchi nodded in acknowledgement before continuing, her eyes on Gel Head. “A false complaint is an HR violation too. I would think very carefully about the path you choose.” Pranav spoke up then. “However, despite the findings or future action, the contract with Social Butterfly for this campaign stands cancelled. Management doesn’t want it to go ahead. You are, however, welcome to pitch for future business.”Yash doubted that was going to happen but he kept the thought to himself. He still didn’t look at Maya, although every fibre of his being pulled in her direction like iron fillings to a magnet. “That’s unfair,” Kanak said. “But it’s fact,” Pranav replied.“I’m sorry,” Gel Head whispered. “My friends were taunting and egging me on. This whole thing got out of hand. I didn’t mean for-“ Pranav cut him off before he landed himself and the firm in the middle of a sexual harassment lawsuit, this time with Maya being the plaintiff.“Withdraw your complaint, apologise and this will all go away,” Pranav told him. Gel Head nodded miserably. “Then we’re done here?” Yash asked, looking around his company’s side of the table. They nodded.“Then if you all don’t mind, I have actual work to do.” He walked out, pretending to look at his watch, her gaze boring into his back and branding his heart.