27| 30 days of her Leave

Started writing on 17th September 2020.

Competed on 17th September 2020.

Word count : 2560 words.

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– A Y A A N –

It's been four days Divya pledged to catch the culprit. She's running around, finding the clue about the cheater. She's eating and sleeping less and is busy in running around here and there.

She should atleast take care of her health. Who told her to eat less?

"I found the culprit!" Divya barged into my office and shouted. Did she really found the culprit? I was behind it too but wasn't able to find the cheater. And she?? She's really extraordinary.

"Who? And when was it done?" I seriously don't remember when the plan was stolen.

"I don't know about it but I've found the cheater. You want to know or what?" She shouted.

"Alright. But where is he?"

"It's she not he."

"Woman?" I asked.

"Of course. She is used for women. I've never heard someone denoting a man as she." She became irritated.

"Where is she? I'll fire her."

"You can't fire her." She stated. But why can't I fire her? "She's not from A&C."

"Then who is she? And where is she?" But she didn't answered, "Where are you dragging me?" I asked when she started to drag me.

"To meet her, as she's related to you, not me." She said and dragged me until we reached our car. Who is the culprit? And why did she do it? Divya remained silent in the drive, and I kept asking her who is she?

"Divya! I'll have an heart attack. Please don't create suspence." She stopped the car in front of a hotel and came out of the car. I followed her.

"Janine Smith!" She said to the receptionist. What? What would she do with the designing plan? Her family business is related to hotels! "Must be thinking how is she related to the matter?" How did she know? Is she omniscient?

"Yes." I said.

"Follow me. I'll show you what's happening." She took the room card from the receptionist and started walking. Without thinking, I followed her. She slided the card into the lock and the gate opened in a second. Janine was there, sitting on the sofa, painting her nails and talking on her phone.

"Excuse me but.....may I come in?" Divya said.

"You both, here? How did you enter here?" Janine asked and Divya showed the card. "How can they give you the card? Isn't it violating the privacy?"

"That's what I'm asking you. How can you invade other's privacy?" Divya said.

"When did I?" Janine said.

"May I know who stole the plan of designing project?"

"How would I know?"

"Wasn't it you?"

"Why would I?"

"That's what I'm asking. Why did you stole it? You're born with silver spoon, still not satisfied!"

"Do you have any proof?"

"Proof?" Divya took out her phone and showed a photo to Janine.

"Who's he?" I asked.

"A worker of the company which stole our plan and is planning to use it."

"How is she related to him?" I asked.

"Stop there or you'll be dead." Divya said when Janine was trying to run away from her window. Janine stopped on her track. We're on the thirtieth floor. It's obvious that she'll die. It's really stupid of her to climb the window. "I'm asking for the last time, why did you steal the information and how is this man related to you?" Divya shouted.

"He's my boyfriend." She said when police entered the sight. When did police came?

"Continue. Who told you to stop?" Divya shouted.

"He asked me to steal the plan, promising that he would marry me. As I came to know that The Park's are signing deal with your company, I used the chance to copy the document. Yesterday, when we were having the celebration party, I tricked your husband and used his phone to take the information out." Janine confessed and Divya chuckled.

I remember it. During the party one of the worker of Janine's group spilled the juice on me. She must have had used my phone when I went to clean it. Why did I leave my phone there?

"I have pin in my phone." I said.

"That was easy." Said Janine.

"Is your password 1234?" Divya asked me. Now how should I answer it?

"It's your birthday." Janine told Divya. I'm gone. Divya looked at me as if I've grown two horns on my head. Police arrested her, while they said that his boyfriend is already arrested and a case has been filed against the company for copying the plan illegally.

"Didn't you knew it from the starting?" I asked.

"I knew but I wanted her to confess." Divya said and went out of the room and I followed her out.

××

"So what about your honeymoon?" Mom asked us. Both the parents were having the dinner together at our place.

"Is it necessary?" Divya asked. After coming back from the hotel, Divya hasn't spoken a word to me. It seems she's angry.

"What are your saying? Of course it's necessary. It's been almost two months and you both haven't gone for your honeymoon." Mumma said while both dads kept quiet, remaining out of the matter.

"Mumma I'm busy." Divya whined.

"What's more important than your marriage?"

"My friend's wedding. She's marrying and invited me."

"It's wedding right? How much time would it take? Mostly three or four days."

"One month." Divya said. One month? Is she insane? How can a marriage be one month long?

"One month? Is your friend marrying or what?.... Don't worry, Ayaan will accompany you." Mumma said. Thank you Mumma.

"No need. She won't like it."

"May I know which friend are you talking about?"

"My old classmate." Divya said.

"I was in the same school. Which one are you talking about?" I asked and she gave me a death glare.

"I need to go there. She won't like if I won't go. And also she doesn't like unwanted guest." Divya said and narrowed her eyes towards me. I know she's lying but I can't say anything.

"Divya this is rude." Mumma said. "So? You're going to leave your honeymoon just because of your friend's wedding?"

"Mumma, he's not going to die in one month. It's just one month. I'm going alone and that's final."

"Did you both had a fight?" Mom asked.

"Yes." Divya said. What? When did we fought?

"It's alright. I support you. Both son and father are same. You can go and no one will stop you." Mom said. What's with her now? Why is she taking her frustration out in my relationship.

"Did you two had a fight?" I asked mom and she narrowed her eyes. I looked at dad and he too was looking in the other direction. So because of dad, my relationship is on the cliff.

After having the dinner, everyone departed leaving me and Divya alone in the house. "Why do you think that I'll grant you leave for a month?" I asked as it's the only way to stop her back.

"You promised." She said.

"When did I?" I asked. When did I promise her for a leave?

"Twenty three days ago. Don't you remember? This is my fees for accompanying you to the party." She said. Oh God! She's backfiring me. Why did I promise a month of paid leave to her? "And the best thing is..... It's a paid leave."

"You don't have any proof right?" I asked as per what I remember I didn't sign any paper regarding it.

"You consider me a fool? Of course I have it. I've recorded every sentence you said. So don't try to escape the situation or I'll sue you." She said and went up to her room.

In the morning when I woke up there was no sign of Divya in the house. On the fridge, I saw a sticky note attached.

'On a one month world trip. Do not disturb.'

What is she trying to do? Does she really hate me this much that she ran away from me?

I ate the breakfast in silence, alone and went to A&C.

It's going to be a long one month without her.

××

Thirty days later~

It's been such a long time. Thirty days! One long month! Where are you Divya?

I tried to call her but it was always switched off. Is she on a world trip or space trip? It's been thirty days but no sign of her.

I was always wrong in the matter of Aman and I'm ashamed of it. Just two weeks ago he was proposed in company.

"Sir, There's a man who's standing outside the building, holding a sorry, forgive me and marry me banner." Adarsh said.

"What? It's against the rules of the company. How can someone propose in the company?" I said, "Fire him."

"We can't do it. He doesn't work in our company. The one he's proposing works here." Adarsh informed. I stood up angrily and went to see the proposal going on.

And what I saw there terrified me more. The man was the same man who was dancing with Divya in the party. And the one he was proposing was Aman. So! Does this man Aman has nothing to do Divya?

I'm so happy. But I said all that to Divya about Aman, she must be angry with me now.

I shouldn't have had said that, even in anger.

The question is when will she return? It's already thirty days. Did she lost her way? No she can't. She could easily find her way anytime and anywhere.

"Ho mujhe chhod kar jo tum jaaoge

Bada pachtaoge, bada pachtaoge

Bada pachtaoge, bada pachtaoge...." Shrey came inside my office room and started singing.

"What are you doing?" I shouted.

"Wait a minute! Let me sing another song to depict your current life." And he started.

"Tum kabhi na kahoge

Kyun na hum hi ye bol de

Ho kahan yeh bataao

Hum wahan chal ke aa jayenge

Bheege bheege mausam khile the jahaan

Tere mere raste mile the jahaan

Baahon mein teri din dhale the jahaan

Aa gaya main wo…

Magar… aaya na tu

Aaya na tu

Aaya na tu

Magar… aaya na tu

Aaya na tu

Aaya na tu." This man is irritating me.

"Shrey! Don't you have anything to do rather than laughing on me?"

"I'm not laughing. Don't you think you're being too angry from the time Divya left you?" He said. He's right as nowadays I'm always angry.

"Divya didn't leave me! She just went on a holiday. World tour!" I said.

"Yes. She didn't leave you." He mumbled, "But I must say, you're missing her, don't you?" He asked.

"Of course I am missing her. It's been thirty days yet she's not here." I said.

"She'll come. The time is two in the noon. Still ten hours are left for the day to end." He said and I nodded in understanding. I'm missing you. Where are you?

"What about you and Diya?" I asked and he laughed. What's with him now? I bet he has lost his mind.

"It's all good. Great!"

"Earlier you were on the verge of crying and now you're laughing like a maniac? What miracle happened in your life?" I asked.

"You remember day before yesterday, there was a meeting of our company with the an Indian designer's company situated in France?" He asked and I nodded, "The thing is, Grover company is a subsidiary of that main head company. Dadi tried to change the business relationship into marriage but it couldn't happen as the main head refused to deal with us by the Grover's company. The head never wanted Grover's to indulge in business with us. So the Grover's are nowhere in the sight now. As for marrying his daughter, it's not possible now as even dadi couldn't do anything in the matter."

"How did it happen?" I asked and he laughed more.

"The designer herself wanted to sign the deal, so what can I do?"

"What do you mean? Are you gonna marry someone else?"

"The designer is Esha Verma." I nodded, "Who is Diya Verma." He said.

"What? Why did she hide her identity?"

"Don't sue her. First listen to me. Before dying, her parents transferred their property under her name. There was a clause that it would be freezed till the time she marries or instead turns twenty two. So her greedy relatives forced her to marry at a young age. She could only choose to run away. So she ran from her own wedding. She was just seventeen that time. Then she studied and by the age of twenty three made her own company. Don't you think she too great?" He smiled.

"Yes. She's too great for you. Leave her." I said.

"As if I would listen to you. She's mine and only mine." He said proudly.

– D I Y A –

(Day before yesterday. The meeting day.)

Today is the day I'm meeting his dadi. Would it go alright? Her glare is enough for me to shut up. Should I go? Of course I should. Shrey is trying so hard to convince his dadi. I couldn't leave a chance.

Today I'm not going to meet her as Esha, not Diya. Yes, I'm Esha. My birth name is Esha. The name which was given by my parents. I loved them so much but they're no more. Instead, they left me with their relatives who were always behind their money.

After their death, my so called relatives forced me to marry a thirty year old man when I was just seventeen. By luck I ran away before the wedding could happen and with the help of my parents' close friends I studied and went abroad, where I started my own fashion line.

When I turned twenty two, I started the company and expanded it worldwide. Grover's group are a part of this too. I couldn't do anything else but snatching their offer.

Working in A&C was the only thing I could do to. But it was a good experience.

When I sent the mail to Sehgal company's chairwoman, which happens to be Shrey's dadi regarding my deal with them. She instantly agreed. She's really greedy!

When I reached the Sehgal's company, reporters surrounded my car from all the sides. It was expected as I've never revealed my face. This time I have to do it.

I came out with my staffs and went staight to meeting hall, wearing a mask. His dadi was sitting there happily, waiting for me. I mean Esha Verma.

"You're here. Come in Ms Esha." She said. Some reporters were inside the room, to capture the contract signing between two groups.

"Good morning." I greeted her and opened my mask. Her face expressions were like as if she had seen a ghost. "I've read it already. Let's sign it." I said.

"Let's sign it." I said once again as she was standing in the same position, her mouth wide open. She noticed that reporters were still there, and she couldn't step back in front of them. So without any choice she signed the papers and I made her eat sweets.

The signage of our contract as well as our relationship!

*****

TIED TOGETHER BY LOVE 💍

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