chapter 25

SerendipityEpisode-25Prakash Sanyal Sir, the MD & CEO of Supreme Group, was praising her extensively, Megha acknowledged his compliments with a faint smile.When Sanyal Sir stood up, everyone else in the room reluctantly followed, and the applause grew louder.Gupta Sir was looking at Megha with gratitude, the success of the meeting clearly reflected in his eyes.Sanyal Sir himself came forward and shook her hand. It was the first time she was meeting him in person; until now, she had only seen him through news, business talks, CNBC, and Economic Times.And now, here she was, standing in front of him, listening to him praise her and SWC. It was overwhelming.For a moment, I felt like bowing at his feet to seek his blessings. He is the Supreme Group’s ultimate authority. Who knows if I'll ever meet him again? But this isn’t the place for such gestures, so I restrained myself.Gupta Sir also came over and gave her a light pat on the back. As he and Sanyal Sir engaged in conversation, several other VPs came over to congratulate Megha, some even discussing the Technosys project with her.Meanwhile, Rajeev, who had been standing with Sanyal Sir, received an important phone call and left the conference room.Before stepping out, he glanced at Megha, but seeing her engrossed in conversation, he decided to speak to her later.Though Megha was talking to Sanyal sir, she kept an eye on Rajeev’s movements. He left without congratulating her.This shocked her.‘Oh God, what do I do with this man? How arrogant is he? If the SWC meeting wasn’t important, why did he even come? No one invited him to interrupt. Maybe he’s angry because I told him I would answer his question later... though I didn’t insult him directly. His eyes, however, said a lot—curiosity, surprise, perhaps even a slight admiration... but just a little.Trying to calm her thoughts, Megha focused on packing up her laptop and other things.From the corner of her eye, she noticed Sanyal Sir and Gupta Sir sitting in the corner, chatting like old friends. They were smiling, clapping each other on the back, clearly peers with shared experiences in the industry.As she prepared to leave, she overheard two people talking behind her:“The presentation was good, but what’s the point? The project is already finalized with JPM & Co. as of Friday.”“How do you know that?” the other person asked.Megha froze, unable to believe what she was hearing.“Rajeev Mehra finalized it on Friday. Why SWC was even called today is a mystery. The project’s going to JPM; all that’s left is for Rajeev to sign the contract.”For a moment, Megha wanted to turn around and demand answers from them, but she realized it would be pointless. The mastermind behind all of this, Mr. Mehra, was already gone.‘I came here with so many hopes—that this presentation would secure the project for SWC. Just minutes ago, Sanyal Sir praised me, and I thought we had won this. And now, it feels like the ground has been pulled from under my feet. Rajeev came late, interrupted with questions, and left without a word. Is this his way of showing that SWC won’t get this project?As she pondered, she heard Gupta Sir calling her over. Forcing a smile, she joined him and Sanyal Sir, who were now discussing the Technosys takeover.Gupta Sir looked pleased, as if they had secured the project. But Megha knew the truth. Still, for Gupta Sir's sake, she decided to engage in the conversation.At that moment, Rajeev re-entered the room and stood beside Sanyal Sir.Megha looked at him, wondering, ‘Is he going to announce right here that we didn’t get the project?’Suddenly, Sanyal Sir turned to her. “So, Megha, won’t you lead the Technosys project for SWC?”For a moment, Megha didn’t know how to respond. ‘Doesn’t he know that his CFO has already given the project to JPM?’She looked at Rajeev, keeping her face composed.“Gupta Sir will decide who leads the project. Most likely, it will be Purab Gupta. He was supposed to be here today, but he's down with a fever, so I presented in his place. Besides, I’m currently managing two other projects, so it might be difficult to find time for this one,” she replied politely, though her thoughts continued to race. If SWC is going to get this project, it belongs to Purab, and he should lead it. This opportunity can’t be taken away from him.“But I think you should lead this project,” Sanyal Sir said confidently. “Just think about it.”Megha looked at Gupta Sir, unsure how to respond. “Gupta Sir... Purab can lead this project,” she said quietly, hoping he would put Purab’s name forward.Why is Sanyal Sir asking her to lead when the project is already decided for JPM?  Rajeev thought to himself, observing the conversation.“Okay, let’s leave it for now; we’ll decide later. Anyway, congratulations on your award—very proud of you,” Sanyal Sir suddenly changed the subject, surprising Megha.She accepted the congratulations with a smile, thinking, ‘Gupta Sir must have told him. Otherwise, why would the CEO of Supreme know about my award?’Then, Sanyal Sir asked her, “By the way, why did you refuse to accept the award from Rajeev?”Megha’s eyes widened in surprise. She bowed her head in thought, unsure how to answer the question.To be continued....© ®️ Meghna_Yadav 2021Special Thanks to friend Gayatri and my loving daughter, my buddy.Hello Readers,Illuminate the five stars of ratings with your gentle touch. Do let me know your thoughts via comments..Thanks and Regards,Meghana Yadav...