🍁chapter twenty two 🍁

The next day,

After reaching his cabin, Shantanu discussed his idea with all the team members so that, as Rudra had mentioned yesterday, everyone could work on it as a team.

"Shantanu, this material is too expensive; we can't use it for such a gift," one of the people standing there objected.

Shantanu thought for a while and then said, "No problem, I'll choose another material."

"Shantanu, are you out of your mind? The shoot is in two days, and you're telling us to make bags today. Tomorrow will be spent preparing for the party," Sahil said with an annoyed face. He didn't like how shantanu was ordering everyone then he will take all the credit for himself.

The others also agreed with Sahil. "Shantanu, Sahil is right. There's no time for gifts, and if needed, Prem Sir will handle it himself. If no one else is bringing it up, why add extra work by ourselves? Besides, we barely managed to get all the products ready for the shoot on time, so we deserve to relax a little."

"Shantanu, preparing a gift at the last minute is risky because if anything goes wrong, who will be responsible?" Kajal tried to make Shantanu understand. Shantanu was saddened to hear his member's response, but he could not force them to work on his plans.

The team members were talking when Prem comes there and seeing people standing together like this he curiously asked "Good morning, guys! What's going on here?"

Everyone's attention shifted from Shantanu to Prem. They greeted him, and when Prem noticed Shantanu's disappointed face, his eyes narrowed in confusion. Walking towards Shantanu, he asked politely"What happened, Shaan? You look troubled. Is there a problem? "

Before Shantanu could respond, Sahil jumped in the conversation "Sir, Shantanu has decided on his own that we should give gifts to the celebrities, and now he's pestering us to prepare them before the shoot." The way sahil told things to Prem changed whole meaning of shantanu's idea and request.

Prem looked at Shantanu and gestured, asking if this was true.

Shantanu spoke softly, with sadness "Sir, it's not that I'm forcing anyone. I simply discussed my idea with the team and asked for help in preparing the gifts."

Hearing Shantanu's response, Prem's face hardened. He looked at Shantanu helplessly and said, "You should have informed me earlier. The company has already packed gifts for them, which will be given at the party tomorrow. Don't worry about it and it was about to be discussed in today's meeting."

Sahil got thrilled with the information and smirked at Shantanu "Sir, the thing is, Shantanu isn't used to working with a team, so he assumed that if he didn't prepare gifts, the company wouldn't give anything to the stars. He just wanted to flatter the boss for the promotion."

"Sahil, you're talking too much now. If Shantanu wanted to do everything alone, he wouldn't have informed us in the first place," Dev said, supporting Shantanu who was ducking his head down.

Sahil furiously said, "He told us because he wanted us to do the work and take all the credits for himself. Anyway, did we receive any official notice to prepare gifts? Even Prem Sir didn't know about it."

Shantanu muttered, "It's not like that. I took permission from the boss." Then, he looked at Prem with hopeful eyes.

"Oh really? Then show us where the permission letter," Sahil demanded arrogantly.

Shantanu remained silent because he had only talked about it at home but had no written permission. He couldn't tell them about it either, as they already believed he was here due to his connections. If they found out Rudra visited his home, it could cause bigger trouble and everyone will start to doubt his talent.

Prem didn't like how Sahil was talking to Shantanu. "Everyone, get back to work. I will see whether the gift gets prepared or not, and I will also speak to Rudra the same."

"That won't be necessary, Mr. Prem," a robotic voice echoed in the whole fiftth floor and everyone turned to see Mona standing with a paper in her hands.

Mona handed the paper to Prem mannerly. Taking it, he asked in confusion "Miss Mona, what is this?"

Mona glanced at everyone standing there before fixing her gaze on Prem and said professionally, "Mr. Prem, this is the official notice to prepare the gifts."

"Notice??"

The people around started whispering among themselves. "I believe Mr. Shantanu already informed you all about it. If not, let me tell you. Rudra Sir has stated that the bags designed by Mr. Shantanu will be given as gifts to all the celebs who are working on The Elegant's new launch, at the end of the shoot," Mona explained calmly.

Hearing this, Shantanu felt relieved and less burdened , while Sahil's face soured and his fists clenched in anger. Mona smiled at Shantanu and said, "Mr. Shantanu, you can select workers from the third floor, B Block, for your assistance since the Elegant team will be busy with shoot-related tasks. If you have any issues, you can come to me anytime."

Shantanu was overjoyed to hear about the third-floor workers. His face brightened up, while Prem's face fell, knowing he had lost a chance to impress Shantanu.

Meanwhile, at Rudra's cabin, someone knocked on the door. After getting permission, a young man of Rudra's age entered while holding a file in his hand. Rudra's expression turned rigid upon seeing him.

The man bowed 90 degrees and greeted Rudra with respect "Good morning, Sir." Rudra gave no response and just glared at him intensely.

"Sir, I am Archit Oberoi, and I have recently joined your company. Please sign my joining letter," Archit said respectfully forwarding the file toward Rudra and then again keeping his hands behind his back.

"Get lost," Rudra shouted angrily, his eyes were no less than a dagger.

Archit's whole body shivered with such harsh voice of Rudra but he didn't move. Taking a deep breath, he repeated, "Sir, please sign my joining letter."

"Did you not hear me? Get lost!" Rudra's voice echoed in the cabin. "How dare you step into my company, you bloody bastard !"

Hearing Rudra call him a bastard again, Archit closed his eyes, his fists clenched behind his back. Rudra's eyes were bloodshot with rage. If he could, he would have thrown Archit off the sixth floor.

Controlling his emotions, Archit replied, "Sir, this is not the Oberoi Mansion. I have already been selected for this job."

"Shut up! Don't try to lecture me. This is my company, and I can do whatever I want," Rudra replied coldly, glaring at Archit.

"Sir, I have already signed a contract with your company, and you cannot fire me without a valid reason," Archit stated calmly with a slight smirk, which further fueled Rudra's anger.

Rudra knocked everything off his desk and, gritting his teeth, said, "Now a mere kid thinks he can teach me business? I knew you and your mother were after my company, but listen carefully-defeating Rudra Oberoi is impossible."

"Sir, I don't think personal matters should be brought into company affairs. As for betrayal, I would never betray your company,"Archit again replied like a professional without any anger or irritation. With passing time, it is becoming more and more hard for archit to stand with Rudra's cold behaviour.

Rudra taunted "Hahaha betrayal..., the one who has betrayal in his blood is saying that he won't betray me...wow, this is a good joke"

Archit could only Star at Rudra while controlling his anger. Rudra threw a file at him and said, "Sign this and get out of here."

Meanwhile, on the fifth floor,

Shantanu was carrying some stuff from the fifth floor to go to the third floor to work. Mona was also helping him to take the files and material to the third floor.

With a sweet smile, he said, "Miss Mona, you saved me today. Thank you."

Mona replied with a serious tone "You should thank Rudra Sir, not me." Shantanu turns his eyes away from Mona and bit his lower lip and stayed silent. Everything Rudra had told him yesterday had come true. If Rudra hadn't helped him, he would have been in big trouble today and his all hard work would have been in vain.

"What happened? Why did you go silent?" Mona asked, bringing his attention back to herself.

Shantanu laughed awkwardly "Hehe, our grumpy boss does good deeds sometimes."

"SHANTANU," Mona called out in a strict tone.

"Hehe, Miss Mona, don't be mad. I was just joking," he said, laughing again.

Mona stares at him with her sharp eyes for a while and then says, "Boss is not as cruel as everyone thinks him to be."

Shantanu raised his eyes and spoke bluntly " Because he is not just cruel, he is very cruel, grumpy and stubborn. "

Mona keeps looking at Shantanu with an open mouth and stares angrily at him and exclaims " Shantanu stop talking nonsense. You don't know anything about Rudra Sir. He has had to become tough due to the circumstances. His life has not been good since childhood. Shantanu, you should just remember one thing that boss hates betrayal and he never forgives the person who cheats, that is why never try to lie to the boss and if you ever commit any mistake, then tell him honestly everything without hiding a single thing. "

After listening to Mona's words, Shantanu started getting more scared of Rudra and also felt a bit bad about Rudra too. Shantanu calms himself down and asks Mona in a normal tone" Miss Mona, you know a lot about the boss. How long have you been working with the boss? "

Mona thinks for a while and says, "It's been more than three years."

Shantanu was not surprised to know this, he thought that Mona has been working with Rudra since childhood as Mona knows Rudra's moods best. Rudra also treats Mona differently from other people. Mona is also very loyal to Rudra. Shantanu has heard many people saying all this and that about Rudra but in all these days he has never heard a single word bad from Mona about Rudra.

fifth floor,

After Shantanu leaves, Prem asks about today's schedule and then he too leaves from there towards Rudra's cabin. When Prem went to the sixth floor, he saw Archit coming out of Rudra's cabin. Seeing him there, Prem got a big shock and he said in shock, "What are you doing here? Who brought you here? "

Archit while dodging Prem's question says "Your friend was not enough that you also started. I have also joined the company."

Now Prem got another shock, "What nonsense are you talking about, you know this is Rudra's company?"

Archit also made a Weird face and said, "Why?? Don't you know that this company is Rudra's?"

"Shut up" Prem said gritting his teeth in irritation.

Archit goes a little closer to Prem and says "Do you love Rudra so much that you stuck to him everywhere, in school, college and now in the company as well."

Prem angrily pushes Archit and points his finger at him and says "I may or may not love Rudra but I am not trying to trap a married man like others."

Hearing Prem taunting his mother, Archit's face turned angry. Prem smiles and says, "What happened? The kiddo got angry, haan..."

Archit didn't say anything, just kept looking at Prem with his red eyes. Not just anger but pain was also hidden on Archit's face. Prem comes close to Archit and said in a serious tone "You have made a mistake by coming here. You will have to listen to these things every day and save this anger for your mother who has ruined my friend's life."

After saying this Prem leaves from there and Archit is left watching him go with tears in his eyes. Prem's mood was also spoiled. Rudra doesn't tell Prem the whole story but Prem is Rudra's friend since childhood so understands things that Rudra doesn't tell him directly, just the way Prem found out in college that Rudra likes someone.

Thank you for reading,

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