|| THE PURPLE HEARTS ||

28. The game

Shivaay always had plans. He likes to have everything under his control, but the only thing he could not understand or keep in check was the feelings he was slowly developing towards Annika. He had initially thought that it was his guilt that was making him feel the way he had felt for the past one week. He couldn't organize his thoughts about Annika in his mind. She was all over the place making him frustrated.

But, he was Shivaay. He could not let those feelings come in-between his business. Her recent stint in business was a huge success, he would say. The soaring share prices of Arch and Orchids was a clear indicator. The new approach her team had come up with was not strong enough to create a revolution in the market but, it did create a stir, but you see, it is always a spark that ignites a wildfire. Shivaay was soon enough to grasp that and offered to sponsor the event; everything played out well just as he had expected.

But what he failed to comprehend was the entire plan Annika had in her mind. It was larger and wider than he had imagined, for the first time in his life he failed to fathom the strength of his competitor. He had thought that Annika's one week break meant that her work was over and she was back to square one, a new project or she would get busy with an impending marriage. But, he was entirely wrong.

He thought that Annika was just reckless in doing things, but she had been proving him wrong with her calculated moves and mounting profits that the once failing SBU had been bringing to the Trivedi group and, their marriage announcement added to it. Harsh Vardhan Trivedi was one of his kind, no wonder he was his bade papa's best friend. Call him brutal or selfish or ruthless or whatever, but he would never help Annika understand the reason behind her father's actions.

"What's running inside your head?" Tej asked as he settled beside Shivaay, pulling him out of his thoughts.

"Bade papa...just...nothing major."

Tej looked at him as if he was waiting for him to continue.

Shivaay sighed.

"Just the increasing competition for Oberoi fashions." He slipped it out.

"What do you think?" Tej asked calmly.

Shivaay took a pause and processed his question, calm and composed Tej meant he was ready for a very detailed discussion. As if on cue, his father too entered his cabin. That was going to be a long session. He waited for his father to settle down, before he continued.

"I think I should postpone my wedding." He said looking away from them.

"Interesting." Tej relaxed on his chair with a sly smile playing on his lips.

Shakti chuckled. He was going to take a back seat and enjoy this conversation.

"Bade papa, I think the marriage announcement played an important part in the success of the Arch and Orchid's event."

"So, you postponing your marriage might stop the growth, you think?" Tej asked.

"Definitely not. But, that would create a lag in their market."

"Who do you think is their target consumers Shivaay?"

"The existing, consuming market we are in."

"Well... Shivaay, you should read the reports and start making plans." Tej said disappointed.

"I have been..."

"You were clearly not." Tej cut him in.

"That marriage announcement was not a business stunt, Shivaay. Get that inside your head." Tej stated as he stood up to leave.