Tangled || ArShi FF

Chapter 17 - A Lovesick Fool

Khushi felt a hollow in her gut. Sheetal's presence this late in her office and the email did mean something ominous. "What is it?" Khushi tried to cover up the dread in her voice.

Sheetal rolled her eyes, "As per the directive of my late father, God rest his soul, if any major decision regarding Magnolia is up for vote, all the right-holders need to be given a minimum of 1 week notice."

Khushi's forehead wrinkled in puzzlement. "Major decision for voting?"

"Haven't you read my late father's directive with regards to Magnolia?" Sheetal questioned her coolly.

"I have," Khushi answered. Sunil Sir had given Sheetal full control over all companies except for Magnolia where the voting rights were divided between the CEO and the MD. Any major decision needed to be Okayed by both of them. In case they didn't vote for the same option, the decision would then go to the board of directors.

"As per that same clause," Sheetal continued, "I have to tell you a week in advance. If I don't then we can't have the vote. My lawyers told me this a couple of months back. "

"A vote for what?" Khushi asked, perplexed.

Sheetal snickered, "To sell Magnolia."

It felt like someone had yanked the rug underneath Khushi's feet. "WHAT!" Khushi yelled, forgetting all professional decorum. "What the hell are you talking about?!"

Sheetal sneered, "It's my company after all. I can do what I want with it."

"Why would you want to sell a company that is doing so well?" Khushi was dumbfounded, "Do you hate me so much that you'd risk taking stupid decisions?"

"Yes," Sheetal replied icily, "This is rightfully mine. I should have bequeathed the entire company not shared it with you."

"You have the entire group!" Khushi exclaimed.

"Magnolia should be mine too and if it can't be mine, I'll sure as hell won't let it be yours," Sheetal sneered, her plastic smile was gone.

"You are crazy," Khushi gritted her teeth. "You are petty and crazy and you have no business acumen."

"Say whatever you'll," Sheetal said, "but this vote will happen. I will sell Magnolia- one way or another."

Khushi shook her head, "I will never let that happen. If you read Sunil Sir's directive, you'll know that if we don't vote for the same option, the decision will go to the board. I'll never," she emphasized on the word, "never vote to sell. It'll be a draw and the board will never back your stupidity. No person with even little insight will sell off Magnolia at this point of its growth."

Sheetal's laugh surprised Khushi. Reigning in her amusement, Sheetal responded, "The board of directors are a whole nother level of jerks. I know they'll not back me. But they will be involved only if the vote's a tie."

"The vote will be a tie. There is no way in hell I'll support selling the company," Khushi huffed. Sheetal's irrationality had crossed all bounds.

Sheetal let out a derisive laugh again. "Oh honey. You think the vote will be a tie? It would have been if it were between you and me. But now, we have someone else too. Another MD."

The phrase gave her goosebumps- another MD... Khushi's jaw dropped open when she realized what Sheetal was implying. Vote had to be among the CEO and MD. 3 months back, there were only 2 of them but now, Arnav was the company MD and his vote would also be counted... So the voting would be among the 3 of them...

Sheetal's face broke into a wide smirk, "Ah! Judging by your face I can tell you've made the connection." There was a triumph in her voice. "Yeah, that's why I brought Arnav in as the company MD. Exactly 1 week later when the vote happens, it'll be 2 vs 1. Arnav and I vs you. You'll lose, Khushi. I will sell this company."