I was sleeping in my bed peacefully. Then all of a sudden, alarm rang and one of my favourite Tamil song started playing in my room. Normally, I'd jump right out of bed but not this time.
I cuddled my pillow tighter and decided to stay in bed until the song was over.
When it comes to mornings there are three things I love doing.. First up, I just love waking up to the music every day. I might not be like, super obsessed with music but there's something so nice about starting your day like this.
Second, I just love going for my morning run! I live near the beach so I always head out for a jog along the beach road. The salty breeze, the gentle sound of the waves crashing.
Back in the day, I used to go jogging with my dad. Believe it or not even my mom joined us a few times! It was hard to convince her because she usually wear sarees and felt shy in other clothes.
My brother is the laziest person I know. t's like banging my head against a wall when it comes to my brother and his lazy habits. No matter how much dad and I try to motivate him, he won't wake up early. I've tried telling him countless times that being healthy and fit is important. I mean if you don't take care of yourself who knows what could happen? you might end up facing some health issues or a heart attack at a young age.
But he always has some excuse, saying even if you follow all the advice in the world, you could still end up having a heart attack.
I guess he's kinda got a point. But it's not going to stop me. Gotta keep my figure slim and healthy.
Lastly, there's my love for coffee especially after my morning jog. The smell alone is enough to make me faint and taste? Pure heaven! To me, starting the day without coffee is like cooking without any ingredients.
"Wi, where are you? Turn off the music. I'm up," I mumbled, rubbing my eyes and sitting up with my legs crossed. I took off my eye mask.
As the song stopped, the room got brighter as the smart lights turned on and the temperature dropped down.
Yep, I live in a smart house.
"Morning, Mother. How was your sleep last night?" Wi floated over to me as I swung my legs off the bed.
"Oh, wi. I slept like a baby as usual," I said with a smile, pulling my hair back into a bun..
Wi is my holographic AI assistant. A lifelike image I created and named Kiwi 1101. But I call her Wi and she calls me Mother. At first, her calling me that felt strange, surreal even. I've never had kids or felt motherly but somehow, I see her as my child like a daughter born from my brain.
Wi looks like a cute cartoon version of me and sounds almost like me too.
She's kind of like a ghost or guardian angel made of light! Imagine a three dimensional image of a person floating in front of you, like something out of a movie. You can chat with her, ask her anything and she'll respond just like a real person would. She's basically your personal assistant but in hologram form!
She can float around anywhere inside but not outside. She's designed for indoors only. And she can't do anything physical.
Through Wi, I manage my smart home effortlessly. By communicating with her, Wi relays commands to other devices, such as lights, music players and other devices. And sometimes, she's one step ahead taking care of things before I even realize I need them.
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After my morning jog and having nice cup of coffee, I took a nice long bath and dried my hair. Then, I went to the dressing room and asked Wi to help me pick out my outfit and accessories for the day.
She picked me a peach blazer over a button up shirt with a light blue pencil skirt along with matching earrings and a bracelet. Once I finished my makeup and styled my hair into a low sleek ponytail, I made my way downstairs.
I couldn't help but chuckle at Wi, who floated ahead of me bursting with energy like a little kid.
Sometimes I wish Wi were real just so I could tell her, 'Wi, no running around the house!'
"Good morning, ma'am" Inaya chirped as I entered the hall. She is my office secretary
"Good morning, Inaya. How long you've been here?"
"I just got here, ma'am," She replied, meeting my gaze.
"Hungry? Let's chat over breakfast," I proposed, leading the way to the kitchen where the table was already set with my favourite, kichadi. All I needed to do was scoop it onto the plate.
"No, ma'am. I can't. I am fasting for Ramadan," she explained softly.
"Alright, just take a seat with me," I invited, pulling out a chair at the dining table. "We'll go over my schedule while I eat. I have a feeling today's going to be a busy day."
Inaya nodded, taking a seat across from me and pulling out her tablet.
"Mother," Before Inaya could utter a word, Wi floated toward me and shared my schedule.
"You have a board meeting at 10 am, lunch meeting with Mr. Anand at 12:30 pm and a doctor's appointment at 3:00 pm. And then there's a flight to Salem-"
"Wi, hold on," I interrupted, putting down my fork. "Cancel the Salem flight. Plans have changed. I've decided not to go,"
"Flight cancelled. That means you've got a lighter schedule today, Mother.," Wi assured.
"Why the change in plans, ma'am?" Inaya inquired.
"My instincts are telling me something's wrong about him, Inaya. I don't trust his motives or his money. It just doesn't feel right," I confided.
After I finished eating breakfast, I went to the hall and sat down. I put on my heels slowly. Once my shoes were on, I stood up and grabbed a small device that looks like a remote. It's for controlling Wi. It allows me to activate or deactivate her. A simple on and off function. I deactivated her and handed the device to Inaya and locked the house. The driver opened the door and I got into the back seat.
In just 20 minutes, we reached my company. As Inaya and I ascended to the 8th floor in the lift, the doors opened to the flood of warm greetings. The whole floor was filled with holographic AI assistants that looked like default human figures. There were 15 of these assistants here, helping my human employees. I co-designed them and as the founder I take the responsibility. They're referred to as Kiwi 1103, 1104, 1105... up to 1117.
"She's not going to be happy about this," I heard Inaya whispering into her phone to someone as I walked towards the conference room.
"What's the matter," She ended the call when she heard my voice.
"Ma'am, it's about Santhosh Sir. I'm afraid he won't be attending the board meeting today," She informed me.
"Really? Did you speak with his PA?"
"Yes, ma'am. I just got off the phone with him. He mentioned he's... well, he's..."
"Okay. I got it, Inaya."
Her hesitation told me everything. He's probably out somewhere wasting his money and time on God knows what. Probably partying, gambling or drinking his life away.
I get it, he can do whatever he wants with his money but it's so aggravating when it affects my work. He could do all that on his own time, not mine. He's just another spoiled rich kid, thinking the world revolves around him.
I took a deep breath and touched the daisy necklace around my neck thinking about what to do next.
This chain is very special to me. It was a gift from my late grandma on my 18th birthday. I always keep it close to my heart. Every girl has a necklace they never take off. This one's mine. It's like my secret lucky charm.
"Forget about him. I've got this meeting under control," I asserted. "Also I need you to handle something for me. Go find Mrs. Harini on the 4th floor. She has a document about the failed design. Bring it to me once the meeting is over,"
With that, I entered the conference room. Every board member stood up to greet me.
The meeting went on for an hour. We talked about the construction project we're working on in Kerala. We're setting up another branch there, in addition to our office in America and the one in Chennai where I'm currently based. Both branches handle everything from production to design and programming. They're all part of the GAP company.
It all started when Mr. Steven Geller, a businessman attended my college orientation in America. When he heard about my idea for Kiwi, the holographic AI assistant, he was impressed and decided to invest in it. We partnered with GAP, a company similar to Amazon and Google. Mr. Geller bought GAP under both our names, even though it was new and not well known at the time.
He appointed me as a CO-CEO in the GAP company. With the help of GAP networks, I created Kiwi.
After its success in America, I thought why not start a branch in India? So, I teamed up with my classmate Santhosh Khan and made it happen in my hometown, Chennai.
After meeting ended, Mr. Sreenivasan approached me. He is a shareholder partner and CEO of Sreenivasan Enterprises. He's also my friend Shirley's uncle.
"Aditi, have you heard about this woman named Deepika? She's from Mumbai,"
"There's a Deepika in every corner of Mumbai, Uncle. How will I know which one you're referring to?"
"Well, this particular Deepika seems to be following in your footsteps. Her name and article are all over the newspapers recently," he stated, leaning back in his chair.
"Oh, I think I've heard about her," I responded, nodding thoughtfully.
"So, looks like you've got some competition now," he remarked with a grin.
"Yes but you know me, Uncle. I always rise to the top," I responded with unwavering confidence "But I think it's time I reached out and set up a meeting with her."
"Now that's the spirit!" he exclaimed enthusiastically. I couldn't help but smile.
"Time really flies, doesn't it? I still remember when you were just a little girl and now, you're making such important decisions and blossoming into a fine young woman. I'm so proud of you, Aditi. I'm not the only one.. Your father, your mother, your brother, your husband, Shirley too. But as proud as we are, we're also equally terrified of you."
"Why's that, Uncle?" I questioned, furrowing my brows.
"Because you're becoming a role model for the younger ones, especially the girls. Every move you make inspires. I'm confident you'll make a real difference in the world."
"Aww......Uncle. You're too sweet. Stop making me blush" I giggled, feeling my cheeks flush with warmth.
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