"You didn't get hurt, right?" Abir asks me concerned when I tell him about the accident that occurred in the morning.
"No, Ira saved me," I say quietly.
"So who do you think is Maya Kashyap?" He asks.
"I actually have no idea, Sam and Shreya suggested I ask Sara," I say quietly.
We just shared everything and it seems the hoodie lady is behind both of us. It felt good to know how Kabir made an effort to help us.
I am actually looking forward to meeting Roy and asking if he can work along with Sam and Shreya.
"Well, you should ask her since Roy said she came to Rajvansh Corporations for an interview." He tells as he takes his laptop.
"I don't know if it's a good idea to call at this hour," I say as I grab my phone from the nightstand. It's 11 at the night but I still call hoping she answers.
I press my phone against my ear as it rings. It's dark in our room as we turned off the lights, I lean back against the headboard as I take my laptop to check the email Mr. Arora said he will mail me.
"Hey." I hear her voice and she laughs. "Stop for a while I am on call, Kabir."
"I hope I didn't disturb you," I say. "Are you busy?"
"Uh, no." She answers. "We were just having fun. You wanted to talk?"
"Yeah, you are sure I'm not disturbing you and Kabir?" I ask knowing well how annoyed husbands get when they are disturbed.
"Oh, I am the owner here. You don't have to worry about him." She laughs. "Tell me what is it?"
"Do you remember anyone with the name Maya Kashyap working with us?" I ask and I suddenly feel nervous.
"Maya Kashyap." She repeats. "No, I don't think any Maya worked with us. Kabir said to me about her and I have no idea."
"If she didn't work, maybe she came for an interview," I say hoping she figures something out.
"It's been years to it and I don't remember the names." She sighs. "I'll try to think, okay?"
"Okay," I say quietly and I kinda feel disappointed too.
"Maya syrup wouldn't hide for too long." She says probably hearing the disappointment in my voice. "So cheer up, we'll hunt her down."
"We will," I say as I smile slowly. Sara and Sam would definitely make best buddies if they mingle up. I mean, they are a lot similar somehow.
I hang up the call and sigh feeling exhausted. I glance at Abir as he works on his laptop, I reach for a glass from the nightstand and drink water.
I know I said we'll talk at home about me not using his surname but I don't understand how to initiate the conversation.
"You want to say something?" He asks as he continues to look at his screen.
"I cannot use your surname at the workplace," I say slowly. "I am going to be CEO of Maheshwari Enterprises and I don't intend to turn it into Rajvansh Enterprises. Badi maa has worked hard for it and I want to represent it. I want my identity."
I bite my lower lip and he looks at me thoughtfully. "You can hyphen it."
"Abir..." I sigh. "I- it would be different."
"Your name is your choice." He looks at me. "The law does not mandate to change it. It would just make me happy if you did. There's no force."
I look at him and sigh before I shift closer to him and rest my head on his shoulder. We just work silently for a while not knowing what to say.
"The man standing with you was Mr. Arora, right?" He asks after little silence.
"Yeah." I pull away to look at him. "You know him?"
"He used to work for me." He nods.
"Work as?" I frown.
"He was chairman." He shrugs.
"Did you fire him?" I ask curiously.
"No." He looks at me. "He resigned 3 years ago. I thought it was because he thought he deserved more salary. He gave the company what it needed so I decided to increase his salary but he still did not agree to stay."
"I don't know why he did that but that's why he lasted for almost 5 years."
"Are we going to have business enmity now?" I ask teasingly.
He pauses his fingers over the keyboard and tilts to look at me. "That sounds good." He chuckles and we laugh.
"Well, I am just looking forward to profit not enmity." I give him a pointed look.
"Of course, the business mind always thinks about profit." He says and we laugh.
"Hey, I want you to figure out Ira's surname." He looks at me as he turns serious. "I don't know I just cannot trust any girl now."
"I will let you know." I nod.
Not just him even I cannot trust any girl now.
***
Adapting changes.
Everyone's life changes at some point.
When you leave school and join college or when your single life turns committed or when you get a job or when you start taking your own responsibility.
We all go through these changes but it isn't everyone's cup of tea to adapt to changes.
I think now my life is all about adapting to changes. I am enjoying my days in Maheshwari Enterprises but I'm still yet to get used to it.
It was a long day today and it was amazing working and learning. Mr. Aroa is actually a great and polite person. I appreciate his support.
I am walking out looking at my phone when I bump into Ira.
"Shit. Sorry." She says as she bends down to pick up her file which fell.
"It's okay." I smile politely before I start walking. I figured her surname is Gupta. She has been working here just for a few months.
I get in the car as I call Shreya. "Hey, are you home?"
"Uh, I am actually out with Kunal." She says quietly.
"Sam is home?" I ask as I start the car.
"Yeah. Is something important to talk about?"
"No. I just wanted to meet you guys." I look out of the window as I stop in traffic and I frown when I see Rayan's car beside mine.
"I'll join you guys in a few." Shreya answers and then she hangs up.
What is Rayan doing here?
He seems engrossed in his phone completely oblivious I'm looking at him and then when he looks up to see the traffic lights I duck not wanting him to see me.
The car behind me honks and I raise my head slowly to see driving in the opposite direction. I sigh then I start driving to Sam and Shreya's apartment.
I know it's about time Kunal and Shreya decide to get married and then they'll move separately. Sam is going to be left alone. I need to have this conversation with her.
I park my car and get out. I take the elevators to reach their floor and I sigh feeling a little bit exhausted as I ring the doorbell.
I frown when I notice the door was about to open and then it gets shut.
"Sam?" I call out as I keep my hand on the door. I push the door open and my eyebrows shoot up in surprise.
I watch in amazement as Sam gestures Ishaan to hide behind the couch. Ishaan looks at me and grins as he stands behind the couch. Sam looks over her shoulder and her eyes widen a little.
I cannot believe this.
"What is happening here?" I ask as I walk in closing the door behind me.
"It's nothing," Sam says as she tries to act like it isn't a big deal.
"It is something." I begin to smile slowly. "I didn't see you alone with a guy before."
"We are going to talk later." She looks away from me. "You may leave." She looks at Ishaan.
"You can stay," I tell him. "I mean I would like it if you join us for some coffee and snacks."
"That would be good." Ishaan grins as he jumps on the couch and makes himself comfortable.
"What the fuck?" Sam groans as she walks to him. "Leave."
"I know all we do is fuck but your friend wants me to have some coffee and snacks and I think I need something after the tiring session back in there." He curtly nods at one of the rooms and my eyebrows shoot up surprised.
He has the guts to talk like that with her and I watch in wonder as he smirks at her.
"Turns out you got a one-night stand with her," I say as I sit on one of the coaches.
"I got two." He grins as he looks at me.
"Two nights?" I ask in disbelief and he nods.
"You really need to shut up." Sam glares at him and gives her a flying kiss.
"Who initiated it?" I ask curiously still trying to acknowledge this is happening.
"Stop being so invasive." Sam rolls her eyes at me.
"I don't mind." Ishaan shrugs. "She was sitting alone that day after the birthday party at your home. I just sat beside her and she was crying, I don't know why."
I watch as he gives her a concerned glance Sam rolls her eyes obviously not liking it. She doesn't express herself and I know she hates to be seen as vulnerable.
"We just sort of talked randomly and then we kissed and things happened." He says as he keeps his gaze on her and I know he didn't say the entire thing.
"I want you to leave." Sam clenches her jaw. He nods and he stands up I watch as he puts his arms around her and kisses her cheek before he walks out.
There's silence in the room after he walks out and I look at Sam as she sits down on the couch.
"Why were you crying?" I ask her after a moment.
She sighs as she looks up at me and then suddenly Shreya is walking in with a frown.
"Why was Ishaan here?" She asks confused as she sits beside Sam.
Sam hesitates and she looks away from us. I shake my head at Shreya so she doesn't question her again and she seems to understand because she glances at her concerned.
"I think I'll get us some coffee." Shreya finally says when Sam doesn't say anything.
"No." Sam reaches for her arm. "I need to have this conversation."
"Is everything alright?" Shreya asks and I can hear the sadness in her voice.
"I need you to tell me why you were crying," I say quietly and she looks up at me.
"I- I don't know." She shrugs as she fights back her tears. "I just feel alone."
"You know we are here for you," I say softly.
She nods slowly as she gulps I know she is trying hard not to cry and that makes me wonder what has actually happened. She wouldn't be so emotional about us finding out she's been sleeping with someone.
"I- I just. I mean." She sighs and we watch as she puts her face in her hands. I walk over to her and sit beside her as I put my arm around her and she lets out a sob. Shreya and I share a glance not knowing what's happening, Sam has never been like this before.
"Hey," Shreya calls out as keeps her hand on her shoulder. "You know you can just say whatever the fuck it is. We wouldn't mind."
Sam nods as she pulls back and cleans her face and then her face crumbles again. "My father passed away."
Our eyes widen as a tear rolls down her cheek. "I wasn't informed during his death. Aayan told me a day later when we were at Foziah's house."
I remember Foziah telling me she was crying and she left the party in between but I thought it was because she was in her periods and was having a bad mood.
"Why would Aayan keep it from you?" I frown.
"My mother didn't want him to let me know. I am just so unwanted in my own family." I hear the sadness in her voice and my eyes begin to fill up with tears. "I don't really give a fuck about them but they are still my family and it hurts that I couldn't see my father for one last time."
Shreya quickly wipes a tear that slips from her eye. "You are our family."
Sam shakes her head. "I know but isn't this fact you are all going to get busy with your family in the end?"
"I don't want you to think I'm not happy with your relationships, I really am. There's nothing more I want than to see you both happy."
"I- I just feel alone and Ishaan approached me at the time I was vulnerable." She sighs. "It was hard to fight against the urge."
"You don't have to explain to us why you were with him and what you did. It's your wish." Shreya frowns.
"It's fine you guys know I slept with him. I was going to tell you anyway. It isn't like I am sleeping with someone for the first time, I used to do it in my initial college days." She shrugs clearly telling us it doesn't bother her we know.
"It's just-" I frown when I see her eyes fill up with tears. "It was meant to be a nightstand, I called him here today to tell him something but I couldn't and we ended up in the bedroom again."
"You are saying you regret it?" Shreya asks her.
"I don't know." Sam looks at her miserably.
"Is there something else?" I ask noticing there is presumably something more serious that is bothering her.
She nods as she gulps slowly and then her eyes fill up with tears again. She turns to look at me when suddenly she covers her mouth with her hands and rushes to her room.
Shreya and I look on worriedly before we follow her. We pace in the room while she is in the washroom. We hear the water splash and she gargles.
"What is happening?" Shreya asks me, I look into her eyes and I know she is thinking what I am thinking but still we wait for Sam to come out.
And when the door opens we turn to look at her she looks weak as she cleans her face with the towel. We quickly rush to hold her and she looks at us realizing we have understood.
"I am pregnant."
❊❊❊
Well, well, well? 😂
A major fight coming up soon.
I am curious to know if at all this is getting boring?
Do vote, comment, and share your views.