The staff at AR was very excited today, despite it being a Monday i.e., start of the week and despite their strict CEO coming back to office after a week when he was away for his cousin's wedding. The reason for their happiness was this was a week of year-end performance reviews and appraisals, the much-awaited salary raises would be declared for each of them sometime this week. (a/n - Year end appraisals happen in March/April in most companies.)
The board of directors at AR were also quite looking forward to their 9 am board meeting, chaired by their action-oriented strict CEO of AR industries, Mr. ASR himself. Wearing their best of business formals -Lee Coopers and Prada's., they were seated in the giant conference room situated on the top floor of AR's new building, 10 minutes before time!
The first surprise, however, came, when ASR's former assistant and now MD of Delhi branch, Aman Mathur informed them that ASR was going to attend this meeting virtually from home, on a video conference.
They were not that surprised though. Knowing ASR, they were sure that he could take meetings from anywhere on this Earth or even outer SPACE! No kidding. They knew the Raizadas could afford space travel for sure!
The meeting started sharp at 9. Arnav began with his formal leadership speech highlighting AR's year end performance at a high level, their new challenges this year and his vision for AR group. The board members that consisted of industry stalwarts, in their 40s and 50s of age, who had come to join AR in the past few years seeing its unprecedented success, nodded in agreement. They knew AR had been doing bloody best this past year, especially after that setback they had followed by the launch of the kids' line, AHA.
But ASR had been delivering all that with a poker face. There was not a single trace of a smile or any other emotion on that stern face!
And then something happened. ASR looked down at something, or rather someone and his facial expressions changed. Softened even.
They all saw with curiosity when ASR picked that 'someone' lovingly, her face becoming clear to them all as she was at their eye level now. She was ASR's daughter, Shriya aka Pari.
One of the board members who was a young lad almost fell off his chair seeing this transition in ASR's expressions. The others however were used to this. In the last 4-5 years this was a much familiar sight for them, one which they all could relate to, and felt their respect for this man increase if anything, as he was a loving father!
Arnav excused himself; turned off his microphone, and started talking to his baby girl who was showing him what looked like a painting!
There was some color smeared across the milky skin of her cheeks and she was ardently giving her own "update" to her father! And Arnav keenly listened to her with a very proud expression on his handsome face.
And then, they saw Mrs. CEO Khushi enter the room with an apologetic smile and she probably mouthed the same to Arnav for letting their kid disrupt his important meeting. ASR assured his wife through his eyes and they both looked at their baby girl and then exchanged looks that only parents understand. All the board members who were watching this with amusement and awe couldn't help but bless this little family, not a bit minding for this interruption.
Mrs. CEO, Khushi Singh Raizada who was also their pseudo boss as she held majority shares at AR, then picked up Pari in her arms. Pari was reluctant to leave her father at first but then Khushi said something to her which made her agree. But before going to her mother's arms, Pari scanned the entire audience on the video call, her chocolate brown eyes which were so identical to her father's studied each of them!
Meanwhile that young board member felt a strong Déjà vu of future, something like a future peek if you will! And he indeed did, some 20 years into the future when he would be listening to the new CEO at AR, a charismatic lady who was at present that same toddler girl.
--*--
When Arnav finally got free from the meeting that morning, it was almost noon. He was already drained out with the board meeting in the morning followed by some one-on-ones with his staff. Another thing was he had returned just yesterday from NK's 5-day-long wedding festivities in Chandigarh, and all Raizadas including him were having varying levels of fatigue.
Except his kids!
They were little bundles of energy. He smiled as remembered what happened earlier this morning. After being away from work for almost a week, followed by his heavily packed day today, he was all ready to set the tone of the week. He was happy that they all had a successful year, but he would not show that to his team openly. This was a well-honed skill after years of being an efficient CEO.
And then, he had felt a tug at his pant and as he looked down, there stood Pari with a paper, and coloring brush in her tiny hands looking at him with eager eyes. The decision was made instantly for him, everything else had to wait, AR would keep having these meetings every now n then, his baby wouldn't be this little all her life!
He felt proud of his decision when her face lit up seeing his lips curled in an indulgent smile for her and she giggled whole heartedly when he picked her up!
He then thought of how this all started with his eldest child, Kavish.
--*--
Flashback from March'2019
Khushi had gone to Gupta foods early that day and had asked Arnav if he would be ok to look after their barely 3-year-old son, Kavish. Naniji and mamiji had gone to temple and Payal and Aakash had gone to Piya's school for a PTM. Mamaji already left for AR. So, it would be only Arnav and Chiku, unless you count Prakash bothers. Arnav had a relatively free morning, so he happily agreed, despite knowing Chiku needed an army of people to look after him these days.
In all this, he totally forgot that he was supposed to review a very important press release that was due before noon.
He looked at Chiku who was busy arranging the blocks sitting on bed, and thought it was safe to open his laptop and work for a while. One good thing until now was, chiku had royally ignored Arnav's laptop, apparently his main interests only being giving interviews!
So, Arnav opened his laptop and as expected there was an email waiting for him to review along with the attachment of a PowerPoint slide deck.
Just as Arnav opened it, Mr. Kavish Singh Raizada decided he would overlook AR's press release for today!
"Papa?" he asked, reaching near Arnav who was sitting on his green recliner.
"Yes baby?" Arnav asked without looking down at his 3-feet tall kiddo.
"What you doing?" he cutely asked omitting the main verb, and trying to peek a look in Arnav's laptop.
Arnav smiled and picked his baby up to sit beside him on the recliner.
"I am working on something, baby." he said, and continued to work, knowing Kavish wouldn't be interested any further. But he was wrong. As his son not only got interested but apparently criticized it too.
"This ijj(is) bad." Kavish said with all seriousness.
"What?" asked his shocked father and AR's CEO. For the first time after graduating from Harvard someone called his work bad!
"This ij bad, papa" chiku insisted.
"Wh-why baby?"
"thele ij no bwew colol and no shtals (there is no blue color(for font) and no stars)." he said, shaking his head dismissively.
"what the-" Arnav almost swore and then pressed his lips together.
"Baby, i can't use all that here." Arnav made an excuse hoping kavish would buy it.
"Why?" he asked, narrowing his eyes. His Aakash chachu had shown him and Piya didi on how to add different colors and shapes on anything in this otherwise boring toy(chiku's word for a laptop)!
"Umm- It's not in this laptop, baby." Arnav tried again, but he forgot he was talking to his own son who was as smart as him if not more.
"Arre! It is hele(here), papa." chiku 'guided' his ignorant papa. And wouldn't let it go until Arnav changed the entire document's font color to blue and added stars!
"zid karne mein bilkul khushi pe gaya hai (he is just like khushi in stubbornness)." he mumbled to himself but his conscience mocked him and said to him, 'really? and you are not ziddi(stubborn)?"
Since Chiku refused to leave his side until Arnav was done wrapping his work, Arnav had to send that Kavish-approved document to his media team, who almost got a heart attack seeing it.
It was only when Arnav called Aman and told him to explain this 'fiasco' to his team without blaming his baby in any way, that they understood who had actually reviewed their draft today!
--*--
Arohi Singh raizada was a different case altogether. Unlike her twin sister Pari, she was least bit interested in AR's meetings and unlike her chiku bhiyya she wasn't keen to know AR's affairs either.
But did that mean she didn't make her presence felt like Mr. CEO's daughter?
Nuh-uh.
Ever since she was born, AR and its 11000 employees had gotten to know this princess who was very high maintenance!
Arnav had taken a paternity break followed by virtual work during an entire year after his twins' birth, so AR staff had many times seen little Aru grace their laptop screen as she would only be pacified by her father. Mrs. Khushi Singh Raizada coming into the room with a crying Aru in her arms and Arnav very easily putting the same hyper baby to sleep all through the meeting, was a sight to behold! (Also, they were amused that Aru would sleep during these meetings indicating how boring they were!)
In later years, although Aru would stay away when Arnav had meetings or when he was working, she often picked up his phone calls or sometimes even cut them if she wasn't in the mood!
And lately, she had learnt this new habit of tagging along with Arnav or Khushi to their offices. Thanks to her school(in fact, playschool), that hadn't happened much yet, but AR's staff had been prepared to welcome this little lady ASR whenever she will grace them with her presence!
.
.
But crux of the matter, a man who was once a synonym of heartlessness, who wouldn't ever change any rules in AR come hell or high water, who would fire someone if they messed with AR's meetings or documents, who wouldn't ever allow anyone to bring their personal life at work, changed his rules drastically in the past few years.
In short, Arnav Singh Raizada who was once only a formidable CEO, now shares that job title! He was still a mighty CEO alright, but his major identity was now a hands-on father and a fulltime husband!
.
"Arnavji, if you are done with your meetings, help me unpack this bag na? And then, we also have to call Nanhe ji and Jaz ji. They will leave for their honeymoon tomorrow." came Khushi's voice as she saw him enter their bedroom and he smiled to himself.
Sure, things had changed with him in the past decade. And a lot of it was due to this lady who legit barged in his life one eventful day, and nothing remained same after that. But will he want his life to be any other way? Nope! If his kids were a major reason for his shared CEO title, his wife was pioneer of that trend.
But more on the latter part sometime later.
--*--
A/N - I know I said future peek for today but need some more time for that and this one was on my mind for quite some time now :) Did you guys like it? In the last few years this has become very acceptable that kids take over our meetings (in some of my meetings, even pets!) and I wholeheartedly support this change in the corporate world. Makes us more human if anything.
Anyway. As I mentioned in my note yesterday, I will be away on a work trip for a few days starting this Saturday(15th). So, the next update will be on April28th (evening EST). You can read/re-read old chapters in this time and pick your favorites :)