After a week:-
Its been a week, Aranya had started working and she was quite enjoying her work. She got to know that today they had review meeting with their boss.Till today she had heard about his name and achievements only but had not seen him. Today for the first time she will see him.
She went office with so much excitement.
Sidharth directly went to office instead of home after coming to Jaipur. When he was about to enter in the lift,he felt like he saw someone and it shocked him. He stopped and was about to go into that direction but his assistant said something from behind and diverted his attention towards him. He turned again and looked in that direction but no one was there.
" Maybe my mind is playing tricks with me. She must have already went back to her home then how can she be here and that too in my office, it's impossible" He thought to himself and entered into lift.
Aranya entered into conference room with annoyed expressions. Whole team of architect were already present there. It was her first review meeting. She went and sat beside a girl who was working with her.
"Aranya ma'am where were you? Sir will be here any moment and he is very punctual with time. God saved you today from him" that girl told her.
"Yaar don't ask me. First, I woke up late because I was working till late night to complete my report to show today and when I came here, I saw someone which spoiled my mood. God only knows what he is doing here? Anyways, leave it. I am actually excited to meet our boss for the first time. I have only heard about him till date and today for the first time, I will see him. I am nervous. Is he like those typical arrogant, rude bosses whom we see in movies and read in books?" Aranya asked from the girl.
. Before that girl could say anything, everyone else in the room, stood up. That girl stood up after realising why they stood up. After seeing that Aranya too stood up. She saw Mr Murthy and three other senior members of her team were standing at the door and were waiting for someone. Then she saw someone came with other two men and his face was turned sideways so she could not see it properly. Then he turned around and smiled at the man in front of him and entered into the room and rest of the men followed him.She felt like, she got biggest shock of her life.
" No, this can't be real. How can this man be the boss, it's impossible. He must be his security incharge and came first to see the arrangement.Yes this is true." She
thought to herself.
In her thought process, she didn't realise that everyone else were already seated and only she was standing in the whole room and now it was Sidharth's turn to get shocked.
" What the hell is wrong with me? Why I am imagining that girl everywhere? I really need to get a grip on myself before I lose my mind" He thought to himself and shook his head then he closed his eyes for few seconds to be normal again but at that very moment he heard something, which shook him to the core and he instantly opened his eyes with utter disbelief.
" Miss Gujral, you can sit. Sir, she is the one about whom I have talked to you.She is that architect and working with us from last week. She is really good and did so much in just one week. You will be really impressed by her work." Sidharth listened everything with blank expressions.
Sidharth and Aranya both were looking at each other not knowing how to proecess the fact which they just came across. It was just too shocking for both of them and impossible to believe.
" what on earth is happening? He is the boss? Then why he came to pick me up and behaved like that? Uncle knew him then why he didn't tell me anything about him even when I told him that I am going to work in this company?" Aranya was too puzzled and confused.
" how come she is working here? She was supposed to go back, right? Bade hukum so confidently told me that he will send her back within a week anyhow then what she is doing here and that too in my own office? He told me I can't be here till she is here. Now what I am supposed to do, go away from my own office and stop working? most importantly, why he didn't tell me that she is going to work in my company. If he was in touch with her then she must have shared it with him right? He must have an idea about it but still he didn't tell me anything. What the hell is happening here?" Sidharth thought to himself and wanted to pull his hairs or smack something so badly but realised that everyone was looking at him only so he controlled himself and tried to speak as normally as possible.
" Miss Gujral, welcome to our company. I hope you are liking it and there is no issues" he asked her formally.
Aranya looked at him with shocked expressions. He was behaving like they have never met before.
" Thankyou. I am good." She said and sat on her chair.
" Sir, I must say you have chosen perfect candidate for our project. She is doing really well and I am hopeful that we will
meet our deadline." Mr Murthy explained while giving him progress report file.
Sidharth took it and flipped randomly.
" Good, keep it up. Sorry, I have to go for now. You guys carry on with your work." Sidharth said to them and left the room within seconds.
Everyone looked at each other for few seconds then they also left for their respective work places.Aranya too left with confused mind.
On other side:-
Sidharth called king's assistant and asked about him then he went to meet him. Sidharth came his home. King's assistant informed him that he is in study. Sidharth went there and told him to not let anyone disturb them. Sidharth entered and locked the gate.
" So finally, you got time?" King asked him while looking at the files which he was reading.
" you knew about this? Then why you didn't tell me before?" Sidharth asked from him directly.
" I also have same question for you." King asked him back.
"If I would have known about this earlier then it won't have happened in the first place" Sidharth replied with irritation.
" Same here" again king replied in same tone.
" How you had no idea about it when you were in touch with her all the time?"
Sidharth asked with impatience.
" In the same way, you had no idea that she is going to work in your company that too in your dream project despite you, yourself choosing her for it and inviting her to India for the interview which you were going to take." king replied in sarcastic tone and looked at him.
Sidharth pulled his hairs with frustration.
" Now, what I am supposed to do? Leave my company,work,home,this city till she is here?"Sidharth asked him sarcastically
" I wish, it was that much easy. I know you can't go but can definitely make her go from here and only you can do this" king said to him.
" what do you mean by this?" Sidharth asked with confusion.
" Simple, you were absent when she got selected in the interview and signed the contract. So, you can cancel it easily." King suggested him.
" Seriously bade hukum? You want me to do this? Ok, for a second, I will do this.
I will cancel her contract,will give her 10 times compensation with special recommendation of work in her own country, it's matter of just one phone call for me. She may will feel hurt and anger for sometime but eventually will go from here and will forget this incident but what about my team? What about Mr Murthy? What about his trust on me or my faith on him? What will I answer to him? What explaination I will give to him, why I cancelled contract of someone whom he selected on my orders? Will he ever be able to work with confidence? Do he deserves this? Do I deserve to lose faith and trust of such honest man just because of your some imaginary fear?
You told me that she can't be here or I can't be in front of her because it may trigger back her traumatic memories. Give answer of my one question, she had seen me 13 years ago,when I used to look completely different but you used to look almost same as today. Then why she is so comfortable with you? Why seeing you doesn't trigger her memories but it will trigger because of me who is a complete different person now?" Sidharth asked him some hard hitting questions.
King looked at him being all perplexed.
"Sidharth you are comparing yourself with me? Tell me, how much time she had spent with you and me when she was here?And moreover, I am doing this for you too. This is not fair with you. I know how would you feel when she will treat you like a stranger. You don't deserve this. So, it's better for all of us, if she goes from here" king tried to make him understand.
After hearing that, Sidharth started laughing like a maniac. King got worried seeing him like that all of a sudden in between a serious conversation.
" fair? Don't deserve? Seriously? Don't you think so, these words doesn't exist for me?You tell me, one single incident in my life which was fair with me and whatever happened with me since my birth, did I deserve that? I had to live alone with my mom and face all the difficulties because certain someone thought my mom is not good enough for his son because she was not a royal blood. Was it fair? Did we deserve that?
When my mom diagnosed with cancer, I was just 6 yrs old. 6 years old me had to take care of his ill mother, was that fair with me? Did I Deserve that? 10 years old me had to burnt dead body of his mom, the only family he had. I was standing there all alone in front of her pyre. No one was there to console me and tell me, I am here, you don't need to worry about anything. I didn't know what will happen with me? I had no idea, if I will get one time proper food or not in upcoming days? Was that fair with me? Did I deserve that? When I came to you without any hope or expectations, I got tagged of illegitimate and was sent to live with servants, then all those bullying, humiliation, hatred, was that fair? Did I deserve that? I lost someone closest to me, once again, was that fair? Did I deserve that? I went away from here and with so much difficulty tried very hard to start my life again and you brought me here again among same people, despite knowing how much they hate me, was that fair?Did I deserve that? Samaira loves me and want to get married to me but I had to break her heart because I can't give her what she deserves.She will only get hatred and humiliation being with me.I had to break the only person's heart who genuinely cares for me and want my happiness.Is it fair with me and do I deserve this?Till today, media people keep calling my team to take my interview but all they are interested in my connection with the so called royal family not my achievements and only want spicy segments for their views, is it fair with me? Do I deserve this? Despite acheiving so much, my only identity till now is that I am an illegitimate son of royal family, is it fair with me? Do I deserve this? Tell me bade hukum, was anything above mentioned things was fair with me? Do I deserve anything of that?" Sidharth said and fell on the floor crying. He was having anxiety attack remembering everything.
King got scared seeing him like that.
"Sidharth, please calm down and relax. Take deep breaths" king told him being scared.
Sidharth took deep breaths and with so much difficulty, took out medicine from his pocket which he always used to keep with him and gupled them. Then he closed his eyes for few seconds. After that he opened his eyes and was back to normal self. Then he stood up.
"you don't need to worry about me. If I can take care of my 6 years old self, then now I am much more capable to do that
and you don't need to worry about her too. She won't have any problem because of me and I will not cancel her contract" Sidharth said and went away from there.
King looked at his back helplessly. He too sat on the chair with sadness and guilt.
" I am sorry Sidharth. I am sorry for everything. I know, what I did was so wrong and I got worst punishment for that but even if I want,I can't go back in the past to change it. So,I am trying to change present and future.This is the reason I declared you my heir, so that no one will dare to say you anything and everyone mouth's will be forever sealed once you will officially become the heir of the crown. I will make sure to make it happen as soon as possible. This is all I can do for you and I will definitely do that, no matter who says what." king said in his mind and wiped his tears.
Sidharth calmed his mind and again went to office to resume his work. He had so much work lined up because of one week absence, so he had to go and finish them. His work was always his biggest distraction. Today also it came like a saviour. He got busy and forgot everything.
Aranya could not concentrate on her work because of what happened in the conference room. So many questions were in her mind which she was trying to figure out. Whole day passed just like that.
She came to home and directly enquired about king. When she met him, she asked him what was eating her mind since morning.
" Uncle, why you didn't tell me, that person who came to pick me up that day is the boss of the company where I was going to work? If he is the owner of such big company, then why you sent him to pick me from airport and why he behaved like that? How do you know him?" Aranya bombarded him with numerous questions.
" Relax and calm down. He is family friend just like you. He respects me a lot and keep coming here to meet me. I took his help in so many things and he never says no to me. That day, no one was here and he just came. So,I told him to pick you, that's it. One more thing, that day you were talking about him? I thought you were talking about Samar, the other one. Sorry, I got confused. If I would have an idea, I would have corrected you then and there. Regarding not telling about him being owner of that company, I didn't know that you don't know about it. I mean, its very common sense that wherever we are going to work, we thoroughly do reasearch about it and gather all the relevant information. I thought you already know and I didn't think too much of it. How will I have any idea that you don't know about the owner where you are going to work? It doesn't make sense right? Yes, I was shocked for a moment by seeing appointment letter because I thought you came on vacation, that's it, nothing else."
King said to her with straight face.
Now Aranya was feeling dumb and embarassed.
" Actually, I didn't want to work, so I didn't search about it. I just came here because my parents were not at home and I was getting bored. I thought this will be perfect opportunity to kill time. I came with the purpose of traveling only, that interview was just an excuse but when I got selected, I accepted that because it was really good opportunity and will give a very big boost to my career. This is why I didn't tell you anything and didn't search about owner and company details." Aranya explained to him.
" It's ok, no problem at all. Go and freshen up, you must be tired. See you at dinner" king said to her and went away outside.
Now Aranya was feeling better as she got answers. She went to her room to freshen up.
Somewhere:-
" I understand, you can't cancel contract like that but you will have to do one thing and we don't have any other options. " king told to Sidharth.
" what?" He asked.
" for next 6 months, till she is here, you have to shift to apartment. You can't live in that house till she is here, you know that right? It will be really awkward for her too because she thinks, that is my house and she doesn't know our relationship.The less she knows,its better for all of us. And I can't tell her to go and live in some apartment because I can't take risk regarding her safety. Your house is safest for her in this city. I hope you understand and I am sure even you will not want her to stay in some random apartment. So, please you have to make adjustments for her. This is my only request, rest you know how to handle things" king told him.
" I was not going to live there, even if you would not have tell me this. Don't worry, till she is here, she will live there only. I will not even visit that house in her presence. Anything else?" Sidharth asked his grandfather.
" Yes, one last thing and I am saying this for you only. Always keep in your mind that she is now Aranya Gujral not your Yashodhara. It will make things easier for you." King tried to made him understand.
Sidharth didn't say anything and just nodded his head with blank eyes and expressions. After that he touched feet of his grandfather and left the place.