Khushi
Lucknow
"I think we should take the contract back!" I suggested before I looked at Suraj, who sat beside me on the steps of the house while looking at the pond.
"You do?" He looked at me.
I nodded before looking at the foggy morning sky and saying, "He's not an easy person to work with. And I also lose my mind sometimes and do things I'm not supposed to do as the owner of a business."
I heard him chuckle before I looked at him with furrowed brows.
"Why are you laughing?" I asked before I turned in my seat and leaned my back against the wooden pillar to look at him completely.
He shook his head before looking at me and saying, "That's not a reason enough to break the contract. One of the companies has to break a clause mentioned in the contract for the deal to be dissolved. You know this! You made the contract with the lawyer."
I sighed before I rested the back of my head on the wooden pillar.
"I know, but the atmosphere there is so different from ours!" I straightened up and looked at him. "If anything happens, he'll call the employees in his cabin like we used to be called in the principal office at school. And the worst part is that I have to see him every single day. I mean, if we are having a meeting among the designers, then suddenly he'll appear, and sometimes he will also join the meetings."
"Well, you know the reason for that very well, I'm sure!" Suraj replied with a small smile as he also turned to face me. I do?
My brows scrunched up before I asked, "What reason?"
He sighed and shook his head as he looked away.
"No, tell me. What reason?" I urged. "Suraj!"
"He has feelings for you! That's why."
"Suraj, that's..." I licked my lips. "Wo sat saal purani baat hai!"
He laughed quietly before looking at me and shaking his head.
"I saw the way Arnav looked at you. He..."
"Don't finish that!" I shook my head as I looked down at my hand and poked at the scar on my ring finger.
"Khushi, you know he does! There's no point in avoiding that fact." He paused. "Aaj nahi toh kal, he will make a move. He will try."
I bit my lips and scratched my finger on my left hand so hard that blood started coming out of that scar.
"Don't do that!"
I looked up at him, and he just shook his head before looking down at my hands on my lap.
"How much was the penalty?" I asked and twisted my mouth to the side.
Suraj laughed before saying, "You know I didn't read the contract. And you made the terms. You tell me!"
"65 lakhs!" Jiji answered.
I looked to my left at the door that led inside the house as Jiji and Jijaji walked out with cups of tea in hand, then sat down next to us before handing us our cups.
"We'll have to pay the fine of 65 lakhs as per the agreement if we break the contract before the expiration date." Jiji glanced at me and Suraj as she took a sip from her mug.
I sighed dramatically before saying, "Then I'll have to bite on the dirt and wait for the project to end."
"But you shouldn't have gotten involved with them again since you already have a past!" Jijaji said as he looked at me.
"I know right; I always make wrong decisions!" I nodded as I agreed and pushed a hand through my hair.
I should continue working there. That's the only option I'm left with if I don't want to pay that big compensation...
"What're you thinking?" Jiji asked as she tapped me on the shoulder to get my attention.
I looked at her with pressed lips and sighed before saying, "I'm thinking why I made the compensation so large!"
"It's not your fault. All you did was follow the Indian Act." Suraj commented and took a sip of his tea.
I pressed my lips together again before I placed my cup down and looked at the three of them.
"Actually, according to the Act, the fine was 10 lakhs. But I made the compensation for 65 lakhs." I explained, and everything turned silent for quite a while.
"Of course!" Jiji said as she shook her head, then looked at Suraj, "Didn't AR ask about why the monetary damages are so high or something?" Devi Maiya...
"They had no issues. They just read the deed and signed it." Suraj answered as I stared at them quietly.
"Fantastic!" Jiji remarked, then turned to face me and asked softly, "Why did you do this?"
"Wo... the fine... looked a lot less in front of the deal we were signing. So, that's why I thought, It'll give us financial safety if it increases a little."
Jiji and Suraj stared at me for a second before Jiji turned to him and said, "I'll drop by AR on Monday!"
"Good idea!" And they both left, taking their cups, while discussing something.
I looked at Jijaji, who just shook his head and smiled at me before saying, "Don't worry, your intentions were good! So it's fine!"
"Really?"
He nodded and said, "Finish your tea. It'll get cold!"
*
I twirled in my chair as I stared up at the ceiling and waited for Neha to come from the principal's office.
"You look new here!" I heard a familiar voice but couldn't recognize it. So, I stopped twirling and turned to face the voice as I pushed my hair away from my face. But my hand stopped halfway to my hair as I looked at the person leaning against my desk. Nanhe Ji?...
"Khushi Ji?" His brows knitted as he straightened and looked at me with his mouth open. "What're you doing here?"
Finally, a face I'm happy to see!
I stood up from my chair with a very genuine smile as I couldn't believe I was finally seeing him.
"I'm not understanding anything!" He said this as I walked around the desk to him. "From when do you work here? And why don't I know about it, Khushi Ji?"
"Nanhe Ji!" I squealed loudly as I felt excitement rushing through my veins. "You have no idea how happy I am to see you!"
"I know, me too! But why are you here? And when did you get back to Delhi?" He asked in confusion.
"Arre, I don't work here." I waved a hand. "My company collaborated with AR."
"Oh! That's why you're here! But what is your post here?" He asked as we both leaned against the desk to have a comfortable chat.
"I'm the head of the design department of SK Jewelleries." I answered.
"But isn't SK Jewelleries yours?"
"It is. I had told you na, don't you remember? Suraj is the CEO, Jiji is the CFO, and I'm the head of design." I tried to remind him.
"Oh, yeah, yeah. I remember now! But is everything okay between you and Nanav?"
I took a moment before answering, "I think so! Although he still looks like he'll eat me up, other than that, I think we're good."
"And..." he started.
"NK?" Here he comes!
Nanhe Ji looked over his shoulder before saying, "Hey, Nanav!"
I turned around without looking at him and started gathering my things.
"What're you doing here?"
"Di wanted to come. So I joined!"
"Ms. Awasthi?" I looked over my shoulders at him. "In my cabin!" And with that, he left.
Nanhe Ji looked at me, and I looked at him, then said a quick goodbye before grabbing my bag and walking towards the principal's office.