ARC Towers buzzed with more excitement than usual. The official merger of ARC and DC groups was set in motion, and the air was thick with anticipation. Ranjith had arrived earlier than usual, joined soon after by Pradeep.
Ranjith had already compiled a detailed list of employees from the DC group who would now be working at ARC. All necessary access cards had been handed over to Nanda and distributed to the respective employees.
By 9 a.m., the floor was alive with energy as employees showed up punctually to their designated workstations. Maya and Pradeep were already in their cabins, and Hari, the newly appointed PA to Pradeep, stepped forward to coordinate a short meeting.
Hari’s voice rang through the floor as he addressed the gathering. “All employees, please head to the conference room. Maya ma’am and Pradeep sir will address us shortly.”
Maya had brought in her own PA as well, a young woman named Asha , charming, smart, and well-spoken.
In the conference room, Maya and Pradeep stood before their team, their expressions poised and professional.
“We’re officially stepping into a new chapter,” Maya began, her voice confident. “Let’s ensure that this merger becomes a milestone of growth and efficiency for both our teams.”
Pradeep followed, “We’ve signed on to work together now, and ARC’s rules especially regarding security are to be followed strictly. Let’s keep this collaboration smooth and goal-focused.”
Back in the backend systems, Hari and Ranjith had already exchanged information about the employees from both ARC and DC. Hari, a close friend of Pradeep and someone he trusted deeply, had completed a background check on all DC employees.
In a private conversation later, Hari met Pradeep in his cabin.
“Pradeep,” Hari began seriously, “all DC employees have a clean record… except two, Asha and Dinesh.”
Pradeep looked up. “What about them?”
“Dinesh is an expert in hacking. As for Asha… she gets work done with her charm.”
“Good, Hari. Then inform our security and hackers team to monitor Dinesh and his activities.”
“Sure,” Hari nodded. “We just need to keep Asha away from us.”
“Inform Pavi and Keerthy about her. They’ll assist us in this.”
“Hmm, okay,” Hari agreed.
Meanwhile, Aryan and Sanju had reached their floor. Sanju walked into her cabin, now redesigned with comfort in mind, complete with a relaxation room. Settling in, she called Pradeep to check on the opening day status. Once reassured that everything was going smoothly, she turned her attention to work.
She instructed Hari, “Call Pradeep and Maya for a meeting in one hour.”
Hari relayed the message to Asha.
Asha’s mind churned with irritation. Why the hell do I need to take her order? God, I just need to get the hell out of here.
Nevertheless, she informed Maya about the meeting. By 11 a.m., Sanju, Pradeep, Maya, Hari, and Asha had gathered in the meeting room.
“Thank you for being here,” Sanju began, her tone composed and clear. “I want to take this business to the next level. Work with the marketing team to increase sales, and at the same time, evaluate productivity. We also need to gather customer reviews find out what they really need. If necessary, we’ll tweak our existing products or launch something new. I think one week should be enough to complete this. Finalize the end review and let me know before we proceed.”
Pradeep nodded. “That’s really great, Sanjana. I’ve already instructed the marketing team to get started. We’ll work on the product review and ideas for the new launch.”
Sanju turned to Maya. “Maya, any suggestions?”
Maya leaned back slightly, an edge in her tone. “I don’t take orders. I’m used to giving them. So better don’t try to get over me.”
Sanju remained composed. “Maya, I’m being professional here. I expect everyone to be the same. We’re here for business, and I want the focus to stay on that.”
Without another word, Maya stood up and left the room abruptly. Asha followed her closely.
Pradeep sighed. “She’ll get used to it. Let’s not let her get into our heads.”
“Correct,” Sanju agreed. “Let’s move then.”
From his office, Aryan had watched the meeting unfold through the glass, listening to Sanju handle the situation with grace and strength. Pride flickered in his eyes. Turning back to his desk, he focused on reviewing the quotation to be submitted for an upcoming engineering college construction tender.
He called Ranjith, “We need to finalize the quotation. Submission is next week. Get the necessary details ready.”
“Will do,” Ranjith replied.
Days passed. Asha tried every now and then to be coy with Hari and Pradeep, taking any small chance she could get. But Keerthy and Pavi kept a watchful eye from their cubicles. Keerthy, as the marketing lead, was immersed in her work, pouring energy into meeting the new targets. Her ideas were sharp and impressive.
Time flew by, and within a week, Aryan’s tender was ready for submission. Meanwhile, Maya and Pradeep were working on finalizing the end report on boosting sales and developing a new product.
That afternoon, Dinesh walked into Maya’s cabin.
Maya looked up from her desk. “What’s the news, Dinesh?”
“Aryan has framed his quotation for the tender. It’s set to be submitted tomorrow.”
A wicked smile played on Maya’s lips. “Get his quote details to me then.”
“I already have,” Dinesh said confidently. “I’ve sent it to your personal email.”
“That’s great,” Maya nodded. “You carry on. I’ll take care of the rest.”
After he left, Maya picked up her phone and dialed Nanda.
“I’m forwarding you a mail. It has Aryan’s quotation,” she said. “Change our quote accordingly and make sure the final version is submitted.”
Nanda, without question, obeyed.
The next day, quotations from both Aryan and Chandrasekar were submitted to the client who floated the tender. All builders were expected to meet the client in the next two days for a final discussion before the winner was announced.
Maya sat back in her cabin, a glint of triumph in her eyes. After a long time, Aryan might finally lose a tender.
What she didn’t know was that while she played her games, Aryan’s instincts rarely failed him. But for now, she smiled, unaware of the storm that might return her way.
Chandrasekar remained oblivious to Maya’s manipulation.
The next day dawned like any other, and everyone at ARC was deeply engrossed in their tasks. Sanju, accompanied by Maya and Pradeep, joined the marketing team for a strategy review.
Keerthy stepped forward confidently and began presenting the new sales strategies. One part of her proposal involved introducing a new model sourced from rural areas—a bold and risky move, but one that intrigued the team with its uniqueness.
After carefully listening to the pitch, Sanju nodded. “Approved. It’s a great idea. Start searching for a model who fits the expectation. And we need a completely new advertisement for this campaign.”
As Keerthy wrapped up her marketing presentation, the research department entered the meeting room to join the discussion.
Sanju took the lead. “No false commitment that customer would get fair complexion. Clear cut that their skin gets glow naturally. Only natural ingredients for the new product.”
Pradeep chimed in, “We can take inputs from the village people on their expectations and the ingredients they use from nature.”
Maya agreed. “We’ll get a team to work on it beforehand. Maybe a survey kind of thing.”
“That sounds great,” Sanju smiled, satisfied with the progress.
By the end of a long day filled with back-to-back meetings, Sanju reached home before Aryan and, utterly exhausted, fell asleep. Kowsalya , noticing her deep sleep, decided not to disturb her.
Later that evening, Aryan arrived. Seeing his wife resting peacefully, he quietly freshened up before gently waking her.
“Sanju,” he whispered, brushing her hair back softly. “Get up, love. Let’s have dinner.”
Sanju stirred awake, nodded, and freshened up before heading downstairs. She saw Aryan in the living room, speaking on the phone. After a quick dinner together, they returned to their room.
Aryan wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into a warm hug and planting kisses on her cheek and forehead.
“Wifey, are you feeling stressed out from work?” he asked with concern.
Sanju leaned into him. “No Aryan, I’m doing good.”
“I’ve been watching you for the past two days,” he said gently. “You’re completely worn out. If you want, I’ll tell Pradeep to handle everything. You can stay home and rest.”
“No Aryan,” she replied with a soft smile. “I’m happy to work. Yes, I felt a little tired, but don’t worry. With time, we’ll settle into the business and I’ll have less work.”
“You’re sure?” he asked, brushing his fingers through her hair. “I’m proud of your potential in business, but I can’t stand seeing you worried or tired.”
“I’m more than happy working,” she assured him. “Won’t you ask me about the progress of the work?”
“I know your capability. I trust you—and Pradeep too. So I least worry about our cosmetics anymore,” he replied with pride.
She giggled. “So how’s your work going?”
“We’ve quoted for a tender on constructing an engineering college,” he shared. “The results will be out tomorrow.”
“Okay,” she said, then added with a smirk, “But let’s not bring business talk into our room.”
“Fine,” Aryan agreed. “Let’s sleep. You still seem tired.”
With a playful smile, he lifted her in his arms and carried her to bed. She rested her head on his chest while he ran his fingers through her hair, gently patting her to sleep.
The next morning, Aryan woke early and glanced at Sanju still sleeping soundly beside him. Careful not to wake her, he got ready for work. Before leaving, he kissed her forehead and placed a note next to her on the bed.
He headed downstairs for breakfast, where Kowsalya was already waiting.
“Sanju is still asleep,” he said softly. “Don’t wake her. Let her get up on her own. Serve her breakfast once she’s ready.”
“Sure sir,” Kowsalya nodded.
“She seems very weak and tired,” Aryan added. “Prepare a healthy soup along with breakfast. I’ll be back early in the evening.”
With that, he left for office, updating Pradeep on Sanju’s absence for the day.
Sanju finally woke up around 11, sunlight streaming through the windows. She yawned, stretched, and noticed a note beside her on the bed. Smiling, she picked it up and read:
Wifey,
Please stay home for today. You seem to be not well. I have informed Pradeep about your absence. So relax and rest. See you in the evening.
Have the healthy food, I have told Kowsalya mom to prepare.
Strictly no office calls. Only rest, else get ready for punishment.
Love you,
Aryan
Her eyes softened with affection as she clutched the note close to her heart, feeling deeply cared for and loved.
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