Mumbai, India =========== Escobar Club 10 PM   Mia’s eyes were glued to his high cheekbones and mischievous eyes as he danced with the two girls who were vying for his attention, their svelte and sweaty bodies almost blurring and blocking her view of his broad shoulders and the taut muscles underneath his not so casual shirt. Her favorite drink Apricot Mojito on the bar lay long forgotten and her ears were barely registering the peppy music everyone was grooving to.   “Not a chance darling! That’s Aryan Kapoor. He rejected me twice already and I don't want to see you go through the same humiliation.” Her best friend Shay warned, as she slid onto the stool next to her.   “That of course is never gonna happen!” Mia gulped down her drink and walked a

"All of us here at Synergy are passionate about our work and the organisation. We drive each other crazy, and in that process, make others run away from us, but that generally happens after they spend at least a few days with us. But you seem to have picked up the vibe quite early. Hmm perhaps, as you said before, a delicate person like you shouldn't have left your busy life at your house to come here. It's a new city, new people, new responsibility. Just because you are Mr Mathur's wife, we shouldn't expect you to appreciate and understand the workings of a technical firm like ours. Am I right?" There was no trace of humour in Aryan's face now.   "Aryan what the hell is wrong with you?" Namrata was furious.   "It's fine Namrata, looks like Mr Kapoor is prone to jumping to conclusions and rubbing people the wrong way with his snide r

Sometime later in the night, once she had put Atharv to bed after reading his favourite story, Chandni finally managed to sit with Vikram and explain what happened at Synergy Inc. that morning. She tried very hard not to sound accusatory but she couldn't stop herself from asking. "Did you...Did you know that Aryan was part of this company before? " Her face was full of anguish. Vikram looked at her sharply. Chandni became flustered. “How stupid of me? I know you would have never sent me there if you knew.... It's just that..." Vikram cut her short. "Chandni, thanks for your confidence in me, But I am really sorry for all the hurt and anguish you had to go through today. Was he rude to you or misbehaved with you?" There was a hint of anger in Vikram's eyes. His keen gaze was locked on her face, as if he wanted to observe every subtle reaction on it. "He tried to be rude initially, but I gave it back to him fair and square." Chan

Vikram on the other side of the call had just finished a sumptuous breakfast cooked by Chandni. She was sitting next to him at the breakfast table, trying in vain to make Atharv finish his breakfast, listening patiently to him, while he talked nineteen to dozen. He kissed Atharv affectionately on his head before grabbing his coffee, and went back into his study. Vikram was feeling more relaxed now, after Chandni confirmed to him in the morning that she was happy to continue as Acting CEO of Synergy Inc. He knew that the steely grit on her face belied her internal fears and turmoils, but he was proud of her resolve to overcome those, for the greater benefit of the family business. Vikram Mathur was not the type of guy who would let grass grow under his feet. Now that he was sure of his wife's decision, he immediately put his action plan into motion. An action plan to make sure that his wife's tenure as acting CEO at Synergy Inc goes without a hitch and will result in

There was a resigned silence in the room and Aryan felt compelled to look at Vikram. "What I am saying might sound harsh to you, but it's perfectly valid to me Mr Mathur." He felt compelled to add the explanation. "I understand, as you say I am nothing but the third person in that context. And I would never impose myself on anyone in this matter. As I said, it is entirely up to you." Vikram reiterated. Aryan still looked very much uncomfortable and ready to bolt out of the room at the first given opportunity. Vikram chose to calm the fears of the protective and anguish ridden Raj Singh first. "Raj Ji I totally understand how difficult this must be for you too. When I asked my wife to become the Acting CEO of this company, I had not foreseen what just happened. And since I created this mess, I thought I must be the one to fix it as well, and straight away arranged this meeting between us. In fact, Chandni doesn't even know t