Kian walked out of the meeting hall straight to the bar. He found Milan at the counter, enjoying his drink. He took the chair next to his friend and asked the bartender for some water.
"No drinks?" Milan was surprised
Kian shook his head, "Teetotaler"
"What?" Milan almost fell out of his chair
"Teetotaler! - as in, no hard or soft drinks - only water," Kian said mockingly
"I know what that means. I am stunned that a member of the Jindal family does not drink? I mean you guys are in the breweries business for God's sakes!"
"Don't remind me of that. I used to hate seeing my father and grandfather reek of alcohol. I was set against it since my childhood."
"You mean, you haven't tasted it even once?"
"Nope."
Milan looked at him with consternation. "You know, you are quite a disgrace to your family? A non-drinking Jindal – imagine!"
Kian smiled. "It has taken a lot of conviction and determination on my part to correct the gene pool." he quipped;
Milan was amused. "Is that why you ran away to the US, to correct the gene pool?"
Kian nodded, "I saw what happened to you and my brother. I didn't want to become a slave to the family legacy. So, I rebelled. Grandma agreed too! She let me live the way I liked."
"Hmm," Milan said after a long and pensive reflection. "You fought for your freedom. I wish we had your sensibility and foresight."
"Really?" It was Kian's turn to be surprised; "Are you playing the blame game here?"
Milan let out a deep sigh and folded his arms over his chest. "I am not blaming anyone; we chose our paths out of our free will. It's just that we thought we were the bearers and keepers of the family name."
"Nonsense!" Kian retorted; "you were enticed by the wealth and the power that came with the family name. And you willing traded your freedom for them."
Millan let out another sigh, "I guess you are right."
Kian gulped in a long draught from his glass. "So, what brings you here – business or pleasure?"
"Business – we are taking over..." Milan was saying when his phone buzzed. He scooped it from the breast pocket of his coat and read the message.
"That child!" he snorted and gulped in a big shot.
"What?" Kian was curious,
"Hmm?"
"I presume it is from Alysé…"
Milan smiled at him, "You like her, don't you?"
Kian did not reply and he continued, "We have a rebel in our family as well. I can see her going down your path." He sipped some more wine. "Just like you, she insists on carving her own destiny."
"I doubt she'll succeed. It's a tough world and she is too meek for it. Businesses need strong and bold leaders."
"That she definitely is!" the brother insisted, "First, she refused to marry that Burman scion, got herself that brash boy she calls 'her boyfriend'; then, she set up her own sports company. Now, she wants to open her own franchise and participate in the Tennis Association's upcoming auction."
"Really?" Kian sipped in some more water.
"Yes. She has hired a team of managers, coaches and strategists. She has been researching, talking to franchise owners of different sports, studying their business modules and what not! She is even taking tennis classes just to understand the game better. She is declaring war."
"That's business, not rebellion. It is the Merchant genes in her, which is making her do all this." Kian retorted. The image of her pale face and the shivering body was still fresh in his mind.
"You are wrong there. This is her way of declaring war. She has certainly ruffled many feathers in the family."
"What? Your family is upset because someone is starting a business venture?" Kian scoffed, "Are they crazy?"
"Not crazy, just jealous." Milan became pensive; "Initially everybody dismissed it as a good joke. But, now that the Tennis League is starting and the players have given their consent to go under auction, people are sitting up and taking a note of it. Even our father is suddenly showing interest in her venture. From now on, she will be closely watched by many in the family."
"Wow! That sounds scary." – Kian exclaimed.
"It is scary; especially when you are a part of the family-run conglomeration. Greedy eyes are always on the prowl."
"Did the family finance her venture?" Kian asked thoughtfully
"No, she used her savings and I gave some of mine. Big brands are also keen to partner with her. It is the family name that attracts people to her company. They think this is another Merchant Conglomerate venture.
"Help her then," said Kian,
"I am doing everything I can!" Milan exclaimed, "I am her shield for now. But I have my limitations. She needs big and continuous success if she has to break away from the 'Merchant' jinx."
"She sent me a proposal," Kian said in a while,
Milan nodded, "Which you rejected without even reading it."
"I had my reasons." He replied
"What could they be?"
"First of all, I don't know much about Tennis, never been interested in the game myself. Secondly, like many others, I also thought it was another 'Merchant Conglomerate' venture."
"It's her project. We have no share in it. It was made clear from the beginning. She has done well so far. She is intelligent, brave and ambitious. All she lacks is a strong partner who will give wings to her ambition."
Kian nodded pensively. Milan gulped in a long draught before rising from his chair. "Have breakfast tomorrow with us. Father wants to speak with you," he said before leaving,
"Seven?" Kian asked, he remembered Merchant family kept early hours.
Milan nodded and the friends shook their hands and parted with the promise to meet the next morning.
Kian went out for a stroll. He was greeted by a waft of cold air. It was a welcome change from the stuffy bar. He inhaled long draughts of fresh fragrant air and pulled out his phone and played the only voice message he had saved:
"Hi, this is Alysé. It's been so long since we last met. I have a Tennis franchisee…and am wondering if you might be interested in a collaboration. My team has sent you a proposal. Kindly look into it and let me know what you think about it… even if you don't like it… it's fine…Thanks."
He went to his room, flipped open his laptop, checked through his mails and scooped out her proposal. He read it word by word. She had sent a detailed proposal of the franchisee business module.
"Milan was right." he admitted, "She is intelligent and ambitious indeed!"