She woke up with a strong fragrance of coffee filling the room. Aarush climbed on the bed and crawled towards her. His aromatic smell of cologne was her favorite part of the mornings.
He bent down, planting a kiss on her collar. "Wake up, beautiful. It's morning." "Hmm, not now."
"Okay...". He then slid his one arm around her waist and turned her to him.
"Ouch!!" she exclaimed, falling on the pile of boxes that were surrounding her bed. It was the dream she has been having and describing it was difficult. It has been troubling her for almost 7 years.
Aarush was Samaira's school crush. It had been so long since she had seen and touched him but, in her dreams, he was always so close. 'Oh, God! This boy will be the death of me.' She waited for him and is still waiting, but the possibility of them being together is almost nil.
Getting up from the floor and turning off the alarm, she headed towards the bathroom, hitting a few boxes out of the way. Today, she has an interview with Bakshi and Sons. They are the leading exporters of India and heavy stock investors. She has been preparing for it for a long time now, but the inch of nervousness didn't subside.
She came back to Mumbai for her career and independence. Samaira, along with her family, left for Delhi when she received her acceptance at IIM Delhi. The business of her clan bloomed after shifting to the capital. Her family now owned a chain of resorts across the country, in major cities like Delhi, Bombay, Chennai, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Jaipur, and Pune.
A cold shower in the hot month of March felt so good. Her body was aching excessively as she kept moving boxes in and out of her new apartment. She didn't realize how much time passed in the shower but loved how water was splashing against her body, calming her aching muscles. Pulling a towel from the rack and wrapping it around her body, she got out of the bath. She wore a sweatshirt and yoga pants and made her way to the kitchen to make her breakfast, leaving her hair loose to dry.
With coffee in one hand and peanut butter toast in the other, she sat on the couch with a Vogue magazine. She loved the time she got after shifting to her hometown, away from all the family drama. Finishing her breakfast, Samaira once again headed to the bathroom to complete her skincare routine and prepare herself for the evening.
A knock on the door interrupted her peaceful morning routine. Getting out of her bathroom, she answered the door and found that her new furniture had arrived from Pepperfry. Deciding to complete the leftover shifting, Samaira got back to work. After five hours of placing everything in place, her apartment now looked presentable enough.
It was a sea-facing apartment in Santa Cruz. The sun was high, and it was sparkling the white walls of her apartment. It was spacious, with 3 bedrooms, a huge kitchen, and a large hall. The seaside had a glass partition giving her a chance to see the beautiful sunset and sunrise every day.
Luck!
With similar carpets and minimal furniture, her apartment looked modest but elegant. Keeping a proud smile on her face, she walked towards her wardrobe to get something to wear for the interview.
She ended up wearing a nude button-down shirt with a mini skirt that came down to her mid-thigh, added a few pieces of jewelry, and she was ready to rock. Her dress was perfect for an interview. Her interview was scheduled for five in the evening.
She grabbed her portfolio and car keys when she got a phone call. Picking it up without glancing at the screen she spoke, "Hey! Samaira here"
"Good afternoon, Samaira. I hope you have settled down perfectly in Mumbai?" Her dad said. "Yeah, I have and I am leaving for my interview."
She kept her voice to a neutral side. She never liked talking to her dad and hated when he behaved like everything between them was normal. When it wasn't. "Oh, darling, why don't you join your dad's business. It is expanding right now. You will be trained well under your sister." Her mother interrupted in between.
Samaira let out a deep exhale, indicating that she was not interested, but her father continued, "But here you are choosing to work for someone else." He said with a deep sigh.
Anger was rising inside her, and she spoke rudely than intended "Because I always want those things in my life which I deserve and for your information dad, your elder daughter has always been your favorite so right now don't forget you are talking to your younger daughter, who for you is just a toy to play and toss around."
She was about to explode any moment now, but she took a deep breath and calmed herself down. There was silence between them, and her dad decided to break the silence "Anyway, did you talk to Tarun? He is in Mumbai right now"
"Not yet", she replied and glanced at her ring finger, where a 2-carat diamond ring was sparkling. "And when are you thinking of giving him a call. It's been over 6 months that you have been engaged to him and you both have not made it public."
How come he is so good at ruining her mood every time they have a conversation? She left Delhi so that she could get some time to escape from her family and build her own identity rather than just known to the world because of her dad or the person she will get married to, but they somehow manage to spoil her new life even in Mumbai.
"Dad it's Tarun and my business, none of yours, so please stay out of it." She was frustrated by now, and handling this conversation wasn't getting any easier. "Okay, at least go on a date with him and spend some time together."
"Right now, I am only worried about my interview, so please..." Samaira continued but her father didn't let her
"How many times I have to remind you Samaira that you are going to be a wife of a business tycoon so better be a housewife rather than proving yourself in the society." He said in an angry tone. Adrenaline was rising inside her and she cut the call-in pure anger.
What the hell was that? How can someone be so selfish in life? She could no longer hold back her tears and they betrayed her.
She dropped herself on the couch with her head in her lap, trying not to let herself break into pieces. 'No, I can't do this to myself. I have an interview, I have to go there and mark my impression, but before that, I have to clear my head and gain back my confidence.'
She rubbed her wet cheek with her hand and headed out of her apartment towards her car. After a short drive, she found herself by the sea, all by herself.
She closed her eyes and inhaled the air, remembering every moment she spent here. Yes! she was engaged to Tarun Saxena, the future CEO of Saxena enterprise. Her marriage was a business deal, her father wanted an expansion of their resort chain and Saxena's were key to it. So, to give them assurance he fixed her marriage to Tarun.
It's not that she hated Tarun, but she never really saw him as a person she would spend her whole life with. They have known each other since college, and he knew there was only one person in her life despite her dating many. He was her best friend and there was nothing more to it.
He was there whenever she needed a friend. Coming back to Mumbai was risky as everything here made her remember only Aarush. His smiling face came to her mind and the way he used to run his hand through his hair.
Opening her eyes, she saw the waves forming in water, birds flying in the sky, the hustle and bustle of the street, and the aroma of the flowers.
'I can do it, and I will. I will mark my identity as a successful businesswoman rather than being somebody's wife.' She got up confidently and walked across the street to her car. In the car, she fixed her makeup and turned-on soothing music as she made her way to the Bakshi and Sons head office.
Mumbai traffic as always was hectic, but the music was helping her to be decent enough. Hopefully, she had plenty of time before her interview and didn't have to worry about being late.
She admired the streets on which she spent her childhood. She missed her home dearly; her life was perfect in Mumbai however everything changed for the worse when she went to Delhi.
But now she is focusing on her future right now and molding it as per her wishes rather than her parents. She took a sharp left and she saw the biggest building in Santa Cruz, which was Bakshi and Sons head office.
Leaving her Audi in the basement and making her way to the elevator. She pressed the button, but it was not responding. 'Damn it! 'Elevator is out of service. Oh no I have to climb up to the 32nd floor.' That was difficult in heels. She had another idea; she got out of the basement and went to the front desk on the ground floor.
As she entered the office, The entire place was in the theme of white, even the receptionists were dressed in clean white formal dress.
When Samaira approached them, they greeted her with a warm smile, and one of them who had blonde hair said, "How may I help you, ma'am?" "I am here for my interview for the CMO of the company."
Her eyes broke the contact and moved towards the computer. "Let me check ma'am ... Oh yes there is an interview which was initially scheduled with the board of members but now the CEO, Mr. Bakshi will be taking the interview. You are Ms. Samaira Malhotra?" "Yes".
She extended her hand for a handshake, and she responded. "Nice to meet you, if you could please follow me?". Samaira nodded with a polite smile as she took her towards the elevator. "I thought the elevator had some issues. In the basement, it was showing out of service?"
"Oh yes, but Mr. Bakshi has two more elevators leading to the 32nd floor where he has his cabin with other important people of the company." "Okay, it is a nice idea." There was a pause. She said softly "If you are selected then you will have to use this." Samaira saw her eyes, there was no sarcasm and humor as she pointed to one of the elevators. She gave the girl a confident smile and said, "Hopefully "
The elevator stopped and doors opened, and she indicated to her to get inside the lobby and waved goodbye. She turned back and took a second to look at the exquisite furniture and decorations. It reminded her of how beautiful her country is. It had everything which shows India's culture, history, and festivals.
It was way more different than the reception on the ground floor. "It was our CEO's idea. He is a man who is proud of his country's rich heritage and so he designed his floor quite differently from the rest of the office."
A woman wearing a navy-blue blouse and black pencil skirt who was standing near Samaira said, with appreciation in her voice.
It looked like she admired the choice of the CEO. "Yeah, it's beautiful," Samaira exclaimed. "I am Tara, the personal assistant of Mr. Bakshi. Nice to meet you." "I am Samaira Malhotra; I am here for my interview with Mr. Bakshi for the CMO position."
"That's great, I was waiting for you. Mr. Bakshi will see you in a few minutes, then please make yourself comfortable." She pointed towards the couch, and Samaira went and sat down there. Whoever was the CEO, was already her favorite.
Bakshi and Sons were the only billionaire family of the country who have kept themselves out of the media's attention and in the limelight.
They didn't like publicity and only focused on making their position in the world. They have successfully made it to their goal. They have focused more on the country's benefit and spreading India's automobiles and precious products to other countries. Vijay Bakshi never revealed his family members and kept them out of the reach of the paparazzi.
They had appointed a new CEO almost two years ago and since then they have covered a huge milestone. Bakshi's were way more different than Malhotra's and Saxena's who are always after making them more popular and getting media's attention at their every move.
She hated them and that's why she chose to work with a company that wants the country's success rather than theirs. "Ms. Malhotra, Mr. Bakshi will see you now, please come with me" Samaira hesitantly got up and followed her. She stopped at the huge door in front of them. Tara gestured Samaira to wait and poked her head inside. "Sir, Ms. Malhotra is here". "Send her in" came a curt response from inside.
Closing the door, Tara whispered, "All the best" Samaira smiled and said, "Thank you." Tara walked to her desk and Samaira pushed the door walking inside. The man was staring in the opposite direction. "Good evening, sir, I am Samaira Malhotra." She introduced herself.
The chair swung swiftly, and now the man was facing her. Her eyes would be playing a trick. She blinked her eyes, yet it was the same face in front of her eyes. Aarush Bakshi. He was the CEO of the company. The boy who somehow always managed to keep her heart was sitting in front of her, maybe even as her boss.
He was staring at her with the same curiosity as she was. There was a shock that ran inside her. No this could not happen, she doesn't want to meet him like this, not after seven longest years of her life. She couldn't feel her body, her legs were numb and still where she was standing. He had recovered from the shock and replaced it with a small smile.
"Please have a seat, Ms. Malhotra." Samaira got butterflies in her stomach hearing that sweet voice after so long.
She somehow recovered herself and walked towards the chair opposite him. He had that same honey-colored eyes and that same cologne he used to wear in school.
She had a bittersweet opinion about how her body still responds to his sight, exactly the way it used to do it in school. He was behaving differently as if he didn't remember her. He glanced at her portfolio, and she couldn't contain it anymore "You don't remember me?"
She asked with uncertainty in her voice, that was a stupid move but she wanted to try. He looked at her but didn't say a word. His eyes were blank, his face once again showed no emotion of recognition, and the way he was looking at her, she felt guilty for asking that question. Without a word, he glanced at her portfolio again.
She was nervous, and her confidence stooped down to zero. She could not do this interview. She was trembling by seeing him again, he seemed to be a stranger now.