"We need to address the issues with the board of directors," Sanvi said as they made their way to the meeting room for the emergency session that had been hastily scheduled.
The auditor scandal was the mess left by Mr. Shah, who had paid off the auditors to cover his tracks. It was a problem that needed immediate resolution.
Mr. Vas, one of the senior executives, had brought in a list of recommended mid-sized firms to replace the previous audit team. The meeting dragged on for hours, with each firm scrutinized carefully.
Vivian was meticulous, knowing that any misstep could lead to more trouble down the line. After what felt like an eternity, she finally settled on a firm she believed could handle the job with integrity.
"Schedule a meeting with the new audit team," she instructed Sanvi as the meeting finally adjourned.
But the day was far from over. Vivian had another task on her mind—finding a new company secretary. Rather than delegating this to HR, she wanted to make the decision herself, choosing someone she could trust implicitly.
One candidate had already caught her eye: Rohan, the assistant to the former secretary. She had noticed his diligent work, particularly how precisely he took minutes during meetings. She believed he had the potential to step up.
"Your minutes are always precise," Vivian complimented as she took a seat beside the young man, who was still in the room, finishing the conclusion of the meeting minutes report.
Rohan blushed, clearly embarrassed by the praise. "Thank you, ma'am," he replied, quickly shutting down his laptop, caught off guard by her presence.
Vivian chuckled at his cute behaviour. "Your name?"
"Rohan." He replied in a very low voice.
"Ah! Classic. Correct me if I am wrong, you are something twenty-five, right?" she asked, her tone professional but warm.
"Twenty-six, ma'am," he answered, his cheeks turning an even deeper shade of red.
Vivian smiled. "Come to my office at 4 PM today for an interview."
"An interview?" Rohan asked, startled by the sudden turn of events.
Before Vivian could explain further, Sanvi interrupted with urgent news. "Ma'am, the chairwoman is here," she said, reading a text she had just received from the chairwoman's secretary.
Vivian stood up, preparing to leave. "Don't be late," she reminded Rohan before walking out of the room.
Although her grandmother's appearance was sudden, it wasn't surprising. Vivian had expected it, especially after escaping their morning confrontation at home. She had felt the tension building over the past few days and knew it was only a matter of time before her grandmother sought her out.
When Vivian entered her office, she found her grandmother sitting on the couch, a fierce expression etched onto her wrinkled face. She was seated with her back straight, eyes locked on the entrance, as if she had been waiting for this moment for hours.
Vivian hesitated before greeting the formidable woman. "Good afternoon, G-ma," she said, trying to keep her voice steady despite the knot of anxiety in her stomach.
"Good afternoon, Chairwoman," Sanvi greeted immediately after Vivian, offering a slight bow as a sign of respect.
The old lady's gaze shifted from Vivian to Sanvi upon hearing her greeting. Her stern expression softened slightly, but not enough to mask her displeasure. "Call me Grandma, you brat," she ordered, her voice carrying the weight of years of unresolved tension with Sanvi.
"We are in a professional setting," Sanvi responded calmly, her tone respectful yet firm, indirectly taunting Vivian's informal approach.
"Shut up! You don't call me Grandma otherwise, either," the chairwoman shot back, clearly annoyed. "Change that habit of yours."
"I can't," Sanvi replied, unwavering in her resolve. It wasn't defiance, but principle.
Sanvi had been adopted by the Kapoor family, specifically by the chairwoman herself. Despite the adoption, Sanvi had never fully embraced the family dynamic, always feeling like an outsider.
When it came time to choose a university for her higher studies, instead of following the family tradition of studying abroad, Sanvi had opted to stay in the country. She had chosen a national university, making it clear that she had no interest in competing for the family's second-generation heir title.
Sanvi had never called the chairwoman "Grandma" and had no intention of starting anytime soon. Not even on her wedding day had she been willing to address the Kapoor family as such. She had finally invited them only after the chairwoman faked a heart attack to manipulate both Vivian and Sanvi at the same time. A single arrow for two victims.
"You never change!" The chairwoman sighed, gritting her teeth in frustration. Her heart ached with the unspoken pain of being kept at arm's length by the one she had saved from a life of loneliness and loved all her life.
"Grandma, please. Don't yell at her. She's pregnant," Vivian blurted out, hoping to defuse the situation. Sanvi's eyes widened in surprise; she hadn't yet shared the news with their grandmother.
"Oh my! Really?!" The old woman's anger disappeared in an instant, replaced by a joyous cheer. The transformation was almost comical, given her fierce demeanor just moments earlier.
"What wonderful news, dear!" She quickly rose from her seat and approached Sanvi, embracing her warmly. Tears of happiness welled up in her eyes, and she couldn't control her emotions as they overflowed. "I am so happy."
"Thank you," Sanvi replied, hugging the woman who, despite everything, held the most important place in her heart.
The chairwoman guided Sanvi to the couch, helping her sit as if she were made of glass. She then removed her diamond earrings and handed them to Sanvi. "Keep these. They're a gift for giving me such happy news," she said, glancing briefly at Vivian with a look that carried both disappointment and a silent plea for her to vanish.
Vivian gulped under that fearsome gaze.
"Thank you," Sanvi said, immediately putting the earrings on, not wanting to risk losing them.
Ignoring her grandmother's tender moment with Sanvi, Vivian sat at her desk and began sifting through the pending files, her eyes scanning the documents though her mind was elsewhere.
"Dear, I'll send over a pair of gold bangles for the baby in a few days," the chairwoman continued, her voice filled with the warmth of a doting grandmother.
"Why so early? There are still eight months before the baby is born," Sanvi replied, slightly puzzled by the sudden offer.
"I doubt I'll survive until then," the chairwoman said, her voice tinged with the resignation that comes with age. She cast another stern look at Vivian, who pretended not to notice.