(One)
As the morning sun peeked through the curtains, Abir's eyes fell on the alarm clock on the table. "It's already past seven, I need to get up quickly, there's a meeting today," he thought.
Abir hurriedly got out of bed and headed to the bathroom attached to his room. The bathroom was made of glass, but from the outside, it was impossible to see inside. All that was visible was a silhouette of someone within.
Abir's house could easily be mistaken for a five-star restaurant. At just 28 years old, he had achieved significant success, evident from his luxurious home, stylish attire, and regal demeanor. Success seemed to follow him like a shadow, always by his side.
Abir was the owner of a startup company that had been established a couple of years ago. The company had already made a name for itself and was growing rapidly in terms of both employees and revenue.
After successfully completing a major project, there hadn't been any significant tasks for a while. The smaller projects were handled by his juniors, while Abir took care of the larger ones himself.
Today, he had a meeting with Chowdhury Group & Sons, a large advertising film production company. The deal was worth a substantial amount, so Abir decided to handle the negotiations personally. He needed to secure this project.
Abir emerged from the bathroom, draped in a towel. He stood in front of the mirror and examined himself. His muscles were still in good shape, showing no signs of fatigue from his hard work. Abir knew that his well-toned body was a major attraction for women. He believed that money, looks, and charm were the keys to winning over women. However, he was unaware that not all women were swayed by these attributes. Some women were drawn to kindness and sincerity, not just material wealth or physical appearance.
Abir put on his favorite blazer-shirt and pants in front of the mirror. He applied Armani's Stronger With You aftershave, which he had imported from abroad for nearly 4000 rupees. He styled his hair with foreign hair wax and sprayed on an expensive perfume.
Once ready, Abir went downstairs for breakfast. He instructed his driver to bring the car around and quickly ate a light breakfast. Then, after making a call to his manager, he left for the office in his BMW.
The car's air conditioning provided relief from the sweltering heat of Kolkata in mid-June. Abir loved this city; he was born and raised here. Kolkata had always been there for him, even when everyone else turned their backs on him. The city had given him everything, and he had never forgotten that.
"Sir, your phone is ringing," said the driver, breaking Abir's thoughts.
Abir looked at his new iPhone screen and saw a name flashing—"Trina Calling."
He picked up the phone and spoke in a deep voice, "Yes, Trina?"
"Are you busy, Abir?" Trina asked from the other end of the line.
"Not too busy, I'm on my way to the office. What's up?" Abir replied.
"Can we meet today?" Trina asked.
"Why? Is there a problem?" Abir inquired.
"I'll tell you when we meet."
"I have a meeting later today. I'll call you after it's over."
"No need to call me; just come straight to our house."
"Which house? Your parents' or your in-laws'?" Abir asked.
"Raktim's house, now you understand."
"Alright, I understand. I'll come."
"Okay then, bye."
"Bye."
Abir hung up and pondered the entire way to the office—"What's going on today? Why did Trina suddenly call me? What's happening?"
Trina was his college friend and Raktim's wife. Their love story began in their first year of college, and they got married after graduation. Trina also had a three-year-old son.
Abir entered his office and went straight to his cabin. He instructed his secretary, Priya, to bring him a cup of coffee. Abir had arrived at the office half an hour before the meeting was scheduled to start. Now, all he had to do was wait for them to arrive. He continued to review some important documents while waiting.
(To be continued)