The Bucket List

Chapter-28

"-our organization certainly needs more funding therefore we must –

"Find another solution to help them?" I interrupt in front of people with presidential powers and other executives. Maya looks at me despised.

"Yes." The chief says. "Is there any alternative you could think of?" he asks quite pleased.

"Uh yes, I do." I clear my throat. "The current subject we are dealing with; clearly we don't have enough funds to make private donations and planning a fundraiser will take longer. And that small industry has rare techniques of designing clothes which are confined in a small place."

My voice came clear in the boardroom. Everyone listened carefully. "What if we convince the owners to sell their small industry to a big company?"

"Care to elaborate," Karthik asked.

"We have our tie-ups with exclusive companies. Maheshvari Textiles is one of them. It buys the industry and expands its production. We help them without violating our restrictions and Maheshvari Textiles gets the cheapest traditional art which in turn gains us a good commission on providing them with great work and skilled labor."

By the time I completed the looks of people in the room had turned to a ghastly expression. They looked at each other, at Karthik, at me. Is my idea that superb they are speechless? I put almost all the economics that I studied to date.

Karthik's expression was hard to read. It was stormy calm.

"Well, we must think about this idea. I'll talk to the CEO about this." The board says.

"Excuse me." Karthik moves out of the boardroom without giving any sign if he was pleased with the idea.

The meeting disperses.

I find Karthik on his desk looking out of the window.

"Hey," I say.

"Hi."

I nod and sit down. "You didn't say anything."

"What did you want me to say?"

"Anything proud."

He sighs and runs his hand through his hair. Every boy does that?

"Silent treatment?"

"Want to go somewhere calm?" he asks.

"Is something wrong? You know you can always talk to me."

"Come." He pulls me out and into his car.

"Where are we heading?" he continues to drive. He doesn't look at me and doesn't even say anything. So I continue to irritate him.

I sit cross-legged with my shoes on, on his car seat, and then turn to his side to watch his face. He closes his eyes for a brief second, maybe asking for more patience while I continue to piss him off by playing with his hair.

I'm enjoying it. He still doesn't laugh.

"Fine," I murmur and turn and towards the window.

His left hand crawls on my thigh after some time and rests there.

He parks his car outside a park. It's almost empty and calm with birds chirping around. I sit on one of the swings nearby a banyan tree eagerly and patiently waiting for a conversation while he buys lollipops and cotton candies.

"These are my all-time favorites." He gives me one of each.

"You indeed don't just want me to sit here with me and eat candies. Do you?" I ask putting the lollipop inside my mouth. My lips and tongue turn red as I eat them.