The Seven Phases Of Marriage

27. Vacation

"Be ready by 4 pm," Siddharth said, walking towards his car.

"Are we going out?" Avni asked with a bright smile.

"Not exactly. I'll teach you driving," He answered, getting into the car while she bid him bye.

Avni blushed, recalling her teenage fantasies. She had numerous opportunities and situations to learn driving. Still, she chose to wait for the special someone to teach her. Learning to drive from her husband always seemed intriguing and romantic. 

Moreover, Avni admired the ladies who drove. She loved the idea of having control over something. Making instantaneous important decisions and feeling powerful, even if it's as small as driving, thrilled her.

--

"Woah! What's up, bro?" Gaurav grinned, walking into Siddharth's cabin and occupying a seat opposite him.

"What?" Siddharth frowned, playing with a click pen and smiling to himself.

"You seem super happy. Where are you lost?" Gaurav teased, fully aware of the answer, propping a few files against his desk for signatures.

"Just a good day," Siddharth ended the discussion, going through the files and signing them wherever required.

"You have four meetings-three before noon and one at 3 pm, a lunch with Mr. Knight and his team, and regular design section monitoring. You're free by 3:45 pm," Gaurav read out the schedule and placed it on the desk.

"No wonder you're still single!" Siddharth sighed, closing a file after being done studying it.

"Why am I rewarded with such a great compliment?" Gaurav frowned.

"You're engaging my complete time," Siddharth whined, hoping for a way out sooner, but he knew it was impossible. Every hour today is tightly packed, and all meetings were necessary.

"I did that before, too," Gaurav remarked.

"Please, bro. You're my PA. Don't ruin my reputation being a dumbass," Siddharth said, shaking his head.

Gaurav's eyes diverted to the keychain on his table, and his tube light finally lit up. "Haha! I see someone special is waiting for you. Will keep that in mind starting tomorrow."

Siddharth laughed, responding, "You better. My wife might as well give you a long class if you don't."

Gaurav joined, laughing along with him. "That, I am sure. Avni might as well twist my ears and punish me with sit-ups." He met her a few times when he visited their house for Siddharth's signatures and instantly bonded with her. She became the sweet little sister he never had.

The rest of the day had been hectic as planned, and he couldn't call Avni even during lunch hour. He killed time robotically, waiting for his clock to magically strike at 4 pm.

"The Carter Industries CEO needs an immediate meeting. It'll be an hour-long," Gaurav rushed into his cabin at 3:30 pm and informed the news.

"It's already time for me to leave. Postpone," Siddharth scowled. He had been counting every minute to go home.

"Mr. Carter is already here to close this deal and he spotted you downstairs," Gaurav sighed.

Siddharth paced into the conference room and shook hands with a tall, lean man in his early thirties. "Glad to meet you, Mr. Carter! I have some important work now, and the meeting will be postponed."

"Are you kidding me? It's fucking three billion dollars," Carter yelled in anger, losing his temper. Siddharth's presence was intimidating, yet he didn't care in his own frustration.