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Gauri, a young village girl holding firm views about morals a...
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Vasundhara groans as she settles herself in a rocking chair and sighs. Her hand immediately reached to caress the bulging belly and feel the kicking baby. The child had been hyperactive today. It might be due to hearing so many voices for the first time or the melodious folk songs sung during the function. She had a lovely day as well. The females showered her with sweet blessings and gifts for the coming prince or princess.
But as the sun went down, exhaustion started kicking in once again. Vasundhara rolled her shoulders and lightly pressed the base of her stomach to relieve some tension in her back muscles due to the baby's weight. Her feet were swollen like that of an elephant. Ambika had assured that after dinner she would arrive with a massage oil. Hopefully, it will provide the required relief.
The door to the master chamber opens and her husband waltzs in with a small plastic bottle in his hand. Her eyebrows shot up in surprise because she scarcely sees him before going to bed these days. Raghuveer barely had any time to spare in the evenings due to Rajyavardhan's approaching retirement. He usually comes after midnight and leaves the bed before dawn.
"Hey."
Vasundhara greets with a small smile. Her eyes drooped lazily with tiredness. Raghuveer comes closer and bends to place a peck on her forehead.
"Hi. How was your day? I heard today was a success. Did you get a chance to talk with Mrs. Raina?" He asked while pulling a stool and settling in front of her. Lifting her foot, he places it on his thigh and starts massaging the base. Vasundhara immediately moans in relief and lazily stretches.
"Hmm. She arrived with her daughter much later than the others. Although she tried to hide it, the woman was troubled. Some females were gossiping about the poor state of her husband's position. Their company is about to go bankrupt. With the introduction of cheap marble, tiles and various other stones, the business of Italian white marble is suffering a lot. The amount of consumers is dropping rapidly since the requirement for such fine marble has gotten limited to the floors of rich folk. Let us not forget the economic distress faced by the country. Many businesses are getting affected."
Raghuveer hums.
"What do you think? When should we strike?"
A thoughtful moment passed before Vasundhara started again. The businesswoman in her emerged.
"We must offer him a partnership at the end of this season. Remember, the offer should be so tempting that he can't deny it."
"Partnership? I thought we were taking over his company."
Vasundhara shook her head.
"I've met that man once. He doesn't seem like someone who will easily give away his assets. His royal background wouldn't let him bend the knee. He will suffer but eventually rise due to the increasing price of stones in the coming time. We should offer a partnership with the condition of expanding the business globally. The man will bite that deal happily. Moreover, with your father's retirement, you will be burdened with additional responsibilities to look out for another venture. At this point, you need loyal shoulders to count upon. Mr. Raina could be one of them. With everyone ready to pounce on his livelihood at this hard time, if you'll offer a helping hand, he will forever be indebted. His wife and I had the same conversation and she seemed intrigued. Don't be surprised if you get a call tomorrow."
