Upto Chance

Part 8

In the car, Karanveer was on a call, his frustration evident as he spoke sternly with his team. Ragini sat beside him, listening and sighing quietly. Dhruv, his executive assistant, sat in the front seat, sweating nervously as Karanveer's anger mounted.

"How hard is it to follow simple instructions? We went over this in detail, Get it sorted immediately!" Karanveer snapped, his voice sharp.

As he ended the call, Ragini couldn't hold back any longer. "Stop feeling so frustrated about everything," she said, her tone firm yet calm.

Karanveer turned his head sharply towards her, anger flaring in his eyes. He was about to retort, but stopped short as he met her stern glare. For a moment, they locked eyes, her steady gaze silencing his anger.

As the silence stretched on, Ragini decided to break it. "You know, shouting at your team isn't going to make them work faster," 

Karanveer turned his head towards her, his frustration evident. "Oh really? Do you have a better suggestion, Ms. Know-It-All?"

Ragini raised an eyebrow. "How about you try not to lose your temper every five minutes? Might help them think more clearly."

Karanveer let out a sarcastic laugh. "Sure, because dealing with incompetence calmly is the magical solution. Aur koi gyan ke moti hai tumhare pass?"

"Plenty," Ragini shot back. "For starters, maybe stop treating everyone like they're out to get you. Trust a bit more. Not everyone is as incompetent as you think."

"Trust?" Karanveer scoffed. "That's rich coming from someone who doesn't know the pressure of handling an entire business."

"And you think I don't know pressure?" Ragini's eyes flashed. "Try managing a grumpy husband who's always on edge, dealing with his moods, and keeping the household running smoothly. All while pretending everything is perfectly fine."

Karanveer opened his mouth to retort but stopped, a thoughtful look crossing his face. He looked away, his anger ebbing slightly. "It's just... hard. Everything feels like it's spiraling out of control."

He didn't say anything more after that, and neither did she. The silence stretched, Ragini glanced at him, giving a small smile, and Karanveer caught it from the corner of his eye.

Dhruv, sensing the shift in the car's atmosphere, sneaked another glance, but quickly looked away when he saw Karanveer's glare. 

The tension in the car was palpable, but Ragini's presence seemed to have a calming effect on Karanveer, even if only slightly.

—--------

They reached the office, and Ragini helped Karanveer out of the car and into his wheelchair. As they moved through the building, people gave curious glances; it was the first time Ragini had been there. She paid no attention to the onlookers, focusing solely on Karanveer.

When they arrived at his cabin, they found Arjun already seated and waiting for them. Arjun quickly briefed Karanveer on everything that had happened in his absence. Ragini listened attentively, her concern for Karanveer apparent.

"Wait for me here while I attend the board meeting," Karanveer said to Ragini, his tone firm but softened by a hint of gratitude.

"Alright," Ragini replied, nodding as settled in.

Karanveer called Dhruv, who entered the room promptly. "Dhruv, arrange some refreshments for Ragini," he instructed.

Dhruv nodded and left to fulfill the request. Arjun gave Ragini a reassuring smile before following Karanveer out, leaving her alone in the office.