The Wedding Whisperer

Chapter 2 The Office Meeting

Akshara handed the car keys to the valet attendant as she stepped out of her car in front of Abhimanyu's office building. It had been three days since the engagement party, and she needed to present the plan and logistics for the upcoming events to Anisha's brother.

He didn't care about the party themes or the type of event, but he wanted to ensure the guests were well-treated and everything went smoothly, especially regarding food and entertainment.

Initially, she was annoyed at having to explain everything again, but she knew it wouldn't hurt to get him off her back. Maybe if she answered all his questions and addressed his concerns, he would let her manage the events as planned.

Following the instructions to his office on the top floor, she stepped out of the elevator into an open area as spacious as the lobby. The glass walls offered a stunning view of the city as the sun set over the distant hills.

"The view is amazing at this time of day," a woman's voice interrupted her thoughts.

"You must be Akshara."

Akshara smiled at the older lady, who seemed to be in her fifties, as she approached the desk.

"Yes, I'm here to see Mr. Birla."

The older lady laughed.

"Don't call him that, sweetheart. He's not a fan of formalities. You can call him by his first name; he prefers it."

But I prefer to call him Mr. Birla, even if it annoys him.

Akshara bit back a smile and said, "I will remember that."

"Can I get you something to drink? Abhimanyu should be done with his meeting shortly."

"Thank you for asking, but I'm fine."

Akshara sat in a chair that gave her the best view of the city. As she looked at the tall buildings, her thoughts drifted back to her search for her family—a connection her instincts told her was out there, but she had yet to find them despite hiring multiple private investigators.

She grew up in an orphanage in another state and had moved to this city for work, but she longed to return to where she grew up, hoping to find a relative.

Her attention snapped back when a door to her right opened, and her eyes met the dark brown ones of the man she wasn't looking forward to conversing with. She knew where he would have concerns with her plan and hoped she was prepared.

He surprised her by nodding and saying, "I'm sorry to keep you waiting, but I need a few more minutes."

"Not a problem, Mr. Birla," she said out of habit, seeing the look of disappointment in his eyes, which gave her a cheap thrill. She realized how much he disliked being addressed formally.

He handed the woman behind the desk an envelope and said, "Please make sure this gets to Singapore tomorrow."

The older woman nodded. "Consider it done. And I left all the details for your meetings tomorrow on your desk."

"Kamala ma'am, enjoy your days off," he chuckled, then turned to Akshara. "I will be ready to meet in five minutes."

Akshara nodded and looked at the older woman, who was looking at her disapprovingly.

"You need to stop calling him Mr. Birla. He doesn't like formalities."

Akshara smiled. "Did I just hear him address you as ma'am?"

The older woman laughed. "It's an old habit. You should know I was his high school teacher, and he chose to call me Kamala ma'am instead of Mrs. Sharma like he did back then."