It's love, isn't it?

5. Designs Leaked

Kunj's POV

Evening of the same day, i.e. Award function

Oh god! I'm so tired of all these congratulations accompanied with fake smiles. Do these people seriously think that I'm a mindless fool to believe that my business rivals are happy that I won this award........Huh sure....certainly more than half of the people over here would be more than willing to kill me, provided it would help them win this, The Best Businessman Award.

"Congratulations Mr. Sarna. I must say it isn't common to see a young gentleman such as yourself get such big awards", said an old man, raising his hand for a handshake, whose name I can't quite recall, with a wide and visibly forced grin. He was one of my business partners or maybe perhaps one of my business rivals. Well, by the way he was grinning, I am quite certain that he isn't one of the partners.

"Thanks a lot, sir.", I said taking his hand in mine and giving it a shake. He left after smiling once again.

I wish Alisha was here. At least her presence would have made this utterly boring party a bit bearable. Well since she isn't coming, I'd rather find Rahul, my best friend, and CFO, Chief Financial Officer of the company, and make sure the presentation I had to give before the ceremony and the contract containing the designs of the software for which I was getting the award, were ready.

 We have known each other since our birth, quite literally. Surprising huh?

Actually, his parents and my parents were family friends. Both our parents passed away, due to a plane crash, while returning home from a short trip to Goa. I was 14 at that time, but I still remember that day like it was just yesterday when the dreadful phone call came, telling me that my parents' plane had crashed. Dad was the CEO of Sarna group of industries and mom was the President and Rajiv uncle, the CFO. So, they had all gone to Goa, along with Shruti aunty, Rahul's mother, for inspection of the land they had bought to open a new branch of our company there.

Since Rahul and I had our final exams, they didn't take us with them. I remember how angry I was with them for not taking me along. Hell, I didn't even say a proper goodbye......I still remember the sadness in mom's eyes when I didn't hug her back. I regret not wishing them a safe journey. I regret not telling them to come back fast. I regret not hugging them while I had a chance. I regret not talking to them whenever they called from Goa. I regret that my last words to them weren't about how much I love them, rather they were how much I hate them for leaving me and going for a vacation.

Regret may be a short six-letter word........and yet it stretches on forever.

Had it not been for dadi, then I would never have come out of the pain of losing my parents. It's not that now I don't feel the pain of losing them......it's just that now that pain is not the only thing I feel. Since Rahul, who was 12 at that time didn't have any close relatives, dadi took him in and he became the brother I never had. She made sure to get us professional help from a counselor to prevent us from going into depression. Had it not been for her, I would not have become the person I'm now, a person who mom and dad can look at from heaven and tell their friends over there with a proud smile, "Look! He is my son". My dadi is the one person who I love the most in the world. Well, we do argue sometimes, but...

"Thank god I found you. I have been looking for you since eternity", shouted Rahul, pulling me out of my reverie.

"I was just..."

"We have a really big problem. The hard copy of software designs which we had to present today have been leaked.", said Rahul and that's when all hell broke loose.

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Hi friends🙋‍♀️

Thanks for all the votes and comments on the previous chapter. I tried to write a longer chapter this time. Do share your views and don't forget to vote.