Enduring Ally

Chapter 48 : Holding on to The Promise

Zoya woke up with a smile as she had a good sleep after so long and the past months have been so hard for her to sleep. She called her friend and checked how things are going over there and once she felt everything was fine. She got ready for the conference with her usual formal suit and as she tied her hair into a bun. She heard a knock on the door.

She yelled, "Coming..." and after a few seconds, she opened the door. Vinoth was standing in his formal light grey suit and a flower in his hand. "What are you doing here? And what's with this flower?" Zoya asked as she let him inside and closing the door behind him.

"Well... I thought of taking you to the breakfast before the conference begins and this flower is for you, Milady..." Vinoth said with a grin. Zoya glared at him and said, "Thank you... but no thanks... Vinoth... I don't want to do anything with you... If you're going to act weirdly like this..."

Vinoth gave hearty laugh and said, "Hey... This flower is just to cheer you up... I know and I remember... I know how hard it must be for you to be back on this hotel... I was thinking about how you would feel about being here all alone... That's why I came up early to check up on you..." His smiling face has turned into worried look.

Zoya opened her mouth and closed it and then said, "On the contrary, I had a good sleep... Last night, I don't know someone played my favorite tune and I slept peacefully to that lullaby..." Vinoth looked at her and he can see difference in her face. "Well... then thanks to that someone who helped you to have a good sleep... So, can we go for breakfast? I'm pretty starving..." Vinoth asked as he dropped the flower inside the lampshade.

"Hey... I thought that flower was for me..." Zoya said with a smirk. "I brought that flower thinking that you might need it, to cheer up... But you already found your consonance to cheer up..." Vinoth said as he took Zoya by her hand and walked out of her room.

After breakfast, Zoya and Vinoth entered the conference hall and a person came to them to help them find their table. Zoya and Vinoth took their seats and looked at the agenda in front of them. Vinoth said, "Zoya... Look at the back... So many reputed audit firms are participating in this conference". Zoya nodded but brushed him off and she didn't check the name of the firms.

                                      ***

Aditya had slept on the balcony with the guitar. He woke up to a yell "Coming" from the next room and looked around then he stood up and kept the guitar on the table. He got ready for the conference and texted Prem that he'll meet him in the conference hall.

Aditya entered the conference hall and looked around all the tables and find Prem  already sitting in the front on a table and he joined him. Just two tables away from Zoya's, Prem greeted him and asked as Aditya took his seat, "Did you have your breakfast?" Aditya sighed and said, "I don't feel like having anything, Uncle. I just want this conference to end as soon as possible" and his eyes lay on the agenda.

"This conference is one and an half a day long... And you have to attend it, Aditya... And you're supposed to give the closing speech as we are No.1 audit firm..." Prem said. "Uncle... I'm not up to this... And I don't have any speech ready... Can you please take care of this closing speech and just leave me out of this..." Aditya said. "Aditya... You have whole evening to prepare a speech... Come on..." Prem said.

Aditya sighed and said, "No Uncle... Please I can't..." He trailed off as someone from behind called "Aditya". Chillness spread run over Zoya's spine when she heard "Aditya's" name. She frantically looked around for Aditya. But she can't see him anywhere and finally her eyes land on two people who was standing and talking to each other.