CHAPTER 9: A helping hand
Gauri was sitting on the bench in the hotel lawn…. The workers were removing the decorations and her team guiding them…. This was the place that was going to fulfill the biggest project her company had received…. This place was going to fulfill her dream…. She had worked day and night to make this the best wedding and the most beautiful day for the Oberois and Kapoors…. She had earned so much appreciation from everyone from the family for her work…. They had enjoyed so much through all the various functions…. Even the great Shivaay Singh Oberoi had complimented her choice…. A very rare instance when he complimented someone and their work…. She was so happy…. Her team was working hard and she did not wish to let their efforts go in vain so she kept a check on everything…. And when finally the day had arrived…. What was she doing…. Supervising her team to take back everything…. All their efforts had paid nothing to them…. She had planned so much for the company’s future and decided to give bonus to her employees…. But now nothing seemed to be happening according to her plans…. Everything had come to a halt the minute she had seen Tia lying there in a pool of blood…. That horrific scene flashed in front of her every time she closed her eyes…. Why was she the first one to witness this…. Why did her jhumka fall there…. Why did she become one of the suspects…. What would happen to her dreams…. What if this affects her work and clients stop trusting her…. What if her employees leave because they think that she is a murderer…. No…. This could not happen…. She could not let her dream get devastated…. She could not let things slip from her hands….
She was lost in her thoughts when she felt a hand on her shoulder…. She looked at the hand and then at the owner of the hand…. She saw Soumya standing there looking at her with a worried face…. After a long time she had seen a worry for her in someone’s eyes…. Soumya had joined just three months back and yet Gauri had liked her work so much that she had asked Soumya to assist her in this very important project…. What would Soumya say to her…. Did she also doubt her…. Thoughts like this made Gauri more worried…. She could not stop herself from thinking all this….
Soumya: Ma’am, please do not stress yourself so much. Everything will become fine; we all will get through this together.
Gauri looked at her surprised…. Soumya did not know her well yet she believed her and came here to lift her moral…. She was happy to get people like Soumya in her company and her life…. Soumya passed a smile to her and she smiled back…. Gauri gestured her to sit beside her…. Soumya sat quietly…. There were minutes of silence after which Gauri spoke….
Gauri: We plan so much in life and yet life changes all our plans and does what she has planned.
Soumya: That is why it is said that life is so unpredictable. We do not know what will happen the next moment.
Gauri: We had come here to organize a wedding and see, what we are doing now. I had thought that this would take our company to the top but….
Soumya: Ma’am please don’t think like this. I am sure one day our company will be on the top, we all will work hard to reach there.
Gauri: Honestly speaking Soumya, I do not know if this company would run also or not. Clients, employees and people would be thinking that the owner is a murderer.
Soumya: No ma’am, no one will think like this. We all know you very well, and we all trust you.
Gauri: Thank you Soumya for saying this but you may trust me, but what about the others. Soon the media will know everything and then our company’s name will be dragged in all controversies. What will we do then?
Soumya: Then let us prove them that you are innocent and that you did not do any crime.
Gauri looked at her surprised…. She could see trust and determination in Soumya’s eyes…. She would really do anything to prove her innocent…. Soumya was very sure when she said those words to her boss…. She did not get much time to learn how Gauri was but whatever she had known from her colleagues she knew that this company was Gauri’s dream come true and that she had worked day and night to make it true…. She had worked with her throughout this wedding and had herself seen how much Gauri valued her work and everyone’s efforts…. Gauri may scold them many a times but she was also very kind and helpful…. She trusted her a lot just like Gauri trusted her employees…. She would not let this dream of hers collapse…. The company’s name and reputation was at stake and she would not back down from supporting her boss…. This was the time when they had to be her strength….
Gauri: I don’t know what to say. Thank you so much Soumya.
Soumya: Ma’am, this is my duty, I am sure even you would have done the same for any of us.
Gauri: Di….
Soumya: I did not understand ma’am.
Gauri: I mean don’t call me ma’am, call me Di. Whatever you said and the trust you have on me, it feels like my sister is talking to me, so from now on you will call me Di.
Soumya: But how I can call you Di, I mean….
Gauri: It is my order.
Gauri smiled at her and she smiled back….
Soumya: Okay Di. Now we have an important task to do, we have to do something to find who killed Tia ma’am.
Gauri: But what will we do, the police are already investigating and Shivaay Sir even arranged a lawyer to solve the case.
Soumya: Police will do their work according to their way, and Shivaay sir will do things only to save his family. In both ways, no one will help us; we only have to do something for ourselves.
Gauri: You are right, but where do we start? We know nothing, why would someone kill Tia ma’am?
Soumya: For that first we have to know about her life, her past, present, whatever we can get.
Gauri: How will we find that, if we ask her family or the Oberois, no one will tell us anything?
Soumya gave a smile…. Gauri looked at her confused…. Why was Soumya smiling…. She thought to herself….
Gauri: Why are you smiling like this?
Soumya: Actually, I know some hacking so we can gather some information about her.
Gauri: You know hacking, but how?
Soumya: I learnt some basics while I was in college. We can do some research about her, maybe we will get some clues.
Gauri: Then let us start after everything is wrapped up here.
Soumya: Okay.
They looked at each other…. Passed a smile and resumed their works…. They were not sisters by blood but they had become sisters by heart…. Relations do not need to be made by blood but can be made by emotions and feelings…. All you need is some love, some care, some trust and some affection…. When you let the other person feel safe and secure with you, then great bonds are formed…. Bonds those are unbreakable…. Soumya and Gauri had also started a journey that was going to bring many changes in their lives….
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They both were unaware of the fact that someone had heard their entire conversation…. Rudra had come to check up the work in the lawn when he saw Gauri and Soumya discussing something…. He thought to ask Gauri about the work when he heard their talk…. He did not want to disturb them and after they walked away, he too walked back to his room…. He was thinking about what Soumya had said about the investigation…. She was right the police would do work according to their ways and his Bhaiya would only try and defend their family name and reputation…. But who would help Gauri and Soumya…. Soumya was right; they had to do something to save their company name….
He was thinking if they would be able to do anything…. Should he help them…. But why will they accept his help…. He belonged to the family that did not go well with many people…. Although Oberois was a big name, he knew the reality too…. People who were good to them were only because of their own profits…. No one actually cared about them…. All that was known to the world was a façade…. Behind that were truths that no one wanted to disclose…. Although he never showed that he cared or understood all this, but deep down even he knew the false façade his family had been wearing for years…. He also knew that there were secrets kept hidden in his family…. They were an ideal family to the world but inside the four walls of the house they lived a completely different life…. The younger generation had immense love and care for each other…. The elders were completely opposite of them…. What if this murder of Tia would break that facade and as the investigation would precede their family secrets would come to the open…. His Shivaay Bhaiya had worked day and night to keep up the family name and keep their reputation intact…. He could not let his Bhaiya’s hard work go in vain…. He had to do something and he had thought what he would do…. He walked out of his room and back to the lawn….
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Soumya and Gauri were busy explaining the workers when Rudra came there…. He walked up to Soumya and she was surprised to see him….
Soumya: Sir, you here, do you need any help?
Rudra: I need to talk to you.
Before Soumya could say anything…. Rudra held her hand and walked to the other side…. Soumya was shocked by his behavior…. Gauri also saw this and was surprised…. She was about to interfere but Soumya gestured her that she would handle…. Rudra walked ahead Soumya did not know how to get her out of his hold…. As they walked people around them talked to each other seeing them…. Rudra did not pay attention to them while Soumya felt embarrassed….
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AUTHOR’S NOTE: Hello my dear friend, I hope you all are doing well. Do read the chapter and let me know your views on the developing bond of Gauri and Soumya.
Keep reading, commenting and smiling !!!!