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CHAPTER – 1
That was a beautiful pleasant evening in Chennai….Cool breeze was blowing and birds where flying everywhere making peculiar sounds… Few people realized it and many of them where in a hurry to get to their destinations.…The cool breeze started to change the mood of Pranav who was irritated by the Chennai traffic, sitting in his Audi car .He is accompanied by his mom Parvathi and his dad Shiva.
Parvathi told to her son angrily ”When will we reach to the marriage hall? It is already late now! All because of you only…. You know well that we will get hold in traffic then also you returned late from office today!!!”
Pranav again got back to his irritating mood and replied”Ma… please understand that I had work fully today, but still I am coming for this marriage for your sake only ma…. And please keep quiet we will reach the hall as soon as possible” His father also told “Don’t scold him paru we are nearing the hall”
Pranav’s family has done business for many generations. He is doing a software business in Chennai, and sometimes takes care of his father’s business as well.
It was the marriage of his distant relative. But still his mom pressured him to come to the marriage, because she was seeing for a bride for her only son Pranav, who is not interested in that.
She often used to tell that “When you come to these kind of marriages only I can show you to our realtive’s and find a good bride for you son”. He asked for some more months for his marriage but his parents where not ready for that. Anyways he has to give in!! 😛
Now let’s see what’s happening in marriage hall. Pranav was greeted by his relatives well, as he was rich and doing good in business also . He didn’t like this kind of attraction and fake affection towards him.
He said to his dad that he wants to be alone, and went to the balcony of the hall and sat there quietly. The view from balcony was pretty much clear of what is happening in the hall and he was just wandering his eyes around.
From there he saw a girl may be in her early twenties sitting in one corner of the hall silently. She was quite beautiful in a simple designer sari, without much make-up and most interestingly she was very quiet and didn’t talk to any one! Though few girls of her age came and spoke to her she didn’t speak to them for long time.
He noticed that she was not happy and she had some sorrow within her. He was not sure, it may be his imagination also, but it was running in his mind as he couldn’t take his eyes from her.
After sometime she left to the dining hall, Pranav also asked his parents to accompany him to the dining hall as he found something interesting about the girl and continued to follow her.
Soon after finishing his dinner, she left the hall in an auto-rickshaw. While going to sleep also,he continued to think as why this girl was very different from other girls. But due to his hectic work throughoutthe day he fell asleep soon.
Next day was as usual he got ready for his office. After entering office,he called his secretary Arun and asked “Good Morning Arun, What is the schedule for the day?”
Arun replied ”We had junior programmer interview yesterday, for which you have to interview the candidate in final round and we have a meeting with the new client post lunch”. Pranav asked him to send the senior HR manager to the conference room where the final round will be conducted.
He then started the interview after discussing the details with the HR manager. After interviewing about 6-7 persons , he called in for the next person to come in.
He was scanning the resume of the upcoming person, when he heard a knock on the door and a soft voice which said, “Excuse Sir, May I come in?” He and his manager told a “Yes” together and he looked up to the person and was pretty much excited to see the same girl who was pondering his mind yesterday night.
Quickly to get her name , he saw her resume which read her name as “Prathiksha”! He was just staring at her and meanwhile HR manager asked her to sit down, and started with the usual interview questions.
She spoke softly but firmly and was very clear in her all answers. Pranav didn’t ask her any questions and was collecting info about her from her resume. After sometime HR manager was quite satisfied with her performance but to get Pranav’s consent also told “Nice talking to you Prathiksha, we will get back to you in a couple of days”.
Prathiksha left the room with a “thank you sir” and HR manger asked Pranav’s consent about recruiting her. Pranav was quite blank for few moments because he didn’t listen to what she was speaking, so told him “If you are satisfied with her performance, recruit her and am ok with it!” and started dreaming about how Prathiksha is going to work in his office and was happy that he can see her daily.
He didn’t know that destiny has different plan for him and all things are not going to go on according to his wishes!!
That night, Pranav started to think about his feelings for Pratiksha. He was not sure whether it was love or lust but he was very much clear that he couldn’t resist his feelings for her!! He slept thinking that, he has to get clear within himself first, then talk to her about this.
The next day, he asked Arun to send offer letters in mails for those who have been selected in yesterday’s interview, telling them to join after 2 days. He was fully engrossed in work for the those days that he had little amount of time to think about Pratiksha.
Quite opposite Pratiksha, was free sitting in her small apartment balcony. Herwas having peaceful mind after 3 months, because these 3 months she was working in night shifts for a call-centre. Her health was not coping with her, and she fell ill often. Now after 3 months of search she got a decent job, though in a small firm.
**************************Day of joining for Pratiksha***********************************
Pratiksha was somewhat tensed and trying to keep herself relaxed from morning. She reached the office on time and was waiting with other colleagues who got selected with her. At that time Pranav crossed her and went to his cabin.
Pranav noticed Pratiksha sitting there with other new-joiners. He decided to hold the induction program himself, by which he can know more about her. He called for Arun and said “Hi Arun,Today’s induction program for new-joiners will be conducted by me at 10.30 sharp, make arrangements for that!”
Arun replied “But we have to attend the client video-conference call at 11.00 AM Pranav” . Pranav told “Ok for first 1 hour I will take the induction meeting, then ask any HR person to continue. Start the meeting at 10.00 AM itself! I will be there in meeting room in few minutes” Pranav doesn’t want to miss the chance of seeing her; Arun went away puzzled for his boss’s behavior
At the meeting room all new joiners where seated in front of Pranav, who first introduced himself and his company’s travel over the few years. Then came time for self-introduction for the new-joiners. Pranav told “It’s time for you people to speak about yourselves now, just give a self-intro about yourselves”. All new-joiners started to give their introduction-their family,schooling,graduation,hobbies etc. After 5 persons, it was time for our Pratiksha to give her self-intro.
She started in a hard and firm voice “Hi everyone! Am Pratiksha, from Cuddalore (District in Tamil-Nadu).I did my schooling in Sai Guru School in cuddalore. I did my engineering in RRR College in Chennai. My hobbies are painting and listening to music. That’s all from me”. Pranav couldn’t understand why she didn’t disclose anything about her family and finished her self-intro so shortly.
He starred at her confused and asked “But Pratiksha you didn’t say anything about your family, your ambition, your place of stay etc.?” Pratiksha was hesitant for few second but without letting any feelings in her tone and starring at Pranav in his eyes replied “ I am an Orphan!!!”
Pranav was saddened by these words… Pratiksha continued “I was born and brought up in Sai Guru Ashram in Cuddalore, and id my schooling up to tenth standard there. As I was good in academic I was moved to main branch of the Ashram in Chennai, since I could get good schooling! After got good marks in 12th standard I got scholarship and did my engineering with help from few NGOs. My ambition is to bring up children like me and who don’t have the money to study, with good education!! Now am presently staying in KK Nagar alone in an apartment…. Is this enough Sir?”
For few seconds everyone in the room were dumbstruck but it followed with quite few claps and smile on everyone. The way Pratiksha portrayed herself impressed everyone. Not to tell separately, Pranav was also impressed and it brought a respect on her too.
But he also felt bad for her, because she didn’t have parent’s love as he was always showered by his parents. But he decided that he will take care of her well for throughout his life and shower all his love over her….. Suddenly he realized that he has indeed fallen for her!!! Pranav started to think how come he can get closer to her and left the meeting room, to attend client’s call…
After that day till weekend everything went quite well, as Pranav doesn’t know how to approach her!! On Sunday, Pratiksha saw Pranav with a group of girls laughing aloud in marina beach and playing with them!!!