27th August, Umbro Technologies
Dressed in a white high neck sleeveless top paired up with tan wide-legged pants and a blazer with matching block heels, her hair flowing freely reaching her swaying hips hugged her curves, and her deep black eyes with dimpled cheeks and sharp nose gave an exquisite glow of confidence.Seated at the round black table surrounded by empty chairs in the brown-colored chamber set with the classic ambiance, she sifted through her notes. "Where were they?" Tanvi looked around, there was no trace of them.Her twirling fingers brushed across the nameplate and a contented smile settled on her face as she gazed at her designation, Program Analyst and Design Engineer.With the delay, she got bored and opened her drafts to work on her designs. Soon she's styling and sketching them on the blue chart absorbed in ink and movement while losing herself in the world of her passion."If I proceed at this pace, I'll soon establish my fashion brand. Woah!!!" She dabbed her shoulder with a proud smile.Soon enough, her colleague Marina came into the room, "Come on, Tanvi. It's already 05:00 PM."Tanvi stared at her and her deep black eyes rolled onto her fossil watch. "Oops. I didn't check it." She tapped her forehead while giving her usual dazzling smile.Another voice from behind said, "Ms. Workaholic. Wrap it up." Tanvi gave a helpless smile, and the three started going out.On the way down the office, viewing the empty floor, "Everybody left?" Tanvi arched one brow questioningly."It's happy hour today, so they all left." She nodded."Let's have a mocha?" Catherine asked while involved on her phone."Yeah. I need it the most.""Um. I need to wave goodbye, my boyfriend is waiting," said Marina while waving to her faraway boyfriend dramatically making them giggle at her antics.Glancing at each other, they added, "enjoy."Their tracks stopped nearby Starbucks, which was full of customers. The chattering and laughter, in addition to the caffeine, eased her. They occupied an open two-seater table and began sipping their mocha.While keeping her hands on her cheeks, glancing at the beautiful sky with the orange-red shade, Tanvi stated, "The climate looks good today.""Yeah. You look a little, umm... distracted maybe?"Her lips pressed into a thin line and an irritated look occupied her once cheery face, "Mm. The same old marriage story.""Ugh. Are they still pressuring you?""Uh-huh. I'm in my late twenties, and all my relatives were pestering my parents about this marriage thing.""I can imagine. Before I got married, it's the same situation in my home as well." Catherine drifted to those days, and an annoying grunt escaped her lips."These relatives... except focusing on them, they keep on gossiping about other family issues.""I agree." They exchanged hi-fi while laughing...."Today was exhausting!" Tanvi mumbled as she reached home, relaxing as she shoved open the weathered door of her apartment. The wide hallway welcomed her, painted in blue, gave her a familiar warmth.Dragged herself onto the couch, her eyes closed involuntarily. After resting for a while, she remembered her mother, Radha's text and dialed her."Hi Mom, How're you doing?" Tanvi asked in her chirpy tone."I'm good, sweetie. You know what I heard today?" Her mother queried as excitement danced in her voice.Curiosity kicked in her mind and she blurted almost immediately, "What?""Your cousin, Neethu's engagement got fixed." Her mother added in a happy yet dejected tone and she couldn't help but frown, yet pushed it aside and muttered, "Wow!! That's great news, mom.""Hm. They all are asking about your marriage because you are the oldest?" Her mother pouted dramatically making her cringe by just thinking of marriage, "Please, not again, mom." Tanvi sighed."Listen to me, sweetie. You are already 27, and we were becoming old too. We want you to get settled, so we can be at peace." Her mother's trembled voice made her realize the seriousness of the issue and she remained numb for a second and added with a smirk, "I'm well-settled, and my paycheck is pretty high too. You can relax.""Don't divert it, I know how you managed to spoil all your blind dates previously." Her mother said with disappointment and she hung her head low in shame, "Ahem..." She fake coughed to hide her embarrassment."You know that your dad is a heart patient, and he is always stressing about your marriage. I'm feeling bad about it, sweetie.""I know mom." She bit her lips while her head went down."How many more years you're going to avoid it? I'm not forcing you, but try to understand, honey." A tired huff escaped Radha's lips as she couldn't make her stubborn daughter agree to get married over the years."Hmm..." Tanvi trailed off as she didn't have anything to retort and thought of avoiding it would do her some good."We love you, honey.""I love you too..." Tanvi mumbled, disappointed at herself for the situation she was in."Why are you always trying to dodge getting married?" Her mother hit her right on the spot and the walls she created invisibly cracked in her heart.Hearing that, her mood dampened, "What else would be? I didn't feel like doing it. That's it.""Can't you agree to our last wish and stop making us worry?"Silence danced on her rosy lips and she punched the pillow."We're doing this for your own good.""Ugh! I'm a little busy, mom. Bye." Frustration filled in, and she stomped her foot...."Huh! These days, whenever I speak with Mom and Dad, they're always asking me to marry. How do you marry someone without love? Never mind. Forget about love! I didn't even know the man." Tanvi ruminated while settling on the couch.She switched on the television, while the earthy smell occupied her house, and a warm feeling surged in her. Tanvi strode to the window, slid it open, and leaned her hands and face out, playing with the raindrops as they slipped through her fingers. It's an old childhood habit she still enjoys.Meanwhile, a delicious aroma wafted over from her neighbor's kitchen, and her stomach started to growl. Deep in thought, she almost missed a Beep, Beep!Tanvi looked down at her mobile. A smiling picture of her and Ameera in a hug posing as the dumbest girls. She burst into laughter remembering that day, their convocation six years ago. They'd been best friends ever since."Hey, Babe! Let's play a prank on Advik about Stella??" Ameera screamed with joy while imagining the scene."What? With Stella!!!" exclaimed Tanvi, "He might die of a heart attack." They both erupt with laughter holding their stomach."He's bugging me to set him up.""If you set him up with Stella, he'll ditch us. Poor Advik, I never forgot that day he proposed to her, and she took Advik to her boyfriend." Tanvi tried to hold her laugh, but they burst out giggling hard."Haha! Advik's face! He was horrified. It was worth it.""You know babe, my mom and dad are nagging me to get married. This thing is really getting on my nerve.""Um... What are you planning to do then?""I had already managed to escape all these years, but I guess it's high time to agree now." Tanvi hugged her knees in defeat."Are you serious?""Uh-huh. I need to, at least for my parent's sake.""Then did you try matrimony sites? These days they are becoming popular in arranging marriages.""Nope.""Check it once. Even my elder cousin, Divyanka got married like that. They are in love now.""Oh, seriously?""Yep. You might find your dream man there." Ameera teased."Screw you."...Tanvi opened her laptop and googled, "How am I supposed to answer all this?" She exclaimed as she scrolled through.She sighed before accepting the sites were a necessary evil? "Why not? I've already tried everything else. I might as well try my luck. Who knows? It could work." Excitement shot through her at the idea."It's asking about my entire bio-data, Huh!!!! What do I say? I'm a sluggish person. How to provide this many details?" She bit her lower lip in disappointment.After giving it a second thought, "This is my last shot. I should make an effort." In an hour, she submitted her details in almost ten different matrimony sites. At last, she left with only one."Finally," She sighed with a sense of accomplishment and hit the Submit button."Uh, No! My Wifi! Shit!! I lost power." Tanvi shouted with frustration when her hand threw a punch onto the couch.Snatching her phone, she began using her mobile hotspot. There she saw an ad saying, click it to get your details. "Please don't be lost, please don't be lost!"She bit her nails while her forehead creased, making her breath pause. Tanvi clicked the link and got all the details she entered. She hit the submit button and received two confirmation emails."Why did they send me two emails? Whatever, I'm going to sleep," she muttered as she tossed her phone on the nightstand. Happy that she registered with these matrimony sites. She slowly gets into her dreamy la la land....28th AugustSun kissed her cheeks as she lay beneath the quilt. Her alarm began echoing around the room, but she curled under the covers until, on the last ring, she gave up and got ready."I'm not late, and today is Friday. Yay!!" Tanvi smiled. On the way to her office, she took out her mobile to check on her two duffers. In all the time from their university days onward, they'd never been separated."Hi, Guys!!!!" Her screen instantly lit in response to Advik's reply. "Hey, How are you guys doing?""Hey, Dude!!! I'm doing great." Ameera replied with a joyful emoji."I'm on my way to the office. Any plans tonight?""Not yet! What about you?" Ameera inquired."Nope!! Let's hang out tonight. What do you guys say??" Advik asked with enthusiasm."Sure, Dude!!" Tanvi said excitedly."Sure, guys. I'm just at work. Catch you guys later tonight. Let's meet at our favorite spot? Bye!!!!" Ameera left the chat."Yes, babe, carry on.""Sure, babe. I'm going to work. Bye, Tanvi." Advik replied."Bye!!!"...Arriving at the office, Tanvi greeted her colleagues and went to her cabin with a dazzling smile. Expectedly, It's a long and busy day. She became immersed in a new project, which is quite challenging and needed high attention.While analyzing the reports, a mail popped on her screen, "Tanvi, send the design to 'Digi Software' ASAP." She sighed out of frustration with scrunched eyebrows, "Piles of work waiting for me, this included." With that, she took a deep breath and shifted her focus.She didn't notice how the time flew and skipped her lunch. When her stomach growled with a twinge, she hugged her belly with a tight grasp, a short squeal escaped her lips, "Ouch!! It hurts," and peeped at her watch, "07. 00 PM." A gasp spread over her soft lips, and she stepped out to grab a snicker.Seeing the chocolate, Ameera popped in her head, "When was the last time we hang out?" Her slender fingers shifted onto her chin with this thought, "Damn!! It's been two weeks since we met," She pouted
Looking at the bright screen, Tanvi frowned, "An unknown number?" She conflicted for a while and answered the call."Hello.""Hi, is this Ms. Tanvi Siara Agarwal??" The unknown speaker asked."Yes, may I know who you are?""Yes, sure! I'm Riaan Varma. You can call me Riaan.""Excuse me! Do I know you??" Tanvi asked with a scowl."Nope!!""Huh!!! Then how do you know me? How did you get my number??" She couldn't help but let the question slip out of her mouth in annoyance."I saw you on a Matrimony site. I liked what I saw, so I contacted you.""Oh! That's cool. So you saw my biodata?" She asked with a little nervousness."Yes, Tanvi!! Oh, by the way, can I call you Tanvi?"Her breath picked up with the way he spoke. "Yes, sure, Riaan." She replied in a shaky voice."Okay, Thanks Tanvi!!"Tanvi held her phone and dropped onto the swinging chair. She pressed the pillow to her stomach, "He liked me? The next step might be Marriage…? This word seems strange to me." She pondered.Tanvi ope
Rudra came out of his thoughts and remembered the woman who settled constantly in his mind. He shook his head and immediately called Maahir.Maahir was asleep when his phone buzzed. He woke drowsily and saw Rurda displayed on his screen. In an instant, his daze cleared."Why is he calling me now? Did I make a mistake?" Maahir froze in place staring at the screen. He sighed with a grunt, "I need to lift it, or else I'm fired."With a squint, "Boss!""Did you get the details I asked for?""About that girl?" Maahir again felt the tingle at the back of his neck. To say he was shocked would be an understatement."What is happening to him? He never showed the slightest interest in women, but it seems different now. I guess she'll be the future madam." Maahir struggled in his thoughts."Yes, boss!!" Maahir informed."Forward it to me now""Okay. 'Boss! One min', are you at home?""Nope! I'm at my mother's house. Is anything important??""Great. His mother's house, which means he's in a bad m
Rudra sat in the swiveling black chair with his legs crossed and flipping the ongoing construction report of the hotel. The pin-drop silence in the study room was replaced by his boots clicking. His sloe eyes pin down the financial details. The brim of his lips gave a derisive curve."Thanks to all the delays and ruckus from the builder, Harish, the deal was going nowhere." Rudra noticed when an offensive look emerged in his obsidian-brown eyes. "At this rate, the hotel is going to create a huge loss if I didn't do something," He decided while an evil aura danced around him.Rudra slammed the glossy white table with disdain, and the files lying on it turned upside down. He stood up in a swift moment by racking his hair and leaned on the wood color designed wall when Tamaz sped to his room. "Hey, Bro! What's wrong with you in the dawn?" Tamaz asked in an abnormal breath with a shout.Rudra glanced at him with unreadable eyes without speaking a word. "What were you trying to decipher?"
It's the first time Tanvi stepped into the Chauhan Group of Companies. Looking at the giant office, filled corridors, hurried people, she couldn't help but admire.She remembered her manager's words, "Tanvi, I've expectations on this deal as well as on you. We must get it at any cost, and I'm sure only you can do that."With her daze, her team-mate patted her when Maahir approached them. Maahir stopped dread in tracks by her presence. Soon, he composed himself and decided to pretend like it's the first time he had seen her."You are here for a presentation, Miss...?""Yes. I'm Tanvi Siara Agarwal." She said with her shoulders back and head held high.Maahir nodded, "Please come this way."Nihar and Tanvi started walking on the white marble floor. On their way, a tall figure with a cold-look, flawless skin in the warm-ivory shade, chiseled jaw, dressed in a black suit with perfectly styled hair followed by a bunch of subordinates crossed her path. A uniq
Tanvi finished with work at around 05:30 PM. On the way to her home, she wondered, "Did I make it? What'll Mr. Rudra decide?" She tucked her hair behind her ears, "There's nothing I can do on that. Why waste my time?"With that, she began surfing through her mobile and came across a few interesting design ideas. Her eyes grew wide in anticipation with a glimmer."They are all great, but how to design the combination uniquely?" She began brainstorming by twirling her pendant with her slender fingers until she connected all the dots. A wave of relaxation washed over her."Woah!! If I made this design it would be stunningly gorgeous know?" Excitement shot through her nerves. She reached her apartment and slipped the keys off in her bewilderment. "Oops!" She tapped her forehead and twisted the doorknob.Tanvi jumped onto the couch and commenced designing the draft. Her round eyes followed the swift movements of an ink brush. Her delicate hand swung while painting endlessly.After hours of
08:00 AM. Maahir stood at the isolated location dressed in a white shirt paired up with a beige blazer with gelled onyx hair. With his tall figure, wheatish complexion, and husky muscles, he looked extremely handsome. He strode towards the door and rang the bell a few times, but no response.Peered again at the address on his mobile and looked at his watch. He clenched his fists and punched the wall, then took a deep breath. Put out his cigarette and waited for a while. "What games are you playing, Harish? Come on, open the door now." Maahir yelled.Looking at his unbothered attitude, Maahir's blood boiled with fury. Taking a deep breath, "I know that you are inside. If you didn't act accordingly now, your situation will be even worse." Maahir warned him in a threatening tone, yet Harish didn't show up. He kicked the door in frustration and stomped aside.Grabbing his mobile from the pocket, he dialed Rudra. While Rudra sat on the couch, looking through the documents of The Magenta Bu
Tanvi was in her cabin when her manager Jitender messaged her, "Come to my cabin."With a sigh, she put her work aside and muttered under her breath, "Huh!! I'm sure he'll ask about the presentation."Inhaling a chunk of air, "But.. what to say? Even I don't know the answer." She soughed and left her cabin with a pout."May I come in." She gave a slight knock and queried in her dulcet tone.Almost instantly, she heard a quick 'yes' and hesitantly strode in while a pleasing smile plastered across her face.He glanced at her, his gaze excited,"Any update?"Hearing that, she gulped and muttered, "No, Jitender. I'm waiting for them to contact me."A frown settled on him, and he questioned with a raised brow, "Can't you make the first move?""Um... I don't know whether I can directly send an email to Mr. Chauhan?" Tanvi pondered while fiddling with her fingers, "What if it's not a good thing to contact him straight?""Did you have his email?"Snapped back, "Yes, I found it. It's in the col