‘Umm … Rekha ma’am did.’
I pressed my lips together. ‘Interesting. Does she work at the company? Have any authority over you? Or the power to hire people?’
‘No.’ She swallowed. ‘But she—’
A knock interrupted her reply. The door opened, and Ananya walked in. She looked uncomfortable as she placed the letter on the table.
‘Breaking hiring protocol on unofficial instructions is a violation I can’t overlook,’ I said, sliding the paper towards her.
‘But … but I had no choice.’
‘I wish you well for your future.’
‘I …’ A tear streaked down her face, and she quickly swiped it away. With a trembling hand, she picked up the dismissal letter and left.
‘Why did you fire her?’ Ananya asked, stunned.
‘She hired Krisha just because Mom told her to,’
I said, turning on my laptop.
‘Are you serious?’ Ananya asked, her hands slapping the desk. ‘That’s not her fault! Rekha is the owner and the CEO’swife! She was trying to keep her job. You can’t punish her for that.’
‘Right. And if tomorrow Ayaan tells her to give his friend a job as the company CFO, should she just nod and obey?’ My voice hardened. ‘No questions asked?’
‘That’s not the same!’ Ananya said. ‘It was anassistant’sposition. Not a role that makes or breaks the company.’
Irritation flared. ‘The position doesn’t matter. I fired her because she didn’t have the spine to say no to interference. Every employee depends on HR to be fair and protect them from bias. She broke that trust. And once it’s gone, it’s gone.’
‘This is someone’s livelihood!’ she hissed through gritted teeth. ‘The owner’s wifeisn’t exactly a person even a model employee could say no to. You should have given her a warning!’
‘Ananya, she had to go. How I run my company isn’t up for debate,’ I snapped.
She pressed her lips together, her face flushing with anger. ‘I’ll be at my desk.’
The door swung shut behind her.
I sighed loudly, running a hand through my hair.
This was the first real argument we’d had as a couple. It was absurd that it was because of such a ridiculous reason. But she would realise I was right once she had cooled down.
My phone pinged.
It was a text from Harish uncle, asking me to confirm if I was coming over for dinner next Friday.
I typed out my reply.
He had been bugging me to bring Ananya to dinner. I was sure she would like to meet him as well. I toyed with the idea for a moment. This was a big step. I’d never introduced anyone to him before. But Ananya was … different.
With her, I felt enough. Like I belonged. She made me happy in a way I didn’t think was possible.
I returned to the presentation deck for Rivaayat.
This week was very important for the company and me. The final shipment for Harrods was going out this evening. We were flying in the Mahalas tomorrow, and they were going to stay for the rest of the week. We were going to sign the deal and officially iron out the final details. The actual work on the line would start next week.
Ananya came in at four with a cup of chai, but unfortunately, I was on a call and couldn’t talk to her.
By the time I was done, it was almost eight.
