Chapter 18: 18. Special Guest


    D’s PoV


    I got up from sleep when I heard the door-bell. With the sound of it, I guess someone has been ringing


    the door-bell for a long time now. Because they are ringing it continuously. I looked at the time. It''s 6.30


    in the evening already? OMG, if mom finds out that I slept  this long in the evening she would taunt me


    with loads of advice! She says it’s the time GODDESS LAKSHMI visits every home. If we are gloomy


    and sleepy she will not enter our house. But I can’t get up. My whole body aches like hell. The door-bell


    just won''t stop ringing. I got up from the bed reluctantly and went down. There is no one downstairs.


    Lights are yet to turn on. The whole ce looks dark and gloomy.


    Hey D! You are the daughter-inw remember. It’s your duty from now to keep this home lively. Chase


    your stupid sleep away. Now switch on all the lights and go attend the door D.


    Where the hell is Ravi? Looks like uncle and Rishi are not home yet. Gosh! I switched on all the lights


    and corrected myself to open the door. There are 2 people standing on the door-step. 2 men to be


    exact. One should be around 50 years and the other should be like Rishi''s age.


    "Hello! I am Ramakrishnan. I am here to see Raja."


    "Sorry sir! There is no one home right now. Please wait here. Let me call Shekar uncle."


    I closed the door and ran upstairs to fetch my phone. I called my uncle and heard his phone ringing


    outside the door. I opened the door to see my uncleughing with that Ramakrishnan.


    "Hi uncle! He just came asking for you."


    "Come in da! Kanna, call Chinna and ask him to make 3 cups of coffee."


    They are still smiling at me. Like all 3 of them? But why? I got a little self-conscious. "Um.. uncle I can


    make coffee. Chinna Anna has caught a cold. I asked him to go to the outhouse in the afternoon."


    "Ok kanna! But sit here. You can make coffee a littleter. He is Ramakrishnan, ourwyer. He is our


    auditor too. He keeps everything under check. He is Dhiwakar. His son. He practices as awyer too."


    "Hello sir! I''m sorry I kept you waiting outside." They allughed. Seriously? What''s so funny?


    "It’s ok ma. You can call me uncle too. No one has ever made me wait outside the door. You hold the


    record for it."


    They all startedughing again. It’s so embarrassing! This day is full of embarrassment.


    "Dad, you are making her ufortable! Hi Danya. You can call me by my name. So,how''s life?" I like


    this guy. He talks so easily.


    "Hi Dhiwakar! I’m still getting used to this new life. Thanks for asking. And thanks for stopping them


    fromughing all day."


    Now we are allughing. I went to make coffee. When I came in with coffee they were all talking with


    serious faces and stopped abruptly seeing me. I felt ufortable yet again. I am not wanted here. I


    kept the tray on the tea table and turned to leave.


    "Danya! You have to be here. We are waiting for Rishi toe. We have something to tell you guys."


    Dhiwakar said.


    I nodded my head and sat there fumbling with my fingers. I have no idea on what they are going to talk


    about. Before they finished their coffee, Rishi came in.


    "Hello, uncle. Hi, Dhiwakar. What''s up uncle? you wanted to talk to me in person?"


    He talks to them in a hurry. Looks like he hase in the middle of his work. Uncle and Lawyer uncle


    looked at each other.


    "I have to go again uncle. What''s this all about?" See I knew from his face. He came in the middle of


    his work. But he didn’t see me once. He behaves like I''m invisible to his eyes. He kissed me like there


    is no tomorrow almost choking me to death knocking all the air out of my lungs. Now he acts as if I''m


    no one!


    D he must be embarrassed also! GIVE HIM TIME GOD DAMN IT!


    "Rishi, I need you to sit and listen to me. I’m not going to tell you if you are not patient!"


    Krishnan uncle said sternly. Rishi huffed and sat on the couch. He looks tired. I went into the kitchen to


    make him coffee. I gave him his coffee and he muttered a thanks without looking up at me. Shekar


    uncle took my hands and made me sit beside him.


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    "Rishi! Smirthi has called my office number on your reception day veryte in the night. I attended your


    reception and went home to sleep. Dhiwa went straight to our office from your reception as he had


    some work to finish."


    So that Smirthi is not over yet. My stomach does weird things to me. I''m getting scared of what is to


    come.


    "I picked up the call as dad left his work cell phone on his desk. She asked for dad." Dhiwakar


    continued.


    (The phone call between Dhiwakar and Smirthi)


    "Hello, can I speak to Mr. Ramakrishnan."


    "It’s his office madam. He is not here. You can tell me or call in the morning"


    "Who are you?"


    "I''m Mr. Ramakrishnan''s son. My name is Dhiwakar. I know all of Dad''s case if you need


    something."


    "I’m Smirthi. Rishi''s bride. Rishi from FIRM FORT CONSTRUCTIONS. "


    "Oh you. I just came from your reception madam. Is everything alright?"


    "Um...yes! I just want some information."


    "I’m d to help madam. What can I do for you?"


    "Is Firm Fort constructions facing losses? I mean, is thepany in debt..?"


    "Sorry madam. That’s ssified information. I cannot reveal it to you without their


    permission."


    "Please help me! I really need that information. Never in my life I will tell anyone that


    you told me this info! Please, I''m in a bad state. Tell me please!"


    "huh! Please don’t cry madam! I don’t understand why you need that construction


    trust and get some contracts within next year, they will go bankrupt."


    "Thanks."


    (end of conversation)


    I really don’t understand what is going on. It all doesn''t add up. I don’t know but this family is into the


    textile business. Rishi is also into Constructions?  Whoa, I literally don’t know anything about this


    family. I even don’t know their shop''s name. Rishi had this confused look on his face first and that


    turned into fuming rage in no time. He is looking furious. I clutch uncle''s hand tightly and he pats on my


    hand. Rishi didn’t say anything. He just left for his room.


    "um...Uncle! I don’t understand any of this. You guys are into textiles, right?" With a small smile uncle


    starts speaking.


    "Kanna, you don’t know anything about us! Do you?" He asked me for which I shook my head in a No.


    "Yes kanna! We are into textile. We do wholesale as a major. That means we are not into advertising.


    That means no poprity."


    "I don’t get it uncle"


    "You will! We have 3 mills here in Coimbatore. That’s our major source of ie. Rishi has a


    Designing sector where he has 300 techies work on the dress models and design. He has a Masters


    degree in that!"


    "Oh!"


    "Yes! We make our own models and weave the material and outsource them for stitching. We distribute


    our clothes throughout India. We get patent rights on our models and give credits to the big showrooms


    like Chennai silks, RMKV , Sreedevi silks and so on! So basically, they will advertise our models on


    their brand. We get a share of profit from every showroom."


    Wow! So that is why they are filthy rich! Imagine how many showrooms across India?! How much


    profit!?


    "So, what''s with that constructionpany!? Rishi is into construction as well?" I asked him.


    He smiles at me lovingly and pats my head.


    "No! Rishi or should I say your Rishi has small boutiques in 5 cities in Tamil Nadu. Coimbatore,


    Chennai, Madurai, Trichy and Salem. He personally designs the models that sells in those showrooms!


    He doesn''t advertise it though! Only rich people go to that boutique. He does that for his love for


    designing. It doesn’t give him any profit though!"


    "Thanks for the light on what you guys do for a living uncle! But I literally don’t understand the


    connection."


    "That constructionpany is Your Rishi''s friend Karthik''spany! Rishi holds a little share in that!


    No other connection."


    I blushed looking down when uncle said Your Rishi! I must have mentioned him by his name


    identally and uncle got it.


    D stop blushing! It’s time to listen to facts and clear your doubts.


    "Um...uncle this doesn’t make any sense! Why would she call up yourwyer to learn about some


    company where your son holds shares? That too at thete hours of her wedding day?"


    "Danya, your questions are exactly what''s pestering my mind too! She was talking like she had cried so


    much. She even cried on the phone. Only after that I gave her that info. I mean there must be some


    connection to her sudden disappearance and this information she needed." Dhiwakar told me.


    "Rishi has all the answers. By his reaction and anger I can say he must have figured out what exactly


    happened." Krishnan uncle said.


    "Talk to him kanna! He needs someone now and that someone is you. You are destined for him kanna."


    He wants me to go and talk to Rishi? Now? He looked like he would kill anyone who goes near him.


    I gulped down that ball of fear in my throat and nodded my head. I took their leave and started climbing


    the stairs to YAMA LOGAM!