RECAP

Anushka is married to Kunal Srivastava. One morning, her minds re-visits the past. A past which had a widowed mother and an over-conservative grandfather (mother’s father). She remembers how she had met him. she remembers how she was had designed an ad-campaign for Kunal’s company and had gone to present it.

CHAPTER 3

Anushka was feeling really hungry now. She had not taken breakfast or lunch, trying to finish the Ad campaign by time.

She entered the Café and looked around to see if there was some middle aged guy in expensive Armani suit sitting there. At the same time, she was sure that Kunal Srivastav was going to be late. She sighed and held her laptop closer to her chest.

The maître d' was walking towards her. She decided to ask whether he was sitting there or had a table reserved.

Before she could ask, he bowed to her apologetically and addressed someone who had just entered the café and was standing behind her.

“Mr. Srivastav! What a pleasure to have you here. Your table is ready sir”

Anushka turned back sharply.
 
There was this man, lean but athletic looking. He was wearing an olive green t-shirt over a pair of dark jeans. He wore thin rimmed glasses which instead of making him look serious, gave him almost a school boy look. He was also holding a laptop in his hand and a cell phone was jammed on his ears.

For a second Anushka felt that he was trying to read something on her face.

He smiled at the maître d' as he was guided to a table.  Anushka’s eyes followed him as he walked on, kept giving instructions about some deal to the person he was talking over the phone with.

‘Was he Kunal Srivastav?  Naahh. He is too young to own such a large business empire’

Anushka shrugged her shoulders. She wished she had more time to do some research on him. But in two days time, she could hardly take a stock of the company profile and the projections.

The maître d' came back hurriedly to Anushka.

“I am sorry madam. How can I help you.” he once again bowed apologetically.

“Hi, I am Anushka Parashar. I am here to meet Mr. Kunal Srivastav of the Atina Industries. We have a business meeting” she smiled at him.
 
“Oh sure! Mr. Srivastav just arrived after you only madam.” And he guided her towards the table.

So he was indeed Kunal Srivastava, the owner of one of the biggest business conglomerates of India.

She couldn’t help but feel impressed.

Anushka tried to suppress her surprise at finding out that Kunal Srivastav was actually a very young man who was dressed in casual clothes, instead of the overtly business way she was imagining and expecting.

The only thing obviously expensive was his sleek Rolex watch. Even his cell phone was not a latest model. He had just finished talking over it.

Reaching his table, she said in a low voice –

“Excuse me, Mr. Srivastav. I am Anushka Parashar from Media Vision. I am here for the presentation of the Ad campaign we have made for your Pharmaceutical division”

Kunal stood up and extended his hands, giving a disarmingly genuine smile. Anushka was again aware of the fact that he looked very boyish. He was not very tall, not more than 5’10”. If anything, it made him look even more like a school boy.

“Oh yes, hello Anushka. Call me Kunal.” He shook her hands just firmly enough and gestured to the chair in front of him. “Please have a seat. I also thought it was you, with your files and that bag with that Media Vision Logo.””

Anushka was surprised and impressed that in such a short time, he had managed to notice her laptop bag with the company logo, even though he was talking over the phone all the time. Either he was paying no attention to the call, or he was good at noticing things.

She smiled as she placed all her things on the table and took a seat.  Anushka was very well aware how important his time was. She flicked open her laptop and took out the CD to put in the drive. A waiter had just approached their table.

“Have you taken lunch Anushka?” Kunal asked.

Reluctantly, she shook her head in a ‘no’.

“I haven’t either. If you are not getting late then put the laptop away and lets have something to eat first. I don’t remember when I had eaten last.”

He gave that innocent smile again. This time Anushka noted the light dimple on his left cheek.  She kept looking at him almost fascinated. He had no tycoon airs she had expected.

At the same time, she felt stupid, almost like a teenager at her sudden interest in him.

“Please order whatever you want. I am going for a lobster dish. Do you like sea-food Anushka?” Kunal asked, looking up to her from the menu.

Anushka was still looking at him. Embarrassed at being caught, she shook her head.

“No, I am a vegetarian.”

“Oh! I am sorry. In that case why don’t you order something Veg for both of us?” Kunal said.

‘Was he really caring enough to eat Veg just because the person sitting at his table was vegetarian? May be he is pretending’ she tried to tell herself.

She ordered Vegetable sizzlers and orange juice for both of them after consulting with him.

“Let me brief you with the concept of the campaign while they bring the food”

Anushka was over the surprised state, back to her professional self.

“Sure, if you want to. I know how hard you Ad- agency people work. I was always interested in this field. You might not know it, but I have even done an internship in a creative designing. May be one day I will able to open an Advertising branch!!”

“Really! I had no idea. Where did you…...”

Before she could finish her question, his cell phone started ringing.

“Excuse me Anushka!” he apologized to her as he picked the call. Finishing the conversation in few Yes and many No, he switched it off.

“I am sorry for that.”

“It’s ok! No problem.” Anushka shook her head.

Putting his phone aside, he looked up to her with full attention.

                                     To be continued.....