CHAPTER 7 - The Books Help And It's Mystery
CHAPTER 7
By now, her secretary had come with some preparation on the stocks as Anika secretly messaged her, which she plugged into the projector opening slides of ppt.
After some time passed, one of the directors spoke, "Miss Anika, don't beat around the bush. A to-be CED isn't expected to waste the time of others, do you expect us to waste our precious time on your below the standard ppt." This person was the second most senior member of the board, "Mr. Goosley".
Mr. Goosley really seems daunting with his deep eyes and the dark circle under his eyes, complementing with his loosened skin around his long face.
"Shit, what should I do? I really didn't have any time to prepare. I must come up with something, or this will all be over," Anika now had begun to get nervous this time. Her spirit from earlier started to break as trails of sweat came down her face, and her trembling hands tightly grabbed the podium's edge.
"Ugh, this Mr. Goosley, they are really bent on not allowing me to the position of CED," she thought, clenching her teeth hard. "I am really fucked this time."
But suddenly a scene came through her mind, "AH! Right, that!" It was a scene from the earlier Street-23, maybe of the drama, in which a meetup was going on.
"Money!" She blurted, shocking everyone, "We will use money to raise the stock value"
"WHAT!, Are you hearing back what you are saying, do you even know, to raise the stock price through money how much it will cost" Mr. Chobby stood abruptly slamming the table.
"Mr. Chobby calm down, let's hear what Miss Anika have to say" One of the Director said, sitting right next to the vice president, he was Mr. Hudson, he was the senior most person present here, serving Anika's father and later he got his position of Chief directing officer, CDO.
With his bald head, brown tone, and except his white brows and beard, he didn't seem like he was in 60's.
"Thankyou Sir Hudson" Anika said, continuing "What I am saying is that, you all must've heard about the incident recently, Right?" She said, continuing after waiting a bit for the approval.
"My proposal is to use this incident to elevate our Image."
"Please elaborate Miss Anika" Mr. Hudson said with a small smile of approval.
"Yes sir, So we will compensate the victims of the incident with money-"
"What-" MR. Chobby stood again abruptly stopping Anika in the middle , but sat down quietly as soon as he saw Mr. Hudson face.
"Ahem, what I was saying is that do you even know how much it will cost?, and touching such delicate matter might cause backlash later."
"Hmm, MR. Chobby I would suggest to maintain the decorum of the meeting" Mr Hudson said sternly.
"Yes sir" He replied softly, it was clear what the hierarchy was about.
"But still I think Mr. Chobby has a point." He continued.
"I would like to answer this question in part sir, first about the amount needed to compensate the victims, I agree It's a little big amount of money involved, but from my calculation we will at least see an increment of 2% of growth in stock price, and that is within this month." Anika calculated fast, she was the top scorer of MBA of-course.
"2%! That's possible and in a month at that " All the directors were shocked, while some got a sour taste in their mouth.
"According to the reports there were 35 people injured in this incident, among which 5 were unfortunately lost their life while 20 were gravely injured, and remaining have less critical injuries, these were all the on site reports that I got while working in the hospital, hence wasn't able to provide a ppt on this but you could confirm from the hospital director." Anika continued.
"Ahem, I think it's a good idea, Miss Anika please provide us a clear report on this by tomorrow," The vice president- her uncle said, Which gave her a bit shock, cause he hardly took her side in any case, and whenever he did, there was always some hidden intention behind it, alway which always end up in favour of her brother.
"Yes president" Anika said, It was an unspoken rule in the company that the vice president hated to be called 'Vice -president' so usually people call him President, only a few still called him 'VP', among which Anika also did sometimes.
But today she doesn't want to poke the beehive and add up more unnecessary trouble for her.
"With this the meeting ends here, Miss Anika please provide a copy of your ppt to the VP office when you are done and let's schedule the meeting the day after tomorrow." Mr.Hudson said, of course he was among some of the people who didn't care and always called Her uncle VP.
Anika nodded, and everyone except her and her brother left the meeting room.
"Don't expect you are safe yet, I will slip away that CED position right under your nose" Her brother, Rahul said.
"Yeah, yeah.." She replied ignoring his taunts.
Anika doesn't have much towards her brother, instead she pity him, for being entangled, some-what forcefully, right into office politics by her mother and uncle.
She could finally take some proper breaths of relief, as she sat on her office chair, sipping a cup of "Herbal-Chai".
"Thank god, you really saved me today" She said looking at the book lying over her table.
After a quick power nap of 15 minutes, she took out some important files from that bag. She had taken them with her at the hospital when she was admitted.
As a workaholic, every second for her is really important, so she usually does so whenever she has to go somewhere away from the office.
**
Next day early in the morning, all of the lights in the building were off except Anika's cabin.
"Hoo, finally, It's finished," she said looking at the ppt that she had just completed.
Relaxing her neck a little on the chair, she picked up the book and placed it on her lap, recalling how that strange line helped her in the situation today and all other tiresome things that happened to her in the last few days.
The sudden summon of directors, her being bombarded by questions by them, the strange line that the book wrote, that really helped her, as if the book knew the future. The news she saw on the TV and the injured she saw the next moment right before her eyes.
Also that strange man, she recalled what he said before being taken into OT.
"Will he be alright?" She said, looking at the 20 rupees notes in her hand.
"Neil" she read the name written on the note.
But soon put it away into her purse, opening the book but again it surprised her.
The book Wrote.
--"Probably, with just a bit of soreness, here and there."--
"WHAT!!" Anika stood up abruptly, shocked with the sudden statement of the book, Or it's more of a reply?