Chapter 58

He was extremely annoyed with his sister and was regretting why he had agreed to go with her to the wedding. He had expected that he will be going to the wedding only on Sunday and things changed in the last minute and she wanted him to accompany her today and he had to call up his friends and cancel their movie plans and go with her. His sister had really planned to take him on Sunday expecting more girls would be there at the wedding and she was not quiet happy either, but her mind was setup on taking him with her whenever she goes.

He picked up a T-shirt and a jean from the closet, didn’t really bother to iron the few wrinkles near his sleeve, freshened up and brushed his hair, not really paying much attention, since he was in no mood to get dressed, slipped into his sneakers and he was off to his sisters. He rode his bike instead of his car hoping to find some reason to bail out since it would definitely mess up his hair. He was out of luck since his sister had other plans. She had expected his to turn up this way and had a nice shirt and a pant ironed and ready for him when he arrived. He had no choice but to listen to her and regretted leaving a set of spare cloths at his sisters, for the occasions when he stays overnight even though that is quiet rare.

When his sister was thru with him he looked smart. He couldn’t get mad at her, especially since his niece had added that he looks like a prince; he drove his brother in law’s car and they were off; his mind was still planning how to escape from smiling at all the strangers that were going to be there and to avoid his sister introducing him to all the eligible girls that are going to be there. He figured the only way to escape would be to spend all his time with his niece. He was counting on the fact that she would get cranky and bored after a while and they would be force to leave on her account. The thought brought a smile on his face.

Chapter 57

It turned out to be a beautiful day, she had spent the whole day with her brother and Kathy and now it was time for them to get to Chari’s home to help them with the wedding preparations. Kathy was looking forward to the wedding. She felt it would be good opportunity to get to know everyone better. Kathy was asking a lot of questions and neither she nor her brother was able to answer those. They had a tough time that traditions change from family to family, state to state and caste to caste. Kathy was quiet puzzled how different things are and wanted to be very much involved in all the rituals. The day before the wedding had an engagement ceremony and a few rituals.

By the time they arrived there was not much crowd. Chari had invited almost all the forks from work and maybe even some from his previous job, the friends he had retained over the years. His daughter was definitely looking pretty, with the entire make up and ornaments that she was adorned with. Kathy was looking pretty in an Indian sari that she had worn with the help of Chari’s wife’s sister. Kathy had a simple makeup and dresses her hair with jasmine flowers and was looking more Indian and Shyam couldn’t take his eyes of her. Kathy’s transformation had forced her to change into more traditional outfit and she was in a room dressing up with the help of a friend.

She picked out a simple plain Mysore silk saree in brick red. It was simple but elegant, a perfect fit for her style. She wore a simple long chain without any pendant, it was simple but intricate and dazzled against her brick red saree. She wore a bracelet on her right and a watch with a golden rim on her left, red flower ruby earrings, with a simple drop that looked like a red leaf. She pulled her hair into a ponytail and added a red rose hair clip to hold it in place. She never liked wearing flowers and today was no exception and she went on with her makeup. She was done in a flash and was ready to join her brother and Kathy.

Chapter 56

She could not believe it was already Saturday. She had been busy catching up will all other things she had hardly had time to spend with her brother. She was surprised by the changes she had seen in her brother; something she had not expected out of him, now he was more like her father, a gentleman. She started to wonder if all these changes that she sees in him were due to Kathy, or just due to all the experiences he had encountered in his life or both. She couldn’t tell but kept wondering. She wanted to spend more time with him and decided she will spend with them today. She realized that she hadn’t had time to talk to Pryag either and he is here only for his sisters wedding.

Luckily the issues on her plate were resolved and she had enough time to wonk more and made some corrections to her layouts. She was more confident that she was before and had quiet a few questions on her mind and wanted to learn more to understand how her ideas have to be implemented. She was well aware of the fact that she needs to postpone this for a while, wait till Chari is back to his routine. She also wanted to discuss this with his son Prayag and was wondering how she was going to do that since he was here on a short visit. She decided to take this day easy and wanted to spend it with her brother and Kathy. She wanted to get to know her better, especially since she had brought a major change in her brother.

She was already dressed after a nice warm shower. She enjoyed her time in the shower but it is not everyday she gets to enjoy one. When she walked over to the kitchen she noticed that her brother and Kathy were still sleeping and she didn’t want to wake them up. It was already 9.00 AM and she felt refreshed after a good nights sleep. She cooked up some breakfast for herself and sat down with the newspaper. She found herself more relaxed yet there were so many things she wanted to do. She had finished her eggs and was savoring her toast is when Kathy stepped out of her room and walked towards the kitchen. She had a simple elegance and everyone would develop an instant liking for her.

Chapter 55

He had not heard his cell phone ring since he had turned it onto the silent mode and had forgotten to change it in the morning. The traffic was not too bad and he was at his desk and was concentrating on his work. He had completely forgotten about his cell phone and had already missed a couple of calls. His work phone rang and he wondered who would be calling him this early and picked it up and to his surprise it was his sister. She asked him to turn his cell phone back on since she had been trying to reach him and he apologized and checked his cell phone and there were four missed calls. His sister wanted him to accompany him to a wedding on Saturday since her husband couldn’t make it. He reluctantly agreed after a brief discussion and he really will not be looking forward to accompany her to a social function.

His sister was happy that he will be accompanying her, she had planned on taking him with her and her husband will have a day off with his friends; she was mainly happy since he might meet a few nice eligible girls, and was hoping that he might like one of them. He was not aware of his sister’s ideas and he called his friends and cancelled their evening hang out plan for that Saturday and he was not happy and tried to concentrate on his work. He figured his sister might have called him a few times before reaching him on his office phone and didn’t bother to check his missed calls. Work went on as usual and he was more relaxed and was able to concentrate on his work and was finishing up pretty quick. He looked at the time and it was 4.30 PM and he decided that he would leave early today since he had already completed what he needs to do.

It was still hot outside and he could feel the wrath of the sun. He was quiet thirsty and decided to stop for a coke and he picked up a book from the book stand which specialized in imported magazines and something caught his eye. He stopped and looked at the page and could not believe, she still looked the same, exactly the way she had been seven years ago. It surprised him how she could maintain her physique like that, but it didn’t not feel anything looking at her picture, he kept reading, she had divorced her husband. The article extended as an interview with all sorts of questions from her divorce to her career and future plans etc. He brushed through them not paying much attention to all the details and was about to close the book and put it back on the stand, something caught his eye. It was her answer to a question about regret. He read through it and his lips wore a smile and his blue eyes accompanied them with a tinge of pity.

Chapter 54

Too many things had happened in the last few days and she felt overwhelmed. Her brother’s visit, his plans, something Pryag had said last night which she could vaguely remember, and her brain going crazy with expanding plans and her dream about Akshar that did not make any sense and left her confused the phone call she had before she left her house about some shipment problems and water leakage in the building. She was almost there and Lisa was already there taking care of a couple of things and she wondered what she would do without her. She couldn’t remember when the last time Lisa took a day off was and decided after all theses issues are resolved she was going to give her a vacation.

She looked at the clock and it showed 8.45. She guessed her thoughts about Akshar were mainly due to the fact that he had a great impact on her business decisions and she had actually enjoyed the conversations and his presentations. She contemplated weather to call him or not. Decided maybe she can give him a call, reached for Akshar’s number and picked up the phone and dialed his number. After six rings, the answering machine answered on his behalf. She didn’t want to leave a message so she disconnected without leaving a message and saved his number on her organizer and threw the paper in the trash and concentrated on the work for the day.

She could hear voices outside and knew that Lisa was working with the contractors. She was waiting for Mike to come in, and looked at the time it was 8.55, five more minutes to go since usually Mike will be in by 9.00. She had to discuss regarding the shipment problems and was going over the ledger and other related documents before her meeting. Mike came in as expected and knocked on her door and by the time she had already come up with a solution and was working on it. He took a seat in front of her, and working with her for the past two years, he also knew that she would have already gone through it and maybe even come up with a solution. She smiled at him and started talking and he was listening attentively. She summed up the things that he need to do and handed him the ledger and other documents etc and added, “Anything else?”.

Chapter 53

It was almost twelve and she couldn’t sleep. She knew what was going on in the room next to her and tried to ignore the noise coming from there. She covered her face with a pillow and tried to sleep. Everything around her was silent but somehow she felt it was too noisy, the thoughts in her head were keeping her awake. Her mind was filled with dreams of new cubicles, more employees, and contractors were taking to each other at the construction site and somehow Akshar was giving them instructions and explaining to them with a blue print what needs to be done and he looked very handsome. He was the only well dressed person in the building in a white full arm and a black pant and all the others were in khaki and were covered with dirt and grease.

Suddenly she heard a noise like a bell ringing continuously and struggled to ignore that sound, and in the end gave up and opened her eyes and the rays from the sun were peeping through the window into her room and her alarm indicated it was five thirty in the morning. She switched off the alarm and pushed her pillow back and sat up. She didn’t really know when she had fallen asleep. Her dream so real it took her a couple of minutes to get back to reality. She was not sure why she had dreamt about Akshar in her dream; she was surprised and puzzled considering the circumstances and got out of her bed to get ready for the day.

To her surprise her brother was already up and was making breakfast. He saw her and asked her to join him and Kathy who was already setting the plates on the table. Looking at the expression on her face, Kathy smiled and said “jetlag” and that explained why they were up so early. But that still did not explain her bother cooking! He had made scrambled eggs, French toast and something else, which she was quiet reluctant to try. He asked her how her headache was and from her smile understood she was doing fine and continued talking and had briefly summarized how he had met Kathy, learned to cook and their future plans were.

Chapter 52

“That was embarrassing. I was physically present but my mind was totally somewhere else. I could still remember how they were all staring at me. I should have kept my mouth shut and I wouldn’t have embarrassed myself”, she was talking out loud lying on her bed looking at the ceiling. When everybody was talking, she had completely drifted away and had completely been thinking about her plans and how to implement them. She had also been thinking of calling Akshar to discuss a few things that was on her mind. Suddenly she had come to the realization where she was, and had tried to jump into the conversations and after a couple of topics; she had asked Shyam and Kathy how they met.

She had completely missed out when her brother and Kathy had spoken earlier. Everybody had stared at her and after making some fun, let it go since she had looked tired and they all knew how she could get if they gang up and start teasing her. She had excused herself with a false headache and Chari’s son Pryag had brought her back to her house. She got up and picked up her layout that she had been working on and started reviewing it. She had some questions. She wanted to learn more, especially about expanding her business. She wanted to do it fast, she had already opened up a branch at another location and Chari was completely under charge of that one and that branch dealt with just paper related products and was going smooth.

Couple of year’s back she had made an offer to Chari that he could not refuse. She had made him her business partner, and that had proved to an excellent decision on her part. Chari had been more than an assert to her business, his experience had lifted the weight of her shoulders and they had expanded and she had asked Chari to completely take care of the new expansion. It concentrated on a smaller client and fewer products but was doing well. She had not interfered in his decisions and she hardly knew her employees over there, since Chari had complete overall control. Now she wanted to expand and grow rapidly and was finding ways to achieve that.

Chapter 51

He was at his sisters and she had not expected him to visit her so soon and had expected him to be a little upset with her, so she was surprised when he called her that he will be coming over for dinner. He fed his niece and had dinner and it was a bit unusually silent that day. She had cooked something he really likes and also packed some for his lunch for the next day. He broke the silence by appreciating her cooking and that surprised both his sister and brother-in-law and they exchanged a glance. His sister was a good looking woman and she was actually his cousin from his mothers, but since they had been close from their childhood, he considered her to be more of his sibling and not as his cousin.

She had also noticed that something was different about him, but couldn’t quiet put her finger on it and she wondered if it were a girl that had brought that change in him. She wanted it to be a girl because she wanted him to get married and settle down. But she didn’t want to bring up the topic again today after his reaction last time. Most of the evening he spent all his time with his niece and both of them were definitely enjoying their time together. The evening had ended smoothly and it was time for him to leave and he gave a peck on his sister’s cheek and took the food she had packed for him and left.

She looked at her husband, did you notice him today, he appreciated my cooking, he hardly spoke anything and he kissed me this is the first time in a long time that he actually expressed his feelings. I am not sure what is up with him but I definitely like the change I see in him. Her husband added, “Maybe what we discussed last week is sinking in. Let’s see if this change is temporary or not. It’s already ten and I have a busy day tomorrow, I am going to bed, good night”. She locked up the door, switched off the light and picked up her daughter who had already fallen asleep on the couch and walked upstairs.

Chapter 50

She was contemplating whether to call him or not and her thoughts were interrupted by her cell phone. She picked it up and it she was not sure who was calling her. “Are you busy?” The voice called out and she recognized that it was Chari’s son, and he wanted to make sure that she will be joining them for dinner and indicated there had been a change of plan and the dinner will be at his dad’s. She assured that she will be there for dinner and she knew that the food will be great and she was expecting more people at the house since the Chari’s daughters wedding was almost there. She wanted to talk to her brother Shyam and Kathy alone, but knew that was not going to happen today. She still couldn’t believe that her brother was engaged; the thought of him brought a surprise on her forehead.

She didn’t really notice the time and was busy with her work until Mike stopped by and asked her if she was going to lock up tonight. She looked at clock on the wall since she does not care much for a watch and it indicated it was six fifteen and she remembered her dinner plans and nodded indicating that she will lock up. She wanted to finish something she had started and realized that would take more time and decided to continue it the next day. She checked everything and locked up and stepped out of the building and was ready to leave, her cell phone buzzed and she let it go on to the answering machine after looking at the caller number.

The dinner was good, very traditional as she had anticipated and she remembered the good old days that she used to spend with her parents and wondered how her life had changed dramatically in the last few years. She had been working on a workflow after her presentation and that was mainly occupying her mind and she was paying very little attention to the pranks and the laughter that was going around. Her brother was summarizing about his trips and how he met Kathy and how long he will be staying etc, but her mind was about how she was going to implement her plans and ideas and was wondering if it was possible to get Akshar’s opinion on her layout.

Chapter 49

He was at work, at his usual time, his usual charm, his usual smile. Yet there was something different about him that people around him did notice. There was a spark in his eyes that make him more handsome. He walked over to his desk and booted his laptop and started working as usual. He had a few messages on his machine and he didn’t bother to check them and proceeded with his work. He checked his email and there wasn’t anything important that needed immediate attention. He was busy working on something; he was interrupted by a knock on his cube and looked up. Couple of his colleagues were standing there and asked him to join them for their routine 11.00 AM coffee.

He couldn’t believe it was already eleven and indicated that he won’t be joining them today and continued on his work. His cell phone rang and he knew from the caller-id it was Bhatta. He picked it up and the conversation lasted for about ten minutes. Bhatta was very happy about him filling in at the last minute and spoke about the feedback regarding his presentations. Bhatta also mentioned that couple of them was wondering if Akshar could join them and work for them. Bhatta continued and went a little personal enquiring about the women he had met there and didn’t get any concrete answer from Akshar.

Bhatta’s questions had jogged his memory about the previous evening. He remembered how wonderful his conversations with her were and wondered if she was going to call him. He wondered what her background was, how long she owned a business, and from his conversations one thing he realized was that she was an excellent companion and was very fascinating. He remembered how she had looked and he realized he remembers more about her, actually everything about her, which he was surprised that he did and that thought, painted his face with a smile. Suddenly he realized that he did not know her name. He had spoken to her for at least two hours the previous evening, given her his number, he was a little angry at himself for not asking her name!

Chapter 48

She was more than surprised. She had not expected a visit from her brother unannounced, and to top it all, he is engaged, she could not believe it. She also noticed that he was different and definitely happy. She was happy for him, she liked Kathy, and she was a petite woman, with typical features of her region and was sweet. She looked very small next to her brother who was six foot, broad and quiet good looking. It looked like he could hold her waist in just one arm. They both looked happy and she could tell they were in love.

She had some catching up to do, so asked both of them to take a break and promised them she will join them for lunch. She knew she was stretching that day too thin, but knew she had to spend some time with the both of them. She made some phone calls and asked Lisa to cancel some appointments. Her brother interrupted, and asked her he has to visit Chari anyway and had a couple of things to do himself including a good nap, so asked her that they can get-together for dinner, kissed her on her forehead, locked the door behind him and disappeared.

She wondered how it had happened, how her jerky brother had changed; he seemed soft, polite and more matured. He was happy, content and looked very serene. Kathy seemed to have had a huge effect on him. She wondered where they had met and how they had fallen in love. He was with the United Nations and traveled all over the world, so she guessed he might have met her in China or Japan during one of his trips. She had difficulty concentrating, but knew she had to get things done, so she reached for a gum in her bag and picked up a note with Akshar’s number.

Chapter 47

The flight was on time and she went straight to work, and every thing looked the same and she was happy to see that. Lisa had a list of things for her and Mike looked more handsome today than any other day. She asked Lisa what was up with him and she agreed with her that something was up but was not sure what! She immersed herself in her work until it was noon and she was disturbed by the knock on the door, she said “come in” without looking up and continued with her work.

Hello! Sweetheart, did you forget me? Surprised to hear that voice, she looked up and could not believe her eyes, she jumped up from her desk ran towards him, almost pushed him to the ground and hugged him. He was speechless and was extremely happy to see her too. He calmed her down and told her he wanted her to meet someone. He opened the door and a petite girl walked in, who she guessed to be either a Japanese or Chinese from the way she looked. She graciously smiled and both shook her hands.

She was totally surprised and didn’t know how to react. She had been extremely happy to see him, but had not expected him to bring a girl along. She asked her if she would like a cup of coffee or something to drink and turned around to get some coffee fro all the three. She wondered who that girl was, her English was quiet good and she decided to wait for him to introduce her. He had a sip of his coffee and added “I want you to meet Kathy Lee, my fiancée”

Chapter 46

He couldn’t believe how nice the previous evening had turned out to be. He wondered if he will ever get a chance to meet her again; he had enjoyed her company. Thanks to Bhatta, he had a chance to forget about his sister and all the issues she had brought up and somehow it didn’t bother him or anger him anymore. He remembered that it had been two years since he actually met a woman who was interesting and versatile and a good company. He had met women with various flavors; there was something intellectual about her that intrigued him.

The conversations he had with her, were completely occupying his thoughts. She had got excited when the conversation was about architecture and he had found her to be more knowledgeable than he was on that subject. He had let her talk and had listened to her and he had enjoyed both her conversation and her. The thought of her, the small dimple on her left cheek that appears when she smiles, brought a smile on his face. He had paid more attention to him when he talked and he wondered if she was really listening or she was just starring into his eyes while he talked.

When it was time to leave, she had appreciated him for his presentation, he definitely knew she had meant every word of it, and asked him for his business card, he couldn’t find one when he had reached down his pocket, so instead given her his contact number, instead of giving her his official number or his home number he had given her his cell phone number, he did not know why he had done that. He wondered why he did not get her number in return; they had shared a cab arranged by the organizers and he had dropped her off and had left for his hotel.

Chapter 45

She had boarded the flight and the captain announced the flight was ready to take off. She fastened her seat belt and looked out the window. It was seven in the morning and the sun was beautiful and the morning glories were booming. Her thoughts were all about yesterday evenings events; she was remembering the conversation with Akshar and how interesting it had been. She had enjoyed herself with his company, the topic had started about architecture and somehow they had ended up talking about world affairs. She had missed having such entertaining conversations; mostly the people around her are either scared of her or not interesting.

She remembered her father and her brother, they could talk to each other for hours, and her father had encouraged her with numerous books to satisfy her thirst for her knowledge. He had always mentioned that she was more like her mother and that had always made her happy. All the conversations with her brother had been a controversy but she had learnt a lot from it. She could hardly thing of anything they both agreed on, but they admired each other and learnt from each other and they adored each other. All those memories brought a smile on her lips.

She felt her mind was refreshed after yesterday’s conversations; she wondered why she had never spoken to him about the presentation, somehow she had forgotten about it in their interesting conversation. She decided to skip the morning breakfast, since she had eaten more than she normally does last night. She had felt hungrier last night, probably his company had something to do with it, and she was not feeling hungry now. He had offered to get her a drink and since she had wanted to avoid alcohol, both of them had enjoyed some specialty fruit blend, which she could still taste in her mind.

Chapter 44

The conversations were more casual between them and it was just that they both found each other quiet interesting to talk to, and somehow they ended up discussing about the architecture in the room rather than talking about the morning presentation and the questions she had. Both men and women were envying them, women were jealous since he preferred her over them and men were envying him, since he ended up dining with an attractive woman. Some even interrupted; they ended up joining their conversation and got bored after a while and left.

Even though there were quiet a few good looking women in the room, she was unique and one would definitely notice her. She had the tendency to attract the opposite sex, sometimes intimidate them with her charm. She was not shy, more open and definitely a self established business women, who still thrives to reach her goal. She is not necessarily interested in clothes as articles of fashion but capable of achieving great elegance. There was a regal air, coupled with a sympathetic nature and good social qualities. There is something of a vain characteristic attributed to her which tends to irritate others of the same sex and she can be arrogant and incredibly stubborn. She adores being praised and, although many might perceive this as being hopelessly self-centered, in all reality she has an intense drive toward self-realization and possesses an unquestioning faith in her own personal values.

He had the personality and the charm, which usually attracted women like a magnet. Others find him very exciting, seldom dull; He is very ambitious and hardworking. People who know him also know that he prefers an honest approach and will immediately see through any pretence. The main think that attracts women to him is that he is strong and energetic with good posture, an erect carriage and irresistible sex appeal. He is a stylish creature and would never be caught dead in last season's fashions; he exhibits an enigma that attracts a crowd wherever he goes.

Chapter 43

She noticed her having her dinner, she remembered his earlier conversation with her and excused himself from where he was and walked towards the table she was sitting. He was fluent in western classics from the thirteenth century motet to the twentieth century Stravinsky. He enjoyed the Classic style of Haydn and Mozart, the romantic compositions of Mendelssohn and Chopin; and the extended harmonic and formal practices of Strauss and Schonberg. Well very few knew that he could even play some of their small pieces; he loved their music so much he had actually learned some when he was in Oxford.

She was happy to let him join her since she was really finding it very boring to eat alone and wanted to take him up on his earlier offer with a couple of questions. She just waited a couple of minutes before asking him any questions, and she realized that he had hardly spoken a word and noticed that he was enjoying the music very much. She felt it would be rude and impolite to interrupt and just smiled at him and continued with her salad. The second note that was being played didn’t impress him much and he was not concentrating on the music anymore.

He remembered their earlier conversation and apologized to her for being interrupted earlier; she was happy that, now she could ask the questions she had on her mind, but somehow couldn’t bring herself to ask him. Instead, ended up saying “looks like you enjoy classical music a lot”. He was happy that she did not interrupt him earlier and answered her after finishing the food in his mouth and drinking some water, that he loves classical music. She was hardly interested and knew about what he was talking about but she was very much interested in keeping the conversation going and liked the way his eyes lit up when he talked.

Chapter 42

He along with the folks around him joined the line and after a short wait had their plates full. He enjoyed food, loved to try everything, he had no restrictions and was very open minded from food to his looks to his cars and he can blend in any crowd comfortably even if he knew no one there. He likes to experiment, especially with his food, when he cooks if it turns out to be a disaster; he can still turn it around into a meal one can eat comfortably. He doesn’t like to cook everyday but once in a while, he likes to have fun experimenting.

He was good at risk management since that was his second major, so usually his risks turn out to be good, since he assesses them and analyzes them before plunging in. Today he had picked up a couple of new flavors from the buffet and had decided to go light which is quiet unusual fro him, and he has a early morning flight to get back home. The noise in the room had calmed down and the music was very soothing, Finale of a Symphony in D ("Ascanio in Alba") which was composed in late 1771 was being played, a good choice, unfortunately not many were enjoying the music.

He wanted to enjoy the music, and was looking for a way to get away from the noise of the chitchats around him. He was looking around for a soft spot where he can enjoy the music and his food. The room was large and almost all the tables were crowded except a couple of them. He remembered the table he was sitting earlier that day and turned towards the bar, since it was near the bar and was hoping it was not crowded.

Chapter 41

He noticed that she was flattered and felt very proud; at the same time she was blushing and was trying to hide it too. He enjoyed watching her and paused for a minute before he continued and noticed her dimple, he felt her dimple added a grace to her, it made her special, and he just liked it. When she blushed, he eyes blushed with her, her eyes can talk, they can mesmerize you or they can burn you, there was so much intensity in them and when she looked up straight into his eyes, they were bright with enthusiasm and honesty and he was able to read her mind as if he were reading her mind and asked her, “If you wish to discuss something about today’s presentation, feel free to, I really don’t mind”.

She was amazed; she thought to herself “he just read my mind”. She wanted to grab this opportunity and bring up a couple of questions she had in mind, but before she could start they were interrupted by one of the organizers. He wanted to talk to Hiram and took him away from the table and she watched them leave the room with a little annoyance that her face couldn’t really hide. He was not seen for a while and since dinner was being served she decided to grab a bite. She joined the line waiting for the buffet, and she noticed him walk back into the room with a pretty petite girl clinging to his arm and was talking to a couple of more folks.

She was not really hungry since she had already had a glass of coke, wine and some water. She helped herself with some salad and a slice of bread for the starter and walked towards her table. She left her food at the table and felt it would be better to empty her bladder thinking that might give her an appetite. She normally doesn’t like to try new things, whether it is food or work or fun. She will take risks after weighing in the possibilities but still prefers to still stick to her boundaries. She prefers to eat light and space out her meals and today was no exception and her salad could vouch for that.

Chapter 40

He was watching her and listening to her, he noticed the dimple on her left cheek when she smiled, her eyes how radiant they where when she talked, her hair that brushed her cheeks when she turned. He guessed she must be twenty eight or twenty nine, self established business woman, confident, and pleasant to be with. She had worn a blue sleeve less gown with blue chocker around her neck. She had blue bracelet on her left arm and a silver watch with radium dials on her right.

He had noticed everything about her, and he guessed she must be a Leo, with her authoritative yet subtle tone. He was an extensive reader, and she reminded him of Sidney Sheldon’s two great heroines, Lara Cameron and Tracy Whitney. He was wondering if she was a combination of both and he loved that idea how wonderful it would be if it were true.

She had crossed her legs and her slit on her left, slightly reveled her legs that were covered in nude stockings. Her shoes were White heels with sparkles on them and her lips bore a spectacular smile and he did notice that she also smiled with her eyes. Looking at the dimple on her cheeks, he though a poet would get inspired by her and could write something like, one can plant a lot of flowering plants in them or how many kisses will it hold?

He realized that he was getting a little carried away and he had not felt this relaxed after his encounter with his sister. He thanked her for her compliment about his presentation and added, ‘Well I have had compliments, I guess not from a gorgeous aspiring business woman, this would be the first time and I am definitely honored by your compliment’.

Chapter 39

He walked over with a glass of wine towards the table where he had left his jacket; noticed a pretty woman sitting her, the one her saw dancing on the dance floor and thought very gracious. He walked over to his seat, greeted her with a smile and said you must be a good dancer! She wore a surprised look and had not expected him to walk over to her and above all expect him to even notice her among other women and on the dance floor and present her with a compliment.

She smiled and thanked him for his compliment, and added ‘you were pretty good out there too!’ She knew he had beautiful eyes but not expected them to be mesmerizing and noticed how handsome he was and thought to herself, no wonder girls out there were waiting to dance with him. He was wearing a dark grey suit with a silver toned full arm with single studded cufflinks. He wore a complimentary tie with a tie pin which shimmered through the dim light in the room. His wine, from the smell of it she guessed it was Chardene.

She wanted to look into his blue eyes and they reminded her of Hugh Grant. She liked his first name Akshar, but thought it may not be polite to call him that since they hardly know each other. She started the conversation, ‘I really enjoyed your presentation; it was very informative. I was a little disappointed when it was announced Bhatt won’t be in today, but I have to say you were wonderful out there and I look forward for your future presentations. I guess you must have got the same compliments from everyone, mine must be just another one to you’ and she smiled.

Chapter 38

He walked back from the bar and sat on the table at the corner to have a peaceful drink, away from the crowd. He just wanted to relax and for a change watch others dance. She noticed someone in the crowd and thought nice dance moves, but she disappeared in the crowd. He was remembering the last minute call from Bhatta and his arrival here and his presentation and how much he had loved doing it. He turned around and started to look at the hall and noticed the architecture on the walls.

The sculpture was beautiful and the hall had marble pillars every three feet giving the room a palace like feel. The ceiling had a detailed painting which he tried to make out, but the dim lights in the room made it very difficult. His neck started to hurt and decided to let it go. The silk drapery was dancing to the tune and the crowd in the room and his eyes moved towards the bar and was contemplating weather to get another drink or not.

She excused herself and stepped out of the dance floor. Couple of more men asked her to dance with them. She was thirsty and felt she had had enough fun and turned down their invitation and walked towards the table where she had left her scarf and her bag. When she was about to sit, she noticed that someone had left their jacket on the chair opposite to hers and wondered who that was. She sat down and poured herself a glass of water and slowly started sipping it while watching others dance.

Chapter 37

After a little while the music started and the mood in the room started to change. It was announced on the mike inviting everyone to the dance floor. There were a few men and women who were not comfortable decided to sit this one out, so did she. She was expecting to see Hiram or Bhatta, she knew Bhatta may not be in, but was not sure about Hiram. She had a lot of questions in her mind and had planned to use this opportunity to talk to him.

He didn’t show up almost until an hour later, and when he walked in he came alone but was crowded by women and she could hardly see him. He was surrounded by women as if the bees are looking for honey in a rare flower. He was dragged onto the dance floor by both men and women and he blended in the crowd. After about twenty minutes he excused himself and walked towards the bar to get a drink. He walked passed her table, hardly noticing her holding his jacket on his right arm.

She had been drinking her glass of wine and was going through the events and had not noticed him when he walked passed her. A gentleman stepped up to her and asked her if she would like to dance. She was not sure if she wanted to, since her mind was somewhere else, and decided to take a break and enjoy the moment. She walked over to the dance floor with him and joined the crowd. She was actually having some fun after a long time, but had never danced with a guy she never knew; at least she should know his name.

Chapter 36

She was almost there, and the taxi driver knew the place very well and it was a lot easier to get there. The driver had mentioned that is the place usually these events take place and had engaged in a conversation with her all the way. She ignored what he was saying and just smiled to make him happy; she felt that he just wanted someone to talk to. She could see cars pulling in and knew she had arrived. Men in suits and blazers and women all dressed up were getting down from their vehicle and she paid the cab driver and was about to open the door, an attendant had rushed over and had already opened the door for her and was greeting her. His eyes were bright and he smiled warmly.

She remembered the look when she walked down the stairs from her room, almost everyone in the room looked at her and she had felt a little uncomfortable, and also thought she was overdressed. The receptionist had called a cab for her and he had walked her to the cab and had opened the door for her. She thanked him and walked towards the entrance, but could still see him staring at her. She ignored him, bore a smile on her lips and walked in. She noticed everybody she had seen earlier that day had a guest; she remembered that her invitation said that you can bring a guest along for the evening.

She was greeted with a rose by the receptionist and showed her the way and gave her an agenda summarizing the events for the evening. She thanked her and walked in; she didn’t really find anyone she remembered, she walked over to the bar and got a glass of coke and the waiter had almost poured the coke all over the counter looking at her. She smiled at him and started looking for a place to sit. She noticed a few men in the room were looking at her, so were some women.

Chapter 35

She got back to her room and started to pack. She flight was very early the next morning; she didn’t wasn’t to do the packing in the morning and in a hurry; she left the essentials for the next day and packed the rest and sat on the end of the bed and was going through the notes she had taken earlier that day. Since it was the last day the session had ended an hour early, she had got back to her room and was taken a short nap, she wanted to look and feel fresh for the evening.

It was already five in the evening, she knew she had to be there around six and put her notes and materials back on the table next to the bed and walked to the bathroom. She splashed some cold water on her face and opened her kit and took a rejuvenating mask and applied on her face. Tied her hair like a bun on the top of her head and continued applying over her neck. It felt very cold and sent a tingly feeling all over her body when she applied it to the back of her neck. She smiled and realized that it was starting to tighten and noted the time she needs to cleanse it off. Went back to the room and sat on the chair and covered her eyes with wet cotton balls for a couple of minutes.

He mask had tightened and she could feel the heat all over her face and could hardly move her facial muscles. Went back to the bathroom and cleansed it with lukewarm water and dotted with a face towel. She started working on her hair, by applying a styling gel and a curling iron. In less than ten minutes she was done with her hair and had transformed it into giving her a wavy look. She took a simple foundation and applied on her face and neck, highlighted her eyelashes, applied subtle blue eyeliner and a lighter shade of the shadow which blended so well with her skin giving her a natural look. She looked at the watch and she knew she had to start in another ten minutes.

Chapter 34

If you do require employees, dealing with them successfully is a major factor in the success of your small business. Besides determining and paying their salaries, you will have to lead, coach, motivate, evaluate and reward your employees appropriately and consistently. While pay is important, you will not be able to pay what large corporations pay their top employees so you will have create an atmosphere where employees will want to stay for reasons other than money. One of the challenges of a small business is to keep top performing employees.

Finally, when a partner does not perform or simply does not fit with your plans because the relationship is no longer mutually beneficial, you have to terminate the relationship. For suppliers and contract workers you may simply not place any more orders with them although you may also feel that you owe them an explanation. For employees it's more difficult because the relationship is closer and governed by a complicated legal framework. You have to make sure that the issues are always performance and mutual benefit and don't become personal.

You can't do everything, even in the smallest business and so you need partners who will help you be successful as you help them. Early on in your venture you have to decide who those partners are going to be and develop close relationships with them. While customers are the key to business success, your partners will help you achieve your goals.

The presentation was over for the day actually for this year, but it had just started for her. It had opened up new ideas and new approaches that she need to think about. She had a lot to process, she was already making plans on what she had to do when she gets back; she was not sure where to start, but decided she will go through her notes and discuss with Chari and take it from there. She wished if there was any way if she could keep in though with Hiram or Bhatta. She decided to talk to Hiram today evening at the thank you dinner.

Chapter 33

For the first time she noticed, how gorgeous his eyes were; he had long eyelashes and beautiful blue eyes which looked as if it was shining in the light. She was able to notice his eyes even through his glasses; she wished he would take them off so that she can see his eyes much better. She felt a little jealous, why men have beautiful eyelashes, it doesn’t matter to them anyway! She started concentrating on what he was talking.

Now we are going to discuss about how to find good subcontractors, suppliers and employees and how to keep them. How to motivate good employees and how to reward them? With any business, you have partners which help you to succeed and who will want to share in your success. These are your suppliers, your contract workers and your employees. They make it possible for you to supply your customers with the products and services they want and to reach the goals you have set for your business. It is therefore very important to identify good partners, give them feedback on their performance and to reward them when you are successful because of them.

Your relationship to your suppliers and contract workers is governed by the contracts you sign with them and by agreements you reach. As you work more closely with your partners and build up experience and trust, you'll save time by not having to formalize everything. You'll work together to be successful together - you'll realize that, what's good for one is good for the other. The best partners are those for whom this applies the most.

Employees are more complicated. Their relationship with you is essentially contractual but also legal, with all jurisdictions imposing special laws on the employer/employee relationship. This means the mutual benefits which drive your other relations and simplify them don't apply. As a result, becoming an employer is a big step and costly in terms of time, money and effort. Your small business may need to have employees but more and more don't and rely on contract workers and suppliers instead. If you decide not to become an employer, it is critical that you pay attention to the laws defining the employee relationship so that you don't, in the future, have your contract workers declared employees for tax purposes.

Chapter 32

During lunch, she felt like people would give him a break, poor guy, people won’t let him have a peaceful lunch. She had some questions too; all the listening had given her quiet an appetite. She thought either the food was really good or she must be really hungry. Tomato soup was out of the world and the lasagna she had was good too, she didn’t venture into the Asian cuisine and the Mediterranean cuisine section. She helped herself with some Indian bread and felt satisfied. She liked a not too heavy lunch and preferred a heavy dinner and breakfast. She took some pineapple and sliced cantaloupes and watermelon and they were perfect to her taste.

Something about his last name “Hiram”, she couldn’t place it but made her wonder. He is an Asian by origin, but there are some features about him, she was not sure what to think of it and decided not to think about it. She stepped out of the lunch room and made some calls to Lisa and Mike and checked on a few things. She also placed a call to Chari, but couldn’t talk to him, spoke to his wife and daughter and enquired if everything was going smooth. She knew Chari’s son would be coming for his sisters wedding, and wondered if he had arrived after hanging up. She wanted to talk to him about this presentation.

It was time for the afternoon session and she saw everyone getting back in there after a good lunch. She joined them too and had to take a seat at the back since someone had already taken the seat where she was seated before. He started by cracking a small joke and made sure that everyone was attentive and started his presentation. The lights started to dim and in the screen was at a slight angle from where she was sitting, so she had to move to her side a little to see clearly. He was standing to his right when he moved towards the screen to point out something; the light ray from the projector fell on his face and highlighted his eyes.

Chapter 31

Keeping records deals with what you're doing - the next step is dealing with what you're going to what you will have to do. Planning starts with goals and works backwards from there. You reduce the goals to tiny steps that need to be taken, schedule the steps and track progress. You'll be surprised how liberating it is when you no longer have a huge and distant goal that has to be achieved in front of you but rather a tiny step that has to be and can easily be taken today.

The final step in organizing and planning your business is to plan for failure and unexpected events. Such things will happen. If you've planned for them, they become hiccups on the road to success. If you don't plan for them, they are major, paralyzing disasters which can lead to the failure of your business and the forced abandoning of the goals you've worked towards. And there's a link back to ensuring quality. That process can be applied to any activity - we explored how to apply it to production in the previous lesson but it can also be applied to running a business. "Define" your goals, "Decide" how to achieve them, "Carry Out" the activities and "Check" your result. That's planning which results in organization. That's what you have to achieve for your small businesses.

She had noted down some questions she had wanted to ask, but someone out there seemed to have the same concerns as her and was already asking the question. He welcomed questions from the audience and was answering them with examples and with a detailed explanation. The more he explained the more questions were thrown at him, and it looked like he was actually enjoying answering them. She decided that she had to find some time to talk to him, she was not sure if it was possible.

Chapter 30

The session continued after a ten minute break. The room was filled with the aroma from the coffee. She was holding a glass of cold water in her arm. She would have gone for a coffee if she had not had a good breakfast, or if the session were boring, it was neither and she was feeling quiet refreshed so she settled down with a glass of water. Her watch indicated it was eleven ten and she wondered how many glasses of water one would need after talking continuously for a couple of hours. He walked backed to the mike and was ready to continue with the session. She felt his French beard added to his intelligence and she continued taking notes.

‘The next topic we are going t discuss is about organization and planning. Two key elements of running a small business are organizing the small business in such a way that it runs smoothly and planning what you're going to do with your small business. Both are important for the present-day operations and for the future when you will some day be looking at selling or handing your business over to someone else. Both now, when you want to hire someone to do some of the work and in the future, nobody will be able to come in and perform effectively if the business is not organized clearly and has plans with goals and targets.

Many small business owners are tremendously stressed from keeping everything in their heads and trying to remember what's next. This is very counterproductive because, not only does it draw the owner's attention away from where it should be; it isn't an effective frame of mind when you're discussing with customers. Your work and what you have to do should be recorded. You should plan your work by working from those records and you should schedule your work so that you can do it with time to spare. The spare time can then be used to deal with emergencies or for working towards reaching your business's goals. Once you achieve this, you'll be calm and focused for your meetings and phone calls with your customers.’

Chapter 29

There are three reasons why ensuring quality is important for the success of a small business. First, ensuring quality will ensure that you have satisfied customers. Satisfied customers will stick with you and in turn ensure that you are successful and reach the goals you set out for your business. Second, customers which always get the quality they expect will help you create the image of a business dedicated to quality. That kind of reputation is only available to businesses which consistently deliver the quality that is ordered.

Third, using quality assurance procedures ensures that you get the quality you want but also ensures reproducibility. If you do something well, you want to be able to do it again exactly the same way. Delivering quality products and services is good for business and that alone is reason enough to apply the appropriate procedures. Beyond that though, there is a tremendous satisfaction in delivering something that you know is good and will do the job your customer wants’.

Oh my god! this is good. These presentations, ideas, what he is talking about, this are exactly what I was looking for. Oh! I wish I could record everything I have heard today in my head. I love this guy and his ideas, I wish I could hire him and let him be my advisor, I will expand faster, much faster, with her thoughts racing, she also realized hiring him is practically not possible and she can’t afford to pay his salary. She started writing whatever he had discussed about, so that she can remember, go back home and try to implement them.

Chapter 28

She was amazed listening to what he was talking, she has been working on this issue and had always concentrated on the fact that it works fine before it reaches the customer, but never really thought about the second aspect of keeping in tough with the customer and request the feedback for future changes. She wondered why she had given it much thought until now; maybe because it had been a few years and she had expanded to a different location and is more comfortable to this idea, she still thought she should have implemented his second point earlier; better late than never.

‘In a customer-oriented small business, quality is defined by the customers. You may have your ideas about what a quality product or service in your field of activity looks like and that's a good starting point. But, in the end, what matters is not what you think but what your customers need, want and are willing to pay for. There is a process for ensuring quality and it can be applied to just about any activity. It involves recording the key qualities and characteristics that you want to achieve in your activity.

You then write down the key factors which will let you achieve these qualities and characteristics. Finally you decide on tests and checks which will satisfy you that the desired qualities and characteristics have been achieved. All through your activity you keep records of what happened and, at the end, if a particular test is not passed, you go back to those records, find out why and correct how you did things. This process, if carried out consistently, will always result in the desired results and will ensure the quality you set out to achieve’.

Chapter 27

He was ready to proceed to the next topic after answering the questions from the audience. The slides came up and he continued, ‘Quality is one of the major key factors to satisfy your customer, think your self in his shoes, you want the best product that money can buy but also like to get the best deal; How to make sure your customer gets the quality of products and services you intended to deliver and he has paid for. Let’s look at the key features to meet and ensure quality.

Quality is defined as the degree of excellence. When you're ensuring a particular level of quality, you're ensuring that your product or service has the desired degree of excellence - more importantly, you're ensuring that the customer receives the level of quality he expects and which he paid for. Many businesses use Quality Assurance programs to ensure that they produce the desired quality. These are international standards which, if applied consistently, will ensure that you get the results you want.

Quality as far as your products and services are concerned has two aspects: what you sell has to do what it is supposed to do and it has to keep doing it for a reasonable length of time. The first aspect is achieved by checking out your product or service before it reaches the customer. If it doesn't do what it is supposed to, you can fix it. The second aspect is achieved by staying in contact with customers to check if what you supplied meets their expectations. If it doesn't, you can change how you do things so that it will in the future’.

Chapter 26

She was disappointed that Bhatta was not going to be doing the presentation, her enthusiasm was gone; she was not interested in the presentation had disappeared, she didn’t even bother looking up while the new presenter was being introduced. He stepped up and greeted the audience. ‘You walk into a restaurant at 10.30 and it is almost time for them to close. They fix you a quick meal and you also want a dessert, there is not much option left and the manager says we will give you today’s special and he brings out a nicely decorated bowl with graham crackers topped with some ice cream and some cotton candy with a couple of cherries on the top. You think wow this is something new, and enjoy the dessert but that was actually a quick fix since it was time to close, and the chef had left the building and they still want you to be satisfied and want you to pay for the dessert. That’s exactly what I am today!’

The crowd broke into laughter for a couple of seconds. She looked up with a smile and was astonished how he could turn the disappointment in the room into something that everyone could look forward to. She appreciated his sense of humor, and also realized he definitely knows the subject, she also noticed his confidence and figured he was starting to get warmed up. She knew the presentation was going to be as good as it had been yesterday. She was ready with her pen and paper and the questions she had come up with last night. The whole crowd was ready with her, the lights started to dim and she was able to see the projector.

He recapped what was discussed the previous day by Bhatta and asked if anyone had any questions on that or he can continue further. There were a couple of questions from the audience, and she was listening to his voice and noticed how wonderful his voice modulation was. He sounded very different when he talked about the audience, as if he was able to sense the mood of the crowd, and now he was more authoritative, reminded her of one of her college lecturers whom she had adored for his power of knowledge. She realized she could learn a lot form this guy standing there, who was also quiet good looking.

Chapter 25

The flight was good and he was on time and someone was waiting for him at the airport. He was hungry; he had slept on the flight and had skipped breakfast. He wanted to grab a bite, but was not sure how long it will take to get to his destination from the airport. It was not too far and they made it in less than twenty minutes. He was introduced to the technician, who will be responsible in setting up everything for the presentation. He gave him instructions and was taken to the breakfast buffet. The smell of food made him hungrier and he started with some fruits and had a bite of almost everything that was there. He had some juice and carried a glass of water, which was mostly filled with ice rather than water and walked towards the technician.

Couple of women noticed him and took an instant liking for him and was trying to start a conversation with him. He politely excused himself since it was almost time for the event to start. Everyone slowly started to walk in to the room and was finding the best seats they could get, some men and women were looking for an opportunity to find a seat next to someone they liked and start a conversation. The room was full as expected and everyone out there was waiting for Bhatta. But he was no where to be seen and the organizer walked up to the mike and requested every ones attention.

He started speaking, ‘Bhatta won’t be able to continue with his presentation today, he has been called in for a family emergency’, and before he could continue there was a sigh of disappointment from the crowd. ‘But we have someone here who will be filling in for him today and Mr.Bhatta himself has recommended this gentleman over here to fill in for him. He is equally qualified and has known Mr.Bhatta for a very long time’. He went on briefing his qualifications and ended as, ‘without further a due I would like to invite “Mr. Akshar Hiram” to continue with his presentation.

Chapter 24

He was ready and went through the notes he had received via email and was quiet comfortable, actually he was more than comfortable; he had helped create those slides a few years back and he was surprised he remembered almost everything, every bit of it. He remembered how much he had enjoyed doing it with Bhatta. He had not spoken to Bhatta in a while, life had been busy for him after he had got married, he was not a bachelor anymore, and with his second kid on the way his responsibilities had increased and they were in contact occasionally via emails or whenever it was necessary. Bhatta had aged over the last three years and he looked much older that he actually was, but he was professionally savvy.

Bhatta had called him earlier today and his plans for the day had changed completely because of that. It took him a while to digest what Bhatta had said over the phone since he was half asleep when he had picked up the call. ‘Mickey! Good Morning. Sorry to wake you up this early in the morning. I need a favor to ask you, a major one. I am in the mid of a crisis, my wife’s water broke and I have to take her to the hospital and to top it all my mother in law broke her leg and things are not looking good for me right now. So I have pulled some strings and was wondering I could ask my best buddy a huge favor and fill in for me at a presentation.

Bhatta was influential and was very good at politics and good at what he did. People liked him; he was analytical in his approach and was seldom wrong. Because of that he had risen up in his carrier at a young age. He was a good friend and he couldn’t say no to a good friend and anyway he didn’t have much to do. Bhatta had pulled some strings and had set everything in motion; well he didn’t have much to do that day anyway. If the flight was on time he would be there at eight thirty. He could not believe, how fast he had gotten ready and how his plan had changed unexpectedly that day. He buckled his belt up and was ready for take off.

Chapter 23

She woke up at 6.00 AM and placed a call to Mike and confirmed that everything was going on fine in her absence. She had a nice shower, enjoyed every minute of it, she was happy that the massage head was actually working and was refreshing that morning. She was going through the agenda for the day in her mind, she was eager to learn more and was happy that the session was not boring; actually it was very interesting and very informative. The warm water from the shower was forming a thin layer on the mirror on the bathroom and steam was filling in the room, but she felt as if she were in a mystical place of knowledge.

Instead of ordering in breakfast, she decided to go to the restaurant downstairs and enjoy her morning breakfast with the morning news. It was almost empty when she walked in and took a couple of slices of an orange and some blueberries. She ordered a bull’s eye with a French toast and settled down comfortably, positioning herself for a perfect view of the television. She loved berries, all of them, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries; she would eat them any time of the day. She enjoyed her breakfast and there was nothing important on the news except that some local robbery and some police chase.

When she walked in, she remembered that today was the last day and complimentary breakfast was included and everybody was already there and looked like they were enjoying their breakfast. She found a seat and sat down comfortably. Someone walk next to her took and seat and asked, ‘Hey! How are you? It has been a while we crossed each others path? Good to see you here? May be we can grab a bite together after this is over’. She stared at the one ear pierced, pony tailed, five feet seven inches tall, with a sharp long nose, and she was not sure if she had met him before or was he asking her out, her mind drew a blank.

Chapter 22

He loved pineapples, he decided to cook a meal that calls for pineapples; He started to work in his kitchen with his mushrooms, pineapples and red onions. He prepared his sauce out of garlic, ginger and chilies and added some tamarind paste and soy sauce. He loved the aroma when the flavors were combined. He knew this recipe so well, still he didn’t want to mess around with it, so wrote the instructions in a paper and started following the instructions. The rice was cooking on an electric cooker while his sauce and veggies were almost done.

He love shrimp, but will always eat in moderation especially after the time he had a reaction after eating a pound with his friends at a party. He just added a few and prepared his meal and sat down to watch some movie. He had three movies that he had picked up on his way and settled himself on his couch with his big bowl of Thai Stir Fried Rice and Pineapple, "Kho Pad Sapparot" as it is called in Thai. He had finished two bottles of beer by the time it all the three movies had ended and he went to bed without bothering to clean anything.

It was 5.00 am when his phone rang and unsuccessfully cried to the answering machine. So did his pager and his cell phone. This cycle continued for the next ten minutes until he woke up and picked up his receiver and hung up on the caller and the receiver was hanging like an abandoned child on the streets. The cycle continued with his cell phone and his pager and he tried to cover up his head with a pillow which didn’t do any good. At last he got up and grabbed the cell phone and was about to switch it off, looking at the name on the caller id, he changed his mind, and his face wore a surprised look.

Chapter 21

All she could hear was just his words, there was no other noise coming from there except people breathing. She was enjoying every minute of his presentation, she has heard some of these things before, but now she felt as if she was hearing it for the first time and it made her think more and pay more attention to him. He took a break and reached for his water and continued. She envied him at the same time appreciated him for his art of presentation.

Next look at your competitors. What you want is to add things to your products and services that your potential customers value, that don't cost you very much but that cost your competitors more. If you can find something like that, you have a competitive advantage. You'll be able to set your prices lower than your competitor and you'll get the customers that value what you've added. If everyone selling into that market acted that way, then each competitor would add those things which he did the best and at the lowest cost. Each competitor would have the best price for what he did best. The customers would win all around and everyone would make a fair profit.

That's the theory. It doesn't always work out that way but it's still the best strategy for a small business and, if you stick to it consistently, you will be able to compete effectively in most markets. Now, let's look at the details of how to apply this strategy. In order to apply this strategy you have to guarantee quality. How to make sure your customer gets the quality of products and services you intended to deliver and he has paid for. Let us discuss this in detail tomorrow and have good evening gentlemen.

Chapter 20

She guessed him to be in his late thirties even though his belly and bald head made him five years older. He gave a brief introduction about himself and went straight to the point. The lights were dimmed and the slides started changing on the screen and he started talking. He started by categorizing the key features into three; setting prices, ensuring quality and organization and planning. He looked at the audience and asked ‘How to set fair prices for value so that customers are happy and the business is profitable’. There were some answers from the audience, he smiled and moved on to the next slide and started his explanation.

To run your business successfully you have to generate revenue and make a profit. To do this you have to set your prices low enough so that your products or services will sell well but high enough so that you can pay yourself and reach your financial goals. To do this in the best way possible you have to know your customers and what they value; your products/services and their advantages and your competitors and their weaknesses. Traditionally businesses set their prices by looking at their costs, adding profit and thus getting a selling price. This is fine for getting an idea of about where your prices should be but what about the competitor across town who sells for almost half your price - how does he do that? And what about the guy down the road who seems to be doing a booming business but has prices that are much higher?

Then there are things you can do which will make your product or service better and more expensive - but do your customers want that? Is the improved quality you're giving them good value for them? And if it is good value, do they see it as good value? What you want to do, when setting your prices, is find out what your potential customers value about your products and services, what additional things they would value and which of the things that you're putting in now they don't care about. Then you look at the cost of providing any of these things. You want to keep and add qualities which your customers value and which don't cost you very much. You want to get rid of things which they don't care about and which cost you money. Now you've got a good match between what your potential customers value, what you are going to give them and your pricing.

Chapter 19

She nodded at the stranger friendly saying that the seat was not taken. Well at a symposium all are strangers, you are here to meet them and learn new things from them. The woman next to her had a heavy makeup on which still did not help hide the blemishes in her skin. She was a petite woman who looked thirty three but should be at least thirty five. Her petite figure and the heavy make up made her look younger. In another hour it was time for lunch and the session they will meet again by two in the afternoon.

The whole purpose of her visit for today’s afternoon session, something she wanted to learn, she had questions and concerns and was looking for some answers. She had a good lunch and was back to the hall and this time took a seat in the front right in front of the projector as it was being set up. She didn’t know who the presenter was, but have heard a lot about him from Chari and others. She was looking forward the session and was going through the agenda for the afternoon, which looked very interesting.

The room was packed with people; she wondered are they here for this guy or was she is her own world this morning? She was not sure. He was a little less than five-four, bald on the back of his head, and had a thin gold plated old fashioned glasses, probably point two; he had a white full arm shirt tucked in his black pant which couldn’t hold his tummy in. He was ten minutes early and made sure that his slides etc were ready; he took a seat waited to be introduced to start the presentation. She had expected him to be much older, based on what he heard from others she had expected to meet someone of age fifty to sixty.

Chapter 18

He had changed over the years and his experience had an impact over his change, he was handsome and he dated models and hot shots and broke their heart. He thought that would make him happy but he was wrong. He was back in his home town for a change, but enjoyed spending time there and decided to stay there for good. His pain eased away eventually and he was back to being his good old self again, but he kept women at a distance, charmed them but swore he will never let anyone hurt him again. Little did he know there was someone out there who knows the secret to unlock his interior?

Traffic was a drag, he was almost inching to get to where he wanted, and he felt a lot better than the lecture from his sister; there was some accident that had brought the traffic to almost a stand still. He was stuck in the traffic for a couple of hours and decided to go home since it would take a couple of more others for him to get to his friends. He took the local roads and the single lane roads were much better that the highway today. It felt like the whole world was against him.

He got some groceries on his way home and decided to cook himself a nice meal and watch a movie and relax. He used to cook twice a week few years back; things had changed once he moved closer to his sister; she was a good cook, but he always gave her a hard time, he enjoyed doing that, but she knew that he loved her cooking. He decided to prepare a Thai cuisine that he had learnt when he was in Boston from a room mate. He loved the delicate flavors but usually avoided the spice.

Chapter 17

I love you, I will always love you, but I have to sacrifice my love for you to pursue my dream, I know this is going to break your heart, but you will never know how though it has been for me to come to this decision, I just couldn’t bring myself to see you or even talk to you. If I miss this opportunity I will regret it for the rest of my life. Now every designer in the world wants me, I am already booked up for the next whole year, you will always have a special place in my heart that no one can replace, but I have to do this, I may never love anyone as much I loved you.’

There was silence; he was watching her while she talked, she choked up a couple of time while she talked to him; he took deep breaths to control her tears; he guessed she probably didn’t want anyone to see her crying, her eyes were red, and had lost its charm, she was happy that she was able to pursue her dream, but he knew she was not happy to break up with him. He knew this was going to happen, he had prepared himself from the time he had felt it until she started talking, he was very good at dealing with stress and pain, usually at work, but this hurts, still hurts.

She was on magazine covers and everywhere he turned his head, he was trying to get over the hurt and trying to get along with his not so wonderful life. After a couple of weeks after that, it was announced on TV that she and Emmanuel were getting married, he lost it. He got drunk and spent the whole day watching his old favorite ‘The Mad Mad World’. He was hurt, more than he was when they broke up, he was sober, and he knew he has to get away from there, he needed time to heal!

Chapter 16

He wouldn’t have thought much of it normally, he would have probably guessed him to be her father, but he was too familiar as if he had seen him somewhere, he couldn’t place it though; he had no resemblance to her and he was shorter than she was and pulpier so he was a bit puzzled; what through him off was the look in her eyes, it was different, something he had not seen before, he knew something was up, something he did not want to hear, definitely not now and not from her. He was happy and he sensed that was not going to last long.

There was a strange silence for a couple of minutes between them, she proposed that they go someplace private and talk, he nodded and neither of them talked until they reached a place where they could talk. She was still carrying the flowers he had given her, but how gracefully she walked or how pretty the flowers looked, was something others noticed when the passed by; it didn’t matter to either of them. They took a seat in the far off corner of the restaurant and he got a cup of coffee for himself and a latté for her. He was waiting for her to talk. She was not sure how she was going to tell him.

Finally he broke the silence after finishing his coffee; he could wait no more, ‘So what is going on? Seems like you have some explaining to do?’ She slowly started talking,’ you know how much I wanted to become a number one model, that has been my childhood dream, I have tried long and hard and tried everything I could do to get there, but sometimes talent is not enough, looks is not enough, it take more, one has to sacrifice certain things in life to get there. I love you, I really do, but this has to end. You probably know him, he is Emmanuel, you might have seen in magazines and on television, he saw me in some photo shoot and gave me the opportunity I have been waiting for. Initially I thought he liked my work, it turns out, I was wrong, he wants more, and he wants me to be his.

Chapter 15

It was more beautiful than he had anticipated. The florist had done an excellent job and was worth the price. He knew she would love it; he was thrilled and was off to meet her at her photo shoot. Traffic was relatively better than he had anticipated; she was busy changing costumes and with her make-up. Her co-artist seemed very familiar but couldn’t remember his name; it looked like they were shooting a commercial. He waited until she was finished, he didn’t expect it to take this long, usually it is about twenty to thirty minutes, but today it took more than an hour and at last she was done. He walked into her dressing room and knocked on the door and she promptly asked him to come in.

She was surprised to see him and loved the flowers and appreciated how thoughtful he was. She seemed very happy; he was happy to see her happy. He wanted to kiss her, but she was still removing her make-up; she told him that her dreams had come true and she was one step away from being the top most model; she kissed him on his cheek and asked him to wait outside for her to finish up. She was out in less than fifteen minutes, she looked beautiful in a simple skirt and a blouse, she started walking towards him, someone interrupted, and he guessed him to be the producer or agent or someone else.

They talked for a couple of minutes and she nodded to what ever he was saying, with all the background noise he could hardly hear what they were talking about, he was neither interested in knowing. She had to sign some autographs before getting to where he was and she seemed overjoyed, yet he felt he saw something that he had seen in her the first time he met her. He was not sure what it was; he wanted to take her out for dinner and catch up with her on all the sudden changes and was about to ask her where she wanted to go, the man she was talking to a couple of minutes earlier; came by kissed her on her lips, ‘see you at dinner, sweet heart!’ and left.

Chapter 14

He felt he was in a good place in life, nice job, he was planning to buy a house and he was in love. He was remembering how he had met her and how the past few months of his life has been. He called her but only got her voice message. He tried a couple of times later that day but couldn’t reach her. He left a brief message saying that he missed her and asked her to call him back. He guessed she must be busy with her photo shoots. He knew she wanted to be a top model but had a tough time getting there. He knew how hard she worked but was still doing small advertisements and commercials. She wanted to be number one, she was not going to give up, and he admired her ambition and wished she would succeed.

Couple of days later she decided to visit her at one of her photo shoots since she had not returned his calls. He was starting to get worried. No matter where she was, they always spoke over the phone. He called up her agent’s office and found out where he can find her. He remembered she loved the French Country side very much; that would brighten her up on any bad day, he looked through the yellow pages and called up a couple of florists and asked them if they could make a bouquet with his specifications within a couple of hours. Luckily he found one but was a little out of his way, so he decided to have it delivered to his home, he wanted to give it to her in person.

Like summer in the country, he ordered a bouquet, a warm reminder of just how good things are. He felt it would be perfect for her. The bouquet had Asters, chrysanthemums, sunflowers, delphinium, cosmos and dahlias all arranged in a simple wicker basket that added to the natural beauty of the country feel. He picked a sky blue full sleeve and a navy blue Dockers, tucked in perfectly; he was looking very handsome. She had purchased the shirt for him couple of months ago; he combed his hair, checked the mirror to see if he needed a shave or not, sprayed some Channel 1 and was waiting for his flowers to be delivered at his door.

Chapter 13

His apartment which he shared with a roommate who was out for that day was nothing like a bachelors’ pad; it was cleaner and not much furniture, just the guy stuff. It had two bedrooms and he lived in the smaller of the two, which had a bed and small table in the corner with all his books and belongings. This is not the first time she was visiting him, but this was the first time they knew they were more than friends. She was sweet and he loved spending time with her, he was slowly falling in love with her and he knew she felt the same way about him. He was not a big fan of Chinese food, but today he enjoyed because of her company.

She moved closer to him and kissed him. Her lips were soft and he did not want to let go of them. She pulled out his tucked in shirt and ran her hands through his back and kissed his neck; she felt his strong arms do the same to her and she was on his lap on the couch and they were kissing each other fiercely. The couch was dark green in color with wooden rims that were partially covered with the cushion and had a couple of matching throw pillows which were thrown onto the floor to make more room. The television was broadcasting the local news and channels were changing frequently as if someone was surfing through them so fast, they were unaware of the fact that the remote was sandwiched between them and the couch.

She took his hand and he walked behind her as if he was mesmerized by her, into his room and closed the door behind him. It started to drizzle outside and it turned out to be a thunder storm. Couples of cars were screaming outside since their alarm went off due to the thunderstorm and the full moon was showing the way to the light less streets which turned out to be the best thing one could hope for at a fiery night. The storm inside had finally ended leaving a feeling that he had never felt before and a realization that he was in love along with a very messy room with things scattered around which any of them had noticed or it even mattered; It was still pouring outside.

Chapter 12

He was impressed at how much she was interested and left the room without disturbing them. She had learnt a lot in the last couple of months, he felt he can give her a task to work on just to challenge her and also he had too much on his plate to get done since he was taking up a new job overseas and had agreed to finish up his current projects. Helping him out, she had learned that first one should do a project inventory; then you need to identify projects that match strategic objectives and prioritize and categorize your projects.

She had also learned the hurdles to portfolio management. Taking power away from business leaders accustomed to calling the shots will not always go smoothly; Getting good information isn't easy and it is always hard to make tough decisions on whether to undertake or cancel projects; It's an additional time constraint on busy executives. She had come up with an outline for the project she had been working on and was quiet impressive. The one think that she had not discussed in her profile was that sometime you have to abandon a project; she didn’t like that idea or was not open to it or maybe it’s not her. It was excellent for an amateur considering she had spent just two months leaning it and this was her first portfolio!

It was time for him to leave for Germany, she hugged him in the airport and he gave a peck on her cheek, he bit farewell to his family and was about to enter the checkpoint. Suddenly he walked back and asked her “why don’t you start a small business? Think about it” and took off. She was speechless; she didn’t know if she was good at it she was just twenty one years old! Will I be able to make it? I hardly know anything about business, starting my own! She was not sure, but her mind had already started planning her future when she had spoken to her brother over the phone for a couple of hours. “Excuse me, is this seat taken?” she was brought back to reality and realized she was at the symposium when a stranger asked her.

Chapter 11

She was glad he took it well; even though he had really liked her he also knew this has to end at some point. She knew that she will always have a special place in his heart; even felt a little guilty for not feeling what he felt. It had changed her, her curiosity was gone and she realized for the first time, that there is more to life and to him than she had expected. He introduced her to stocks, and the ups and downs and the risk of it. Once she got the hang of it she was more than good at it. He was handling portfolio management for a group of companies. She was thirsty for knowledge; and eager to learn and they ended up spending time together more than ever, since she wanted to know everything he was doing.

Chari’s wife was getting uncomfortable with the amount of time they were spending together. She was after her husband to find out if something was going on between them and put a stop to it. When he walked in he saw his son explaining about project proposals. She was paying full attention to what he was explaining and he was talking about a current project he was working on. They didn't have defined processes for reviewing project proposals; projects were pretty much recommended by senior vice presidents in each business area," he said. "They were attempting to do many more projects than they had the capacity to do. Bad projects squeezed out good projects. There was no visibility of what was being done throughout the organization."

A strong portfolio management program can turn all that around and do the following, it can maximize value of your investments while minimizing the risk; Improve communication and alignment between IS and business leaders; Encourage business leaders to think "team," not "me," and to take responsibility for projects; Allow planners to schedule resources more efficiently and also help reduce the number of redundant projects and make it easier to kill projects. All that means more pennies in your piggy bank. She didn’t understand the part when he said easier to kill projects but was very much interested that you can make more money.

Chapter 10

At last he was able to dodge some bullets from his sister and get out of the house. He couldn’t deal with it anymore. He had to get out of there. Even though her lecture lasted only an hour and a half it felt like a whole day. It would have been better if she had been upset with him for showing up so late, to top it all his brother-in-law joined her today. He couldn’t believe the day he was having. He knew where his friends would be at this time of the day; he was on his way. He knew very well his sister had his best interest at heart; but setting up with a girl giving her number, that he had not anticipated. He loved his sister but he was upset, decided not to visit her for a few days or until she promised not to do any crazier thing like this. He knew the girl must have been pretty, he hardly had a chance to look at anyone in the party, and he had been wrapped up with the shenanigans of his three year old niece whom he adored. His sister had no idea what had happened four years ago and how hard it had been for him to get back on.

He was reading a book and having a cup of coffee in a small coffee place near Oxford. She asked if the seat opposite to him was taken with a French accent, since the coffee house was unusually crowded that day. She was pretty, about five-six, long legs, blond hair, and was wearing a beautiful spaghetti strip top and a black leather miniskirt, occasionally reveling a little waist. He guessed her to be twenty three, upset and ambitious. He nodded indicating that she can have the seat. Her eyes were bubbly and kind of felt she was in some kind of distress. She was staring out the window and hardly had a sip of her latté. He had buried himself into his book, but couldn’t help notice that something was bothering her. He looked at her and asked her if she was feeling okay. She didn’t hear him. He repeated his question the second time and she sort of nodded her head. He went back to his book and didn’t really notice when she had left.

Couple of months later he had accidentally run into her at the same coffee shop, and she recognized him instantly and they had talked about their career and politics among other things for hours and had exchanged each others phone numbers when they had left. They were starting to spend time with each other and like each other. As he had expected she was modeling for a small agency and wanted to be among the top models in the world. He saw that she was talented and had the ambition and was willing to work hard. One day she invited him to watch one of her photo shoots and they had planned to go out for dinner. Due to technical reasons at her photo shoot they got delayed unexpectedly and had settled for Chinese take-out and drove back to his house since it was the closer of the two.

Chapter 9

She knew this has to end. Last night had changed her; it was nothing like what the books had described. She knew she didn’t feel what he had felt; she was starting to realize she was not curious anymore; she had been attracted to the idea of him and not him; she had felt a rush when she knew he was going to kiss; not when he had actually kissed her; she couldn’t even remember how she had felt; she had felt nothing, zero what so ever. She did not know how he felt, but knew she had to end this before it gets any further. She had spent the night tossing and turning thinking of a way to end this. She was not attracted to him anymore, she did not want to see or talk to him the next morning, but knew she had to and finding a way to end this had given her a headache and she had taken an aspirin and had fallen asleep.

She felt something on her lips and opened her eyes slowly and was surprised to see him sitting next to her. She remembered locking her door before going to bed and was not sure how he had opened it. He wanted to know how she was doing and guessed he must have kissed her on her lips. She was a bit annoyed that he had come into her room without her permission; she was not sure if she would have felt the same way yesterday. She told him she had a headache and would like to sleep for a while and he kissed her once more and left the room. She was clearer than ever that she need to end this now but had no idea how she was going to end it.

She lay there for a while thinking and had taken a shower and had thought about how sweet he had been to her and helped her when she had got hurt and she decided to put aside her initial thoughts. She had initially decided to tell him that she had felt nothing when he had kissed her, but not anymore. The more she thought about it she realized it was a bad idea and it would probably hurt him. She had thought long and hard and had come up with an idea to let him down easily. She will use the fact that Chari had seen her more as a daughter than as a guest in his house. He had done everything he would do for his daughter and if this continues it would break his heart. She had gone through many scenarios and that turned out to be the best and she knew he would agree to it too, he had to.