As soon as Rachna stepped into her office the next day, Raja approached her desk with a clipboard in his hand. "Hey, Rachna," he said as he handed the clipboard to her. "This is the list of everyone who will attend the reunion and those who won't. The guests will stay in various cottages for two days and one night. They'll also be given rooms and a complimentary meal for three meals each day. In addition, I've called the caterer to get everything organised for the weekend. We'll set a lunchtime schedule so everyone can come in and eat together, starting at eleven o'clock sharp. We expect a big turnout." Rachna smiled at Raja. "That sounds great, Raja. Thanks." "No problem," Raja said, smiling. "Also," he added, "We want to be prepared for any issues that may occur during the weekend. Please let me know if there are any questions, so we can give you all the necessary answers." "I will." Rachna nodded her head. "Thank you." Raja turned towards the exit, but not before stopping besi
One floor below were Jyoti and her husband, Sunil. They marvelled at the magnificent room booked just for them; they were especially surprised by how large it was. It might have been bigger than their living room back in Delhi. "This is amazing," Sunil gasped, his eyes taking in every piece of furniture and decoration the room had to offer. It all looked appeasing, and she smiled broadly, soaking in the beauty of the environment. Jyoti walked into the bathroom to find it even more commendable, "indeed it is." She smiled, returning to her husband in the bedroom. "Your friend Rachna is something else," he admired as he went through the little suitcase he had brought for their trip. "Trust me, my dear, you have not seen all." "This is just a sample; that woman has many surprises behind that dazzling smile of hers," Jyoti said, making her husband hike his brows in amazement. "Well, in that case, I cannot wait to see what more she has in store. I am sure you will all do wonderful thi
Jyoti heaved a sigh of relief as she stepped into the tent. Then, her sigh of relief turned to a stuffed scream as she tried to make sense of everything her eyes were taking in. The tent looked smaller on the outside than it actually was because it contained a king-sized bed, a lamp, and a small closet. It was fascinating. "How does Rachna pull all this together?" Sunil asked in wonder. Rachna had dazed him from the moment he saw her. She was stunning, and he couldn't help but admit it. Every minute he spent around her made him like her more. "She just keeps amazing me." "I know, right," Jyoti admitted. She, too, was in awe. She collapsed onto the bed and took off her short white skirt for the meeting. "I can't wait to hear what she has to say tomorrow. I know, like always, her plans would be spectacular." Sunil took off his polo t-shirt, revealing his hard skin. His muscles relaxed as he felt at ease. "This was so thoughtful of her." He said, gesturing at the firefly simulation th
Rachna was up early the next day as she got ready for the central meeting of the event. She decided to go traditional, so a matching purple saree clung to her body, along with oversized earrings and accessories. She wanted to look bold, and purple was the colour for that. She got word from Raja that they were all seated thirty minutes before the meeting was scheduled to begin, and she appreciated them. She wouldn't take much of them, but they needed to settle for what was about to come. Her breakfast was light, toast and tea, and she hoped that would sustain her till she could get a full meal. She was always an enormous eater. Surprisingly, Sunil had gone out earlier than her to meet a few people regarding business. She was happy he was now on his feet and organised. Everyone was doing fine, and it gave her much joy. She stepped into the event hall Raja had prepared and waved as she walked by the many people who had gathered to see her. They all looked beautiful and happy. Rachna k
Tarun called for a group chat the following day before leaving, and everyone headed to the cafeteria for refreshments. There was a complimentary set-up for every one of them. Rachna took a little moment to thank everyone who had attended. She knew she would not have the time to meet them again before they left, so she let them know how much their presence meant to her and encouraged them to enjoy themselves. As they all walked towards their destination, Rachna felt a presence beside her. Sanjay came up to her. He smiled at her. "Wow, Rachna, you are amazing. You have done wonders. My wife Kavita is impressed to see your Palani resort and hospitality. The scenery of the green hills is electrifying. In the US, we do not see such things often. You are a real winner," Sanjay told her, taking her hands in his. Rachna blushed. "Thanks, Sanjay. I have just started. I hear you manage a big corporation in the US?" "But I am still a salaried employee there. You are the boss here," he said,
After a long twenty-four hours that included bed, breakfast, and fun in between, Rachna finally arrived home. She was happy she could finally rest, but she still had a lot of work to do. Since Kabir had been so kind to let everyone give her a day off, it still meant more work piled up on her table. She got a call from Sunil, and it surprised her. She hadn't expected to hear from them after the meeting, but he and his wife seemed ready to be with her. He suggested the union minister should be in charge of the souvenir unveiling. He also mentioned that Madhav, her three-year senior at the college, should be the best person to arrange the meeting since he and the minister were together. She would easily give in. Rachna couldn't help but smile at his idea. She hadn't thought of that, and it felt so good to have people willing to think deeply and come together to ensure the general objective was achieved. She thanked him profusely and informed him she would communicate with Madhav and ge
Ritu Thakur, the Union Minister, was upset. She could not understand why she had spent her whole life trying to please the people she worked with, her party people, her bosses, and they hadn't given her any recognition. It became more apparent when she witnessed Rachna, her team, and how people regarded her. Ritu knew how much effort she had put into getting to where she was as a minister. It then baffled her so much why another lady had just come up, and the whole party high command was ready to do anything to please her. Before Madhav came to her for the meeting schedule, she had already been told by the party president and other office bearers that Ritu should find a way to preside over the function and get involved so they could be associated with Rachna. Who the hell was Rachna? Ritu had spent her whole life trying to be the woman of the people, and she wouldn't say she hadn't achieved anything. Of course, her name was famous in India, but it had taken sweat, stress, and a lot
Madhav sat behind the computer monitor, reviewing reports. It was almost 10 a.m. A light, warm breeze swept through the window of the main house. He picked up his phone and dialled a number. "Hello?" A male voice answered in a raspy voice. "Hey, Danesh. How are you doing?" "I'm great, actually," replied Danesh. "How are things going? Is it going well?" "You know it. I think it will be even better later on. Since you are the Institute's Director and are handling its affairs, I have to inform you that we are organising a meeting between the Institute and the alumni association. You should be there. I'll send you the invitation. I understand if you are not able to participate in the meeting. But please do me the favour of attending it." "Sure thing," said Danesh, laughing. "When will the meeting be held?" "In three days, please attend. I will text you the details in advance." Madhav smiled to himself and then finalised the fundraising program. After sending the invitations, he got