Pieces of a Cracked Mirror [An OS series]

The proposal

"I cannot believe it Amma! I cannot believe... How could you even do it?"

"Raghav.. I just..."

"No! What were you thinking! What were.. I don't even know what to say!"

"Arre I was just... I didn't know this will end up here. I just thought.."

"What did you think?"

"How am I supposed to know she was the mother of your business partner? I just know her as Mrs. Khanna.. my recently arrived neighbour.."

Raghav groaned miserably while raking his hand through his neatly gelled hair which made his unruly curls come out almost endearingly. Pallavi bit her lower lip, admonishing herself thoroughly for letting her thoughts drift towards an unbelievable track as she tried desperately to bring her mind to the problem at hand than mooning over her best friend's rakish looks while he prowled around Jaya Rao's living room like a caged beast. 

Jaya actually looked quite a bit shamefaced herself. She had no idea, how her gossip and hidden desires would have reflected so majorly on Mrs. Khanna's mind that a little conversation had snowballed to such an extent which resulted in her son's current predicament.

"I don't understand. Why don't you just say it was a misunderstanding and clear up the matter? Simple as that.."

Keerti said flopping beside Pallavi while Raghav gave her a withering glare. 

"It is far more complicated than you could possibly understand Chelli.."

"Hmph! As if..! Just tell me and see.."

"Mr. Prasanth Khanna is not only my business partner, he is a very important investor in my company. He owns thirty percent of the shares of Jayati Jewels. His chain of luxury hotels span the width and length of the country and the media basically eats out of his hand."

Raghav said tiredly and occupied the single empty couch beside Farhad who was furiously typing in the laptop kept on the centre table keeping an ear open to the conversation even as he tried his level best at damage control. 

Pallavi threw her hands about childishly.

"Yeah okay! We got that already Rao.. that he is very very rich and very very important. But isn't most of your partners? And what I don't understand is why will he back out even if the misunderstanding is cleared?"

Jaya and Keerti nodded simultaneously having the same question in their minds. Raghav leaned forward and kept his already furiously churning mind heavily on his clutched hands which were supported on his knees. 

Farhad took mercy on his Anna, and decided to clear all the doubts all together.

"Its not like that Pallavi. Actually, Prasanth Khanna is famous for his pious nature and old school habits and believes. He follows a rigorously traditional lifestyle and has rigid beliefs which are nigh unshakable."

"He means to say that he is archaic and ancient."

Raghav said matter of fact-ly, screwing his face in distaste at the man's choice of living obviously, earning an eye roll from Farhad and the glares from the other three women in the room. Farhad continued undeterred.

"So.. we were understandably surprised when he agreed to partner our deal of expansion knowing that Anna.. well.. Anna is Anna.."

That brought out a few chuckles in the tensed room and it was Raghav's turn to roll his eyes. 

Yes, of course, he was seen as an alcoholic womanizer with a healthy dose of luck on his side and buckets of silver tongued charm. The black sheep in the business community who has no qualms and no moralities while shoving people left, right and centre till he reaches the top.