ABHIRA: THE RULE BREAKER'S GIRL

CH08 HER FIRST LOVE

Abhimanyu looked at his watch for the eleventh time in the last five minutes. The conversation in the board room between his father, sister, and the vendor was not going well. They were spinning their wheels and not getting anywhere a near closure on the deal. He flew in that morning, skipping practice when his father insisted he attend the meeting in person.

The conversation was about refreshing the furniture in the main chain of hotels, and they could not agree on the cost.

Abhimanyu counted to ten before dropping his phone on the table rather loudly. The conversation between the two older men came to a halt.

“What are you doing?” his sister hissed from one side.

“I don’t have all day.” He stood up adjusting his suit jacket hugging his broad shoulders.

“Abhimanyu,” his father issued a warning.

Abhimanyu walked over to where his father sat and looked at the vendor whose family had supplied furniture to their chain of hotels for decades.

“Your increase in the cost is unacceptable. I made a trip here to try and work out a better deal for our company, not fund your next palace home.”

“Mr Birla, what is he saying?” The older man looked at his father.

“Look at me, Mr Sanai. I am the one talking to you.” Abhimanyu’s tone demanded the room’s attention.

“I walk away if we don’t agree to my offer.” The older man was playing hard to get, but Abhimanyu had a plan.

“Fine. What do you think will happen if you walk away?”

Abhimanyu walked around the conference room, his eyes on the older man. He could feel the heat from his sister’s gaze but did not look at her.

“Your luxurious hotels will have old furniture, and it will be a poor experience for your customers.” The man snorted.

“Mr Sanai, what do you do with the old furniture that you take away from our hotels?” Abhimanyu stopped pacing.

The older man shifted in his seat. “It is old furniture. What would I do with it?”

Abhimanyu shrugged. “If I were you, I would be selling the old furniture, which, by the way, for many people, is top-of-the-line furniture. A savvy businessman like you would do that. Aren’t you?”

Abhimanyu’s father looked shocked, and he heard his sister let out an angry huff.

“Tell me, Mr Sanai, should I be paying you more when you are already making money off of the furniture that we get rid of and pay you to get rid of?”

“That material is crap for you. It shouldn’t matter to you what I do with it after.” The older man was feeling the stress.

Abhimanyu looked at him for a long moment and said, “I am willing to look the other way about what you have been doing with our old furniture, but going forward, we are not going to buy any furniture from you.”