The Ruined Rainbow

CHAPTER 85

Dedicated to AryashreeSantosh

Despite you not following me back *sniffs* but for being the best best friend, anyone could ever have! From being the first person ever to hear about #Sayesha to all our illogical and fun conversations and much more. (Writing much more, because the 'much more' stuff  we do is actually much more, lol) But this girl, ladies and gentlemen is truly one gem and one of the closest people in my life.💖

A/N: Kindly ignore grammatical errors, if any. Too lazy to edit.

Kavita Tiwari walked briskly in the foyer of the busy Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Airport. Wearing an indigo-coloured business suit and black sunglasses, she had descended from a luxurious Mercedes; and she had waited until an older-looking man, probably in his early fifties, disembarked from the passenger seat. Then, together, they had swiftly begun walking towards the airport entrance. They were shortly followed by two other people, assumably their assistants.

Kavita briefly nodded to people who waved at her or the white blinds of paps who often captured the photos of celebrities, famous people in business, and influential and affluent people. Even though it was past midnight, the airport continued to be energetic and engaged. So many people crowded the airport. It wasn't surprising. Typical of Mumbai.

Once inside, she entered an amiable, light-filled chamber sheltered beneath a long-span roof supported by an array of multi-story columns.

The monumental spaces created beneath the thirty mushrooming were the breezy belvederes and interior courtyards of classic yet regional architecture. Small disks of colourful glass suspended within the canopy's coffers sprinkled the hall below with light. Many who were acquainted with the architecture knew that the constellation of colours referenced the peacock, the national bird of India, and the insignia of the airport.

"Ma'am?" Vinay spoke as a mobile in his hand continually rang.

Kavita spared him a questioning glance.

"It is that girl from the event. That Varanasi girl. Ahalya Chaudhary." he said.

Kavita glanced at her expensive fossil wristwatch. It was almost one in the morning. The untimely call bothered Kavita, but she divested her head immediately from defeatist thoughts.

"Pick up Vinay and ask what she needs. I'll talk to her later."

Vinay picked up the call and listened for a minute.

He spoke to Kavita again, "Ma'am, she says she wants to talk to you alone. And it is urgent."

Kavita waved her hand impatiently. "Not now, Vinay," she said tersely. "The CEO is going to connect via a call anytime now. It is an important call from the US that will determine the company's course! Just tell her I'll call back in a few hours." She gestured to another assistant for headphones and her laptop.

Vinay nodded and repeated the message. However, he was cut midway by the speaker. The speaker uttered a sentence of merely four words, but Vinay stilled; his heart seemingly stopped for a moment and then began thudding fast.

"Ma'am?" Vinay spoke frigidly, turning towards Kavita.

She gave him an exasperated look.

"Vinay, just tell her-"

"Ma'am, she says it is about Ayesha."

Kavita froze, her eyes wide. She felt her blood drain rapidly out of her. She felt increasingly enfeeble and devitalised as her disorientation expanded drastically.