Forsaken Melody

Part 6

Avantika drummed her fingers on her desk, nibbling on her lower lip. Her mind raced with possibilities at a pace faster than her galloping heart whose whooshing almost deafened her.

"So, the amount payable to the investors of his father's company was more than the amount generated by the auction of their assets?" she asked, turning her pointed gaze towards her secretary, Nisha, who held a tablet in her hands.

Nisha nodded in confirmation, making Avantika's eyes narrow and a fresh wave of thoughts consumed her consciousness. "And to avoid the charges of fraud, his father agreed to an out-of-court settlement to payback the remaining amount with a whopping fifteen percent interest? Wow!"

Avantika leaned back in her chair, her mind calculating the implications of this newfound information. The pieces of the puzzle were starting to fall into place, revealing a picture she had not anticipated. It was clear now why she had never heard much about the brazen young man who had trampled over her heart years ago.

"Nisha," started Avantika, returning her attention back to the sharp woman seated across. "Draft an employment contract for Abhay Malhotra with his compensation split between fixed monthly income, annual bonus subject to results, and ESOP buyout. And make sure to mention the ESOP buyout is mandatory."

"I thought the plan for ESOPs was much later," remarked Nisha, startled by the sudden information dropped on her.

A sinister curled on Avantika's maroon lips. "Well, things have changed, haven't they? How do we believe a man whose father is a known embezzler, especially given our latest troubles with co-founders? So, a ESOP buyout of 1.33% at the post-money valuation of 150 crores."

Nisha's eyes widened at the audacious move Avantika was planning. "B-but he cannot possibly afford that. He'll have to turn down the offer."

Avantika leaned back in her chair and let out the breath she had been holding. "That's what I want, Nisha. That's exactly what I want. We cannot afford to turn down the offer, because we need the investment. But he can and he will, because he cannot afford the buyout."

Nisha's eyebrows furrowed, processing the devious brilliance behind Avantika's strategy. She admired her boss's cunning mind and ability to orchestrate intricate plans without wavering. As she began drafting the employment contract, she couldn't shake off the feeling of admiration mixed with a tinge of guilt for the unsuspecting Abhay Malhotra.

As Nisha left to work on the contract, Avantika swiveled in her chair to gaze out of the window. The city sprawled before her, its buildings a mix of old-world charm and modern steel. Her thoughts, however, were far away, tangled in memories of a past she had buried deep.

Abhay Malhotra. The name brought back a rush of emotions she thought she had long conquered. Their whirlwind romance had ended long ago when he had broken her heart and bruised her pride on the day of his farewell.

She had bared her heart to him and he had stomped and shattered her heart without mercy. He had labeled her love as her greed for his status and lust for his power. He had walked away, but his malicious cackle and the judging whispers haunted her. But now, fate had brought him back into her life in the most unexpected way.

Avantika's grip on the armrest tightened as a surge of mixed emotions flooded her being at the mere thought of Abhay Malhotra. The wounds he had inflicted on her heart had not completely healed, despite the passing of years. His words had cut deeper than any blade could, leaving scars that seemed to throb with pain anew.

As she stared out at the bustling city below, memories of their past together mingled with the present reality she now faced. The prospect of having him back in her life, even in a professional capacity, stirred a storm of conflicting feelings within her. Anger, betrayal, lingering affection, and a simmering desire for vengeance clashed and meshed together in a tumultuous whirlwind.

Yet, beneath the layers of hurt and resentment, there lay a glimmer of something else - a spark of determination that burned fiercely in Avantika's eyes. She refused to let Abhay's reappearance derail her or unsettle the foundation she had worked so hard to build. If fate had brought him back into her life, then she would use this opportunity to show him just how much she had grown and flourished in his absence.

With a resolve as unyielding as steel, Avantika made up her mind to play the game he had unwittingly walked into. She knew the power dynamics were about to shift, and she was more than ready to seize control of the situation. The wounds of the past had only hardened her determination, turning her heart into an armor that shielded her from the vulnerabilities of emotions.

As Nisha returned with the drafted contract, Avantika gave it a cursory glance before signing it with a flourish. The trap was set, and now all she had to do was wait for Abhay Malhotra to walk right into it. Little did he know that he was about to face a force far fiercer and more formidable than the girl he had callously abandoned years ago.

****

"1.33% at 15o crores valuation?" Abhay's eyes almost popped out of their sockets and his jaw hung in disbelief. "That's... that's almost two crores, right?" he asked, looking at his cousin and confidante, Karan Verma.

Karan remained tightlipped and instead nodded to confirm the calculation. A groan escaped Abhay's quivering lips before he campled her fingers over his mouth.

He stared blankly at the contract in his hands, feeling as though the ground had been pulled out from under him. The figure seemed like an insurmountable mountain looming over his head, threatening to crush him under its weight. How could he ever come up with such a colossal sum of money? It was a cruel joke, a trap set by someone who knew exactly how to exploit his vulnerabilities.

Abhay's mind raced, trying to find a way out of this predicament. He couldn't afford to turn down the job offer from Avantika's company; it was his only chance to get back on his feet after years of struggling to make ends meet. But the price of that opportunity seemed impossibly high.

"I need to meet her."