Chapter Twenty-Four Ajay

AJAY:I’m coming down there.

RAJ:No, I’m going to be fine. Your mother is with me.

AJAY:My MOTHER??

RAJ:Yes. She showed up at the penthouse with food. She’s been tremendous. You’re so lucky to have a family that keeps you grounded.

Ajay smiled at the text. His family had a lot of quirks, but Raj was right. They kept him grounded. He stood in front of the flat-screen in his office, watching as the press conference was about to begin. He hadn’t spotted Raj yet, but there was what looked like quite a gathering in front of RKH Collective’s office building.

He felt a hand grip his shoulder.

“How are you holding up?” Bhram asked.

“I just want this shit to be over,” he told his cousin. “I feel like I got half the battle left to go.”

Bhram nodded. “You did great in the board meeting. You put Frankie and those other assholes in their place.”

“I just hope it worked. We’ll see how next month goes.”

Bhram leaned in and lowered his voice. “I have a question for you. Did you know when you asked Sri to look into Raj that—”

“No,” he said. “Hell no. I would never do that to her intentionally. It was an unfortunate accident that I had to use to my favor.”

“What did she say about it?”

Ajay rubbed the back of his neck, hating that he hadn’t been able to talk it out with her before the board meeting. “I let her know the minute I confirmed it was Sri. She wasn’t upset, but... God, I can’t help but feel bad about it.”

“You can’t take responsibility for everything, brother,” Bhram said. “You have to know that.”

“I do.” Ajay couldn’t help feeling obligated, though. Raj was so new in his life, and his feelings for her were raw and fresh. He waited for the press conference to start as his cousin stood vigil at his side.

“Just a few more minutes,” Bhram said, motioning to the screen. “Looks like she’s arrived.”

Ajay surveyed his office, and discovered it was surprisingly empty.

“Where is everyone? They don’t want to watch?”

“Your father is talking to some of the employees. He hasn’t been here in a while so he wanted to check up on a few people. Hem and Mina are with him to make sure that he doesn’t overdo things.”

“And Zail?”

Bhram shrugged. “He’s been quiet. I think he went to go check with Damany in Finance about our budget restraints.”

“No, he’s here,” Zail said from the doorway. He had bags under his eyes, and he appeared more haggard than usual. He pushed up the flannel arms of his button-down shirt and strolled over to stand on Ajay’s right side. “Let’s see what she says,” he murmured.

Raj appeared on the screen. She wore a slim-fit black dress that hit right above the knee. A cream-colored tweed jacket with a siren-red stripe along the lapels and cuffs completed her outfit.

Always looking like a boss, he thought.

“Good afternoon,” she said in her clear, cultured voice. “My name is Rajneet Kaur Hothi, and I am the founder and CEO of RKH Collective.” Ajay held his breath as she began.

You got this, Raj. Make them regret every moment they doubted you.

“As all of you have read, an article was released this morning questioning my character, my upbringing, and the way I conduct my business. The article was obviously written by a man.”

A flutter of laughter echoed through the crowd. “I’ve never been one to apologize for my life choices, and I don’t intend on starting now. However, because the article made some serious implications about innocent parties, and it could potentially affect the lives of my employees, I am here to provide some context for you.

“The content for this article came from three different sources, all of whom have been confirmed. The first is my brother, an estranged family member interested in... interested in bringing to light a past I’ve kept hidden for far too long. The second is my ex-husband, Robert Douglass the third. Robert is an employee of WTA. He recently acquired a job with them after he sold them information about Bharat that I was personally working on as a part of an RKH–Bharat partnership.”

“Holy shit,” Bhram, Ajay, and Zail said in unison. They looked at each other, goggling, and then back at the screen.

The audience of reporters rushed with questions. She raised a hand and silence descended. “Questions at the end, please. Now, Robert’s activity has been confirmed through video footage. That leaves the last source. This person was working with Robert and is part of an ongoing investigation.”

“She went all in,” Zail said. “Did she tell you she was going to do this?”

“No, but she has to have a really good reason for it,” Ajay said. “Watch.”

Raj brushed her hair over her shoulder. She looked strong and confident. Her elegance was a magnet, and she looked regal standing in front of the microphone. “You can try to villainize me when I’ve lived my life according to my own terms, and you can judge my company while ignoring the tech giant in the room. This tech giant which we all know has affected my business and, in my opinion, is attempting to smother and crush innovative, competitive, and life-altering geniuses like those at Bharat. I have no intention of defending myself against tired stereotypes and sexist allegations. With that being said, I can now take some questions.”

Bhram whistled. “She just challenged the big boys.”

“Yes, she did,” Ajay mused. “WTA is going to come after her now. And I think it’s time we step in line and fight them, too.”

Zail put a hand on his shoulder. “Bhai.” He cleared his throat. “I’m sorry. I can’t tell you how sorry I am for fighting you on this. You knew what you were doing and I let my... I was angry.”

“It’s hard being the asshole, isn’t it?” Ajay said. He opened his arms and embraced Zail in a bear hug. They pounded each other on the back, and Ajay felt the last heavy weight lift off his heart. Things were back to the way they should be in his family.

Rafael knocked and entered the room. He held a Post-it in his hand. “Sorry to interrupt. Zail? Raj called and left this message for you.”

“Raj?” he said, with confusion.

Ajay turned back to the screen. She was still answering questions from the audience. “Raj must’ve left it right before she got on stage.”

“What does it say?” Bhram asked.

“It’s an address. In Peoria, Illinois. A remote rental cabin on the lake.”

Ajay shared a look with Rafael and then his cousin. He cuffed his brother’s neck. “Oye, duffer. Whose address do you think it is?”

Zail’s face went blank in shock. “Sahar’s? She found Sahar for me?”

“If anyone can do it...” Ajay said.

Zail shoved the note into his pocket. “I gotta get to Peoria. The jet?”

“At the hangar. Rafael, can you call ahead?”

“Yes, sir.”

Zail gripped Ajay in a bruising bear hug again. “You found the right woman after all,” he said gruffly in Ajay’s ear, and then he was gone.

A few minutes later, Ajay’s father, Hem, and Mina walked into the office. “Did we miss it?”

Ajay looked at Bhram and grinned. “You could say that.”

He turned back to the screen to listen to the rest of the question-and-answer portion of the press conference. He’d never felt so sure, so determined, about anything in his life as he was about his place at Bharat and how he felt about Rajneet Kaur Hothi.

Now he just had to sell her on the possibility of forever.