Geet inhaled the familiar scent of her office: paper, leather and that ever present whisper of jasmine. She sat in her oversized leather chair at her mahogany desk, running her fingers over the deep carvings along the edge. Sighing, she swiveled her chair to face the floor to ceiling windows that made up the walls of her corner office. Staring out onto the Delhi traffic, she allowed a smile to creep to her lips.

"Dekha Papa ji? Dekho main kahan se kahan aa gayi. Aap khush toh hai na Papa ji? I've made you proud na Papa ji? Bas mujhe aapka aashirwaad aur khushi chhahiye, aur kuch nahi."

A gentle knock on the glass door to her office broke her reverie. The head of her barbie-esque secretary bobbed in the doorway.

"Ma'am, sab log conference room main aap ke liye tayyaar hai. Hum meeting ke liye chalein?"

Geet turned, the traces of a sad smile still lingering on her lips.

"Thank you, Pari," Geet stood and walked out of her office, Pari at her heels.

It was Pari's second week working for Geet Ma'am and she had yet to understand how Geet Ma'am walked so fast in her four inch Louboutins and high-waisted pencil skirts that reached just below her knees. Pari chose flats with gel insoles and pant suits after her first day as secretary for Handa Industries' CEO. Demanding and aggressive as Geet Ma'am was, Pari admired her boss in everything from her quick mind to her sense of style. The cool confidence that emitted from her every movement made Pari think that Geet Ma'am didn't even sneeze without deciding it would be advantageous and agreeing to the relief a sneeze would provide her nose. No wonder this woman was an enigma, she pondered and calculated, she organized and deliberated, she inspired awe and exacted perfection.

Everything from the delicate wing of her eyeliner and the seamless coat of black nail polish she wore to the color coded files that filled cabinets in every office of the building and the scented paper on which she wrote every personal letter to her staff, breathed to witness the glory that was Geet Handa. Pari had already began imitating Geet Ma'am's firm handshake and unwavering eyes in the mirror at home, such was the jaadoo of Geet Handa.

As Pari quickened her pace to keep up with her boss, she noted today's outfit. Standard issue Geet Ma'am high-waisted skirt, variation: gray. Fitted white button-down blouse. Nude Louboutin pumps. Diamond stud earrings in both first and second piercings, larger in the bottom piercing, smaller on top. White and gold leather watch. One thin gold band on pinky finger of watch hand. Hair tied low in a tight bun, the usual rebellious curls falling out.

"Kya baat hai yaar, Geet Ma'am kisi ko bhi paa sakti. Bhagwaan jaane kyun akeli rehne pe tuli hui hai," Pari wondered as she completed her mental catalogue of her boss's wardrobe.

"Pari, tum ne kuch kaha?"

"Ji?" Pari's now golf ball-sized eyes snapped to her boss. "Ji-nahi woh main-bas uh-kuch bhi toh nahi Ma'am, maine toh kuch bhi nahi kaha."

"Hm,"

The two stopped outside the conference room doors. Pari stood just behind Geet, mentally double checking the list of files she had to bring. Geet Ma'am wrapped her fingers around the door handle before her.

"Aur Pari?"

"Ji Ma'am?"

"Aaj tumhari probation khatam."

Pari watched as her boss opened the frosted glass door and walked in before stopping to see the smile that had spread across Pari's face. The usually overwhelming silence that met her within the conference room could not make her smile falter. In fact, today she reveled in the feeling that accompanied trailing the powerful shadow of her boss.

"Gentlemen, good morning. As you all are aware, we have a newcomer in our midst," Geet's voice cut crisp and clear through the still conference room air.

"Mr. Khurana has shown skill and a refreshing passion in the four years he has been with us. His hard work, depicted in late nights at the office and the resulting near flawless product, as well as his astonishing amount of loyalty, has earned him a position among you at such a young age-"

"Haan, haan, aakhir employee kiss ka hai?" called out Arjun Sir. He winked, shooting Maan a knowing look from across the table.

A tremor of chuckles travelled along the table. Geet raised an eyebrow, sending Arjun Sir a pointed look, and continued, "We congratulate Mr. Khurana and welcome him to the Board."

A light smattering of applause, prompted by Arjun Sir, filled the room forcing Maan to tear his eyes from the figure at the head of the table that had him practically gaping. Sitting up in his chair he straightened his tie and smiled politely at the applause. Finding his voice, he managed to croak out a "Thank you, Ma'am," before Arjun Sir nearly jumped out of his chair and demanded a speech.

Maan didn't miss the mischievous glint in Arjun Sir's eye as he looked at Maan, nor did he miss the icy glare Geet Ma'am sent Arjun Sir when he gave her a pleading look. Geet Ma'am relented nonetheless, she sat in her chair, leaning back so as to say, "Well, little Khurana, speak if you must."

Maan stood, invoking Babaji's madat under his breath. "Yeh Arjun Sir bhi na, jaane kahan kahan pe mujhe phassa dete hai, " he mumbled, his fingers somehow forgetting how to swiftly button his suit jacket.

"Mr. Khurana aap zara zor se bolenge, humein sunai nahi de raha hai," Geet's voice snapped Maan back to the task at hand.

"Hayye Babaji, madat karna!" Maan thought to himself, his eyebrows furrowing in worry as he gulped down his fears. The moment Geet Ma'am had walked in, he found himself unable to focus on anything else. Her presence demanded attention, her squared shoulders and tall figure coupled with the haughty air that surrounded her every movement and her piercing molten brown eyes, hayye o rabba uski aankhein, commanded others around her to sit up and pay attention. Maan could hardly keep his countenance. He was drawn to the resolve that framed her set jaw, the hauteur that surrounded the tilt of her head, and the knowing that pierced from beneath her long, downy lashes.

Iss sab ko dekh ke hum jaante hai ke Maan ko Babaji ke madat ki kitni zaroori tha.

"Ahem, uh, woh main…" Maan coughed out, his collar suddenly too tight for comfort. "Haan, woh main sabse pehle apne Babaji ko thanks kehna chahta hoon. Thanks Babaji," Maan looked to the sky where his Babaji sat. He looked down, clearing his throat and throwing a furtive glance to his Geet Ma'am. "Hem, uh woh Babaji ko thanks uh aur.." Maan scanned the room before him, had it really been so full before? His eyes finally rested on Daarji's beaming face.

"Oh haan, Daarji! Haan main Daarji ko thanks bolna chahta hoon, kyun ke... khair iss kyun ka matlab aap sab log jaante hai," Maan paused. "Daarji na hote to main shayad aaj zinda bhi nahi hota. Iss liye, Daarji, yeh position, yeh shakhs jo aapke saamne khada hai, yeh sab, aapki amaanat hai," Maan continued as tears began to glisten in his eyes. Daarji was already bawling into his romaal.

"Kya Daarji? Yeh toh khushi ka mauka hai, aur ek aap hai joh ro rahe ho," Maan grinned. "Dekho Daarji, yeh mera special din hai, aur aap abhi bhi spotlight cheen ne pe tule ho. Bas, bohot ho gaya rona dhona!"

Daarji chuckled as he dabbed the tears from his bristly mooch. "Kya karen, puttar? Humara kamaal kuch aisa hi hai, spotlight hum nahi cheente hai, spotlight humein khud dhoondti hai."

The entire table broke into laughter, the scene before them had them almost weeping along with Daarji. Here was Maan, the boy they all knew and considered their own son even before he was promoted to sit with them at the Board of Directors table. But now he sat amongst them, a confident young man, hardworking, loveable and person who laid claim to the other half of Daarji's heart. He had won them all over with his easy ways, his infectious smile, and his selfless character. Now Maan had won the recognition, if not the admiration, of their beloved Geet Ma'am too. And although a smile never broke from her lips, even Geet Ma'am had a certain softness in her eyes when her Daarji showed such partiality to the young man across the table. Maan ke Babaji toh kamaal ke hai.

"Oye mera bhi thanks aayega, ke nahi?" Arjun sir called out from the head of the table, his lips pursed in mock anger.

"Arre Arjun sir, aapka kya thanks? Aap nahi hote to main achcha khaasa apne cubicle mein baithta, na ki suit pehen kar aise speeches banata," Maan winked.

"Oh ho, itni nashukri? Humpf," Arjun Sir turned to Geet. "Ma'am mujhe lagta hai ke abhi bhi waqt hai faisla badalne ke liye..." he trailed off catching Geet's unamused look. "Ah, right Ma'am, aap bilkul sahi hai. Main bhi yeh soch raha tha. Ahem, chalo. Continue Maan," Arjun Sir shifted in his seat.

"Nahi, sach mein Arjun Sir, ek aap hai aur ek meri dadimaa jo mujh par bharosa rakha jab mujhe khud apne aap par vishwaas nahi tha. Aur aap ka yeh bharosa aur pyaar ka qeemat main bata nahi sakta, unmol hai," Maan pacified Arjun Sir who beamed. Maan turned to the remaining board members around him. "Aur ek aakhri shukriya, aap sab ke liye, jo mujhe iss maqaam par pohonchne ka mauka diya. Dil se, shukriya."

Maan flashed a nervous but grateful at his new colleagues, before relieving his shaking knees and lowering himself into his chair. He couldn't shake this feeling of nervousness that had overtaken him so suddenly. He wasn't normally so jittery, but as soon as the conference room door had opened and in walked his boss, it seemed as though time had warped and he was powerless to even function correctly.

He now ventured a look at his boss. Throughout his speech Geet Ma'am sat at the head of the table, elbows resting on the arms of her chair, her fingers tented before her. She hadn't laughed at his stumbling or even smiled at his sincerity. She simply sat unmoving, her gaze steadfast and piercing. Maan had made it a point not to look directly at her. She was like the sun, he could only handle small doses of her brilliance.

"Thank you Mr. Khurana, and again, congratulations," Geet Ma'am's voice hardly helped his already sensitive nerves. She sat forward in her chair and motioned to Pari to hand her the files. "Gentlemen, shall we proceed with what's next on the schedule?" Everyone moved to open the files before them. Above the shuffling of papers and general commotion, Maan heard Geet before he saw her looking at him. "Oh, aur Mr. Khurana, meeting ke baad aap mere office ko aaiyega. Kuch formalities hai joh humein dekhna chahiye."

Maan's brain whizzed with panic, kya? Meeting ke baad? Geet Ma'am ke office mein? Geet Ma'am ke saath? Before he knew it, Maan heard his voice, laced with fear, blurt out "Akele?"

All heads turned Maan's way and Maan felt the blood rush to his face.

Daarji giggled. Ji haan, the rotund, mustached, and pagdi-ed man sitting next to Maan giggled. "Kyun puttar, tumhe dar hai ke Geet tujhe kha jaayegi kya?" he asked, his eyes revealing his barely suppressed mirth. Geet ignored Daarji's comment, but not without sending him an exasperated glance.

"Nahi woh-I mean-woh woh mera matlab nahi-"

Holding up her hand, Geet motioned for Maan to hold his tongue. "Ji nahi Mr. Khurana, akele mein nahi, humara wakeel bhi wahan pe aayenge. Shayad aap ne teekh se sunna nahi, hum kuch formalities complete karne ke liye milenge." Geet paused before continuing, "Waise bhi mujhe aap ko khaane mein naa koi dilchaspi hai," she looked Maan up and down, "naahi koi faida."

Maan remembered little of the rest of the meeting following Geet Ma'am's speech and Arjun Sir's subsequent snort turned cough.