If Not Now #Blogchatterhalfmarathon Day 5

Astha was getting worried that she might be late for the meeting. She could not afford to do that as she had set an example as the Director of her company to run on a schedule, every time on time. Her employees, a bunch of highly efficient enthusiasts with glorifying proven professional backgrounds, were all handpicked by her. She had to be there by 10 for the interview, and here she was stuck in traffic, wasting time. Today, time was precious to her; more than anything, she understood the value of each moment after the App incident so many years back. That one uncanny incident had totally turned her life upside down. The right way. She had been working on herself from that very day, both professionally and personally. The once lazy Astha started working day and night to excel and grow in her work. She began to work diligently on her finances and her physical well-being through regular workouts and rigorous physical training. Today, she was the head of this vast empire- Sattva. It was her hard work, dedication and tenacity that had brought her here. She was no longer the 28-year-old, overweight, aimless girl, gorging on junk food and wasting time on meaningless online shopping. She was more interested in investments, finance, and personal growth, having won multiple global awards. From a Nobody, she had made herself a somebody. That people looked up to. She did not have to depend on a freak app to write her destiny, as she had made it herself at this point. She could afford every luxury in the world, but Love? No, not yet. Neither did she had the time to invest in another person, nor had she found anyone like Aron. She still recalled the night when Aron had come to her apartment. It had been very long, but she remembered every bit of it. Everything happened so fast; she was not ready, but at this point, she craved some real human touch filled with emotion and passion. 

She reached the office 5 minutes late, much to her dislike. She took a look at the selected 3 candidates for the interview through the glass walls of the conference room. All were highly experienced professionals with enviable track records and had gone through two rounds of gruelling interviews before this final one. This was the rule- the final round was always taken by Astha to select the best of the best. So, here they were, the 3 top candidates, awaiting their turn for the final drill. Astha could sense the tension on their faces from just a glance. One of the men seemed pretty familiar, though... handsome and charming. Was it Aron?

She went to her cabin, took a look at the file lying on the desk, and reviewed all their profiles. Yes, Aron, it was. She had never thought that she could be meeting Aron in this way, ever. She had often thought of him in her loneliness, but this- no. She called the candidates individually. The interviews went smoothly for the first 2 candidates. They both were competent, with a proven work profile. Now it was time for Aron. 

He entered with a soft knock at the door. Once he entered, Astha pointed him to sit. As he was taking his seat, she took a good look at him. He was still the same, after so many years- athletic and charming. He sat and gave her his old, heart-melting smile. Did he remember her? What was he thinking?

" Astha, take a hold of yourself, girl, you have got work to do," she had to remind herself.

"Mr Smith, I see you are still employed with Troopers. Why would you want to change?" She tried to be as professional as she could, not to show any sign of weakness. After all, she was the boss here. "Well, I had put in my expertise in Troopers' as the Business Head, and that shows in their turnover. Now I am looking for new challenges and work with new people, maybe some familiar faces too!" His last sentence was in a musical tone, almost. A little flirty, the typical Aron. So, he had recognised her.

 " I see, so this is our agenda for the next financial year. Ideate a new strategy and explain, please." She tried her very best to keep a flat face, not to be diverted by his subtle flirtations. And, for almost half an hour, it was Aron, explaining smoothly with his razor-sharp mind all the business ideas that he had in mind for the mock agenda that Astha had laid before him. Astha was very impressed, not because he was Aron, but because he clearly was the best of the 3. But she was no more that old Astha- naive and insecure, pleased too fast..na na. Now she could very well sense that Aron was trying to woo her, very subtly. He knew the art of camouflaging desperation and hunger to win with his charm, wit and intellect. She would come to it, slowly...her way. 

"So, Mr Smith, does your family live here too?" she asked, softly, yet professionally enough to hide her curiosity. " That would be only me. Yes, I live here, alone." 

Astha was a bit surprised. She was expecting him to talk about his wife and kids. Aron, being Aron, could easily sense that. In a somewhat hushed and lowered whisper, he said, "I am single." Shivers ran down her spine, and she could feel the goosebumps on her hands. But a mature Astha could take control of her emotions. " That's great, no family, no ties, more work." Aron was definitely disappointed when his charm no longer worked on her, but his polished persona skillfully hid that part. 

"We will inform you in a couple of days, Mr Smith. Thank you for your time." Astha smiled inside. She knew she had got the right candidate, both for her and her company. She was ready now, for Aron, at least prepared for a start, because when again, if not now?

This post is a part of Blogchatter Half Marathon 2025