The Meeting

Mili was going to be late for the meeting. The traffic snarl, the incessant rains, the absent maid....arghh! These were just the beginnings of a day that she knew would get worse eventually.

 Image source: Pixabay

She nervously drummed her fingers on the window pane, absently tracing the pattern of the rain-drops lashing against it and alternately glancing at her phone and watch every five seconds.
The cabbie, her usual, sensed her restlessness. "Bas das minute aur madamji, pahaunch jayenge," he assured her. (Just ten minutes more Madam, we'll reach.) 
Ten minutes more! It was already 8.50....she had to be at the office atleast a few minutes before 9.00 to discuss matters with the rest of the team as the meeting was scheduled for 9.00 a.m. She wished the taxi would move faster...or, wait a minute, she actually felt a bit relieved that she had ten minutes more before all hell broke loose.

A surreal feeling settled over, what would it be like if she couldn't make it to the meeting today? Maybe, she could turn back home in the same cab, change into PJ's, jump into bed to watch back-to-back rom-coms all day or maybe browse herself silly on the online shopping sales, read that new paperback she'd picked up months ago, have a looong chat with mom, try out that macaroon recipe.....ohhh, the options were endless and with each passing second, they seemed way more tempting than the prospect of attending the meeting. 'What a wishful thinking that was!' She sighed inwardly.

A few years back, she would have shied away from all these options, they sounded so, so, unprofessional and unbecoming of her position as CFO to one of the oldest corporate in the country.
Today's meeting was one of the scores she'd been attending along with the other top executives of the company to negotiate the terms and conditions of a landmark takeover deal. Each passing meeting seemed to get uglier and she had a premonition that today's would be the mother of them all!
Couldn't her company have acted with more restraint and less aggression? Didn't poise and dignity mean anything, any longer? She hated the cold vibes of hate and fear all around. A transition that promised a lot of friction, ruffled feathers and redundant jobs was bound to generate that!
What was it with gaining absolute control, supremacy and stamping your brand all across the new take-over? It reeked of greed for power, an all-consuming selfish ego accompanied by a bunch of spineless yes-men!
If only she had a stronger sway in the proceedings!

"Madamji, pahaunch gaye," (Madam, we've reached) the cabbie turned to announce when he noticed she was still looking out of the window, wrapped in her thoughts.
Shrugging herself alert, she picked up her smart laptop bag, handbag and stepped out.
"Madamji kal same time na?" (Madam tomorrow same time, right?) asked the cabbie.
Mili paused for a second and replied, "Das minute rukiye, hum bas aa rahe hain, meter chalu rakhiye." (Wait for ten minutes, I'll be right back, keep the meter on.)

Mili was surprised with herself but felt a new jaunt in her step as she pressed the elevator button and mentally rehearsed her parting shot to the Big Boss! 
She did have a sway over how things proceeded in her life, didn't she? The job offer from a budding new start-up did seem promising...a place where thoughts were fresh and open, minds less jaded.
Sometimes wishful thinking does happen for real!

I am with Team #CrimsonRush for the #BarAThon from Aug 1st - Aug 7th.
Today's blogging prompt is Wishful thinking.

You could find out more about this lovely blog marathon at BAR.

 Copyright © 2016 KALA RAVI