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[thesastimastichronicles-blog]

Board Meeting 101

Click. Click. Click.

The Chairperson sitting at the head of the table tapped the end of her pen on the table as she glanced at the faces of those attending the meeting. “What does the Finance Department have to say about Option 1?” She asked, turning to the Finance Head sitting in the chair next to her.

He scratched his head and then looked at his calculator, quickly crunching numbers. He did not look pleased. With a stoic head shake, he addressed the board members, “We simply do not have the budget. My advice would be to stick with Option 2 or Option 3.”

The Chairperson responded with a nod, “Logistics Department?”

“All the finer details of Option 2 can be handled, except for… Well, except for the permissions. We might find it difficult to get them. Not to talk about the flak we’d receive,” was the pragmatic answer from the Head of the Logistics Department.

“That’s a good point,” the Head of the Creative Department piped in, sitting at the other end of the table, in a tone that denoted that he did not agree with her at all. “But look at the presentation and tell me Option 3 is the best idea. We need to be willing to take a few more risks, right? Right, fellow members of the Board?” 

He changed the slides on the laptop in front of him and looked at others for a spark of support, but to no avail. The Board members sat silently as if deep in thought.

It was finally the Head of Human Resource Department who broke the silence, “Option 3 helps us save on valuable time,” he stated, matter-of-factly.

The Chairperson nodded. “So we have a decision,” she shut the file in front of her and joint her fingers over it, “Option 3 it is. Start making arrangements for the trip. There might be a little nip in the air there.”

A groan erupted from the opposite end of the table followed by an annoyed voice, “Arre yaar! We were dreaming of Manali and Goa and we end up with Khandala! What is this, guys!?” 

The others in the room turned to look at Golu sitting with the laptop.

“Guys, change of plans. We are going to Manali. I volunteer Golu to pay the rest of the money,” as Golu turned to face his friend sitting at the head of the table, with an aghast expression she continued still in character, “Meeting adjourned.”

There seemed to be consensus as the friends nodded and started leaving the table.

The idea, however, did not sit well with Golu. He followed them desperately, “Listen... Guys, that’s not what I meant. Where will I get the money from? Guys? Guys? Listen! Khandala is a great option!”

[thesastimastichronicles-blog]

A Slight Miscommunication

Choosing a fancy wedding invitation is a serious affair. Minimalist, over-the-top or perhaps, the ones with extra elements. You look at the designs, select the one that appears expensive, although it might be the cheapest. Your aim is to impress the guests with the best choice. After all, it’s the invitation that helps guests judge the scale of the wedding. It is all a huge task! 

But not for Avni. A workaholic at heart, she has bigger troubles on her mind. The sole purpose of getting married was to distract her relatives from their constant interrogations. The last time she briefly nodded at a potential suitor on jeewansathi.com, her mother called up the dholakwallahs to celebrate her interest. 

The neighbours had witnessed two such loud announcements, hence, trust-issues were a possibility. Not that Avni cared for their presence, but her mother insisted on a formal invitation. Hence, she decided to go ahead with the plan.

“I can send the e-invites, maa. Why spend so much money on these fancy cards?”

“Not possible! Do you remember the card that Sharma Ji sent for his son’s wedding? It came with blueberry coated almonds! What will he think of us?” said her mother angrily.

“I don’t care what he thinks. If he can afford it, he might as well buy it. I am not going to waste paper, only to see the cards tucked away in some drawer or for them to be thrown in the dustbin. I have asked Vishakha to make the e-invite…”

“Who? Is this a joke? There is no way I’m letting you do this!”

A dinner-table discussion later…

Avni texted her friend, Vishakha about the e-invite ideas. They used Vishaka’s graphic designing skills to design a template.

Soon, the dates for the engagement were finalised. Two separate venues were available. Mr Taneja, a trusted client of Avni’s firm suggested both, one in Noida, the other in Chhatarpur.

Subsequently, Vishakha made templates for both the venues. She forwarded the invites to Avni’s mother for circulation.

………………………………………..

Everything went according to plan. The bride put on her beautiful outfit and was ready on the day of the ceremony. Her mother was busy attending to the family members while looking after the arrangements. 

“I’ve got this gold thali custom-made for the ceremony. No one could’ve imagined the details I’ve worked on. You just wait and see everyone will be enchanted by our arrangements!” she said, enthusiastically.

“Ma, how long do I have to sit in this annoying dress? It’s 8:30 already. The hall is entirely empty.”

“Arey, don’t worry! Guests are usually late for these ceremonies. They’ll eventually come for the food” she said, with a grin, “I cannot wait to see them enjoying the lip-smacking Paneer Tikkas and Shahi Tukras. The food at Sharma ji’s son’s wedding wasn’t half as good.”

“No, Ma. There’s something wrong. I’m not even carrying my phone. My colleagues should’ve been here already.…”

As suspicion in the room rose, Mr Taneja immediately sent his manager a message. He was surprised to see the reply about the unexpected gathering at the Noida venue.

Immediately, Avni turned to her mother, confronting her. 

Hesitantly she started, “Maa, did you…Oh no!”