"Your grandmother also mentioned that she is bringing her astrologer with her next Friday. She wants to finalize an auspicious wedding date as soon as possible."
I exhaled slowly. Of course she was bringing the astrologer.
Dadi had become intensely superstitious after my mother's death. She consulted astrologers about everything. Business decisions. Travel plans. What color sari to wear on festival days. She believed in kundalis and planetary alignments and auspicious timings with the kind of unwavering faith most people reserved for religion.
I did not believe in any of it. I believed in logic. In data. In hard work and careful planning. But I also knew better than to argue with Dadi about matters like this. She had already lost her daughter in law. She was terrified of losing anyone else she loved. If consulting astrologers gave her peace of mind, I could tolerate it.
"Clear my schedule for next Friday," I told Meera. "Make sure everything urgent is handled before then."
She nodded, making notes on her tablet.
"Of course. Also, Mr. Randhawa is waiting for you in Conference Room A. He said you have a joint venture proposal to discuss."
I stood, buttoning my suit jacket.
"Tell him I will be there in five minutes."
Meera nodded and left, the door closing softly behind her. I walked over to the windows and looked out at the sprawling city below. From up here, everything looked so orderly. So manageable. Roads arranged in neat grids. Buildings standing in precise rows. People moving like tiny pieces on a vast chessboard.
My phone buzzed in my pocket. I pulled it out and glanced at the screen.
Avija.
I answered.
"Good morning, baby," her voice came through, bright and warm.
I checked my watch.
"It is already afternoon, Avija."
She laughed, that light, carefree sound she made when she was in a particularly good mood.
"Well, good afternoon then. When are you and Dadi coming to my house? Mom keeps asking me."
"Next Friday," I said. "Dadi wants to meet with your parents. She is bringing her astrologer to set the wedding date."
Avija let out an excited squeal that made me pull the phone slightly away from my ear.
"Oh my god, finally! I have been waiting forever for this. I am going to start planning everything right now. The venue, the guest list, my outfit. This is going to be absolutely perfect, Armaan. I cannot wait."
She made a loud kissing sound into the phone, then hung up before I could respond.
I stared at the phone for a moment before slipping it back into my pocket.
Perfect. She had said it would be perfect.
I turned and walked out of my office, making my way down the hallway toward the conference room. Through the glass walls, I could already see Aryan lounging in one of the leather chairs with that cocky grin he always wore. His assistant, Anuj, was setting up a presentation on the large screen at the front of the room.
I opened the door and stepped inside. Aryan looked up immediately, his grin widening.
"Well, well. Look who finally decided to grace us with his presence. I was starting to think you forgot about our meeting."
I ignored the jab and took my seat at the head of the table.
"I had something to deal with."
Aryan raised an eyebrow, clearly curious, but I offered no further explanation. He shrugged and leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table.