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3 Publishing-in-support-of, EDUCREATION PUBLISHING RZ 94, Sector - 6, Dwarka, New Delhi Shubham Vihar, Mangla, Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh Website: Copyright, Author All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, magnetic, optical, chemical, manual, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written consent of its writer. ISBN: Price: ` The opinions/ contents expressed in this book are solely of the author and do not represent the opinions/ standings/ thoughts of Educreation. Printed in India ii

4 7 Days Srishti Parmar EDUCREATION PUBLISHING (Since 2011) iii

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6 Acknowledgement I feel honoured to acknowledge the contribution of all these wonderful people who helped me make this book a reality. First and foremost, I would like to seize this opportunity to thank my parents, Mr. Mahendra Parmar and Mrs. Usha Parmar who have always inspired me to achieve the zenith and for believing in me, without a shred of incertitude. I would also like to thank my siblings Shradha, Varsha and Anirudha, who have always been my pillar of support and my friends, Ayesha, Gaganpreet, Kshitij, Abhishek and Devika for their unwavering enthusiasm, encouragement and feedback. I am also grateful to Nishikant who provided me with valuable insights during the publishing process. I feel indebted to all these people for being a part of my literary endeavour. W v

7 About The Book The novelette encapsulates the love story of Ayaan and Shruti, who, although are raised without the warmth of a mother s love in parallel universes, grow up to be smart, good hearted and witty. Shruti wishes for an art gallery of her own but on insistence from her father, reluctantly shows up for an interview at Ayaan s firm. Then start her incessant efforts to get fired. But as the cupid rolls its arrows and begins to weave its magical effect on them, fate plays its flute too and unleashes pain and sorrow in their lives along with some bitter truths. Through various sub plots, the story unfolds the seven momentous days in the lives of the protagonists and their journey towards the galaxy of love. It incorporates the fast paced spirit of romance in the modern era. After all, time is just a number if love is real. W vi

8 About The Author With a fervent desire to create magic through pen and paper, Srishti Parmar is currently pursuing B.A (H) English from Graphic Era Hill University, Dehradun, to hone her writing skills. Apart from hoisting the flag of excellence in academics numerous times, she has also actively engaged in various extracurricular activities. She has been a member of Graphic Era Hill University Cultural Core Committee, Grafest Cultural Core Committee, Editorial Board of Graphic Express, UCOST managerial committee, etc. She believes that everything that happens in life is a stepping stone which ultimately leads you towards your destiny. In her words, Though one day, you will be consumed in the fire of inevitable doom, you shall leave a flaming story behind, that will burn bright even in your absence and ignite the flare of passion in hearts of many. W vii

9 In a dream-like sequence, a man opened his eyes, moaned in pain and retreated back to unconsciousness. Memories started playing in his mind, as if real. viii

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12 Srishti Parmar Trying to hide his impatience at the chain of interviews, Ayaan decided to feign a mild headache, thereby, swiftly facilitating his disengagement from the tedious process. The next candidate walked in and captivated him with her charm and uniqueness. Though, he had mentally directed the next scene with incessant series of cliché questions on one side of the table and the same dull answers at the other, the improbability of the sudden twist in the plot coupled with the comic element rendered him speechless and flabbergasted. Why should we hire you as the marketing head? asked one of the panel member. Because you are looking for a marketing head. Strike 1, quipped the girl. Excuse me? Excused. Strike 2 Everybody fell silent and the offended interviewer put up a question again to conceal his anger at the injury of fresh insult, And you think this attitude is apt to get you this job? You seem smart enough to find the answer to this question. Or maybe not. Oh, I ll spare you the trouble. No! It is not apt. Strike 3 Ayaan too was obviously stunned at the unanticipated turn of events but a faint smile had seemed to quiver on his lips, the whole time. Finally, he burst his bubble of silence: 3

13 7 Days Then? he asked, quite amused. Exactly. I didn t get your point. It was a compulsion. I had to because my father wanted me to.. almost hummed the last few words but Ayaan heard her anyway. That makes the two of us, he muttered to himself. Sorry? Well, thank you. Welcome, she said with a triumphant smile. See you tomorrow at 9. What for? You are hired. Miss- uh? What? said the baffled Shruti. The same question lingered in the minds of the panel members but articulation of such thoughts would mean disrespect and lack of confidence in the CEO s son, so they decided to keep mum. Your name? Shruti, surprised over her selection. B-but That ll be all, and Shruti left with sadness glittering in her eyes but Ayaan was looking forward to tomorrow after a long time. To Shruti, her arduous efforts since a week looked futile and the pact made with her father flashed in front of her eyes: 4

14 Srishti Parmar But beta, I can t invest in your project. You know it! Ok dad. But I just want to say that it is neither any project for me nor a fleeting passion. It s my dream! You know that! And I have spent countless days and nights thinking of it, working on it, visualizing it in its magnificence! I even have a plan laid down to the minutest detail and I can walk you through it if you want. It s imprinted in my heart. Ever since mom passed away, that s all I have donebuilt upon the cause she was so selflessly devoted to- a charitable foundation for orphans, an art gallery! Almost on the verge of tears, she continued, I know you don t like talking about it that day-the fire in the gallery. But it was not anyone s fault dad, neither yours nor anyone else s. You have to let it go dad! Please. I beg you! It kills me to see you like this! There are certain things that you re unaware of. Things, that you are too young to understand, you know, he replied with sorrow dripping from his eyes. Then help me understand, dad. I will, when the time is right. It is just that every single second of the day I wish I was there, if I had gotten there on time, that-then maybe things might have been different, that she would still be here! 5

15 7 Days Dad, she is still here with us! You know, I actually feel that she is with me when I am there in the art gallery and I know it is selfish of me but it brings me closer to her. And I want nothing more than the assurance of her presence, even if it s not real! I have already made her dreams mine even if it s against your will! I am sorry but it s too late to go back now. We have both handled her absence in different ways. While you gave yourself to her memories, I chose her dreams also! And it is the very emotional attachment of yours that scares me. I ve already lost one love of my life because of that art gallery. I don t want to lose you too. You won t dad! You won t. I promise. Just give me a chance to prove it. Please! Finally she succeeded in melting her father s heart after complete three years. Ok. I will. But I want you to understand the dynamics of business before you actually start your own venture. Things are not as easy as you think. What are you implying? Just try your luck in a few companies, let s say- ten atleast and if you re not selected, we shall proceed the way you want, no questions asked. But if you are selected, you ll have to work there, atleast for a year. But dad! That s not fair. 6

16 Srishti Parmar You have proved yourself exceptionally well everywhere. Consider it the last step. Can t you do this much for your old father? Ok. I will but you do not get to add any more conditions, she requested with a childlike innocence. Ok! But remember I trust you completely and I know you won t lie to me about giving the interviews. And emotional blackmail ruled out the most obvious and easiest possibility. Yes dad. I won t lie to you about this but I do have something else on my mind. She smiled to herself and the deal was sealed. Shruti s father had underestimated his daughter s sharp intelligence who had already devised a plan to achieve her goal. Very cleverly, she willingly got herself rejected from the companies, to her father s surprise. And as he was about to call the first company to enquire about her qualified daughter s rejection, she came clear and said, But dad, you hadn t mentioned any clauses so I formulated a few on my own. What do you mean? I mean I did show up for the interview and I did not betray your trust, completely. I kept my promise as you asked. That s all you need to know. Shruti! 7

17 7 Days Dad! Everything s fair in love and war, she said, making a sad face. Especially when it s the eternal love of mother, that s in question, and eased her way out by cushioning it with emotions. Ok. But you still have to go to the nine companies. I will, dad. I remember my promise. Don t worry. We will see who has to worry later. It is not right to manipulate your parents, you know. God is watching! he said in attempts of luring her with the same tricks. Shruti laughed at his fruitless endeavors, You are so melodramatic, and hugged him. She had succeeded in her plans, atleast in the nine companies and confidently turned up for the last interview but the plan and the confidence went up the smoke, as she reached Ayaan s firm, to the happiness of her father. Now walking up and down, the little devil was hatching a new conspiracy. After exhausting herself and her ingenuity for a few hours, she conceived of a plan: MISSION GETTING FIRED! Meanwhile, as on other days, Ayaan left for a place, after office hours. It had been a few months since he had been driving to the rendezvous, sitting in the car and watching someone keenly. The ritual had almost become a compulsory part of his life- the drive, the 8

18 9 Srishti Parmar wait, the want to say something and the obstruction through painful nostalgia. W Ayaan Oberoi is the son of a leading businessman of Pune, Balraj Oberoi. He grew up without the warmth of a mother s love, the news of whose sudden death when he was only a boy of five had left a hole in his heart, filled only with an unconscious yearning for real connections. And the little and only warmth, he experienced in his family as a child, was under the wings of his grandmother, who passed away before he could comprehend the true meaning of being loved. So blessed with wealth and riches beyond estimation- the very blessings which he had begun to despise, he was brought up in an atmosphere where material possessions were considered more important than emotional attachments. But things at home did not keep him from growing into charming, witty, humorous and intelligent young man. And though moving from school to college, most of the people he encountered were either drowned in selfishness or addictions, he had a few friends he could really depend on. Soon he grew up to be a man of twenty and two, ready to take the world in his hands and conquer it with a passion for acing painting and writing. But the fear and pressure

19 7 Days of his father s expectations was something he dared not to conquer and graduated with MBA degree. And the numerous poetries and sketches, instead of blooming into life remained buried in his heart. Finally, he was succeeding his father s company in Delhi as a brilliant managing director and his creativity in the diary as a could be artist, as if he were leading two different lives, one halfheartedly and the other, effortlessly. In the parallel universe, there was a beautiful, charming, witty and utterly loved girl, Shruti Seth brought up under the sweet and warm affection of her parents. Her father, Vikrant Seth is a reputed businessman who owns various chains of hotels in Delhi and Mumbai and dotes on her. Though, usually cool and easygoing, the demise of his wife, Garima, had made him a bit protective over Shruti, who fervently wishes to realize her late mother s dream of an art gallery for a charitable cause. P 10

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