When You LOVED Me...

70.

*Unedited*

Heights had intimidated her once.

Looking at the towering structure of Rathore Corporations she had expected to feel that intimidation but she felt nothing. They made their way into the building. Some people greeted them as they were getting used to see Mia and Arav from last two months.

Business was very bad. Arav had to make some hard decision to sustain the business. He temporarily closed the NY and UK office of RFC and devoted all his energy to maintain the branch in Mumbai.

While, Mia was totally new to the workings of a company. She tried to be useful wherever she can. And then there was a mess of her own property rights which was dealt by the court and she was now the owner of Khurana enterprises and she didn't know how to deal with it.

Her mother and her brother had came when the court case hearing was going on. Her mother was deeply hurt by the betrayal of Mr. Nathan and horrified by the knowledge that somebody could go so low for their greed of wealth. She was relieved when he was hold guilty in the court along with Keshav Rathore.

Her brother was not so vocal about it. But Mia thought it was unfair that he had seen the ugly side of the world too soon. For Mia, Krish was real heir of Khurana enterprises and she tried to transfer it to him as soon as she got the rights and let him handle the business when he will be older. But Krish didn't want to do anything with the company mainly because he was so young and second that he has no interest in running a business.

And he argued that the their father had left the company for her and it should always remain hers.

Hence, she was managing a company she didn't know how to manage. But it certainly takes her mind off of Aaron , so she was willing to give it a try.
The main building of Khurana enterprises was just opposite the building of Rathore Corporations, but Mia hadn't visited that building yet. After the case, the share of Khurana enterprises had also gone south very quickly and investors had pulled out. So, the company was more or less bankrupt. And from what Mia had found out, it was already in huge losses even before the accident case.

Mia can't feel loss of the Khurana enterprises because she never had any benefactors with it in the first place. But Rathore Corporations was a different experience all together.

Truly, she was pushing herself to learn and adapt to business environment only because she want to be part of the solution of the problem RFC was facing today and not the problem itself, as it would appear to be.

When Aaron would wake up, atleast something close to his heart should be the way it was before.
Which was so difficult because everything has changed for worse.

Arnav and Mia parted ways, when they reached the top floor and went inside their respective office. She went to the glass windows and looked at the city below. She would have been in NY at this time, teaching, but she had chosen this path, at least for now.

This world, Mia had never thought that she would enter, it's scary and it demands a lot from you.
Any other day Mia would be afraid the part of this system, in which she thought she could never fit in.
But now, she had nothing to lose.

*

"Maa." Mia said entering Meera Ma's room. She was sitting on the bed reading some book but she closed it seeing Mia and gave her a nod to come in.

"Sit here Mia, how was your day today at office?" Meera Ma asked taping the bed beside her.

"It was ok. I still don't feel like I belong there." Mia replied. She had become close to Meera Ma in the past months. Initially, she felt betrayed that even when Meera Ma knew everything about the wedding and what her husband's plan for Mia she didn't stop him. But later she realised that so much was kept on stake for her too, her life and also Arnav's life and maybe she did tried to save Mia.

Mia knows that Meera Ma feel guilty for not taking a more firm stand earlier for herself and for her children. She forgave her eventually. And it not only helped in deepening of their relationship but her relationship with her own mother had improved.

Meera Ma and Mia was feeling the same loss and Mia took comfort in her.

"Don't underestimate your abilities, beta. I know you are capable of running a company and so much more." Meera Ma encouraged her.

"I just wish, it shouldn't have to be this way." She knew that the topic hurts a lot but she was the only one Mia can express her vulnerabilities. And she was so much more vulnerable as the time passes. Mia was on edge of her strength and it could break now any moment without constant support of her family.

She was grateful for them, she really was.

"You know, if I were you I had given up much more earlier. But you are a fighter and it inspires me a lot. When I see you, I see hope. And I am always with you whenever you need me." Meera Ma hugged her, Mia barely controlled her tears, no one had called her hope before.

"We all need you right now." Mia said after the hug, "I think we all need each other."

*****