Chapter 17: The Mother of All Resignations
[System Notification: Boss Fight — Stage 2 | Special Character: Mrs. Sharma (Enraged Mode)]
The "Mountain Roka" was in full swing. The priest was chanting, Ishaan was trying to keep a straight face while holding a marigold garland, and I was looking at the silver ring on my finger, still dizzy from his confession.
That's when the devil's ringtone pierced through the sacred mantras.
Ring-ring. Ring-ring.
My phone, tucked into my back pocket, felt like it was vibrating with the force of a thousand suns. I tried to ignore it, but the "Satan" caller ID was relentless.
"Meera, beta, your phone is screaming," my mother whispered, pausing her rhythmic clapping.
"It's nothing, Mom! Just a... spam call from an insurance company!"
"On a mountain? At sunset?" Mrs. Sharma's eyes narrowed. Before I could jump off the cliff to escape, she reached out with the speed of a seasoned kabaddi player and snatched the phone from my pocket.
"Hello?" she barked into the receiver, pressing 'Accept' before I could scream 'No!'
The Clash of the Titans
"SHARMA!" Mr. Khurana's voice erupted from the speaker, echoing across the valley. "I've seen the news! I've seen the 'Viral Mud Video'! You aren't in altitude therapy, you're in a rom-com! I want your formal resignation on my desk by Monday! You're a liar, a fraud, and—"
The air on the mountain suddenly turned five degrees colder. My mother's face transformed. Gone was the doting, wedding-obsessed woman; in her place stood a Mother who had just heard her child being insulted.
"Excuse me?" Mrs. Sharma said, her voice dropping to a terrifyingly calm level. "Who am I speaking to?"
"This is Rajesh Khurana, CEO of Khurana & Associates! And who the hell is—"
"I am the woman who spent twenty-four hours in labor to bring that 'fraud' into the world," my mother interrupted, her voice gaining volume with every word. "And I am the person who watched her top her university class while you were probably still learning how to use a stapler!"
Ishaan let out a muffled snort of laughter. Ananya leaned in, whispered, "Go, Aunty!" and started recording the whole thing.
"Now you listen to me, Mr. Khurana-CEO-Satan," my mother continued, pacing the edge of the cliff like a tigress. "My daughter did not lie to you. She was indeed suffering from a fever—a fever caused by working for a man who doesn't know the difference between a load-bearing wall and his own ego! She doesn't need to send a resignation. Consider this her verbal notice. She is far too busy being a Lead Architect for a new high-end patisserie and being the fiancée of a brilliant doctor to waste another second on your 'Mehta Mall'!"
"She can't quit! I'll sue for breach of—"
"Sue us?" Mrs. Sharma laughed, a sharp, terrifying sound. "My son-in-law is a doctor with high-level connections, and my daughter's best friend is a London-trained executive with a very expensive lawyer. We will see you in court, Rajesh. Now, hang up. You're interrupting a holy ceremony."
Click.
She handed the phone back to me, her expression instantly shifting back to a sweet, maternal smile. "There, beta. Problem solved. Now, where were we with the garlands?"
The Reality Check
The silence that followed was absolute. Even the priest looked impressed.
Ishaan walked over to me, wrapping an arm around my waist and pulling me into his side. "Well," he whispered, leaning down. "I guess you're officially a freelance architect now. Ready to start on Ananya's 'ocean-blue' shutters?"
I looked at my mother, then at Ananya, and finally at Ishaan. For the first time in years, the crushing weight of "What will people think?" was gone.
"I think," I said, my voice finally steady, "that I've never been more ready for anything in my life."
"Good," Ishaan murmured, his gaze dropping to my lips. "Because I'm not done with that 'conversation' we started before the priest crashed the party."
[System Notification: Job Status: Unemployed (and Loving It) | Relationship Status: Engaged to a Protective Legend]
[Author's Corner]
MOM OF THE YEAR! 🏆 Mrs. Sharma just took down the CEO like a boss! But wait... now that Meera is officially unemployed, the pressure is on for Ananya's café to succeed. And did you hear Ishaan? He wants to finish that kiss! 🫦
Status Update:
Meera: Free from Satan's grip
.
Ishaan: Proud fiancé.
Ananya: Ready to build her empire.