Page 199 of 12 Years
‘What for?’ she said as the car drove away.
‘Hi, reached Mumbai okay?’ I sent Payal a message.
She didn’t reply for a day.
‘How are you doing, Payal? How is Mumbai treating you?’ I sent another one.
No reply for two days. The same fate awaited the next three messages that I sent to her over the week. I saw her online on WhatsApp several times. But she never responded to me. Ghosting—the new-age equivalent of ‘I am not interested’—is silent, but it stings.
I figured she wanted to be left alone. I also knew why. Instead of breakfast, I’d put both my feet in my mouth that day.
I decided to let things be for a while, hoping that the remaining paperwork for the deal would give me a legitimate reason to speak to Payal. The opportunity came one week later.
My legal team wanted a document from Blackwater: a list of authorized signatories from Blackwater who could sign off on the CloudX deal. It was a small technical requirement. I could’ve asked someone in my office to get it. However, I offered to call Blackwater instead. I said it would make them send it across faster.
‘Hi, free to talk on a call? It’s work-related,’ I messaged Payal.
‘Hi, sure,’ she replied immediately.
Okay, so she can be prompt in her replies.
‘Hi,’ Payal said as she picked up my video call, looking surprised.
‘Hi,’ I said and smiled as our eyes met on the screen.
‘Video call?’ she said.
‘Yeah, I thought a face-to-face chat is always better. Is that okay?’ I said.
‘Yeah, sure. Am in office though. Let me wear my AirPods,’ she said. She put the earplugs on. ‘Okay, we can talk now. What’s up?’
‘My legal team needs a Blackwater-authorized signatories document.’
‘Oh? Okay. I’m sure our legal team could’ve sent that request to your legal team. Anyway, I’ll arrange it.’ She typed something on her laptop.
‘Thanks, no rush …’ I said.
‘Okay.’
‘How are you?’ I said.
‘I’m good. Busy with work. All this deal-closing stuff.’
‘I didn’t mean in terms of work. I meant how are you otherwise, in life?’
Payal looked at me in silence.
‘You didn’t reply to my messages,’ I said.
‘I did, just now, before you called. For any work-related stuff, I’m here.’
‘Payal, you’re behaving exactly like I did during that Bosporus lunch.’
Payal let out a loud sigh.
‘Really, how are you? How’s life?’ I said.
‘Am a bit stressed out, dealing with some stuff.’
