by Nisha Sharma
“It’s not. Mina taught me about legacy, and we are the legacy you’ve created, not the company. And Papa? There is nothing we wouldn’t do to protect it for you.”
“So my uncle’s assistant downloaded all these emails for me. This one is a message from WTA to my uncle requesting Bharat’s classified information. And then this one, is where my uncle shared the preliminary patent documents that should’ve never left the company’s hands. I forwarded all of this to my FBI contact.” Mina pointed to the screen and watched as Hem’s mother put on a tiny pair of reading glasses and leaned forward.
“That dog,” she said in Punjabi. “Is this enough to make sure that Sanjeev goes to jail?”
“I think it’s a start. It’s up to my contact at the FBI to do the rest.” She waited while Hem’s mother continued to read through the messages Sangeeta had saved on the drive. Mina had no idea why she was talking about work with Hem’s mother. Honestly, it was the only topic she could think of bringing up when the older woman approached her. Mina wasn’t exactly the most adept at talking to mothers.
Hem’s mother sat back when she finished and reached out and brushed a hand over Mina’s hair. “This must be hard for you. Going against your uncle.”
Mina shrugged, still trying to process the affectionate gesture. “Uh, not that hard actually. Sanjeev has always been antagonistic towards me.”
Was that the right thing to say? Should she have been that honest? Damn it, she wished that Hem would hurry up and come back.
“Hem and Ajay told me a little about your family,” Hem’s mother said. “You wanted to make sure that your mother’s death wasn’t in vain. I’m sorry you’re no longer at that firm, but I’m sure she’s proud of you as the woman you’ve become, regardless of where you’re employed.”
“I’m starting to believe that.”
Hem’s mother picked up the cooling chai from the coffee table and handed it to Mina. She stroked a hand over Mina’s head again. “A mother knows. Trust me when I say that if she could see you today, see how you’re helping my sons because it’s the right thing to do, she’d be bursting with pride.”
“Thanks, auntie,” Mina said quietly.
“You are Hem’s, which means now you are mine. You may not like that after a while.”
Mina laughed, and the tightness in her chest eased. If there was one thing she knew about Punjabi mothers, it was that they didn’t hold back.
“What’s so funny?” Ajay’s voice echoed through the room as he approached them, phone in hand, suit coat dangling from his fingers.
“We are having girl talk,” Hem’s mother said as she stood to greet her second son. “It’s so nice Mina is helping you with your father’s company. Finally a woman to keep you three idiots in line.”
“Love you, too, Mama,” Ajay said. He collapsed on the couch next to Mina and dropped his head back against the plush cushions. He looked haggard even though it was only Monday. His face was covered in two-day-old scruff and his hair was disheveled and slightly overgrown. Even his tie was askew.
“Rough morning?”
“You have no idea.” He grabbed one of her hands and pressed a loud smacking kiss to her knuckles. “Thank you. Thank you and your friend for the information that you’ve given us. Zail had to let Sahar go and I don’t think he’ll ever forgive me for it.”
“I’m happy to help. I’m sorry about Sahar, though. I only spoke with her for a few minutes but I liked her. It was a shock when I heard the news.”
“She’s the least of our problems. We still have to flip the board before WTA comes in and flips it for us. If they do, their first move will be to oust Dad.”
Mina put her cup of chai down and picked up her laptop again. She tilted it so that Ajay could see the screen. “I may have some information that could help with that.”
Ajay took the computer from her and began scrolling through the documents at a rapid pace. One eyebrow jerked and his jaw tightened by the time he got to the end. “Did you talk to Hem about this?”
“I did. And then I sent it to my contact at the Bureau. Hopefully she’ll have something for you before the board meeting on Thursday. You were able to reschedule it, right?”
“Yes, we’re all set.”
“I’m sorry I won’t be able to be there. I was let go from Kohli and Associates today.”
Mina saw the sympathy on his face. “Hem texted. You’re better than all of them. You’ll shine brighter on your own.”
“I hope so. It’s just that I’ve come so far with Bharat, Inc. It would be nice to see this through, you know?”
Mina turned when she heard heavy footfalls coming down the stairs. Hem’s lean form came into view and she smiled back at him. Her heart, she thought. She’d lost her job, but she’d found her heart.
“Already putting her to work?” Hem told Ajay.
“No, but I was about to.”
Mina noticed the mischievous sparkle in Ajay’s eyes. “What are you talking about?”
“Something you said gave me an idea. I think I’ve come up with a solution for how you could join us for Thursday’s board meeting.”
Mina glanced back and forth between the brothers. When both of them started grinning at her, she closed the lid of her laptop. “Okay, you have my attention.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
Hem waited as the board members were escorted one at a time into the conference room. He and his brothers were positioned at opposite ends of the table. Folders and water bottles were placed in front of every empty chair, and the Polycom unit was set up with a moderator so shareholders could join remotely if they wanted to. Press was also on the line. Someone had leaked that Bharat was having a critical board meeting before the third quarter mark, and WTA was positioning for a takeover.
Ajay nodded at some of the seated men and came to stand by Hem’s side. He adjusted his cuff links even as he leaned over to speak in a low tone. “Mina is waiting on her Bureau contact to show up. Tiffany and Rafael have confirmed that our security team is waiting on standby if things get out of hand.”
“We have to find out what Sahar leaked, bhai.”
Ajay grunted. “I hired a new cyber security team to help Sri. You know Mina’s friend Raj? He uses this company apparently. So far, they’re paying off.”
Hem started to correct Ajay and tell him that Raj was actually Rajneet, but Tiffany appeared by their side. “All of the members have checked in. They should all be seated shortly.”
Hem looked at his brother and then across the room at Zail. He took a moment to button his suit coat. “Ready?”
“Always,” Ajay said. Zail gave them his go-ahead signal as well.
Along the back wall sat Damany Gordon, Bharat’s CFO, as well as the members of the compensation committee. Damany held up a thumb.
“Good morning,” Ajay said, loud enough to catch everyone’s attention. He took his spot at the front of the boardroom table and clipped the portable mic to his suit for the conference call. “Today’s agenda includes our standard financial report, as well as the findings by the compensation committee on whether the offer by WTA is worth accepting. Once we finish our report-out, we’ll end the shareholder call and then resume with the board meeting.”
“Where is your father? I’d assumed he’d be here for an important meeting like this one,” one of the board members commented.
Ajay looked over at Hem, who nodded.
“Deepak Singh is in successful recovery from a heart attack that occurred a few months ago. He will be returning to work within the next two weeks.”
Murmurs echoed around the table.
“Is he even fit to run the company?”
“WTA’s offer couldn’t have come at a better time.”
“Maybe he should take an early retirement. He’s sixty-four after all. He can only be CEO for one more year anyway, according to corporate bylaws.”
The board members didn’t hold back their comments, which only had Hem clenching his jaw hard
enough for his teeth to grind. He looked over at Sanjeev, who grinned like he’d just won a prize. His large paunch stuck out in front of him, like he’d shoved a beach ball underneath his button-down shirt. The man’s face was a picture of smugness and satisfaction.
Good, Hem thought. He had no idea what was coming.
“We’ll follow the agenda,” Ajay said calmly. “My father will release a memo shortly after this meeting.”
Ajay introduced Damany, and their CFO walked through the finance report. It looked grim, which was probably why so many of the board members had smiles on their faces. Hem gripped his phone tight enough for his knuckles to whiten. These men were the reason why his father had suffered so much. He was ready for them to get their due.
His phone buzzed in his hand, and he looked at the readout.
MINA: We’re ready when you are.
HEM: Give it another five and then come on in
Damany continued in his easy monotone and wrapped up his presentation. He motioned to his assistant, who was taking notes from a chair along the back wall. She stood, reached across the table, and unmuted the com panel. “I will now take any questions from the shareholders,” Damany said.
A voice boomed through the com. “This is Robert Douglass, Douglass with two s’s. I’m representing WTA Digital.”
Hem looked over at Zail, his posture rigid, his face focused, then at Ajay, who raised a brow, arms crossed over his chest. WTA had officially made its first move. They’d have to look into the rep for WTA the minute they got off the call.
“What can we do for you, Robert?” Ajay said.
“That’s Mr. Douglass, actually.”
A hush fell over the room.
“Mr. Doug?” Ajay said. “Okay, Doug it is. What can we do for you?”
The com crackled again. “Mr. Douglass. We’re looking forward to hearing your response to WTA’s offer. As a major shareholder, we have the right to demand that certain discussions occur with the shareholders present on the call. Unless, of course, you’d like for us to file a report with the SEC for violating shareholder rights?”
Hem laughed, and every head in the room turned to him. He knew an attorney on a power trip when he heard one. “Hey, Doug, this is Hemdeep Singh, interim legal for Bharat.”
“It’s Mr. Douglass—”
“And I couldn’t give a shit. You can demand all you want, but it’s a conflict of interest for you to be a part of the discussions. And since we now don’t know if there are other WTA employees on the call, we will be closing the conference line.”
“We as shareholders have a right to—”
“No, you don’t. And your thinly veiled threats about the SEC don’t bother me.”
Mr. Douglass began speaking again and Hem crossed to the table, leaned between two of the board members, and shut off the com panel.
“You can’t do that!” one of the board members shouted.
“I just did.”
“You three are trying to run this company like a circus. If we’re ready to vote, I’m all in favor of WTA’s acquisition of Bharat. It’s time for some real direction.”
“Of course you’re one of the people to say that,” Zail snapped, and Ajay held his hand up, palm flat to stop him from moving forward.
“Let’s move on,” Ajay said. “Can the compensation committee come and present their findings?”
The three representatives in the room stood, tablets in hand. Their smiling faces put Hem’s teeth on edge. But before they could speak, the conference room opened and Mina stepped through in her elegant red pencil skirt and thin heels. Her hair was swept up and she wore black cat-eye frames. She looked beautiful.
“Sorry I’m late,” she said cheerfully.
Sanjeev sputtered at the table and stood, his face molten with anger and shock. “You can’t be here!” he shouted. “You’re no longer head of the compensation committee!”
The board members began whispering and speaking among themselves.
“Sanjeev, didn’t you appoint her yourself?” someone commented.
“Yes, but she was fired from the firm on Monday. It’s apparent that she’s been romantically engaged with one of the Singh brothers. Or all of them, for all I know. She’s not an unbiased party anymore. Ajay, I demand that you have her removed from the premises! The rest of the compensation committee is ready to present.”
Ajay laughed. “I’m afraid I can’t tell Mina to go.”
“Why the hell not?”
“Because she works for me. She’s representing Bharat as a legal consultant.”
“What? That’s not—you can’t—”
“It is, and he can,” Mina said. She went to stand by Hem’s side. “I’m assuming the committee’s recommendation will be to sell Bharat?”
The three members of Sanjeev’s new compensation committee turned to each other, then nodded.
None of the board looked surprised. Some even had smiles on their faces. Hem’s excitement grew as he waited for the blow that they’d been working toward.
“The Singhs have decided to dismiss the committee’s findings and reject the offer,” Mina said. “It’s clear that Bharat is worth more than the offer is for. Reports will be mailed to board members upon request. We will be sending WTA a letter of rejection shortly after this meeting.”
The room erupted. Chairs were pushed back from the table, and grown men were raising their voices as they demanded Ajay do something.
Hem knew he was grinning like a fool when Mina calmly stuck two fingers in her mouth and let out a piercing whistle that had everyone in the room freeze. She looked up at him with a serene smile on her face.
If Hem didn’t love her as much as he did already, he would’ve been bursting with it then.
“Mina, we have done our due diligence and are as qualified as you, if not more so, to make a decision on behalf of the board,” said Connie, one of the more vocal members of the committee. “You have no right to come in here and ignore the work that we’ve done on your behalf.”
“I was fired this past Monday, not a month ago,” Mina said. “I’ve reviewed your reports and put together most of the work myself. Your judgment is compromised because we’ve found evidence of large lump-sum payments made to you by WTA. Large payments have been traced to the other members of the compensation committee as well.”
“You three have to be the biggest idiots ever,” Zail said with a laugh. “Every thriller on the planet can tell you not to use your checking account for bribe funds.”
Mina walked over to the conference room door and opened it. Two men in black suits appeared at the entrance. “All three of you must follow these nice gentlemen at this time. They have a few questions for you.”
Hem studied the shocked faces of the remaining people around the table as the compensation committee was escorted out of the room. He turned back to the doors where Mina stood. He raised an eyebrow, and when Mina winked at him, he knew that she’d been able to get the Bureau to appear at the office in person.
Son of a bitch.
Mina motioned for someone else to enter, and a petite Asian woman walked in, wearing a suit and a riot of tight curls around her face.
“Our guest speaker has arrived,” Ajay said cheerfully.
“This meeting is like a Warren Buffett shareholder circus, Ajay,” a woman said at the table. “First you hang up on our shareholders, then you’re inviting these people into the room. What the hell is happening?”
“Through the due diligence process, we’ve realized that there have been a few employees and board members who have been taking bribes and exchanging trade secrets,” Ajay said. “This has led to a staggering effect on sales, which is why Bharat isn’t living up to its market potential.”
“So we’re cleaning house,” Hem said. He walked over to stand next to Ajay, and Zail did the same. “This company has been our father’s dream since he arrived in this country decades ago. WTA Digital would like to use his genius, and the genius of the employe
es currently under our protection, and weaponize it. That’s not going to happen.”
“Sanjeev Kohli?” Mina said. “I believe Josette would like a few words with you. Can you please follow her out of the room?”
“I’ll do no such thing!” he shouted. “I’m the one who belongs here, not you.”
“Mr. Kohli, this is no longer a request,” Josette said.
His face was blotchy with anger. “How dare you speak to me that way!”
Josette motioned for him to get up from the table. “If you’d prefer to do this here, then I’m not opposed to it.”
“I’m friends with Deepak. He’d never stand for you treating me like this.”
“Our friendship is over.”
Hem froze, as did Ajay and Zail. They watched in shock as their father used a cane to enter the room. His assistant hovered behind him.
No one moved for a moment, until Mina spoke. “Get your father a chair. He should sit.”
Her words had Zail moving with lightning speed. He led his father to the front of the room and into the high-back chair that had remained vacant.
“What are you doing here?” Hem asked.
“Didn’t think I’d miss this show, did you?”
“Deepak, I’m glad you’re here,” Sanjeev said. His voice sounded a little calmer, but he remained standing. “Your sons and this—this spawn of my dead sister are trying to have me dismissed.”
“Sanjeev, I trusted you with my vision. But now that I’ve seen your emails, I know now exactly what you’re capable of.”
“Emails?” Sanjeev’s face morphed from confusion to anger. “Mina!”
“I’m really going to have to insist you come with me now, sir.” Josette motioned for him again. This time her aggressive stance was unmistakable.
When Sanjeev remained rooted where he stood, Josette motioned for her two guards to come forward. “Mr. Sanjeev Kohli, you are being charged with violating the Economic Espionage Act and with two counts of bribery. Please come with us.”
“Here, I’ll help, Josette,” Hem said before her security detail could assist. He rounded the table and gripped the back of the shorter man’s neck. When he squeezed, feeling the give of fat and rolls of wrinkled skin, Sanjeev yelped. Hem easily maneuvered him out of the boardroom, despite his struggling. The whole process took two minutes but made Hem feel infinitely better.