Ramesh's ordeal continued in the same vein for the next few weeks. Rush to office, greet Goddess Gayatri at the parking lot, walk behind her obediently carrying her bag into the office, take off clothes once inside her cabin, kneel and worship her, spend the day working on his hands and knees beneath her feet. Thankfully, after the initial novelty wore off, Lily and Robin didn't slap him much and were content to simply get their boots licked and feet cleaned.
Gayatri kept finding ways to keep Priyanka out of the office, to ensure she commanded Ramesh's undivided attention. Priyanka's role as investor relations officer also meant that she had to travel a lot to meet investors in any case.
There was a lot of office gossip on Ramesh and Gayatri spending a lot of time locked up in her cabin, with whispers that they were sleeping around. But no one dared to bring it up in an open discussion, as no one wanted to fall foul of the boss' daughter.
Till a sudden event resulted in blowing the issue out into the open. Mr. Srinivasan suffered a sudden heart attack and was rushed to the hospital. Gayatri got busy tending to him and didn't attend office for a week. The two Senior Partners at the firm visited Mr. Srinivasan at the hospital, enquiring about his health and assuring him that the firm was in 'safe hands' and that 'he could take his time to recover fully'.
As soon as they left, Mr. Srinivasan turned to his daughter and said, "Beware of those two snakes, my girl! They are after my chair. I won't be strong enough to come back for a few months, I want you to hold the fort till then."
Gayatri nodded. She was determined to not let her firm go into the hands of anyone else. That the two Senior Partners would try to usurp power when her dad, their mentor, lay in the hospital did not surprise her. She acknowledged to herself that she would have done the same in their place. You don't get to the top without being ruthless. But she didn't mean to let those two go unpunished.
The next Monday, she called a meeting of the firm's leadership team. The two Senior Partners, four Partners and six Managing Directors were invited, along with the head of HR, Senior Counsel and CFO. She had instructed HR to send the invite without specifying the agenda but everyone present knew the subject at hand. Her dad's failing health was an open secret at the office.
She deliberately kept them waiting for fifteen minutes. She knew the next hour was critical. Treason had to be nipped in the bud. She wished she could have the bloody traitors 'hanged, drawn and quartered' but they were unfortunately in the 21st century and not the medieval era. She had to make an example of the traitors all the same, destroy their professional careers and their personal life if need be. Anyone else even thinking about grabbing power should realise that they would be committing career hara-kiri.
Gayatri confidently entered the Board Room and took the chair at the head of the table. That was her first power move since that chair has been ceremonially kept vacant since the day her father had been hospitalized. "Ladies and gentlemen, thank you all for gathering here at short notice. I will keep this short. As you all know, my father is likely to be away from office for some time and we are sure when he would be able to resume. So, effective immediately, I am taking over his role as his successor. You will all report into me. Nothing changes, keep making money for the firm and you will get your share of the profits," Gayatri announced.
There was a momentary silence in the room as the people around the table absorbed this news.
"I have something to say," Mr. Sharma, one of the two Senior Partners spoke up. Gayatri looked at him and raised a single eyebrow. To be honest, she had not expected him to go without a fight.
"I respect your father and wish him a speedy recovery. But he did not name you his successor, and this firm is not a family fiefdom to be handed from father to daughter. By all rights, I should be the next Chair, being the seniormost Partner," Mr. Sharma said forcefully. "But I am not a selfish man, and so I propose that Mr. Mehta and I be co-Chairs," he added. Mr. Mehta, the other Senior Partner nodded in agreement.