A whimsical tale...

And she sat across the table; placid, serene... there was not even a single scowl on her face depicting about the conflict which was going on deep inside her own self, a combat between her mind and her heart. If at one point she signs the document kept in-front of her, her heart wins and for the other... she didn’t even wanted to ponder over it. But now, the time has come when she had to decide on what she’s been putting aside since past 2 weeks.

Finally after composing herself from all the thoughts, she said, flickering her beautiful sea green eyes which appeared to be like pearls on her serene face, “I must think the matter over. I need to consider the whole shebang. I may get back to you in about two days.” And with this, Jane stood up from the brown leather chair and moved towards the other end of the room, towards the big transparent glass which composed the fourth wall of the conference hall they were seated in; her movement abstruse.

Looking through the glass, she signalled Mr. Cakaroon to leave. At once, Cakaroon, who has been Jane’s lawyer since past decade, since the day she joined and empowered the hundred billion dollar business empire of her late father Stephen Timothy started to leave. On his big brown face, with dark black moustaches and big black eyes under the thick eyebrows, he had a discordant expression. But, he knew well within that Jane would never let wrong happen.

Cakaroon who was in his late fifties had seen this business rise from a million dollar to billions. He and Stephen were friends since age 9.  They went to the same school. Stephen later though graduated as an engineer, he never did lost his interest in arts. Art was something innate; he didn’t need to learn it or cultivate his skills in this field. He was the best at it since his childhood but his father won’t allow him to take up arts at college. This though, never stopped Stephen from admiring and alluring various art forms. During his summer breaks he would spend his time at the best art university in state and hone his skills. By the end of his graduation, his father died of heart-attack and after the convocation, Stephen married Clara, his college love.

Stephen started with a job but felt stilted. It wasn’t that Stephen was not a laborious man but he was a little dissatisfied with his job. Soon he quit and started with his art-work. Making face paintings, sketching, and some tremendously creative modern art works; he started earning and saving money for his own art gallery. His wife, only too sweet and caring, took the responsibility to run the house. Within next 6 months, Stephen had enough money to invite people to his own art gallery, a small one, yet a unique one. People bought his paintings at unbelievable price at the auction and he turned a star overnight. He kept working the same way for the next 1 year and finally started  with his own firm ‘Zedous’, which is now one of the leading organization in the field of arts and entertainment. It was just like a duck to water for Stephen to be where he was and where his company stands today.

Cakaroon who went on to graduate as a lawyer came in contact with Stephen when Stephen was sitting across the judge during his trial, charged by a motion picture producer for having replicated his work which was absolutely wrong. Stephen was set free since there were no proofs found against him. It was only after the trial that Stephen was making his way out of the court room and Cakaroon who had been studying his friend since so long, followed. Cakaroon was practicing then and was earning himself a good rapport as a lawyer. Stephen asked him to be his personal lawyer and Cakaroon gave in his consent then and there.

It was 15 years back when they started working together. After 5 years, Stephen was shot dead at the streets of Lincola, near his beach house at Amsterdam, when he was enjoying a day out with his wife Clara and daughter Jane who was just 13 then. She was yet to graduate from school and join a college.

After Stephen was shot, Clara scurried towards the house and called Cakaroon who assured her he’ll reach them in just next 15 minutes. Till then, the police and ambulance were called. But there was no hope since Stephen was shot on his head. Jane stood there still, bearing the hot scorching Sun as hard as she could, without wailing; unlike her mother Clara. She stood there in disdain, looking aimlessly at her father’s body and how the grey roadway turned blackish red from his blood where his head lay.

She didn’t cry at all. For the next one week, she set aside everything, locked herself in her room and would not eat or see anybody. Jane was a tough child. Her father’s demise had appalled her. She was very close to Stephen, they used to spend hours together every weekend working on various art forms and Jane knew it that when she grows up, she’ll only step into her father’s shoes. Her father was a source of inspiration to her.

The only man Stephen had his blind trust on was Cakaroon. During that whole week Cakaroon was busy discussing with each and every of the 10 detectives hired to find out the man behind the scene and he was awestruck when he came to know it was none other than Rizzollo Darth, their rival and one of the best upcoming business tycoon. He then remembered how Stephen has turned him down when he came to see him with a partnership agreement. That must have been the reason for vengeance, since it was not just the agreement that Stephen turned down, he also jibbed Rizzollo in-front of his crew. Though Stephen was a Samaritan, but he hated it when people came up to him with one thing he never want to approve on. And with this, Rizzollo became the antagonist for Stephen. But he’d reach to such an extent was never expected. Cakaroon, was a trustful lawyer to Stephen and so Cakaroon cased Rizzollo; and then, began the trail against him.

After that week Cakaroon went on to meet Jane and in those 7 days, it was the first time when Jane stepped out of her room. She rushed towards Cakaroon, hugged him tight and then couldn’t stop breaking down. She cried for hours. Clara, who was only so worried for Jane finally sighed with relief, asking Cakaroon to make her understand the real situation. Clara had turned pale in that one week. Cakaroon suggested her to visit the doctor and when she did, she was taken aback; not ready to digest what was before her. Her reports read she had cancer, in initial stages though and could be cured only if she agrees to a regular treatment. In some senses, that also meant the she had only enough time to see Jane grow and take on the business his husband has built.

Since then, for the next 5 years, until Jane turned 18, Clara went to the office and worked with Cakaroon. They attended meetings together, discussed important details and held the company name atop as Stephen left it.

On the day, Jane turned 18; Clara took Jane with her to the office and asked her to lead the empire from here on. Clara stayed home since then. Jane had a marvellous mind. She had both the art as well as management skills innate. Quickly with Cakaroon’s guidance she got the complete picture of the business and she then forged ahead with various projects she thought were important for the business. All along this way, Rizzollo who was at the trial, had went underground. After 1 year of regular court visits Darth decided to get rid of this matter as quickly as possible and so he joined hands with Don Jattik. All these years Don Jattik has made Rizzollo a strong power. Nobody saw him for past 12 years or so but he had connections across countries now. He was the right hand to Don. But, this was not what Rizzollo wanted; this was not the world to Rizzollo. His eyes still set at Zedous, Stephen’s business empire and so Rizzollo along with Don Jattik who would have got a fair share in the profit earned, laid a plan to let that happen. It was bait for Jane; Jane, still a novice in the big bad industry around her. Though Cakaroon was there for Jane at each and every moment but that was not enough. He cannot have a command over Jane’s personal life.

Jane then came across Will, one of the most charming, handsome and finest man she’d ever seen in her life. Will wanted to work as a casting crew at Zedous. He had reverted back to a newspaper advertisement. Though Jane never interfered with the various departments of her firm, but, during her complimentary time she used to enjoy watching the film making and the sets arranged for new projects. It was on the sets of her firm one day, when as usual she was enjoying the hustle and bustle of the entirely different world around her, near her that she got a glimpse of Will. Will, only too excited to have caught her eyes gazing at him went towards Jane with a yellow rose in his hand, asking her out for coffee. Jane didn’t want to lose this opportunity to talk to him and so she readily gave in her acceptance for the proposal he laid in-front of her.

And finally coffee’s, dinner, lunch and breakfast; it all grew at a rapid pace between Jane and Will. When Cakaroon came across this, he promoted Will to be the head of the department he was working in. Jane tried to keep him off her mind but she always failed. She was in love. For the first time in her life, she had that feeling of being with a person forever. Will only, always added to her amazement and with each passing day they felt deeper and deeper for each other. Never at that point of time, had Jane and Cakaroon thought that Will was cheating on them. Cakaroon indeed had a liking for Will.

It was unlike all the other days that Will came running to Jane that day, banging the door behind him. He was in a hurry; there was certain unease on his face. He handed out some documents to Jane and asked her to sign them. Jane was shocked since it was only Cakaroon who asked her to sign the documents; it was only Cakaroon who ever brought up anything that was to be signed. Knowing this fact, Will said- “I called on to Cakaroon and he informed me that he’ll be late by an hour. Look this is very important.....” and being blind in love, Jane without hearing any other word picked up a pen from the pen stand kept on her desk and signed the document which read “Agreement for the project on Tales of Vengeance”. She skimmed through the first page and without reading ahead; she signed all the pages that followed.

And 2 weeks ago, that was the day when Will stepped out of her office and never returned back. When Cakaroon came a few minutes later, Jane was surprised to see him and she exclaimed saying “Will just informed me you’ll be late; and......” she realized, something has gone wrong. Her face turned sober and she gave each and every detail to Cakaroon. Cakaroon thought about it and thought perhaps Jane was only being a little too cautious. But, things really changed when Cakaroon himself noticed Will’s absence in the office the next day. It was followed by a call for Cakaroon. Cakaroon, recognized the heavy voice, that of Rizzollo; he trembled as he kept his ears intact to the telephone receiver.

The documents that Jane signed were none other than the partnership agreement that Rizzollo had presented before Stephen 15 years back. It wasn’t that Rizzollo wanted a hand on Zedous, he just wanted to buy some shares, sign a project which was against the law since it involved the presence of some illegal stuff; only Zedous could had helped Rizzollo with that project on narcotics since it had lot many legal contacts and that power too. It was not that Rizzollo couldn’t had done it now, being with the Don himself, but he wanted to establish himself in the market. He still wanted to be the man on Earth that people know and people would love to be, he still wanted to be clean hands and live life king size; the way Stephen lived, the way Stephen has gifted this life to his family. Rizzollo’s small firm was still running the way it was at the time of Stephen but since so many years, he had not let anybody take on the charge of the project he wanted to start.

Rizzollo’s voice was harsh. He told Cakaroon that the partnership agreement has been signed but now it was him who needs to arrange for the rest of the things; including the taking back of charges on Rizzollo and if he wouldn’t then he could destroy anything he wanted too, since now he had a copy of Jane’s original signatures. This made sense. Will was therefore a man sent by Rizzollo.

When Cakaroon broke this news in-front of Jane, she went numb. She couldn’t had thought about Will doing this to her. She remembered the time they’ve spent together and somewhere she knew that Will loved her too. But then how come has Will done this to her? There was no other way round now, except for what Will gave to her in response to the love, trust and care that Jane showered on to him. Jane’s mother Clara, who was immensely ill by this time, was unable to bear this news and died.

In a matter of few days, she thought she lost everything; first her love which was more of a betrayal, her mother and now even the business that her father built with such hard work and pride, without doing anything wrong. She tried to talk to talk to Will again, thinking something might have gone wrong, misinterpreted but there was no use. Will sent her a letter reading- she must forget everything and do what was being asked to be done. Will was the son of Rizzollo and so it made sense again to the whole story that was made to trap Jane.

Soon after, Cakaroon did what was asked by Rizzollo; he readied the documents which screamed of Rizzollo’s victory, which screamed of Rizzollo’s power. Now, if Jane signs this document, Rizzollo would be free to destroy the world with the most legal powers and if she doesn’t her own life was at stake, as her father’s was. Cakaroon only wished the right to happen, he wished to see Jane alive, and she was after-all a very bright lady. They had gone through every possible aspect of what could and could not be done, but there lay no other solution with Don Jattik being the partner of Rizzollo now.

2 days later, if there would had been some other girl, would had signed the document to set her life free, to enjoy her life in riches and continue with the firm the way it was going on. But Jane followed her father’s footsteps. When 2 days later Cakaroon entered the conference hall oh their office again, he saw Jane already waiting there. Jane moved towards Cakaroon, and asked for the documents. Cakaroon at once held out the documents to her. She only took them in her hands, glanced at them and smiled while her hands started tearing them into pieces. Cakaroon was taken aback. “Jane, what are you doing?”

And Jane handed him with yet another paper that lay on the table. She said in a calm voice, “Cakaroon, I am happy that you’ve always been with me all these years but now the time has come when we must leave this all behind. I thought a lot about Rizzollo, about that bastard Will and my father Stephen who built this empire; but somehow I feel, we cannot risk the life of millions of people. I have finally decided to give away 50% of this firm as charity to the orphanage and the remaining 50% to the Art University of the state where my dad went to learn during his summer break. I would only be happy to be a teacher at that University, if nothing else. I still respect my father's decision, being rich is not worth; you must be a good human.”

Cakaroon never considered Jane to be somebody superior, after Stephen was gone Jane was like Cakaroon’s own daughter to him. He only wanted to see her happy, satisfied and to be living the best life she could. Thinking for the mankind before even for her ownself, made his face filled with pride and he knew, Jane would come back again, just like her father did and establish yet another enticing empire.