Answers

"I need a job.", I said to the man sitting at the opposite head of the table. He was bedecked in a long, white, airy gown- a trademark Saudi-Arabian dress. His chin had a light dusting of a five o'clock shadow just below his aristocratic nose, hooked like a hawk and startling, clear grey eyes that had the focus of a bird of prey.

Jamal Bint Syed Al-Qahtani was a hunter if I had ever seen one. His personality took after his favourite bird- the falcon, favoured for its impeccable eye and instincts. Jamal was a shrewd businessman to the core and he had agreed to gamble on a home-grown entrepreneur like me instantly even though I had no Ivy League MBA. Somehow, he had known what I would become one day. Though his fortune came mostly from black gold that was worth billions, he invested in everything from real estate to aviation to defense and fashion. Our goal of making sustainable clothing at affordable rates and contributing towards a better future had aligned perfectly. No amount of money however could put a dent on his 24-carat heart. He was royalty yet he could mingle with the poorest, the down-trodden with enviable ease. He was good with people and his money or status was the least impressive thing about him.

And he had been my first investor. He knew talent, he could taste it. Now, I had come to him for advice, for a job and for counseling.

"You are a lion, Sana. You are a leader.You cannot work under another lion.  You can't work under somebody's command. Your personality is at odds with following orders. You will always be in a power struggle in the workplace which could be damaging to the company.", he assessed.

I sighed and clenched my fist. Every word he had said was true. I wasn't a woman to do anyone's bidding. I was a lone-player but every now and then even an ex-CEO needed a lesson in humility.

"It will be......interesting to experience to work for someone. I must remain rooted to the ground. I have to learn everything again and experiencing it is the best way to learn."

He looked away, out of the massive floor-to-ceiling windows of the 56th floor. The entire city looked tiny from this height. People were simply black dots on the horizon, crawling around like ants. No one would even hear Jamal if he screamed from this height. The thought was scary.

"Have you talked to her?", he asked bluntly.

I didn't bother pretending that I didn't know who he was talking about.

"No, I haven't yet.", I confessed. " My situation does not permit it. I barely have a moment to breathe. My son..... I don't know when he will wake. I am just..... I am trying to make it through the moment", I confessed.

He shook his head in sympathy.

"I am a stakeholder at Boss Lady. Your sister Jules, is now the CEO. The board has outvoted you. The company 70 million in one financial quarter under your leadership. I am not supposed to have any loyalty to you."

He was right. He was absolutely right.

"I have gained the company as much as I have lost it. We are in 70 countries with more than 200 retail stores and have a monopoly in the market. I set the bar way too high for that loss to even hit us. Nonetheless, it was a mistake to learn from. It won't happen again. But, there is  a reason why I became the CEO and not Jules. I am the company, I am Boss Lady. You know that. I know that."

Now he couldn't argue.

"For old times sake, I can find you a job."

It was suspicious how easily he agreed or perhaps he had always meant to find me one. Perhaps this was always his motive. It was hard to get a read on Jamal.

"Am I going to regret asking you for the job?"

"You will. Probably. You may not. But, the job's not gonna be easy. The man you are gonna be working for won't be easy.", he said cryptically.

" You could give me a name.", I said.

"Or, I could just make it more difficult for you.", he said toying with the jade paperweight on his desk.

"Good. I've never liked easy."

Then I gave him my most feral smile. He grinned and the old familiarity of two predators coming together hung in the air.

But, he sobered quickly enough.

"They're going to come after you. She is going to come after you."

He meant my enemies and I had made a lot of enemies in this industry. Now, I was weak and I had a target on my back.

"Let them come. I have lost everything. I am not afraid.", I replied bluntly.

"Wrong. You have lost nothing, habibti. You can build your own empire from the ground. But, your son and your Ethan- you can't replace them. They are your most precious possessions. Never forget it."

"I know.", I said grief crushing me once again as I remembered my heart in the ICU. My eyes glossed over and my breath lodged in my throat in a knot.

But, I managed to stop myself. I couldn't let myself cry in front of a man who had no more reason to be on my side. I knew Jamal wouldn't betray me in any way but so I had thought of Jules and yet she had betrayed me. I wasn't feeling very trusting at the moment.

"Since you won't tell me who I'm working for, give me something else. Tell me something I should know."

He shook his head and gave me a smirk. Yeah! I was a bitch with a bone.

"Damaged.", he whispered.

"Perdón?", I asked startled.

"He is damaged. The man you're gonna be working for- he is damaged. That's all you need to know."

And that word struck me. Damaged. Not broken. Not hurt. Damaged. As if some vital part of a person had been cleaved out of them. It wasn't a word that should be used to describe anybody.

"Well....maybe he and I can talk shop. See who has the saddest sob story. I bet I'll win by a thousand and one points."

He snickered.

I looked around the office to give me an excuse to not meet his eyes. It was flawless really, with a sleek, minimalist decor and bold, black overtones and white marble. I noted the potted plants, the little baubles on the hanging shelves, the soft lighting and the air of money that hung in the atmosphere. I looked everywhere except for his grey, assessing falcon eyes.

"You know there is only one way this can end right?"

"I know. It's gonna be me or her."

"There is still time to negotiate."

"No! There isn't. She stabbed me in the back. She betrayed me.", I growled feeling anger coursing through my veins, heating my blood.

"Kuruskshetra ended an era. Family feuds are unending. When blood wars against blood, it lasts generations. She may not be your blood but you are thicker than blooded sisters. You are sisters of the heart. You are much too alike. A war between you two is going destroy everyone around."

"Then I will be the last woman standing. I am not giving BossLady up."

He sighed gently shaking his head. His eyes were bleak. Of course, they would be. His two prodigies were fighting. He would have made much more money with both of us on the same side.

"You have been in blood wars before, Jamal. Tell me, how do you win against someone who knows all your weaknesses?", I asked.

He looked up sharply and gazed at me for a prolonged moment. He looked at me with secrets haunting his eyes.

" You don't win."

I waited.

"You destroy the other person and take what is yours."

He said it as if he had done it, as if he too once had plunged the dagger into some brother's chest, some brother he had loved more dearly than life. His fingers went white as his grip tightened on the paperweight. Jamal was hiding something.

He had seen this happen before.

Only question was, if I was strong enough to do it.

"Will you tell her?", I asked point-blank.

"I will not betray you, Sana. So, don't tell me anything.", he said diplomatically.

" Just remember, Jamal- this is war and eventually you are gonna have to decide which side you're on.", I warned him.

"I have watched you both grow from nothing to everything. I have watched you fail, I have watched you both cry and then persevere and stand up again. The day I have to choose one of you, won't be a choice. It will be the last straw."

He waited a moment before speaking again.

"Strengthen yourself and your position before you attack. Bow your head today Sana and fight tomorrow."

It was sound advice. I had to retreat, to let them think that I was defeated. Then, I had to stage a sudden attack when no one would be looking.

I stood ready to leave.

"You start this Monday. My car will pick you up from your house.", he said still keeping up with the secrecy.

Damn it, I thought beyond frustrated

I was out of the door when he called me back.

" For what it's worth, I am sorry about your son but he would want you to do this. For yourself."

I nodded mechanically at the pity in his eyes and stepped out. My eyes burned and my fists tightened as I made my way do the elevator.