Forever & a day

In a plush conference room on the 30th floor of a skyscraper in Chicago's downtown business area, a group of men sat nervously around the conference room table. The meeting room was opulent with an enormous mahogany table and plush leather chairs. The innumerable awards and plaques awarded to the company and the previous CEO adorned a display cabinet. The view of the city from the meeting room was remarkable. The meeting attendees had no opportunity to enjoy the view outside the window. They looked everywhere else but at the raging mad CEO in front of them.

Suddenly the very comfortable Italian leather seats felt extremely uncomfortable and the cool air from the air-conditioning did not seem to bring down the rising temperature in the magnificent boardroom. The man at the head of the table was expecting answers that they were unwilling to give because they knew that the unfortunate soul who ventured an answer would be sent to collect their pink slip.

Their CEO, Mr James Aslan, was a hot-headed young man who took over the family business, FA Pharmaceuticals from his father, Ferret Aslan who had pioneered the company for over thirty years. James was a ruthless man both professionally and personally. He wanted things done his way. No questions asked. James, although professional and hardworking had a different management style to his father, and when he took over the company a few months ago, the staff and management took some time to adapt to their new CEO's mannerisms and expectations.

James was the second of three children, at almost 30 years old and heading up the pharmaceutical business while his older brother Luc was spearheading the other family business, the surgical equipment business and their younger sister, Grace was dabbling in jewellery design together with their mum, Jill Aslan. James loved his family and would sacrifice everything for their happiness. James' heart was closed off and relationships were not something he made time for. He never dated. He had many one-night stands with models, actresses, and socialites. The press would always spot him with a new lady on his arm every fortnight. He never made promises and he never fell in love, since his heartbreak a few years ago.

His mum was always worried about his reckless behaviour with women and like most mothers, wanted him to find the right woman to share his life with. So much so that she started inviting James over for dinner and tried to set him up with daughters from other affluent families. The Aslan family was well known in the business circles with the senior Aslan being an eye-catching man himself. Jill's concern for James stemmed from his previous track record with women and the incident which left James scarred and bitter toward romantic relationships. Luc, the older sibling was more settled with a wonderful marriage to his high school sweetheart, Vicky, and expecting their first bundle of joy in a few months. James was a tall man, standing at 1.8 meters, with dark hair, like his father and deep blue eyes like his mother, making him a perfect blend of both parents.

"Who's responsible for this mess? I want a name and I want it now." James' voice echoed throughout the meeting room. Mr Berns, a veteran in the company who had been working with the Aslan family for years cleared his throat and wiped his brow before attempting to answer James' question. “Actually Mr Aslan, Mrs Parks is on an extended maternity leave which started a few weeks ago and her second in charge is responsible for all license applications therefore she would be the best person to answer you.” before Mr Berns could continue, James yelled at his assistant, “Simone, get that person here right now." Mr Berns was surprised at James' coldness, but he still tried again to explain that the person responsible for this submission must have had a good reason for not submitting the dossier on time, however, James just gave him an angry look and turned to look out of the window.

Simone Clarke had worked with James since their internship days, many years ago when James took over the assistant manager role at their New York branch. He continued working with James when they returned to Chicago therefore, he was quite familiar with James' every whim and snort. He had never seen James this angry since that day a few years ago. Simone understood the significance of obtaining approval from the medicine's council for the production license before their major competitor and James' rival, AJ One Group. AJ One Group is another pharmaceutical company that is a relatively new player in the market.

Headed by Alex Johnson, a playboy and arrogant son of a politician in Chicago. His main intention was to snatch everything that James valued or held dear to him. They had gone to the same high school and were rivals ever since however, very few understood the real reason for their rivalry. Alex's success was largely attributed to his father's support and his strong network connections. He heavily relied on socializing with major players in the market to advance his career. In contrast, James at FA Pharmaceuticals preferred a management style that involved working through the correct channels to achieve his goals.

Alex was a calculating man. Although handsome, he had a cunning look that often-scared people. His father was the mastermind behind the business and Alex relied a lot on his father's guidance. Alex was envious of James ever since they met one another in middle school on the basketball field. James was popular amongst his friends and all the girls would swoon over him. James however only had eyes for one girl. Alex wasn't into girls however he wanted to be the best without putting the effort into anything. He thought that his rich status and his father's reputation were all that was needed to get ahead. While James was winning matches for the team, Alex was left sitting on the bench as a substitute. James would win the best student award while Alex was struggling to pass his exams. This didn't sit well with Alex however this continued until high school. Alex vowed that one day, in the real world, he would rob James of this success.

Maya's POV

I am famished. My eyes feel like someone just threw a handful of sand in them after I spent all morning reviewing clinical trials on a new drug that we are planning on launching in the market. My workload has intensified since Suzie went on maternity leave but I'm all too happy to step in as it will do wonders for my career, and I love Suzie to bits. She is like a big sister to me and since I joined the company as an intern a few years ago, she took me under her wing and taught me everything I know today. I lift my head to find my office empty. One glance at my watch and I realize that it's already 12:45 pm and I promised Nelia that I would meet her for lunch at the diner across the street at 12:30 pm. In a huff, I grab my purse and head out of the office only to meet a very irate Nelia glaring at me over the menu.

"I know, I know, it's the third time this week that we tried to get together and I've either cancelled or in this case, been late. I apologise and yes, lunch is on me today.” Nelia is my good friend. We first met in the neighborhood where I spent my childhood. We met on a cold, rainy evening when life seemed to have lost its color and Nelia was there to offer a supportive shoulder to lean on. She is a nursing sister at a private hospital that is around the corner from my office but with our hectic schedules, we only get to see each other briefly on occasion before we must rush off again.

Our catch-up session is long overdue, and I want to find out the latest gossip about her long-time boyfriend, Dan who suddenly proposed to her. “Thank you for making me wait, my lady. I have already placed the order, so there is no need for you to do it. You're welcome so no need to say thank you, but you are not forgiven. Maya Sharma, you are running on empty and heading into a full burnout if you don't slow down.” Nelia said with a stern face which I couldn't help laughing at. "I know Nelia, but this is my chance to prove to management and that freaking newly appointed CEO that I'm worthy of a management position within the regulatory department," I said.

"Maya, hold your horses, you have worked there for the past four years now, and your chairman can vouch for your potential so why do you still have to prove your worth to that scumbag. I bet he doesn't even remember you,” said Nelia. The truth is that Nelia hit the nail on the head. James didn't even remember that Grace, his sister, and I had been friends since junior high and all through college. We had met one another at meetings and ran into each other in the elevator and common areas at the office however he didn't seem to recognize me or acknowledge any of my greetings. “Well, he did only get back a few months ago after being away for years so I can't blame him for not remembering me,” I said trying to sound convincing. “Whatever makes you sleep at night, Maya,” Nelia smirked at me.

She continued to rattle me, "What about the welcome home party which his parents threw him? Did he even acknowledge your presence?” Nelia asked. “Although Jill and Grace invited me to the party, I just couldn't shake off the other commitments for that evening and I politely declined," I muttered. Just as our food arrived, my phone started beeping but I ignored it until we just couldn't ignore it after what felt like the twentieth call.

"Hello," I say to the receptionist, but she is huffing on the phone stressing that I need to get to the office as fast as I can otherwise someone is going to get fired. “Sorry Nelia, there's a crisis meeting, and I am required urgently so I must love you and leave you. I promise to make it up to you, love.” I said with a pitiful look on my face. She pouts her lips and gives me a tight hug before shooing me off.

Most of my life has always been this busy and not an idle moment in sight. All through college, I had part-time jobs and volunteering programs. My parents passed away while I was still quite young, and I grew up with my maternal grandmother and aunt who did the best they could to give me a proper education with the little income they had. Things got tough when my uncle, my mother's only brother suddenly died leaving my aunt Ria and my cousin, Sheetal devastated. We came together, and our love strengthened our resolve to achieve our aspirations. I'm not just trying to prove my worth to the new CEO, but I am grateful to the Aslan family for offering me a paid internship which lessened the burden on my already hefty student loan and living expenses.

The internship wasn't a walk in the park with other promising interns vying for the same full-time position as I was, hence, I spent weekends at the office reading through piles and piles of new product developments and clinical trials. I tried to sift through to find products that the company could develop and penetrate the market with to make them market leaders. There are numerous pharmaceutical companies around the world which dominate the market by being the first to market a drug or the first to market an already existing drug at a fraction of the cost. It is our job in the regulatory affairs department to ensure that we produce safe, cost-effective drugs which meet all health standards and exceed market demands.

This is a challenging job which requires 200% concentration because we are dealing with huge financial costs while trying to improve the lives of millions of people. Before products are launched into the market, they go through a stringent set of approvals and tests to ensure that they are safe for use and meet all health and safety regulations. Mr Aslan Senior didn't afford me any favours because of my relationship with his daughter and I put in an enormous effort to show my gratitude and prove myself worthy of a full-time position which he offered me after my internship.

Mr Aslan was a great, progressive leader with a kind temperament and gave his employees space to make decisions and take responsibility for those decisions. After his second heart attack, the family decided that he would step down from his CEO functions and act as Chairman until his son James comfortably occupied his CEO position and was prepared and able to take on the responsibilities of the Chairman's role as well.

As I ran over to my desk to grab my notebook, I bumped into Mr Berns who was waiting for me. He was sweating profusely. “Maya, oh thank goodness you're back. Mr Aslan wants you in the meeting room immediately.” He said and turned to walk ahead of me into the elevator towards the meeting room. I walked in and immediately felt the cold gazes of my colleagues and the hair on my neck stood on ends. I held my head high and walked in with only the sound of my stilettos echoing in the room.

I always wear professional attire to the office which some may find boring, but I prefer comfort over fashion and why take the risk of being labelled into categories because of your choice of clothes? Boring office attire helps to fly under the radar and not be noticed too much. I walked over to the only empty chair which was in between Mr Berns and Simone Clarke, assistant to the CEO. Simone was a handsome young man, around my age. Although he was cold and aloof, he was much more approachable than his boss. I had met Simone briefly at meetings however we never really conversed with one another much. I found him to be very smart and professional.

Before I could take my seat, the CEO Mr James Aslan walked in to take his seat at the head of the table and pointed his finger at me. “So, this meeting had to be put on hold to accommodate your lunch date and you don't even have the courtesy to apologise!” He yelled. For a split second, I was dumbfounded and couldn't reply.

Mr Berns, who was still visibly nervous, tugged at my sleeve to get my attention and whispered that I should introduce myself to Mr Aslan. I cleared my throat and tried to speak but he opened a file and threw it on the desk in my direction. “Would you mind explaining to me why you failed to adhere to my instructions by not submitting the product license for approval before the deadline?” He screeched. I picked up the file with as much confidence as I showed when I walked into the meeting room and glanced at the product details before lifting my head to meet his beautiful blue eyes which were laced with venom. I start by introducing myself, but he doesn't wait for me to even state my name when he rudely cuts me off and says “I don't care who you are or who you think you are. You are here on my time to follow my orders and do your job…that's who you are.” He ended.

"Well, Mr Aslan, if that's who you want in this position then that's not me because I will not be bullied into doing things that go against regulations and the well-being of this company.” I howled back at him only to find everyone with their eyes wide open. I was getting tired of this man's arrogance and rude behaviour. Mr Berns tried to intervene, but I respectfully stopped him with a hand gesture and continued staring at the man in front of me. “Suzie, excuse me…, Ms Parks handed this file over to me on the day she went on maternity leave, after which, I studied all related material and trials and found this proposed drug to have poor efficacy and inadequate performance when compared with the standard. I took the decision not to submit…” before I could finish, he interrupted me again. “So, Miss Genius decided to overrule my instruction and didn't submit the application. Are you aware of the potential repercussions of your actions? If you brought this to my attention, maybe I could have helped you consider the possible outcomes before making a decision.?” Before he could say another word, the door of the meeting room was pushed open and in walked Mr Ferret Aslan and his assistant. They took a seat and didn't utter a word.

I was livid and knew that I had to get my point across to this madman. “Mr Aslan, it's my responsibility to submit applications which meet all criteria for approval. I am qualified to make this call because I have a degree, which respectfully, you don't, therefore it's my call, not yours. You may be the CEO but it's my responsibility to ensure that our products are safe for use, and that we don't embarrass ourselves by submitting products for approval which is not close to registration.” James' eyes bulged with anger, and he slapped the teacup off the table and yelled at me, "You are fired. Gather your stuff and leave now!”

I straightened up and retorted, “You can't fire me Mr Aslan.” Everyone in the room sighed and suddenly there was a loud clap from the other side of the room. “Ms Sharma is indeed correct. She can't be fired for doing her job even if the CEO doesn't agree with her decision.” Mr Ferret Aslan said with his hands in his pockets. James looked away from Maya to his dad with confusion while Maya smirked at James and gathered her things from the desk. “Well, Mr Aslan, if there's nothing else, I will head back to my office because I have two workloads to get through,” I said in a hurry.

End of Maya POV

The colleagues around the meeting table were dumbfounded and looked everywhere else but at their CEO. James hurriedly dismissed the meeting and walked over to his father to discuss what just happened. Ferret explained to James that Maya was very experienced and had been working with the company for many years. She is dedicated and responsible and she would never jeopardize the company's reputation therefore he respects her decision and James should also do the same.

Ferret knew exactly why this registration was so important to his son, so he placed his hand on James’ shoulder and tried to comfort him, but James was still livid at Maya's cockiness and her smart retorts in front of everyone. He lost his chance at fighting back against his rival and he was humiliated in front of so many people because of a low-level staff member. He must do something to get his revenge on Maya for the insult and humiliation she caused today. Ferret left James' office and went straight down to the regulatory office where Maya was attempting to soothe her frayed nerves. She gazed out the window trying to gather her thoughts before going back to the piles of paperwork on her desk when she heard a faint tapping on her door.

She saw the kindness in his eyes, and it instantly calmed her down. “I thought you might need this,” he said as he handed her a cup of green tea. “Thank you, Mr Aslan, not just for the tea but for what you did for me in there.” She said to Ferret. “You know Maya, although family is the most important thing in my life, I have always been fair in business. I know my son can be hot-headed and impulsive at times, unlike my other two children so I apologise on his behalf.” He said. Maya immediately stopped him as she didn't want to embarrass him for his son's rude behaviour.

She said, "I'm not even upset by what happened because I don't expect an ounce of respect from a person like James. After years of being in and out of your home and at numerous functions and gatherings, he still doesn't acknowledge me so why should I expect anything less." Ferret had also realised that when James had been introduced to the staff members during his first week at FA Pharmaceuticals, he had not recognised Maya.

Ferret recalled the day that he had taken James to Maya's office to meet her. They were doing their rounds in the regulatory department however when they stepped into Maya's office, they couldn't see anyone around but piles and piles of boxes and files were scattered all over the place. There wasn't an open space in sight in which to step onto. Ferret wondered how anyone could find themselves in and out of the office in this mess. Ferret lightly called out, "Anyone still alive in here?"

Two faint voices could be heard from behind the boxes. A young girl popped her head out and greeted, "Oh, Mr Aslan. How are you? Sorry for the mess. We are trying to codify these files so please forgive the mess." Ferret laughed and said, "Oh Milly, I thought that you were turning this office into a storage unit. Well, I won't disturb you further, I just wanted to introduce the new CEO to Maya." Milly's eyes opened wide when she saw the man who was standing behind Ferret. Milly, who was Maya's assistant was a young girl with a pixie haircut. She was adorable with a sweet smile and a shy temperament. Although the man was glued to his phone, Milly could tell that he was a handsome man.

Suddenly another head popped out from behind the young girl, "Hello Mr Aslan, give me a minute and I'll be right there." Maya tiptoed around the files and boxes and quickly wiped her hands with a wet wipe which she had handy. She smiled sweetly at Ferret and softly said, "Sorry, I'm a bit of a mess." Ferret smiled and said, "Don't worry about it. I wanted you to meet James who will..." Before Ferret could finish his sentence, he was interrupted, "Dad, sorry. I've got to go. I will catch up with you later." James didn't even look up from his mobile phone while talking to Ferret. Maya looked at Ferret and shrugged her shoulders while the two of them watched James walk away without even glancing at Maya. Ferret pulled his thoughts back to reality when Maya gave him a pat on the arm and said, "Don't worry. I won't take it personally and I'm not upset."

Ferret gave Maya a knowing smile and waved her goodbye as he turned and walked out of her office. Maya immediately got down to reviewing the files on her desk and the next thing she knew; the office was dead quiet and completely dark aside from the lights in her office. It was already

10-30 pm when she switched off and headed to her car which was the only one left in the parking lot. She accelerated out of the office building unaware that all her movements were being carefully watched by two pairs of eyes from the office foyer. James frowned and said, “I want to know everything there is to know about that woman called Maya Sharma." "I'm on it sir,” came the reply from a deep manly voice.