Abhay steps out of the office and suddenly notices a woman standing outside, her face covered with a cloth. She is shouting furiously at the staff. The scene leaves Abhay completely stunned.
"I want to meet your owner right now! If I don't, I'll make sure this company is shut down today itself. And all of you will end up grinding flour in jail!"
The woman keeps yelling at the top of her lungs, refusing to calm down.
At that moment, Abhay's eyes shift toward the entrance where Om and Supriya are standing. Seeing the reputation of his company being dragged through the mud right in front of Om makes Abhay visibly nervous. Without wasting a second, he walks straight up to the furious woman.
"Ma'am, I'm Abhay Kathwani, the owner's son. Whatever the issue is, please tell me calmly. I'm here to help."
Abhay speaks gently, trying his best to keep the situation under control.
But the woman's anger only grows stronger.
"You should stop selling every single one of your beauty products immediately! Stop manufacturing them too! And refund every customer who has bought them. Don't you people feel even a little shame selling such disgusting products? A company that makes things like this deserves to be shut down!"
She fumes with rage.
Trying to calm her down, Abhay replies patiently,
"Please, ma'am… first calm down. Let's sit and talk peacefully. If you clearly explain the problem to us, only then will we be able to do something about it."
By now, Om and Supriya have also come closer and are standing beside Abhay. Abhay forces a nervous smile toward Om. Right now, the reputation of his company feels like it's hanging by a thread.
Hearing Abhay's words, the woman suddenly removes the cloth covering her face and reveals it to everyone.
The moment they see her face, Abhay and everyone around are shocked.
Both Abhay and Supriya almost speak at the same time.
"Mrs. Shah?! You? What… what happened to your face?"
Everyone present stares in horror.
Mrs. Shah's entire face is covered with large, angry red pimples. Some of them have already burst open. Her face is badly swollen, and a yellowish fluid is oozing out from the ruptured spots. At that moment, she looks terrifying—almost like something out of a nightmare.
Noticing everyone staring at her, Mrs. Shah glares back with burning anger.
"Kathwanis! I used to be one of your VIP customers. For years I've been buying your beauty products. And this is how you treat a loyal customer? You sold me an untested product! You people are not even fit to run a business. Shut this company down right now! There's no point in talking anymore. Now we'll meet directly in court. Every single one of your companies deserves to be locked up!"
Hearing this, Abhay's face goes pale.
"Mrs. Shah… what do you mean by court?"
She lifts her chin confidently.
"I mean I'm filing a lawsuit against your company."
Before the situation escalates further, Supriya steps in and tries to calm her.
"Mrs. Shah, please relax. I think there's some misunderstanding. You're taking this the wrong way. We would never deceive our customers like that."
Meanwhile, Abhay's mind is racing.
How could this have happened?
Their products were completely safe. Every product was thoroughly tested and approved by government authorities before launch. Could someone have tampered with the product? But how?
Mrs. Shah interrupts his thoughts with even more anger.
"What do you mean misunderstanding? Can't you see my face, girl? If you don't even know how to run a business, why do it? Or is money all that matters to you people? Does no one else's life matter?"
While the argument continues, Om quietly observes Mrs. Shah's face. From the condition of her skin, he begins to suspect that the reaction might be a side effect of some cosmetic combination.
He walks closer to Abhay and speaks softly.
"Hey Abhay… I'm sorry for interfering in your personal matter, but can you tell me which product she used?"
Abhay hesitates for a moment before replying.
"It's okay, Om. Umm… it's actually our newest and most effective product. The formula is almost completely natural—about 99% free from harmful chemicals."
Om nods thoughtfully.
From Mrs. Shah's aggressive behavior, he already understands one thing—she won't calm down easily. And honestly, how could she? For any woman, her beauty and face are extremely precious, no matter her age.
After thinking for a moment, Om finally speaks.
"Mrs. Shah, don't you think you should give the Kathwanis at least one chance to prove themselves? After all, you're one of their regular and VIP customers."
The moment Mrs. Shah looks at Om, she pauses for a few seconds, almost studying him. But soon her arrogant tone returns.
"Boy, do you even know how important a woman's face is to her? What chance should I give these fools?"
Om keeps his voice calm and composed.
"Ma'am, you're talking about going straight to court. But before this, the Kathwanis must have never given you a reason to complain. That's why you remained such a loyal customer, right? Then shouldn't the company also get a chance to prove its innocence?"
He pauses and then politely asks,
"Just for the sake of your long relationship with the company… can you tell me when you started using that beauty cream?"
Mrs. Shah thinks for a moment before replying.
"For the last three nights. I applied it every night before going to bed since it was a natural product."
Om continues his questions.
"Did you apply anything else along with it? Or did you use any product on your face before applying the cream?"
Mrs. Shah immediately answers,
"Yes. Before applying the cream, I used my face wash to clean my face."
Om nods and asks another question.
"Is that face wash about 85% chemical-based?"
Mrs. Shah looks slightly surprised.
"Yes… it is. But what does that prove? Don't tell me you're going to blame the face wash for this."
Without replying to her, Om turns to Abhay.
"Abhay, can you bring the product she used?"
Abhay quickly goes inside the office and returns with the cream. Om carefully reads the description on the packaging and a faint smile appears on his face.
Then he looks straight at Mrs. Shah.
"Mrs. Shah, if you check the description on the packaging, it clearly says that before applying this cream, no chemical-based product should be used. Otherwise, side effects may occur."
He pauses and adds calmly,
"So if you decide to file a case, we actually have a strong argument in our defense. It would be enough for the company to win. Now… what do you think?"
The sudden shift in the situation leaves Mrs. Shah stunned. She stares at Om with wide eyes. Abhay and Supriya are also looking at him in amazement.
Finally, Mrs. Shah asks,
"W-who are you? And why should I believe what you're saying?"
Om keeps his composure.
"Because you've been such a loyal customer of this company for years… I'm willing to help you. If you want, I can treat the side effects on your face."
Mrs. Shah gives a slight sarcastic smile.
"And what if you fail?"
Om shrugs lightly.
"Interesting… I'm trying to help you, and you're still looking for a profit. But I can't let my friend's reputation be ruined. So if I fail to treat you, I'll personally pay you one lakh rupees in cash—consider it compensation for the company's mistake."
Om says this with complete confidence.
The moment those words leave his mouth, everyone around him stares in shock.
Because one lakh rupees… especially when the company might not even be at fault… is definitely not a small amount.