The Exit Strategy

The meeting was called by Aditi 3.

This was unusual.

Aditi 3 generally preferred inspiration to administration.

Whenever she scheduled a meeting, people got nervous.

Aditi 2: Why are we here?

Aditi 1: Good question.

Aditi 3: I have a proposal.

Aditi 2: Oh no.

Aditi 3: Please hear me out.

Aditi 2: Historically, that's gone poorly.

Aditi 3: This time is different.

Aditi 2: That's exactly what you always say.

Aditi 3 stood up.

She unfolded a piece of paper.

At the top was written:

EXIT STRATEGY

Aditi 2: Absolutely not.

Aditi 3: You haven't read it.

Aditi 2: I don't need to.

Aditi 3: Please.

Aditi 1: I kind of want to hear it.

Aditi 2: Of course you do.

Aditi 3: Thank you.

Aditi 1: You're welcome.

Aditi 3: As everyone knows, there exists a dream.

Aditi 2: Dangerous opening.

Aditi 3: A studio.

Aditi 2: We have a studio.

Aditi 3: A thriving studio.

Aditi 2: Continue.

Aditi 3: A candle company.

Aditi 2: Continue.

Aditi 3: Workshops.

Aditi 2: Continue.

Aditi 3: Freedom.

The room became quiet.

Aditi 2 hated when she did that.

Aditi 3 always hid the strongest argument until the end.

Aditi 1: Freedom sounds nice.

Aditi 2: Focus.

Aditi 3: I am focused.

Aditi 2: No, you're romanticizing.

Aditi 3: Same thing.

Aditi 2: Not even remotely.

Aditi 3 walked to the whiteboard.

She wrote two columns.

CURRENT LIFE

DREAM LIFE

Aditi 2: This is manipulation.

Aditi 3: This is strategy.

Aditi 2: It's definitely manipulation.

Aditi 3: Maybe a little.

Aditi 1: Continue.

Under CURRENT LIFE she wrote:

Meetings

Slack

Forecasts

Escalations

Legal Reviews

Aditi 2: Those things pay for the apartment.

Aditi 3: I know.

Under DREAM LIFE she wrote:

Making

Teaching

Designing

Growing

Creating

Aditi 1: That looks nice.

Aditi 2: It's missing something.

Aditi 3: What?

Aditi 2: Income.

Aditi 3: Details.

Aditi 2: Important details.

Aditi 3: Fine.

She added:

Income

Aditi 2: Thank you.

Aditi 3: You're welcome.

Aditi 2 stared at the board.

Then she stared a little longer.

Aditi 1: What are you thinking?

Aditi 2: I'm thinking the problem isn't the dream.

The dream is actually pretty clear.

Aditi 1: Then what's the problem?

Aditi 2: The timeline.

Aditi 3: Ah.

Aditi 2: You always want tomorrow.

Aditi 3: Correct.

Aditi 2: And reality usually wants three years.

Aditi 3: Rude.

Aditi 2: Accurate.

Aditi 1: Wait.

Both of them looked at her.

Aditi 1: What if neither of you is wrong?

Aditi 2: Explain.

Aditi 1: What if the dream is real...

Aditi 3: Go on.

Aditi 1: ...but the timing is still being figured out?

The room went quiet.

Aditi 2 considered this.

Aditi 3 considered this.

For once, nobody immediately argued.

Aditi 2: That's annoyingly reasonable.

Aditi 3: I hate when she does that.

Aditi 1: Thank you.

Aditi 2: That wasn't praise.

Aditi 1: I've chosen to receive it as praise.

Aditi 3 erased the whiteboard.

Aditi 2: What are you doing?

Aditi 3: Updating the title.

She crossed out EXIT STRATEGY.

In its place she wrote:

CONSTRUCTION PLAN

Aditi 1: I like that better.

Aditi 2: Me too.

Aditi 3: Me too.

Narrator:
The meeting ended without a resignation.

Without a crisis.

Without a dramatic decision.

Which was disappointing to Aditi 3.

But secretly encouraging to Aditi 2.

Because for the first time, the future felt less like an escape.

And more like something they were already building.

End of Chapter 6.