chapter 34

Anubhav, Ranvijay, Angad and Vikrant were present in the study room. Vikrant was reading a file of the Agnihotri empire and a maid was searching for an old file on the shelf." So, you wouldn't leave this share? 60% share of the empire we are talking about, Vikrant. One time you say you have many companies then you run for the Agnihotri empire like a greedy man."Vikrant put the file down slowly, deliberately, and leaned back in his chair, fingers interlaced on his lap." Dada ji didn't leave the shares to me for nothing," he said, voice calm but edged with quiet defiance. "He knew what he was doing. He knew this empire needed someone who can keep emotions out of greed."The room was silent but tense. The ticking of the antique clock on the wall seemed louder somehow.Anubhav leaned forward in his seat, expression unreadable. "And you think that someone is you?"Vikrant glanced at him. "I don't think, chacha. I know."The maid continued searching quietly behind them, the rustle of papers and creak of old wood soft in the background.Anubhav crossed one leg over the other. "Then perhaps you'll explain why you didn't even attend the last three board meetings? You were too busy elsewhere to care about the company then."Vikrant turned his gaze toward his uncle, sharp and unwavering."Because I was running seven companies at once. Not sipping wine at parties." He tapped the file in front of him."But this empire was given to me because Grandfather didn't want Agnihotri's legacy to dissolve into family politics. He wanted someone who wouldn't beg, who wouldn't bend."Angad's voice was tight. "You mean someone who wouldn't share?"Vikrant finally smiled but it wasn't warm."No. Someone who wouldn't waste time asking for what's already his."Ranvijay studied Vikrant in silence, his mind racing behind the calm mask he wore.Angad stood, fists clenched. "Greed is blinding you."Vikrant's eyes flared slightly. "No, papa. It's clarity. Maybe that's what scares you."Before Angad could respond, the maid gasped softly behind them."I... I found it, sir."Everyone turned.She held a thick, dusty file in both hands, trembling slightly.She put the file and left, leaving four men alone. Vikrant stared at the file.He finally opened it, flipping through the yellowed pages. His eyes scanned the familiar signature of his grandfather's.60% shares of Agnihotri Empire, in Vikrant Agnihotri's name. But one clause stood out, bold and underlined:"This transfer is to be made official only after Vikrant Agnihotri's marriage."Ranvijay's eyes narrowed as he watched Vikrant's jaw tighten.Angad let out a sharp breath, "So that's why you were in such a rush to get married."Anubhav snorted, "And here I thought it was love. Turns out it was business, just like everything else you touch."Vikrant didn't respond to their bait. He calmly closed the file, fingers drumming against it thoughtfully.Angad circled the desk slowly. "You know what people will say, don't you?" His tone turned colder. "That the wife of Agnihotri Empire's CEO is still studying, an illiterate girl trying to catch up."Anubhav joined in, voice dripping with sarcasm. "Imagine the headlines: The Emperor and His Student Queen. Do you really want our name mocked like that, Vikrant? She doesn't not fit to sit by your side, forget about ruling the empire. She's a prostitute-"Vikrant's hand stilled. The silence rang louder than before.Then he looked up, eyes gleaming, not with rage, but with a certainty that made the air shift."Let them talk," he said coolly. "Let them laugh, mock, write headlines. When she completes her education, she'll be feared not for her name, but for her mind."He looked at Anubhav, " and she's my wife!"Angad scoffed. "Fear doesn't come from a degree.""No. But dignity does. And if my wife wants to earn hers with books rather than jewelry and parties then that's her strength. Not her shame."Anubhav shook his head. "You'll regret this soft corner someday."Vikrant gave a cold smile. "If standing by the woman who wears my name is a regret, I'll welcome it every single day."Ranvijay leaned back, watching it all. A flicker of respect crossed his usually detached face."If sixty percent will be under your name, Vikrant... What are the rest supposed to get? Is this your idea of fairness?"Anubhav didn't stay behind. "Exactly. What about Ranvijay? Sushmita? Kiara? And my son, Deep?"Vikrant closed the file calmly, fingers resting on the cover as he looked up."Sushmita runs a successful beauty company. She's independent, established, and has never shown interest in the industrial side of the empire. She's doing well without it."Angad's lips thinned."Kiara," Vikrant continued, "wants to be a doctor. She's studying day and night to save lives. The last time she stepped into the office was when she came looking for Wi-Fi. She doesn't belong in board meetings."Anubhav bristled, but Vikrant didn't pause."And Deep? He's already knee-deep in politics. He's a future MP. He's not going to walk away from the public stage to talk about shipping contracts and factory expansions."He finally turned to Ranvijay, his voice steady. "Ranvijay can take shares. He has business sense. He's involved, aware, and capable. If he wants them, I won't object."Anubhav gave a derisive snort. "So you get sixty percent, and he gets your leftover crumbs?""No," Vikrant said plainly. " I get what Dadaji left for me. Ranvijay gets what he deserves. The rest? They don't need what they don't understand. We're not here to hand out medals for participation. This empire needs vision, not distribution."Angad's eyes narrowed at Vikrant's blunt declaration. "So you've already decided who deserves what?"Anubhav stepped in, folding his arms. "You think just because you hold a few successful companies outside the family name, you can dictate who is worthy of the empire?"Vikrant didn't flinch. He leaned back against the desk, arms crossed casually. "Not worthy, chacha. Just uninterested. There's a difference."Angad scoffed. "And you've become the authority on everyone's interests now?"" Not at all, papa. How can I?"His voice dripped with sarcasm. Ranvijay finally broke his silence." Let it be. Why are we opposing Dada Ji's decision?"" You don't understand, Ranvi," Angad said and Ranvijay frowned.Vikrant stared at his father blankly as he continued, whose tone dipped into warning. "Once he acquires the empire, he gets full control. He can dissolve positions, override decisions. You think you'll remain a partner, but you'll end up following instructions in your own company. Just like an employee."Anubhav nodded in agreement, though his eyes remained on the file Vikrant had closed so calmly, as if it didn't carry the weight of an empire."And then what, huh?" Angad continued. "We wait for meetings? For approvals from our own son? Is that how you want this to end?"Vikrant finally stirred. "Enough."Angad stopped mid-sentence. Vikrant's gaze shifted to Anubhav, then to Ranvijay."I need a word with papa. Alone."Ranvijay held Vikrant's eyes for a second longer than needed, then gave a slow nod and stepped back. "Fine."Anubhav didn't argue either, though the stiffness in his spine spoke louder than words. He cast a glance toward Angad before following Ranvijay out, the door clicking softly behind them.Now, it was just father and son. And the air had never felt quieter.Vikrant's fingers tapped once against the polished wood of the desk. His jaw tightened as he asked, voice cold and piercing,"What's the real motive behind all this fuss?"Angad didn't respond right away. He looked at his son, his firstborn, his mirror in many ways and for a second, something unspoken passed between them. But it was quickly buried.With a matching iciness, Angad finally replied,"I want you to keep 40%. Give 30 to Ranvijay, and 30 to my daughter."The silence that followed was short. Vikrant let out a dry, bitter chuckle."So that's what this was all about. The concern... the drama... your sudden interest in equity and legacy."He turned back slowly, eyes narrowed, and smiled coldly."All that talk of fairness, of 'what will the others get' wasn't for them, was it? You just want your precious daughter to have her cut. And Ranvijay? A bonus to soften the blow."Angad's expression didn't flinch, but something in his jaw locked tighter."She's your sister.""Half-sister," Vikrant corrected coolly. "Let's not make the bloodline now. You never considered fairness when I was the one carving out my own empire without your help. But now that Dadaji decided something that didn't align with your plans, you want to play the patriarch."Angad's nostrils flared slightly, but he didn't deny it."You think I don't see the way you look at this place? You think I don't know what kind of power you're hungry for?"Vikrant smirked, " after all, I am your son. I will crave for a damn power."A tense pause fell between them again.Neither of them had spoken like father and son in years. And this? this wasn't even close.This was two kings fighting over a throne."Anything else, papa?" Vikrant finally asked, voice neutral." She's your damn sister, Vikrant!"He declared." A sister whom I have not seen since her birth. A sister who is proof of my father's cheating. A sister who doesn't even know her father has another family as well."" Enough, Vikrant!"Vikrant didn't flinch.He straightened, slowly, his eyes now gleaming with something sharp and quiet, like a blade just pulled from ice."You want to defend your choices, do it. But don't paint them with morality."His voice was calm, dangerously so."You paraded a lie for decades, raised her in a glass house and now expect me to build her a throne inside mine?"Angad stepped forward, anger twitching beneath the surface."She is innocent in all of this-""And so was I," Vikrant cut in coldly, eyes locked with his father's. "When you threw me out of your world and built another with someone else. Don't sell me that innocent story now."Silence.The clock ticked.The tension could be sliced with a knife."You think she doesn't deserve anything?" Angad finally asked, his voice heavy now, more tired than angry.Vikrant exhaled, long and slow, as if burning out the last ounce of restraint he had."She deserves the truth."" What about Ranvijay? He's your half-brother. Why so much love for him?"Vikrant's lips twitched, not into a smile, but something colder, something sharp. He looked his father in the eye." Let's not dig up buried corpses, because if we did, the very son you speak of justice for, he'll be the first to turn his back on you in disgust."Then quietly, Vikrant added,"Don't test how deep the past is buried, papa. Some truths aren't buried, they're just waiting."Angad looked like he had more to say, but Vikrant didn't give him the chance."You think I forgot what you both did?" His jaw tightened, eyes flaring. "That woman, your precious secret who came into our lives like a storm and left behind ruins."He looked up at his father, unblinking."I don't care who forgave her. I don't care what justification you wrapped her betrayal in. She does not exist to me."Angad's throat bobbed as he swallowed."She will never set foot into this house. Not into my life. Not into Ranvijay's.Because unlike you, I remember everything she destroyed."A pause. Cold. Quiet."She tried to replace my mother." His voice cracked with tightly held fury. "But she never could. And she never will. Not while I'm breathing."" And.. what if Ranvijay found out about his real-mother one day?"Vikrant's gaze darkened." I dare you- the whole world. He didn't find out in twenty-four years and I'll make sure he lives the rest of his life wrapped in that same lie."Angad's fist slammed against the wooden armrest of the chair."Damn it, Vikrant! This is not justice, this is vengeance."Vikrant didn't flinch. He simply tilted his head."Call it what you want. But don't preach fairness to me, papa. Not when you're the reason half of this mess exists."Angad stood now, chest rising and falling as anger mixed with helplessness."And what about your sister?" he snapped. "What has she done, huh? What fault is hers that you hate her just for being born?"There was a pause. For a flicker of a second, something human passed over Vikrant's eyes. Then it was gone."She was born of betrayal. That's enough.""She's your blood!""She's your mistake," Vikrant corrected coldly. "Not mine. And she will never get a piece of my empire to pay for the silence you bought with guilt."" You are being hypocritical, Vikrant. You are ready to fight against the world for your brother but not for your sister?"" Both had different condition. Ranvijay was abandoned, not her."Angad's jaw clenched. "So, abandonment deserves loyalty and silence deserves exile?"Vikrant took a slow, measured step forward, his eyes boring into his father's. "Don't twist my words to fit your regret, papa."He walked to the window, hands clasped behind his back, as though grounding himself before turning slightly."Ranvijay was left behind like an unwanted truth. He didn't even know what he was missing... yet he grew up with strength, with grace."He paused, his voice lowering."She? She had everything—your name, your care, your presence and still, you want to hand her what's mine?"Angad's tone turned desperate. "I'm not handing her your share, I'm just-"" buying redemption with my wealth?" Vikrant interrupted sharply, his tone icy. "No, father. I won't let you trade my legacy for your shame."A long silence fell. Angad looked away, his face lined with the weight of unspoken mistakes.Vikrant's voice broke the silence again, this time steadier."I won't hurt the girl. But I won't accept her either. She is your shadow, not my responsibility."He turned to face his father fully, his voice firm with finality."Ranvijay earned my loyalty. She didn't even earn a name in my story."Angad's fingers curled into a tight fist at his side, his knuckles paling. "You think you're being just, Vikrant, but you're being cruel."Vikrant tilted his head, calm and cold. "Cruel would've been revealing the truth to her when she was old enough to understand shame. I didn't."His eyes narrowed, voice laced with quiet intensity." Cruel would've been letting her walk into this mansion as a 'sister' while knowing this house was never built for her."Angad's voice cracked. "She's innocent. All she's ever known is that she's my daughter. How long do you think you can keep this up, Vikrant? The truth always finds a way."Vikrant gave a humorless chuckle. "Then let it find her. And when it does, you better hope she's strong enough to survive the weight of it. Because I won't pick up the pieces."He turned his gaze back to the file on the table, brushing a thumb over the signature of his grandfather, his only source of unshaken trust."This empire was built on blood and sacrifice. I'll be damned if guilt rewrites its future."Angad's shoulders slumped slightly, defeated for now. And in that moment, both father and son stood like shadows of kings." I have heard," Vikrant continued," Daughters are dear to father and probably, her birth had made you realise so many things. Your mistake. Your cheating. Your sin... And your guilt."Angad's breath hitched, the weight of Vikrant's words sinking into his bones.Vikrant's eyes stayed on him, unwavering. His tone was still cold, but beneath it lay something heavier, contempt laced with quiet grief."But you were too late, weren't you?" he said, voice low, sharp."Too late to undo the damage. Too late to fix what you broke. Too late to love the woman you betrayed. And too damn late to raise the child you brought into this world like a secret."He stepped closer, each word like a verdict."You call it realisation. The world calls it redemption. But I? I call it convenience. A man seeking peace not for others... but for his own conscience."Angad's lips parted, but he had nothing to offer in return, no excuse strong enough, no truth soft enough.Vikrant continued, slower now, but each word hit harder."You mourn too late. You love too late. You regret it too late. And in this empire, papa..." he paused, letting the silence simmer, "there's no place for late confessions, only consequences."The silence that followed wasn't empty. It was loud with everything unsaid, everything shattered, and everything unfixable.Vikrant stepped back, turning to the window with his back to his father."If she ever learns the truth, don't expect her to thank you for your silence. And don't expect me to soften the blow."He grabbed the file tightly and turned to leave the room. Angad stayed on his chair, silent and replaying his eldest son's words over and over again.He knows.He knows he has ruined everything and there was no turning back now. Guilt is a bitch but it is not even enough to fix the damage he had caused.He closed his eyes to control his tears.His daughter.His two sons.Three of them are unaware of so many truths of their life.A truth which can break them.A truth which can bring them together.....Pari squealed in happiness when she won second time in the carom board against Ranvijay." I won!"Akansha and Ranvijay smiled." See? It's not easy to win against me," she flipped her hair proudly." Of Course. After all, you have learnt from me."Vikrant entered the drawing room after freshening up. Everyone looked at him as he came and sat on the couch beside his mother." I have not. I defeated you also," she defended herself." She's lying, maa. She can not even strike without closing one eye like a sniper," Ranvijay said..Pari gasped, dramatically placing a hand on her chest. "Excuse me! That's my focus mode."Vikrant raised a brow, watching her with an amused expression. "Focus mode or fear mode?"Pari narrowed her eyes. "Mock me all you want, but I'm the reigning champion right now."Akansha laughed softly. "Well, she did beat Ranvijay twice. Fair and square."Ranvijay shook his head in defeat. "It's a lucky day, that's all."Pari gave him a smug smile and looked at Vikrant with a teasing gleam in her eyes. "You want to try your luck against the champ?"Vikrant leaned back against the couch, one arm lazily resting over the headrest. "I'm good."Pari stuck her tongue out at him playfully before turning back to the board. "You all are just jealous of my talent."Ranvijay handed her the striker with a smirk. "Go on, champ. Prove it again."Vikrant quietly observed the way her eyes lit up, the laughter in the room, the warmth that had unknowingly slipped back into their lives.Pari and Ranvijay were about to begin the third match when a thought crossed Pari's mind and she stopped suddenly." Uhm," she put the disc down and looked at both the men." Why don't two losers compete? I am too high in the score to play against losers."" Excuse me?"Ranvijay and Vikrant said together and raised their eyebrows while Pari and Akansha laughed.Vikrant narrowed his eyes, slowly leaning forward with a mock glare. "Did you just call me a loser?"Pari stood up, " yes I did."She pushed him by his shoulders, " go and play against Vijay bhaiya. Let's see who wins."Vikrant looked at Ranvijay then at Pari. Before he could reply, Ranvijay said-" Leave it, bhabhi. Bhai's too old to play a board game."" Excuse me?"Vikrant looked at Ranvijay who just shrugged his shoulders.Akansha covered her mouth, trying to hide her giggles while Vikrant just leaned back, staring at Ranvijay with a dry, unimpressed look."Old?" Vikrant repeated slowly, as if tasting the word. "You mean, mature. Experienced. Wise."Ranvijay smirked innocently. "Sure, sure. Whatever helps you sleep at night, bhai."Vikrant clicked his tongue, then gave a firm nod to himself before rising from the couch. The three of them looked at him with surprised expressions as he calmly walked over and sat opposite Ranvijay, clearing his throat."Let's have a match," Vikrant said, his voice even.Ranvijay's eyes lit up, a wide, genuine smile breaking across his face. His brother was going to play with him? with him?Vikrant lifted his gaze and stared straight at him. "Striker?"Ranvijay, still grinning, eagerly handed it to him. He looked almost like a child experiencing his first snowfall, full of wonder and excitement.But just before the game could begin, Pari interrupted, her voice lively-"Okay, okay, wait!"All three of them turned to look at her."If bhaiya wins," she said, pointing at Ranvijay, "you have to fulfill one of his wishes. And if you win, he has to do the same."Vikrant frowned slightly. "No need for that-""Yes, we do," Pari cut him off.Vikrant sighed heavily, shooting her a mildly exasperated look, but didn't argue further.Ranvijay's smile grew even brighter, like a child handed the world.On the side, Akansha watched silently, her heart full. She stared at her two sons, sitting together, smiling together for the first time without tension threading the air between them.Pari settled down beside her and the game began.Vikrant flexed his fingers once, picking up the striker with a practiced flick. His expression was unreadable, focused, almost serious while Ranvijay looked like he was struggling not to grin.The first shot was Vikrant's.He bent slightly, lined the striker, and with a sharp flick, pocketed a white disc effortlessly.Ranvijay took his turn next and missed by a fraction. He clicked his tongue in frustration while Vikrant smirked in satisfaction."Concentrate, young man," Vikrant said coolly, tossing the striker back to him.As the match continued, Pari cheered for Ranvijay, throwing dramatic gasps whenever Vikrant scored. Akansha simply watched, soaking in the rare, precious moment where broken pieces seemed to fit together, even if just for a while.In the end, it was Vikrant who won the first round.He leaned back smugly, crossing his arms."Now, Ranvijay," he said lazily, " start accepting your fate."Ranvijay laughed, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly."Next round, bhaiya," Pari encouraged. "You'll win the next one."Vikrant raised an eyebrow at her dramatic optimism but said nothing.Ranvijay grinned, determination sparking in his eyes.⋆༺✷༻⋆To be continued..Read more chapters in scrollstack as early access.