Morning arrived, days passed . A women rushed back and forth in the kitchen to hall.
"Achuu bachaa, hurry up your gonna be late for school. Are you perhaps preying for some scolding, oh please spare mumma from it"
She said in hushed ,defeated tone as her daughter has been asking for two minutes from last ten minutes. How did she never saw that her daughter was such a sweet time taker.
"Coming mama, done" Anchija ran with her little paw like a cute cub.
Prachi made her sit on the table before wiping out the excess powder on her face with her kurti.
Prachi couldn't resist question"What were you doing in there?". She saw her daughter give her a thoughtfully expression. "Making this..for pretty mam" she said stretching out a greeting card.
Opening it she saw 'Happy MaRaIge prettY Mam' on it. She wondered who was it for before asking her daughter to know that the young lady she had meet the other day was getting married.
'Marriage'— felt an heavy word for Prachi. Maybe she wasn't ever destined to be married. To have a happy start. She swayed off the though reminding herself that the start might not been happy but the posses seemed worth the pain.
After everything Prachi took Anchija, ridding the scooter to the school.
Here in the one of the companies Adityraj and Anand sat with the head team discussing about the new project and also the deterioration of the Adhya corporation.
Adityraj spoke as everyone had kept their views up "Anand you'll handle things in the Adhya corporation" which he agreed without any retort.
Adityraj and Anand had formed companies in partnership. Everything was built from scratch and their hardwork that now when they walked people are forced up from their seats out due to their and fear.
"Sir the Vardhan corporation had increased its interest to 15%. They are true way ahead their board" A man stated with an slight fury looking at the unreasonable rise of the stake which didn't made any scene.
"Let them. We will take them in an redimial contract." He said as some eyes shined out of the dared risk taken and the huge fruit about to pluged. Getting them into kind of contract would just cause them in loopholes at the end nothing but to submit the company to the most share holder.
And now AAR holder atmost 40% and 20% of the contractual share making total of 60%. This was like a suicide with happy eyes for the Vardhan.
Aditya's face relaxed while Anand's face pulled out smirk without caring to hide it.
Both the man got up from the chair as the motive for the meeting had been achieved, actions was immediate followed by others.
Well aware of the deadly aura surrounded both of them. One looked like would kill you without hesitation for the slightest mistake and other would torture while his deadly sweet words stop your heart beat.
"Meeting dispersed" the only thing people in the hall herd before both of them walked out. Sparing people air of relief.
In a huge balcony at the back of the office Adityraj stood with cigarette held in his right hand while other rested on the metal railing.
"Is everything set?" Came Adityraj's deep voice calm as the ocean currents on the shore. "Done. The Saha's had annoyed up the marriage publicly, both families have joined dealings of the pockets (drugs) in the Vizag."
Anand handed over the tab to Aditay who now scrolled throughout it. "The snap trap has been set. The rats will walk to their own death". His cold voice , almost small but enough for Anand to listen and give a mock laugh at the foolishness.
Anand who looked at the sight standing next to Adityraj said , his voice empty like predator hunting for its meal " it's time to bring back Adhya corporation" his eyes insanely glued ahead. Adityraj turned towards his best friend who now looked as though ready to burn the world.
It was rare to see him like this as he always liked to play sweet dead game rather than straight one. His words were sweet jab to most of the people.
The day had passed with a rare sense of peace for Prachi, even after being assigned a new project by the MD—a man whose presence always felt like a coiled snake, ready to hiss at any moment. As the sun dipped below the horizon, she packed her bag, eager to leave the office behind.
She hurried to the parking lot, her scooter weaving through the evening light toward Anchu's school.
When she arrived, she found her daughter standing with the same teacher she had seen earlier. The little girl's face carried a trace of stress, but it vanished the moment she spotted her mother. "Mamma!" the child cried out, reaching her small arms into the air.
Arundhita watched the reunion, a heavy warmth settling in her chest. A faint, fleeting smile touched her lips before vanishing as quickly as it had appeared. She often wondered how the trajectory of her life might have shifted if her mother were still alive. Would things be different? She only knew that she would have been a version of herself capable of true happiness, rather than just acceptance.
"Miss Arundhita, are you alright? You look a bit pale," Prachi noted, her voice softening with concern.
"Oh, I'm perfectly fine," Arundhita replied, though her voice lacked conviction. "Just a long day."
Prachi nodded, sensing the wall Arundhita had built but choosing not to pry. Hoping to offer a bit of light, she added, "Well, congratulations on the wedding, Miss Arundhita. I wasn't sure until I saw the news—Anchu had mentioned your name on the card."
Prachi meant it as a kindness, but the words hit Arundhita with a cold weight.
"Oh... thank you. You shouldn't have," Arundhita said, struggling to keep her composure. To her, those well-wishes weren't a celebration; they were a reminder that she was being traded by her own father for a business margin. She hadn't expected a fairy tale, but being treated as an asset felt worse than anything she had endured before.
With a brief exchange, they went their separate ways.
Elsewhere, in the back of a Mercedes, Anand sat in a sharp, black three-piece suit, his fingers moving rhythmically over his laptop keys.
"Sir, we found it."
The words were enough to break his focus. His amber eyes, clouded by hours of screen time, sharpened instantly. His pupils contracted as a memory from the past surfaced, dark and cold.
As his assistant handed him the tablet, Anand's usual composure shifted. He didn't just look like a businessman anymore; he looked like a predator that had finally located its prey.