So, that’s exactly where I went.
I opened my wallet to pay the cab driver and stopped short.
Pressing my lips together, I handed him a five-hundred-rupee note and walked towards the house, my eyes fixed on the Polaroid picture.
Ananya smiled back at me, beautiful and treacherous. She’d stolen my heart and broken it so thoroughly that fixing it was an impossible task. I couldn’t stand the thought of her, and yet, each day without her felt like a punishment.
I slapped the wallet shut and stuffed it in my pocket before ringing the doorbell.
Sarita aunty opened the door and smiled instantly. ‘Jai, come in.’
I gave her a nod and walked past without a word.
Rekha, Dad and Ayaan were seated in the dining room, waiting for dinner to be served.
‘Jai, sit. Have dinner with us,’ Dad said. ‘We need to talk.’
‘I agree,’ I said, my voice clipped, pulling out a chair. ‘So, let’s get straight to it.’
‘It’s dinner time,’ Rekha said smoothly. ‘We don’t talk about work at the table.’
‘You’re right. Except when you insist on mixing business with betrayal.’
‘Jai.’ Dad’s voice hardened. ‘Don’t take out your frustrations on your mother. You’re not the only one who has had a rough day.’
‘I’m not—’
‘Speaking of,’ he continued, his voice detached. ‘We’re dropping Rivaayat.’
My pulse pounded in my throat. ‘No, we’re not!’
‘The idea is ambitious, but too risky. Involving these artisans exposes us to liabilities we can’tafford. I won’t throw more money into a sinking ship.’
‘Dadaji built House of Advani on principles, not convenience,’ I snapped. ‘Lehenga Bazaar stole our work. We need to fight back. Rewrite the narrative. Reclaim it. I have a plan—’
‘We have a source at Lehenga Bazaar,’ he said calmly. ‘Word is, they gave the Mahalas money to hand over our plans to them. I’d be suing them so hard, but I’d rather not humiliate the Advani name publicly.’
‘They didn’t do it,’ I ground out. ‘Lehenga Bazaar is lying. Sharanji—’
‘Jai,’ Rekha said, her voice even but sharp. ‘We have the facts. House of Advani will disappear if you continue making business decisions based on sentimental value. Maybe you’re not ready to be CEO after all.’
‘If you insist on dwelling on this,’ Dad said, his voice hard as steel, ‘the board and I would have to agree with Rekha.’
A serpent of rage wound itself through me. ‘I spoke to Sharan Mahala. They did not do it. I can guarantee this because I know Rekha stole our plans and handed them to our competitor.’
She gasped, her hand flying to her chest. ‘How can you even think that, Jai? After all I’ve done for you—’
‘Drop the act,’ I snapped, my fist slamming on the table, the sound echoing like a gunshot. ‘You hired Ananya as my assistant to spy on me. She told me everything.’
Her eyes widened. ‘Ananya … what? I don’t even know anyone with that name! How can you accuse me of such a thing? I’m your mother!’
‘You arenotmy mother.’ My voice wavered, struggling to hold more than it could – grief, betrayal, anger. ‘You have neverbeenmy—’
‘Enough,’ Dad’s voice boomed. ‘Jai, stop this nonsense and apologise. Right now.’
The room shrank. My hands shook. A vein in my temple throbbed.
I’d heard these words my entire childhood.No more. ‘No.’
