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“You?” he chokes out between his crazed laughter. “My heir...son of a Mafia… the director at GLEN?” He laughs again. “A law breaker’s son is...is a law protector? What a twisted irony!”
He applauds vigorously, the resounding claps echoing through the warehouse amid the eerie silence.
“You really think you can bring me down — Tej Khurana down? You might be the orchestrator of this game today, but I shape and manipulate the lives of those around me. I’m the ultimate creator. Nothing is beyond my reach. Nothing. Even gods make mistakes, so why should a devil like me be any different? Do you know what my mistake is?”
He steps forward, eyes fuming… rage all over his face.
“My mistake is that I let you live,” he sneers. “The moment you refused to acknowledge me as your biological father at that party, I should have finished you. I had every chance to do so, but I didn’t, thinking that someday or the other, you would realise whom to choose. And that was my biggest mistake. Had I killed you before, you wouldn’t have had the audacity to stand against me today.”
I’m not surprised by his words. He wasn’t a father; he was the devil incarnate, craving power, regardless of the cost.
“And you,” he turns to Raghav, “What did you tell me earlier today? That I can’t kill my son. For anything...for anyone?” He jabs his finger at Raghav’s chest. “I can. I damn well can kill my son. Earlier, you publicly insulted me in the presence of our most esteemed client, Rana, by not coming forward to welcome him despite being fully aware of how significant this deal was for us. The fact that Rana was fake is irrelevant. But your attitude is not. Let me make one thing clear—no one, not even you, my own son, can offend me and get away with it. Don’t think that being my son will protect you from the consequences of your actions. In our world, everyone is held accountable for their mistakes, regardless of their lineage. I am telling you that if you dare to insult me again, the consequences will be severe. Consider this as my final warning, Raghav. Repeat it, and I won’t hesitate to kill you along with Ayaan for opposing me.”
Raghav’s eyes widen in shock and disbelief as his father’s words hit him like a sudden jolt. The colour drains from his face, and his features freeze for a moment, understanding the gravity of the threat. I never expected Tej Khurana to be so cold and ruthless, openly declaring to harm his own flesh and blood, especially his son, who was always there for him — Raghav.
“You’ve lost your mind,” he snaps at Tej Khurana. “You’d never do something like that. I know you hate losing, but killing your sons for not adhering to your wishes, no father would ever do that for anything in the world.”
“Your father is an exception,” Tej laughs harshly. “If he can mould his son to be his mirror image, if he can focus on nurturing his son, instilling in him both hatred for the world and insatiable greed for power, then he wouldn’t hesitate to take his son’s life if the circumstances demanded it. I wasn’t raising a son, Raghav. I was grooming a missionary all these years—one who would carry out my orders to run my empire. Someone who would kill at my order and lay down his life when the need arose.”
Raghav listens to the man who raised him with bitterness, rage consuming him, understanding the depth of his father’s darkness.
“Remember that day when you were thirteen, and I asked you to shoot your bodyguard to show me that you were ready to take charge of my empire?” he asks. “You disobeyed my command and did not shoot your bodyguard, saying that you didn’t want to kill people just for fun but only when necessary. Do you recall what happened the next day, Raghav?” He gives him a sly smile.
Raghav’s eyes flare with anger as he connects the dots.
“Yes, I killed him because you didn’t,” Tej admits and pokes at Raghav’s chest again. “You didn’t have the damn courage to kill the man I told you to, so I finished your job.”
Raghav clenches his fists.
“I know he was important to you. That man had been by your side, protecting you from harm all these years, but he had to die. Because you, Raghav, you revered and respected him more than you ever did your own father—me. How could I let him live then?”
Raghav clenches his jaw.
“How could you do that? You knew how much he mattered to me,” Raghav yells.
“Then you should have obeyed me when I asked you to kill him first. Either way, that man had to die. The only person that should matter to you is me, your father.” He gives an evil laugh. “Anyone who tries to take my place and overpower me or disrupts my life, my goals and my freedom will meet the same fate. And that’s exactly what happened with your mother…” He comes to an abrupt halt as if just realising he said something he shouldn’t have.
The moment he says this, my heart skips a beat. Even Raghav is completely shocked.
A terse silence follows his words and then mayhem strikes.
“What did you do with my mother?” he asks, holding his anger, curious to know the story he’s hiding.
Tej gives us both a wicked smile.
“What have you done to our mother?” I demand, lunging forward and holding his collar.
He gazes down where I’ve held him and then lifts his eyes to meet mine again.
“Our mother?” he laughs scornfully. “When did this happen? You refuse to acknowledge me as your father despite our numerous encounters. Yet, you easily accept my late wife as your mother, even though she’s no longer in this world. What sparked this sudden change?”
Though infuriated at Tej’s words, even Raghav looks at me, awaiting my reply.
“I don’t see any reason to justify my feelings and acceptance of my mother to you. You wouldn’t understand it anyway because, for that, you need to be a human, which you are clearly not. You are a monster, Tej Khurana – a reflection of your own darkness. And today, that darkness will meet its end,” I warn.
His face contorts with anger, his eyes narrowing into a venomous glare.
“Get your hands off me,” Tej growls menacingly as he struggles to contain the anger ignited by my words.
