The First Test

Ayush barely had time to process the absurdity of Arnav’s "punishment" before his older brother turned his full attention to him.

"Your turn," Arnav said, his voice calm but firm.

Ayush scoffed. "You want me to do push-ups? Seriously?"

Arnav arched an eyebrow. "No, you’re past that. You, Ayush, will start by proving you’re not useless."

Aryan, still catching his breath from his fifty push-ups, muttered, "I hate when he talks like that."

Anirudh, sipping his coffee, remained silent but was clearly enjoying the show.

Arnav leaned forward. "You have two choices—either return to your internship and prove you can be responsible, or work under me at Oberoi Industries."

Ayush’s smirk faded. He had expected something physical, maybe a few menial tasks, but this… this was worse.

"Work for you?" Ayush asked, incredulous.

Arnav’s expression didn’t change. "Yes. As my personal assistant."

Aryan let out a dramatic gasp. "Damn, bhaiya, that’s cold."

Ayush glared. "You want me to be your assistant? What, fetch you coffee and hold your files?"

"If that’s what’s required, yes," Arnav said smoothly. "Or you can leave."

Ayush clenched his fists. "This is your way of humiliating me."

Arnav tilted his head. "No, this is my way of making you disciplined. You don’t get to be a CEO without understanding the smallest details of the business. You want respect? Earn it."

Ayush stared at him, heart pounding. He could storm out again, but where would that get him? He had no money, no internship, and no options.

"Fine," Ayush said through gritted teeth. "I’ll work for you."

Arnav gave a single nod. "Good. You start tomorrow. 6 AM sharp."

Ayush groaned. "6 AM?! That’s torture!"

Arnav smirked. "Welcome to my world, little brother."

The Fire Awakens

The next morning, Ayush regretted everything.

Arnav didn’t just treat him like an employee—he treated him like the lowest employee.

"File these reports," Arnav ordered, dropping a massive stack of documents onto Ayush’s desk.

Ayush groaned. "You have a whole team for this!"

"Then prove you can do it better."

An hour later—"You spelled the client’s name wrong. Do it again."

Another hour later—"Why are these reports still on my desk? Move them to the finance department."

By noon, Ayush was exhausted. His back ached, his head hurt, and his patience was on the verge of snapping.

Finally, he stormed into Arnav’s office. "Okay, enough! This isn’t training, this is slavery!"

Arnav barely looked up from his laptop. "You lasted longer than I expected."

Ayush threw his hands in the air. "What is the point of this?"

Arnav looked at him then, eyes sharp. "The point is, I don’t tolerate incompetence. If you want to be an Oberoi, you don’t get special treatment. You earn your place."

Ayush swallowed. He wanted to argue, wanted to fight, but deep down… he knew Arnav was right.

Taking a deep breath, he straightened his posture. "Fine. You want me to prove myself? I will."

For the first time, Arnav’s lips curved into something close to approval. "Good. Let’s see if you can handle it."

To Be Continued…