The Storm Breaks

Ayush and Aryan slipped into the Oberoi mansion late at night, hoping to avoid Arnav’s gaze. But as soon as they stepped into the living room, they froze.

Arnav was waiting.

Seated in his grand chair, glass in hand, his expression was unreadable—but his eyes burned with rage. Anirudh stood beside him, arms crossed, his face dark with disapproval.

Ayush swallowed. Well, this was going to be fun.

Arnav’s voice was lethal. "Do you have any idea what you’ve done?"

Aryan, ever the reckless one, smirked. "Good evening to you too, Bhai."

The glass in Arnav’s hand shattered.

"Cut the nonsense." His voice was sharp enough to slice through steel. "You went to Kabir Sharma?"

Ayush exhaled. "We needed information on Devraj. And we got it."

Anirudh stepped forward. "You think Kabir will help you for free? You signed a deal with a man worse than Devraj!"

Aryan shrugged. "We didn’t have a choice."

Arnav slammed his fist on the table. "You always have a choice. And you just made the wrong one."

Ayush met Arnav’s furious gaze. "Then what was your plan? Sit back and let Devraj destroy us?"

Silence.

For a moment, Ayush thought Arnav might actually hit him.

Then, Arnav took a deep breath and spoke—his voice quieter, but deadly.

"You don’t understand the war you just walked into."

Kabir’s True Intentions

Meanwhile, in a darkened office, Kabir Sharma smirked as he poured himself a drink.

A man in a black suit stood before him. "The Oberois took the bait, sir."

Kabir chuckled. "Good. Let them think they’re using me."

His eyes gleamed with amusement.

"In the end, they’ll realize…" he swirled his drink lazily, "that I was never on their side to begin with."

To Be Continued…