The Gathering

The Oberoi mansion was eerily silent.

Arnav stood in the center of the massive living room, his presence dominating the space. Anirudh leaned against the wall, arms crossed, eyes sharp with caution.

Ayush sat on the couch, his anger simmering beneath the surface. Aryan and Avni stood nearby, their usual mischief replaced with unease.

They had all gathered for one reason—the truth.

Arnav exhaled, his gaze scanning his siblings. "You all think I’ve been controlling you, that I’ve been hiding things from you. And you’re right."

Ayush’s fingers curled into fists. "Then stop wasting time and just say it."

Arnav’s jaw tightened.

And then, in a voice colder than ice, he said—

"Our parents didn’t die in an accident. They were murdered."

A Silence That Cut Like a Knife

The air in the room froze.

Ayush felt like the floor had just been ripped from beneath him.

Aryan blinked. "What…?"

Avni shook her head. "No. That’s not possible. We were told—"

"You were told a lie," Arnav interrupted, his voice harsh. "Because the truth would have gotten you all killed."

Ayush shot up from his seat. "And you thought you had the right to keep this from us?!" His voice shook with rage.

Arnav’s gaze didn’t waver. "I thought I had the right to keep you alive."

Ayush clenched his fists. "Who? Who did this?"

Arnav turned his gaze to the flames crackling in the fireplace. "Devraj Malhotra."

The name dropped like a bomb.

Aryan staggered back. "Devraj… the same man you’ve been fighting all these years?"

Arnav nodded. "I didn’t start this war, Aryan. I just made sure it didn’t end with us."

The Past That Haunts

Arnav’s voice was steady but filled with unspoken pain.

"Our father was a powerful man, but he made enemies. Devraj was one of them. When our parents refused to bow to him, he made sure they never got the chance again."

Avni had gone pale. "But why didn’t the police—"

Arnav laughed, but there was no humor in it. "Devraj owns the police, Avni. He owns judges, ministers—he’s been untouchable for years."

Ayush swallowed hard. "Then why didn’t he come for us?"

Arnav’s eyes darkened. "Because I made a deal."

A pin-drop silence fell.

Anirudh’s face turned grim. "Arnav…"

Arnav turned to Ayush. "The reason you’ve had a normal life, the reason you’ve been safe, is because I gave Devraj something he wanted."

Ayush’s stomach twisted. "What did you give him?"

Arnav’s expression was unreadable. "Power. Connections. Information. I played his game until I could fight back."

Ayush felt like he couldn’t breathe.

"Every deal, every shady transaction you saw in that file—" Arnav pointed at the folder Ayush had brought home, "—was to protect you all."

"But why didn’t you tell us?" Aryan whispered.

Arnav’s gaze softened, just for a moment. "Because if you knew, you would’ve wanted revenge. And revenge is a game that only ends with more bodies."

Ayush staggered back, his mind spinning.

For years, he had resented Arnav. Thought of him as a dictator, a man obsessed with control.

But now?

Now, he realized Arnav hadn’t been ruling them.

He had been shielding them.

The Shattered Illusion

"You lied to us," Ayush whispered.

Arnav’s expression was unreadable. "Yes."

"You made deals with the devil."

"Yes."

"You’ve been fighting a war we didn’t even know existed."

Arnav’s eyes burned with something unreadable. "Yes."

Ayush ran a hand through his hair, laughing bitterly. "And now what, Arnav? You think telling us will fix everything?"

Arnav’s next words were like a knife to the chest.

"No, Ayush. I’m telling you because the war is no longer mine alone."

He turned, his voice dropping into something lethal.

"Devraj is coming for all of us now."

To Be Continued…