The Chaos Begins

It was almost midnight when Ayush stumbled back into the Oberoi mansion, reeking of alcohol. His shirt was half-buttoned, and his usually sharp confidence was dulled by intoxication. The moment he stepped inside, he found Anirudh waiting for him in the dimly lit hallway, arms crossed, jaw clenched.

"Where the hell were you?" Anirudh’s voice was low, controlled—but filled with unspoken fury.

Ayush smirked lazily. "Out. Having fun. You should try it sometime instead of playing Daddy Oberoi."

Anirudh took a step closer. "You think this is a joke? Do you even know what time it is?"

"Relax, lawyer saab. I can take care of myself."

"Like last week? When I had to clean up your mess because you got into a fight at a bar?"

Ayush’s smirk faded. "That was nothing. Just some idiots trying to act tough."

Anirudh scoffed. "And what happens when next time, those ‘idiots’ don’t just walk away? What happens when Arnav finds out you’re throwing the Oberoi name in the gutter?"

Ayush’s eyes darkened. "Oh, here we go. Everything comes back to Arnav, doesn’t it? You don’t care about me. You just don’t want to disappoint your master."

Anirudh’s patience snapped. "I don’t care about Arnav right now. I care about you ruining your own damn life!"

The tension between them crackled, but before either could say anything more, a voice cut through the silence.

"Wow. Another episode of Oberoi Brothers at War."

Both turned to see Aryan sitting on the staircase, casually munching on a bag of chips. His expression was amused, but there was mischief in his eyes.

"You two really need a new script," Aryan continued. "This ‘strict older brother vs. reckless younger brother’ thing is getting old."

Ayush rolled his eyes and turned to leave, but Anirudh grabbed his arm. "You’re not going anywhere. You’re grounded."

Ayush yanked his arm away. "Grounded? Seriously? What are you, my father?"

Anirudh didn’t blink. "If that’s what it takes to stop you from destroying yourself, then yes."

Ayush’s face twisted with anger. "You’re not my father, Anirudh. And you never will be."

With that, he stormed off, leaving Anirudh standing there, his grip tightening on nothing but air.

Aryan let out a low whistle. "Damn. That was brutal."

Anirudh exhaled, trying to push back the frustration clawing at his chest. "Go to bed, Aryan."

Aryan smirked. "You know, for a lawyer, you suck at arguing. You always lose."

Anirudh didn’t reply. He was too tired. Too frustrated. Too heartbroken.

As Aryan walked away, he muttered under his breath, "One day, you’ll all understand why I do this."

But in that moment, no one did.