The Takeover Effect (The Singh Family Saga #1)
Prologue
Deepak Singh was the fifth son of a fifth son.
He was born in a village on the outskirts of Chandigarh, Punjab, India, and was fortunate enough to receive a boarding school education.
His father was a police officer, as were his brothers, but Deepak wanted something different.
He wanted something more. In his heart of hearts, he wasn’t a warrior like his brothers or the ancestors that came before him.
He was a poet, and his poetry was code.
Deepak knew his obsession with code was sometimes difficult to communicate, which was why he needed his daily walks to clear his head and work on his messaging. Every morning for the last fifty years, he tied his sneakers and strolled into the sunlight.
Today was no different. After slowly descending the steps of his home, Deepak approached the carved wooden bench that overlooked the front gardens on his estate and took a seat.
The sky was a blend of orange and deep blue already, and he settled down to watch the remainder of the sunrise.
A gentle spring breeze cooled his weathered skin, and he let out a sigh.
Some of the ache in his chest eased. He needed to ask his wife to join him tomorrow so she could enjoy this scenery with him.
He took out the faded sepia picture of his family that he carried in his billfold and looked at the unmarred face of his youth.
He remembered the two heavy red leather suitcases he carried, and the determined look on his wife’s face as they exited customs at John F.
Kennedy International Airport for the first time all those years ago.
He’d come to America to pursue his dreams, and in thirty years, Deepak had started the company Bharat, Inc.
, become a leading subject matter expert in artificial intelligence, image processing using deep learning, registered fifteen patents related to image recognition, and amassed a small fortune.
He continued to live his life with Guru Nanak’s teachings in mind and raised his three strong sons the same way.
His sons. His joy. They also lived life with Guru Nanak’s teachings and wore their commitment to god in the form of a silver kara he’d given each of them as they entered manhood.
His youngest, Zail, was the most like him, and therefore the easiest for him to understand. They spent hours together in their tech lab situated in Silicon Valley. Zail wore his bracelet in silence and devotion.
His middle son, Ajay, was different. He wore his kara and his commitment to family like a badge of honor. As next in line for CEO, he’d already become a powerful leader in his own right. Deepak just wished he lived for more than just the business. Like Hem used to.
Hem. Hemdeep. His firstborn and the most complicated of all of his boys.
Deepak rubbed the heel of his hand against his chest as a spike of pain shot through his heart.
He’d always thought Hem would lead his empire when he was gone, but after their .
. . disagreement, Hem refused to participate in the family business anymore.
Deepak knew he was a part of the reason why Hem left, but all he’d ever wanted was his son’s happiness.
The pain ricocheted through his chest again and his fingertips began to tingle. Carefully putting his picture away, he stood on shaking legs and began the slow trek back to the house.
He was running out of time. There was so much that was left to be said, too. Deepak just hoped that his sons would be willing to listen before it was too late.