CHAPTER 9 #3
Not even now… after I shot him.
So for this man here, I chose something else. A title that carries that same respect, that same love without replacing what can never be replaced.
I call him ‘Baba.’
Stepping forward, I open the car door wider for him. He places his hand over mine as he steps out. There is a warm, familiar smile already on his face as his other hand comes up to pat my arm lightly.
“Thank you, my boy.”
He is fifty-eight now, but there is nothing fragile about him.
Years of standing at the forefront of public causes as a social reformer have still not worn him down.
If anything, they have only made him stronger.
Once the car pulls away, I bend down and touch his feet.
The action comes naturally now, almost instinctive.
But it was never something I was taught.
Neither by the man who raised me, nor by the world I grew up in.
This is a choice I made. Because the kind of respect I have for Baba is not demanded; it is earned.
His hand comes to rest over my head as he blesses me.
Then, he lovingly pulls me up and wraps his arms around me into a tight hug.
I let him. There are very few people in this world from whom I allow this kind of closeness.
And every time he holds me like this, the same thought crosses my mind, one I have never spoken out loud.
That how lucky Ayaan is to have grown up with this kind of affection.
To have been raised by a man who knows how to give without asking for anything in return.
I pull back after a moment and say, “You could have told me you were coming.”
He chuckles. “It had been a while since I visited you,” he replies, adjusting the sleeve of his kurta. “Besides, once Meher’s due date approaches in the coming months, I won’t be able to travel. She will need her family by her side.”
I nod, because that makes sense, even if I know this is not the only reason he is here. What Meher and Ayaan saw and assumed yesterday has brought him here.
As we walk into the villa, I’ve already decided. I won’t speak about Siya unless I’m asked directly. And even if that moment comes, I’ll choose my words carefully, leaving out the one truth that she is a mafia princess.
I know exactly what revealing that truth would do.
They won’t take it lightly. This family gave me a life I never thought I would have.
A life away from the chaos I was born into, away from the darkness I fought my way out of.
They have safeguarded that line for me, kept me on this side of it. I will not be the one to blur it again.
Any connection that ties me back to that mafia world, any link that pulls my past into this life, will shatter whatever balance we have built between us. And I’m not going to let that happen.
Minutes later, we are seated in the living room, across from each other, with coffee mugs in our hands. I take a slow sip before setting the cup down and look at him.
“You’ve grown thinner,” I observe, studying him closely. “The last time I saw you, at Vishnu’s birthday in Alibaug, you looked better than this.”
He smiles, clearly expecting the comment.
“Tell me honestly, how many more hunger strikes did you go on this time to make the government listen?” I add, with clear disapproval in my voice.
Baba lets out a quiet laugh, shaking his head.
“I didn’t do any,” he says. “And even if I wanted to, you, Ayaan, and Meher would not let me now.”
That sounds about right. He leans back slightly, still smiling. “It’s just age, Raghav,” he continues. “And I prefer it this way. Less weight makes it easier to move around. Easier to be present where I’m needed.”
He takes another sip of his coffee, and his gaze shifts back to me. “How is the business going?” he asks.
I give him a brief overview. The expansion work, the increase in tourist inflow, the vineyard output, and the new contracts we are closing. He listens carefully, nodding at intervals and taking in every word attentively.
This place, and the people here, have always belonged to him as much as they do to me.
Before I took over the estate, it was he who looked after everything.
My mother had entrusted this estate to him instead of my father, and Baba had accepted that responsibility without hesitation.
He has seen RK Estate grow and is now watching me shape it further.
“I’m glad,” he says finally. “You’ve done well with this place.”
There’s a brief pause after that. I see it in the way his fingers fidget slightly around the cup. In the way his gaze lingers, teasingly, a second longer than before. He is about to ask something else. About the video call. About her. But I don’t give him the chance.
“You should get some rest,” I say, breaking the silence before it can turn into a question. “You just travelled. You’ll need it.”
“Alright,” he agrees, setting his cup down.
I stand up and lead him to one of the guest rooms myself, making sure everything is in place. This is his usual room, the one he stays in whenever he is here.
“Call me if you need anything.”
He gives a small nod in return, and I leave, closing the door softly behind me.
The moment I step outside, I dial Esha. She picks up almost immediately.
I give her the next set of instructions regarding Siya Vardhaan, and as always, she takes them without question.
Then, I end the call. For once, I hope the feisty princess does exactly what she’s been told and not mess this up.