Chapter 3 The Call
"Acquire the remaining shares."
I looked up from the report in front of me.
"They'll resist."
Shanaya smirked.
"They always do."
"And?"
"And they'll still sell."
A small smile appeared on my lips.
Seven years had changed many things.
But Shanaya Mehta remained exactly the same.
Confident.
Sharp.
Dangerous.
The boardroom fell silent as the meeting came to an end.
Just as I reached for the next file, my phone vibrated.
I glanced at the screen.
And froze.
For the first time in years...
I froze.
Shanaya immediately noticed.
"Aadhira?"
I didn't answer.
My eyes remained fixed on the name flashing on the screen.
Harshvardhan Devraj.
Nana.
The same man who had sent me away seven years ago.
The same man who hadn't called once.
Not on my birthdays.
Not on festivals.
Not when I graduated.
Not even once.
And now...
He was calling.
"Aadhira?"
Shanaya's voice softened.
"Are you okay?"
I forced my expression to remain calm.
"Yes."
The phone continued ringing.
For a moment, I simply stared at it.
Then I answered.
Neither of us spoke.
Seconds passed.
The silence stretched.
Seven years of silence standing between us.
Finally...
"Aadhira."
His voice sounded older.
Weaker.
For a brief second, memories flashed through my mind.
The grandfather who used to carry me on his shoulders.
The grandfather who called me Princess.
The grandfather who chose evidence over me.
I pushed the memories away.
"Return to India immediately."
No greeting.
No questions.
No explanation.
Straight to the point.
I waited.
Perhaps he would explain.
He didn't.
The silence returned.
"Aadhira?"
His voice came again.
"Did you hear what I said?"
My fingers tightened around the phone.
Seven years.
Seven years without a single call.
And now he wanted me back.
No reason.
No apology.
Nothing.
I closed my eyes briefly.
Then answered.
"Yes."
One word.
Cold.
Calm.
Controlled.
And I ended the call.
For a long moment, I remained still.
Staring at the dark screen.
The first call.
After seven years.
Funny.
I used to imagine this moment.
I imagined Nana apologizing.
I imagined my family asking me to come home.
I imagined crying.
Being angry.
Demanding answers.
Instead...
I felt nothing.
The girl who wanted those things no longer existed.
"Who was it?"
Shanaya's voice broke my thoughts.
I placed the phone on the table.
"My grandfather."
Her eyes widened.
"The Devrajs?"
I nodded.
"What did he want?"
"He wants me to return home."
Shanaya leaned forward.
"Why?"
"I don't know."
"And you didn't ask?"
"No."
A moment of silence passed.
Then Shanaya understood.
Immediately.
Her eyes sharpened.
"You're going back."
I stood from my chair.
"It's time."
"Time for what?"
I looked out the glass window overlooking the city.
My reflection stared back at me.
Not the seventeen-year-old girl they sent away.
Not the broken girl who cried herself to sleep.
But the woman who had spent seven years becoming stronger.
"It's time to settle old debts."
My voice was calm.
Calculating.
Dangerously calm.
Shanaya's expression softened.
She walked toward me.
"If you need me..."
I turned toward her.
"I know."
"No matter what happens."
A small smile appeared on my lips.
For the first time that day.
"I know."
Because unlike some people...
Shanaya had never left.
Never doubted.
Never stopped believing.
I pressed the intercom button.
"My flight."
My assistant answered immediately.
"Yes, ma'am?"
"Arrange a flight to India."
"Right away, ma'am."
The line disconnected.
And just like that...
The countdown began.
The princess they had banished was finally returning home.
The call had ended.
Yet I continued staring at the phone.
Something felt wrong.
Terribly wrong.
For seven years, I had imagined this conversation.
I thought she would cry.
I thought she would complain.
Demand answers.
Demand explanations.
Maybe even refuse.
After all...
She was Aadhira.
My stubborn granddaughter.
The girl who could never stay quiet.
But today...
There had been nothing.
No anger.
No sadness.
No complaints.
Just silence.
Followed by one word.
"Yes."
The voice echoed in my mind.
Cold.
Calm.
Unfamiliar.
That wasn't my granddaughter.
My Aadhira didn't sound like that.
For the first time in years, doubt entered my heart.
Had I made a mistake?
The thought appeared suddenly.
Then disappeared just as quickly.
No.
The evidence had been clear.
Hadn't it?
Yet for some reason...
The feeling remained.
Heavy.
Uncomfortable.
As though something terrible was waiting for us.
"Will she come?"
Rajeev's voice broke the silence.
Everyone in the living room was waiting.
Watching.
Hoping.
Fearing.
I slowly nodded.
"She'll come."
The reactions were immediate.
Meera closed her eyes in relief.
Devayani silently thanked God.
Arvind and Kavitha exchanged glances.
The younger generation remained mostly silent.
Curious.
Uncertain.
The daughters-in-law looked thoughtful.
They had heard countless stories about Aadhira Devraj.
The villain.
The criminal.
The girl who ruined everything.
Yet somehow...
None of those stories felt complete.
And that unsettled them.
My eyes moved toward Vedha.
She stood quietly near the window.
Silent.
Motionless.
Expressionless.
Yet her eyes...
Her eyes burned with anger whenever Aadhira's name was mentioned.
Everyone noticed it.
Nobody commented.
Because they believed they understood why.
They thought it was hatred.
The natural consequence of Aadhira's betrayal.
And so nobody questioned it.
Nobody noticed the deeper emotions hidden behind that anger.
Nobody realized that some secrets were buried far deeper than they imagined.
And very soon...
Those secrets would return home.