**DLf one tower, Singhania group delhi branch headquarters**

After the little "fun" incident, Arya behaved as if nothing had happened. She had fully regained her composure and was once again engrossed in her tablet.

She sat straight, eyes focused on her tablet, fingers tapping away with professional precision.

Rohit watched her for a moment then turned to his phone.

Surprisingly, the WiFi was working. ’VIP service for Bell 429s’, he thought.

Not bad. At least it was better than staring at shapeshifting clouds.

He resumed scrolling, this time opening Google. He wanted a clearer picture of just how large the Singhania Group really was, beyond its agro-based export image.

So far, in the public domain, the group—primarily based in Uttar Pradesh, had five major subsidiaries, all centered around agricultural products and services: dairy, sugar, salt, spices, and crops.

The vast land they controlled, combined with an extensive farmer contract network, gave them a massive surplus. This allowed them to process and package goods not just for daily domestic consumption but also for export.

Apart from that, recent collaborations with major industrial groups in railway construction, along with strategic partnerships in the renewable energy sector, indicated a clear shift. The company was no longer confined to agriculture—it was expanding into multiple domains.

Its current market valuation had already reached $15.3 billion, and analysts rated it as a high-growth entity with strong future innovation potential. One key reason was its stake in companies like Nagraja Technologies—one of the country’s top gaming firms, valued at around $56 million.

Rohit frowned slightly as he saw his own gaming company mentioned in the article. It was from a year ago, so the valuation might have changed, but the recognition from foreign analysts was significant.

The group operated across five geographical branches — the main headquarters in Lucknow, the Delhi branch for the northern belt, Gwalior for central India, Kolkata for the east, and Visakhapatnam for the south.

Export operations ran primarily through the Vizag and Gujarat ports.

He was trying to find information on main branch family members when the pilot’s voice cut in.

"Young Master, Young Miss—we have reached destination. Landing in one minute."

Rohit looked out the window.

What he saw wasn’t just a building—it was a structure of four interconnected towers rising together. A true marvel for a skyscraper. It stood like a king among its surroundings. Most nearby buildings barely reached 20 to 25 floors, while this tower rose to 42th floor.

He remembered that the tallest title was supposed to go to the Trump Towers Delhi NCR with 44 floors—but since construction there was still ongoing, this building currently held the crown.

Having an office here was no small statement.

The chopper hovered briefly over the rooftop helipad then came down with a firm, solid jolt. The rotors slowed. The door opened.

Rohit stepped out first into the wind and the height and the city spread below on every side.

A young woman in a formal suit was already waiting there.

Artwork.

Rohit sighed inwardly. Finally, someone different from that cheeky bastard, he thought, recalling Secretary Pathak’s face.

She appeared to be in her early twenties, wearing a bright, professional smile. But the moment Rohit stepped out first, her expression faltered for a brief second. It was subtle, almost instinctive. Still, she recovered quickly and turned her attention to Arya.

"Welcome, Arya ma’am... and sir?"

Rohit caught the slight informality in her tone—the ease with which she addressed Arya first.

Arya stepped forward without pause. "He’s my brother. Rohit."

The woman immediately straightened, her posture sharpening as her tone shifted into full professionalism.

"Welcome, Rohit sir, to the Singhania Group Delhi branch. I’m Sheetal, Arya ma’am’s executive assistant."

Rohit narrowed his eyes slightly, studying her face.

"You seem familiar," he said, thinking aloud. "I’ve seen you somewhere... wait—you were in Arya’s lock screen. The graduation photo. You were hugging her."

Sheetal let out a small chuckle. "Yes, sir. I’m her college friend, and—"

Arya didn’t stop walking.

"We’re late," she cut in, moving ahead. "Talk in the lift."

Both of them followed, stopping near the elevator. The display showed it ascending slowly from the 20th floor, halting at multiple levels along the way.

Rohit glanced at it, then let out a quiet chuckle. "So much for being on time."

Arya shot him a sharp look before turning away. "We’re taking the stairs."

Rohit frowned, watching her head toward the exit. Isn’t waiting for a lift the normal choice?

Sheetal, catching his hesitation, moved alongside him. "Don’t worry, sir. Our main office is on the 40th floor. It’ll only take a minute or two from here."

Rohit noted that they were already on the 42nd floor. Going down two floors wouldn’t make much of a difference.

He smiled faintly and matched her pace. "Then how about you call me Rohit? You’re my sister’s friend, after all."

Sheetal shook her head lightly. "Maybe outside. But in the office, we’re expected to maintain decorum."

’She’s stricter than she looks’, Rohit thought, amused. Still, she was surprisingly easy to talk to once the conversation started. He decided to use it.

"So, the meeting we’re heading to... who all will be there?" he asked. "Give me a quick heads-up."

Sheetal glanced at him, then briefly at Arya’s retreating figure ahead, before looking back at him. It seemed like she made a quiet decision.

"The Delhi branch meeting has twelve principal members," she said, her tone professional but not lowered. Arya clearly already knew all of this. "Would you like me to go through them?"

"Please."

"First, your father—Raj Singhania. He serves as Chairman and oversees all major decisions for the Delhi branch. In practice, he holds final authority."

Rohit gave a small nod. That much he had expected.

"Second is Madam Suchitra Singh, the Regional Operations Manager."

Rohit’s brows drew together slightly. "Not my mother?"

Sheetal hesitated—just for a fraction of a second.

It was small. Most people would have missed it.

Rohit didn’t.

"Madam Ragini holds a Director position, sir. She oversees Logistics and Distribution."

Rohit filed that away without reacting.

His mother held the title.Someone else held the system.

Interesting.

That hesitation hadn’t been about hierarchy—it had been about explanation.

Suchitra Singh wasn’t just another executive.

She was either indispensable... or too deeply placed to question.

Either way, she wasn’t there by accident.

Rohit didn’t let his expression change. It was too early to draw conclusions. In a company of this scale, especially one run like a family empire, every position at that table was deliberate.

"Tell me more about this... Suchitra Singh," he said.

Sheetal glanced at him again, her expression a shade more alert than before. "She’s been with the Delhi branch for twenty-two years, sir. Before joining the Singhania Group, she ran her own logistics consultancy. Your father brought her in during the restructuring phase of the Delhi branch. She’s... very capable."

Rohit noted the timeline. That was before the previous owner of this body had even been born. Possibly even before Ragini had entered the family as Raj’s second wife.

Sheetal continued, "The branch runs differently when she’s present versus when she isn’t."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning people are more careful," Sheetal replied simply.

Rohit almost smiled. So her influence runs that deep. Definitely someone worth watching.

"Third?" he prompted.

"Third is Madam Ragini, as I mentioned—Logistics and Distribution," Sheetal said, adjusting the sequence. "Fourth is, sir Hemant—Port Operations Manager. He primarily handles Gujarat port coordination."

"Hemant..." Rohit muttered.

The same man who sat at the family dining table with the restless energy of someone waiting to be told where to stand next. Half present, half lost in his bragging of own self-importance.

Port operations?..

Important enough to justify the title—but not significant enough to hold real power.

"And Aunt Kalyani, his wife?" he asked.

Sheetal raised an eyebrow slightly. "Export and Shipping Manager. She works closely with Sir Hemant on the port side, but her scope is broader. She handles international shipping contracts and customs coordination across state borders."

She paused briefly, then added, "She’s actually quite sharp in that area. People tend to underestimate her."

Rohit took note of that.

Kalyani held more power than her title suggested. She was more active and precise than just a schemer. If anything, she seemed like the real architect behind their branch of the family.

So all the deals must be her doing while that fat uncle of mine takes all the credit.

That probably explained why both of them were rarely present at home.

Someone like her could smuggle more than just shipments... if needed. A faint, predatory glint appeared in Rohit’s eyes. Interesting.

"Who else?"

"Secretary Pathak," Sheetal said, a trace of annoyance slipping into her tone. It was subtle, but enough for Rohit to catch.

So that bastard creeps people out consistently, Rohit noted.

"He handles Cold Storage and Operations," she continued. "Coordinates the refrigerated logistics chain—primarily dairy."

That explained the Pathak–Ragini proximity Rohit had always noticed, both at home and elsewhere.

Their domains overlapped too neatly.

In practice, he operated less like an independent manager and more like an extension of her control.

"And finance?"

"Devnarayan sir. Regional Finance Controller." Sheetal’s tone shifted slightly—quieter, more measured, almost unconsciously respectful. "His reputation carries more weight than his current role suggests. He’s been with the Lucknow headquarters for twenty-eight years. Your grandfather brought him in. He moved to the Delhi branch three years ago. Every rupee that moves through this branch goes through him."

Rohit’s gaze sharpened slightly.

So that’s the keystone.

Not Suchitra. Not even Raj’s formal authority.

The one who controlled the finance controller controlled the flow of information.

Twenty-eight years.

His grandfather’s man.

That kind of tenure didn’t just build experience—it built loyalty. And loyalty like that didn’t shift easily with changes in leadership.

He noted it all in his mind and kept descending.

"Other departments?"

"Food Processing Head, Market Research Director, Corporate Affairs Director," Sheetal listed them briefly, along with the names of the respective department heads.

Then her pace slowed just a little. "There’s one I should mention separately."

"Go on."

"Manav Singh. Director of Market Research. He joined last year, just a day after your sister joined as Special Advisor. He is also the son of Madam Suchitra," she said carefully. "He holds a business management degree from Stanford."

Rohit noticed the care in her tone—not hesitation, but selection.

"Age?"

"Twenty-four."

"Experience before joining?"

A brief pause. "Internships during his degree."

Rohit looked at her. She kept her eyes fixed on the stairs ahead.

"And you said his mother is Suchitra Singh," he said. Not a question.

Sheetal glanced at him sideways. "Yes, sir."

There it is.

A Stanford degree and an internship-heavy profile stepping into a director role at one of the country’s largest agro conglomerates. In any ordinary company, that application wouldn’t have made it past initial screening. Here, it came with a nameplate on a door forty floors high.

Suchitra Singh had been with the branch for twenty-two years. Long enough to build influence. Long enough to make asking unnecessary.

The real question was whether Raj had granted it willingly—or whether Suchitra had positioned things in a way that made refusal irrelevant.

Either way, Manav Singh sitting at that table placed Suchitra Singh well beyond the limits of her title.

"And then there’s your big sister’s division—Arya’s," Sheetal continued, her voice warming slightly for the first time. "Managing Director of Nagraja Technologies. The gaming subsidiary."

"I read about it on the way," Rohit said. "Fifty-six million dollar valuation as of last year."

Sheetal shook her head with a small smile. "That article is outdated, sir. The current valuation is closer to eighty. Arya ma’am has been..." she paused briefly, searching for the right word, "...relentless. This past year, she secured two new titles, pushed a regional expansion, and closed a streaming partnership nobody expected her to land."

Rohit’s gaze shifted ahead to Arya’s back.

Rohit looked at Arya’s back ahead of them. Surely she reflected an image of Ragini.

she added with a faint proud smile, "She doesn’t talk about it. She just does it. cool isnt it?"

emotionally biased. There’s history there.

He interrupted her gently, "You said twelve members, but I’m counting only eleven so far. Who’s the last one?"

Sheetal blinked, then gave a small apologetic smile. "Oh, it slipped my mind. The twelfth seat — Director of Strategic Alliances — was added three years ago. It’s a mutual position shared between the Singhania Group and the Dadani Group of Industries."

She continued as they descended the stairs, "Earlier, the role didn’t carry much weight, so we used to send our own representative. But after the new railway deal with the Chambani Group, the Dadanis insisted on nominating someone from their side this time."

Rohit’s mind clicked instantly. Dadani... The name was not just famous — it was familiar. His elder sister Riya had gotten engaged into the Dadani family three years ago.

So this is the alliance marriage at work, he thought. Raj must have traded the Strategic Alliances seat as part of Riya’s marriage deal.

They reached the end of the staircase and stepped into the wide, luxurious corridor of the 40th floor. The moment they exited, Sheetal’s eyes widened as she looked toward the reception area.

"Finally... we’ve reached the fortieth floor," she said, her voice dropping nervously. "And she’s right there. Oh no..."

Rohit raised an eyebrow and followed her gaze.

Near the reception, where the elevator had just opened, a tense standoff was unfolding.

On one side stood Arya — arms folded over her tablet, posture straight and icy. On the opposite side stood a sharp, elegant woman surrounded by three executives. Even from a distance, her presence commanded attention.

’Riya Dadani Singhania.’

***********************************

A//N: apologies_for_delay :)