The moment Rohit stepped out, he noticed them.

Arya and Riya stood a few feet apart, the air between them pulled tight like a wire about to snap. Even from a distance, the hostility was unmistakable. It was written plainly on both their faces.

He already knew their history. Just the word "di" was enough to make Arya’s jaw tighten. Whatever had happened between them ran deep — deep enough that even basic courtesy had been scraped clean away.

Rohit assessed the situation quickly. Riya was the only person who might know something about Ragini’s accident. But acknowledging her meant breaking the one shield he currently had — his supposed memory loss. One wrong step and the entire performance would unravel.

He approached them with a neutral expression. "What happened?"

Riya turned at his voice. The hostility on her face melted instantly, replaced by something warm and almost disbelieving. She took a hopeful step forward.

Rohit stopped her with a raised hand. "Sorry," he said calmly. "Do I know you?"

The warmth on her face froze.

A small smirk appeared at the corner of Arya’s mouth.

Riya blinked once. Then again. "You don’t... know me?" Her voice came out smaller than she intended. "Rohit, I’m your Riya di. Your elder sister."

Artwork.

Rohit felt a sharp sting of bitterness. In his memories, she was the only one who had genuinely supported him. But right now, he was trapped by his own lie.

"What elder sis... but I—"

He couldn’t finish his sentence. Arya grabbed his hand and dragged him toward the entrance. "Sorry, we’re getting late."

Before he could steady himself, another hand caught his left wrist — directly over the bandage. He winced internally.

Riya’s voice had changed. The hurt was still there, but a firmer resolve had taken over. "He was saying something. I haven’t heard it yet."

Arya’s eyes cut sharply toward her. "He wasn’t saying anything."

"And I’m not leaving," Riya replied, her grip steady, "until I hear him say it himself."

Rohit stood trapped between them, each sister holding one of his wrists, pulling him in opposite directions like a piece of disputed luggage.

Could they at least ask me first? he thought with flat resignation.

He glanced at his left hand. Thankfully, Riya hadn’t pressed directly on the wound — small mercy. But the position was still awkward and embarrassing. Neither sister showed any intention of letting go.

"What is going on here?"

All three turned at the voice.

Raj Singhania walked toward them with measured steps, Secretary Pathak following a half-step behind. His expression remained calm, the face of a man long accustomed to domestic chaos.

Both sisters released Rohit at the same time.

Rohit exhaled quietly. For the first time since regressing into this family, he felt a flicker of genuine gratitude toward this man.

Riya straightened immediately. "I’m sorry, Father. I showed you an unworthy side."

Arya said nothing. She simply looked away, her pride still firmly intact.

Raj glanced between them without lingering on either. "Whatever needs to be settled can wait until after the meeting."

He gestured toward the entrance with a firm hand.

"Inside. All of you."

***

They stepped inside.

It was a broad office stretched with a lot of cubicals where dozens of mens and women already worked at their desks. Rohit wondered what kind of work they engrossed into as he followed Raj into one of the corner labelled as conference room.

The room was already filled.

A long conference table stretched across the center, most seats occupied, name tags placed neatly in front of each. Files were open, tablets lit, every person present carrying the ease of someone used to being here. Pathak had already taken his seat — likely where his mother usually sat, to the left of Raj’s chair.

Rohit’s gaze moved across the room.

Twelve.

Then he noticed it.

One extra chair.

His name tag rested in front of it, placed over a blank piece of paper, a water bottle set beside it. Slightly apart from the original alignment — but placed deliberately. Facing the table.

Directly opposite Raj.

So they had expected him. Just not quite decided where he stood.

He walked forward and took the seat without asking.

No one objected.

A few eyes lifted. Most didn’t.

Rohit leaned back slightly, expression neutral, and let his gaze move across the room.

He found Manav Singh first.

Mid-twenties. Sharp. Too polished. Completely absorbed in whatever was open on his tablet. There was an unmistakable pride in the way he sat — the kind that didn’t need an audience because it had already decided its own verdict.

Then his eyes moved to Suchitra Singh.

She was a mature woman, in mid 40s, yet she carried a distinct charm forged by experience. Her presence was composed, confident. Draped in a saree that complemented her figure, she held herself with a quiet authority.

In terms of traditional beauty, she wouldn’t be compared to his mother, but she projected the air of someone who deeply valued her status and dignity. The allure of her voluptuous figure, however, was undeniable—a stark contrast to her otherwise restrained demeanor.

Their eyes met.

She looked at him directly, a faint hint of amusement in her gaze.

She seemed like someone who had tasted power—and had no intention of pretending otherwise.

Only when Raj approached his chair did she finally look away.

Everyone stood up.

Including Rohit.

***

Raj waved everyone to sit as he took his seat, and all sat together.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he began, his voice deep and measured, "thank you all for being here on this important day. As we gather for our Annual General Meeting, I will keep my opening remarks short. Today’s detailed briefing and performance review will be presented by our respected Company Secretary, Mr. S.K. Pathak."

He gave a small nod toward the man seated to his left. "Pathak, the floor is yours. Let the meeting begin."

Secretary Pathak adjusted the microphone slightly and offered a courteous smile. "Good morning, respected Chairman, esteemed board members, department heads, and colleagues. It is an honor to present before you all once again."

He paused briefly, then continued with a slight gleam in his eyes.

"Before we begin with the formal proceedings, I have a special announcement. It gives me great pleasure to inform you that Mr. Rohit Singhania, son of our respected Managing Director, will be joining us today and henceforth as Special Advisor to the Managing Director’s office."

Pathak gracefully extended his hand toward the opposite side of the table.

Rohit nodded while sitting in his seat with a faint smile on his face.

"This year has been one of remarkable transformation for our regional branch. We have successfully scaled our operations to new heights, expanding both our reach and our capacity across verticals. The landmark $500 million trade agreement with the United States stands as a historic breakthrough in agri-exports for any Indian company of our category. This single deal has not only boosted our revenue but has also placed us firmly on the global map..."

The meeting ran for nearly an hour.

Each department head took their turn at the microphone. Rohit sat back and absorbed everything without speaking, like a sponge — names, numbers, hierarchies, the subtle dynamics of who looked at whom when a contentious figure was presented and who avoided eye contact entirely.

Arya presented a proposal to take Nagraja Technologies to the World Gaming Forum exhibition in Goa in the upcoming months. Her delivery was precise and completely without warmth, the kind of presentation that assumed the numbers spoke for themselves because they did.

Riya presented the Dadani Group’s willingness to co-invest a hundred million dollars in solar panel infrastructure, her case built carefully on mutual benefit rather than obligation, the kind of pitch that left the other party feeling they had chosen it rather than been sold it.

Rohit noted the difference in their styles and stored it.

Devnarayan announced the incoming support of forty billion rupees from the Lucknow main family for regional expansion, delivering the figure with the same calm tone one might use for a weather report, as though numbers of that scale had long since become ordinary to him.

The Corporate Affairs Director declared the resuming of slum demolition construction from the start of next week as pressure from partner companies had started piling up.

Kalyani — overriding Hemant which no one bothered, announced the Mumbai port expansion following the US deal.

Suchitra closed the reports section with a briefing on the ongoing Chambani railway construction talks in a thorough and confident manner.

Her eyes moving around the table as she spoke in the manner of someone who knew exactly whose attention she needed and was making sure she had it.

Rohit noted it all.

Then the discussion sessions started.

Manav stood and straightened his jacket. He had the groomed confidence of someone who had been told he was impressive often enough to believe it, and the slight over-preparation of someone who still occasionally worried he might be wrong.

"I am proud to announce.. that following the acquisition of Bhedilal Spices, our regional branch now commands seventy-six percent of the northern belt’s spice market. To capitalize on this position, I propose we launch a premium product line — a thirty percent price increase, a fifty percent larger package, and an additional complimentary spice sachet included. The composition of the sachet will fall within current manufacturing costs. This positions us as premium while still offering visible value. We grow revenue and reinforce our market dominance simultaneously."

Everyone gave their varied opinions, adding their own suggestions both in favor and against, but none rejected it outright until the turn came to Rohit. All eyes turned to him in anticipation.

He said confidently, "The idea’s base is good, but I think we are hurting the core interest of loyal buyers. They haven’t asked for additional extra flavor, and if we impose prices higher than what they normally expect, then they will try to look for another option that can save their extra cost at the end of the day. "

Suchitra confronted him. "Then what do you say? How do we increase the monetary profit? We aren’t increasing the size arbitrarily and are also providing something in return. The question is how to increase the scale and profit."

One person from the Food Processing Department took her side. "Yes... also, it is not common for people to change sides when they trust something rather than explore unverified new ones."

Rohit replied calmly, "I might not be as experienced as many individuals present here, but I am practical. I have seen how Indian men react. They struggle for everything to save as much money as possible at the end of the day, and if we respect that part, then they will reciprocate in the same way. You cannot bind anyone longer if you try to increase the pressure. If I were a buyer, I would definitely try cheaper ones if available in the market."

Manav held his composure well. His jaw had tightened briefly when Rohit first pushed back but by the time he responded his voice was entirely professional. "Risk is inherent in growth. If we don’t leverage the monopoly position we’ve built, we leave value on the table. Premium positioning, once accepted, becomes the new standard. Consumers adapt."

"They adapt," Rohit said. "Or they don’t."

The table sat with that for a moment.

Riya came to Rohit’s rescue. "Both ideas are good, but maybe we are looking at them in different ways."

Raj raised his brows. "You want to add something?"

Riya leaned forward to the mic. "Manav’s model has merit for consumers who want a premium option. Rohit’s concern has merit for consumers who are price sensitive. These are not the same customer." She paused. "So we give them both. A premium line at the new price point for those who will pay it. The existing product maintained at current pricing for those who won’t. We capture both segments rather than forcing one population to subsidize the other’s preferences."

Rohit noted Riya’s intelligence. She effectively handled both sides without infuriating anyone and still came out with the best solution. It seemed her performance was underrated.

It was then Arya joined in. "I would also like to add something."

Raj nodded. "Yes."

The meeting continued, and the product pricing was agreed upon based on what Riya proposed.

At the end of the meeting, Rohit was summoned to Raj’s office. There, he was asked about his first experience and was given the documents to sign that had been pending from before. Rohit got no option to evade this time after what Raj had done for him and eventually signed them with a fake smile.

The moment he stepped out, he was greeted by the sight of Riya waiting for him, arms folded and expression hurt, as if he was meant to apologize.

Rohit’s eyes fluttered as he caught a glimpse of another individual.

To make matters worse, Arya was also present at a distance near the gate, with Sheetal around her, looking intently at him to see what decision he would take.