The morning sun streamed softly through the wide glass windows of Arjun's penthouse. The city below was slowly waking up, but Arjun was already on his feet.
He brushed his teeth quietly, still half-lost in yesterday's thoughts, then walked into his sleek, open kitchen. The aroma of boiling tea leaves soon filled the air, blending with the sound of eggs sizzling on the pan. A soft jazz instrumental played in the background, echoing off the marble floors. He made himself an omelette, neatly folded and plated beside a toast. It was his quiet ritual. A pause before the storm of the day.
After breakfast, he took a long hot shower. The steam clouded the bathroom mirrors while his mind remained as hazy.
Wrapped in a towel, Arjun opened the drawer of his closet. Neatly lined inside were 50 unique wristwatches, each handpicked over the years—each with a memory attached. He chose a dark steel one with a black leather strap—his father's last gift before he passed away.
As he fastened it, he looked at his reflection.
> "Today feels strange…" he whispered to himself.
He sat at his dining table, turned on the business news channel. The screen flashed with headlines:
> "ROXX Corporation stocks surge – Partnered with RRB Group. Massive funding raises market buzz."
> "ROXX plans to expand into Research & Rural Tech…"
Arjun's brows tightened. ROXX again. The name kept showing up recently—too often, too conveniently.
But he ignored it… or at least, he tried to.
The doorbell rang.
The housemaid had arrived, her timing sharp as always—8:30 AM. She cleaned the house quietly, not disturbing his thoughts, and left by 9:00 AM.
Arjun picked up his laptop bag, locked the door, and drove toward his office.
---
Scene: Saturday at the Office – A Message from the Past
It was Saturday, and the office floor was calm. Most departments had taken the weekend off. But Arjun didn't believe in weekends—not anymore.
At 9:45 AM, he reached the building. The office boy brought him coffee and water, placing them gently beside his desk.
Arjun opened his laptop and began scanning emails.
That's when his phone buzzed.
> "Hi. How are you?"
It was Sonal.
He froze.
His eyes locked onto the message, his heartbeat instantly rising.
Another message followed.
> "Can we meet today if you're free?"
Arjun stared at the screen, a strange mix of emotions stirring inside. He hadn't expected to hear from her again—especially after their last meeting. He tried to steady himself.
Without overthinking, he replied:
> "12 PM – Cafe Aurea, Bandra."
He closed his laptop and immediately called his secretary.
> "Reschedule all meetings. I'm stepping out."
> "Yes sir," came the obedient response.
---
Scene: The Café Meeting – A Reunion Without a Heartbeat
By 11:50 AM, Arjun was already at Cafe Aurea, a minimalistic yet elegant place with wooden interiors and soft violin music playing in the background. He walked in, scanning the café until his eyes landed on her.
Sonal was already there—seated, alone, with a brown file on the table.
She looked… different.
More corporate. Less familiar. Her hair was tied neatly, her expression focused. Arjun approached the table, and for a second, time slowed.
She stood and offered a handshake.
No hugs. No warmth.
Arjun hesitated but accepted. It felt like two business associates greeting each other.
They sat down.
Sonal ordered a cold coffee for herself and asked, "What about you?"
That question hit him. She always used to order for him. Always his black coffee. Today, she asked.
Arjun simply replied, "Black."
Sonal smiled faintly, then looked into his eyes. "How have you been?"
Arjun forced a polite smile. "Surviving."
Small talk followed—dry, polite, cautious. But Arjun wasn't here for chit-chat. He wanted to know why she called.
Finally, Sonal slid the file toward him. "I wanted to show you something important."
Arjun opened it.
His fingers moved through the pages… and then his eyes stopped at the title:
> ROXX Corporation – Research Center Project – Konkan
His fingers paused.
His gaze sharpened.
"ROXX?" he asked quietly.
"Yes," Sonal said, her voice calm. "It's a new project under their Sustainable Tech Vertical. A research facility in a Konkan village. I'm heading the real estate and infrastructure side."
Arjun's mind started racing. Why Konkan? Why a research center in a remote area? Why is everything around ROXX so vague lately?
"What's the purpose of this center?" he asked, trying not to sound too curious.
Sonal shrugged lightly. "They said it's for rural tech, agritech integration, water purification systems, and energy conservation research. But they've kept most internal operations classified. Even I have access only to layout-level data."
Arjun flipped through the infrastructure plans. It was a well-funded project. Too well-funded.
"Why am I here?" he asked, still scanning the papers.
Sonal leaned forward. "I need your help. ROXX is already backed by RRB now. I need RRB to join as an infrastructure co-investor for this wing through SK Real Estate. If you can connect the dots, or pitch the proposal…"
Arjun's eyes remained on the file, but his soul was crushed.
> So that's it… Not love. Not apologies. Not memories. Just business.
He closed the file softly. "And what do you want from me exactly?"
"Just your influence," she replied. "You have better access to RRB's board. If you recommend this, it'll be cleared in no time."
Her voice was cold. Not a trace of hesitation.
Arjun smiled faintly and leaned back.
"Okay," he said softly.
Sonal looked surprised. "You'll do it?"
"I said I'll consider. Let me review it properly."
Her face softened with relief. "Thanks, Arjun. This means a lot."
He nodded, holding back the tears in his throat.
> "Even if you don't see me as anything now… I still want to protect you from whatever this is."
They spoke a little more—about contacts, processes, timelines. Arjun pretended to be the businessman. But inside… he was bleeding silently.
When they stood up to leave, there was no goodbye, no emotion.
Just silence.
---
Scene: Arjun's Car – Decisions in Silence
As he sat in the car, the pain came rushing in.
He placed the file on the passenger seat and closed his eyes for a moment.
> "ROXX… RRB… Sonal… all connected."
His thoughts were no longer about heartbreak.
They were about truth.
And danger.
He pulled out his phone and opened the ROXX Research layout again. A small line caught his attention near the corner of the layout page:
> "Section D3 – Underground Lab & Logistics Access (Confidential Clearance Only)"
His fingers trembled.
> "What the hell are they hiding underground?"
---
Scene: A Silent Decision
Back in his room, Arjun poured himself a glass of water. He stared out of his balcony at the night sky.
> "I'll support this project. But not for them."
> "I'll support it so I can be close enough to uncover it."
> "I'll protect Sonal… even if she never sees it."
He picked up the phone.
> "Get me the detailed profile of all ROXX board members. Also, everything on this Konkan project. Underground layouts, permits, logistics records… everything."
His voice was sharp.
The war had begun silently.
And Arjun wasn't going to lose this time.
---
To Be Continued…