"3RD PERSON POV"
As the chaos continued, the sharp cries of Koteswara drew the attention of the security team. Two guards rushed in, weapons raised, eyes darting between Koteswara and Aravind, who was still gripping the man's pants.
"Help! Cache him! He's a contract killer!" Koteswara shouted, his voice trembling with fear.
The guards hesitated, their eyes locking onto Aravind, unsure of how to proceed.
But before anyone could act, a calm yet commanding voice echoed through the office space. "What is going on here?"
Instantly, the room fell silent.
All eyes turned toward the corridor as Miss Indrani, the acting CEO, walked in with a composed stride. Behind her were senior board members—Sarma, Varma, and Daya Bandaru.
Seeing her, Aravind calmly released his grip on Koteswara's pants. Suryakantham, who had been frozen in place, instinctively stepped closer to Aravind and lightly grabbed the back of his shirt, her fingers curling around the fabric in subtle nervousness.
Koteswara, spotting an opportunity, hurried toward Indrani, stumbling slightly in his panic. "Th-that man! He's a contract killer, ma'am!"
Before he could say more, Indrani raised her hand calmly, signaling him to stop. Her expression was calm but sharp as she turned her gaze to Aravind.
"Mr. Raghavan," she said with a steady tone, "may I ask what exactly is going on here?"
Hearing this, Suryakantham, still holding onto the back of Aravind's shirt, whispered in surprise, "How does Miss Indrani know you?"
Aravind leaned slightly back and whispered, "I'll tell you later."
She gave a small nod, though her eyes stayed fixed on the scene unfolding in front of them.
Aravind then looked at Indrani with a calm smile and said, "It's nothing serious. I just heard about Mr. Koteswara's… achievements, so I thought I'd have a little fun with him."
"Fun?" Koteswara snapped, his voice still shaking. "You call that—"
Before he could finish, Sarma stepped forward and cut him off sharply. "Shut up, Koteswara."
Sarma then turned to Aravind with a strained smile. "We didn't expect to see you here, Mr. Raghavan."
Aravind's expression stayed relaxed as he said, "Didn't you invite me yourself for a meeting, Mr. Sarma?"
Sarma coughed awkwardly, glancing at Indrani and the others. "W-well, yes. I did. But we didn't expect you to show up so quickly after just one phone call."
Hearing this, Aravind spoke calmly, his eyes still on Indrani, a polite smile playing on his lips. "Well, Mr. Sarma, AB Group isn't exactly in a position where we can afford delays. Time is money—and unfortunately, AB Group doesn't have much of either at the moment. As a major shareholder, that worries me."
Indrani didn't respond right away, her expression unreadable. Before she could speak, Varma stepped forward and said, "But if you're suggesting a board meeting, Mr. Raghavan, that takes time to arrange—"
Aravind gently cut in, his tone still calm. "Mr. Varma, I'm not here to meet with the board. I'm here to meet Miss Indrani."
At that, Indrani raised an eyebrow slightly, intrigued.
Aravind turned to her and added, "So, can we talk, Miss Indrani?"
Indrani didn't answer immediately. Instead, she shifted her gaze slightly to the right, toward the corner of the room. Standing there quietly, observing everything since the beginning, was her son—Abhishikth Bhargav. As if sensing her unspoken question, Abhishikth gave a small, firm nod.
Aravind noticed everything. From the moment he stepped into the building, he knew two pairs of eyes had been fixed on him.
One belonged to Abhishikth, who was watching him intently, as if trying to study and understand him. The other was more hostile—Parag, the Security In-Charge Officer and Seetharam's loyal man, stood near the staircase, his eyes burning with barely hidden rage, as if he wanted to kill Aravind right there.
But Aravind ignored both.
Seeing her son's silent approval, Indrani turned back to Aravind and said in a composed tone, "Alright, Mr. Raghavan. We can talk in my office. Just give me a moment."
Aravind gave her a slight nod and replied with a small smile, "Of course."
He then gently gestured toward Suryakantham, who was standing just behind him. "Until then, I'll be in Suri's cabin."
The casual way he referred to her—and the closeness between them—brought a flicker of surprise to both Varma and Sarma's faces.
Indrani noticed it but didn't comment. She simply nodded and said, "Please."
With that, she turned and walked away, the Director's following her down the corridor.
Seeing Indrani walk away, Aravind smiled faintly and turned to look at Suryakantham. She was already watching him, her eyes full of curiosity, as if trying to figure out what was really going on.
Aravind gave her a playful smile. "Let's go to your cabin."
Suryakantham rolled her eyes but smiled back. "Okay."
They began walking together, with Bala quietly following behind. But just as they passed the staircase, Aravind suddenly stopped.
Suryakantham paused too and glanced at him. "What happened, Aaru?" she asked softly.
Aravind's eyes were fixed on Parag, who stood stiffly nearby, watching them like a coiled snake. The tension in Parag's body was obvious—he hadn't expected Aravind to stop so close.
Aravind didn't break eye contact. Still calm, he said to Suryakantham without turning, "Nothing. You go ahead, I'll come in a minute."
Suryakantham looked at him, concerned. "Alright. Don't take too long."
She nodded and walked ahead. Bala, however, stayed with Aravind, his eyes flicking between him and Parag.
Once Suryakantham turned the corner, Aravind moved.
He stepped closer to Parag and casually placed a hand on his shoulder, as if greeting an old friend. But his voice dropped into a cold whisper that felt more like a devil breathing down Parag's neck.
"Parag... Security In-Charge of AB Group," he said softly. "I saw your men snooping around my café yesterday."
Parag tensed, his body rigid, eyes wide.
"I let it go that time," Aravind continued, his tone deadly calm, "but next time… they won't leave alive."
Parag's throat bobbed, and sweat began to pour from his face.
"You couldn't find anything on me. That means there's something. Tell Seetharam—if he has even half a brain, he'll understand what that means. But if he's stupid…" Aravind leaned in slightly. "Tell him Italy isn't safe. People get shot in broad daylight… heads explode without warning. Or maybe he drowns in his own pool. Accidents happen. The frog in the well has no idea how deep the ocean is. Let him think about that."
Parag was shaking now, his lips trembling. "Y-Yes… I'll deliver your message…"
Aravind smiled faintly, his voice still low. "Good. I like smart people."
He took his hand off Parag's shoulder and walked away calmly toward Bala.
Bala watched him approach, raising an eyebrow. "Boss… what were you talking about with that guy?"
Aravind didn't stop walking. "Nothing much. He's the Security In-Charge. I was just appreciating his hard work."
Bala looked past him at Parag, who was visibly trembling, drenched in sweat.
Rolling his eyes, Bala muttered, "If you say so, boss…"
Together, they walked off toward Suryakantham's cabin.
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"3RD PERSON POV"
"SOMETIMES LATER"
Inside Indrani's cabin, the atmosphere was thick with tension. Aravind sat comfortably in the chair, his posture relaxed, while Suryakantham stood behind him, her nervousness palpable. She had been told about the shares and the situation that was unfolding, but being in the room now made everything feel real and heavy.
Bala stood calmly to the side, his gaze flickering between Aravind and the others, while Indrani remained poised, sitting with her hands folded in her lap. Abhishikth stood behind her, his expression unreadable, but the air between him and Aravind crackled with an unspoken challenge. They exchanged calm, measured stares, each studying the other.
The silence stretched on until Aravind broke it, his voice smooth but carrying an edge.
"So," he began, glancing at Abhishikth, "what should I call you? Bala Subramanyam, or Abhishikth Bhargav?"
Both Indrani and Abhishikth's expressions shifted with surprise, but they managed to maintain their composure. Abhishikth's eyes narrowed for a moment, before he responded in a controlled voice, "Whatever you prefer."
Aravind gave a slight nod, a smile playing at the corner of his lips, but he didn't let the moment linger. His eyes turned toward Indrani, who was now looking at him with a calculated expression.
"Let's not waste time," she said, her tone calm but firm. "Who are you, really?"
Aravind leaned back in the chair slightly, his fingers steepled in front of him as he regarded Indrani. "Well," he replied, his voice as casual as ever, "yesterday I saw your people around my café. I thought you already knew."
Hearing Aravind's words, Abhishikth's gaze hardened, his voice still calm but carrying a hint of suspicion. "We know what you've shown us, but if you're truly what you claim to be, how did you suddenly acquire AB Group shares without anyone noticing? And why?"
Aravind met his stare without faltering. "I am exactly what I've shown you. And as for how I acquired those shares, the real question is, what do I hold in my hands?"
With a fluid motion, Aravind extended his hand toward Bala, who promptly handed him a file. Aravind tossed it casually onto the table in front of Indrani. "There's some interesting stuff I found."
Indrani and Abhishikth exchanged a brief glance before she picked up the file, flipping it open. She began to read through the contents, her eyes scanning quickly, while Abhishikth leaned in slightly to see what was inside as well.
After a few moments, Indrani closed the file with a controlled motion, her face betraying no emotion. She looked up at Aravind, her expression unwavering. "If you think you can use this against us or blackmail us," she said, her voice calm but firm, "I'm sorry to say, Mr. Raghavan, you're mistaken."
Aravind's voice remained steady and calm as he responded, "I have no intention of blackmailing you. I know that, sooner or later, everything will come to light. But the real question is: who will be the next CEO of AB Group?"
Indrani and Abhishikth exchanged a look, both raising their eyebrows in surprise.
Aravind's lips curled into a faint smile. "No, I don't want to get involved in your matters. Think of me as a cameo appearance in the film of your life—small but impactful. Even if you reveal that Abhishikth is Mr. Govinda's first son, do you really think the board will care about a person who suddenly appears and claims to be Mr. Govinda's son? But with me here, things are much simpler."
Abhishikth's brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"
Aravind didn't hesitate. "I know you've already prepared countermeasures in case any of the board members question Abhishikth's identity. But the thing is, I already know who is behind the deaths of Mr. Govinda and Mohan."
At those words, Abhishikth's calm demeanor began to crack. His face shifted, a flicker of tension creeping into his expression. But before he could react further, Indrani gave him a subtle look—a silent command to regain control. Abhishikth took a deep breath, his posture straightening as he collected himself.
Aravind continued, his tone still cool and collected. "Of course, it wasn't me. If it had been, I wouldn't be sitting here talking to you now. But everything in this world has its price."
He let the words hang in the air, the implications heavy between them. The silence stretched on, but Aravind was calm, unfazed by the weight of what he had just said.
Indrani's eyes narrowed as she considered his request. "What do you want, money?" she asked, her tone firm. But before she could finish, Aravind cut her off with a calm smile.
"No, no. I don't need money. But there are a few things that I want."
Abhishikth, who had been silent, leaned forward slightly. "And what might those be?"
Aravind paused, his expression thoughtful for a moment, before replying, "First, I want a seat at the table. Officially."
Indrani's face hardened, and she shook her head almost immediately. "That's not possible. The board is already full."
Before she could continue, Abhishikth intervened. "That can be arranged. But you're asking to sit with people you don't trust."
Aravind remained unfazed. "It doesn't matter if I trust them or not. I'm here just for fun. I'll watch, I'll enjoy, nothing more."
Abhishikth studied Aravind carefully, trying to determine if he was joking or if there was something deeper to his words. After a long pause, he finally spoke.
"Okay, what's next?"
Aravind's gaze remained steady as he replied, "Veto power on C-suite hires."
Indrani's eyes widened in surprise, and she leaned back slightly, processing his request. "That's hard. You're asking for the right to approve or reject any new top-level executives we hire."
Aravind tone is calm and collected. "Well, that's what it is," he said simply.
Indrani and Abhishikth exchanged thoughtful glances, processing his requests. After a long pause, Abhishikth broke the silence. "Okay, what's next?" he asked, his voice a bit more neutral now.
Aravind smiled slightly. "Next, I want 2% of the annual revenue set aside as a discretionary investigation budget. No paper trail, only the CEO and I sign off on it."
Abhishikth raised an eyebrow. "You think this is a spy agency?" he asked, half-mocking.
Aravind just shook his head, his smile never wavering. "You asked for conditions," he replied, his tone still light but firm.
Indrani, who had been quietly observing the exchange, spoke up. "What's next?" she asked, her voice steady.
Aravind's eyes flicked to Bala, who had been standing silently by his side, and then back to the two of them. "The last thing— I want a seat at every compliance and internal hearing," he said. "And this poor guy's certificates," he added with a nod towards Bala, who shot Abhishikth an angry look in return.
Abhishikth rolled his eyes, clearly not pleased with the demand. Indrani and Abhishikth shared a brief look, silently weighing the situation. Finally, Abhishikth spoke again, his voice calm but with an underlying edge. "Alright, we accept your conditions. But it will happen only after I take the CEO position."
Aravind nodded, satisfied with the agreement. "Fair enough."
Indrani then turned her attention back to him, her expression sharp. "Now, the information you promised," she said, her voice leaving no room for delay.
Hearing Indrani's words, Aravind stood up from his seat. Bala immediately handed him a file, which Aravind took and tossed toward Abhishikth. "Everything you need to know is in that file," he said, his tone as casual as ever.
Abhishikth caught the file effortlessly and nodded, acknowledging the gesture. Aravind was about to leave, motioning for Suryakantham and Bala to follow, but then he paused. He turned back to glance at Indrani and Abhishikth, a small smile forming on his lips. "By the way," he said, "the chair is for Suri."
Suryakantham blinked, clearly taken aback. "Wh-what, Aaru?" she stammered, but before she could say more, Aravind raised a hand and placed it gently on her shoulder, pulling her closer. He then looked back at Abhishikth and Indrani, his smile still present. "Goodbye, people. It was good meeting you," he said, his voice light and almost teasing.
With that, he walked away, his hand still resting on Suryakantham's shoulder. She followed him, still a little flustered, while Bala trailed behind, ever the silent presence.
As the door closed behind them, Abhishikth turned to his mother with a look of disbelief. "He's a weird person," he muttered under his breath.
Indrani nodded, her eyes already shifting to the file Aravind had left behind. "Indeed," she replied, her tone thoughtful. "Let's see what he's given us."
They opened the file together, their expressions becoming more focused as they began to examine its contents.