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Aakash, Payal and Khushi had dinner silently.  Khushi sleepily, and Aakash engrossed in his thoughts…! He had taken first step towards taking over his big brother’s business empire.  He needed to be very careful in dealing with his Bhai and all the more, with Khushi ji, once she came to know.  He hoped not!  Khushi ji should not know about this now.  She should be kept busy all the time… in Di’s wedding, in anything possible…! 

“Aakash ji…” Payal kept her hand on his and he came back to his dinner.  Khushi had finished already.

“Goodnight Jiji… Goodnight Aakash Jijaji..” she went up to her room sleepily.  Aakash’s eyes followed her to her room.

“What will be her reaction when she comes to know that I went against Bhai…?” he shuddered with the thought.  He is seen her fierce avatar before…! “No! She should not come to know…! I must warn everyone…!” he went to his room.  Payal began clearing the table.  “What happened? Why were they all so serious? I must ask Aakash ji..” she went into bedroom to find Aakash fast asleep.  

**********  ********

“Where were you last night?” Khushi asked still in the bed when she saw Arnav walking in early in the morning with his bag.  He ignored, threw the bag on the recliner and closed the bathroom door behind him.  Khushi got up and sat on the bed, her head spinning…! 

“Humm… This morning sickness….!” She muttered taking a deep breath.  She heard the flush and got up with efforts.

“Now he will need a strong coffee…!” she came out of the room to see Aakash approaching her.

“Bhai..?” he asked her apprehensively.  She just waved at her room.  

******  ********  ********

“Khushi, you ok?” Anjali asked concerned seeing Khushi sitting at the table with two coffee mugs.  She just nodded.  

“What happened yesterday? Arnav ji came home this morning…” Khushi asked Anjali and Anjali’s heart twisted.  

“He was busy with some clients…” she said tentatively.

“But you had a meeting, right?” Khushi asked suspiciously.  Anjali nodded. 

“That was some general topics on sales and turnover…” she said looking away.  Khushi fell silent calculating…!

“This can’t be annual general meeting…! Must be something else… Extraordinary meeting? EGM?” She thought suspiciously.  Staying with papaji, had taught her the the company proceedings…!

“Was there a problem?” Khushi coaxed again.

“No, Khushi… I hardly understand anything in company matters….!” Anjali dismissed further discussion and got up.  Khushi saw Arnav coming down with his bag.  He took the coffee mug, drank the lukewarm, sugarless, tasteless coffee and turned to leave.  Khushi stared at his back wordlessly.  

“Something is wrong….!” She concluded and got up. 

“Khushi…!” he had turned.  “I will be late…” he said and she nodded.  

“Ok! I will find out…!” she thought.  Time to revive her network in ASR’s office…! 

**********   ********  ********

“He is not picking up the phone…!” Aman had tried calling ASR several times.  Aakash and Aman were waiting for ASR.  He had not turned up till lunch time.  Aakash grew restless. 

Aman looked at Aakash.  “How much he has changed..!” he thought painfully.  The same Aakash, a few months back was the shadow of his Bhai, supporting in everything Bhai did…! Religiously, as if his Bhai was his God!”  Aman swallowed.  “In these few months, he is changed… for better? For worst?” Aman didn’t know.  He only knew, he should support ASR.  No matter where it took him.  

“When will he understand? Emotional decisions land us in trouble…!” Aakash blurted remembering the row in the meeting.  

“He never takes emotional decisions..!” Aman mumbled angrily.  Aakash shook his head.  “Bhai is losing his grip…!” he said gravely and Aman got up.

“I will try his number again…!” he said going out of ASR’s chamber.  ASR didn’t turn up.  Aakash called home several times in vain.  Anjali grew restless.  Aman’s phone buzzed in the evening.

“Aman Bayya…” Khushi started off sweetly.  Aman’s throat ran dry. 

“Khushi…How are you?” he fakes excitement.  Khushi knew him too well.

“Where is he?” she directly came to the point.

“Don’t know!” he said seriously.

“What happened?” she asked and Aman wanted to tell her everything… He needed someone badly…! But… if ASR has not told her anything, then he should not! His loyalties were always with ASR. 

“Nothing… He went out with some clients..!” He gave her the same answer.  ASR had vanished…! His pending work piled up on his table, Aakash waiting for him… He just had vanished in thin air….! Aman grew panic.  

“Where was he?” 

*********  ******  ******

“Now, what do you want?” Mehra asked irked to see Krishna Kant’s face in his office.  Krishna Kant grinned and then kept a file on the table.  

“You did a good job… The contract is yours…!” Mehra hungrily opened the file to see the purchase order from Municipal corporation of Kanpur.  

“Do keep a tab on him, and let me know…!” Krishna Kant said getting up, glancing at speechless Mehra.  Mehra merely nodded.  

“And make sure, he is out of business…!” Krishna Kant warned.  Mehra looked up. 

“I did, what you asked me to..!”  Krishna Kant raised his finger and pointing at the purchase order…

“You got the price for what you did…!” Mehra looked down at the purchase order and nodded.  Aakash was the easy pray, a weak link!  He fell into the trap and spoke against ASR.  The rift between the brothers would soon bring split in the family reducing the power of ASR and by the time he could gather himself, he would be further devastated by bringing down his entire empire using inexperienced Aakash in power.  The strategy had worked out well for this first blow.  Mehra gazed at the purchase order.  Guilt poked his conscience.  He was the closest to ASR encouraging him in his endeavors…! 

“But I acted in the best interest of the company.  Pooling the funds from other companies was an emotional decision, he was able to convince Aakash.  Arnav looked devastated when others seemed to support Aakash.  Mehra was successful in pitching the brothers against each other resulting in ASR’s walk out…!  He knew ASR well! He wouldn’t settle for anything less…. Either everything, or nothing…! 

“He wouldn’t take orders from anyone.. Not even Aakash… So over…! ASR’s regime in AR designs is over..!” he smiled feeling better.  It was a long drawn planning but it worked for Mehra…!