Chapter 12 - The Reckoning
Singhania scrambled for composure, his hands shaking as he adjusted his glasses, backing away from the table. ""This is an impostor! A fraud hired by the widow to disrupt the board meeting! Security, throw this tramp out of the building!""
None of the security guards moved. Behind Dev stood the Deputy Commissioner of Police, who calmly held up an official warrant.
""Rajan Varma has just been booked for conspiracy to commit murder, financial treason, and the assassination of Vikram Varma,"" the officer announced. ""His confession is currently being recorded at central headquarters.""
A collective gasp swept through the room. Two board members immediately sat down, their faces pale, desperately trying to distance themselves from Singhania.
Dev tossed the leather journal and the digital recorder onto the center of the Brazilian oak table. The heavy thump sounded like the drop of a guillotine.
""In this ledger,"" Dev declared, his voice cutting like a razor, ""my grandson Vikram documented every bribe, every falsified shipping manifest, and every offshore account created by members of this table. Every man whose signature appears alongside Rajan's will spend the rest of his natural life in Tihar Jail.""
Singhania collapsed heavily into his leather chair, his breathing ragged, clutching his chest. ""Devendra-ji... please... we were coerced. Rajan threatened our families...""
""You did not care about families when you threatened to cast this mother and her babes onto the pavement,"" Dev replied coldly. ""You spoke of power, Singhania. Let me teach you what power truly is.""
Dev turned to the police officers. ""Take them. All of them.""
As the officers moved in to escort the disgraced directors out of the room in handcuffs, Dev walked over to the CEO’s high-backed leather chair at the head of the table. He did not sit down. Instead, he pulled out the chair and gently guided Asha toward it.
May you like
""Sit, daughter,"" Dev commanded gently. ""This seat belongs to the mother of the Varma bloodline.""
Asha wept openly as she sat, Kabir clinging to her lap, while Meera ran forward and wrapped her little arms tightly around Dev’s waist. But as the room cleared, Dev felt a sharp, sudden dizziness strike his brain, his knuckles turning white as he gripped the table to keep from collapsing.
