Chapter 13 - The Weakening Heart
The adrenaline that had sustained the old man through the afternoon was beginning to recede, leaving behind the harsh reality of forty years of malnutrition, cold winters, and sheer exhaustion. Dev felt his knees buckle slightly, his breath catching in his throat.
""Grandfather!"" Asha cried, leaping from the chair and supporting his elbow.
""I am fine, child,"" Dev wheezed, forcing a faint smile, though the room spun around him in hazy circles of light and shadow. ""Old engines simply take time to idle.""
Paramedics were called to the executive suite immediately. They set up an oxygen concentrator and checked his vitals on the leather sofa. His blood pressure was dangerously low, his heart beating with the irregular flutter of an ancient machine pushed far past its operational limits.
The chief doctor looked up at Asha with grave eyes. ""His body has suffered catastrophic wear over decades. It is a medical miracle he was even able to walk up the stairs. He needs complete hospitalization, immediate cardiovascular therapy, and absolute rest. Any severe emotional shock could stop his heart tonight.""
Dev waved the doctor away, pulling the plastic oxygen mask from his mouth. ""I have slept on concrete while trucks rattled my bones, doctor. Do not insult me with soft beds now. My work is not finished.""
""Grandfather, please,"" Asha begged, kneeling beside the sofa, holding his withered hand between both of hers. ""You saved us. You took back the company. Now let us save you.""
Dev looked at the two children. Meera was holding an apple the secretary had brought her, but she wasn't eating it. She was standing by his side, gently stroking his scarred hand with her soft, innocent fingers.
""Dada,"" Meera whispered. ""Are you going to fly into the sky now?""
Dev’s eyes filled with tears. He reached out and touched her cheek. ""Not yet, my brave girl. Not until I build you a fortress where no wolf can ever reach you.""
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He turned to the family attorney, who stood waiting quietly by the door with a notary seal. ""Draft the deed of trust,"" Dev instructed hoarsely. ""Every asset, every ship, every rail yard. Divided equally between Meera and Kabir, under Asha’s sole guardianship. Do it now.""
The attorney nodded and began typing furiously. But outside, hidden in the darkening rain clouds gathering over Delhi, a lingering danger was already moving toward the tower.
