Chapter- 25

The recess bell rang loudly, and students rushed out of their classrooms almost instantly. Ekta took a deep breath, leaning back against the bench. The interview had gone well; there was nothing too difficult. The principal hadn’t asked much except a few basic questions, and afterward she was directed to her class.

Though she was still apprehensive to leave Ekansh’s side, earlier she had managed the first three hours quite well. No one bothered her yet, neither did anyone seem overly interested in her. A few girls tried to talk to her, but she remained quiet enough for them to realize she wasn’t interested.

Making friends was not her cup of tea. She was fine with her own company. Ekansh had asked her for two weeks, and she would gladly follow that much. Before this, there was nothing Ekansh had ever denied her, and there was nothing she had ever asked from him either. His actions spoke louder than words when it came to his love for her, but she could never bring herself to cross certain emotional lines. But this time, for the sake of her own peace, she was ready to ask for homeschooling once these two weeks ended.

As the class emptied, she rose to her feet and walked out into the corridor. The class teacher had asked her to collect the syllabus books from the library. However, she already had them all thanks to her previous school, so now she only needed to get her name removed from the list to avoid unnecessary confusion.

As she reached the first floor her stomach grumbled in the protest, calling out for food. She had left her tiffin in the bag itself, hoping to first go to the library and then return to class to eat quietly without any noise around her. But it didn’t seem like the smartest plan now. Sighing at her own stupidity, she turned back to go eat first when she collided with a group of girls and boys.

Her instincts kicked in instantly. She stepped back, her arms folding around herself protectively. They were slightly taller than her, and the blazers they wore clearly indicated they were seniors. The juniors and seniors had the same uniform except for the different house colors and blazer shades-some things matched her last school, while others were new to her-but she was smart enough to notice the differences quickly.

“Hey, pretty.”

Ekta stepped back further instinctively, her hands wrapping around her as the four of them blocked the corridor casually like they owned the entire floor. Their blazers hung loosely, confidence dripping from every movement while amusement danced in their eyes.

The other boy whistled low. “Damn, she looks terrified already.”

“Samrath, stop.” A girl beside him rolled her eyes before looking back at Ekta with curiosity. “What’s your name?”

Ekta lowered her gaze, trying to walk past them quietly, but one of the boy stepped sideways, blocking her path effortlessly.

“You can’t just walk away when your seniors are talking. That’s basic manners,” he drawled dramatically.

Another boy leaned against the wall lazily. “Exactly. We aren’t even that scary.”

Ekta stared at them blankly. She was least interested in getting into trouble. Even if she wanted to call her bhaiya, she couldn’t. Her phone was also inside her bag upstairs.

One thing she liked about the new school was that every girl student was allowed to carry phones. They had to keep them switched off during classes, but after school hours they could use them in case of emergency.

Right now every alarm in her head screamed danger. She needed to get away. Her eyes scanned around the premises hurriedly. No teacher passing by. No one she could ask help from. Not that her past experiences with asking for help had ever ended well. They usually ended with her getting hurt instead. Tears stung the back of her eyes.

A girl suddenly snapped her fingers before Ekta’s face.

Ekta flinched back sharply, startling everyone for a second.

The girl blinked. “Newcomer ho?”

Ekta swallowed hard and nodded once, hoping they would get the signal and leave her alone.

“Baat nahi kar sakti kya?” another girl asked, folding her arms. “What’s with the attitude, girl?”

Ekta turned to leave. Her breathing felt uneven. They were just talking, but their tone, their demeanor, the way they casually cornered her unsettled every nerve inside her. This was exactly why she wanted homeschooling. She didn’t know how to deal with people anymore.
Just as she turned, the girls shifted, blocking her way again. Behind her, the boys did the same.

Ekta stood frozen in the middle of them while fear slowly clawed its way up her chest, making itself known.

One of the boy crouched slightly to look at her face properly. “Arey yaar toh abhi se rone lagi.”

“Congratulations,” the girl muttered dryly. “First day and Samrath already traumatized a junior.”

“I literally just said hey pretty Ridhi.” Samarth hissed.

“That’s worse,” Ridhi deadpanned.

Samrath ignored her, looking back at Ekta, but before he could say anything, a cheerful voice floated from behind...

“She is our friend, President.”

Ekta turned, shocked hearing the words. No one in this world had ever called her a friend. She wanted to be sure she had heard it correctly, and as her gaze landed on two figures running in their direction, realization slowly dawned upon her mind. They were the same two idiots she had met at the mall weeks ago who came with Eshita’s friend. What were they doing here...?

Obviously they study here. Can’t you see? Her inner voice mocked back instantly.

Samrath looked at Rishan with a raised eyebrow.

Siya wrapped an arm around Ekta’s shoulder casually. Ekta stiffened, stepping back. The unexpected gesture took her by surprise.

“Voh kya hai na, iska first day hai,” Siya explained quickly. “Isliye itni nervous hai.”

“Really?” Ridhi looked at them suspiciously.

She was well aware of the duo’s antics. Both of them had made everyone’s life a living hell. Breaking rules and getting their seniors in trouble was practically their part-time job. Who exactly paid them salary for it was the biggest question.

“Itni nervous hai ki apne senior ko jawab bhi nahi de sakti jab hum baat kar rahe hai?” another boy inquired.

“Actually our friend here is an introvert creature,” Rishan jumped in dramatically. “She didn’t mean any disrespect, right Ekta?” He looked at the girl who stood there like an owl, big eyes staring around as if she had discovered a new species. He didn’t know what was wrong with her, but the girl was Eshita’s sister. Eshita was Ritvik’s bestie, so he didn’t mind helping her.

“Can we please go?” Siya requested kindly. “Recess khatam hone mein hai and we didn’t even get to eat our tiffin.”

Samrath straightened up, giving them a small nod. “Fine.” He glanced at Ekta. “This was your first time, and you are friends with these two, that’s why I am dropping the topic. Next time, be careful.”

“Tell her the rules and the consequences of breaking them, understood?” Ridhi ordered.

Rishan and Siya nodded instantly, sighing in relief as the group finally left.

“That was awesome!” Rishan drawled dramatically. “Badi himmat hai tum mein. Pehle hi din seniors se panga.”

Ekta turned to leave. She wanted to say thank you, but the taunt made her get out of there without meaning to.

“Hey... wait!” Siya stopped her, holding her arm. “Tum iss gadhe ki baat ka bura mat maano. He is crazy that way.”

Rishan glared at his sister. “Excuse me?”

Siya ignored him, forwarding her hand toward Ekta. “So... friends?”

“Why do you want to be my friend?” Ekta found herself asking quietly. “We don’t even know each other.”

“Friends ka definition hi strangers se shuru hota hai,” Rishan replied easily. “We don’t know you, you don’t know us. We can try to know each other. What say?”

“Correct!” Siya nodded enthusiastically. “So... mera naam Siya and he is Rishan. Yeh meri bhen... Oh sorry... I mean yeh mera bhai. Main iski bhen.”

Ekta looked amused rather than irritated at the disastrous introduction. Without realizing it, her lips twitched faintly.

Before her brain could deny what her heart unexpectedly accepted, her hand slowly rose and shook Siya’s.

Unknown to the three of them, that was the beginning of something beautiful, something unexpectedly life-changing.

✨✨✨

Eshita walked into her father’s room with his breakfast, followed by Ekansh. It had been an hour since she woke up, and the first thing she did was rush into the kitchen and chew her brother’s head while he prepared the meal according to their father’s diet guidance.

It was Ekta’s first day at school. For some unknown reason, she was more excited than the girl herself, and that didn’t sit well with her. Why was she feeling oddly concerned for Ekta? It was beyond her understanding. It’s not like she had started feeling anything for Ekta, but yes, after the talk they had in the garden, the words spoken out of hidden pain by Ekta, somewhere, made her feel grateful toward the girl for helping her through her messy thoughts.

More than that... Eshita didn’t wish to name it as anything else. She still stood her ground. Ekta was her brother’s sister, that’s it. She didn’t hate her, love her, or feel attached to her. She simply felt humanity, a basic human emotion one feels for another.

“What is wrong with you, dad?” Ekansh’s voice boomed through the room, snapping her out of her thoughts. She had been so busy arranging the medicines that she didn’t understand what happened.

“What’s wrong?” She asked, confused, staring at her brother.

Ekansh glared at his father. “Aap office nahi jaa rahe hai.”

Eshita blinked in shock. She looked at her father, who sat there as calm as ever, like the words didn’t even reach him.

“Give me the plate, Esha,” Virendra said firmly, ignoring his son.

He wasn’t a bedridden person. He hated resting, sitting idle, depending on others. He had spent fifty-plus years of his life working relentlessly, being an active person constantly on the move. That’s why when he was drowning in grief and felt his world slipping away, he chose alcohol to keep himself numb from reality. Now his health didn’t allow him much movement.

The side effects of medicines, workload, stress, or even sudden exhaustion could harm his already weakened body further.

He understood his children’s concern and even the doctor’s precautions, but he couldn’t bring himself to stay at home doing nothing. He had meetings lined up, contracts to look over, and responsibilities waiting for him. He couldn’t let his health destroy years of hard work and dedication. He could be careful, but not helpless.

“Mein aapse baat krr raha hu Dad.” Ekansh’s voice raised an octave.

Luckily, he had read the message that pinged on his father’s phone about an upcoming meeting. His father’s casual dismissal toward his own health fueled his anger. He was yet to deal with his fear, and he was sure it wouldn’t subside until he saw his father’s reports perfectly normal again.

Virendra stared at his son. “I have meetings to attend. Just because I am collapsing, the world won’t stop Ekansh. Business doesn’t wait for emotions.”

“I can handle the meetings,” Ekansh suggested immediately. He didn’t mind doing the proxy for his father till he got back on his feet in his usual aura not the weak, pale one sitting before him.

“Do you even know who I am meeting today? Anything about the merger, deals, or negotiations?” Virendra shook his head. “I can’t let you force yourself into something when I know your interest lies somewhere else. I made that mistake once, not again, Ansh.”

Ekansh exhaled sharply, “My interest lies exactly where it was five years back, dad.” His tone firmed. “I have studied business, worked under you as your assistant for three years, and learned everything from the ground level. I know what I am choosing. Mujhe aaj office mein kya ho raha hai nahi pata. I don’t know what changes have taken place over the years, but I am sure five years didn’t make me forget the lessons I learned from you. I can handle it.”

“Bakery was an option, dad.” He added as Virendra tried to speak. “I didn’t choose it. I went with the only thing available with my jumbled life. Today I am choosing what I was supposed to choose years back. Let me do that.”

Virendra stiffened. The pain in his son’s voice didn’t go unheard by him. Somewhere, he was the one who had inflicted it. He squished the guilt aside, knowing it wouldn’t do any good. Sending Ekansh to the office was not a bad thing; it was the dream of every father to watch their son walk into their footsteps. He was certain that his son would make him proud, but his mistakes with Eshita pressed heavily on his chest. He didn’t wish to repeat the past by burdening one child while trying to heal another.

Eshita cleared her throat, gaining their attention. “Well, mere college ke new semester ko shuru hone mein abhi bhi time hai, as I changed the stream. So how about...I go and deal with the...”

“No!” Virendra interjected sternly. He had once forced his daughter into business, trying to shape her into the son he missed, trying to reach out to the son he yearned for while forgetting the darkness he was pushing his own daughter into.

Now that reality stood before him, he couldn’t say yes. If Eshita went to the office ever again for work, his guilt would increase rather than the pride he should feel. He had already burdened his daughter at an age where she was supposed to live like a normal teenager, not an adult. He couldn’t do that to her again.

“I have decided I am going to the office.” He stated firmly. “There is no discussion over this.”

The ultimatum in his tone rubbed against Ekansh’s nerves. He couldn’t believe his father was acting like a stubborn kid. He understood his reluctance in sending Eshita-even he didn’t want her to do something just because the situation demanded it.

But his case was different. His father himself had grilled him for three years, instilling every minor to major business detail into him. At office, he worked under his boss and learned professionally, while at home he dealt with a gentle father who never let pressure overshadow affection. Virendra balanced both roles effortlessly. It was a shame that Eshita never got wrapped in that kind of love.

“Dad...” Eshita said, reaching out to hold Ekansh’s hand as he tried to speak.

Both her father and brother were the most stubborn human beings on earth. She had seen them having normal conversations and then ending it with arguments over different perspectives. It was always Anvita who played the peacemaker before they could completely lose their patience-some stubborn genes Sehgal men carried naturally.

Not wanting them to argue, she decided to intervene softly. “I understand your point.” She looked at her father. “You don’t want me to force myself to do something I don’t like. And trust me, I am not. I will never be interested in business willingly or unwillingly, par aapne itne saalon mein mujhe jo kuch bhi sikhaya hai uska istemal mujhe kahi na kahi toh karna chahiye na? I don’t want to see you unhealthy and so weak, dad. I can’t deal with it anymore.”

“Really, Eshita?” Virendra’s tone laced with disbelief as he noticed the tears shimmering in her eyes. “Emotional blackmailing?”

He could read his daughter like an open book. That was the same tactic his wife used on him whenever she didn’t like his stubborn decisions and chose waterworks over arguments. His daughter using the same inherited trick frustrated him.

Eshita shrugged casually, wiping away the moisture before biting her tongue. “Is it working?” She feigned innocence.

“Esha....”

“Bhaiya please...” Eshita pleaded, her tone turning serious. “Dad ki tabiyat theek nahi hai and you don’t know about the changes or the clients we will be signing with for years. How about I guide you? Ek baar samaj lijiye ki office mein sab kuch kaisa hai, kya hai, and then it will be easier for you to take over.”

“I don’t want to take over.” Ekansh replied with firm conviction.

“Then why are you doing this?” Virendra’s voice hardened. “I am not looking for sympathies, Ekansh Sehgal. You should know better than anyone what kind of man I am.”

Ekansh flinched at the sharpness in the tone. He stepped forward, sitting beside his father. He would never sympathize with the man he respected and loved. He couldn’t pity his father-the same man he had always looked up to.

Gently, he took Virendra’s hand in his. “I will never insult your upbringing like that. What you are thinking, that’s not what I mean. Company par mera utna hi haq hai jitna ki Esha ka.”

Virendra’s tensed shoulders relaxed. He was not prepared to hear another version of the I am not your blood theory. Though his son never said that except for the day he found out the truth, still, a father’s heart couldn’t help but fear it.

“All I was saying ki Sehgal Empire meri ya Esha ki hone se pehle aapki hai.” Ekansh’s tone softened. “Hum dono se pehle woh jagah aapki hai. Mumma used to say you can learn from your mentor but can’t ever take his place.”

“So now you got the point, dad.” Esha chimed in, sitting from the other side beside her father. “We will follow in your footsteps just like you taught us, but we will also remember what mumma has always taught us. No one should ever feel forced to carry responsibilities alone.”

She held her father’s other hand in hers. “Aapki tabiyat theek nahi hai. Tab tak main bhaiya ki help karungi. Once you are back on your feet, you both can do whatever the hell you want with the office and work.”

Virendra’s eyes misted. Just a few words and he was undone. There wasn’t a single day that went by when his children didn’t mention Anvita. She was always there-in the way they talked, the way they followed her values, or the way they loved each other. Everything carried traces of her.

Earlier, alcohol made him forget the bittersweet memories with his wife, the lifetime promises they had made, but today he felt lighter. At least he had his children by his side-his wife’s greatest gift to him-and with them, he could deal with his emotions better.

He gave in, squeezing both of their hands in silent support and permission.

Eshita’s face beamed. She glanced at her brother with a wide grin. “So, ready to see your charming sister in her new avatar?”

Ekansh raised an eyebrow, amused. “What’s the title of this new avatar, Ms. Sehgal? Any hashtags included?”

Eshita flipped her hair dramatically. “The Great Ice Princess Eshita.Virendra.Sehgal!”

Ekansh didn’t look impressed. He glanced at his father. “Is she really your daughter? Don’t tell me you made her just like you, dad.”

“Like you are any less.” Eshita shot back annoyed. “Aap kya ho main acche se jaanti hu. Office mein kadam rakhte hi aapke andar atma prakat hone wali hai. You are going to scare away the whole staff. Poor employees. I already feel sorry for them.”

Ekansh whacked her without any remorse. “First feel sorry for yourself if I don’t find you ready for office. Half an hour is all you have.”

“That’s unfair.” Eshita whined, jumping to her feet as Ekansh raised his hand again. She scurried away before poking her tongue out childishly. Her brother was behaving like a rowdy King Kong. Hmph!

Ekansh shook his head in disbelief, picking up the plate. “She is behaving like a baby at home. Office mein kya hi karegi, God knows.” He murmured, already preparing himself for the upcoming chaos she would undoubtedly create there too.

Virendra ate his breakfast silently. He didn’t comment, wanting to let his son witness a different side of Eshita himself. No matter how much he loathed himself for what he made his child go through, he couldn’t dim the pride swelling in his heart whenever he saw his daughter in action at work, that too at such a young age. The choices were forced on her, yet she carried them gracefully.

Both his son and daughter had their own aura that exuded whenever they stepped into the professional world. He was sure by the end of the day he would be hearing positive responses from every single deal they were going to sign, with merger changes and new proposals already lined up.

For the first time in years, he was relaxed knowing his children were standing beside him again.

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Your thoughts on Ekta and her new friends?

Your take on Virendra’s thoughts?

Your take on Siblings conversation with their father?

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Please do share your views!

Next Update: Monday!

Thanks for reading!!!

 

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