It's you

the thirteenth chapter

The day at the office was chaotic, to say the least. Mishra's betrayal had left a bigger mess than they’d anticipated, and the board of directors was more than just nervous. Gauri found herself in a whirlwind of meetings, calls, and damage control, all while her thoughts lingered on Vaishnavi’s sudden reappearance. Every time she closed her eyes for a moment’s rest, the image of Vaishnavi standing at her doorstep flashed in her mind.

It felt surreal. Vaishnavi had always been a shadowy figure, someone Gauri heard about but never expected to confront. But now, she was real—a tangible presence that threatened to undo everything Gauri had fought to build with Omkara and Anaya.

By midday, the tension between her and Omkara was palpable. He was silent, too silent, and Gauri knew his anger was simmering beneath the surface. It wasn’t just about Mishra or the company—it was about the storm Vaishnavi had brought with her.

“Gauri,” a voice called out, pulling her from her thoughts. It was Priya, her assistant, holding a folder filled with documents that needed her signature. “We need your approval on these before the next meeting.”

“Of course,” Gauri said, her voice strained. She flipped through the papers absentmindedly, her mind not fully focused on the task at hand. She signed where necessary, handing them back to Priya.

As Priya left the room, Omkara entered, his presence commanding as always. But today, there was a stiffness to him that Gauri hadn’t seen in a long time.

“We need to talk,” Omkara said, his tone low, but Gauri could hear the frustration in his voice.

Gauri sighed, rubbing her temples. “I know, Omkara. But right now, we need to stabilize the company first. We can't afford to—”

“It’s not about the company,” he interrupted, his eyes narrowing slightly. “It’s about Vaishnavi. We can’t just let her walk back into Anaya’s life.”

Gauri felt the familiar tug of protectiveness rising in her chest. She knew Omkara was right—letting Vaishnavi back in so easily could have consequences. But there was something deeper gnawing at her, something she couldn’t ignore.

“I’m not letting her back in,” Gauri said, standing her ground. “But we have to be careful. We can’t just shut her out completely. She’s Anaya’s biological mother, Omkara. If we push her away too harshly, she could take legal action. Do you really want that?”

Omkara’s jaw clenched. “She walked away. She has no right to Anaya. If she tries to pull something like that, I’ll fight her in court.”

“And that’s exactly what she wants,” Gauri countered, her voice growing sharper. “A messy legal battle will only hurt Anaya. Do you really want her to get caught in the middle of this?”

Omkara fell silent for a moment, his gaze dropping to the floor. He hated being cornered like this, hated the feeling of powerlessness when it came to protecting his family. But Gauri was right, as much as he didn’t want to admit it. A public fight over Anaya would only cause more pain.

“Then what do we do?” he finally asked, his voice heavy with frustration.

“We have to play this carefully,” Gauri replied, her tone softening. “We’ll let Vaishnavi see Anaya, but on our terms. We control the narrative, Omkara. If we cut her off completely, we risk losing more than just a few visits.”

Omkara ran a hand through his hair, letting out a long breath. “I hate this.”

“I know,” Gauri whispered. “But we have to be smart about this. For Anaya.”

Before Omkara could respond, Gauri’s phone buzzed. It was a message from their lawyer, requesting an urgent meeting. She glanced at Omkara, who gave her a resigned nod, knowing the conversation wasn’t over but needed to be put on hold for now.