Reclaimed Legacy

(28) - A Quiet Defiance

The client sat in front of Armaan, leaning back with an air of arrogance, his crisp suit too polished for a man whose intentions were so corrupt. He had come with a case that immediately unsettled Armaan. A large real estate conglomerate was seeking to evict an entire community from a slum in the outskirts of the city, a community that had lived there for decades. The case was dressed up in legal justifications, portraying it as a simple business move, a relocation project with compensation, but the truth was clear. The compensation was a pittance, and the relocation was to an area that would strip these people of their livelihoods, tearing them away from the only place they called home.

"I'm sure the Poddar Firm have no problem with this," the client remarked, smiling casually.

Armaan's grip on the edge of his desk tightened. How could Dadisa even consider this? She knew where he stood on matters like these. He didn't fight for power or profit at the expense of the vulnerable. His moral compass had always guided him to help those who couldn't fight for themselves, not trample over them for a few more zeros in the bank. His chest tightened in frustration, a slow burn spreading as the man across from him kept talking, completely unaware of the war going on in Armaan's mind.

"I won't take this case." Armaan's voice was steady, though his insides felt like they were churning. He locked eyes with the client, leaving no room for negotiation.

The man was taken aback, his smile faltering for a brief second before he quickly recovered. "I'm sure you'll change your mind."

"I said, I won't take this case," Armaan repeated, his voice cutting through the tension in the room. He didn't wait for the client to respond, standing up abruptly and walking out of the office without looking back. The anger simmered inside him, not just at the client but at the fact that his grandmother, of all people, had put him in this position. How could she hand him a case like this? Did she not know him at all after all these years?

As he stepped outside, the wind brushed against his face, but it did little to cool the fire raging within. The fresh air should have brought him some relief, but nothing could shake the heavy cloud that had settled over his mind. He had other cases to handle, files stacked high on his desk, but today... today he just couldn't stay. His feet moved instinctively towards the cliff, his refuge, the one place where he felt a sense of calm despite the chaos.

The journey to the cliffside felt like a blur, his thoughts swirling in a tangled mess. How did things get this bad? Ever since he had seen that picture of Abhira—smiling, happy, without him—a part of him had broken. It was a quiet destruction, the kind that sneaks up on you and shatters everything in silence. He didn't blame her for being happy, not at all. In fact, that's what made it so much worse. She was better off without him. And that realization had left him hollow, with nothing but exhaustion in its wake.

He was tired—mentally, emotionally. Every day felt like he was dragging himself through mud, too heavy to move forward, too stubborn to stop. He had lost count of the nights spent staring at her picture, wishing for things to be different, only to break down when the reality hit him. The anger, the frustration, the helplessness—it all bottled up inside, pushing him closer to a breaking point.

And then there was Rohit. His younger brother's silent treatment had initially hurt Armaan, who had genuinely wanted to make things right between them. But now, after days of being ignored, of watching Rohit repair his relationship with Ruhi while leaving their bond in shambles, Armaan found himself growing numb. Rohit wants to give Ruhi a chance, forgive her, yet refuses to forgive me? It stung, but the sting was wearing off. Armaan wasn't angry anymore, just tired of the whole situation. If Rohit wanted to punish him, fine. Let him. Armaan had given up chasing after his forgiveness. If Rohit could forgive Ruhi, he could forgive Armaan too. The fact that he wasn't doing it meant something deeper. Let him take his revenge. I'm too exhausted to care anymore.