Iqraar

Chapter 2

Note

Your enthusiasm when I posted the new story and all the encouragement have left me exuberant about writing again. Thank you!

Chapter 2

Shyam Manohar Jha sat in his office, buried under stacks of legal documents. The day had been long, and he was ready for a break. Recently, the ongoing Sheesh Mahal acquisition had kept him busier than usual. Just when he thought he could relax a bit, this new problem has arisen.

His phone lit up with a familiar name, and his heart softened immediately.

Anjali.

He leaned back in his chair, letting the phone ring one more time before answering with a playful tone. "Hello, Mrs. Jha."

Anjali's light laughter echoed through the phone. "Shyam ji, I've been trying to call you all day! Are you ever going to come home, or should I start sending you meals to your office again?"

Shyam smiled, picturing his wife's mock-pouting expression. "I would never say no to food from you, but you might want to take it up with your brother. He's the one keeping me buried in paperwork."

"Chote?" Anjali's voice laced with affectionate exasperation. "What is he up to now?"

Shyam chuckled, glancing at the papers in front of him. "Let's see, as if the Sheesh Mahal acquisition wasn't enough, now this... recent scandal," his voice softened slightly, "your brother's given me enough work for a year."

Anjali sat up on the other end. "Whatever are you talking about?"

Shyam replied, his tone more serious now. "Rani saheba, did the news not reach you yet? The media's all over it, and with the kind of attention it's drawing, Arnav doesn't want any loose ends. I've had to pull quite a few strings to make sure things stay under control."

Shyam leaned back, rubbing his eyes, fatigue setting in. Anjali listened with rampant attention as Shyam recounted what he knew even as she walked towards the living room to switch the tv on.

"Shyam ji, I will talk to you when you reach home. And you will reach home as soon as possible, okay?"

"I'll try my best, but don't wait up. I'm nearly done here, and I have a call with another lawyer about the Sheesh Mahal renovation, the approval and such. Your brother keeps me on my toes, as usual and he is not even my only client."

"Well, don't put all the blame on my chote. I know you better than that," Anjali quipped. "And remember, you have a wife who misses you."

Shyam's smile widened at her words. "How could I forget?"

Devyani Singh Raizada lounged in her usual chair in the living room of their palatial home in Delhi, adjusting her shawl as she sipped her milk. It was then that she saw an agitated Anjali zoom past her to switch the tv on. The anchor's voice boomed in the quiet house, growing louder, more excited, as he described a scene for the viewers. She had barely registered the words until the image on the screen shifted to the familiar venue of Sheesh Mahal. Her brow furrowed as she leaned forward, watching closely.

The screen flashed with images from Arnav's fashion show, but something wasn't right. The usual glamor and headlines praising AR Designs had been replaced with frenzied reporting and blurred shots of what appeared to be chaos at the event.

"Breaking news from the world of fashion," the anchor's voice cut through. "A mysterious incident has sparked rumors surrounding none other than Arnav Singh Raizada, the celebrated head of AR Designs, during his latest fashion show. Eyewitnesses report a village girl causing a scene and—"