MAYA

Chapter 7

10th January

Oberoi Company
10:00 AM

Maya stood outside the towering glass buildings of Oberoi Company, her eyes not on the structure itself, but on the legacy her father and eldest brother, Aaditya, had built—transforming Oberoi Company into one of the most powerful and influential companies in the world.

As she entered the lobby, a wide smile spread across her face. She was finally going to meet Aaditya Oberoi her eldest brother.

Approaching the reception, she asked the receptionist to inform her brother’s office about her arrival. The receptionist smiled politely and told her to wait in the designated area, as Aaditya had not yet arrived.

Maya settled into the waiting area, her mind buzzing with a thousand thoughts—how would her first meeting with Aaditya go? What questions would he ask? Would her other brothers be there as well? She was lost in her thoughts when a sudden commotion outside broke her concentration.

Curious, Maya stood up and moved toward the source of the noise. She saw a crowd gathered around the private elevator, which led directly to Aaditya’s office.

The shrill sound of a fire alarm cut through the air, and Maya immediately understood what had happened. "Thank God bhai is not in the office" Maya silently said, relieved that he had not arrived yet.

Then she heard something that made her blood run cold. “Ritvik Oberoi is in Aaditya's office... and it’s on fire.”

Maya froze in place. The news hit her like a hammer, and panic surged through her veins. Her body moved before her mind could catch up, and she sprinted toward the terrace.

She knew the layout of the building well, thanks to the blueprint Kabir had given her. Aaditya’s office was directly below the rooftop, and if there was any chance of saving Ritvik, she had to get up there fast.

Reaching the terrace, she quickly opened the A/C duct and, without a second thought, crawled inside. The only thing on her mind was one singular, urgent goal "saving Ritvik - her second eldest brother"

Maya crawled through the narrow air-conditioning duct, her heart pounding in her chest.

The smoke in the building was getting thicker, and she could feel the heat creeping closer, but the thought of Ritvik being in that office, trapped in the flames, kept her moving forward.

She pushed past the tight spaces in the duct, ignoring the stinging in her eyes as the air grew more suffocating.

Every inch she crawled felt like an eternity, but she couldn’t stop now."I can't lose him" she thought.

The duct eventually led her to a small vent, right above Aaditya's office. She could hear voices from below, the crackling of the fire, and the distant sound of sirens.

She paused, taking a deep breath, before she carefully removed the vent cover.

Maya didn't hesitate. She quickly swung her legs through the vent, sliding down onto a metal beam that extended across the ceiling of the office. From here, she could see Ritvik more clearly. He was struggling, but he was still alive.

"Ritvik bhai!" she called, her voice barely audible over the roar of the fire.

After covering Ritvik's mouth and nose with the wet  scarf  to make sure he breathes clear air, Maya started dragging Ritvik towards the door.

The heat was getting unbearable with every passing minute but Maya didn’t care. Her only priority was getting him to safety. But the smoke and gas were too strong for her to handle and she fainted beside Ritvik.

SANIA:-
Aaditya, Rehan, and Vivaan bolted towards the car without saying a word after all three of them got a call.

No one told me what had happened or what emergency they were dealing with. It wasn’t until I received a call from Bhoomi that I learned the truth—Aaditya's office was on fire, and Ritvik was trapped inside alone.

As soon as I heard that, I grabbed my car keys and sped to Oberoi Company. How could they not have told me sooner? All three of them were in trouble. Once I make sure my baby is safe ,I will make sure all those three idiots get the punishment they deserve.

Once I made it to the medical area, my heart dropped when I saw Ritvik lying on one bed, and a girl on the other. I rushed to Ritvik's side, kissed his head, and tears started flowing—relief that my baby was safe. Vivaan came over and gave me a comforting side hug. But I could still hear Aaditya and Rehan yelling at someone outside.

I looked over at the girl lying on the other bed and asked Vivaan who she was. "She’s the one who saved Ritvik," Vivaan explained.

I slowly walked toward the girl, my heart aching at the sight of her lying there so helpless. As I got closer, I froze. She had the same hair as Rehan, the same tone of skin as Vivaan ,is this a coincidence? I thought ,And then I saw it— the mole on her left hand. My heart skipped a beat, and I stood there, stunned, for several moments.

Vivaan must have noticed the shock on my face because he asked me what was wrong. I couldn’t find the words to explain. Instead, I told him to go and calm down Aaditya and Rehan, while I stayed by the girl’s side. As soon as Vivaan left, I leaned in closer to her, my mind racing. Could it be? Was this my daughter—the child I had lost all those years ago?

I remembered the mole on her hand. I had seen it before, the night she was kidnapped, just after she was born. I hadn’t been fully conscious, but I had noticed that small detail.

What if she is the answer to my every prayer?what if she is my baby girl? My daughter? I wiped my tears and gently took a few strands of her hair for a DNA test. I asked the doctor to keep it confidential and send the results directly to my email in a day .

Once I had done that, I instructed Vivaan to arrange for Ritvik and the girl to be moved to our house. I needed to be close to her, to find out the truth. If my doubt is right and she really is my daughter I couldn’t lose her again not this time.

Ritvik and the girl, whose name we learned was Maya, had been unconscious for almost an entire day. Throughout that time, I found myself sneaking into Maya’s room every chance I got.

I couldn’t bring myself to leave her side. My mind wouldn’t let me—something deep inside told me she is my daughter my missing piece of heart, that she was the only princess of Oberoi's .

Then, finally, I got an email from the doctor. My hands trembled as I opened it, the moment I had been waiting for. I read through the results, my vision blurring with every word. And then, the truth hit me like a wave.

My legs buckled, and I collapsed onto the floor. My heart raced, pounding so loudly I could hear it in my ears.

Tears streamed down my face, unstoppable. She... she ....