Shadows Of Darjeeling

Chapter 16

At Rawats Residence,

Arnav pushed through the heavy door of the Rawat residence, his school bag hanging loosely from his shoulder. The house felt quieter than usual-eerily still. He dropped his bag onto the couch in the hallway and made his way to the dining room, hoping for at least a few minutes of peace before he had to face the rest of the night. His father's presence was already there, as usual-waiting, watching.

"Late again, Arnav," Rishi Rawat said sharply from the dinner table, his voice as cold and commanding as always.

Arnav didn't respond immediately. The weight of the day hung on him like a thick cloak. "I had school, Dad," he muttered, his eyes scanning the elaborate meal laid out in front of him, though his stomach had no interest in food. All he wanted was a break-a moment to himself.

Rishi didn't let up. "You don't have the luxury of 'taking a break.' You're seventeen, Arnav. This is when you start preparing to take over. You'll be the next CEO of this company, and it's not going to wait for you to catch up."

The mention of the future felt like a slap in the face, and Arnav's fists clenched under the table. His father always had the same conversation, over and over, without ever listening to what Arnav needed or wanted.

"Can't I just finish school first, Dad? I'm still a student!" Arnav's frustration crept into his voice.

Rishi's gaze didn't soften. "You don't have time to waste. I need you to learn the business side of things. You need to start now. You'll be ready when you turn eighteen. By then, you'll know exactly what's expected of you."

"I'm not ready for this. I can't just drop everything to study business, Dad," Arnav shot back, his anger rising. "There's more to life than just... numbers and meetings!"

Rishi's eyes narrowed. "This empire is more than your life, Arnav. This is about our family's future. I'm not asking you to choose between your life and the business; I'm telling you it's your responsibility. You'll be the one to carry this weight when I'm gone. Ayaan couldn't handle it, and he chose to run away."

The mention of Ayaan made Arnav's heart tighten. His older brother had rebelled, gone to study abroad, and in Rishi's eyes, that had been a betrayal. Arnav wasn't about to follow in Ayaan's footsteps, but it felt like his father only saw him as a replacement, as the second option.

"I'm not Ayaan," Arnav said, his voice hard with defiance. "And I won't just do what you say because you tell me to. I'm not going to follow his path, and I'm not going to become something I'm not just to please you."

Rishi's patience was running thin, but before he could respond, Arnav blurted out something he had been holding in for too long. "Why can't you just... stop? Why did Mom have to suffer because of all this? Why did you have to push her, too? She didn't sign up for this, Dad. She didn't sign up for you and this empire."

For the first time, a flicker of discomfort crossed Rishi's face. But before he could hide it, Arnav's anger exploded. "You think she was just another part of your plans, don't you? Do you think she was just something to control, to mould like everything else you want? Don't you dare talk about her like that? Don't you dare mention her name in front of me?"

The silence that followed was heavy, thick with the weight of Arnav's words. His heart was pounding in his chest, his hands shaking. He couldn't keep the rawness inside any longer. His voice broke as he spat, "You killed her. She didn't want this life, and neither did I. Don't you dare act like you have any right to talk about her!"

Rishi's face turned a deep shade of red, but his voice was cold and distant as he stood up. "I'm not going to sit here and listen to this. Do you want to make accusations, Arnav? Fine. But you won't disrespect your mother's memory in my house."

Arnav was seething, but he didn't back down. He stood up from the table, his words coming out fast, barely controlled. "Don't talk about her like she was just a sacrifice in your little game! You never understood her, and you never understood me! She's dead, Dad, because of you!"

Rishi slammed his fist onto the table, his voice rising, filled with fury. "Enough! Don't talk to me about your mother again. I'm not going to listen to this disrespect!" He turned sharply, his steps heavy and purposeful. "I've had enough. I'm going to my office."

Arnav stood still, staring at the door, his emotions swirling inside him like a storm. His father's retreat only made him feel smaller, more insignificant. His chest was tight with anger and grief-grief for the mother he had lost and anger at the father who could never understand.

Without thinking, Arnav grabbed his phone and dialled the first person who came to mind. "Adi," he said as soon as the call connected. "I... I don't know what to do anymore. I can't do this, Adi. I'm tired. I'm so tired of all of this."

Adi's voice was a welcome change of tone on the other end. "Arnav, calm down. It's okay. You don't have to carry this alone. You know I'm here, right? You can talk to me."

"I don't know what I'm supposed to do, Adi. I feel like everything's slipping through my hands. I miss her so much," Arnav said, his voice cracking. "It's like nothing I do matters to him. He's never going to see me for who I am."

"Hey, it's okay," Adi's voice was warm, reassuring. "I'm coming over. Just breathe, alright? We'll figure this out. You're not alone in this."

Arnav closed his eyes, feeling the weight of his words. "Thanks, man. I just... I just need someone to talk to."

As Arnav sat back down at the table, he let the tears fall for the first time in a long while. His father was gone, retreating into his office, and Arnav was left with nothing but his anger and pain. But at least now, he wasn't alone.