Tangled Beliefs

Chapter-41: Threads of Trust

Happy Birthday, My Dear ink drinker! gurjar1234

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Every time you share your thoughts, it reminds me why I love writing so much. You inspire me to keep going, to write more, and to make this story even better. Thank you for being such a wonderful part of this journey with me!

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My life was a chessboard where every move was decided for me, yet I longed to overturn the game entirely.

Nandini's POV,

The moment Bhai slammed the document on the table, I felt my entire world spinning. My gaze fell on the paper, and my stomach churned violently. How could I have forgotten about those documents? They had been hidden in my cupboard all this time. No, no, no, I thought, dread washing over me in waves. These were the same documents Dad had given me-the ones I foolishly hoped would never surface.

I looked at Dad. His face was as neutral as always, but I could see it-the slight twitch in his fingers, the faint sheen of sweat on his forehead. He was nervous, just like me.

"I... I..." I tried to speak, to explain, but words wouldn't come out. My throat felt dry, and Bhai's anger seemed to grow with each passing second.

"Is this the reason you said yes to the marriage?" Bhai's voice cut through the silence like a blade.

My heart stopped.

I saw Manik's head snap toward me out of the corner of my eye. His piercing gaze burned into me, but I couldn't look at him. Instead, I met Bhai's furious eyes, silently pleading with him to stop.

"What are you saying, Rudra?" Mom's voice wavered with confusion.

"What documents? What is this all about?" Bhabhi asked, stepping closer.

Bhai ignored them, his focus solely on me. "Why don't you tell them, Nandini?"

I stammered, "I... it's not what you think-"

"One second, I should be asking Dad." Rudraksh interrupted, his voice dripping with bitterness.

Mom's head turned sharply toward Dad. Her eyes widened in disbelief. "Manish? You know about this?"

Bhai let out a humorless chuckle. "Of course he does. It's all his doing. He's the one who forced Nandini to say yes to the marriage."

The room erupted in chaos.

Didu stood abruptly. "Will you stop this Bhaiyu and tell us what's in those damn documents?"

Bhai didn't hesitate. "It's written clearly that I, Rudraksh Murthy, will not be the CEO of Murthy Industries. I won't have any rights over the Murthy Empire. And there's more, but that's the gist of it."

A collective gasp echoed through the room. I felt my stomach drop as the words hung in the air like a dark cloud.

"Manish, what is he saying?" Mom demanded, her voice rising.