The morning light felt different as Meira stepped into the grand foyer, dressed in her professional attire. To her surprise, Rudra was already there, leaning against a marble pillar and checking his watch.
"Ready?" he asked with a supportive smile. "Since it's your first day as the CEO of Kiran Inc., I thought I'd accompany you. I'll guide you through the initial meetings and ensure there's no nuisance from the board. It can be a shark tank in there."
Meira felt a wave of relief. "Thank you, Rudra. I was actually a bit nervous about how the staff would react." They left together, the heavy doors of the mansion closing behind them as they headed toward the car.
Inside the mansion, the air was far more claustrophobic. Divya was in her private study, buried under a mountain of estate files, when Shekar walked in without knocking.
"I hope you are looking into this will matter properly, Divya," Shekar said, his voice dropping to a low, suggestive tone.
Divya kept her files aside, her expression weary. "What matter are you talking about, Shekar?"
"You know—this Meira thing," he replied, pacing the room. "Why would DS choose her of all people? A girl from nowhere, suddenly holding the keys to the kingdom."
"She was a friend of Kiran, Shekar. It's simple," Divya exclaimed, though her own voice lacked conviction.
Shekar stopped and looked at her directly. "A friend? Why would a friend be so important that he'd hand over his legacy? Does that make sense to you?"
"I mean, seriously, Shekar—why not?" Divya snapped. "Kiran was everything to DS. You know that after Kiran's death, DS lived like a dead body. He saw a piece of Kiran in her."
"No, Divya. Think back," Shekar countered, leaning over her desk. "Remember years ago, when you confronted DS? You found out about his... illegal relations."
Divya flinched. "What do you mean, Shekar?"
"I mean this girl could be one of those relations. A secret he kept from you."
"Shut up, Shekar!" Divya stood up, her eyes flashing. "DS mentioned he was taking someone's responsibility, and he explicitly said he had no such relationship. He wouldn't lie about that."
Shekar let out a dry, mocking laugh. "Are you a fool? Of course he would lie. Men like DS don't admit to their shadows."
"How dare you," Divya hissed. "Firstly, your wife is showering 'motherly love' on Meira to manipulate her, and now you're here spewing this filth? I don't get it."
"See, Divya," Shekar said, his voice turning cold and pragmatic. "Even I want to know why this girl holds such a central place in DS's heart. And I am telling you, it is definitely not just because of Kiran. There is something deeper."
Divya fell into a stunned silence, the weight of his words sinking in. After a long moment, she whispered, "What do you want me to do?"
"Investigate, Divya," Shekar said, heading toward the door. "Get every single detail of her past. Her birth, her parents, her childhood. Find the truth before the truth finds us."
He left the room, leaving Divya standing speechless in the center of her silent office, the files in front of her suddenly feeling like a deck of cards about to collapse.
The office was a whirlwind of meetings and signatures, but for Meira, the hectic pace was a relief. Stepping into the "outer world" felt like resurfacing for air. While some things at the company had shifted in her absence, the desks, the coffee machine, and the hum of productivity were familiar anchors. Rudra had been a steady presence throughout the morning, but he didn't join her for the ride back, citing urgent business meetings.
Back in the solitude of her room at Roopa Mansion, the silence no longer felt peaceful—it felt like a question. Armed with her laptop and a restless mind, Meira decided to dig into the history she had heard whispered by Sahil and Taniya.
She searched for Divya Salai.
The digital trail revealed a startling pattern. According to news archives and social society logs, Divya had been outside India for a continuous eight-year stretch. This period began when Kiran would have been only five years old. To Meira's surprise, the records showed that while Raghav was frequently seen with Divya at international business galas, Kiran had remained in India with DS. Rudra, too, appeared in local photos with his father, suggesting the family had been split across continents.
Divya had been aggressively expanding her father's estates abroad during those years, and not once did a flight manifesto or social column place her in India.
"Why would a mother leave a five-year-old child behind for nearly a decade?" Meira whispered to herself.
The pieces began to click into a chilling mosaic. If Divya had no bond with the girl, it explained the distance. It hinted strongly that Kiran might be the adopted child Sahil and Taniya were forbidden to speak of. It explained the "adopted mother" insult Yamini used, and it explained why the mansion tried to bury Kiran's memory—she wasn't a "true" Salai by blood.
But the most haunting discovery came at the very end of her search. The year Divya finally closed her international offices and returned to Roopa Mansion was the exact same year Kiran had died.
Meira stared at the screen, the blue light reflecting in her wide eyes. Divya hadn't returned to be with Kiran; she had returned only when Kiran was gone.