At DC Residence, Chandrasekar sat in his study, lost in thoughts. Ever since the party, he hadn’t stepped into his office. The image of his daughter’s tearful face kept haunting him. Though she was staying with her friends, he knew deep down that she was hurting and he had failed her. He had promised to protect her, yet stood powerless when Aryan publicly claimed her.
After Maya warned him to stay out of Aryan’s affairs, he had reluctantly backed off. But it didn’t sit well with him. The only way he could think of restoring things was by somehow removing Sanju from Aryan’s life. But now that they had announced their marriage to the world, that option was nearly impossible. Aryan would never even let him near Sanju.
His thoughts were interrupted by his PA, Varun.
“Sir,” Varun said, entering the study, “Ranjith called to fix an appointment for a formal meeting regarding the venture. Also, the infrastructure work at ARC is progressing well. He mentioned we could visit the site if you’d like to suggest any changes. And…” he paused, “Sanjana has been officially appointed as one of the Board Directors and Chairperson of ARC Cosmetics.”
Chandrasekar leaned back, tapping his fingers on the armrest. This was the chance he had been waiting for.
“Fix a meeting at ARC,” he said. “Include Sanjana and Pradeep. We’ll also visit the workspace.”
“Sure, sir. They requested Maya’s presence too.”
“I’ll talk to her.”
He dialed Maya’s number. After several unanswered attempts, she finally picked up.
“Dad,” she said, clearly annoyed, “why do you keep calling me?”
“Princess, don’t you remember signing the partnership deal with ARC?”
“So what now? Is everything set up?”
“Not yet. But you’re supposed to attend a meeting at ARC.”
“What’s the purpose of the meeting?”
“Sanjana is now the Chairperson of ARC Cosmetics,” he said, pausing briefly, “and you’ll be meeting her tomorrow.”
“So he pulled her into business now,” Maya muttered. “Fine. I’ll be there. Text me the timing.”
“I’ll join you for the meeting and… Maya, I think you should come home.”
“I’ll let you know,” she replied coldly, ending the call.
Chandrasekar turned to Varun. “Schedule the meeting for 11 a.m. tomorrow.”
At ARC Towers, Aryan stood by the window of his office, arms crossed. “What’s the update, Ranjith?”
“Sir, Chandrasekar has confirmed the meeting for 11 a.m. tomorrow. Maya will be joining as well.”
“Good. Keep Pradeep and Sanjana informed.”
“Sure, sir,” Ranjith said, before walking away to pass the message.
At Lekha’s home, Maya sat at the dining table, her food untouched, lost in deep thought.
“Maya?” Lekha asked, concerned. “Why aren’t you eating? What’s on your mind?”
“There’s a meeting scheduled at ARC tomorrow,” Maya said softly.
“With whom?” Riya asked.
“Sanjana and Pradeep.”
Riya frowned. “What are you planning to do?”
Maya leaned back, her voice turning colder. “It’s time I return. I’ll make her suffer… for choosing Aryan.”
Riya gave her a worried look. “Maya, take care. Just think twice before doing anything.”
“Join us for the weekend at least,” Lekha added gently. “You need a break too.”
Maya gave them a small nod. “Hmm. Sure. I’ll leave this evening.”
Aryan and Sanjana arrived at the office together, exuding confidence and power. After greeting the staff, Sanjana made her way to her cabin to prepare for the upcoming meeting. A few minutes later, Pradeep joined her with a folder in hand.
“Sanjana,” he began, “we need to get the details of the executives joining the team. We’ll run background checks before we proceed.”
“Yeah,” she nodded, “Before the meeting, send out the mail to those Aryan shortlisted for the team. We’ll also hand those details to Maya.”
Pradeep looked concerned. “Maya may be aggressive. We’ll need to handle her differently.”
“Don’t worry, Pradeep,” Sanjana replied calmly. “She won’t create a scene in the meeting. If she wants to confront me, she’ll wait until we’re alone.”
“Then make sure you don’t meet her alone.”
Sanjana gave a small smile. “That’ll be difficult, Pradeep. We’re doing business—we can’t avoid each other. But don’t worry… I’ve handled both Maya and her father before. I know how to deal with them.”
Pradeep glanced at his watch. “Let’s move to the conference room. They’ll be here any minute now.”
Chandrasekar and Maya arrived at ARC Towers, where the receptionist greeted them warmly and quickly informed Ranjith, who arrived promptly to escort them.
“Ranjith,” Maya said sharply, “just make sure to get the access for us to enter the office next time.”
“Ms. Maya, I will inform Sanjana about this. She will inform you,” Ranjith replied calmly.
“What do you mean?” she asked, clearly annoyed.
“I’m not the authorized person to provide confirmation,” he said, maintaining a professional tone.
He led them to the conference room where Sanjana and Pradeep were already waiting. As they entered, Ranjith discreetly informed Sanjana about Maya’s access request.
Sanjana and Pradeep stood to greet them.
“Good morning,” Sanjana said with a smile. “Please have a seat.”
The meeting began with Pradeep presenting the documentation. He laid out the business operations, employee details, marketing strategies, and customer feedback for ARC Cosmetics. A stack of product portfolios was also shared.
Maya and Chandrasekar reviewed the documents with keen interest. After their brief discussion, Sanjana addressed them.
“Ms. Maya, our operations will begin in ten days. From that day, you’ll have access to the general entrance and the 42nd floor. If you need to meet me, Ranjith will arrange one-time access to my floor. As for the employees from DC Group, once we receive their details, their IDs and access cards will be processed.”
“Anything else you’d like to discuss?” she asked, keeping her tone formal.
Maya crossed her arms. “I may have to visit you and Aryan for business meetings often. I can’t keep asking Ranjith every time, Ms. Sanjana.”
Sanjana’s voice was firm but poised. “Ms. Maya, I’m Mrs. Sanjana Aryan. And Aryan will no longer interfere in ARC Cosmetics. So, meeting him is not required. Pradeep will handle all business matters. If my intervention is needed, he’ll reach out. So, our meetings will also be minimal.”
Chandrasekar leaned in slightly. “I need to meet Aryan now, unofficially. Sanjana, before we get deeper into this business, you must understand—we’re connected personally.”
“I understand, sir,” Sanjana replied. “To meet him personally, you can always call him directly. He’d be more than happy to meet you anytime. We respect you deeply, sir. I’ll ask Ranjith to escort you.”
“You’ve been trained well,” he said with a faint smile.
“He taught me to live—and let live,” she replied.
“Maya, stay here. I’ll be back after meeting Aryan.”
Sanju called Ranjith, who came promptly and led Chandrasekar to Aryan’s cabin. Pradeep excused himself to handle other work, leaving only Sanjana and Maya in the room.
Maya broke the silence. “How’s your life going, by the way?”
“Going good, Maya,” Sanjana replied calmly.
“When Aryan was in a vulnerable stage after his parents’ death, we were the ones who supported him. But now, you just jumped into his life after he’s fully settled.”
“I didn’t jump in suddenly, Maya. We’ve been in love for more than a year before getting married. So please, stop making assumptions about our life.”
Maya leaned forward, her tone laced with sarcasm. “How long are you going to enjoy this?”
“Forever,” Sanjana said without hesitation.
“In your dreams. Count your days, Sanjana. You’ll regret this and leave Aryan yourself. I’ll make sure that happens.”
Sanjana stood up, her eyes flashing. “Shut up, Maya. Not another word. Don’t you dare even think like that. We respect your father a lot—but that doesn’t mean we’ll tolerate your nonsense. I’ll have refreshments brought for you. Please have them and wait here until your father returns.”
With that, Sanjana stepped out and instructed the facilities team to serve Maya.
Meanwhile, Chandrasekar entered Aryan’s cabin. Aryan rose from his seat and greeted him respectfully.
“Welcome, sir. Hope the meeting went smoothly.”
“Yes, Aryan. You’ve trained her well,” Chandrasekar remarked.
Aryan smiled. “She’s innocent and caring personally—but when it comes to business, she’s incredibly sharp.”
“Maya will be working here regularly once the business begins. I just want you to look after her. She’s already hurt, and I don’t want any further humiliation or disturbance.”
“Sir, you know how independent she’s been in Canada. She can take care of herself. And here at ARC, everyone acts professionally.”
“Still, just take care of her—for my sake.”
“I’ll inform Sanjana to do that. I might be tied up with other business matters, but I’ll make sure she’s alright.”
“You know Maya is my world. I’ll do anything for her. I’ll take my leave now.”
Aryan nodded and accompanied Chandrasekar to the lift. As they walked toward the conference floor, they spotted Sanjana waiting outside.
“Hello, sir,” she greeted. “Hope you had a nice talk with Aryan.”
“Yes, Sanjana,” Chandrasekar said. “I told him to take care of my Maya. He knows how far I’ll go for my daughter’s happiness. Now, let’s talk about the deal I mentioned earlier.”
She raised her brows.
“This time it’s an open deal. You ask for anything—anything you want—and I promise to give it to you. Just leave Aryan. You can take it as a request… an order… or a threat. I only want happiness for my daughter. And her happiness is Aryan. I’ll get it by hook or crook. But before I play my hand, I’m offering you a deal. For your betterment. Decide and let me know.”
Sanjana met his gaze without flinching. “Sir, you’re not asking a PA to leave her boss… or a lover to leave her boyfriend. You’re asking a wife to leave her husband. Would you do this if your daughter were in my place? Why don’t you tell Aryan to leave me? Because you know he won’t. So how can you expect me to do it? And what if I tell Aryan about this?”
Chandrasekar gave a calm smile. “You need more training, girl. You don’t need to tell him—he’s already listening to our conversation.”
Sanjana turned around instinctively, searching for him, but Aryan wasn’t in sight. She gave Chandrasekar a puzzled look.
“I mentored him,” Chandrasekar said. “I know how he operates. Let me know your decision.”
“There’s nothing to decide,” she said firmly. “I will not leave Aryan in this life.”
“Smart,” Chandrasekar said with a nod. “See you then.”
He turned and called out to Maya, signaling it was time to leave.
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