"Hey! Move that hand even an inch further… and I'll make sure you won't have that hand left to eat with tonight!"
The voice sliced through the hall like a blade.
Sharp.
Uncompromising.
Deadly.
For a moment, everything froze.
Then—
Every single person in the party turned toward the source of that voice.
Curiosity.
Shock.
Disbelief.
Who… dared to threaten Kamla Thakur like that?
And when they saw him—
The shock deepened.
Because the one who had just challenged Kamla…
Was barely a young man.
Twenty… maybe twenty-two.
And it was Om.
He stood there, his eyes burning with controlled fury, locked onto Kamla without a trace of fear. There was no hesitation in him… no second thoughts… just a silent storm brewing beneath his calm exterior.
Kamla stared back.
Surprised.
Then amused.
Then angry.
For a brief second, even he seemed confused—how could a mere boy speak to him like that?
A crooked smile spread across his face.
"Kid," he said, his voice dripping with mockery, "you don't mess with your elders. I'm forgiving this mistake of yours… just this once. Maybe you don't know who I am. If you did… you'd have wet your pants before even thinking of saying those words."
But just then—
One of Kamla's men stepped forward, his eyes widening as he recognized Om.
"Boss… this guy… he's the one who spoke to Raj bhai that day… and—" his eyes flicked toward Supriya, "—he was there with that girl. Raj bhai had gone to meet her…"
The moment those words sank in—
Kamla's expression changed.
The amusement vanished.
Replaced by something darker.
He walked toward Om, each step heavy, deliberate… dangerous.
Stopping right in front of him, he leaned slightly forward.
"Tell me something," Kamla said, his voice low but filled with rage, "what happened to my brother that night?"
Om didn't flinch.
Didn't look away.
He answered calmly,
"Your brother… got beaten like a dog."
A ripple of shock spread through the hall.
Kamla's eyes narrowed.
"So you know the guy who did it?" he growled. "Tell me who he is… or I'll destroy you so badly you won't belong anywhere—not here, not anywhere else."
Om's expression didn't change.
His voice remained steady.
"Why do both of you brothers think with your knees?" he said casually. "I didn't see that guy… but I'll tell you one thing—if I were in his place…"
He paused.
A faint, dangerous edge entered his tone.
"Your brother wouldn't have survived."
That was it.
Kamla snapped.
With a sudden roar, he grabbed Om by the collar of his jacket and lifted him off the ground with both hands, his monstrous strength evident as Om's feet left the floor.
"Kid," Kamla snarled, his face inches away, "you pick fights with people your own size… and you've just picked one with a demon. Now tell me—who was that man… or else—"
"Or else what, Kamla Thakur?"
The voice came from behind.
Firm.
Commanding.
And filled with authority.
Kamla's grip loosened slightly as he turned toward the entrance, irritation flashing across his face.
But the moment he saw—
He froze.
At the doorway stood a group of people.
At the front… an elderly man in a perfectly tailored suit.
Beside him—a young man.
And a girl.
The whispers began instantly.
"The Joshi family…!"
"But they never attend parties…"
"That's Indrajeet Joshi… the head of the family… and that's his grandson, Viraj Joshi—the director of Joshi Company… but who's that girl?"
Eyes shifted toward her.
And for a moment—
Even the tension in the room seemed to pause.
She was breathtaking.
Graceful like a celestial being…
Yet fierce like a lioness.
Tall, poised, her eyes sharp with intelligence, her lips curved into a confident, almost challenging smile. There was something unshakable about her presence—like a mountain that refused to bow.
Even in such a tense atmosphere—
She stole attention effortlessly.
Then whispers spread like wildfire.
"You don't know her? That's Sanaya Joshi… Indrajeet Joshi's younger granddaughter."
"They say she's a brilliant businesswoman… just came back from abroad…"
"And within no time, she pushed Joshi Industries among the top companies in the country!"
"People say she's one of the leading businesswomen in India…"
"But also… just as dangerous as she is talented."
"She's humiliated big businessmen… made them kneel."
"She hates men… except her own family."
"But why are they here…? And wasn't Indrajeet Joshi supposed to be bedridden? He looks perfectly fine…"
The rumors flew through the hall like a storm.
And Om—
He heard them.
His sharp senses catching every word.
He looked at Sanaya carefully.
And then—
Something clicked.
She wasn't looking at Kamla.
She was looking at him.
Studying him.
As if she was reading through him… layer by layer.
For a brief second, Om felt like he was being completely scanned.
But before he could think further—
Indrajeet Joshi stepped forward.
His presence alone commanded silence.
He walked straight toward Kamla and spoke, his voice calm yet laced with steel,
"Mr. Kamla Thakur… the person you are holding right now… is my special guest. If even a scratch comes upon him… remember this—your Thakur family will not be able to bear the consequences. So it would be wise… to put him down. Respectfully."
Kamla's jaw tightened.
His anger flared even more at the calm authority in Indrajeet's voice.
"Do you even know who you're talking to, old man?" he snapped. "The one even Singhania and Bali couldn't defeat… and you're trying to threaten me? Don't you value your life?"
Viraj and Sanaya both stepped forward slightly, anger flashing in their eyes. They couldn't tolerate the disrespect toward a man the entire city respected.
But Indrajeet raised his hand subtly—
Stopping them.
Then, with a faint smile, he looked back at Kamla.
"Ah… that reminds me," he said casually. "There's a rumor going around Pratapgarh these days… that the dangerous don Bali… and his loyal associate Singhania… were killed by Kamla Thakur."
His eyes hardened.
"Son… even if seven generations of your family came together, they wouldn't be able to harm a single hair of Bali or Singhania. So keep your lies to yourself. The public might be foolish… but businessmen like us are not."
A pause.
Sharp.
Cutting.
"And if you really had them killed… then tell us the names of the killers."
His voice dropped.
Cold.
"Because we already know them."
That did it.
Kamla released Om instantly and stepped toward Indrajeet, rage boiling over.
"You've got some nerve, Joshi—!"
But before he could take another step—
Viraj calmly lifted his phone and held it out in front of Kamla.
"Take a look."
Kamla glanced at the screen.
And in that instant—
The color drained from his face.
His confidence cracked.
Fear… flickered in his eyes.