---
Rain drizzled lightly on the city, washing the streets in silver streaks. Inside the cold courtroom, silence rang louder than thunder.
Nisha Mehra crossed her arms, staring at the man who once vowed to spend his life with her. Her lips curled into a smirk as she looked at his wrinkled shirt, muddy shoes, and tired eyes.
"Sign the papers, Aarav," she said, tapping her red nails on the table. "Don't drag this any longer. You've wasted enough of my time."
Aarav sat still, silent. His eyes, deep and unreadable, scanned the divorce documents in front of him.
He wasn't angry. Not anymore.
Not when the woman he loved once now looked at him like trash.
He picked up the pen and signed slowly.
Nisha snorted. "Maybe now you'll finally understand what failure feels like. You can't even afford a proper meal, let alone a future. I should've listened to my friends long ago."
Aarav stood up, folding the paper once, placing it gently on the table.
"You're right," he said softly. "You should've."
She laughed. "Don't try to be dramatic. You'll never be anything, Aarav. You're just a mechanic's son, pretending to be something else."
He looked at her for a moment — not with pain, not even anger. Just… detachment. As if she was no longer part of his world.
"Take care, Nisha."
And he walked out.
---
Outside the courthouse, his phone buzzed.
>Caller ID: Mr. Rawat- Legal Advisor
He answered.
"Aarav sir," the voice on the line said urgently, "It's done. Mehra International is now fully under your name. Your grandfather's final will has passed through the board."
There was a pause.
"The Empire is YOURS"
Aarav looked up at the grey sky, eyes calm.
For the first time in months, he smiled.
"Let's begin."
---