Location: Bansal Holdings Headquarters, City D
Time: 11:00 AM | The Day After Café Allegiance
The 47th-floor boardroom of Bansal Holdings wasn't designed for comfort. It was designed to intimidate. The windows framed the skyline like a kingdom. The long obsidian table, polished to a mirror finish, reflected the faces of a billion-dollar dynasty.
At its head, the Chair remained empty. Until now.
Attendees: Mr. Anupam Bansal (31%) – former Chairman, silent and still
Mrs. Ravina Bansal (12%) – seated coldly beside her elder daughter
Meera Bansal (4%) – blazer sharp, jaw set, not speaking yet
Saanvi Bansal (2%) – detached, headphones tucked away
Mahesh Madhvan (18%) – watching everything, saying nothing
Group A Institutional Rep (5%) – analytical, ESG-aligned
Raghavan Trust Rep (5%) – nodding politely, eyes unreadable
Legacy Shareholders (3%) – white-haired, long memories
Employee Welfare Trustee (3%) – nervous, sympathetic
Non-voting Public Reps (observers) – not seated at the table
Ira Neel K. Kapoor (17%)
The doors opened. Ira walked in. Tailored black suit, silver pin in her lapel: a phoenix. Around her shoulders, the shawl her mother once wore her quiet armor.
She did not hesitate. She took the seat — and sat. The silence was profound.
Ira (firmly): "Let the meeting come to order."
The Announcement, Anupam Bansal stood slowly. The room leaned into the moment — trying to read the wrinkles on his face for signals of betrayal or regret.
Anupam (monotone): "I, Anupam Bansal, hereby confirm my resignation as Chairman, effective immediately."
(He turned to Ira.) "And endorse Ira Neel H. as my successor. By blood. By board vote. And by moral inheritance."
(He placed a single page on the table — signed. Dated. Legal.) Shock wasn't the right word. The room split in two.
Ravina's hand tightened into a fist on the table. Meera flinched — not out of surprise, but fury.
Mahesh… smiled faintly.
Ravina: "This is illegitimate. You forced his hand. You've never served a day in corporate leadership."
Ira (meeting her stare): "And yet here I sit — not just with his endorsement, but the founder's share certificate. Three weeks before his death. Dated. Sealed. Recognized under the Companies Act and verified by two independent legal firms."
She tossed a copy of the certificate across the table. It landed in front of Mahesh with a soft thud.
Mahesh (reading, slowly): "Ira Bansal, Sole heir to the founding equity."
Meera (cold): "You're a glorified intern in power heels."
Ira: "And you're a shadow princess. Let's not posture."
Trust Rep: "You propose a hostile reformation. On what grounds do you claim authority over strategic direction?"
Ira: "On the grounds that Bansal Holdings is hemorrhaging moral capital. That the company's image has been a balancing act between scandal and spin.
I intend to pivot us back to credibility — in tech licensing, IP arbitration, and digital content regulation. And I have the capacity to bring in global ESG-aligned funding."
She slid a file toward the Institutional Rep — clean projections, partnerships with emerging EU and APAC markets.
Group A Rep (after scanning): "Interesting. But risky."
Ira (quietly): "Nothing riskier than staying loyal to men like Mahesh Madhvan."
Everyone turned.
Mahesh (smiling): "Careful, child. I don't fear headlines. But I do enjoy making them."
She let the words settle like ash.
The Vote, Ira (coolly): "A formal vote of confirmation for Chairperson appointment. Let it be noted on record."
Each member voted. Voices clear. Tension visible.
1. Anupam Bansal – Yes
2. Ravina – No
3. Meera – No
4. Saanvi – Abstain
5. Ira – Yes
6. Mahesh – Abstain (smirking)
7. Group A Rep – Yes
8. Raghavan Trust – Yes
9. Legacy Shareholder 1 – Yes
10. Legacy Shareholder 2 – Yes
11. Employee Trust – Yes
Result: 7 Yes, 2 No, 2 Abstain → Chairwoman Appointment Confirmed
Aftermath – Outside the Boardroom
As the meeting dissolved, Mahesh paused by Ira's side.
Mahesh (softly): "You think this was a win. It was just the overture. You may wear the crown, little phoenix.
But fire... always consumes the one who lit it."
Ira: "That's fine. I brought water. And gasoline.
Location: Bansal Holdings | Post-Boardroom Fallout
Mrs. Ravina Bansal's face was pale with fury.
Mrs. Bansal (spitting venom): "You destroyed everything… you destroyed us!"
Meera (breaking down): "How could you do this to us, father? We built this legacy with you. We trusted you."
Sanvi (eyes narrowed, voice trembling): "And where the hell did your daughter come from? Who is she really, and why have you kept her in the dark all these years?"
Anupam Bansal said nothing. Not a word. His silence screamed guilt louder than confession.
Mrs. Bansal suddenly turned, her heels clicking sharply against the marble floor, storming out of the boardroom. Sanvi and Meera followed.
Ira stood by the glass wall, watching the City D skyline. Calm, composed, but battle-scarred.
The doors burst open. Mrs. Bansal stormed in, with Sanvi and Meera flanking her like wounded lions.
Mrs. Bansal (low, lethal): "You think you've won, don't you? You have no idea what you've awakened. This—" gestures to the office "—was your biggest mistake. And I promise you, Ira… I will destroy you."
Ira turned slowly, lips curved in the faintest smile.
Ira (steady, eyes locked): "That's strange. Because that's exactly what you said to me a few days ago."
She stepped forward — close, but not threatening. Just powerful.
Ira (whispering in Ravina's ear): "You think I don't know about the attack on me? The moment I find the man who tried to kill me... I'll send him, and you, to rot. You underestimate me. Again."
Before Ravina could react, a force pushed Ira slightly back.
It was Sanvi.
Sanvi (shouting) "Don't you dare come close to my mother!"
Meera (cold, spitting): "You dirty, filthy outsider. Do you know who we are? Just because you've stolen the chairwoman seat doesn't mean you've won anything."
She stepped in close now, her voice like ice.
Meera (mocking): "In a few weeks, when the Bansals and Madhvans become family… when my sister marries Rajat Madhvan… you'll see what true power looks like. And then, Ira, we'll break you. Publicly."
Sanvi (grabbing Ravina's hand): "Come, Ma. Let's not waste time talking to garbage."
They stormed out. Ira stood silent for a moment, then calmly walked to her desk.
Anupam Bansal sat alone, staring at a glass of untouched scotch. The silence of betrayal echoed around him.
Suddenly — the door opened. Mr. Madhvan (Amar Madhvan) entered, his expression unreadable.
Mr. Madhvan: "Why did you do this, Anupam? Why hide her for so many years?"
Mr. Bansal (cold, detached): " Because weakness isn't inherited, Mahesh It's… managed. Contained."
Mr. Madhvan (firm): "Then maybe it's time we break this engagement. I will not let my son marry into lies."
A pause.
Mr. Bansal (darkly): "Don't forget what I still have, Mahesh. That video... of you. Resigning doesn't make you innocent. That engagement—will not—be broken."
Mr. Madhvan stared at him long and hard.
Mr. Madhvan: "You just declared war on the wrong side."
He turned and left.
Location: Ira's Executive Floor, A new nameplate is fixed on the glass wall: IRA NEEL K. – Chairwoman & Managing Director – Bansal Holdings
Ira stood beside it, signing her first official set of orders.
She fired the entire compliance team.
Brought in a new CFO from Country Z.
Replaced the IT Security Head with a woman she once mentored in MIT.
Appointed a tech-genius from Silicon Valley to lead operations.
Hired a forensic team to reopen Project NH – her mother's last filed research. A buzz came on her intercom.
Voice: "Ma'am, your guests from the World Trade Forum have arrived."
She smiled.
Ira: "Send them to the 27th Floor. It's time they meet the real face of Bansal Holdings."
Her trusted team from abroad walked in: Jules Patterson, finance whiz from Wall Street.
Dr. Ayesha Rahman, ethics and governance advisor from Country L.
Samar Vyas, cyber-law expert from Country S.
Rhea, branding head, who once handled the PR revival of LVMH Asia.
They walked in like a new world entering an old kingdom.
As Ira stood before the glass wall of the Bansal Tower, dusk painting the city in soft golds and greys, she whispered softly to herself: "Maa… I didn't just survive. I rose."