The atmosphere in the grand hall was thick enough to choke. The entire Salai family had assembled, standing like statues under the crystal chandeliers. Meira felt small, her neck still pulsing with the memory of the attacker's grip, but she held her head up. She had expected to be thrown out, to be told her "last sleep" was over, but the sight of Tarun, the family lawyer, sitting with a briefcase made her realize this wasn't just a goodbye—it was a legal ambush.
Divya stood at the center of the room, her presence commanding every scrap of oxygen. She didn't look like a woman who had spent the night in fear; she looked like a general preparing for the final strike.
"Meira," Divya began, her voice echoing off the marble. "Due to the arising situation—the instability you've brought into this house and your clear inability to handle the pressure—I have come to a conclusion. I will not wait six months for your decision."
A murmur rippled through the room, but Divya silenced it with a single, sharp glance.
"Tarun is here to expedite the process," she continued. "Within two days, the papers will be ready. They will be post-dated to match the six-month mark as per the will's technicalities, but you will sign them now. The decision is already written in them: the estate will not belong to one person. Every member of this family will be an equal owner. That is the only way to ensure the 'nuisance' stops and the legacy remains intact."
Meira listened, her heart hammering. Divya wasn't just asking her to leave; she was forcing Meira to sign away the power DS had specifically given to her. By making everyone an "equal owner," Divya was effectively stripping Meira of her protection and handing control back to the very people who wanted her gone.
Divya turned her cold gaze toward the lawyer. "Tarun, you have to arrange things accordingly. No loopholes. No delays."
Tarun nodded solemnly, avoiding Meira's eyes. "I understand, Divya Ma'am. The documents will be ready for signature forty-eight hours from now."
Meira felt the eyes of Shekar, Rudra, and Yamini on her. They weren't looking at a victim anymore; they were looking at a girl who was about to be legally erased from her own inheritance.
The hall emptied, the family members dispersing like shadows, but Shekar didn't budge. He stood rooted to the spot, his eyes locked on Divya as she gathered her composure. The air between them was still thick with the unspoken threats of their last conversation.
"So, you are clearing her off without any investigation?" Shekar's voice was low, cutting through the silence. He was no longer talking about the estate; he was talking about the bruises.
Divya remained silent, her gaze fixed on a point somewhere beyond him.
"You know that someone attacked Meira. You saw her neck, didn't you?" Shekar pushed, his tone heavy with a dark realization. "She can't hurt herself that much, Divya. No one can."
Divya finally looked at him, her expression a mask of cold indifference. "That nuisance... it's all part of the chaos she brings."
"So what do you want?" Divya snapped, her patience fraying.
Shekar stepped closer, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. "You have to know the details, Divya. You can't just sign her away and hope the truth disappears. After all... she belongs to DS. She is his blood."
A flicker of something—fear, perhaps, or a deep-seated resentment—crossed Divya's face. She didn't deny it this time. Instead, she smoothed her sari, her voice regaining its icy authority.
"I have already asked her family to come two days later," Divya added, her eyes meeting Shekar's with a challenge. "When she signs those papers, her family will be here to take her back to the shadows where she belongs."
Shekar took a long, heavy breath. The moment paused, the weight of the coming confrontation hanging in the air.