Chapter 1: The Inheritance Of War

The boardroom was cold, as if the air itself knew the weight of the responsibility that had suddenly fallen onto Ishika's shoulders. The city of Mumbai sprawled beyond the glass windows, bustling and alive, but inside the room, there was a stillness-a heaviness that was suffocating.

Two days had passed since her father's sudden death. Two days of numbness, of barely comprehending the shock that had went through their family. Yet here she was, standing at the head of the table, her father's chair now hers. The chair that once commanded respect, power, and untouchable authority in the business world.

Ishika's hand rested lightly on the polished surface of the table as she looked at the faces around her. The board members, the investors, her father's longtime associates-all waiting for her to speak, to lead, to take control.

"Ms. Sehgal" one of the board members said, breaking the silence. "The company needs direction. We're ready to follow your lead."

The words were kind, but there was no warmth in them. They were expectations. Pressure. A reminder that her father's empire-her inheritance-wasn't a gift, but a battlefield.

Ishika didn't falter. She straightened her back, her expression hardening as her gaze swept over the room. "Direction" she repeated, her voice steady. "Yes, that's what I intend to give. Starting today, Sehgal Enterprises will continue its legacy, and it will do so under my command."

The weight of her words hung in the air, but inside, her mind raced. She had spent her whole life watching her father rule with an iron fist, his decisions swift and decisive. She had always admired his strength, his ability to command respect with a single glance. But now, the throne was hers. And it felt nothing like the victory she had imagined.

Her phone buzzed in her pocket, the sudden vibration cutting through the tension. She glanced at the screen--- Yash Singhania. Of course.

Her grip tightened on the table, and for a moment, she considered ignoring the call. Yash was a reminder of everything she hated. His family, the Singhanias, had been a constant rival to the Sehgals for as long as she could remember. Both families ruled the business world, but always at odds, each trying to outdo the other.

She answered the call.

"Ms. Sehgal" his voice oozed through the line, dripping with that signature arrogance that made her blood boil. "I just wanted to congratulate you on your...... promotion. Though I doubt your father's shoes are as easy to fill as you might think."

She clenched her jaw, the words stinging more than she cared to admit. "I didn't call you to hear your opinions, Mr. Singhania" , she replied coolly. "I'm sure your day is as busy as mine, so if you'll excuse me-"

"I'm sure it is" he cut in smoothly, his tone mocking. "But don't take too long. I wouldn't want you to miss out on the real world. You know how these things go. People like us don't have time for hesitation."

With a quiet, controlled fury rising inside her, Ishika ended the call, her gaze steely. The nerve of him. Even now, after her father's death, Yash Singhania found ways to challenge her, to undermine her at every turn. He knew just how to strike-precise, ruthless, and always with that infuriating confidence.

But this time would be different.

This wasn't about competing for a deal. This was about something bigger. The legacy of the Sehgals was now hers to protect. And if Yash thought she'd crumble under the weight of it all, he was about to learn just how wrong he was.

The meeting carried on, but Ishika could barely focus. The voices around her seemed distant, their words blurring into a dull hum. Her thoughts were consumed by Yash Singhania's mocking tone, his words circling in her mind like a vulture.

"You won't last. You'll crumble."

She could feel the fire rising inside her, the desire to prove him wrong gnawing at her. He had always looked at her as little more than an inconvenience, a rival who couldn't stand up to his empire. He thought she was just a pawn in a game he had already won. But he was wrong. She would show him that the Sehgal name wasn't one to be taken lightly.

As the meeting ended, Ishika stood up, pushing her chair back with a sharp scrape that echoed in the room. The board members nodded at her, offering weak smiles and polite handshakes, but all she could think about was the call she had just received. The audacity. The arrogance.

Her phone buzzed again, but this time, it wasn't Yash. It was her personal assistant, Tara. "Ms. Sehgal, there's a meeting at 4 p.m. with the legal team. And, uh........ Mr. Singhania has requested a meeting with you tomorrow morning at 9."

Ishika's hand tightened around the phone. A meeting with Yash? Why? She knew exactly what he was doing-testing her, trying to knock her off balance before she even had a chance to establish herself. He wanted to see her fail.

He had always been the one to win, to take whatever he wanted without question. His family's wealth, their influence, their ruthless tactics-they had always been steps ahead of her. But no more. The game had changed. The power dynamics had shifted.

She clenched her fists. Tomorrow. He's not going to get away with this.

━━༻❁༺━━

The next morning came too quickly, and Ishika walked into the meeting room with an icy calmness. The sun outside had barely risen, casting a dull light on the floor to ceiling windows of her father's old conference room. The room was still familiar yet foreign, a space she had once watched from the sidelines, now her domain.

Yash was already there, standing by the window, his back to her. The moment she entered, he turned slowly, his eyes narrowing as he looked at her. He gave her that smile-a smirk that made her blood boil.

"Ms. Sehgal" he said smoothly, his voice like silk over broken glass. "I wasn't sure you'd show. I thought you might be busy managing your father's... affairs."

Ishika felt the sting of his words, but she didn't flinch. Instead, she walked to the table, meeting his gaze head-on. "I'm not here to waste time, Mr. Singhania" she replied, her voice cold, controlled. "Get to the point."

Yash's smile widened, a dangerous glint in his eyes. "Straight to business. I like that." He stepped closer, his presence overwhelming. Every inch of him seemed to demand attention, to assert dominance. "I wanted to congratulate you, of course. It's not easy stepping into a man's shoes, especially not your father's."

His words were a mockery, a subtle jab at her ability to handle the empire. She could feel the heat rising inside her, but she didn't let it show. Not yet.

"Don't worry about my father's shoes, Mr. Singhania" she shot back, her voice sharp as a blade. "I'll wear them just fine."

He took a step closer, the distance between them shrinking with each movement. "You might think you can handle this, but you'll see. This business world-it's not like a classroom. You don't just show up with a "winning spirit" and expect to win. You have to play dirty. And I'm sure you're just a little too naive for that."

Ishika's heart raced, her hands clenched into fists at her sides. His words cut deeper than she would have liked to admit, but they also fueled the fire inside her.

She leaned in slightly, their faces now only inches apart. "Don't mistake me for some naive little girl, Mr. Singhania" she said, her voice low and dangerous. "I've got more than enough fire to burn you down. You'll regret underestimating me."

Yash's eyes darkened, the playful smirk falling away, replaced by something colder. Something more dangerous. He leaned in, his voice barely above a whisper. "We'll see about that, won't we?"

The air between them crackled with tension. They were two forces, equally matched, neither willing to yield. The rivalry that had simmered for years between their families was no longer a game of subtlety-it was war, pure and simple.

━━༻❁༺━━

Later that evening, as Ishika walked into her penthouse apartment, the weight of the day seemed to settle on her shoulders like a heavy cloak. She was exhausted, her mind still buzzing from the intense meeting with Yash and the sting of his every word. The rivalry was heating up, and she could already feel the tension in the air, thick and suffocating.

But Ishika wasn't the type to back down. No, she was a fighter, and Yash Singhania had just made her a warrior. The more he provoked her, the more determined she became.

Sitting at her desk, she grabbed her laptop and started drafting plans for her next move. She needed something bold. Something that would send a message not just to Yash but to everyone in the business world. It was time to turn the tables.

Her phone buzzed again. It was another message from Tara,

"Mr. Singhania has requested a meeting tomorrow at 10 a.m. He's insistent."

Ishika's lips curved into a smile that didn't reach her eyes. Yash was persistent, wasn't he? A meeting at 10 a.m. meant he had something else up his sleeve, something to push her further, to test her resolve.

But she was ready. This time, she wasn't just going to show up and take his insults. She was going to strike back. Hard.

She rose from her desk, looking out at the Mumbai skyline-twinkling lights against the deepening dark sky. She could almost feel the pulse of the city beneath her feet, its energy seeping into her veins. She wasn't just in a business war. This was a battle for power, for control, for respect. And Yash Singhania was the opponent she had to crush.

━━༻❁༺━━

Next Day

The meeting room felt colder than it had before, the familiar air of tension thicker than it had been the day before. Yash was already seated, his tall figure framed by the glass windows, his back to her. The moment he turned, their eyes met-blue against brown, fire against fire.

"I'm surprised to see you again, Ms. Sehgal" Yash said, his voice smooth, his expression unreadable.

Ishika stood her ground, refusing to flinch. She was done with his mind games. "You should be" she replied coolly, walking to the table, her heels clicking against the marble floor. "But I'm here to talk business, Mr. Singhania. Not to play your games."

A small, dangerous smile tugged at the corners of his lips. "We'll see about that" he said, his voice a little more hushed now, like a challenge.

The space between them seemed to shrink with every passing second. They were both too stubborn to back down, their pride too large to fit in the same room. The battle for dominance was on, and neither would yield.

And then, in a moment of shocking stillness, Ishika did something she hadn't planned.

She stepped closer to Yash, invading the space between them until they were standing face to face. Her breath was shallow, her pulse quickening, but she refused to show weakness. She wasn't going to let him see how much his presence rattled her.

"You think you can break me, Mr. Singhania?" she asked softly, her voice carrying a lethal edge. "You think your empire is all that matters? I'll show you that you're not the only one who can play dirty."

Yash's eyes flickered, the first sign of uncertainty she had seen in him all morning. But he quickly recovered, stepping closer again, his breath brushing against her skin. "We'll see who plays the game better, Ms. Sehgal" he said, his voice dangerously low.

Before she could respond, his phone buzzed. He glanced at the screen, and his smile returned, colder than before.

"Seems like my empire is calling" Yash said, taking a step back and tapping on the screen of his phone. "But don't worry. This is far from over."

As the last words of the meeting hung in the air, Yash and Ishika exchanged one final look-sharp, loaded with meaning, and undeniably intense. The room had become a battlefield, a ground where neither was willing to give an inch. With a smirk playing on his lips, Yash turned, making his way toward the door, his hands sliding into his pockets.

Ishika stood rooted to the spot, her jaw tight, fists clenched at her sides. Her mind was still racing, but it was too late now. The damage had been done. He had mocked her, belittled her, and now he thought he had won. But Ishika wasn't done. Not by a long shot.

The door shut behind him with a soft click. As soon as it did, the tension in the room shifted. The air seemed to thicken, charging with an entirely different kind of energy. Ishika walked out next, frustrated but determined to show Yash Singhania his place.

Tara and Dhruv, the personal assistants to their respective bosses, were still present, silently watching the exchange. Tara had been standing near the door, her arms crossed, her expression unreadable. Dhruv, on the other hand, had remained near the back of the room, his arms casually hanging by his sides, though the sharp glint in his eyes suggested he hadn't missed a single detail of the meeting.

The moment Ishika and Yash were out of earshot, Tara shot a look at Dhruv, her lips curling in a sarcastic smile. "Bada aaya kaankhajura" she muttered under her breath, loud enough for him to hear.

Dhruv's eyes flicked toward her, his lip curling into a grin. "Chal hatt, chipkali!" he shot back, not missing a beat. There was a moment of silence, and then the air thickened with the usual animosity between them. It wasn't hate-it was more like a rivalry bred from their bosses constant clashes. They were caught in the crossfire, and it had made them bitter.

Tara rolled her eyes dramatically, the motion exaggerated enough that Dhruv noticed it. Her long hair swayed with the movement as she passed him, hitting his shoulder with a little too much force. It made him stumble back a bit.

"Nakchadi" Dhruv muttered under his breath as he straightened himself. He glared at her for a moment, but the annoyance in his gaze was quickly replaced with his usual smug confidence.

Tara didn't even spare him a second glance, flipping her hair with an air of superiority. "You know Dhruv, your boss is all talk."

"Oh, really?" Dhruv's voice carried the challenge. "And yours is actually doing something?"

With that, Tara stormed out of the room, her steps echoing as she walked past him, muttering, "kaankhajura kahin ka". Dhruv shook his head in amusement before following her out, muttering a sarcastic "nakchadi kahin ki" again. He caught up with Yash just as they reached the elevator, but he couldn't resist looking back at Tara one last time, his smirk widening as he saw her still fuming.

Yash entered, and the elevator doors slid shut, and for a moment, both Tara and Dhruv stood there in silence. Then, as if on cue, they both turned their heads in sync, giving each other a glare that spoke volumes.

Tara was the first to break the silence, her voice dripping with disdain. "You know, Dhruv, if your boss wasn't so busy ruining everything, we might actually get some work done around here."

Dhruv chuckled darkly, leaning against the wall of the elevator. "Tara, you should be grateful. Without me, you'd still be picking up after your boss' mess."

The tension was palpable as the elevator descended, but it wasn't just between the two of them. It was a constant undercurrent, a reminder that in this world of power struggles, the assistants were as entangled in the drama as their bosses were. And neither Tara nor Dhruv was ready to back down.

Dhurv left while spinning the car keys in his hand as Tara stared at his back, fighting the urge to strangling him to death right then and there. Then, sighing, she turned her heels and walked away to where Ishika was.

━━༻❁༺━━

Later That Night

As Ishika sat in her office, her mind swirling with thoughts of the day's confrontation, the glittering skyline outside her window mirrored her inner turmoil. Mumbai's bustling streets seemed miles away, but the energy of the city-a city where power and dominance ruled-was still alive within her. She had always known that to succeed, to claim what was rightfully hers, she had to fight with every ounce of strength. This war with Yash Singhania wasn't just a clash of businesses; it was about proving that she could stand on her own, without the shadow of her father looming over her.

And Yash... Yash was the obstacle she had to overcome. He thought she was a mere distraction, a naive little girl playing in the big league. But she'd already proven him wrong once today. That cold smile, those mocking words-none of it had broken her. It had only fueled the fire within her.

Her phone buzzed once again, disrupting her thoughts. Glancing down, she saw a message from an unknown number. Her fingers froze over the screen for a moment before she unlocked it.

The message was short, chilling,

"You're playing with fire, Ms. Sehgal. Just remember-you're not the only one who can burn."

A shiver ran down her spine. The message was from Yash-no one else could speak with such venom, such disdain. He had made his move, and this was his way of reminding her of his dominance, of the fact that he was always lurking, waiting for her to slip.

Ishika's grip on the phone tightened. Her heart pounded with the rising intensity of the war. He was daring her. Challenging her. But he underestimated her. He didn't know that she had already walked through fire-and come out stronger.

Her lips curled into a small, confident smile. She wasn't going to let him have the last word. Not this time.

She took a deep breath, her fingers flying over the keys. Her response was as sharp and deliberate as the blade of a sword.

"You're right, Singhania. I am playing with fire. But I've been burned before. And unlike you, I've learned how to control it."

She hit send, leaning back in her chair as a sense of calm washed over her. This wasn't a game of power anymore, this was personal.

And the next move was hers.