Rajiv and Srikant used the bonnet of the car parked nearby as a makeshift table to go through the documents.

"Wow, this man is sinister. So many illegal activities," said Srikant.

"What should we do with these documents now?" mused Rajiv.

"Uncle, if you give permission, I can try running the story on our news channel. But I can't guarantee anything. This guy has a lot of influence; he could easily bury the entire thing. Another option is to go to the police. But if your goal is to keep him away from Aunty, maybe you should use it to blackmail him," suggested Praseetha.

"Why don't we consult a good criminal lawyer and figure this out? You remember my friend Venkateshan? We can go meet him," said Srikant.

"Yes, let's meet him," agreed Rajiv. Then he turned to Praseetha and said, "Thank you, mole, you've given me such vital information about Sebastian."

"It's okay, Uncle, but can I join you for the meeting?" asked Praseetha.

"Mole, collecting information is one thing, but getting directly involved in this wouldn't be safe for you. You live alone and travel frequently for work. I know you've dealt with worse people in your field, but I can't, in good conscience, ask you to take part in bringing down Sebastian uncle directly. If anything happens to you, I won't be able to forgive myself," replied Rajiv.

Praseetha gave him a disappointed look.

"If anything new comes up, you'll be the first to know, I promise," Rajiv reassured her lovingly, which brightened her mood. She went inside to meet her parents, Leena, and Anjali.

Srikant quickly called Anjali to let her know they'd be back in a few hours, and then both Rajiv and Srikant left to meet Advocate Venkateshan.

It was nearly dinner time when Rajiv returned. Anjali and Srikant had already left, and Praseetha was on her way back to her flat. The family had a quiet dinner and then retired to their rooms.

Leena sat on the bed, lost in thought. Rajiv came out of the bathroom, toweling his hair. Seeing his wife so quiet, he hung the towel to dry and sat beside her on the bed.

"Why do you look so sad?" he asked.

"You know why," she replied.

"Don't worry. My parents will come back soon. They just need some time to process everything," said Rajiv.

Leena sighed.

"Guess what? Our Praseethakutty got loads of evidence against your Sebastian uncle. Srikant and I met with the lawyer. I have enough now to silence him for good," said Rajiv.

"What!" exclaimed Leena.

"Yes, don't worry about him. We'll deal with it soon," Rajiv assured her.

Leena's face finally broke into a smile.

"Everything's going to be alright. We missed work today. Let's go in together tomorrow morning," said Rajiv.

"But people will know what happened here. We'll be targeted," said Leena.

"Why are you bothered? We are going together. Now come on, let me take care of you tonight," said Rajiv, kissing her neck.

"But the boys are next door," whispered Leena.

"I will be gentle," said Rajiv and he laid her down on the bed and they proceeded to make sweet love for the whole night.

***

The following morning, the boys left for their classes, and Rajiv and Leena drove to the office in the same car. From the security guard to the parking lot, people stared at them.

"I think they know," Rajiv smirked as he got out of the car. Leena felt uneasy but chose to follow him. However, he walked beside her instead of ahead.

They entered the lift, and when the doors opened into the office, they were met with stunned silence. Rajiv deliberately walked with Leena to her cabin before heading to his own. As soon as they were out of sight, the office erupted into chatter.

Rajiv had barely sat down when his secretary, Fathima, entered, stammering, "Sir, there's a board of directors meeting at 1 PM... The agenda is about whether you and Leena madam should remain in the company..."

"Who initiated it?" asked Rajiv.

"Padmanabhan sir," Fathima murmured.

"Alright," Rajiv replied, having expected this. After all, Aditya Breweries was a family business, and going against his family meant risking his position. He was a member of the board alongside Padmanabhan, Mahadevan, and two more relatives. Rajiv informed Leena of the situation and reassured her.

They were busy working for a few hours until it was lunch time. Rajiv had asked her to come to his cabin and then they both will go together for lunch to their canteen. On the way to his cabin, Leena heard one employee talking to another, "If spreading your legs could get you anywhere, then this is the right place. First she did it for Mahadevan sir, now for Rajiv sir."

"Don't bother repeating what she did, you don't have the looks," said the other employee and a third hearing this burst out laughing.

Leena was hurt. Contrary to what people were saying, she had worked hard to reach the position of assistant manager. Mahadevan had noticed her for her work and promoted her. It was only later that he found her attractive after she reached that position. Even though she was Rajiv's wife, he had always been strict about work, and she had never slacked off, not even during her morning sickness. Even Padmanabhan had once commented to Rajiv that she was smart. But now, all her hard work and achievements had lost their value simply because she was with Rajiv. Still, she stayed quiet and accompanied Rajiv to lunch, enduring the stares of the entire office. Throughout the meal, they overheard snippets of gossip and snickering about their relationship. Rajiv tried to comfort her with reassuring glances and discreet pats.

When they returned to his cabin, Leena had had enough.

"Rajiv, I want to take maternity leave," she said. Rajiv, who was about to sit down, came back and sat on the table beside her.

"Why? Is it because of the comments you're hearing?" asked Rajiv.

"Yes, and besides, I'm finding it hard to manage the morning sickness," Leena replied.

"Are you running away because you're scared?" Rajiv asked, looking intently into her eyes.

"You know I'm not afraid for myself. It's just that I don't want to deal with this office atmosphere right now. I'm pregnant, and I want to be happy. I don't want to face these snide comments because they're not worth it. I'm not running away out of fear; I'm walking away because I value my happiness, which I've been putting off for so long. You know I love working and that I'll return, but for now, I want to focus on building a relationship with you, the boys, and growing this baby in peace. I want to pick and choose my battles, and this isn't one I'm picking right now. I'm sorry I'm leaving you to face this alone," said Leena.

"I understand, and if that's what you want, send me an email, and I'll approve your maternity leave. I don't know if we'll still have this job, but you can come back whenever you're ready. And don't worry about leaving me here alone; the ones talking don't have the courage to say it to my face, except maybe Achan," Rajiv said.

Rajiv's phone rang, and after a brief conversation, he hung up and turned to Leena. "Kiran got into a fight with one of his classmates. I have to head to the board of directors meeting now."

"Aren't you going to the school? Our son needs help," Leena said, concerned.

Rajiv glanced around quickly and then gave her a swift peck on the cheek. "Yeah, our son. Get the details of his school from Janaki chechi," he said with a smile, and then he walked out, leaving a flabbergasted Leena.

***

The rest of the board of directors were already seated in the meeting room when Rajiv entered. Padmanabhan looked very serious, while Mahadevan wore a sly smile. Also present were Rajiv's aunt Ambika and his cousin Harinarayanan. Fatima was there, taking the minutes of the meeting.

Padmanabhan cleared his throat and began, "We are here due to behavior that is not conducive to the office environment. A manager in one of our branches has had an illicit relationship with a female employee. This manager is already married and has three children, yet he proceeded to have a relationship with this employee. This is a matter of morality, and we need to remove individuals like this from the office, as they are destroying the professional environment."

A flicker of hurt crossed Rajiv's face, but he quickly masked it.

"Chetta, when you put it like that, it sounds so serious," Mahadevan said with a smirk.

Padmanabhan ignored him and asked, "Today we are voting to remove both the manager and the employee. Who is with me?"

Ambika and Harinarayanan raised their hands, followed by Padmanabhan. "You and Ms. Leena Mathews are henceforth terminated from your positions," he declared.

"Hold on a second, Acha," Rajiv interrupted. "According to our bylaws, removing a manager is determined by the number of shares, not just by a vote. When I joined, I bought 15% of the company's shares, and when Hari's sister got married, he sold me another 10%, which makes me a 25% shareholder. What do you say, Cheriacha?" Rajiv asked, turning to Mahadevan.

Mahadevan leaned back and said, "Since I am the largest shareholder, and our combined shares exceed 51%, I would like to say that Rajiv stays in his position."

Rajiv added, "And since it's the manager's prerogative to fire the assistant manager, Leena stays in her job too. Don't worry, as of today, she is on maternity leave. I suggest you all go home and enjoy this lovely evening."

With that, Rajiv walked out, followed by Mahadevan, leaving Padmanabhan fuming.

As he sat there seething, his phone rang. It was Gomati. "What happened?" she asked.

"We can't fire him," Padmanabhan replied, frustrated.

"Then come home. There's someone here who wants to meet you," Gomati said before hanging up.

***

Leena was sitting in the Principal's office and the bespectacled man said to her, "Kiran got in fight with a boy named Madhav because he said to him that his father has a mistress. Kiran has beaten the boy black and blue. I have gathered from others that what Madhav said was correct, you are his mistress?"

Leena bit her lip and said, "Kiran's father and I are in a partnership."

"You can understand how that would affect a teenage boy. I know you both are consenting adults, but morality matters. Have you thought about how this kind of relationship will impact Mr. Rajiv's children? Madhav's parents are demanding strict action, but I convinced them that Kiran is going through a tough time at home. Please talk to him and consider getting him some therapy," said the principal.

"I will talk to Kiran," Leena replied. "I apologize for his actions, and we're willing to compensate as necessary."

"For now, he's suspended for two days. Mr. Rajiv told me you're authorized to pick him up, so please take him home and talk to him," said the principal.

Outside, Kiran was waiting. Upon seeing Leena, he seemed disappointed that it wasn't Rajiv picking him up.

"Come, let's go home," Leena said, and Kiran gathered his bag and followed her to the red car.

They drove in silence for a while until Leena finally broke it. "A lot has changed in your life recently. I know it's hard to adjust, and there's shame tied to it. But violence is never the answer."

"He called Achan a bad word. I couldn't hold myself back," Kiran said, anger still simmering.

"There are other ways to handle it," Leena gently offered.

"Don't lecture me! You're not my mother, and you're the reason for all this trouble," Kiran snapped.

Tears stung Leena's eyes, and she wiped them away as she continued driving in silence.

At home, Janaki was waiting and opened the door. She noticed Kiran's sullen expression and Leena's teary eyes and sensed something was wrong.

"Shall I make you both some tea?" Janaki asked.

Just then, the doorbell rang. It was just a bit early for Rajiv or the boys to be back, and Mani had only gone to the market a few minutes earlier.

"Who could it be?" muttered Janaki as she opened the door, then stepped back in shock.

Leena was stunned to see Gomati and Padmanabhan standing at the door, but what made her blood run cold was the sight of the old man who followed them into the house.

"Sebastian Uncle," Leena whispered in terror.

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