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H O L D I N G   U P   T H E
S H A T T E R E D   H O P E S

Shivaay clutched the back of the chair tightly, closing his eyes, he parted his lips. Come on, I can do it. Step aside the fear. Do it.

"I-i-" he rasped out. His eyes widened. There were sudden jabs of pain in his throat, but they were dull and bearable. But there were no bloodied coughs. Dryness creeped into his mouth, but his hopes were lifted again.

He stared at the paper below. It was his speech that he had to give on the day of the company's anniversary.

He tried to speak the words that were scrawled on the papers. His eyes tearing up. He had to speak this time. There were too many people counting on him. He can't disappoint them. Or more so, he can't bear the failure again.

He coughed a few times. But he did finish the first sentence. He glanced at the digital clock, watched as the seconds ticked by on the clock. Nine minutes. He looked at the paper. Seven words. Not as impressive, but progress isn't easy. For now he was happy with what he had achieved.

The glass on the table was now empty. But his heart was overjoyed. The hope was there, maybe, that maybe he might be able to voice his own thoughts. And it was about to be true. He couldn't wait to tell the news to Priyanka.

There were too many stutters, the words mixed together but what mattered in the end that he managed to do it.

He leaned back on his bed, a delighted chuckle escaping his lips. Maybe he might recover.

<>

Neeraj frowned when he looked at the accounts. He carefully encrypted the data. Before he scrolled past the transaction history. How is that possible? There is no way—

Me; 12:04 pm.
Shivaay, just a question are you sure your family vaults that you owned were closer before you left? Or— did the ownership or the access transferred to anybody else.

Thankfully, he didn't have to wait too long for the reply as Shivaay had seen it in the instant. He waited for the response when he saw his caller ID being highlighted in green, indicating that he was typing. The notification popped up and he clicked open the message.

Shivaay; 12:06 pm.
As much as I remember when I signed
those papers assured that all the assets,
the family vaults and the ones that were
used in the business will belong to the
industry. There was no clear acknowledgement for that, and even I
don't remember them clearly.

I am afraid I shouldn't disclose more
over text, I am sure I can detail you
out better in the person.

Me; 12:08 pm.
You are actually right. But I am not in Mumbai. But don't worry I will be there for the annual ceremony at VOID. Even I am eager to experience the glamour that has kept everyone on their toes.

Shivaay; 12:11 pm.
I will see you there.

Neeraj debated whether he should have told about the recent transactions made on Shivaay's accounts which had to be frozen the moment he was disowned from the family. When Shivaay had no access to them, then who was this person who was tampering with them under Shivaay's name. At first he was sceptical about his family, but now his he was getting sure as he scrolled below.

There were depositions as well as transactions that were happening there under Shivaay's name and the fun fact is that Shivaay was not aware of the bullshit that his family was playing behind his back. Oberois will be gone for a long time when they get caught. But he would need some legal help, his fingers hovered over the number uncertainly before he pressed the call button.

"ACP Bhavya Pratap Rathore, I am in need of your help."

<>

Rudra paled when he looked at the analysis. Below the par. Again. Om was staring blankly at the papers. Shakti didn't accompany them in the meeting. He knew now why. He didn't have courage to face them. The board members, he didn't have any answers to their questions. It wasn't their fault that company was shredded, he and Om were never the businessmen they expected them to be. They were thrown head first in the industry. He was interrupted from his thoughts when the murmurs arose.

Mr. Khurrana was looking down at them with a haughty expression.

"That was the last chance that you had admitted to us." He spoke. Om's fist clenched on the table. They were manipulated into following those words. The deal with Mr. Ahuja didn't manage to lift up the company at the last moment, but he had already signed the shares, there was no turning back.

"We are charting off your legal rights over the company administration and involvement in financial decisions." The man announced. Om's gaze snapped at him in the shock.

"You can't do that——we are still legal owners." The man arched a perfect eyebrow at him.

"Are you really? After that deal all you left with is fifty percent shares in total with no monetary power and the rest lies to us."

"Please vote on the decisions, let's see who is favoured." The man sneered down at him.

Om's expression soured when he saw they were outnumbered by the board members once again. Rudra's words came true, they lost the company.

"What did you think Mr. Omkara Singh Oberoi? Who would people choose? The side with money or the side which is now indebted thanks to your aloof actions."

Rudra looked at his brother, he looked utterly defeated. He didn't blame him. There was nothing they could have done. It was either this or getting bankrupt.

"I can't believe the company that Shivaay had maintained all these years perfectly is now dragged beneath the dirt."

And that shook them to the cores. They sold off someone else's hardwork in their own plight.

<>

"I am sorry, Mr. Oberoi. The tissues of your vocal cords have been ruptured because of the extreme trauma that you have put them through. We are not sure if they will recover or——In other words, we suggest you should refrain from speaking to avoid any further damage to the muscles and tissues. If that happened, we are afraid that you might lose your voice forever."

His ears went numb at the news. He couldn't move from the bed but he knew if he had been standing he would have collapsed.

He could hear Priyanka's quiet gasp from behind and her hand on his shoulder.

He can't stand on his own legs.

Grade 2 partial tear on his ankle, a couple of months needed for the recovery.

He cannot lift his own hands.

The nerves in his hands have suffered huge damage.

He cannot talk anymore.

The tissues of his vocal cords were ruptured.

He cannot lie on his back for too long because of the pain.

He had no idea how he landed up here, all he knew was his family wasn't his anymore. The reason you ask? He didn't remember that either.

He didn't know what kind of game his life was playing with him.

Why did they even keep him alive? They should have just left him to die at the gates. That way he wouldn't have to go through the same damn thing over and over again.

Every single day he was reminded that he was nothing but a burden left on the shoulders. He needed assistance even with the things that required no special efforts.

This was not fair.

Why don't they put him out of his misery at once? It would save them all from the trouble. He neither had any strength nor any courage left to deal with the pain that has to come.

He faintly heard the opening and closing of the door.

"Mr. Oberoi?" He turned towards the sound of the voice, his muscles protesting against the sudden movement. The doctor would have probably noticed it.

"I'd suggest you should refrain from making such sudden movements it has only been the fifteenth day since you have gained consciousness. Do not be so hard on yourself, Mr. Oberoi. The injuries you have endured——" she paused in the middle.

"I will not lie to you. They will take time. And it would not be easy. It will take months or even years. The pain will be there, we cannot do anything about it. But you will recover." She put an extra emphasis on the last words.

What if I don't want to? Shivaay wanted to question.

"You may not believe me now. But it will happen. A journey to recovery is never easy." She spoke earnestly. He couldn't care more about the words.

"Seven days ago your neck didn't have any strength to support the cranium. But you are sitting up now." She spoke. He turned away, she was listing them as if they were achievements.

Shivaay turned away the page. He sighed. It has been years to that day. He had lost his hope for recovery but apparently his sister was too stubborn to let him be.

Difficult times they were. And he could never forget them. His own screams when the pain got too unbearable. He didn't want to remember those days yet he didn't want to forget them either, and he knew he would never be able to.

He still bore the scars and those memories will be etched deep as long as the scars remain on his body.

<>

Aradhya flipped another page of the textbook she had been reading, since she wasn't practicing anymore she had taken up research work to widen her knowledge. A paper slipped from the book and she picked it up.

It was a copy of the contact that she had signed with the Oberois. So that she kept loyalty, and kept his condition confidential from the media and the world. She blinked, how long has it been since she signed it? Five years. And she has been assigned to this case since six. Her debts are almost clear now, once his condition is deemed stable she is free to leave.

But she couldn't see it happening in the near future.

She remembered the hollow look on Priyanka's face when she was reading the patient file. She was sitting on the metal chairs that lined up in the hospital, curled into a ball. She looked lost. She was reminded of the scene not long ago. But the only difference was that instead of Priyanka it was her sitting outside her brother's room praying for his recovery.

Six years have gone to that night. And seven to hers. But the scars were still fresh.

<>

Annika was invited to stay at the mansion for as long as she wanted, but she didn't want to. There was no reason for her to stay there. Nor any right.

She didn't want to stay in the place that would constantly remind of him. Constantly remind of what they had been and what they could have. And also what it all turned out to be.

She never submitted the signed papers, she never had the courage to. They still lay covered in layers of dust in the darkest shelf of the cupboard. She never looked at them again after that day.

She had always tried to move on from the incident, to never think about them again but she had failed many times.

She had always wondered about his side of the story, only to end up dismissing the thoughts, but not this time. She will dig out the truth that has been buried into the loop of time.

So? The previous book had ended at part 29 and we haven't reached the main part yet (⁠╥⁠﹏⁠╥⁠) helppp