Recap: Aryan returns from UK. The  party to begin at Aryan Mansion

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The Aryan Mansion shimmered like a palace that evening. Lights twinkled across the façade, spilling golden warmth across the lawn. The garden was an artwork in itself—lined with exclusive flowers, gently swaying in the breeze. Lanterns lit the pathway from the grand entrance to the garden, casting a soft, enchanting glow.

Inside, Ranjith was impeccably dressed and greeting the guests with practiced charm. Executives and department heads from ARC began arriving, filling the air with the buzz of polite conversation and clinking glasses.

Among them was Manasi. As she stepped out of her car, her jaw dropped at the sight of the mansion.

It's no less than a palace, she thought, her eyes sweeping across the grandeur. She lingered outside, hesitant to enter, taking in the majestic lateral view that was more than enough to feed her imagination.

 "Oh my god, such a huge place. Bad luck to me for not being the one to enjoy this royalty. But why so much decoration for an official party? " 

Her thoughts were interrupted when she spotted Pavithra arriving. Dressed in an elegant gown adorned with delicate pearl jewelry, Pavithra looked radiant. Manasi watched as she walked up to Ranjith and began speaking to him. Though Manasi couldn't hear the conversation, she saw Ranjith politely leading Pavithra toward the mansion entrance.

"Why does she alone get to enter? What if I just walk in? What's wrong in that? Let me try.

Curious and slightly envious, Manasi crept closer and hid near the door, just close enough to hear their exchange.

"I'll wait in the living room," Pavithra said softly.

"Just a minute, Pavithra," Ranjith replied. "I'll confirm before sending you upstairs."

Just then, Aryan emerged from his study. He looked every bit the tycoon in a black Brioni Vanquish slim-fit suit and sleek black Armani shoes. His presence demanded attention, and Pavithra immediately greeted him.

"Hello, Pavithra. Come, sit. Why are you standing over there?" Aryan asked, his tone warm.

"Sir, she wanted to meet Sanjana," Ranjith explained. "I just told her to wait until I took your permission."

"Actually, I haven't seen Sanju for days," Pavithra added. "So I thought I could meet her."

"Ranjith," Aryan said, turning to him, "anytime Pavithra is allowed in our mansion. Pavithra, feel at home. Go meet her upstairs—she must be getting ready for the party."

"Thank you, sir," she replied with a grateful smile.

Manasi's eyes widened in shock. Sanju... lives here? she thought, stunned. Without another second's delay, she slipped away toward the party area, her mind racing.

Meanwhile, Pavithra reached the first floor and knocked at a closed bedroom door. It swung open to reveal Sanjana, who squealed in delight.

"Pavi! How are you?" she exclaimed, pulling her into a bone-crushing hug.

"I'm fine. You look stunning!" Pavithra said with admiration.

"You too look gorgeous!" Sanju replied with a smile. "Just a few more minutes and I'll be ready."

"I'll wait," Pavithra said, settling nearby as they continued their cheerful banter while Sanju finished her makeup.

Back downstairs, the executives from DC Groups were granted entry after their invites were verified. The guests had mostly arrived and were now seated at elegant tables, enjoying drinks and appetizers as laughter and clinking glasses filled the air.

As the evening drew close to the official start of the party, Chandrasekar and Maya arrived at Aryan Mansion. Ranjith welcomed them with a courteous smile and led them through the lantern-lit path into the garden, now alive with chatter and music.

Aryan spotted them and walked forward with a smile, greeting Chandrasekar with a warm hug.

"Welcome, Sir. Nice to meet you at our mansion."

"Thank you, gentleman," Chandrasekar replied with a firm nod.

Aryan turned to Maya. "Welcome, Ms. Maya."

"Thank you, Aryan," she said, her tone pleasant.

Just then, Naren arrived and embraced Aryan in a brief hug.

"Hey," Aryan grinned, "you could have arrived earlier."

"Man, how do you expect me to relax when we have nothing but stress on our plates?" Naren replied.

"Why do you bother when I'm all cool?" Aryan chuckled. "Relax. Everything will be taken care of."

"I'll be leaving to Canada after the party. Early morning flight."

"What happened?" Aryan asked, raising an eyebrow.

"There's a business to be taken care of."

"Hmm. Okay," Aryan nodded.

Maya's curiosity sparked. "What is the secret you two are talking about?"

"Nothing," Naren replied quickly. "Just friendship talk."

Aryan led them to a section of the garden where plush seats had been reserved for VIP guests. Ranjith, meanwhile, received a call and stepped away to welcome Surendhar and Pradeep, who had just arrived.

"Why here?" Surendhar asked. "Shall we wait in the garden?"

"No, sir wanted you to be received with respect," Ranjith replied. "You can join the garden once the party begins. Pradeep, relax and be comfortable."

"Thank you, Ranjith," Pradeep said warmly.

Kowsalya offered them welcome drinks with a graceful smile.

The atmosphere was vibrant. Music floated in the air, and the guests were immersed in laughter and conversation. Chandrasekar gestured to Aryan, suggesting it was time to begin. Aryan nodded and turned to Ranjith.

"Call Sanju," he said quietly.

Ranjith called upstairs and informed Sanju to come down. A few minutes later, Sanju and Pavithra descended the stairs, heading toward the VIP area.

Aryan looked up and froze. Sanju walked gracefully in a soft pink saree, the pallu falling freely over her arm. The diamonds from Aryan's late mother glittered on her neck and ears, adding a touch of heritage and elegance. Her hair, curled into loose waves, cascaded over her shoulders. She walked like a queen—confident, poised, and ethereal—holding the edge of her pallu lightly in one hand.

Every pair of eyes turned toward her. Conversations paused. Even the music seemed to fade.

Aryan's gaze never left her, his lips curving into an unguarded smile. Sanju caught his eyes and blinked once in acknowledgment before taking a seat beside Pavithra.

From a few seats away, Maya's jaw clenched. She had expected Sanju to show up in formal attire—simple, forgettable. But this? This display of grace and regality only added fuel to the burning jealousy within her.

The media personnel, seated separately, waited for the official address scheduled after the party. Meanwhile, the legal teams from both ARC and DC mingled among the guests, marking their presence. Aryan started addressing the guest and the media.

Aryan stepped onto the small dais set up near the center of the garden, his voice clear and confident as he addressed the crowd.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen," he began. "Thank you for the precious time you've given to grace this evening at Aryan Mansion."

The guests quieted, their attention now focused on Aryan.

"As we all know, there's a reason behind tonight's gathering," he continued, his eyes briefly scanning the room before landing on Sanjana. "But I take the honor of announcing it to you all."

Sanju's eyes widened in surprise.

"We're here not to celebrate one, but three important occasions tonight."

A ripple of curiosity passed through the guests.

Aryan smiled. "The first reason, as many of you know, is the partnership venture between ARC and DC Groups. I would like to thank Mr. Chandrasekar, the CEO of DC Groups, for this collaboration. I look forward to a successful and friendly partnership between our companies. So once again, thank you, sir."

A round of applause followed, but Aryan held up his hand with a slight smirk.

"Before we sign the deed, I would like to announce the second special occasion today. Ranjith, could you please bring it out?"

All heads turned as Ranjith wheeled out a trolley, revealing a beautifully decorated cake.

Aryan turned toward Sanjana, his expression softening. "Today is Sanjana's birthday. I wanted to make it special for her. So, my second reason for tonight's celebration—'Happy birthday, Sanjana.'"

The guests erupted into claps and cheers, rising to sing as Sanjana stood, stunned and speechless.

Idiot... What do I do when he wishes me in front of a whole crowd? I can't even hug you...

Aryan stepped beside her and gave her a light side hug, his gesture warm but respectful. He gently guided her hand to the cake.

She cut it, a blush rising on her cheeks, and Aryan was the first to feed her a piece, followed by Pavithra and Ranjith. Sanju returned the gesture, feeding each of them with a shy smile. Naren came over and hugged her tightly.

"Happy birthday, Sanju," he said with genuine affection.

Meanwhile, Chandrasekar's brows furrowed, and he leaned toward his personal assistant, whispering something into his ear. The assistant nodded and slipped away quickly. Maya, on the other hand, was visibly fuming.

"What is the third occasion?" she snapped, unable to hide her irritation.

Aryan chuckled lightly. "A very special one. But I'll let you know after we sign the deed."

He turned toward the table set up for the signing.

"Now, it's time we officially seal this partnership. I request Mr. Chandrasekar to come forward and sign the documents."

Chandrasekar stood, taking Maya by the hand. Together, they walked over to the table and took their seats beside Aryan.

"Thank you, Aryan," Chandrasekar said. "I'm glad to announce that my princess, Ms. Maya Chandrasekar, is now the CEO of DC Groups, and she will be signing the partnership with ARC."

Gasps echoed across the gathering. Even Sanjana was surprised, her brows lifting. But Aryan remained composed, unfazed.

"Congratulations, Ms. Maya Chandrasekar," he said with a polite nod.

"Thank you, Mr. Aryan Chaitanya," Maya replied with a smug smile.

Aryan's expression shifted slightly, a glint in his eyes. "Now, it's my pleasure to welcome the new CEO of ARC Cosmetics, Mr. Pradeep Surendhar."

The crowd turned again, shocked as Pradeep walked in with confident strides, accompanied by his father, Surendhar. Sanjana stood abruptly, eyes wide as Pradeep approached Aryan and gave him a friendly side hug.

Maya couldn't hold back. "Aryan! You're too wicked. How could you appoint him as CEO?"

Aryan turned to her, cool and unbothered. "Ms. Maya, Pradeep is a good friend and like a brother to me. He already owns a successful firm, so I trust he'll do well here too."

Maya sneered. "What do you mean, brother? Did you adopt him recently?"

Just then, Chandrasekar's PA returned and whispered something in his ear. Whatever he heard drained the color from his face.

"Aryan..." Chandrasekar said, his voice now hesitant. "Can we take time to think over this partnership?"

Aryan gave a slight shrug. "I don't mind, sir. You're welcome anytime."

Chandrasekar turned to the crowd. "Then we'll wind up the party here. Ladies and gentlemen, the partnership deed needs some reconsideration, so we'll be taking a break to review it."

Aryan stepped forward again, his tone lifting with excitement. "That's perfectly fine. Now, it's my turn to announce the most important occasion of the evening. Ranjith, please call the media in."

Within minutes, the media had gathered, seated separately to cover the announcement. Aryan faced the cameras and the guests alike.

"Thank you to all the media personnel who have joined us. I'm happy to officially announce Mr. Pradeep Surendhar as the new CEO of ARC Cosmetics."

A round of flashes and murmurs followed.

"And now," Aryan continued, "I'm even more thrilled to declare that 50% of ARC's shares will be owned by Mrs. Sanjana Aryan Chaitanya."

The audience gasped again. Chandrasekar looked panicked. Maya was frozen in disbelief. Sanjana stared at Aryan, her hand instinctively going to her chest.

Aryan's voice softened.

"The most important and special occasion of today... is our first wedding anniversary."

The crowd was silent, stunned.

"I'm happy and proud to announce to the world that Sanjana is my love, my life, my heart, my soul, my everything in this world and she is my dear wife, Sanjana."

He turned to her, his eyes full of adoration.

"I love you, Sanjana. I will love you forever."

Sanjana stood motionless, tears brimming in her eyes, while the guests stared in awe and disbelief, the truth finally laid bare in the spotlight.

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A/N:

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