Page 4 of Entangled Vows
Mahika Jaykar sat in silence, her gaze fixed on the intricate wallpaper in her late father’s study. She hoped the swirling patterns of beige and gold might distract her from the heavy sense of dread pressing down on her regarding the meeting. For a moment, she wondered if staring at it long enough could somehow erase the reason she was here. Her thoughts were tangled and restless, much like the pale blue dupatta clutched in her hands. The delicate fabric, threaded with fine silver threads, creased slightly under her tight grip.
Despite the quiet storm brewing within, she looked utterly calm in her simple blue suit and elegant dupatta. There was a timeless beauty about her, though her once-bright eyes had now dimmed, and she appeared weary. Her dad’s death last year had taken a toll on her, physically, mentally, and emotionally. Together with her brother, Mohit, she took care of the house, her mom, and oversaw the business she had never wanted nor was interested in.
At twenty-five, Mahika often felt trapped between fulfilling others’ expectations and the desire for her own freedom, where she could live life on her own terms.
The soft sunlight filtered through the curtains, wrapping her in a muted glow that only heightened her inherent beauty. Her delicate features caught the light, making her seem almost ethereal. She brushed aside a stray strand of hair from her cheek. Her firm lips and clenched jaw revealed just how hard she was trying to hold it all together.
Beside her, Mahika’s mother, Varsha Jaykar, wept silently, dabbing at her eyes from time to time. Mahika, however, couldn’t bring herself to look at her or offer comfort. Ever since her father passed away, her mother had withdrawn into herself, and had been battling severe depression. She knew her mom’s grief was overwhelming, but it had been a year. But then again, some things never changed. She had always been the one to care for her mom, even when her dad was around.
The JK Group was co-founded by her dad, Om Jaykar, and his closest friend and business partner, Sanjyot Khurana. Together, they had built a legacy of luxury and excellence. Under their leadership, the company had risen to great heights, earning a distinguished name in the world of hospitality. They owned luxury hotels and resorts all over the world. Each property carried an air of luxury and grandeur and offered flawless service to their customers. They particularly excelled in curating experiences that promised indulgence.
Her father had been a commanding figure in business, and even a year after his death, his absence was deeply felt. He wasn’t arrogant. Nope. He was just old-fashioned, and his affection had always been tied to obedience and discipline. Mahika wouldn’t label him a terrible father, but she often wondered if he had been harder on her simply because she was a girl. She’d never know for sure, but it often felt that way.
Brushing the thought aside, Mahika shifted her gaze to her right. Mohit sat beside her, his arms crossed, shoulders tense, his face a mask of controlled composure. Next to him stood Ratan Pattnayak, the trusted right hand of both their father and his late business partner, looking uncharacteristically quiet.
Across the desk, Mr. Rao, their lawyer, was busy sifting through the papers in his briefcase. She glanced at her diamond watch, her impatience rising. Almost twenty minutes had passed since they had all arrived.What was he waiting for?Everyone was here, silently holding on to their breath. She took a steadying breath of her own, bracing herself to face whatever hidden clause in her father’s will had summoned them here today, exactly a year after his death.
Mahika’s eyes flicked back to Mr. Rao, but her mind was elsewhere. A whirlwind of events over the past year had brought them to this moment. Their lives had been torn apart by her father’s sudden death, leaving only destruction in its wake. With both her father and Sanjyot Khurana gone, the empire they had built was beginning to crumble. And it wasn’t just the business falling apart. Her best friend, Suraj Khurana, had disappeared without a word. He had worked alongside his father until shortly before Sanjyot Uncle passed away, and then he had just walked away from everything. No calls. No texts. No explanation.
Mahika and her other best friend, Ishika, had tried calling Suraj, but his phone was switched off, and the texts and emails went unanswered. Even contacting his college friends and tracing his last known whereabouts didn’t help. Mahika had nearly broken down trying to find him. Suraj wasn’t just a friend; he was her family. The three of them, Mahika, Ishika, and Suraj, had always been inseparable, like three peas in a pod. Andnow, he had simply disappeared, leaving a void in everything they’d shared. What bugged her the most was a single gnawing question.Why?
She exhaled sharply, her mind swirling with thoughts of her deceased father and the regret of their unresolved issues. No matter how distant their relationship had been, her father’s loss had left a hollow ache in her chest. Her grief was complicated as she had never truly felt like the daughter he truly cherished.
She had always been the baby of the family, the one her father neither confided in nor fully trusted. No matter what she did, it never seemed enough. She could never live up to his expectations. All he cared about was appearances, what she brought to the family name—a good marriage, a perfect image, and a life mapped out by someone else.
For years, she had played along with it, but not anymore. Her dad had tried to dictate her life when he was alive, but now, Mahika was determined to break free.
She had fought her dad every turn, but one clause in his will had forced her to stay with the JK Group for a full year. Only then would she inherit her grandfather’s beach house in Australia. And now, that year was nearly up. She was getting closer to her dream—a life of freedom and a chance to finally follow her own passion. She had honoured his last wish, despite feeling manipulated, because he was still her father.
But a strange unease settled over her when Mohit’s message from last night hinted at a new condition that had come into effect immediately after Sanjyot Uncle’s demise.
By 1:30 p.m., Mohit’s patience snapped. “Can we get started?” he said sharply.
Mahika knew her brother better than anyone, but she’d never seen him like this. He was restless, and even his usual cool was slipping.
Why was it taking so long?
She hated this endless waiting. They already knew the contents of the will. Nothing Mr. Rao said now would faze them. The disclosure had been made last year. Mohit had inherited fifty percent shares of the company, their mother was provided for, and she… she was inheriting the beach house. This meeting should have been a formality and nothing more. All she wanted was for it to be over.
“We’ll begin soon,” Mr. Rao said, trying to calm Mohit, whose pacing was becoming increasingly frantic.
Mahika couldn’t shake off the gnawing unease. Deep down, she knew this wasn’t just another meeting. Something felt wrong, like really wrong. Even Mr. Rao, who was normally calm, looked tensed now. Losing both his bosses in a single year was certainly tragic, but that alone couldn’t explain his stalling. He looked like he was waiting, but for what exactly? Maybe he was waiting for something… or someone.
Her train of thought was derailed when the door beside her creaked open, the hinges groaning like a bad omen.
And then, to make things even worse,hewalked in.
Him. Of all people!
2
Mahika was boiling with anger but forced herself to remain calm, wearing indifference like a shield. Deep down, she was super frustrated and kind of hated how much his presence unsettled her. He shouldn’t be here. Yet there he was, radiating power and confidence, moving around as if he owned the place. Without uttering a word, he carried a distinct air of authority. When their eyes met, he sized her up with a sharp look, his gaze lingering just long enough to make her spine tingle with unspoken tension.
Vikram Khurana.
Sanjyot Khurana’s eldest son. The man who neither seemed interested nor cared about the Khurana Empire, the JK Group, or its legacy. Mahika didn’t really know why, but Suraj often said that Vikram had just handed him the CEO position without a second thought, much to their father’s disapproval. Why he had done it, no one really knew.
But being away from home had done him good. He’d had really outdone himself. In Mumbai, he’d built his own empire, making his fortune through bold investments and ventures she’d never bothered to track. His presence here was not only unexpected but also impossible to ignore. He carried himself with a regal air, and his gaze conveyed a sense of immense control.
