Chapter 91: Chapter Eighty One.

It was late afternoon.

Veda was moving briskly, folding her clothes with practiced ease, the bed already cluttered with neatly stacked piles.

Two large suitcases stood to the side, filled to the brim, the visible sign of a chapter coming to a close.

She was quiet, but her movements betrayed a touch of nervousness.

Just then, the door creaked open, and Meera stepped in with a soft smile on her face. She leaned against the frame, her eyes landing on the suitcases.

“I see you’re really packing,” Meera said gently, stepping in further. “I’m going to miss you, Vee.”

Veda paused, looked up and smiled at her sister. “I’ll miss you more..” she replied warmly, and the two of them giggled like little girls again.

There was a moment of shared silence between them, full of history, full of unspoken emotions, until Veda’s phone suddenly rang, breaking through the quiet.

She glanced at the screen and her smile returned.

“Samaira..” she said under her breath and answered, putting the phone to her ear. “Hey, Samaira.”

“Finally!” Samaira’s energetic voice came through the speaker. “So, you actually told your parents, huh?”

Veda chuckled lightly, while Meera quietly settled on the edge of the bed beside her.

“Well, I had to..” Veda replied. “But it still feels weird. Especially since our IT placement is in different cities.”

Samaira groaned dramatically on the other end. “Ugh, don’t remind me. But hey, Bangalore’s just a five or six-hour drive away. Not that far, come on!”

Veda smiled faintly, fingers trailing over the folded hem of her dress as she listened. “Yeah… I guess that’s true.”

“So when exactly are you leaving?” Samaira asked, her voice dipping into a more serious tone.

Veda’s expression softened as she sighed. “In two days. I… I still have to see Mr. Ajay before I go.”

There was a pause.

Samaira didn’t speak immediately. And when she did, her voice was a little more cautious.

“Ah… right.”

“It’s fine..” Veda said quickly, brushing the topic away. “But you and I have to hang out before I leave. Promise me?”

“Promise.” Samaira’s voice brightened again. “Come over tomorrow, okay? I’ll get so many cakes and sweet andddd our special karaoke night!”

Veda laughed. “Done. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Bye, love you!” Samaira said and made a kissing sound before hanging up.

Veda chuckled softly and dropped the phone on the bed.

Meera was still smiling as she watched her, then scooted closer and rested her hand over Veda’s.

“Make sure you call me often, okay?” she said with a mock-serious frown.

Veda gave her a big grin. “I’ll spam you with video calls.”

They both laughed again, but the emotion in the air was unmistakable now, this goodbye wasn’t easy.

“And please..” Veda added playfully, “let me know when you and Veer are getting married. I have to come for that one.”

Meera’s cheeks flushed instantly, and she playfully shoved Veda’s shoulder. “Stop it.”

“I’m serious! Don’t make me miss that drama, and i need to make fee cash from that man” Veda teased, then pulled her sister into a tight hug.

Meera hugged her back, her arms wrapped around her tightly, as if she didn’t want to let go.

“Of course I’ll tell you..” she whispered, her voice low, touched by something more fragile. “How could I not?”

Two sisters on the edge of change, smiling, teasing, holding onto something only they understood.

But outside that room… eyes were watching.

♤♤♤

Varun descended the grand staircase, his footsteps steady.

But before he could reach the last step, his father’s voice cut through the air, stern, direct.

“Varun.”

He halted.

At the foot of the stairs stood Vihaan, his arms crossed, a file clutched in one hand, while their father stood beside him, steel in his posture and storm in his eyes.

Varun’s cold gaze shifted from the file to Vihaan who held it.

“What is this?” his father asked, taking the file from Vihaan and holding it up for Varun to see, the papers slightly trembling from restrained fury.

Varun’s eyes skimmed the contents briefly before lifting again to meet his father’s glare.

“I assume you’ve read it already.” he said coolly, voice void of remorse. “So why are you asking again?”

His father’s jaw flexed. “I didn’t ask what’s written in it.” he ground out, eyes narrowing. “I’m asking why you did it.”

Varun stared at him for a moment, his expression darkening slightly, then looked away. “I have somewhere to be.”

And without another word, he walked past them, He pulled his hood upwards.

Vihaan exhaled harshly and ran a hand through his hair.

“I knew it..” he muttered. “He didn’t go to Pakistan just for that deal. That was just the surface. He orchestrated all of it just to secure the documents in that file.”

His father remained silent, eyes still fixed on the now-closed front door as if trying to see through it, through his son.

“He’s been after that company in Bangalore for weeks now..” Vihaan continued. “Turns out the actual owner was in Pakistan. Varun made a move on him—secured his interest, made the man bend. But why?” Vihaan’s brows furrowed. “Why that company, in that city? And especially for a Tech company?”

Their father didn’t respond. His eyes remained cold, trained on the space where Varun had just disappeared.

A muscle ticked in his cheek.

Whatever Varun was doing, it wasn’t just business. There was something else.

"Has the case of yesterday dropped?" His father asked, now looking at Vihaan. He nodded.

Without saying anything else, he walked away. Vihaan sighed.