MUMBAI...
The city never slept.
The roads were already crowded at seven in the morning. Luxury cars rushed past roadside tea stalls. Towering skyscrapers stood beside old buildings, telling stories of dreams, ambition, and power.
Among those skyscrapers stood the pride of India's business world.
SINGHANIA GROUP OF INDUSTRIES.
A magnificent 65-storey glass tower that sparkled under the morning sun. Thousands of employees worked there, but everyone knew one rule.
Never keep the CEO waiting.
---
A black Rolls-Royce Phantom stopped at the entrance.
Security guards immediately stood straight.
"Good morning, sir!"
Employees lowered their heads respectfully.
Out stepped Aryan Singhania.
Twenty-nine years old.
Chairman and CEO of the Singhania Group.
One of India's youngest billionaires.
Tall, handsome, and intimidating.
His neatly styled black hair, perfectly tailored charcoal suit, luxury watch, and sharp black eyes made him look like someone born to rule.
He never smiled without a reason.
He never wasted words.
His silence was enough to make an entire boardroom nervous.
As he entered the lobby, everyone moved aside.
"Good morning, Mr. Singhania."
He gave a slight nod and continued walking.
His assistant, Kabir Mehta, hurried beside him with an iPad.
"Sir, your meeting with the Dubai investors starts at nine. The Singapore project file has been approved. The Delhi land deal papers need your signature."
Aryan replied calmly,
"Move the investor meeting to ten. I want the legal team's report before I sign anything."
"Yes, sir."
"And the Sharma contract?"
"It's already on your desk."
"Good."
That single word was enough.
---
Inside the boardroom...
Ten directors waited nervously.
Aryan walked in.
Everyone stood.
"Good morning, sir."
He took his seat.
Without looking at anyone, he opened the presentation.
"The quarterly profit has dropped by two percent."
Silence.
"Who approved the marketing budget?"
One manager stood up with trembling hands.
"S-Sir... I did."
Aryan looked at him.
"If you cannot increase profits, at least don't increase expenses."
The room fell silent.
"I'm giving you one month. Improve the numbers."
"Yes, sir."
Meeting over.
No unnecessary speeches.
No emotions.
Just business.
---
Meanwhile...
On the other side of Mumbai stood the Singhania Mansion.
It wasn't just a mansion.
It was a symbol of legacy.
A massive white palace surrounded by lush green gardens, fountains, and rows of blooming flowers.
Inside, crystal chandeliers illuminated the marble halls.
Paintings of the Singhania ancestors decorated the walls.
Servants moved quietly, ensuring every corner of the house reflected elegance.
At the center of the living room sat Savitri Devi Singhania.
Seventy-five years old.
The respected matriarch of the Singhania family.
Her silver hair was neatly tied in a bun, and she wore a graceful silk saree with a simple pearl necklace. Though age had slowed her steps, her wisdom and authority remained unmatched.
Every decision in the family still carried her blessing.
She looked at the family portrait on the wall and sighed.
"My grandson has built an empire..."
"...but he still comes home to an empty room."
---
That evening...
Aryan entered the mansion.
"Dadi..."
Savitri Devi smiled warmly.
"There you are. Come, have dinner with me."
Aryan removed his coat and sat beside her.
"I've missed your cooking."
She laughed.
"You miss my food, not me."
"For me, both are the same."
The servants served hot rotis, dal, paneer, and rice.
For a few minutes, they ate in silence.
Finally...
Savitri Devi looked at him.
"Aryan."
"Hmm?"
"I want to talk to you about something important."
He already knew.
He sighed.
"If this is about marriage, my answer is still no."
She smiled knowingly.
"You haven't even heard me."
"I've heard the same thing for the last three years."
"You are twenty-nine."
"So?"
"You have everything."
"I know."
"But you don't have someone waiting for you."
Aryan put down his spoon.
"Dadi... marriage isn't a business deal."
"No. It is a responsibility."
"I don't have time for relationships."
"You never make time."
"I don't believe in love."
Savitri Devi looked at him quietly.
"Love isn't always found before marriage."
Aryan smiled faintly.
"That happens only in old Bollywood movies."
"It also happens in real life."
He shook his head.
"Not in mine."
She stood up, walked to the cupboard, and returned with a cream-colored envelope.
"I've chosen a girl."
Aryan didn't even look at it.
"Dadi..."
"She's from a respectable family."
"I'm not interested."
"She's kind."
"I don't care."
"She's educated."
"I'm still not interested."
"She's beautiful."
Aryan chuckled.
"I don't even want to see her photograph."
He gently pushed the envelope back toward her.
"I'll marry only when I decide."
Savitri Devi folded the photograph and smiled.
"You can refuse to see her face today..."
"...but destiny has already decided that one day, you won't be able to look away."
Aryan stood up.
"We'll talk later."
He walked upstairs without another word.
Savitri Devi watched him disappear and whispered to herself,
"Stubborn... just like your grandfather."
A gentle smile appeared on her face.
"Let's see how long your stubbornness survives after meeting that little girl."
Far away, in another part of the city...
A cheerful young woman laughed while chasing a little child around a garden, completely unaware that her life was about to change forever.
The story of Aryan Singhania and Ananya Sharma had already begun...
