ALL NOVEL Chapter 10: Surya
As I watched the door, it slowly opened, and the accountant, Murthy, stepped outside. He gestured for me to come in.
Telling the others to wait outside, I entered the room. The moment I stepped in, Shekhar turned toward me, his face pale but curious. "What's your name?" he asked.
"My name is Surya, sir," I replied.
He paused for a moment, taking in my presence before asking, "What do you do for a living?"
"I'm a businessman," I said calmly. "I'm the CEO of Ryan Technologies. Ryan was the name given to me by my mother who was an American"
Everyone in the room was visibly shocked. My company had revolutionized the tech world in the past few months, but not many people knew my identity. Even if some recognized my name, few had ever seen me in person. Fewer still knew of my connection with Anushka.
Murthy was the first to regain his composure. "What brings you to India?" he asked, his voice filled with curiosity.
I smiled, prepared for this moment. "I come from a Telugu family, though I was born and raised abroad. I lost my parents when I was young, and my grandfather, a wealthy businessman who had settled in Europe, raised me. He passed away about nine months ago, but before he died, he had one wish: for me to marry a Telugu girl, to honor our roots.
"For the past nine months, I've had people searching for a suitable match for me. But with my focus on building my company, I hadn't found anyone. Now that almost a year has passed since my grandfather's death, I decided to come to India myself and search for a bride."
As I finished telling my story, I could see the spark of joy in Shekhar's eyes. I knew what he was thinking. In his vulnerable state, his thoughts would naturally drift to his daughters and their futures. I was leveraging his emotions perfectly.
The story I shared had been inspired by my wife Anushka's situation. Her father had included a clause in his will that she had to marry an Indian guy before the age of 24 to inherit his property. I'd taken elements from her story and adapted them to my own needs. I could tell that Shekhar, grateful for my help and seeing me as a successful and eligible bachelor, would want to arrange a marriage between me and his daughter.
He would easily convince Sunandha as well. After our earlier interactions, she already had a favorable opinion of me, which would make this arrangement all the more likely. Everything was falling into place, just as I had planned.
Shekhar leaned back slightly, still recovering, but I could see the gears turning in his mind. He wasn't just thinking about his health anymore. His thoughts were now focused on his daughters—more specifically, his eldest daughter, Prameela.
"You know," Shekhar said slowly, his voice regaining some strength, "I have two daughters. My eldest, Prameela, is about your age. She's a smart girl, well-educated, and has all the qualities one could want in a wife."
I nodded, maintaining a calm and respectful demeanor, though inside, I could feel the pieces falling into place exactly as I anticipated.
"Perhaps..." He hesitated as if weighing the decision. "Perhaps we could discuss this further, once I've recovered. I would like you to meet my family—especially Prameela."
I gave him a gentle smile, showing just the right amount of interest without seeming too eager. "Of course, sir. I'd be honored to meet them when the time is right."
He smiled weakly, his energy waning, and Murthy gently intervened. "Sir, we should let Mr. Surya go for now so you can rest."
As I turned to leave, Shekhar caught my arm for a brief moment, his grip surprisingly strong. "Thank you... for saving my life," he said sincerely. "I won't forget this."
"It was nothing, sir," I replied with practiced humility. "I'm just glad I was there in time," leaving my contact info with Murthy.
With that, I left the room, stepping into the hallway where Omisha was waiting, calm and composed as ever. I could see in her eyes that she had already anticipated what had just transpired.
"Everything went as planned?" she asked quietly, falling in step beside me as we walked down the corridor.
"Better than planned," I said with a smirk. "Shekhar's already thinking about arranging a marriage between me and his daughter. It won't be long before he convinces Sunandha to see it the same way."
Omisha gave a small nod, her expression unreadable. "And Sunandha? Do you think she'll agree so easily?"
"She'll fall in line. She already respects me after what happened at the hospital. Besides, I've planted the right seeds in Shekhar's mind. He'll push for it, and she'll follow his lead."
We reached the elevator, and I pressed the button to go down to the lobby. "Once I've gained their trust fully," I continued, "I'll have more influence over their family than the original protagonist could ever hope to have."
Omisha glanced at me, her lips curving into a small smile. "And what about Prameela? Do you think she'll be easy to win over?"
I chuckled softly, stepping into the elevator as the doors opened. "Let's just say, once we meet, she won't have much of a choice."
The doors closed, and we descended in silence. The plan was unfolding perfectly, step by step. Soon, I would be firmly entrenched in Shekhar's family, and by the time the original protagonist finally arrived, he'd find himself in a situation far more complicated than he could have ever anticipated. He'd be too late to make the connections he needed.
After leaving the hospital and stepping into my sleek car, I turned to Omisha, who immediately began coordinating the next steps. With a quick phone call to Venkat Rao, she arranged for all the necessary background checks that Sunandha and Shekhar might conduct. We needed to ensure that any digging into my past would yield exactly what we wanted them to find.
Satisfied with Omisha's efficiency, I made my own call—this time to Armaan, my trusted confidant in the underworld. "Armaan, I need Gautam Nanda delayed indefinitely. Make sure his journey back is... complicated," I instructed. With Armaan's influence, it wouldn't be difficult to throw obstacles in Gautam's path, ensuring I had ample time to solidify my position with Shekhar's family.
As we drove deeper into the city towards Jubilee Hills, we stopped at a traffic signal. A small rally caught my attention—people from an organization called the Green Army were advocating for planting trees and promoting environmental awareness. That's when I spotted her: Divya, the female lead from the movie Pandaga Chesko, jogging along with the rally participants.
Up until that moment, my focus hadn't been on adding Divya to my Harem. I'd come to India with other goals in mind, but now that I saw her in person, something changed. Her beauty, her energy—it was captivating. I leaned over to Omisha, still watching Divya disappear into the distance.
"Get me everything you can on her," I ordered.
Omisha, ever efficient, nodded and made a note on her phone.
As the traffic signal changed and we moved on, I couldn't help but smirk. Divya would soon be another piece of my puzzle.
We reached our destination, a house purchased under the company's name for my use whenever I, or any of my girls, visited Hyderabad. We owned properties in all major cities, a convenience that afforded me privacy and comfort no matter where I traveled.
Inside, I thought about unwinding, maybe spending some time with Omisha. I walked toward her with a certain hunger, but she saw through my intentions.
"Not tonight," she said, a playful smile dancing on her lips. "You forget, I don't have the Super Soldier Serum in my veins like you do. I'm still human, and I'm tired from the trip."
With that, she locked herself in her room, leaving me to my own devices. I sighed, remembering that the serum gave me near-infinite stamina, but not everyone shared that gift.
After a quick shower, I found myself restless. The clock showed 7 PM, and the night was still young. My hunger for more than just food gnawed at me. I needed to satisfy it. If Omisha wasn't available, I'd have to find someone else.
With a plan forming in my mind, I decided to head out to a bar or pub, somewhere I could find a beautiful woman to satisfy my desires. The night promised new opportunities, and I intended to make the most of them.