Aisha Seth strode into the glass-walled boardroom of Horizon Enterprises in HITEC City, her heels clicking against the polished marble like a metronome of power. The monsoon drizzle streaked the floor-to-ceiling windows, blurring Hyderabad's neon skyline, but Aisha's focus was razor-sharp—or so she thought. Her black saree, elegant yet severe, mirrored her mood: triumphant yet fraying at the edges. The bet with Robin Seth, signed yesterday at the marriage office, was her checkmate. One year to crush his delusional dream of outstripping her wealth and claiming Tara's custody? Child's play. She'd built Horizon from a startup to a tech titan; Robin, a stay-at-home dad with no baground, was no match.
Yet, as she settled at the head of the table, her smartwatch pinged—a news alert, about a rival firm's stock surge. Aisha dismissed it, her mind replaying Robin's cold vow: "When your empire crumbles, I'll toss you 10 Crores." Arrogant nonsense. She was untouchable, wasn't she?
Her secretary, Neha Kapoor, burst in, her usually composed face pale. "Ma'am, we have a crisis," Neha said, her voice tight. "Sanjay Gupta and his entire security team—resigned. Effective immediately. They've complied with labor contracts, so we can't stop them."
Aisha's coffee cup froze mid-air. "Sanjay Gupta? Resigned?" Her voice was sharp, disbelief cracking her poise. Sanjay, Horizon's Security Minister, was her firewall—his team safeguarded her servers, intellectual property, and trade secrets. His strategies had thwarted cyber-attacks that could've tanked Horizon years ago. "Why? I doubled his salary last quarter!"
Neha hesitated, clutching her tablet. "They're… joining Robin Seth, ma'am. Sanjay sent a group email, saying he owes his career to Robin sir. Apparently, Robin recommended him to you a decade ago, when Horizon was just starting. His team feels the same—loyalty to him, not us."
Aisha's blood ran cold. Robin? The man she'd dismissed as a domestic relic had planted Sanjay in her empire? Her mind raced back—Robin had suggested Sanjay, a quiet, intense man from his past, back when Aisha was scrambling to secure Horizon's early contracts. She'd trusted Robin's judgment then, never questioning Sanjay's fierce efficiency. Now, it felt like a betrayal, a sleeper cell activated to sabotage her.
"Get Sanjay on the phone. Now!" Aisha snapped, her voice echoing in the empty boardroom.
Across town, in Priya Reddy's Banjara Hills villa, Robin sat at a sleek dining table, sipping filter coffee as Priya, in an emerald green kurta and palazzo pants, scrolled through news on her phone. The villa's marble floors gleamed under soft lights, the monsoon's hum a soothing backdrop. Priya's new outfit was a nod to Hyderabad's chic urbanity, her poise as sharp as her sass. "Aisha di's trending again," she said, smirking. "Some post about Horizon's stock wobbling. Bet she's sweating now, Robin."
Robin's face was unreadable, his smartwatch tracking a steady pulse despite the storm brewing. His, blending ancient diagnostics with tech, kept him grounded. "She'll be fine," he said, his tone dry. "Aisha's empire won't crumble in a day."
Priya leaned closer, her eyes glinting with mischief. "Oh, but you'll make it crumble, won't you? That bet—outdoing her wealth in a year? I'm rooting for you, Robin sir. Tara deserves you, not her ice-queen mother." Her loyalty, burned fierce, her playful tone masking a deeper hope.
Before Robin could respond, his phone buzzed—a call from Sanjay Gupta. "Robin sir," Sanjay's voice was steady, resolute. "It's done. My team and I walked out of Horizon this morning. We're with you. Always have been."
Robin's eyes narrowed, a spark of his Don Robin fire flaring. "You didn't have to, Sanjay. That was your career."
"Loyalty's thicker than a paycheck," Sanjay said. "You got me that job when I was nobody. My team knows your worth—Don Robin or not, you're the real deal. We're ready to back whatever you're building next."
Robin exhaled, a rare warmth in his chest. "Meet me at Priya's villa tomorrow. We'll talk plans."
As he hung up, Priya's grin was electric. "Sanjay Gupta? The security guru? Aisha di's going to lose it. You're playing chess while she's stuck on checkers."
Robin's lips twitched, almost a smile. "It's not about revenge, Priya. It's about Tara—and proving a point."
Back at Horizon, Aisha's call with Sanjay was a disaster. "Double your salary, Sanjay!" she pleaded, her voice cracking. "Stock options, a board seat—name it!"
"Respectfully, ma'am," Sanjay said, his tone firm, "my loyalty's with Robin sir. He saw my potential when no one else did. I'm following him." The line went dead.
Aisha slammed her phone down, her head spinning as she paced. "Robin orchestrated this!" she hissed to Neha. "He's sabotaging me—stealing my team to tank Horizon! That bet wasn't enough; he's coming for my empire now!"
Neha frowned, cautious. "Ma'am, Sanjay's contract allowed him to leave. There's no evidence Robin planned this. Maybe… he's just that influential."
"Influential?" Aisha laughed, bitter and sharp. "He's a nobody! A washed-up dad with a dirty background! This is revenge for the divorce, Neha. He's using Tara as a weapon, and now my own team!" Her confidence, so polished at the marriage office, was unraveling, replaced by paranoia.
Meanwhile, Vikram Malhotra lounged in a HITEC City café, his suit still crisp, his ego inflated despite Aisha's distance. Sipping an overpriced latte, he scrolled through Priya's profile, smirking at her latest post—a selfie with Robin, captioned, "New beginnings, old loyalties." His blood boiled. Priya was slipping away, and Robin was the obstacle. Aisha's mine, her empire's mine, and Priya's next, he thought, dialing a number on a burner phone. "It's Vikram. Tell Rocky Bhai, Seth's moving fast. Sanjay Gupta's team just ditched Horizon for him. We need to act—now."
At Priya's villa, Meera Reddy flitted into the dining room, her silky dress catching the light. "Robin Seth, still here?" she teased, her eyes glinting with mischief. "Priya di, you're wasting your charm on this guy. Her seduction plan—to expose Robin as a creep—was in motion, but his calm indifference irked her.
"Meera, behave," Priya snapped, her kurta's emerald hue glowing under the chandelier. "Robin's a guest, not your punching bag."
Robin ignored Meera, his thoughts on Tara. Anna Fernandes' words from yesterday—Tara misses you—echoed, fueling his resolve. His Fighting Style, honed by years of training and modernized with HIIT and VR, thrummed within, a black flame flickering in his mind's eye. The divorce had unshackled him, and Sanjay's defection was a sign—his old allies were rallying.
Across town, Anna Fernandes slipped into Aisha's office, her sundress a contrast to Aisha's stormy mood. "Aisha di, I heard about Sanjay," Anna said, her voice urgent. "This isn't Robin's fault. People respect him—you used to. Don't let Vikram poison you against him."
Aisha spun, her eyes flashing. "Respect? He's a traitor, Anna! He's tearing Horizon apart to win that bet. Tara's mine—I won't let him near her!"
"You're wrong," Anna said, her voice soft but firm. "Robin's not fighting for revenge. He's fighting for Tara. You're underestimating him, and it'll cost you."
Aisha scoffed, but Anna's words stung, joining Sanjay's betrayal in her mind. Was Robin more than she'd thought? No—she shook it off. She was Aisha Seth, queen of Horizon. Robin was nothing.
As night fell, Robin stood on Priya's balcony, the monsoon breeze cooling his skin. His phone buzzed—a text from an unknown number: "Naga's Son wants a meet. Name the time." Robin's eyes narrowed, his Don Robin instincts flaring. The game was escalating, and he was ready to play.