As the guards were advancing towards them and the atmosphere grew tense, suddenly, a deep and commanding voice echoed across the hall—
"Who is making so much noise here? And why?"
Everyone's gaze immediately turned in the direction of that voice. From where it came, a tall, middle-aged man appeared. His hair had turned completely white, but his presence seemed even more striking in the tight-fitting suit and boots.
As he moved forward, the entire hall fell silent.
The guards, Sumit, and Deepali were stunned to see him approaching. Their eyes were fixed on him—because he was none other than the bank's manager himself. The manager stopped in front of them, raised his eyebrows slightly, and spoke in a deep voice—
"I asked… what is happening here?"
Sumit immediately stepped forward respectfully and said—
"Sharma sir, some unauthorized and uncouth people entered here. They were trying to create a scene inside the bank. We were just trying to get them out."
Manager Dharmendra Sharma listened to him silently, saying nothing, only scanning everyone with sharp eyes.
Meanwhile, people began whispering among themselves—
"Wait… that's Manager Sharma."
"Very few people have even seen him."
Some even stepped forward to shake his hand, but Sharma sir ignored everyone. He went straight to a female employee standing nearby and asked—
"Have they arrived yet?"
The woman bowed slightly and whispered—
"No sir, not yet."
Sharma sir nodded and started moving back inside. But suddenly, his eyes fell on Aryan standing in the crowd.
He froze. For a few moments, he looked at Aryan without blinking. Then, suddenly, he strode forward and, almost startled, said—
"Master Shergill…!"
The moment the name was heard, everyone around froze. Some looked at each other, others whispered—
"Master… Shergill? Who is that?"
Sharma sir then looked at the guards, who were still holding Aryan and Rahul. His eyebrows furrowed, and in a commanding voice, he said—
"Are you people out of your minds? Release them immediately."
The guards exchanged glances and quickly let go. The hall fell silent.
Then Deepali, standing nearby, tried to suppress a smile and nervously said—
"Manager Sharma, maybe there's some misunderstanding. He's just an ordinary boy…"
Before she could finish, Sharma sir's face hardened. He thundered—
"Deepali, mind your language! How dare you insult Mr. Shergill like this? I clearly said that Mr. Shergill is coming here today."
The hall went completely silent. Everyone watched this unexpected moment in shock.
Sharma sir then looked at Sumit angrily and said—
"And Sumit… I never expected this from you."
Sweat poured down Sumit's face. He stammered—
"No sir… I didn't do this. I only acted on someone's instigation. He tried to provoke me against Mr. Shergill."
As he spoke, his finger slowly pointed towards Deepali. The hall seemed even heavier for a moment. People stared in disbelief at Sumit and Deepali.
Deepali froze for a moment. Disbelief was written all over her face, but she couldn't speak. Sumit lowered his eyes and stood silently.
Sharma sir shot a deep gaze without saying a word and then moved directly towards Aryan and Rahul. His voice was now calmer—
"Mr. Shergill… I'm really sorry. Perhaps these two didn't recognize you."
---
Rahul, furious, stepped forward and said—
"Sorry? We repeatedly explained to them that we came here for official bank business. We even said you could check our credentials if you wanted. But they didn't listen to a single word… instead, they tried to forcefully throw us out."
The hall was completely silent. Every eye was fixed on Aryan and Manager Sharma.
Deepali's face had turned pale. Her lips trembled. She could not believe that the man Sharma sir was speaking to with such respect… was none other than Aryan. A flash ran through her mind—
"Aryan… Master Shergill? How is this possible?"
The boy she had always considered ordinary in class… the one she had joked about countless times, looked at her now with a completely different aura.
Her breaths quickened. Memories flashed before her eyes—the day she and her friends had mocked Aryan… the moments she never took him seriously… and now that same ordinary boy had captured everyone's attention in the bank hall.
---
Rahul was about to speak, but Aryan placed a hand on his shoulder to calm him. Then he looked directly at Manager Sharma and said—
"Manager Sharma, I will let today's matter go by your words. But you need to pay attention to your staff's behavior, so no one else has to go through this."
The hall fell silent. Sharma sir took a deep breath and nodded—
"Yes, Mr. Shergill, you are right. And believe me, these two will have no place here anymore. They will be removed from today itself."
Sumit and Deepali turned pale. Both pleaded together—
"Sir, please… give us one more chance. We made a mistake, but it won't happen again."
But Sharma sir's face remained firm. He said bluntly—
"It's too late. Nothing is bigger than the honor of this bank."
Aryan stood silently, his eyes unwavering. He knew—giving a second chance was never part of his nature. Even in his past life as a mafia, there was no such word as forgiveness for those who erred. His gaze held only one rule—
"Those who make a mistake once… will do it again."
His cold eyes fell on Sumit and Deepali. Both trembled for a moment. The people standing in the hall could sense the fear hidden in that silence. Aryan said nothing, just turned away—and that silence spoke the loudest.
Sumit and Deepali still held a faint hope. They thought maybe Aryan would say something… maybe, as an old classmate, he would give a chance.
But as Aryan turned his gaze away, all their hope shattered. Deepali suddenly thought—
"If I remind Aryan of our college days… maybe he'll soften."
But that was her biggest misconception. Aryan was no longer that boy she considered ordinary. He had changed.
Today, the man standing before her was nobody else but Aryan, the Mafia. A man with no place for mercy in his eyes. His rule was clear—
"Those who err don't deserve a second chance."
Deepali's hope broke at that very moment. Her breath became heavy. She realized that convincing Aryan was now impossible.
---
Meanwhile, an enraged Sumit lost control. He turned to Deepali and slapped her hard across the cheek in front of everyone. The hall trembled.
Sumit screamed—
"This is all your fault!"
People were shocked. Some even held their breath in fear.
Manager Sharma's eyes burned with fury. Trembling with anger, he stepped forward. Inside, he thought—
"All this in front of Aryan? If Mr. Shergill gets angry, the bank's honor will be destroyed."
His voice echoed—
"Sumit! That's enough!"
---
Aryan stared at Sharma sir silently for a few moments. Then his deep voice broke the silence—
"Sharma ji, there's no need for you to apologize. This isn't your fault."
His gaze sharpened slightly, and he continued calmly—
"By the way… we have some more important business to discuss."
Hearing this, Sharma sir immediately bowed—
"Yes, absolutely, sir… please, come with me."
The hall watched in surprise. Why was the manager being so humble in front of them?
As soon as they entered the office, the atmosphere shifted. On a neatly arranged desk, amidst files, lay a special velvet box. Sharma opened it and took out a shining Black Card. The card looked so rare and powerful that even its glow conveyed its weight.
He offered it respectfully to Aryan—
"Mr. Shergill, this is our bank's Black Infinity Card. Not everyone is eligible for it. It is only given to select individuals—whose name and influence surpass any financial limit."
Aryan looked at the card expressionlessly. Sharma continued—
"With this Black Card, you can cross any transaction limit… in any country's bank… without ever being questioned. You can access entire systems with just one call. And the most important thing—the card's details are known only to the top 3 officials. Its users can be counted on one hand."
Rahul was dumbfounded.
"Bro… this is like… power over power."
Aryan took the card, his cold eyes fixed on it. His face showed no joy or surprise—just a calm expression, as if it had always been his right.
Sharma sir's voice was low, trembling slightly—
"Sir, this card is now exclusively yours."
---
Aryan pocketed the card and stood up without a word. Rahul immediately stood beside him. They opened the office door and walked out. The entire bank hall was still silent, everyone staring as if a mystery had passed before their eyes, unspoken.
Sharma sir came to the door and bowed—
"Thank you for coming, sir."
Aryan glanced slightly but said nothing. He walked straight out of the bank. Outside, the sun blazed, but his eyes shone even brighter. Calmly, he moved toward the car.
Rahul asked softly—
"Bro… what's the next step?"
Aryan looked at the sky for a moment and then said in a deep voice—
"The game is just beginning. This card is only a key… the real door is yet to be opened."
Rahul looked at him in amazement, but did not dare ask further. Aryan's eyes held that determination, clearly signaling—his next plan would shake not just the city, but the entire world.
---
So the question now is—what will Aryan's next plan be? Will it make him even more powerful… or trap him in a new danger? And is this Black Card a blessing… or a hidden trap?
To find the answers, keep reading the next chapters… because this story is—"The King of Shadows."