AUTHOR'S POV

The sound of echoing footsteps filled the corridor. Valets bowed deeply to an individual whose demeanor was nothing short of a king's.

A butler stepped forward, keeping his head low, his eyes fixed on the floor in fear of the man’s notorious outburst. "Sorry, sir. The King is resting for now," he mumbled.

The man merely side-eyed the butler and continued on his path inside. The butler scrambled after him, trying to stop him once more.

"Do you have a death wish, old man?" he asked casually. His tone, however, made it crystal clear that he was not joking at all.

The butler froze, completely taken aback. He didn't dare mess with the dangerous figure standing in front of him. Bowing once more, he quickly retreated.

Without warning, the man threw the door open, the loud thud echoing through the room.

An elderly man was resting on a luxurious, dark emerald green sofa that matched the room's interior perfectly. He was gazing out of a sleek, transparent window.

"What was so urgent that you were desperate to talk?!" the younger man questioned, his tone dripping with absolute annoyance.

The old man turned to look at him. "Oh, dear son, you've arrived. Have a seat!" Narasimha offered warmly, but the young man was in no mood for pleasantries.

"End this quickly. I have a lot on my plate," he said brusquely.

The old man huffed. "This is not the way, Satya. Let everyone arrive first. I want to discuss this together," the elder said, signaling for him to sit.

Satya rolled his eyes but chose not to defy the royal authority in which the sentence was uttered. He sat down facing the elder, rolling his neck to wave off his lingering tiredness.

"Look, Satya. You have achieved a great deal at such a young age. You truly resemble your father," Narasimha noted. Satya listened in silence.

"When your father passed away, you were only seven years old. The responsibility of the throne was immense for a seven-year-old child. Your grandfather couldn't handle such a heavy burden. You know exactly what you are stepping into, don't you?" the elder asked.

Satya raised his gaze, looking directly into Narasimha's eyes.

"I know it better than anyone. The day I saw my father dying in my mother's arms, I understood everything," he spat out, his words laced with venom. "I knew it when we were forced to hide from the entire world."

He leaned forward, his eyes burning with deep-seated hatred. "Meanwhile, you and your son were busy celebrating your great-grandson's birthday party."

Narasimha sighed heavily. "I know, Satya. You had to go through a lot, but the circumstances at the time made us completely helpless."

Satya turned his gaze back out the window, having no desire to protract the conversation any further.

A sharp knock broke the tense silence.

"Come in," Narasimha permitted.

Two men walked into the room, immediately approaching Narasimha to seek his blessings.

"Be seated," Narasimha said.

Satya stood up from his chair. "Kavi Chachu."

Kavi looked at him, a warm smile spreading across his face as he opened his arms. Satya stepped into the embrace, hugging him tightly.

"How are you, my boy?" Kavi asked. He looked at the young man before him, whom he had raised like his very own son. Kavi had brought up Satya and his sister, Saraswati, alongside his own children. Satya remembered well that Kavi had never discriminated against them or treated them any differently than Sreeja.

"Just as you saw me last time," Satya replied smoothly.

"How have you been, Satya?" Ashwin spoke up from behind.

"Absolutely fine, Mr. Ashwin Raijada," Satya replied coldly, without even glancing in his direction.

Ashwin’s expression remained stoic, though his jaw tightened slightly. The three of them finally took their respective seats.

"I have called you all here to confer on an important matter," Narasimha stated, his tone turning steely. "I am growing old. Eventually, I will pass away in a matter of days."

Silence blanketed the room. Everyone’s attention was locked onto the elder.

"After Kabir, Satya is the rightful and deserving heir to the throne. Everyone in the underworld is waiting for the prince to officially claim his crown," Narasimha continued. "But to claim the throne, a prince needs a princess by his side."

Kavi raised his eyes, analyzing the elder with sharp scrutiny. He knew exactly where this conversation was heading.

"Therefore, Satya needs to get married," Narasimha declared.

Satya raised an eyebrow, completely unfazed. "And why is that?" he questioned sharply.

"It is a rule!" the elder answered simply. "Either you find a suitable, cultured, and well-mannered wife for yourself... or don't worry, I can easily do that for you."

Satya's face remained completely stoic. He didn't seem affected by the ultimatum in the slightest.

"Today or tomorrow, I will be gone. The throne requires a king. If you do not fulfill this prerequisite, I will have no choice but to announce Victor as the next ruler." Narasimha's voice was dead serious.

"A great excuse," Satya mocked openly. Standing up, he checked his watch. "Anything else? I have a flight to Venice to catch."

Narasimha simply nodded. Without wasting another second, Satya turned and hastened out of the room.

Kavi, who had remained silent throughout the ordeal, finally broke his silence. "Satya is not Kabir, Nana," Kavi spoke softly.

Narasimha huffed, gesturing for a servant to bring them some chai. Ashwin politely declined the offer, excusing himself as an important matter had just come up, leaving Kavi and Narasimha alone.

"You remember it well, Kavi, how you and Kabir used to despise each other back in the day," Narasimha murmured. A sudden wave of gloominess washed over Kavi's eyes at the memory.

"We were competitive," Kavi interrupted gently.

Narasimha smiled. "Nobody knew him better than you did."

Kavi offered a melancholy smile.

"Kabir was absolutely adamant about taking the throne, just like Satya. I proposed the exact same condition to him. Actually, it was your Nani's brilliant idea," the elder chuckled softly. "Everybody feared Kabir in the underworld. He built a legitimate business empire so vast that no one in the shadows could ever touch him. Do you remember what people used to call him back then?"

"Sher," Kavi replied without hesitation. *(Lion.)*

Narasimha smiled warmly. "Satya is so much like him. But unlike Kabir, Satya doesn't care about anyone. His only aim is to win, no matter the cost."

"But he wins every single battle he fights," Kavi defended his nephew.

"Yes. If Kabir was a lion, Satya is a tiger—a Bagh (बाघ). A lion fights fiercely to protect his pride and family, while a tiger only cares about victory."

Narasimha paused, his eyes narrowing slightly. "And a lion is the undisputed king of the jungle."

"But the difference is, in reality, the Bagh is currently ruling the underworld," Kavi countered smoothly.

Narasimha smiled at his loyalty. "I can see you are very fond of him, Kavi. I am not criticizing him. I just want him to find happiness. You know how cruel this world can be."

"I know you only want what's best for him, Nana. But I am telling you, he is not Kabir. It won't be easy to find a girl who can handle him. And I don't want an innocent, pure soul to get crushed in the crossfire of his world," Kavi stated firmly. "Satya is ruthless. He doesn't think twice before destroying something, and he lacks the moral compass that Kabir possessed."

Narasimha remained silent, absorbing the words.

"I am not thinking about anyone else right now. I am only thinking about my great-grandson. I am being entirely selfish, I know that. But let me remind you of the promise you made to Shraddha," Narasimha uttered, his face hardening. He was indeed being selfish, and he wasn't going to hide it.

"Compel him to marry. He will listen to you," Narasimha added, patting Kavi's back.

"Marriages don't magically solve everything, Nana," Kavi said in a quiet, persuasive tone.

"Just do as I said. You are his legal guardian; it is your fundamental duty to persuade him. I am warning you," Narasimha said, turning his back to him. "And let me make myself perfectly clear—Victor is still an open option for me. So, choose wisely. I know down to my bones that you want Satya to succeed to the throne."

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