2024-04-09 20:01:51Arjun rushed into the hospital and made his way straight to the room his mom was admitted after he was directed by the receptionist. He met the attending doctor coming out of the room.
“Doc, how is my mum doing?” He asked impatiently as the doctor raised a confused brow at Arjun.
“I am Prinu’s son. The woman in need of a kidney transplant.” He clarified.
“Oh, Mr. Arjun. Have you paid the bills? The surgery needs to be conducted before 12 midnight. It’s very urgent as her condition has deteriorated.”
Arjun immediately checked his phone to see any sign of alert from Meera. She had promised if he signed the document, she would wire the money. After he had signed it after being out under pressure, She said he would see an alert before he got to the hospital. He just realized that he hasn’t seen anything yet.
“Mr. Arjun?” The doctor said as Arjun raised his head from his phone to meet the curious doctor’s gaze.
“Is everything fine?”
“Yes. I mean I am expecting some cash. I will definitely pay up now.” Arjun replied immediately as if scared the doctor will lose interest in his mother’s case.
“Okay, then. I will be attending to another patient. This is 10 p.m. You should do whatever you can to pay the money as soon as you can, Mr. Arjun.” The doctor advised and walked away as Arjun pressed his lips nervously as he watched him walk away. Immediately he was alone, he dialed Meera.
“I haven’t seen the funds Meera. I signed the damn papers! What the hell do you want again?” He asked, impatience tinged his voice as his whole body shuddered.
“Aren’t you so easy to fool?” She replied after a moment of silence which only irritated Arjun.
“What?” Arjun didn’t want to imagine the worst as he asked.“Did you really think I will spend my hard earned money on that worthless mother of yours?”
“Meera don’t do this.” Arjun tried to steady his voice as he spoke.
“I will do whatever I want. It’s my money.” She said sarcastically.
“Meera…I beg you. $5 million is just a drop in the ocean for you. Look at it as a compensation for asking me to divorce you, for breaking my heart….” One could sense his hurt but not Meera. Her mind was made up.
“Find other ways to pay your mother’s bill. We are done Arjun. Nothing connects the both of us any longer.” The phone beeped to signify that she had hung up.
“Meera…Meera….”Arjun quickly called but she has long disconnected.
Arjun’s saw his world crashing before his eyes as his heartbeat increased. This was his reality. He had lost the love of his life and would lose the only woman he knew as family soon. How did everything turn against him all of a sudden?
“Isn’t he the man on the news?” Two nurses passed by the hallway as one of them whispered loud enough for Arjun to hear while looking at him.
“Yes, he is. I can’t believe him. Poor Miss Meera must have been suffering all these years.” The second nurse replied as Arjun's brow furrowed in confusion.
What are they talking about? He immediately checked the latest news to see his name on the most searched word.
“Arjun, who is the husband of the chairwoman of Astra Robotics has been divorced by Meera because of his infidelity.” The headline read. The picture of him and Meera’s househelp was plastered on the screen as Arjun's body shook.
Infidelity? Why would Meera…?He stared at the screen and read the headline over and over again, wanting to be sure. How could Meera defame him? His phone rang as he immediately placed it on his ear when he saw Meera’s name displayed on the caller’s ID.
“It hasn’t even been up to an hour after we have divorced and the whole world now knows? And the infidelity part, what nonsense is that Meera? I never cheated on you and you know that!”
“Nope. I don’t know. If you checked the news carefully, you would have seen pictures of you and Ashmi Frolicking around in my absence.”
“That’s a lie, Meera! And you know it. Those pictures were edited! Why would you want to ruin my image like this? I gave you what you wanted!” He blurted.
“Well, you did give me what I wanted. But I had to secure my future. Astra Robotics. Who knows, you might come one day and ask for ownership of Astra Robotics. I need your image ruined Arjun. I need the public to sympathize with me so you won’t even have a chance to try anything funny in the future.” Meera spoke with relish which was quite evident to Arjun’s ear.
“And….” She interrupted when he made to speak. “I needed to make sure your image is so ruined that no robotics company will hire you. I can’t have you going to work for another company and disposing Astra Robotics off the top chart.” She said proudly as Arjun’s heart sank.
“You will pay for this, Meera. You will regret this. I promise you.” Arjun threatened even though he knew he couldn’t do anything. But he wanted Meera to feel a bit of the pain he was feeling.
“Ah….” She scoffed. “You should worry about yourself. I can’t imagine how you will lead your life from now on. Good luck, dear ex-husband!” She laughed happily and hung up as Arjun hurled his phone at the wall in rage as his whole body shuddered in deep hatred for Meera.
He rested his back on the wall as he slumped down, cupping his face with his hands, fighting back the tears that threatened to spill when a hand touched him.
“Mr. Arjun Maratha?”
Arjun wasn’t sure why his surname was suddenly changed when the unknown person called him. He has always borne Meera’s surname, per her request, which was Prashant. As he raised his head to meet the older man’s gaze, his confusion deepened.
“Who are you? And I am not Arjun Maratha.” Arjun was in a haste to tell him off as he stood up, preparing to walk away.
“Yes, you are.” The man, who seemed to be in his early fifties, dressed in a well-fitted suit which spelled wealth. Arjun tried to grasp what he was being told.
“What do you want from me?” Arjun thought that was the better question to ask.
“Your presence, Mr. Maratha. The Maratha Industries needs your presence in the company. We will crumble without you.” The man said as Arjun stood dumbfounded. Everyone knew the Maratha Industries.
Even if Astra led in AI technology, the Maratha Industries excelled in all sectors as they were global.
Why would he suddenly be affiliated with Maratha Industries? And his surname suddenly changed to Maratha?
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“Sorry for not introducing myself earlier, Mr. Maratha. I am Vinod, the secretary of Rohan, who is the chairman of Maratha Industries and also your brother, Sir.”Immediately the words left his lips, Arjun immediately understood. The family that has turned against him in the past suddenly wants him back? When Vinod had mentioned Maratha industries, he was still in shock as he didn’t process immediately that it was his family. The family whom he has seated hatred for.“I don’t care. Maratha Industries could burn in hell for all I care.” He started to walk away but Vinod rushed after him even though he was older, the man was quite energetic. “Please, sir. Mr. Rohan only wants to have a talk with you. You are our last hope.”“I said, I don’t care!” Arjun spelt out as he made to walk away again but Vinod blocked his path.“I will call the cops on you.” Arjun threatened. He knew that was him being foolish because he was no match for Maratha Industries alone.“Your mother needs surgery, rig
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“The company is all yours,” Rohan replied after a long moment of silence as Arjun's lipscurved into a smile.“If you say it like that, you would make it sound as if you are giving me something. But that’snot the case, Rohan…” Arjun stood up, tucked his hands into his pocket, and walked slowlytowards Rohan.“Maratha Industries has always been mine, Rohan. I am only taking backwhat is mine.” He glared at him and cleaned an invisible dust off his shoulders.“My identity as the new chairman shouldn’t be revealed. You might be the chairman to everyone, butlegally and on paper, I own Maratha Industries. You got it?” He asked with an intimidatinglook.Rohan nodded his head as if it were stiff. Arjun hadn't imagined in his wildest dreams that hecould intimidate people. His phobia for crowds had made him cool-headed and reserved. Butpeople change, right?The next day, Arjun had thought of going on a secret tour of Maratha company and use theopportunity to sign the document of transiti
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The receptionist immediately rushed towards Arjun and fell on knees beside him. “I am so sorry sir. I am so sorry for mistaking you for someone else,” she pleaded desperately as she made to hold Arjun's legs.“Don’t touch him with your filthy hands you stupid wench!” Vinod immediately pushed her aside as she sprawled on the floor, as a gasp erupted from the crowd. She immediately stood up and knelt down, while bowing her head, now making it a point not to move too close to Arjun.“I am begging you, Mr Vee.” She jammed her two palms together, pleading, tears filled her eyes. “I was shortsighted.”“Or you just chose to be unreasonably proud.” Arjun cut in as he looked down at her pitifully.“I don’t have time for this,” Arjun sighed and looked away from her as he placed his gaze on Vinod.“Fire her and make sure she doesn’t get a job in any company in the country,” Arjun said and walked away as the receptionist's eyes widened.“No…No…” She made to rush after Arjun but some guards rushed
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Akash's car swirled in front of the Maratha Industries building, and at the same time hit a scooter in front of it, as the owner of it, which turned out to be Arjun, turned around to find the scooter he had just parked by the side on the floor, almost shattered into pieces. He immediately rushed to pick it up while cursing under his breath. He looked up to find the BMW that had hit his scooter. He was more angered that the driver didn’t bother to come out to say his apologies.“Are you blind?! What the hell were you thinking when you hit my scooter?!” Arjun snapped angrily as Akash, dressed in a sleek tuxedo, a sharp contrast to what Arjun was wearing – a casual long-sleeved shirt that was rumpled and blue pants that looked worn out. At the sight of Akash, Arjun almost formed his mouth into a grin. The email Rohan had sent him last night was true. Today was the day he would be meeting Rohan for the acquisition of Maratha Industries. He had intentionally come to the company today, dres
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“What? Why?!” Akash asked in shock, he didn’t believe Maratha Industries would have any choice at this point but to give out their company. This was truly not expected.“Like I said, Mr. Maratha would rather not give the company to losers,” Vinod reiterated as Akash stared at him with a bewildered expression.Vinod glanced at Arjun who shook his head slightly. That was Arjun telling him not to reveal his identity.“You lack respect for your fellow human. That’s a basic technique skill even for a CEO,” Vinod continued as Akash realized what he meant by that.“Do you mean I lack respect for him?” He pointed at Arjun, an incredulous scoff danced on his lips while Vinod maintained a stoic expression. “This fool?!” Akash repeated again, completely irritated that he was being scolded because of a nobody.“I would advise you to mind your words, Mr. Akash. Everything is not always as it seems,” Vinod tried to control his anger, completely enraged that Akash was looking down on Arjun repeatedl
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Akash burst into another round of laughter as he pointed a mocking finger at Arjun. “You know, you should become a comedian instead of going around claiming to be Nexumcore’s creator. Do you usually dream this big without actually having a real future?” Akash asked as Arjun smiled softly. “Do you agree to my proposition Akash?” He asked with a challenging stare which made Akash pissed off immediately, wiping away the smile he had on his face immediately.“How dare a nobody try to strike a deal with me?” He seethed under his breath while Arjun maintained his cocky stare.“You always try to show off, Arjun. This time, I will turn you into a mess completely,” Meera quipped with an angry stare as Arjun shifted his gaze at her beside Akash.“Then tell your dear boyfriend to accept the challenge if he is not scared to lose,” Arjun said with a drawl.“Scared to lose?!” Meera spat out incredulously.“You have become really delusional after our divorce. You are so desperate to get your revenge
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Akash couldn't shake off the feeling of fear he got from Arjun's words. How was he so confident that he'd fix Nexumcore? "How do you intend to do that?" Akash squinted in a fit to hide the fear in his eyes."Nexumcore has so many glitches Arjun, stop being delusional. Every affiliated AI will get affected by this glitch if it doesn't get fixed. Just accept the fact that Maratha industries are crumbling and let me take over. " Akash threw a glance at Meera who gave him a satisfactory smile.Things were playing out just the way they had expected.A smirk creeped upon Arjun's face, "Your ears must be malfunctioning. I'll repeat, I will fix Nexumcore. In fact, I have." Meera glared in disbelief, "What nonsense is this? I don't believe it." "Yes, that's right. We don't believe you, prove it to us." AJ's group chairman suggested."Yes, he can't just tell us and expect us to believe. Show us the evidence." Another Ai group chairman added.And so the hall was in chatters. But Arjun remain
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Arjun saw the garden where Kavita was caring to her flowers from his study. The vista was bathed in a warm glow from the sun, and he felt calm almost automatically. Though their road had been long and difficult, they had negotiated it hand in hand. He had a gentle knock on the door. He said, turning to find who it was, "Come in."Entering the room was their son vivaan. He wore his father's will and the eyes of his mother. " dad, do you have a minute?"Always for you, lad. What then is on your mind?Raj settled down across from his father. "I have been considering the next major initiative for our foundation. There is a fresh project to supply Northern Indian far off villages with pure water. Though it is a big effort, I believe it is well worth it.Arjun slanted forward, his curiosity sparked. Tell me more, please.Vivaan went to get his father a folder. "We have located a number of settlements without access to pure water. The idea is to construct environmentally friendly water sys
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Sitting at their kitchen table, Arjun and Kavita were softly illuminated by the early morning sun across the room. Papers and tablets abound on the table, each one loaded with ideas for their most recent projects. Though they had even more aspirations, the Global Youth Council was flourishing."Arjun became quite hopeful as they hung up the phone. "This is the way we produce actual change. Through cooperation, appreciation of local knowledge, and integration with our technologies."Their partnership with Dr. Hassan marked only the start. They contacted like-minded experts throughout the Middle East, Latin America, and Asia. Every area brought unique difficulties, but also great chances for learning and development.After a tough day of meetings, Arjun and Kavita sat on their porch one evening enjoying the cool wind. "We've come a long way," Kavita replied gently. "Still, there's a lot to do."Arjun held her hand. "And we'll do it one step at a time, one other. Like we have always done
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Arjun and Kavita sipped in the living room of their estate over a stack of letters from individuals all around the world. These letters offered stories of how their work had changed countries, towns, even personal lives. Kavita picked up a letter written by a small Indian child. "Arjun, listen to this. Thanks to your foundation, I was able to pursue my passion of being an engineer and show up for class. I appreciate you believing in women just like me.'"Arjun grinned cosily. Kavita, that's lovely. These letters help us to remember the reason for our activities.Now a young guy driven by social justice and technology, Vivaan walked carrying a tablet. "Mom, Dad, you really have to see this. One of the communities where we applied dispute resolution artificial intelligence has a video.They watched as he played the film and heard a community elder speak. "We have been able to settle our differences amicably and concentrate on creating a better future for our children thanks to the AI t
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The large meeting room of the company hummed with a symphony of many dialects and languages as they prepare for the seminar. Arjun stood at the head of the polished table, a globe mapped on the screen behind him. "Welcome, everyone," he said, his voice exuding a warmth that cut across the niceties of the scene. "It is a privilege to welcome here today representatives from the African Union, the United Nations, and other NGOs. Castle City has shown great benefit from our AI-driven conflict resolution solutions; we are keen to expand their application.Rising from the African Union, a tall woman with vivid headwrap raised her hand. "Mr. Arjun, we have quite keenly watched your development. The Sahel area is seeing growing strife; we think your technology could revolutionize things."Arjun nodded, "We know every area is different even if we share your hope. We are not providing a universal fix here. Our method consists in customizing the technology to fit the particular political and cu
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The lovely couple "Arjun and Kavita" were enjoying coffee at their kitchen table discussing their daily schedules as the early sun softly shone over Castle City. The aroma of freshly prepared coffee blending with bread and scrambled eggs created an ambient interior space."Vivaan has been so captivated with his most recent project," Kavita replied, flashing a smile. he reminds me of you, you were also like that.Arjun nodded and lay down his cup. "His degree of fervor is quite remarkable. It is making me think of an idea Kavita. That energy should be directed to produce something timeless. What about a mentoring program for young people intrigued in artificial intelligence ethics and technology?Kavita's eyes came alive. "That's a brilliant concept, Arjun! We may offer instruments and direction to help define the upcoming generations. Imagine the difference we could bring about.Arjun leaned back; ideas were already racing through his head. "We might set up seminars, create a mentorin
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As the couple and the team kept dissecting the encrypted communication as their heads were racing with the urgency of the matter. The message suggested an urgent threat to their research and facilities, and they understood they had to act right now to preserve all they had so laboriously created.Arjun replied, fingers speeding across the keyboard as he accessed their security systems, "We need to act quickly." "Let's schedule a meeting including our IT team and top security experts."Kavita nodded and grabbed her phone to begin making calls. "I will get Ramesh and the IT crew here straight away."Within an hour the lab was humming with activity as their most reliable team members crowded about. Among the first to arrive were Priya, their main IT technician, and Ramesh, director of security."What is the circumstances?" Ramesh questioned, his tone austere.Arjun went over the encrypted communication and any threat with the staff. "We must improve our security protocols and guarantee t
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The day begin with Arjun sitting on his seat with his computer screen softly lighting his face. As he went over the most recent results from their artificial intelligence effort, the hum of the lab equipment provided a soothing background noise. With Vivaan in her arms and the toddler's eyes wide with inquiry, Kavita walked inside the room."Look who wanted to visit Papa," Kavita remarked, grinning as she laid Vivaan down.Arjun's face exploded. "Hey friend, What have you been doing today?Vivaan toddled over to Arjun and stretched for the vibrantly coloured screen diagrams. What's that, Papa?Arjun got his son on his lap. "We are working on a project here to benefit others. Do you wish to see?"With small hands clutching Arjun's arm, Vivaan nodded excitedly. Watching them, Kavita felt love and pride surge in her heart.Vivaan listened carefully as Arjun broke out the diagrams into understandable language; his apparently limitless interest. Kavita came to sit with them and lightly res
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Arjun and Kavita moved into their new house feeling contentment and calm. The estate was everything they had dreamed of its magnificent architecture and amazing vistas. Every chamber promised fresh memories, exciting adventures, and a loving future.One evening, Kavita looked to Arjun with a reflective look when they were seated on their balcony seeing the sunset. "We have gone through a lot together, Arjun. The distance we have come from is astounding.Arjun grinned and cupped her hand in his. "It has been somewhat the trip. Now is also the moment to begin a fresh chapter. Kavita, what do you wish to undertake going forward?She slanted back, thinking about his query. "I want to concentrate on turning this house into a home. Let us begin by organising a housewarming celebration. We might invite colleagues, relatives, and acquaintances. It will be a great approach to show them our satisfaction.Arjun responded, "That sounds perfect." "Let us create it."In the next days, they were bus
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As Arjun and Kavita head towards their honeymoon's first stop, the plane shot upward. Seeking to build lifelong memories and experiences together, they had selected a variety of unusual sites, places neither had been before.Looking out the window, Kavita watched the clouds drift by. "this is amazing, Arjun. It still amazes me that simply the two of us are at last here.Arjun squeezed her hand and grinned warmly. "We have long awaited this. Now is our time to savour and discover.The Maldives was their first destination. Painted beaches and glistening clean waterways greeted them with open arms. Gentle waves lapped at their feet as they strolled hand in hand along the coast."Look at this place," Kavita remarked with happy glistening eyes. "Like a piece of paradise."Arjun nodded, staring squarely at her. "it is. But right now, you are the true heaven.Their days were spent snorkelling, touring the colourful coral reefs, and dining romantically under the stars. One evening they were s
