⚡TIGER AWAKEN-CHAPTER-17

Rudhran pov :

"Can't you do a simple task properly? How long does it take to create a database file?!" The words came out sharp, each syllable dripping with irritation. The guy standing across from me looked like he'd been thrown into a crowd. Sweating, stammering, fumbling. "S-sorry, sir, there's—"

"I don't need your excuses," I cut him off, making him freeze on the spot. "Do your job properly, or I'll make sure you're out of it. Understand?"

He nodded so fast I thought his head might fall off, then scurried out of my office like his pants were on fire. Good. I didn't have the patience for mediocrity today—or any day, for that matter.

I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose as I leaned back in my chair. Two days. Two whole days of this madness. My temper was on a hair trigger, snapping at anyone who dared to test me. And the reason? Aaradhya.

I don't know what happened or why, but she's been avoiding me like a curse. No morning smiles, no dinner conversations, not even a damn phone call. She's there—just in the background, like a shadow, I can't reach. I'd been too busy to question it properly, caught up in a storm of work disasters and factory chaos.

I've been busy, sure. After that call when I was in the jewelry store, I rushed to the factory to deal with a machine breakdown that brought everything to a grinding halt. The workers were standing around helplessly, the supervisors were losing their minds, and I had to sort it out. But even in the chaos, my mind kept drifting back to her. Why is she ignoring me? Did I do something wrong?

Then there's Vishnu and Priya. Honestly, their news was the only bright spot in these last two days. Priya's pregnant, and the joy on Vishnu's face was something else entirely. The man's walking on air, beaming like the sun, and doting on Priya every chance he gets. And I get it. He's doing what a husband should—being there for her, taking her to appointments, making sure she's comfortable.

I didn't even think of telling him about the office mess or the added workload. Why stress him out? He deserves this happiness, and I'll manage.

But managing means late nights at the office, solitary dinners at home, and mornings where I barely catch sight of anyone. Aaradhya's absence during these times has been the hardest part. I didn't even realize how much her presence grounded me until now.

And then, of course, there's Reena. If irritation had a human form, it would be her. The woman's been throwing herself at me with all the subtlety of a freight train, batting her lashes and making ridiculous comments. I ignore her, but she just doesn't take a hint. It's annoying, to say the least.

I glanced at the clock, rubbing a hand over my face. The hours were ticking by, the work wasn't getting any lighter, and my thoughts kept circling back to her. Aaradhya.

Does she even know what she's doing to me? How much her silence is throwing me off? Probably not. And honestly, I don't know how or when it happened, but somewhere along the way, she became the one person I look forward to seeing, the one person who makes everything else fade into the background.

I groaned for the hundredth time and stood up, pacing my office like a caged tiger. My head was a mess, and the questions wouldn't stop swirling. What the hell is going on? Why is she avoiding me?

Before I could drive myself completely insane, the door swung open, and in walked Vishnu. Normally, his stupid grin would be plastered on his face, but today? Frown city.

"Can't you tell what's happening here?" he asked, his voice sharp.

I raised an eyebrow, pretending to be annoyed. "Why are you even here, da? You're supposed to be with Priya right now! Don't tell me she got sick of you already and sent you packing."

Vishnu didn't laugh, didn't even smirk. That's when I knew he was dead serious. Crossing his arms, he gave me a look that could rival an angry school principal.

"My wife is important, yes," he said firmly, "but so is my brother. So, shut up and let's fix this mess. And for your kind information, she's the one who kicked me out of the house to help you. Do you even realize how terrified everyone in this office is of you right now? They're too scared to even breathe in your direction!"

I blinked, caught off guard. There was no denying it—I actually felt a small wave of peace wash over me just having him here. But would I admit that to him? Of course not.

"Good," I shot back, "Fear keeps them in line. They've been slacking off lately."

Vishnu didn't flinch. " Look, Periyappa returned this morning. He's at the factory checking things out. If we head there, we can figure out all this and fix it before your brain explodes."

I squinted at him, trying to read between the lines. Vishnu was many things—annoying, stubborn, and way too smug for his own good—but when he got this serious, I knew better than to argue.

I grabbed my blazer, throwing it over my shoulder as I followed him out. But even as we walked, my mind drifted back to Aaradhya.

The car hummed softly as Vishnu drove, but my mind was louder than a damn carnival. I kept staring out the window, replaying everything in my head like some pathetic, lovesick teenager. Aaradhya's silence was eating me alive,

Out of the corner of my eye, I felt Vishnu's gaze on me. "What happened da? You look like you lost something important,"

I sighed, leaning back in the seat. "Aaradhya's ignoring me. It's been two days, da. Two bloody days, and she's acting like I don't exist. I don't know what's going on, and it's driving me mad."

Vishnu nodded, his hands steady on the wheel. "Hmm. Dhivya told me Aaradhya's been quiet lately. Apparently, she asked for leave and hasn't been around the main house—staying in the outhouse mostly. Don't stress, da. We'll figure it out"

I just nodded, appreciating his words even if they didn't calm me down much. Aaradhya wasn't the type to avoid people for no reason, especially not me. Something was definitely off, and I was going to get to the bottom of it.

By the time we reached the factory, my frustration was simmering under a very thin layer of calm. As we stepped out and walked in, the usual buzz of activity greeted us—machines whirring.

What I couldn't handle? The sight of him.

The man was standing there, as calm as ever, talking with the supervisor like he had all the time in the world. His gaze shifted to us when we walked in, and to my irritation, he smiled. Like nothing was wrong. Like he wasn't the root of half the chaos in my life.

Vishnu, of course, stepped forward with his usual cheerful grin. "Periyappa, how are you? How was your trip?"

"Good, pa," he replied, his voice warm and full of affection. It grated on my nerves.

I kept my face blank,  "Vishnu, we're not here for small talk." My tone was sharp, I turned to him, my gaze hard and unrelenting. "We need to talk."

His smile flattered and he nodded, not fazed by my tone.

A few minutes later, we were sitting in the private office.Vishnu fidgeting in his seat, looking like he was trying to find the right words. But I wasn't in the mood for dancing around the subject.

I leaned forward, my voice steady and cold. "Do you know Aaradhya's identity as Seetha Aunty's daughter?"

His eyes widened in shock, the kind of stunned reaction that told me everything I needed to know before he even opened his mouth. He didn't need to answer; his face said it all.

I leaned back, crossing my arms, my expression as stoic as ever. But inside? A storm was brewing. This man, who had caused so much damage with his choices, now sitting there like he was the victim? It was infuriating.

Vishnu glanced at me nervously, clearly torn between the two of us. "Rudhra," his voice cautious. "Let's hear him out, okay?"

I let out a bitter chuckle, my eyes never leaving him. "Oh, I'm listening. I want to hear how he justifies keeping something like this hidden."

The man—my father—looked at me with a mix of guilt and pain. His shoulders sagged slightly, and for a moment, he looked older than I'd ever seen him. "Rudhra, I..." he started, but his voice faltered.

"Talk," I said coldly, leaning back in my chair, My gaze was locked on him, daring him to keep hiding.

The man sighed heavily, his voice low but steady. "I think it's time to tell everything." He paused, ."Yes, Aaradhya is Seetha's daughter. My younger sister's child. And... I brought her here. She doesn't know the truth."

His words felt like a slap, but I didn't let it show. I kept my expression stoic, waiting for him to spill more. Vishnu, on the other hand, couldn't hold back.

"Why, Periyappa?" Vishnu's voice was sharp, but there was pain in it. "She's our family! But you kept her here... like a maid?"

That man sat there, his face etched with guilt, "I didn't have a choice, pa," he began softly, "The guilt has eaten me alive all these years. After searching for so long, I finally found them. I went to see them, to apologize for the mistakes I made... but fate..."

He paused, swallowing hard, "When I reached their house, it was burning. Flames everywhere. People were holding Aaradhya, and she was crying" His voice cracked.

"After the hospital visit," he continued, "I convinced her to come here. I promised her safety and a job... and she accepted. She had no one else, Rudhran."

Vishnu's brow furrowed, his tone calm but firm. "But why didn't you tell anyone, Periyapa? Everyone deserves the truth, especially Aaradhya."

That man hesitated, "Because... Yamuna wouldn't have allowed it. If she knew Aaradhya was Seetha's daughter, she would never have let her in," he confessed.

And that was it. That was the moment I snapped.

"WHAT THE HELL DID YOU JUST SAY?!" I roared, slamming my fist on the desk so hard that even Vishnu flinched. "YOU KEPT HER IDENTITY HIDDEN BECAUSE YOU'RE SCARED OF YOUR SECOND WIFE? ARE YOU SERIOUSLY TELLING ME THIS IS WHO YOU'VE BECOME?! DO YOU EVEN HEAR YOURSELF?! THIS IS PATHETIC!"

"Rudhra, calm down—" Vishnu started, standing and grabbing my arm, trying to hold me back. But I wasn't done.

I pointed a finger at the man who used to be my father. "You don't get to sit there and act like the victim! This is on you! All of it! Aaradhya's pain, her silence, her struggles—it's because you didn't have the spine to stand up for her! You're scared of Yamuna?

He sat there, silent and defeated, his head bowed. For once, he had nothing to say, no excuses to make. And honestly? That silence pissed me off even more.

"Dei Rudhra, stop," Vishnu's voice a little sterner now. "This isn't helping. Let's figure out what to do next instead of pointing fingers."

I turned to Vishnu, my chest heaving with anger, but his calm expression managed to ground me—just a little. I sighed, running a hand through my hair, trying to pull myself together.

"Fine," I muttered, turning back to the man who had failed us all. "Here's how this is going to go. From now on, I'll take care of Aaradhya. I don't need your half-baked promises or your guilt-ridden excuses. She deserves better, and I'll make damn sure she gets it. You've done enough damage."

He nodded, still silent, his guilt written all over his face. But I didn't care anymore. I was done expecting anything from him.

"Let's go, Vishnu," I said, my voice cold as I walked toward the door. "There's nothing more to say here."

Vishnu followed, but before we left, he turned back to Periyappa. "You might've made mistakes, but you still have a chance to do something right. Think about it."

With that, we walked out, leaving the man to sit in his guilt and silence.We stepped out of the factory into the open air, the breeze doing little to cool the fire raging inside me. pulling out a cigarette after what felt like months. The familiar flick of the lighter broke the silence, and I lit it with a steady hand. The first drag burned in my lungs, but it was nothing compared to the storm in my chest.

Vishnu stood beside me, watching quietly. He didn't say a word, just leaned back, waiting. That's his style—silent until you're ready to talk.

I gestured vaguely with the cigarette, the smoke curling between us. "Do you remember, da," I finally said, breaking the stillness, "how happy we were back then? When Seetha athai was alive?"

Vishnu smiled faintly, "Of course, I do. She was like a second mom to us. Always laughing, always making sure we were happy."

I nodded, staring into the distance, my thoughts spiraling back to those days. "She used to bake those ridiculous sweets for us, remember? And no matter how terrible they turned out, we'd still eat them because she'd threaten to cry if we didn't."

Vishnu chuckled, shaking his head. "Yeah. And she'd always call me her little chef assistant. Man, those were good times."

I took another drag, my voice hardening. "And then, that man ruined everything."

Vishnu turned to me, his smile fading. "Rudhraa..."I interrupted him, my voice sharper than I intended. "And then that man rushed to marry Yamuna, like Amma was just some chapter he could turn the page on. No time for grief, no time for us. Just business. Always business."

"Even before that" my voice low but seething with anger. "he Force her to marry Sudharshan. All because Yamuna's family had power and wealth. As if Seetha Aunty's happiness didn't matter at all."

Vishnu sighed, running a hand through his hair. "But she didn't go through with it. She left."

"She had to," I said,  more painful. "She had no choice. She chose her happiness for once in her life, and she left with Mayavan uncle. Do you know the guts it must've taken? To go against that man?"

Vishnu nodded silently, and for a moment, we just stood there, the sounds of the factory faint in the background.

I flicked the ash off my cigarette,  "She fought for her love, for her happiness," my voice heavy with a mix of anger and sadness. "And look where it got her—a life cut short and a daughter left to pick up the goddamn pieces. If this isn't a joke of fate, I don't know what is."

Vishnu's gaze shifted to me, his brows furrowing. "What are you gonna do, now da?"

I took one last drag before crushing the cigarette under my shoe with deliberate force. The sound of it crunching felt oddly satisfying, like I was crushing every ounce of hesitation I had left.

"I've decided," I said, my tone sharp, leaving no room for argument. "I'm going to talk to Aaradhya. Enough of this silence and distance nonsense. I'll call Dhivya and make sure she gets Aaradhya alone. She's been dodging me, but not anymore."

"Hey,finally" he said, chuckling. "You've been pacing around like a caged tiger for days now. It's about time you did something."

"Tiger, huh?" I teased, "Damn right, I'm a tiger. And it's time to show her I'm not someone she can just hide from."

Vishnu nodded, his smirk fading into something more sincere. "Go get her, Rudhra,  I'll hold down the fort here if anything comes up."

With a final nod, I turned and walked away, pulling out my phone to dial Dhivya. Aaradhya might be stubborn, but so was I—and this time, she wasn't getting away without a proper conversation.

Hai guys! ✨

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In this one, I wanted to dive into a bit of Rudhran's past and emotions—his pain, his love, and the tangled mess of their lives. 🖤🌪️ Some secrets are still hidden, but don't worry, more will be revealed in the future! 🌟

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