– Silent Stakes

Chapter 2 – Silent Stakes

The walls of the private business lounge at The Oberoi were lined with art, gold accents, and silence — the kind of silence that only money can buy.

The air smelled faintly of leather, fresh espresso, and ambition.

Rahul Desai, twenty-six, sat across from the man many called a lion in India’s real estate world — Ranvijay Malhotra.

But Rahul wasn’t intimidated.

He had been in rooms with ministers and monsters. And he had walked out untouched.

His success wasn’t inherited — it was carved. Brick by brick, deal by deal, silence by silence. Rahul didn’t raise his voice. He didn’t gamble. He planned. And when he moved, the world bent to adjust.

Across from him, Ranvijay adjusted his silver cufflink, a faint frown lining his forehead as he scanned the blueprint papers Rahul had brought.

“So this is the final layout?” Ranvijay asked, his voice gravelly yet clear. “Twenty acres, split into retail, commercial and executive apartments?”

Rahul nodded. “Twelve for commercial towers. Five for premium villas. The remaining land reserved for green cover and a private club.”

Ranvijay raised an eyebrow. “Private club?”

“For investors and residents,” Rahul explained. “A luxury detail. Controlled access. Makes the project feel exclusive. We’ll recover the cost tenfold in branding alone.”

Ranvijay leaned back, studying the younger man.

Rahul Desai didn’t look like most businessmen his age. No flashy watch, no unnecessary talk. Just that perfectly ironed shirt, those steady eyes — too calm for someone in their twenties.

“Hmm.” Ranvijay folded the layout carefully. “You think big.”

“I don’t like building anything forgettable,” Rahul said simply.

Ranvijay gave a half-smile, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “That mindset builds empires. Or enemies.”

Rahul held his gaze. “Both are useful, if handled right.”

A brief pause settled between them — not hostile, but heavy with the knowledge of how power works.

Their current deal — “Malhotra Meadows”, a high-profile joint venture in Pune’s fast-rising outskirts — had the potential to become a landmark in five years. Rahul had come in as a co-developer, investing money, but more importantly, contacts — foreign investors, backchannel approvals, media influence. Things Ranvijay didn’t always approve of, but sometimes needed.

Still, he respected Rahul’s intelligence.

And distrusted his silence.

“You’ve risen fast, Desai,” Ranvijay said slowly. “Not many men your age sit in rooms like this without being someone’s son.”

“I am someone’s son,” Rahul replied, his tone even. “But I built this seat myself.”

Ranvijay gave a short nod. Fair enough.

They went over numbers — Rahul laying out revenue expectations, potential tax breaks, the lobbying he’d already done behind the scenes. Every sentence he spoke was sharp and grounded. No guesswork. Just clarity.

But somewhere in the back of Ranvijay’s mind, a thought lingered:

This boy is dangerous.

Not because he was loud. But because he wasn’t.

He watched. He listened. And he moved only when sure.

As they signed the provisional MOU and stood up, Ranvijay said, “There’s a dinner next weekend. For investors and partners. Come. Bring someone if you’d like.”

Rahul simply nodded. “Of course.”

They shook hands.

And just like that, the meeting was over.

But fate — always watching from the shadows — smiled quietly.

Because neither of them knew that Enaya, the girl Rahul saw laughing with cows near the temple courtyard… the girl who had made something stir in his otherwise quiet chest…

Was Ranvijay’s only daughter.

The stakes were rising. But the players didn’t know it yet.

---

Chapter finished..

Maybe it's the way you say my name

Maybe it's the way you play your game

But it's so good, I've never known anybody like you

But it's so good, I've never dreamed of nobody like you

And I've heard of a love that comes once in a lifetime

And I'm pretty sure that you are that love of mine

'Cause I'm in a field of dandelions

Wishing on every one that you'd be mine, mine

And I see forever in your eyes

I feel okay when I see you smile, smile

Wishing on dandelions all of the time

Praying to God that one day you'll be mine

Wishing on dandelions all of the time, all of the time

I think that you are the one for me

'Cause it gets so hard to breathe

When you're looking at me, I've never felt so alive and free

When you're looking at me, I've never felt so happy

And I've heard of a love that comes once in a lifetime

And I'm pretty sure that you are that love of mine

'Cause I'm in a field of dandelions

Wishing on every one that you'd be mine, mine

And I see forever in your eyes

I feel okay when I see you smile, smile

Wishing on dandelions all of the time

Praying to God that one day you'll be mine

Wishing on dandelions all of the time

All of the time

Dandelion, into the wind you go

Won't you let my darling know?

Dandelion, into the wind you go

Won't you let my darling know that?

I'm in a field of dandelions

Wishing on every one that you'd be mine, mine

Oh, and I see forever in your eyes

I feel okay when I see you smile, smile

Wishing on dandelions all of the time

Praying to God that one day you'll be mine

Wishing on dandelions all of the time, all of the time

I'm in a field of dandelions

Wishing on every on

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