Chapter 120

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"Annika, can you hand me that file on the top of the dresser?" asked Shivaay. Annika proceeded to do the same. 

"This seems rather heavy, does it not Shivaay?" asked Annika

"It is, Annika. It has details of the victims and their addresses" said Shivaay and then realized looking at Annika's bemused expression that she doesn't know anything about it. 

"Sorry, let me explain. You know how this business was set up by my grandfather. After he died early, my father and Bade Papa, and Badi Maa took over the handling of the business. That was the time when our business was going through a tough phase, I was a kid, so I don't remember much, neither does Om, I guess. Rudra and Prinku weren't born yet. Our business asset, the Kalyani Mills, had turned into a loss making unit. And then one day it caught fire. So many people died in that fire....it was terrible. It was an industrial disaster. Though we compensated the families with the help of the government and insurance companies, we weren't that financially well off ourselves that time to help others out. So, this year, on the twenty-fifth anniversary of that disaster we are holding a sort of memorial function to remember all the victims, and inviting their families, to provide them with further rehabilitation or scholarship for their future generations if they need" explained Shivaay. 

"Is this the same fire disaster that Gayatri used to blackmail our family with, last year?" asked Annika curiously.

"Yes, the very same. We never found out her actual grudge against our family, who planned her, because she was a pawn, who was the mastermind behind it all, the person who murdered her later" said Shivaay, shaking his head.

"Well, lets not think about it. When is the memorial function?" asked Annika. 

"There is more than a month to go for it. I'll see you later, Annika, bye" said Shivaay, and left for office.

Annika thought to herself, why did the mention of a fire remind her of something? 

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"Rudra, have you seen this?" said Soumya. 

They were in Rudra's room, it was evening. They had both got off early from their internships today, so they were going through the box that Tej gave Rudra, trying to learn something from all the files and information all those years back. 

Rudra heard the surprise and slight confusion in Soumya's voice. He was going through some other file at that time, which made him marvel at his mother's proposal. 

"What, Sumo?" asked Rudra, turning to look at Soumya.

"See this. This file is about the Kalyani Mills fire" replied Soumya.

"Yes, it was before I was born. Kalyani Mills, was at that time, the biggest business unit of the Oberoi business, but Shivaay bhaiyaa tells me that a disastrous fire burnt down the entire mills and also killed a lot of people" said Rudra, shivering slightly at the thought.

"Hmm. This is the report of the insurance company. Apparently, there was something odd about the fire; the company tried to find evidence about the same, but they couldn't place their finger on it. So, finally they cleared the insurance claim" said Soumya.

"Well, Sumo, they were doing their job. That's what insurance companies do, right? If they don't do their investigation properly, everyone would fleece them" said Rudra.

Sumya pursed, but didn't say what's on her mind. 

The other file below it said that Kalyani Mills was a loss making unit, the Oberois would've probably gone bankrupt if the business had continued. The fire disaster was a fortuitous event, because the insurance money helped them infuse money into their failing business. Probably, the Oberoi empire today is built on the ashes of the mill, and all the people who died in the accident. 

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