"Ved tormented Palak."

"The next morning, the Mishra household

woke up late, with everyone sleeping in. Tapsvi Ji and Garima Ji had risen early, but their two daughters were still asleep, exhausted from the previous night's events. In fact, no one had gotten much rest, as Palak had been tossing and turning all night, crying out in her sleep. 'Let go of my hand... let go of my hair... please leave me alone!' Her condition had been unbearable for the family to watch, as Ved's grip on her hair had been so tight that it had caused her immense pain. Garima Ji had even applied cold oil to her scalp during the night to try and alleviate some of the discomfort. After a sleepless night, Palak had finally drifted off to sleep in the morning, and Tapsvi Ji and Garima Ji had let her sleep in, knowing that their daughter had spent the entire night crying and writhing in pain."

"The usual vibrancy of the Mishra household was replaced by an eerie gloom today. Even Dadi, who normally woke up at 4 or 5 am, was late to rise, her mind still reeling from the events of the previous day. Garima Ji prepared breakfast for everyone, but Tapsvi Ji ate sparingly, his heart not in it. He was about to leave for the shop when Garima Ji stopped him, saying, 'You shouldn't open the shop today, you know what's happened at home...!'"

"Just as Garima Ji was speaking, Tapsvi Ji interrupted her, saying, 'No, Garima... I have to go to the shop, it's extremely important. A big storm is brewing, and no one can predict what will happen. I need to go to the shop and settle everything, or else that man can do anything...!' With that, Tapsvi Ji quickly left the house and headed to the shop. Meanwhile, Garima Ji hastily closed the door from the inside, her heart racing with anxiety."

"Balmapur village, main market, around 10:00 am -

Ved arrived with his bodyguards, and his luxurious car came to a halt. As soon as the car stopped, all the shopkeepers in the market became alert and started staring, as if they had never seen such a VIP person before. By this time, all the shops in the village were open, and Tapsvi Ji had also opened his shop. As soon as the sound of the cars reached his ears, Tapsvi Ji's heart started racing, because this was the same car that had come to his house last night. How could he possibly forget it?!"

"As soon as the car stopped, the driver and Tiger got out first, followed by Tiger opening the rear door of the car. Ved stepped out, wearing black-colored goggles over his eyes, looking incredibly handsome. His personality was so impressive that no one could tell he wasn't from around here. Ved gestured to Tiger with his finger, and as soon as Tiger received the signal, he walked ahead and loudly instructed all the shopkeepers to come out of their shops."

"As the shopkeepers from the front rows started coming out, those who were farther away began to gather as well. Everyone's face was shrouded in silence, and as they assembled, Ved stood tall, exuding his signature attitude. With so many people present, it was only natural that they would start whispering among themselves. Gradually, some people began to converse in hushed tones, speculating, 'This must be Bhavesh... the one who has been sending his goons to evacuate this area for years, and we've always managed to teach them a lesson and send them packing. That's why he's come here himself this time.'"

"As the crowd grew, Ved removed his sunglasses and gazed at everyone with his piercing eyes. In a powerful voice, he declared, 'I haven't come here to threaten or persuade you. I've come to give you an order. I'm giving you a month's time, and after that, no extensions will be granted. Decide among yourselves how much of this land you want to take. You'll get more than you're worth, more than you can handle.'

As soon as Ved finished speaking, Tapsvi Ji stepped forward, accompanied by several others. With a firm tone, Tapsvi Ji replied, 'We know our worth, and we don't need you or anyone else to tell us.'"

"Just then, another man, Mohan, spoke up, 'If you're going to talk about worth, then why don't you leave this land as well? Why are you so desperate for this land? You know its value as well. We weren't willing to give up the land then, and we're not willing to give it up now. Do what you want to do!'

Seeing the argument escalate, Ved's patience wore thin. However, he remained calm and repeated, 'You'll be given the amount of money you demand. Each of you can ask for as much as you want and take the money. What's the problem you're facing with this land? You're being offered more than its current value. You can buy cars, bungalows, shops - everything. You can even do something for your children's future.'"

"Ved continued to tempt the crowd, and some people listened quietly to his words. The seed of greed had been planted in their minds, but others were still resistant to the idea of vacating the land. Many people were discussing among themselves, while others were arguing with Ved. Raising his hand, Ved said, 'I'm saying it one more time... I'm giving you 24 hours. If you change your mind, come to the Continental Hotel and inform me. You'll get as much money as you want, and that's a promise. But if you don't want the money, then after a month, you'll neither get the money nor the land. Think carefully about what you want to do. If you come to me later, don't blame me. This is my last warning...!'"

"Everyone was listening intently to Ved's words, but Tapsvi Ji refused to back down. With a defiant tone, he said, 'You can't tempt us with your offers. We're not driven by greed. We love our land, and we're happy to earn even a single rupee from it. We don't need your lectures...!'

Tapsvi Ji was still speaking when Ved completely ignored him and put on his sunglasses. 'I'm leaving now. I don't have time for pointless conversations. You have 24 hours...!'"

"After saying this, Ved got into his car and sat down, casting one last glance outside before his car sped away. After Ved left, the crowd began to discuss the matter among themselves. The temptation had begun to take hold, and Ved's offer had sparked greed in many of the simple-minded people. Wherever there are greedy people, it becomes difficult for honest ones to survive. The game had just taken a dramatic turn."

"After a while, Ved arrived at the Continental Hotel and immediately changed his clothes. He was a cleanliness freak and hated being dirty. He lit a cigarette and began to smoke. Just then, his phone rang, and he saw that the call was from his friend Daniel. Ved started talking to Daniel over the phone, and Daniel was calling him for some work in California. Ved clearly told him that he couldn't come right now, as he had some urgent work to finish, and as soon as it was done, he would leave immediately."

"After listening, Daniel agreed, and the two of them continued discussing their business and new projects for a long time. Ved was involved in the diamond trade, and he had become a master of this business. His business wasn't limited to India; he was known globally, and in every country, he had a different alias. He was a renowned figure in the diamond trade, known by various names in different parts of the world."

"Meanwhile, at the Mishra house,

it was almost noon, but Palak was still lying down, fast asleep. Garima Ji entered the room and sat beside her, gently trying to wake her up. As soon as Garima Ji touched her head, Palak started screaming in her sleep, 'Mom, it hurts so much!' Seeing Palak in pain, Garima Ji's eyes welled up with tears. Nandini, standing nearby, was also worried about her sister. Garima Ji carefully sat Palak up, and every time she touched Palak's head, Palak winced in pain. Then, Garima Ji gently began to touch Palak's hair, which was badly damaged and had fallen out in large clumps."

"Garima Ji gently combed out Palak's hair with a fine-tooth comb, carefully removing all the tangled and broken locks. As she gathered the fallen hair, it was clear that a large amount had been pulled out, and Palak was experiencing severe pain in those areas. Garima Ji applied cold oil to her scalp and tried to comfort her. Palak's eyes were red and swollen from crying. Garima Ji spoke softly to Palak, 'See, beta, your father will be back soon, and then I'll take you to the hospital.' With that, she fed Palak breakfast with her own hands."

"Meanwhile, in Jaipur, Rajasthan, Bhavesh had received news that Ved had arrived in Banaras from Mumbai and had already started working on the project. Bhavesh and his brother, Balram, were both thrilled to hear this. Balram, who was slightly intoxicated, said to his older brother Bhavesh, 'Brother, this guy has done us a great favor by giving them 24 hours. The sooner the work is done, the better it is for us.'

Bhavesh, sipping his drink, replied, 'That's why I assigned this task to him, so that he can wrap things up as quickly as possible.'"

"The two brothers began celebrating their impending victory, as they had been trying to acquire this land for years but had always failed. However, this time they were optimistic that their goal would be achieved soon.

Meanwhile, in the village of Balmapur, all the residents had gathered for a meeting that had been going on for a long time. The young men and boys were thinking quickly, discussing among themselves that if they were being offered crores of rupees, why shouldn't they leave this place and settle in a better location in the city?"

"Everyone started brainstorming new ideas. Out of the 18-20 shops, 10-12 people's intentions had turned malicious, and by evening, they had made up their minds to sell the land and shift to a better location. Seeing the change in their minds, Tapsvi Ji, Mohan Ji, and others began to shout, 'If an outsider comes and tempts you with money, will you sell your homes too?'

To be continue...

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Despite their efforts to reason with them, the people refused to listen. Instead, they were swayed by greed and kept saying, 'We're willing to sell our land and give our children a better future.'"

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