The Soul's Unfinished Story
Prologue 3
The room is filled with mourners. The air is thick with incense and sorrow. A large, framed portrait of Inara’s father sits at the center, adorned with flowers. INARA (mid-20s) stands motionless, dressed in white. Her eyes are hollow. Everything around her is a blur.
Inara Shekhawat (FL)
Then my father died.
Just like that.
No warning. No goodbye.
Just silence.
People come and go, offering condolences she doesn’t register. Her eldest brother places a firm hand on her shoulder.
Akira Shekhawat (FL 1 elder brother)
(softly)
You built this company with him. It was always yours, Inara.
INARA doesn’t respond. Her lips twitch slightly, but no words come out. She just stares at her father's portrait.
Inara Shekhawat (FL)
I was his only daughter.
His partner. His pride.
Now, I was an orphan with an empire.
The room is dimly lit. Papers and files are spread out across the desk. INARA sits, disheveled, flipping through company reports. Her fingers tremble slightly as she reads. The sound of the door creaking breaks the silence. NIVAAN (30s), handsome, poised, enters slowly.
Nirvaan Gupta (husband)
"Still working?"
He walks over, placing a neat stack of documents in front of her. He leans in slightly, his fingers brushing her wrist.
Nirvaan Gupta (husband)
"Sign these. Just formalities. You're the CEO now—these will make everything easier."
Inara Shekhawat (FL)
(tired)
What is this?
Nirvaan Gupta (husband)
(smoothly)
"Legal adjustments. I handled the details. Just trust me, love."
INARA looks at the papers. The words blur. Her eyes close for a brief second. Her hand reaches for the pen.
Inara Shekhawat (FL)
"My head… it was fog.
My chest still hurt from crying.
And Nivaan—he was my husband.
He wouldn't lie to me... would he?"
She signs the documents slowly. He kisses her forehead and walks out.
A TV flashes news headlines. INARA is seated on the couch with her phone in hand. Her eyes widen. The phone slips from her grasp.
TV ANCHOR
Breaking news— Shekhawat Corp, the billion-dollar empire, has filed for bankruptcy.
The papers fall to the floor. Her breathing quickens.
Inara Shekhawat (FL)
No.
No.
This can’t be happening.
INARA storms in, eyes wild with betrayal. NIVAAN sits casually behind his desk, sipping whiskey. His demeanor is calm, almost amused.
Inara Shekhawat (FL)
(voice shaking)
"What did you do?"
Nirvaan Gupta (husband)
(chuckling)
"Did you really think I married you for love?"
Nirvaan Gupta (husband)
He leans back, unbothered. Sets the glass down.
Nirvaan Gupta (husband)
"That company was worth billions. Now, it’s mine."
Inara Shekhawat (FL)
You—!
Nirvaan Gupta (husband)
(smirking)
"Relax, sweetheart.
It’s just business."
Beat. Silence. INARA stares at him, eyes burning.
Inara Shekhawat (FL)
Business.
He turned my father’s dream into a deal.
He used my grief. My trust.
But what he doesn’t know…
(She straightens, spine stiffening.)
Inara Shekhawat (FL)
Is that I may have lost everything—
But I’m my father’s daughter.
And I will rise.
Even if it means burning him to the ground.
(She walks out, leaving NIVAAN behind, unaware that the war has just begun.)
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