The Khanna Mansion felt different now. Not because anyone knew about the marriage. Nobody did.

For the outside world.

Ira Sharma was simply the woman Rudra Khanna trusted the most. The woman who now held sixty percent control of the Khanna Empire until Tushar turned twenty-one. And because of that. Everything inside the mansion had changed.

Some servants respected her even more than before. After all, they had watched her work in this house for nearly four-five years. They knew how loyal she was to Rudra Khanna. How quietly she handled responsibilities without arrogance. Many genuinely cared about her.

But not everyone. Some staff members whispered after she passed. Some questioned why Rudra Khanna trusted an outsider so much. Some looked at her with jealousy now that she held power equal to the Khanna name itself.

And then there were relatives like Kavita. Who clearly believed Ira had taken something that never belonged to her.

Still. Ira ignored everything calmly like always. Years of working in powerful environments had taught her one important thing: People respected power publicly. And judged it privately.

Ira quietly entered the kitchen to drink water, hoping for a moment of silence.

But the moment she stepped inside. Conversations stopped. Two maids immediately lowered their heads awkwardly.

One elder servant smile. "Good evening... Miss Ira."

Ira simply nodded and walked away silently.

Meanwhile upstairs...

Tushar sat alone in Rudra Khanna's office staring blankly at business files spread before him. Numbers. Projects. Meetings. Legal issues. Everything looked exhausting.

How did his father manage all this alone?

A knock came on the door.

"Come in."

The lawyer stepped inside carefully.

"Sir, tomorrow's board meeting is important. Some shareholders are already unhappy about the shares."

Tushar leaned back slowly in his father's chair.

"They think Dad made mistake."

The lawyer stayed silent for a moment before answering carefully.

"Many people respected Mr. Rudra Khanna. But his final decision shocked everyone."

Tushar's eyes moved toward the large window quietly. Outside. Rain clouds still covered the city. Nothing felt normal anymore.

"What exactly do they want?" he asked tiredly.

The lawyer adjusted his glasses.

"They believe transferring sixty percent authority to Miss Ira Sharma gives her too much control over Khanna Group."

Tushar's jaw tightened slightly.

"And?"

"Some board members may demand temporary external supervision until you become older."

Older. Again that word. Like everyone thought he was incapable.

"They didn't question Dad while he was alive."

The lawyer sighed softly.

"Power changes people, sir."

Silence filled the office. Then after a few moments.

"The will cannot be changed, correct?"

"Not unless both legal heirs agree," the lawyer answered immediately. "And according to Mr. Rudra Khanna's conditions, Miss Ira Sharma will retain controlling authority until you turn twenty-one."

Tushar nodded slowly. Of course. His father had already predicted everything. Every challenge. Every greedy relative. Every board member waiting for weakness. Suddenly-

"Sir..." the lawyer hesitated slightly. "Tomorrow's meeting may become aggressive."

Tushar gave a humorless laugh.

"I expected that."

Not because Ira was wrong. Not because she was incapable. But because powerful men hated taking orders from someone they once called "just a secretary."

The lawyer quietly placed another file on desk.

"These are tomorrow's meeting documents. Miss Ira already reviewed everything."

Of course she did. Tushar looked at the organized notes inside file silently. Perfectly arranged. Every important point highlighted neatly.

Without realizing.

A small smile appeared briefly on his tired face. The lawyer noticed immediately. And wisely pretended not to.

Finally-

"I'll leave now, sir."

Tushar nodded absentmindedly.

The moment the door closed again. Silence returned. Heavy silence. He slowly looked around Rudra Khanna's office once more. The same office where his father controlled entire empire effortlessly.

And now.

Everyone expected him to sit here like successor. But honestly? Right now he still felt like a school student pretending to be adult. His eyes suddenly fell toward family photograph kept near desk. Rudra Khanna stood beside younger Tushar proudly. A painful heaviness settled inside his chest again.

Softly. Almost like confession.

"I miss you, Dad."

The office remained silent after those words. Only the ticking sound of Rudra Khanna's watch echoed softly in the room. Tushar lowered his gaze. For the first time since the funeral. He allowed himself to feel it properly. The emptiness.The loneliness. The absence of the one person who always stood between him and the world.

A few seconds later-

Another soft knock came on the door. Tushar quickly straightened himself slightly.

"Come in."

The door opened slowly. Ira stepped inside holding a tray of dinner.The moment her eyes fell on his face. She understood immediately. He was missing his father again. Without saying anything unnecessary, she quietly placed the tray on table beside him.

"You skipped dinner."

"I wasn't hungry."

"That's what you said yesterday."

A weak breath escaped him. Somewhere between frustration and tired amusement. Ira glanced toward the open files spread across desk.

"You reviewed meeting documents?"

"Half."

"And the other half?"

"My soul left body during page eight."

A faint smile touched Ira's lips.

"Are you okay with the will?"

Tushar looked down at the papers for a moment.

"Yeah, I am." His voice was quiet. "If Dad decided something, then he must have had a reason."

Ira nodded slowly.

"Okay. Tomorrow is the meeting."

"Yeah. I know." Tushar leaned back in his chair. "The lawyer already warned me."

His gaze shifted back to the files covering the desk.

"I don't understand anything."

A small silence followed.

"You don't have to understand everything immediately."

Tushar looked up at her.

"But everyone expects me to."

For a moment. Neither spoke. Then Ira slowly pulled a chair and sat opposite him.

"Do you know why your father survived so long in business world?"

Tushar frowned slightly.

"Because he was terrifying?"

"That too." A faint smile touched her lips. "But mostly because he never acted emotionally during pressure."

Her voice turned softer now.

"Right now everyone is testing you. Board members. Relatives. Shareholders." She held his gaze steadily. "If they see fear... they'll use it."

Tushar listened quietly.

"And if they see confidence?" he asked.

"They'll wait before attacking."

Silence settled again.

Then suddenly.

"What if I fail?"

The question came out more honestly than he intended. Not businessman. Not heir. Just an seventeen-year-old boy suddenly carrying responsibilities too heavy for him.

Ira's expression softened slightly.

"You will."

Tushar blinked in disbelief.

"What?"

"You'll fail sometimes," she answered calmly. "Everybody does."

Then after a small pause.

"But I won't let you fall alone."

Something inside him stilled hearing those words. Not because they sounded dramatic. But because she genuinely meant them. No manipulation. No greed. Just quiet loyalty. The same loyalty she once gave his father. And now. Somehow. To him too.

A few moments later. She pushed dinner plate slightly toward him.

"Eat."

Tushar sighed dramatically.

"You always ruin emotional moments with food."

"And you always create problems by skipping meals."

He looked at her for few seconds. Then finally. He started eating. For the first time since Rudra Khanna's death. The office didn't feel completely empty anymore.

Later that night...

Tushar entered his room exhausted. Late night silence covered the Khanna Mansion once again. Most lights inside the house were already off. Only one room still remained awake.

Rudra Khanna's office.

Ira sat behind the main desk, surrounded by files, legal documents, and financial reports.

The office was silent except for the soft clicking of laptop keys and the occasional rustle of paper.

Hours had passed, yet she remained focused.

Every file she signed. Every decision she reviewed. Every responsibility she carried now belonged to her until Tushar turned twenty-one.

The burden was enormous.

But she never complained.

Because long before Rudra Khanna's death, she had already learned how to carry responsibilities that were never meant to be hers.

A few minutes later, the office room door opened.

Tushar stepped inside. His eyes landed on files covering the desk.

"You're still awake?" Tushar asked, glancing at the clock.

Ira didn't even look up from the laptop.

"Yeah, Preparing for tomorrow.."

"You haven't rested since morning."

"I'm fine."

"You said that four hours ago too."

Now Ira finally looked up from the screen.

"And you should be sleeping. You have school tomorrow."

Tushar looked offended immediately.

"My father died and you still want me to attend classes?"

"Yes."

His jaw dropped slightly.

"You're scary."

"You're avoiding normal life."

The direct answer silenced him instantly. Because she was right. He had stopped replying to friends. Stopped checking messages. Stopped feeling connected to the outside world completely. Everything felt meaningless after Rudra's death. Ira's voice softened slightly this time.

"Your father never wanted the business world to consume your entire life."

Tushar looked down quietly. That sounded exactly like something Rudra Khanna would say. Suddenly his eyes fell on another pile of files beside her.

"You still have meetings tomorrow?"

"Three."

"At office?"

"Yes."

Tushar frowned slightly.

"Those board members bother you too much."

"They bother everyone."

"No," he answered quietly. "They target you differently."

Ira stayed silent. Because that part was true. Most people still refused accepting her authority.

To them she was:

A secretary who suddenly became Owner.

Not the woman who helped build the Khanna Empire beside Rudra for years. Tushar suddenly sat up straighter.

"Then I'm coming tomorrow."

"No."

His eyebrows instantly narrowed.

"No?"

"You have classes."

"I don't care."

"But I do."

The calm firmness in her voice reminded him painfully of his father again. Tushar leaned back dramatically.

"Wow. Marriage is very controlling."

Ira quickly looked back at the laptop again.

"You should sleep."

Tushar ignored that completely. Instead, he quietly looked around the office. His father's office. Same desk. Same chair. Same late-night work atmosphere. Only the person sitting behind the desk had changed.

And suddenly...

A strange feeling hit him. Not discomfort. Not awkwardness. But something quieter. Safer. Because despite everything changing around him. Ira was still here.

Next Morning...

Soft sunlight entered the Khanna Mansion quietly through the large windows.

Downstairs, servants moved carefully while preparing breakfast. Everyone inside the mansion still looked tense after Rudra Khanna's death.

Meanwhile upstairs...

Tushar lay sprawled across his bed, buried beneath a blanket, trying to steal a few more minutes of sleep after another exhausting night.

A soft knock echoed through the room.

"Tushar?"

Ira's calm voice. He buried his face deeper into the pillow dramatically.

"Tell the world I died."

"No."

"Please?"

"You have school in thirty minutes."

Tushar groaned loudly.

"This marriage has ruined my peace."

A tiny sigh escaped Ira from outside the door.

"Get ready. Your breakfast is downstairs."

A few seconds later, footsteps faded away. Tushar slowly sat up while staring blankly at the ceiling. School. Honestly, he didn't want to go. How was he supposed to sit normally in class when his entire life had collapsed? And now the whole country probably knew about his father's death.

The moment he entered. He stopped slightly.

Ira was already sitting there with file open beside her and a cup of coffee in her hand. As if secretly becoming someone's wife yesterday was completely normal. Tushar pulled a chair quietly and sat across from her. Neither spoke for a few seconds. The silence wasn't awkward anymore. Just unfamiliar.

Finally.

"You should start attending classes from today."

Tushar immediately looked offended.

"Good morning to you too."

Ira ignored that calmly.

"Your boards are this year."

He leaned back dramatically.

"My father died a few days ago."

"And your future still exists."

The direct answer silenced him instantly. Ira closed one file before continuing softly.

"Rudra sir never wanted business pressure to destroy your studies."

Tushar looked down quietly at the breakfast plate in front of him. Because that sounded exactly like his father.

"You can't stop your life completely," Ira added gently. "Not even because of grief."

For a few moments, only silence remained between them. Then Tushar muttered tiredly.

"I don't even remember what chapters are going on anymore."

Suddenly footsteps echoed downstairs. Kavita entered the dining hall wearing an expensive saree and fake sweetness instantly covered her face seeing them together.

"Well..." her eyes moved between them carefully. "You both seem quite comfortable already."

The hidden meaning behind the sentence was obvious. Tushar's expression immediately hardened. But before he could answer. Ira calmly stood up.

"I have a meeting in one hour."

Then she looked toward Tushar quietly.

"And you have to study."

Kavita raised an eyebrow slightly.

"Study?"

"Yes," Ira answered calmly. "He has boards this year."

For the first time. Kavita actually looked surprised. Probably because she expected business discussions. Control. Power. Not studies. Tushar noticed that too.

And suddenly...

He realized something important. Everyone around him wanted Rudra Khanna's heir. Only Ira still cared about Tushar himself.

Kavita quietly stirred her tea while observing both of them carefully. The atmosphere inside the dining hall suddenly felt tense again.

"So," she spoke sweetly, "instead of teaching him business, you're worrying about school exams?"

Ira remained calm.

"He's seventeen."

The simple answer somehow irritated Kavita more.

"But he's also Rudra's heir."

"And still a student," Ira replied politely.

Tushar silently watched the conversation. Because this was the difference between them.

Kavita saw:

• Rudra Khanna's successor

• company power

• inheritance

While Ira still saw:

• a boy who lost his father

• a student with board exams

• someone not ready for the business world yet

Kavita suddenly smiled knowingly.

"You care for him a lot."

The hidden implication behind the sentence was obvious again. Tushar's jaw tightened instantly. But Ira answered before things escalated.

"Rudra sir trusted me with his responsibilities."

A strange silence followed. Because somewhere deep inside. Everyone knew Tushar himself was now part of those responsibilities. Kavita slowly placed her teacup down.

"Well, I hope studies remain your biggest concern." Her eyes briefly moved toward Tushar. "Because the board members are already asking questions."

Tushar frowned immediately.

"What questions?"

"About who's controlling the company now."

The atmosphere changed instantly. Kavita leaned back slightly.

"People are worried, beta. A secretary suddenly handling the Khanna Empire..."

Her unfinished sentence carried enough insult already. Tushar looked ready to snap again. But Ira calmly interrupted first.

"I'll handle the board."

"No," Tushar answered immediately.

For a second, they simply stared at each other. Then softly.

"You can't destroy your future while trying to protect your father's company."

Something about those words hit him deeply. Because no one else was saying things like this. Everyone expected him to suddenly become Rudra Khanna overnight. Only Ira allowed him to still be seventeen. Kavita quietly noticed the entire exchange.

And for the first time. A small warning bell rang inside her mind. Because this connection between them. Was becoming stronger much faster than she expected. Meanwhile Tushar looked away frustratingly.

"Fine."

Ira raised an eyebrow slightly.

"Fine?"

"I'll go to school."

A tiny victorious smile appeared on her lips. And unfortunately. Tushar noticed that too.

"You planned this conversation from the start, didn't you?"

"No."

"You definitely did."

"I have to leave for the office."

Tushar frowned slightly.

"So early?"

"There's a board meeting today."

Of course. There was always another meeting now. Another problem. Another responsibility waiting for her. Meanwhile he still had mathematics assignments unfinished. The contrast felt strange even to him. Ira looked toward him again.

"And you should leave in twenty minutes or you'll be late."

Tushar groaned dramatically.

"You really sound like a strict guardian."

A faint smile crossed her face briefly.

"Someone has to."

Kavita silently observed everything from across the table. Every small interaction. Every comfortable response. And she disliked it more with each passing minute.