~11~

                                    

                                          
Sanjay's legal license was canceled, and he was arrested. It didn't come as a surprise. Those who had been watching the steady unraveling of Poddar Law Firm could see this outcome from a distance. His unchecked ambition, questionable ethics, and under-the-table dealings had finally caught up to him. For months, whispers of his misconduct had circulated through legal circles, and when the authorities finally made their move, it felt inevitable.
The arrest sent shockwaves through the firm, but what followed was perhaps even more jarring—there was no one left to take Sanjay's place. No successor to step in and stabilize the situation. The once-formidable Poddar Law Firm was leaderless, with no clear direction forward. Sanjay had run the firm with an iron grip, pushing aside anyone who might have challenged his authority, including Armaan, whose departure had left a void that no one had filled.
Kaveri Poddar, once the heart of the family's legal legacy, stood at the center of this collapse, her hands tied by her own choices. She had backed Sanjay, trusting him to carry the firm forward, while distancing herself from Armaan, who had always represented the values of integrity and fairness. Now, with Sanjay behind bars and no clear heir, she faced the harsh reality that the Poddar legacy was crumbling before her eyes.
Clients, already on edge after months of rumors, fled in droves. The remaining employees, demoralized and uncertain about their futures, stepped down leading to mass resigns. The firm, which had once dominated the legal scene, was now a shadow of its former self. Legal battles, financial woes, and Sanjay's public downfall all but guaranteed that the doors would soon close for good.
Charu, who was once rebuked even for the thought of pursuing a career, now rendered to be the only option for Kaveri Poddar. Life had come full circle. Charu, often dismissed as a mere shadow in the Poddar family, had spent years in the background, her ambitions quietly smothered under the weight of family expectations. Kaveri had always envisioned a girl's life following the traditional path—marriage, family, and playing the dutiful role in the Poddar household. A career had never been on the table, much less a leadership role in the family firm.
But now, with Sanjay's fall from grace and the firm teetering on the brink of collapse, Charu was the only one left. Kaveri, who had never entertained the idea of Charu stepping into such a role, found herself with no other choice. The irony wasn't lost on Kaveri. She had always believed that Charu wasn't suited for the harsh world of law, but now, she was forced to pin her hopes on her. Charu, who had been sidelined, now stood at the crossroads—her future tied to the very legacy that had once ignored her.
Charu isn't the one to step down. Not after she had been consumed with guilt all these years, believing she was the one responsible for the first crack in her Bhayya and Bhabhi's life. She had seen it all unfold—the tension, the arguments, the growing distance. She had been there, mute, when the entire Poddar family thundered against Abhira for not disclosing her past relationship. Charu had stood in silence as they tore apart Abhira's character, questioning her morals, her upbringing, and her worth. She hadn't defended her then, despite knowing deep down that the family's accusations were unfair, undeserved, and cruel.
That silence had haunted her for years. She had always regretted not standing up for Abhira, the woman who had shown her nothing but kindness. Abhira had been ostracized for trying to carve out her own identity, and Charu knew she had failed her when it mattered most. Now, with the firm in disarray and no one left to pick up the pieces, Charu saw this as her moment to make amends, to prove that a woman could rise in her career without compromising her values, without losing herself to the harsh judgments of the world.
She would show them all, especially her grandmother, Kaveri Poddar, who had always been so regressive, despite her power and influence. Kaveri, who believed that a woman's worth was tied to her role in the family, to her ability to play the perfect wife, mother, and daughter-in-law.