Rana Sahab!!

12:47 A.M.

Banaras had gone to sleep hours ago.

The roads were nearly empty, the shops had their shutters down, and even the usual chaos of the city had disappeared beneath the silence of the night.

Far away from the crowded streets stood an old industrial factory.

Abandoned.

Or at least, that was what anyone passing by would have thought.

Han kyunki nobody would have imagined ki Uttar Pradesh ke CM Sahab Raat mein Banaras brhaman per nikalenge

The sound of approaching engines shattered the silence.

One black luxury car appeared on the deserted road.

Then another.

Then another.
(Gaadiyo ke showroom par chaapa maara hai kyaa😍😍)

Within minutes, seven cars came to a stop outside the factory gates.

The doors opened almost simultaneously.

Men dressed in black stepped out first, spreading around the vehicles and scanning their surroundings.

They weren't here to talk.

That much was obvious.

The last car remained still for a few seconds.

Then its rear door opened.

A man stepped out.

Rana Agastya Singh Rathore.
(Love you rahega aapko sirji😍)

He didn't need an introduction.

Not here.

Not among these men.

At six feet three, he stood taller than almost everyone around him. A perfectly white kurta-pajama covered his muscular frame, the sleeves folded carelessly up to his elbows, exposing his thick forearms and prominent veins.

His dark hair was slightly messy, his jaw sharp, and his expression completely unreadable.

No hurry.

No hesitation.

No curiosity.

Just the kind of calm that made people nervous.

One of his men approached and held out a lighter.

Agastya took it, lit his cigarette and inhaled slowly.

The orange glow briefly caught his face before disappearing into the darkness.

His eyes remained fixed on the factory.

One of his men approached him.

"Rana Saab, sab ready hai."
(Rana Saab, everything is ready.)

Agastya didn't look at him.

"Hmm."

That was it.

The man immediately turned around and walked towards the others.

No explanation was needed.

Everyone already knew what they had come here for.

A few men moved towards the rear section of the factory while another opened the trunk of one of the cars and took out a thick black file.

He walked towards Agastya and held it out.

Agastya took the file.

He opened it.
One page.

Then another.

His eyes moved over the documents without any visible reaction.

Property records.

Bank transactions.

Photographs.

Signed agreements.

And a few documents that could ruin the man they belonged to.

Stopped.

His fingers slowly closed the file.

"Owner?"

"Phone nahi utha raha, Rana Saab."

(He's not answering the phone, Rana Saab.)

Agastya glanced at his watch.

Then towards the factory.

"Pandrah minute."

(Fifteen minutes.)

The man nodded.

"Ji."

Agastya handed him the file.

"Video."

(The video.)

The man immediately pulled out his phone.

A few seconds later, a bright orange glow appeared from the rear side of the factory.

The fire had started.

The flames slowly climbed over the stacked cartons and wooden crates stored inside the warehouse section.

The man began recording.

Agastya watched the flames through the smoke, taking another drag from his cigarette.

He knew in the next few seconds his phone will beep
And then

His phone rang.

One of his men answered.

"Rana Saab-"

"Speaker."
H

e said in a voice that was barely audible

(Speaker.)

But The call was immediately put on speaker.

A nervous voice came from the other end.

"Rana Saab, please, meri baat sun lijiye-"

(Rana Saab, please, listen to me-)

Agastya remained silent.

The man continued.
H

e was pleading...

"Main sab explain kar sakta hoon-"

Agastya finally spoke.

"Pandrah minute."

(Fifteen minutes.)

There was silence.

"Sir, please. Aap ek baar-"

"Papers."

(The papers.)

The man on the other end went quiet.

Agastya's eyes remained on the burning section.
He was calm composed and looking in a direction.

"Rana Saab, woh-"

The call ended.

Just like that.

One of the men standing nearby looked at him.

Agastya handed his cigarette to the man beside him.

"Jala do."

(Burn them.)

The man opened the file.

One by one, the documents were taken out.

And one by one, they disappeared into the flames.

Agastya didn't look away.
He didn't seem angry.

He didn't even seem satisfied.
He was simply looking at the burning papers .. he new from the very beginning that somebody is plotting against him.. he was just waiting for the name.. then it would not matter who the person is

And he had never been the kind of man to waste emotions on things that could be solved with an order.

Minutes passed.

The fire grew stronger.

Then headlights appeared in the distance.

In less than ten minutes later, the car arrived. 
It stopped abruptly outside the gates.

A man stepped out.He looked terrified. His expressions the fear in  his eyes his trembling hands...they gave immense pleasure to agastya !!

Where as that man ?
His eyes immediately found Agastya.

"Rana Saab..."

Agastya looked at him.
There were no expressions on his face.

The man hurried towards him.

"Please, meri baat sun lijiye. Main-"

"Papers." Agastya simply said

The man froze.

"Sir, I can explain-"

"Papers."

The second time was quieter.

But somehow, it sounded worse.

The man immediately pulled a folder from inside his coat and handed it over.

Agastya took it.

Opened it.

Checked the contents.

His eyes moved across the pages for a few seconds.

Then he closed it.

"Bas?"

(That's all?)

"Ji..."

Agastya looked at the man for another second.

"Good."

He handed the folder to his man.

The owner looked towards the burning factory.

"Rana Saab... factory?"

Agastya took his cigarette back.

He lit it again.

Took a drag.

Then looked at the flames.

"Tumhari galti thi."

The man's face fell.

Agastya looked back at him.

"To saja mili..!"

The man swallowed.

"Sir, please..."

Agastya turned away.

One of his men stepped forward.

The owner immediately looked towards him, desperate.

"Rana Saab, please! Mera sab kuch-"

Agastya stopped.

For a moment, it looked like he might say something.

Instead, he simply glanced over his shoulder.

"Humne tumhe mauka diya tha."

(I gave you a chance.)

And that was all.

The man lowered his head

Agastya walked towards his car.

His guards immediately followed.

Before getting inside, he looked once at the burning building.

Not with regret.

Not with guilt.

There was no reason for either.

He hadn't come here to save anyone.

He hadn't come here to teach anyone a lesson.

He had come for something that belonged to him.

And he had taken it back.

The rest?

Was simply the price someone else had to pay.

Agastya got into the car.

The door shut.

One by one, the other cars followed.

Within minutes, the convoy disappeared into the darkness, leaving the burning factory behind.

Rana Agastya Singh Rathore didn't need to raise his voice to make people obey him.

He barely needed to speak at all..

I hate two things.

Lies.

And liars.

Simple.

Maybe that's why I never understood why people lied when they already knew I would find out.

According to me.. a person who can lie to me once ..who can betray me once will not even think for a while before with repeating it .

I leaned back against the leather seat, watching the city lights pass through the tinted window.

The cigarette between my fingers had almost burned out.

I didn't bother lighting another.

My eyes fell on the file lying on the seat beside me.

"And that son of a bitch had the audacity to live under my roof, work for me, sit in my meetings and earn my trust... while secretly feeding my every move to the opposition."

A faint, humourless smile touched my lips.

Three years.

Three years of loyalty that had never existed.

"He should have known better than to mistake my silence for ignorance."

I looked out of the window again.

I wasn't angry.

Anger made people careless.

I preferred consequences.

By the time my car entered the gates of the bungalow, it was already past two in the morning.

The guards opened the gates without a word, and I stepped out of the car, adjusting the sleeves of my kurta as I walked towards the entrance.

The entire house was quiet.
Or so I thought.

The moment I entered the living room, I stopped.

Maa was sitting on the sofa.
Still awake.

She thinks I am a 5 year old kid who can't even eat on his own.. I don't know why she always waita for me even when I have told her multiple times to sleep on time

I frowned slightly.

"Maa... aap soyi nahi?"
(Maa... you haven't slept yet?)

She looked up at me and smiled.

"Haan toh maa ka dil hai. Jab tak khud ko tasalli nahi hogi ki aapne khana khaya hai, tab tak neend kaise aayegi?"
(I'm your mother. Until I'm assured that you've eaten, how am I supposed to sleep?)

I sighed.
Of course.
The same question the same answer and now the same conversation.

It was two in the morning and she was still waiting for me to have dinner.

"Pareshan mat hua kariye, Maa. Aap kab tak aise mera intezaar karti rahengi?"
(Don't worry so much, Maa. How long will you keep waiting for me like this?)

She got up from the sofa.
"Jab tak aap shaadi karke ghar mein bahu nahi le aate."
(Until you get married and bring a daughter-in-law home.)

I gave her a look. I love her a lot but I care for her health too.. staying up late night is not good for her health

But she ...she...She smiled innocently and walked towards the dining table.

I went upstairs, changed out of my clothes and washed my hands and face before coming back down.

Because I know somebody would be waiting for meand won't leave the dinning table until I sitting front of her and eat.

When I came down she was already sitting there looking in the direction I was coming from .

The moment I sat down, she began serving dinner onto my plate.
I looked at her.

"Maa, maine kaha na... itni raat tak mera intezaar mat kiya kariye."
(Maa, I told you... don't wait up for me this late.)

She ignored me completely.
"Aap bhi na, Agastya. Shaadi kar lijiye."
(You really should get married, Agastya.)

I picked up my spoon.
I was not ready for this call you after working up for the whole day.
"Maa..."

She continued as if I hadn't spoken.
Her mother in law gave her a taat to convince me to get married and she was trying to convince me 24/7 .

"Phir main sukoon se soya karungi."
(Then I'll finally be able to sleep peacefully.)

I raised an eyebrow.
She smiled.

"Aur aapki biwi jaagegi... aapke saath."
(And your wife will stay awake... with you.)

I stared at her for a moment.
She looked far too pleased with herself.

I shook my head and finally took a bite of food.

"Aap ye sab baatein pehle se soch rakhi hai?"
(You've already planned all this?)

She smiled.
"Maa hoon. Aapko jaanti hoon."
(I'm your mother. I know you.)

I said nothing.
Because arguing with Maa at two in the morning was probably more exhausting than dealing with half the cabinet.

I don't know why everybody in this family was so adamant to get me married .

She sat across from me, watching me eat with the satisfaction of someone who had finally completed her night's most important task.

---

After finishing my dinner, I made Maa go to her room before she could find another reason to keep me sitting at the table.

I walked towards my room, thinking about the one thing my entire family never seemed to get tired of discussing.

Marriage.
I honestly didn't know what was wrong with them.

I lived with a huge joint family where breakfast wasn't even complete without someone asking me when I was planning to get married.

My grandmother had her theories.
My chachis had their suggestions.
And my cousins had apparently made finding me a wife their personal mission.

I don't know what's wrong with my family why are they so much obsessed with me getting married bringing a daughter in law for them .

Are they bored of seeing the same faces every morning.. so now they want to bring a new person.

They have made multiple theories in their head.. sometimes I even feel Shakespeare was taking tuitions from my family when it comes to fiction

Somebody had a theory that I got heart broken in my college and I could not move on from my ex .

Somebody said I am into men .

Funny.. funny enough but the worst was yet to come !

I remember once the younger one told me the family members think I have some mardana gupt rog that prevented me from getting married.

Before doing something for the state I think I need to do something for my family get them therapy because there was no reason that could justify the shit they were assuming.

I reached the corridor leading towards my room.
The house was finally quiet.
Most of them had already gone to sleep.

I slowed down for a moment, looking at the familiar corridor before continuing towards my room.

This house was loud, crowded and occasionally exhausting.

But it was home.

The only place where I didn't have to question the people around me.
Because I trusted my family.
They might irritate me they might annoy me but at the end of the day they are my family.. they won't play me they won't betray me and they won't break my trust..

Getting married something I never thought about.. not because of the gupt rog thing.. or any other theory.

I simply don't trust the opposing gender apart from my family members .

Ya I don't trust women.

Not enough to let one of them become a part of my life.
I'd seen enough.

Women who lied.

Women who manipulated.

Women who stayed until they found something better.

And women who smiled at you while calculating exactly what they could get from you.

Maybe that was unfair.
Judging every women just because I have heard some bad experience of other people was not fair but I do not care about it .

Trust wasn't something I handed out because someone looked innocent.

And marriage?
Marriage required more trust than anything else.

Something I wasn't willing to give.

Thinking about all of this and my family's nuisance. I had almost reached my bedroom when I heard footsteps behind me.

I turned around.
Dadi.

She stood there, looking at me with a strangely serious expression.

She is standing here at 2 a.m. in front of me with those firm expressions of her simply mean that I am going to be trapped into something I don't want to be a part of .

"Kya hua?"
(What happened?)

She walked closer.
"Tumse kuch zaroori baat karni hai."
(I need to talk to you about something important.)

I looked at the clock.
2:17 A.M.

Whatever it was, it clearly couldn't wait until morning.

And somehow, I had a feeling I wasn't going to like it.

♡♡♡♡

AUTHOR'S NOTE 🫶🏻

OYYYYY finally Rana Saab ki entry ho hi gayi 😭🤌🏻
Ab batao sach-sach... kya laga hamara ye khadoos, khatarnaak, aurat-dveshi aadmi? 💀

Green flag dhoondhne aaye ho toh galat jagah aa gaye ho bhai 😭🙏🏻
Aur haan, Maa ke saamne thoda shareef bana phirta hai... baaki aadmi toh factory jala ke aa raha tha 🙂‍↕️

Abhi toh bas trailer tha Rana Saab ka. 👀

Feedback dena mat bhoolna, warna main maan lungi sabko Rana se pyaar ho gaya aur mujhe kisi ne bataya hi nahi. 😭🫠