Paths of Fate

Nathaniel's POV

The car moved through the dimly lit roads, gliding effortlessly towards Kolkata. Inside the vehicle, the atmosphere was heavy, as if the air itself carried the weight of the conversation that had just taken place. Nathaniel sat straight, his hands resting on his lap, his eyes flicking briefly toward his daughter, Katherine, who had been silent ever since they left the Naskar household.

He cleared his throat before speaking. "It is done. The wedding is scheduled for next Sunday. A simple ceremony at Kalighat. No grand announcements, no media involvement. Just enough to satisfy their traditions and ensure that we maintain control."

For a moment, Katherine didn't react. Her face, once carrying a subtle smirk of victory, slowly fell. Her fingers gripped the fabric of her dress, tightening unconsciously as she processed his words.

"So, it's decided... just like that?" Her voice was quiet, almost distant.

Nathaniel turned slightly toward her. "This was always the plan, Katherine. You knew this would happen. We made a calculated move, and now we follow through."

She exhaled, her breath fogging the cold glass of the car window. The city lights of Kolkata shimmered in the distance, a stark contrast to the dark outskirts they currently passed through. The occasional glow of roadside tea stalls and dimly flickering streetlights cast elongated shadows across empty roads, where stray dogs wandered aimlessly. The soft hum of life still existed—a late-night rickshaw passing by, a couple of workers smoking near a railway track, their conversations faint echoes in the stillness.

Her eyes trailed over the farmlands, where dim lanterns lit up scattered huts, and she could just make out the slow movement of people winding down their day. A world so far removed from the one she was used to.

"It doesn't feel real," she finally muttered, still gazing out at the passing landscape. "I thought I had control, that I was a piece on the board I could move myself. But in the end, I'm just being placed where you need me."

Nathaniel's expression remained neutral, though he noted the disappointment in her tone. "You misunderstand your role, Katherine. You are not just a piece; you are leverage. This marriage is a temporary sacrifice for permanent control. Do not mistake a move for the end of the game."

Katherine didn't respond immediately. Her grip loosened slightly, and she rested her head against the window, her reflection looking back at her, hollow-eyed. "And what about him?" she asked after a long pause. "Does he think he's the one in control?"

Nathaniel allowed himself a slight smirk. "Aritra is intelligent, ambitious. But he is still young. He believes he has won this round, but he has only just entered the battlefield."

For a brief moment, Nathaniel considered the implications of this marriage. Was Aritra merely a bold upstart, or was he something far more dangerous—a man who could truly challenge him? Most men Nathaniel had dealt with could be controlled, steered into playing the roles he assigned them. But Aritra had not only disrupted his plans—he had forced a negotiation on equal terms. That alone made him different.

Nathaniel exhaled slowly. "The real question is whether he realizes that this is just the first move. The pieces are still shifting, and he hasn't yet seen the full depth of the game he's playing."

He let out a slow exhale, his fingers tapping idly on the armrest. "He doesn't yet understand the depth of what he's involved in. Right now, he thinks he's maneuvered himself into a position of power, but he hasn't accounted for the battles that come after a victory. This is the part where most ambitious men make their greatest mistake—believing that one success means the war is won."

Nathaniel shifted his gaze back toward his daughter, his voice lowering slightly. "Aritra is dangerous in the way that young kings are—bold, unpredictable, and willing to risk everything. That makes him formidable. But that also makes him vulnerable. And vulnerabilities are always exploitable."

Katherine let out a soft, humorless laugh. "You sound almost fond of him."

Nathaniel didn't reply immediately, his fingers tightening slightly on the armrest. He knew better than to let emotions cloud his judgment, but for the first time in years, he wasn't entirely sure he had full control over the situation. Aritra was proving to be more than just an ambitious young entrepreneur—he was unpredictable, and unpredictability was dangerous.

As the cityscape of Kolkata loomed closer, the distant skyline blending with the ink-black sky, Nathaniel exhaled slowly. The upcoming marriage was a strategic move, but it also carried its own risks. Aritra wasn't a pawn; he was a player. And the moment a player realized his power, the board could shift in unexpected ways.

For now, he would play along. But the real battle had only just begun.

Aritra's POV

Back at the Naskar household, Aritra sat across from his parents in their modest living room. The old wooden furniture, the faded curtains swaying gently in the night breeze, and the scent of his mother's freshly brewed chai created an environment so familiar, so far removed from the world of negotiations he had just walked out of.

His father, Rajesh, sat with his arms crossed, his face unreadable. His mother, Mira, was quieter than usual, her fingers wrapped around a steaming cup of tea.

"You said you understand why this must happen," Rajesh finally spoke, his voice steady. "But do you? Really?"

Aritra met his father's gaze, unflinching. "I do, Baba. I understand why you want this."

Mira sighed, stirring her tea absentmindedly. "We didn't raise you to be reckless, Aritra. But this situation... it's beyond us now. I remember when you were younger, how careful you always were. Even when you made a mistake, you thought it through, weighed every consequence. When you chose to go to Jadavpur instead of one of those expensive private universities, we were so proud. You always had a plan."

She looked at him now, her gaze heavy with concern. "But this? This doesn't feel like something you planned for. It feels like something you're trying to fix after it's already broken. And that worries me."

Aritra nodded, choosing his words carefully. "I know you both worry about how this will reflect on the family. I won't let it bring you shame. Whatever happens from here on out, I'll make sure you never have to explain or defend me."

Rajesh studied him for a long moment before nodding. "That's all we ask. That you handle this responsibility the way you handle everything else."

His mother reached for his hand, squeezing it gently. "You'll make it work, won't you? With her?"

Aritra didn't answer immediately. He thought of Katherine's winning smirk from earlier, how it had shifted into something hollow in the car. He thought of Nathaniel's calculating gaze, the way he had spoken about control.

"I'll do what needs to be done," he said finally.

Mira smiled softly. "Then that's enough for us."

Outside, the night stretched on, carrying with it an air of inevitability. Aritra stared out the window at the dimly lit streets, his mind already working. The marriage was inevitable, but what came after was still unwritten.

Nathaniel thought he had won. Katherine believed she was being sacrificed.

But Aritra? He was already reshaping the board.