Her face heated as she recalled his arrogant words.
He always decided everything.
He decided when he came. He decided when he didn't. He decided her schedule, her security, the heir timeline, and now even her sleep. Everything in their marriage happened on his terms while she simply reacted.
Why does he get to decide everything?
Pooja was right about one thing.
She could not keep reacting to Bharat Jogra while he continued controlling every part of their marriage.
It was time to take control back.
She sat up and looked around the room.
Her eyes landed on the dressing table.
She got out of bed and reached over and pulled a hairpin from the small tray where Savita had left them.
She turned it between her fingers once.
This should do.
CHAPTER 32
The Jogra palace office was quieter than the city.
No traffic. No distant machinery. Only the mountain wind pressing against the glass in slow, measured intervals and the occasional shift of the fire in the grate.
Bharat and his brothers settled into the leather seating area by the fireplace. Ram to Bharat's left, Samar across, Viraj in the chair angled slightly back from the group.
“The protests have spread to three more plants,” Bharat said. “The pattern is coordinated. Same funding structure, different front organizations.”
Ram was quiet for a moment. “This isn't opportunistic.”
“No,” Bharat said. “It isn't.”
“Protest coverage is suppressed across all major channels,” Samar said. “Regional media is manageable. Social amplification is slower than they expected.” A pause. “But they adapt. Every channel I close, they find another within forty-eight hours. Their response time shouldn't be possible without someone who understands our media infrastructure from the inside.”
“Former employee?” Ram said.
“Possibly. I'm running the list.” Samar's jaw tightened slightly. “Whoever this is, they are not operating alone, and they are not operating cheaply. This level of coordination requires serious capital.”
“The same capital funding the protests,” Bharat said.
“Almost certainly.”
Viraj had been sitting with one ankle crossed over his knee.
“The chief minister is still unhappy his daughter got fired,” Viraj said. “But he will not interfere with Jogra operations, andhe will not allow his network to be used against you. He knows what’s good for his career.”
Bharat nodded.
“But his daughter might not let it go,” Samar said. “She has motivation to act independently of her father if she thinks the only thing standing between her being the Jogra maharani isbhabhi.”
Until then, Tina Mehta hadn’t been a variable in his mind. Beyond the political implications, the chief minister’s daughter wasn’t of any significance to him. But he knew people weren’t above acting impulsively when personal ambitions were thwarted.
“Security around Yamini was increased after the Gulwama incident,” Bharat said. “It remains in place.”
