Page 36 of Every Move You Make
Her grandfather reached out and caught her hand. “Are you alright?”
All this time… all this history… and he was only telling her now? He’d let her hope, let her dream, knowing all of this. A hot, twisting anger rose in her chest, edged with the sting of betrayal. Several thoughts struck her at once.
Keya’s words to Akash at her anniversary party:You’re finally where you’re meant to be.
Kabier, her father, and her brothers always discouraging her from moving forward in Sehgal Media. All the heavy stares exchanged between Keya and Raashi at the anniversary celebration.
Her stomach plummeted as she realized the truth. But she needed to hear it aloud.
“Who all know this?” Shauna asked, keeping her tone even despite the chaos in her chest. “Who all know the truth about Sehgal Media?”
“There was a time, several years back, before Kabier fell in love with Keya, when he had a terrible misunderstanding about her, and he sat here with me holding the same letter you’re holding now. He knows.”
Her mind spun as she began to join all the dots. If Kabier knew, then it meant Sameer and Rishi knew too. The three of them were thick as thieves. Surely Kabier had confided in them. And then there was Raashi and Sheena. They had been Keya’s best friends since childhood. She was one hundred percent sure they knew too. Which left the others in their group.
Rithwik and Aditya were also extremely close to Keya from their college days. And Akash had interned with Rithwik’s twin, Rohan, and Aditya. Plus, Dev Luthra was one of Sheena and Rajiv’s closest friends. They all knew. That was why each of these men had personally taken an interest in training Akash.
And Jiya? She was close to Akash. Did she know too? Had she also not thought it fit to tell her? Had she also let her dream, knowing that dream would be shattered so bitterly?
A sharp pain settled at the back of her head as a sense of betrayal washed over her. What about Rhea? Her husband Nirvaan was extremely close to Akash and Rohan. Could he have known and told Rhea? But she’d spoken to Rhea just before meeting her grandfather.
No, Rhea didn’t know. Rhea would never have kept this from her had she known.
“I’m pretty sure all of them know,” Shauna exhaled, her chest heavy. “Except for Rhea and me, everyone knows, isn’t it?”
He nodded. “Yes. You have to understand how close they all are. Of course, they know.”
“And yet no one, not one person in our family, including you, thought to tellme.” A tear spilled down her cheek. She swiped it away angrily. “You all knew about my dreams of leading Sehgal Media, and yet none of you said a word to me. Why? How could you all be so cruel to me? God, I’ve been such an idiot.”
Her grandfather moved his chair closer, taking both her hands in his.
“You came to me one day, years ago, telling me you’d decided to pursue a degree in media with the intention of working at Sehgal Media in the future. You were so excited.” His grip tightened slightly. “And that was the moment I knew… that if I let you keep dreaming, there would come a day when I would have to break that dream.”
Her breath caught.
“So I spoke to the others. Your father tried to steer you toward law. Your brothers, Kabier, each of them in their own way tried to push you toward something else. Anything else.” He let out a quiet breath. “But you were adamant. You chose your path, and none of us could change your mind.”
He paused, his gaze steady on hers. “We all knew this day would come. And I’m so sorry, Shauna. But think back… I never once told you, by word or by action, that Sehgal Media would one day be yours.” He sighed. “All of us, over the years, tried to make you consider an option other than Sehgal Media. But we all failed.”
“Because I believed it could be mine. That Sehgal Media would be my destiny,” Shauna said, her voice wavering.
He continued, “You are sotalented, Shauna. You’ve worked so hard, and you are very good at what you do. Our channel and studios have been flourishing under your leadership and guidance. You’ve achieved so much at such a young age, and if you want to start your own media company, I’ll stand behind you. I’ll give you every resource, every connection, everythingyou need.” He paused, his voice lowering with regret. “But Sehgal Media is not mine to give you, Shauna. It never was.”
Her throat tightened painfully. She tried to swallow, but the ache wouldn’t budge.
“You should have told me,” she whispered, her voice trembling despite her attempts to steady it. “You should have told me before I dreamed of a future around this.”
He cupped her cheek, brushing away the tear she’d missed. “I couldn’t tell you. I was bound by the promises I made to Dhiraj and to Akash.”
Shauna looked away, blinking rapidly as more tears threatened. A sudden thought struck her, cracking through the heaviness in her chest. A fragile hope rose inside her.
“But… I know Global View News was originally what Dhiraj Mishra founded,” she said, leaning forward. “The rest—the studios, SEHVA—they exist because ofyou, Grandfather. Because of your vision, your work. Why can’t you split the business between us? Akash gets his grandfather’s legacy… and I get yours.”
For a moment, silence stretched between them. Then his expression changed from shock to something close to horror.
“No, Shauna.” His voice was firm. “Absolutely not.”
“Why not?” she asked, feeling excited. “It works beautifully for Akash and me.”
