Page 20 of No Boss
He set the phone down with more force than needed.
Superstitious fools.
And an estate manager’s daughter with far too much time, and far too much influence, over people who should know better.
He reached for the next file.
The matter, he told himself, was under control.
???
Six weeks later, the second buyer came.
A private collector. Deep pockets. The confidence of a man who had never been told no, by anything.
Desai forwarded the proposal.
Personal museum space. Part-time residence. Restricted public access.
On the third page, almost buried, a line about converting the Kul Devi temple into private family worship.
Meera read it once. Read it again.
The chair scraped back, sharp against the floor.
Rajan stood at the door, startled. “Didi?”
“Private worship only.” Each word came measured, examined. “He wants to close the temple.”
Rajan blinked. “Close the…?”
“The temple, Rajan.” Her voice stayed even. “Where hundreds come every day. Where Radha Nani has climbed those steps since her marriage. Where my grandmother prayed on the day I was born.”
Her gaze met his. Her hazel eyes were bright, too bright. “He wants it for himself.”
Rajan took a step back. He knew that look. That look had once reorganized the entire Haveli in a single afternoon and left three contractors questioning their life choices.
“What are we going to do?” Though his tone suggested he wasn’t entirely sure he wanted to know.
Meera was already thinking. Her lower lip caught between her teeth. Her gaze fixed somewhere just beyond the room.
“We are going to tell the truth.”
Rajan exhaled. Truth sounded… manageable.
“To everyone,” she added.
He tensed again.
Meera did not gather crowds. Did not raise slogans. For three days, she went from house to house.
She sat in their homes. Drank tea. Spoke in the same calm tone she used for daily matters.
“A possible buyer plans to close public worship at the temple.”
A brief pause.
“I thought you should know.”
