Page 74 of Yes Boss
Raghav Khanna, who noticed everything in business, missed every single sign.
Chapter 20
The Khanna car slowed before the iron gates of Rao Niwas.
The bungalow stood a little away from the road, shaded by old banyan trees whose branches stretched wide over the driveway. It wasn’t flashy. No towering façade, no marble lions. Just a quiet kind of confidence.
Raghav sat in the backseat, expression neutral, already planning the conversation in his head. Brief. Respectful. Final. By afternoon, this would be done. His phone buzzed.
“Good morning, Boss.”
Ishani.
The corner of his mouth almost moved. Almost.
“Remember your manners,” Kavita said softly, adjusting the edge of her sari.
“I’ll be polite,” Raghav replied.
“That would be new,” Vikram muttered.
The car stopped. The driver stepped out to open the door. As they walked toward the entrance, Vikram fell into step beside Raghav.
“You look like you’re about to negotiate a hostile takeover,” he whispered. “Relax. It’s tea, not war.”
Raghav gave him a look that usually ended conversations. It didn’t.
“You could at least try smiling,” Vikram added. “Your face has been in boardroom mode since breakfast.”
At the entrance stood a tall man with silver at his temples, posture straight, presence steady.
“Welcome,” he said, shaking Harshit’s hand first, then Raghav’s. His grip was firm, measured. “I’m Pushkar Rao. Please come in.”
Raghav inclined his head politely. So far, nothing unexpected. As he stepped into Rao Niwas, something about the space, the fragrance felt… familiar. He couldn’t place it.
The house was spacious without being grand. Polished marble floors. High ceilings. Antique furniture. Nothing screamed for attention. Everything simply belonged.
Gayatri Rao rose to greet them, her smile warm. “Kavita, how wonderful to finally meet in person after all our calls.” She turned to Raghav, studying him with undisguised interest. “And you must be Raghav. I’ve heard so much about you.”
“All good things, I hope,” he replied automatically, folding his hands in a polite gesture.
“Mostly,” Gayatri replied with a smile that tugged at something in his memory. He almost caught it—the resemblance, the tone—and then it slipped away.
They were seated formally. Parents on opposite sofas, he and Vikram completing the circle. Tea arrived. Sweets followed. The ritual felt practiced.
Pushkar lifted his cup. “Your father tells me you’ve been expanding aggressively.”
“Yes, sir,” Raghav replied evenly. “We closed the Singapore acquisition this week.”
“Impressive,” Pushkar said.
The conversation moved through business with comfortable ease. Markets. Expansion. Strategy. Raghav answered automatically.
His mind was elsewhere. A message from Ishani still sat unread in his pocket. He resisted the urge to check it again. This meeting needed to end cleanly.
Harshit finally cleared his throat. “Perhaps,” he said gently, “we should speak about why we’re here.”
Raghav set his cup down, straightening in his chair. This was it.
