Chapter 1
The Last Debt
The rain had been falling over Mumbai since dawn.
By the time Arjun Malhotra stepped out of his black Mercedes, the parking lot outside Malhotra Shipping & Logistics had turned into a shallow lake. His polished shoes disappeared beneath muddy water as he walked toward the office entrance.
Inside, the building was unnaturally quiet.
Three years ago, the reception area buzzed with clients, phone calls, and employees racing to meet deadlines. Today, only the receptionist looked up from her desk.
"Good morning, sir."
Arjun forced a smile.
"Morning."
She looked away quickly. Everyone in the office knew what was happening.
The company was dying.
Arjun entered the conference room where four men in expensive suits were already waiting.
The bank representatives.
No one stood to greet him.
A thick file rested in the middle of the table.
The senior manager pushed it toward him.
"Mr. Malhotra, your outstanding loans now exceed ₹18 crore."
Arjun remained silent.
"You've already missed three repayment deadlines."
"I know."
"We have no option left."
Another file slid across the table.
"This is the foreclosure notice."
The words echoed through the room.
Foreclosure.
Everything his father had built over thirty years would soon belong to the bank.
His ships.
His warehouses.
His offices.
His father's legacy.
Arjun signed nothing.
He simply closed the file and stood.
"You'll have your money."
The manager sighed.
"You've said that before."
"This time, I mean it."
Outside the office, dozens of employees watched him through the glass walls.
No one spoke.
By evening, rumors spread across Mumbai's business circles.
Malhotra Shipping was collapsing.
Arjun drove home alone.
For the first time in years, he switched off the radio.
Silence was easier than listening to the business news.
As he stopped at a traffic signal, his phone rang.
Unknown Number.
He answered.
"Mr. Malhotra?"
"Who's this?"
A calm voice replied.
"You owe people more money than you can imagine."
Arjun frowned.
"What do you want?"
"We're done waiting."
The line went silent.
Then—
A loud bang struck the rear of his car.
He looked into the mirror.
Two men on a motorcycle.
One smiled.
The other slowly dragged his thumb across his throat before the motorcycle sped into the rain.
Arjun gripped the steering wheel.
For the first time in his life...
...he realized bankruptcy wasn't the worst thing that could happen to him.
Someone wanted him dead.
End of Chapter 1
Cliffhanger: Arjun receives his first direct death threat, setting the tone for the conspiracy that unfolds across the rest of the novel.
