"Om… are you really going to leave us?"
Soumya's trembling question made Om fall silent.
Truthfully, he didn't want to answer that question yet.
Not now.
But he also understood something—
Things had already reached a point where hiding the truth was no longer possible.
So forcing a faint smile onto his face, Om looked toward his sisters and quietly said,
"Yes… my little sisters. I'll have to go."
The moment those words left his mouth, all three sisters went silent.
The excitement inside the car disappeared instantly.
And while driving ahead quietly, Om himself got lost in memories from a few days earlier…
Two days ago…
When Om returned home after finishing his work and entered his room, he noticed Uncle Vijay standing near the table inside.
He seemed to be staring at something deeply.
Smiling lightly, Om spoke,
"Uncle Vijay… were you missing me so much that you started roaming around my room?"
But the moment Vijay turned toward him—
Om froze.
Because in Vijay's trembling hands was the same letter that had been found among his grandfather's belongings.
The letter written by Om's father.
And after reading it…
Vijay had broken down in tears.
Seeing him like that, Om's expression changed immediately.
"Uncle… what happened? Why are you crying?"
The very next second, Vijay spoke while wiping his tears helplessly,
"I'm a terrible person, Om…"
His voice cracked badly.
"Your father became so lonely because of us… and we never understood his pain."
A little later—
Om, Vijay, Sharda, and Manoj were all sitting quietly in the hall with heavy faces.
Vijay wiped his tears again and spoke softly,
"Son… your father suffered because of us. Every day we ask him for forgiveness in our hearts… and today, we're asking you too."
His eyes lowered in shame.
"Please forgive us."
Om pretended to look emotional before saying softly,
"I can forgive you… but on one condition."
Everyone looked toward him.
"Tell me what my grandfather looked like. If you tell me that… then I'll forgive you."
The moment Vijay heard that, he hurriedly opened the old envelope in his hand and quickly pulled out several photographs.
Then he placed them on the table before Om.
"This…"
His voice grew emotional again.
"This is your grandfather."
Om immediately picked up the photographs.
There were four pictures in total.
One was a close picture of his grandfather alone, while the others showed him standing beside his wife and children.
But the second Om saw those photographs—
His eyes widened in complete shock.
His heartbeat started pounding violently inside his chest.
He stared at the pictures without blinking.
Because he recognized that face.
Very clearly.
Seeing Om suddenly freeze like that, everyone around him became worried.
Sharda nervously asked,
"What happened, Om? Why are you looking so shocked? He's your grandfather, not a ghost."
But Om barely heard her.
His fingers tightened around one of the photographs—the one showing only his grandfather's face.
Then slowly, with disbelief written all over him, Om looked toward his uncles and asked,
"This man…"
His breathing had become uneven.
"…is this really my grandfather?"
Seeing his reaction, both Vijay and Manoj exchanged confused glances before looking at the photograph again.
Then Vijay answered,
"Yes… this is your grandfather."
And Manoj added,
"Dhoomketu Ahuja."
Om looked at the photograph once more.
Then he asked again carefully,
"You're absolutely sure?"
This time Manoj laughed lightly.
"Of course we're sure, son. You're asking his own sons whether we recognize our father or not?"
Then his expression slowly turned serious.
"But why are you so shocked after seeing him? What happened, Om?"
Om's eyes remained fixed on the photograph.
His voice had almost become a whisper.
"I've seen him before."
The moment those words came out—
Vijay, Manoj, and Sharda all went completely still.
"What?!"
All three shouted together in disbelief.
But Om wasn't even listening anymore.
His eyes remained locked on that face—
The face of the man who had changed his entire life.
The man who had saved him.
The man because of whom Om had reached where he was today.
And suddenly…
Memories started flooding back.
Om remembered the first time he had met him.
A forest.
A silent pond.
And near the water stood an old man… smiling at him calmly.
Again and again, throughout Om's life, that man had appeared before him at strange moments… helping him… guiding him… disappearing before Om could truly understand who he was.
And then—
A sentence echoed inside Om's mind.
The exact same words that mysterious man had once said to him—
"When the time comes… you'll understand everything."
The moment that voice echoed in his ears, Om's eyes widened completely.
He instantly looked toward his uncles and aunt in shock.
Then, in a trembling voice, he asked,
"Uncle… Aunt…"
His heartbeat was racing now.
"…is Grandfather still alive?"
This time, it wasn't just Om who was shocked.
The entire family was.
Because for more than twenty years, there had been absolutely no news about Dhoomketu Ahuja.
Nothing.
No trace.
No information.
And now suddenly—
Om was claiming that not only was he alive…
But that Om had already met him before.
The room fell silent.
Vijay, Manoj, and Sharda could only stare at Om in disbelief.
Because none of them could understand what was happening anymore.
Om had finally uncovered the truth.
Guru Dhoomketu—
The mysterious man who had once saved his life…
Was none other than his own grandfather.
But now new questions had begun to rise.
Why had his grandfather hidden himself for all these years?
Why had he met Om secretly without revealing his identity?
And where exactly was Om planning to go now?
Was he truly leaving his family behind?
And if he was…
Then where?
Toward the deadly Z Auction?
Or toward something far bigger…
Something connected to the hidden truth behind Dhoomketu Ahuja himself?
The answers were still buried deep inside the shadows.