Chapter 3 – A Dinner with Strangers
334 Words
Adithyan—or Arjun Menon, as everyone called him—stood in front of the mirror.
His face looked older, with faint lines near his eyes. His hair had strands of grey. He was 40 years old now. But something felt wrong.
He was not a rich CEO. He was Adithyan Nair, a simple man from Kozhikode.
Then why did the world believe otherwise?
His heart pounded as he got dressed. He needed to go to this dinner and find out the truth.
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The Grand Mansion
A black luxury car was waiting outside.
The driver greeted him. "Good evening, sir."
Adithyan hesitated but nodded. "Take me to… the dinner."
He had no idea where it was, but the driver seemed to know.
As the car moved through the busy streets of Kochi, Adithyan stared out the window. Everything felt familiar yet different.
After 20 minutes, they arrived at a huge mansion. It was modern, with large glass windows and a beautiful garden.
Adithyan stepped out slowly.
Was this… his house?
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The Woman Who Called
As he entered, a woman walked toward him. She was in her 60s, with neatly tied hair and a soft smile.
"Arjun, dear! You look so tired," she said, touching his face gently.
Adithyan felt stiff. Who was she?
He forced a small smile. "Uh… yeah, long day."
The woman sighed. "You work too much. Come, everyone is waiting."
She led him into the dining room.
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A Family He Didn’t Know
The table was filled with delicious food. Several people were already seated.
A younger man smiled at him. "Dad, you're late!"
Dad?
Adithyan's stomach dropped.
This man was calling him Dad.
Next to him, a teenage girl rolled her eyes. "As usual," she muttered.
Adithyan felt dizzy. He had a son? A daughter? A family?
He didn't recognize any of them.
"Sit, Arjun," the elderly woman said kindly.
Adithyan swallowed hard. He needed to stay calm.
For now, he had no choice but to play along.
- Writer
