Runa gave Sonal and Jay a final, enigmatic clue.
"Aryan knew you two would come looking. You two, along with Rahul, were the only ones he truly trusted professionally. He is still fighting the board, but he is doing it from the shadows. The most important thing is that Ayra is safe, Mira is his constant partner, and he is financially invincible."
"But where is he, Runa?" Sonal pleaded. "We need to warn him about the urgency of the board's collapse."
Runa hesitated, her eyes misting slightly. "He is where he needs to be. The love he gave to Ayra, the love he shared with Mira, the love he still holds for his parents; that is his home now. He is not defined by the Techinnov tower, but by the strength of the bonds he saved."
She offered a cryptic summary of his final emotional state: "Aryan's love for Ayra became a sacred memory; a scar that reminds him of who he was, but no longer causes pain. His love for Mira is the active force that reminds him of who he is now; a complete man. He achieved the highest form of love: the ability to let go of what he desperately wanted (Ayra) while cherishing what truly healed him (Mira)."
Runa finally admitted that she had communicated with Aryan just before the public speech, but had been sworn to secrecy about his location. "He is secure, and he knows everything that is happening at Techinnov. He is waiting for the perfect moment to return, or to never return at all. That decision is Ayra's."
"Ayra's?" Jay exclaimed.
"He told me, 'I gave Ayra my heart and my life. If the time comes when she needs me, she knows how to find me. The company is nothing; her peace is everything. Her ultimate acceptance of me is the final pillar I seek.' Ayra, though distant, is the key to his next move."
Runa provided the only contact information she possessed—a secure, encrypted line that only accepted one-way messages.
Sonal and Jay left Runa's clinic, their heads spinning. The story of their friend had transformed from a corporate success tale into a legendary tragedy defined by extreme love, cunning strategy, and immense sacrifice.
As they drove away, Jay looked at Sonal,
"So, where is he really? Is he with Mira, living their peaceful life together? Or is he waiting near Ayra, hoping for that one sign of acceptance?"
Sonal shook his head. "And what about Ayra? She is still cold, still rejecting him, believing the worst. Will she ever realise the truth about their past, and the fact that Aryan used her name as a shield just to keep his soul safe?"
The car drove into the city lights, leaving the dark, mysterious truths behind them.