Hello, Mr. Major General (1)

Chapter 176 - Ultimatum

Sidharth walked over nonchalantly. It was impossible
to tell what was going through his mind.

Anand narrowed his eyes as he silently appraised his son. He grudgingly conceded that Sidharth had mastered the perfect poker face at the young age of 28; even his own father could not tell what he was thinking.

“General Shukla.” Sidharth was still in his military uniform. He walked over to Anand, snapped his heels together, and raised his hand in a proper military salute.

Anand nodded. He sat on a sofa, before pointing to the sofa opposite him. “Have a seat.” He behaved as though he owned the place.

Sidharth sat down without saying anything. His sat like a true soldier, upright and alert, but his face was as placid as a calm lake.

“What brings you here at this hour, General Shukla?” Sidharth gestured to his men. “Bring us some tea.”

One of the orderlies appeared with cups of tea for both Anand and Sidharth. He placed them on the coffee table between them.

Anand wasn’t in the mood for tea, but he lifted his teacup and drank out of courtesy anyway. He gave Sidharth a sharp look as he gestured for the orderlies to leave them alone.

Father and son sat in the large living room, sipping their tea.

“I heard that you refused your Aunt Kirat’s request to take your mother home.” Anand’s expression and voice were solemn. “Are you done with your childish tantrum? Your mother is sick. Why are you doing this to her? You’re a grown man, you should know better.”

“My mother can handle the stress. She lived for 16 years under your care, after all,” Sidharth said sardonically.

He had inherited his handsome features from Rita, while his strong cheekbones and jawline had come from Anand.

“Watch your tongue!” Anand slammed his teacup onto the coffee table. “Are you aware that you’ve violated both the civil and military law?! Do you really want to go up against the Reddy family?!”

Sidharth gave a non-committal grunt in reply. His face remained impassive as he said leisurely, “The Reddy family? What about them? They’re way beneath me. You may be afraid of them, Father, but I’m not.”

“You—!” Anand jumped to his feet, trembling all over with rage. He jabbed a finger at Sidharth and shouted, “Of course you’re not afraid—you don’t know the extent of the Reddy family’s influence! There’s a Reddy in every department! If they decide to get rid of you, you’ll be celebrating the next New Year in prison!”

Sidharth slowly set his teacup down. He did not stand up. He placed his hands on his knees, his back ramrod straight, and looked up into Anand’s face. “Father,
you’ve been groveling on your knees for too long. Do you even remember what it’s like to stand on your feet and be a man? Why are you afraid of the Reddy family? They should be the ones trembling in their boots right now, not us.”

This was why the Reddy family were falling over themselves in
their bid to keep Rita within their clutches—she was their final hope.

Anand was usually a gentleman who knew how to keep his composure, but Sidharth’s provocation was too much for him. He snarled, “How dare you talk to me that way?! I’ll have you court-martialed!”

“…If you’re court-martialing me just because I was talking to you as your son, then so be it. From now on, I won’t call you ‘Father’ anymore, only ‘General Shukla.'” Sidharth had deftly lured Anand into his trap.