Page 23 of Wicked Trap

Aryan laughed. “Ma, whipped cream is hardly low in fat or calories. And when did we ever turn down your homemade food?”

Thanks to their family genes, despite their mother’s delicious home-cooked calorie-rich food he and his brothers often gorged on, they remained fit.

“You got those genes from your father. And thanks to him, I enjoy gardening. When I was newly married, I was scared to go near the plants because I was terrified of worms.” She laughed as memories brightened her eyes. “I was a silly girl then. Your father taught me how important those worms are along with the importance of freshly harvested food.”

Aryan felt a bolt of irritation passing through him as always at the mention of his late father. Unlike during his early childhood, he no longer thought of his father as some sort of brave superhero. He now knew the truth and reality of the man who chose to abandon his family. Ashok Vardhaman was the opposite of brave.

Aryan didn’t ever say those words aloud near his mother, though. His mother was as much in love with her late husband as she was when the man was alive.

Pushing away the past memories, Aryan followed his mother to the kitchen.

“Ma, you should upgrade your appliances.”

His mother still had the appliances from when she purchased the house five years ago.

She laughed. “These are fine.”

He shook his head. “My company stocks increased a couple more hundred since last week.”

His mother simply smiled and didn’t say anything. His mother invested most of her savings into his company before it became public. Technically, she was a millionaire on her own without her sons’ money. But she still chose to live modestly.

Money is the root cause of all evils.

Aryan knew his mother believed that statement strongly. But after the life they had led over the last fifteen years, he and his brothers spent most of their waking moments earning more money and the power and influence that came with it.

As one of the biggest software companies, Aryan had the power to influence companies across the world. His brothers owned several real estate buildings and hotels worldwide. Together, the three of them were a force to be reckoned with. But according to their mother, all of it meant nothing if they couldn’t give back to the world.

He and his brothers did donate to charities to get tax breaks. But it was their mother, who even with her meager salary, gave a lot back to society.

She worked as a teacher in an underprivileged neighborhood. She chose to do that even though she could easily quit her job and live a life of luxury.

“Oh my God!” his mother shrieked with excitement.

She had just gone to the refrigerator to get the whipped cream out and discovered her birthday gift stuck on the door with the magnets.

Aryan smiled. “From the three of us. Happy birthday, Ma.”

She hugged him. “Thank you, baby!” She then called her other sons. “Group hug!” she said.

Aryan laughed as his brothers joined them, and she pulled them into a group hug. He and his brothers were careful while hugging her. All three were six feet plus. They didn’t want to crush their petite mother.

“Thank you, boys. This is the best gift I could have ever imagined!”

When they stepped away from her, she looked at the tickets closely.

“Oh my God. These are not just tickets for me, but they are for my friends too!”

The entire cruise ship was booked to ensure her safety. But Aryan knew his mother would not like the fact. She would think it was a waste of money.

“You can invite more people if you want, Ma. The tickets are at a discounted price.”

She looked all the more excited. “That’s great! I think I’ll invite Mrs. Gerald and Mrs. Kumar too.”

Aryan smiled.

“It was so sweet of you to offer the cruise to my friends. The three of you got that from your father as well. He was always taking care of people. He was a true hero.”

Maybe it was the lack of sleep. Or maybe it was years of suppressed rage. But Aryan finally spoke out his irritation.

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