Chapter 12
‘Karthik sir is here.’
Kashvi froze mid-sip, then lowered the cup back onto the polished glass table. Namita’s announcement cut through the dull fog weighing down her senses all morning.
The conference room of the Kashyap Foundation Trust lay cloaked in suffocating silence.
Siya broke it, straightening with urgency in her chair as she asked her assistant, ‘How long ago?’
Her usual composure frayed as Namita scratched at the edges of the tablet clutched to her chest. ‘Just now. He went straight into Piyush sir’s office.’
Kashvi curled her fingers into fists against her thighs, trying to hide the slight tremor in them. She rubbed her hands together in the small, repetitive way Maithili had suggested whenever she wanted to ground herself.
Abhay, who had been standing behind Siya’s chair, stepped closer to her side. His navy suit fit perfectly, tailored to his toned frame, one hand tucked into his pocket.
He glanced towards the corridor outside and asked, ‘Why is Karthik’s assistant rushing downstairs?’
Namita gave a quick glance behind her before answering, ‘Everyone is scrambling to set everything up because Karthik sir announced there will be a trustee meeting this afternoon.’
Kashvi tightened her jaw as a cold, creeping awareness slid through her veins, like someone had poured ice down her back.
‘About?’ Siya prompted, her eyes narrowing.
Namita cleared her throat. ‘The dissolution of the trust.’
‘He is moving fast,’ Kashvi commented with a frown, her gaze dropping to the table where her fourth cup of coffee sat.
Siya nodded gravely. ‘He’s not even trying to hide it anymore.’
‘Well, it’s no secret that Karthik loves to make grand plans,’ Swayam commented from the corner chair where he was sprawled, both legs propped up on the table. ‘If we’re going in, now would be the time.’
Kashvi absently pulled at the edge of the high neckline of her top as she ran her gaze over him. He was dressed casually in an olive green shirt and jeans, his posture relaxed despite the sharp tension threading through the room.
She practically had to tear her eyes away from the angry veins lining his forearm as Siya muttered under her breath, ‘Great. I was hoping for a little more time to get some backup in place, but I guess we’re out of luck.’
Abhay placed a hand on her shoulder, giving it a light, reassuring squeeze. ‘Hey. It’s going to be okay. We’ve handled worse.’
Kashvi almost laughed at that, because she couldn’t think of anything worse than a father hell-bent on ruining his daughter’s life.
Siya nodded and stood up, smoothing down the front of her charcoal blazer, which sat sharply over a cream silk blouse. Her hair, pulled back into a sleek ponytail, only sharpened her almond-brown eyes.
Siya turned to look at her younger sister, appraising her from head to toe before asking, ‘Shall we?’
Kashvi plastered on a confident smile and replied, ‘Let’s go kick some ass.’
Reassured, Siya walked out of the room with a stack of files, Abhay following closely behind.
‘Are you ready?’
Kashvi turned with a start to find Swayam standing behind her chair, holding out his hand.
He looked at her intently, worrying her that he could see through the thin layer of composure she was trying to hold together.
She placed her hand in his, letting go of the facade with a soft exhale as she stood. ‘Not even remotely,’ she confessed.
‘That’s the spirit,’ Swayam murmured, a hint of amusement softening his face.
‘You sound very confident for someone who has no idea what he’s walking into,’ she remarked dryly as they made their way out of the conference room.
He shrugged lightly, brushing his thumb gently against the side of her hand. ‘Confidence is half the battle. We’ll figure out the rest together.’
Kashvi felt envious, wishing she could borrow his stoic demeanour.
She still felt sluggish from lack of sleep, and four cups of coffee just barely kept her upright. Anxiety coiled tighter with every passing second as they walked towards the massive office at the end of the floor.
She had walked these corridors all her life, everything so familiar she could navigate them blindfolded.
The polished floors, the muted grey walls broken by framed photographs documenting decades of work she had grown up watching her mother do. The children and the elderly residents smiled back at her, reminding her of the stakes. She would let all of them down if she failed today.
Swayam touched the tip of her nose with his finger, bringing her back to the present. ‘Focus. It’s showtime, wife.’
That one word stirred something in her chest, but she pushed it aside, forcing herself to focus.
He offered her a small, reassuring smile. Kashvi tried to mimic it but couldn’t quite manage one back.
‘Kash, you’ve got this,’ Swayam said, holding her gaze without wavering.
She pressed her lips together, but nodded. Her fingers curled into his as she drew in a deep breath and opened the glass cabin door.
Her father’s booming laughter greeted them as they walked in.
Karthik sat across from Piyush, dressed impeccably in a bespoke black suit.
His tie was perfectly knotted, and his signature gold cufflinks, engraved with his initials, gleamed at his wrists.
Every detail about him looked polished and curated to an almost unsettling degree.
Kashvi turned her gaze towards Piyush, who sat in a more rigid posture. He was responsible for handling every document and agreement that passed through the Kashyap family trust, acting as a liaison between the organisation and their family. In other words, her judge and jury.
For a fleeting moment, she thought she caught a flicker of relief in the ageing man’s eyes as she came to stand beside Siya. Swayam stayed behind Kashvi, in what she thought was an attempt to stay out of sight, though it wasn’t really possible with his massive frame.
Karthik’s gaze locked onto them with such hostility that something recoiled inside her. Then he flashed them a smile as he said, ‘Well, look who decided to join us. I was hoping you’d make it.’
Kashvi tilted her head. ‘Hello, Father.’
Karthik turned to Piyush with a disappointed look. ‘Kids these days, they don’t have any manners or respect for their elders. The fault for that lies with her mother.’
‘Then I suppose it’s a good thing I’ve always had such an excellent example like you to learn from,’ she shot back.
Piyush cleared his throat lightly as he stood up. ‘Siya, Kashvi, it’s so good to see you here.’
Siya stepped in seamlessly, though her hand was curled into a fist. ‘How are you, Piyush? We know this is last minute, but we have an urgent matter to discuss.’
She gestured towards Abhay, who stood a step behind her. ‘This is my husband, Abhay.’
‘Oh please, who doesn’t know Mr. Agrawal?’ Piyush remarked as he shook hands with him.
‘Yeah, I’m so lucky to have such a well-known son-in-law,’ Karthik added, not bothering to hide the sarcasm.
‘Wish I could say the same,’ Abhay replied with a regretful sigh.
‘How’s married life treating you? Sick of my daughter yet?’
‘He would have been if I were anything like you. Luckily for him, I’m not,’ Siya replied instead.
Karthik glared daggers at her, then his gaze flicked to Swayam with renewed awareness. ‘And who is this?’
‘Our family friend,’ Siya responded, offering no further explanation.
Piyush clapped his hands together, trying to redirect the conversation. ‘So, what can I do for all of you?’
Kashvi took a step forward. ‘I’m here to sign the final documents for my inheritance. I turn twenty-five tomorrow, so I thought it would be best to complete the transfer process today.’
Karthik let out a full, unrestrained burst of laughter as he wheezed, ‘Oh, this is rich. Siya, you really need to fire that Namita girl you foolishly hired as an assistant, because this is incompetence of the highest level.’
Siya went still, her gaze turning cold as she faced him. ‘That’s funny, because from where I’m standing, the only person in this room who seems threatened by a woman’s competence is you.’
Karthik’s smile widened, clearly entertained. Resting a hand against the edge of the desk, he asked, ‘By someone who can’t even manage the basic paperwork I sent you?’
Siya spoke with a quiet edge. ‘Or it sounds like your messages didn’t make it past the filter.’
His smile slipped. ‘What filter?’
‘We have your email, your office, and every communication channel you’ve ever used flagged and blacklisted,’ Abhay said.
A flash of irritation sparked in Karthik’s gaze as he demanded, ‘Why the hell would you do that?’
Siya replied evenly, ‘If it comes from you, it’s not worth our time.’
‘Blocking communication because you don’t like what you might hear. Very mature of you. Just like your mother,’ Karthik spat. ‘But let’s not pretend this isn’t your fault. I sent over the rejected inheritance paperwork two days ago.’
‘And why did you reject it?’ Siya asked firmly.
There was a hint of sympathy in his voice, which only added insult to injury. ‘Because Kashvi is not eligible for it according to the trust deed.’
‘I’m sorry? What exactly makes me ineligible?’ Kashvi demanded.
The gleam in Karthik’s eyes was unmistakable as he said, ‘You have to be married by the age of twenty-five to qualify.’
Hot, immediate anger rose so swiftly that Kashvi had to dig her nails into her palms. She could clearly see the satisfaction he drew from trapping her. ‘It seems like you knew this all along. Why didn’t you tell me?’
Karthik waved it off with a laugh. ‘It must have slipped my mind. I’ve been having issues with my memory lately.’
Siya sneered. ‘That’s convenient.’
Karthik looked pleased with himself. ‘No. That’s old age.’
‘Of course, because accountability for your mistakes is just not your style, right?’ Siya’s remark cut through the air.
‘This is a legal matter, Siya, not a personal one. But I wouldn’t expect you to understand the difference because you’re not as smart as you think.’