Chapter 30 #2
‘Are you sure that’s a good idea?’ Kashvi asked hesitantly.
Lavanya struggled for the right words. ‘It’s like... if you tell her about all of this without naming him, she’ll say a man like that deserves punishment. But the moment you tell her it’s Viraj, she’ll start justifying him. We all make exceptions for the people we love, even when we shouldn’t.’
‘I get it,’ Swayam said, his jaw tightening.
‘I should go. I need to get to the airport.’ Lavanya adjusted the strap of her bag higher on her shoulder.
Swayam pulled her into a hug and gently patted her head. ‘I’m sorry, Lavi. I should’ve known better. I should’ve made sure Viraj was treating you right.’
A sob escaped her before she forced out a brittle smile. ‘I was too much of a fool in love. I never told anyone, so you couldn’t have known. You just focus on getting your girl out of this mess and bring her to Jaipur soon.’
Mindful of Kashvi’s injuries, Lavanya carefully wrapped her arms around her. ‘I hope you start feeling better soon, Kashvi. And I hope I see you again soon. Don’t let this idiot annoy you into leaving.’
Kashvi held Swayam’s gaze and narrowed her eyes. ‘Don’t worry. He’ll behave.’
‘I will,’ Swayam promised with a quiet laugh. ‘Call me when you land.’
Lavanya nodded. ‘Yeah, and you take care of yourself too, okay?’
With a small wave, Lavanya walked out, the door shutting behind her with a soft click.
Kashvi turned to Swayam, taking in the worry etched across his face. ‘Hey, we’ll get through this.’
His eyes looked distant, but they burned with rage. ‘Viraj has a lot to answer for. What he did to you, to her, and to everyone else he’s tormented.’
Kashvi covered his trembling fists with both her hands. ‘And he will. But if we make rash decisions now, we’ll only make things harder for ourselves. I understand how you feel, but we have to stay calm.’
His brows furrowed and his lips pressed into a tight line, but eventually he nodded.
Then suddenly, Dhruv burst out. ‘What the hell is this?’
‘You’ve got to be kidding me,’ Vihaan muttered, scrolling urgently across the touchpad.
‘What is it?’ Swayam asked, his posture rigid with tension.
Vihaan didn’t answer. He just kept typing rapidly.
Luv blurted out, ‘Brother, you do not want to know.’
‘What is it?’ Kashvi repeated, swallowing the fear climbing up her throat.
Vihaan finally looked at them and said, ‘Okay, so the private folders are encrypted too, and I’ve texted a friend who can crack them. But also...’
‘But what?’ Swayam asked sharply, his patience wearing thin.
Dhruv said, ‘There’s an open folder titled “KK screenshots.” We thought it was about Kashvi, but it’s actually full of transaction records between Viraj and Karthik.’
Kashvi felt frozen in place because the pain was too much. The small, stubborn part of her that had clung to the hope that her father wouldn’t be behind this finally shrivelled and died.
Luv spoke, his eyes glued to the screen. ‘It goes back years. Vihaan got into Viraj’s bank account, and Karthik made a payment just this morning.’
‘I’ll kill him,’ Swayam snapped, the words exploding out of him. ‘I swear to God, I’ll kill him.’
‘I’ll help you hide the body,’ Dhruv offered, equally furious.
Vihaan shook his head, disgust twisting across his face. ‘This is seriously messed up. It’s clearly planned.’
‘What else is in there?’ Swayam demanded.
‘This folder only has payment records, but Viraj’s been on Karthik’s payroll for a long time.’
‘For what?’ Kashvi asked, agitation rising sharply inside her.
‘I don’t know. Kuber, our friend, is working on it,’ Vihaan admitted reluctantly. ‘I accepted the virus he sent through the mail, and he’s trying to bypass the lock. Whatever answers we need, they’re in there. But it will take at least an hour.’
‘I just don’t understand how a father can stomach doing this to his own daughter,’ Swayam said with a grimace.
All Kashvi managed was a whisper, her gaze fixed on the ripped teddy bear strewn across the floor. ‘I should’ve known. There’s no bottom to his greed. I kept telling myself there had to be a limit, but I was too blind to see my mistake.’
‘Hey, look at me,’ Swayam urged, cupping her jaw with both hands. ‘As soon as we have something concrete, we’ll take him to court. It’ll be over soon.’
Kashvi nodded because she could see how deeply he meant it. But she also knew no proof or evidence would answer the one question tearing through her.
Why would he do this?
‘Swayam, come here. I need you to note this down,’ Vihaan called, waving him over.
Swayam looked at her hesitantly, but she nodded in silent reassurance.
‘Why don’t you rest for a while? I’ll come get you when we have something, okay?’ he suggested when she swayed slightly in his arms.
‘Okay.’
With a soft brush of his fingers against her cheek, he walked away.
Their conversation faded into background noise as Kashvi moved down the hallway towards her bedroom. The moment she stepped inside, her back hit the door. She leaned against it, her eyes sliding shut.
The silence felt heavy and suffocating, amplifying her thoughts until they became unbearable. Deep in her chest, relentless questions gnawed at her heart.
Was he really behind this? What did he stand to gain from destroying me?
She opened her eyes, and Swayam’s phone lying near the edge of the bed caught her attention. Before she could think twice, Kashvi grabbed it and unlocked it with trembling hands.
She couldn’t wait for an hour. She needed answers now.
Quickly, she punched in the number she’d memorised as a child.
The call connected, followed by a faint rustle on the other end.
‘Hello?’
For one second, she almost hung up. Then she forced herself to speak.
‘Hello, Father.’