Chapter 33 #2
Behind her, Siya spoke to Abhay in hushed whispers, and Kashvi tensed every time her sister sniffled. Fear twisted like a knife in her gut. She couldn’t bear seeing hatred for herself in Siya’s eyes.
Dhruv said something quietly to Siya before walking over to Kashvi. ‘What exactly did Dad tell you to do?’
She answered weakly, ‘On the call, he said that if I just closed Mom’s eyes, she would stop the car and listen to me. I just wanted her to take me back home.’
‘Why?’
She let out a shaky sigh. ‘The night before, I overheard them fighting. I think it was around the time Maa found out about you. She told him she was leaving him, and he made me promise I wouldn’t let her go. He said it was the only way to keep our family together.’
‘So your mother was leaving him?’ Swayam asked.
Kashvi nodded, aching to hear her voice again. ‘Just before it happened, she promised she’d send him divorce papers that night.’
‘Don’t you see what Dad was actually trying to do?’ Dhruv urged, placing a hand on her shoulder. ‘His target wasn’t just your mother. He wanted to kill all of you.’
For a moment, Kashvi could only stare at him.
‘What do you mean?’ Siya asked uneasily.
Swayam spoke instantly. ‘Dhruv’s right. Think about it. If none of you had survived that accident, Karthik would’ve inherited your shares, trust funds, and complete control of the company.’
Dhruv nodded grimly. ‘In the divorce, Dad would’ve lost everything. Your grandfather made them sign a brutal prenup, and Dad used to curse him for it whenever he got drunk. That accident was his only chance to get rid of everyone standing in his way.’
‘I... never thought of it like that,’ Kashvi whispered.
She felt sick to her core. ‘Still, the blood is on my hands. I was in that car, not him. The biggest mistake of my life was letting him get away with this for so long. But not anymore. I’ll make sure both of us get the maximum sentence possible. ’
‘Okay. Then why don’t I get rid of my cousin and join your party?’ Swayam muttered with a sharp, humourless chuckle, his jaw tightening as he looked away.
Kashvi’s self-hatred only deepened because she had promised him she would stay. She had promised herself she would stop running towards destruction every time guilt sank its claws into her. And yet here she was again, tearing both of them apart.
‘Dad made you believe you killed her just so he could use that guilt whenever he wanted money or control. You’re playing right into his hands,’ Dhruv said.
Kashvi shook her head. ‘No, I’m making sure we pay for what we did. Both of us.’
‘And that would just magically fix everything, wouldn’t it?’ Siya asked, her voice strained.
Gathering the last scraps of her courage, Kashvi turned to face her sister. Every tear sliding down Siya’s cheeks carved deeper into her chest.
‘I know there’s probably no world where you forgive me after this, but this is all I have left, Di. I’m so, so sorry. I don’t know what else to do anymore,’ she said brokenly.
‘Why didn’t you tell me? Because you were scared of Dad?’
Relief flickered through Kashvi because she couldn’t believe her luck. Siya was willing to listen.
‘Yes, and no. I planned to tell you everything after your surgery, but then you went into a coma, and I overheard the doctors saying you nearly died. It terrified me how close I came to losing you too. I wanted to tell you, Di. I almost did so many times, but I just couldn’t.
You were all I had, and I was scared you’d leave me. ’ Her voice broke on the last word.
‘Did you really think I loved you so little that you couldn’t trust me with this?’ Siya asked, her voice rough.
‘No, Di. God, no! You loved me too much. That was the problem.’ Tears spilled faster as Kashvi stepped closer hesitantly. ‘You always did. But how could I tell you that Dad made me do it? That because of me, you lost your chance to become a mother? That your own sister is a murderer?’
‘Don’t call yourself that,’ Siya snapped, her eyes blazing. ‘And what about this Viraj and some party? Is this the same party from a few years ago that I specifically told you not to go to?’
Kashvi winced and gave a small nod.
Frustration flashed across Siya’s face as she demanded, ‘But why? I told you no because I’d heard a few complaints from my friends about finding hidden cameras in their bathroom after parties.’
‘Why didn’t you tell me that?’ Kashvi squeezed her eyes shut.
‘You were a teenager. I didn’t want to make you paranoid,’ Siya fired back.
‘Better paranoid than a fool,’ Kashvi scoffed weakly.
‘So he took your pictures there?’
Kashvi nodded. ‘I guess he did that at a lot of parties. He’s been threatening and stalking me for a while now.’
‘But I don’t understand. Why did you go? Why didn’t you tell me anything after?’ Siya’s voice rose as her patience snapped.
Kashvi spoke in a low voice, her breathing turning ragged. ‘I just... wanted to have some fun with my friends, so I snuck out. After the party, I was scared and ashamed to tell you about the camera and for lying to you. I’m sorry, Di. Whatever punishment you decide for me, I’ll accept it.’
The idea seemed to devastate Siya even more. ‘I don’t want to punish you. God, Kashu, I just wish none of this had ever happened to you. I wish Maa was still here with us.’
A sob clawed up Kashvi’s throat because there was nothing in the world she wanted more. ‘I wish that too, every damned day of my life,’ she admitted shakily.
Siya stood and wiped angrily at her cheeks. ‘The only thing that matters now is putting this asshole behind bars and bringing Maa justice.’