Chapter 14 #2
She saw Rafael’s and Tiffany’s startled expressions as she ran by them and straight into an open elevator. She was in a cab heading to Kohli & Associates in moments.
“Think, Mina, think,” she said, pressing her fingertips to her temples as New York City streets zipped by outside her window. She needed a game plan and fast.
Mina had started her work at Bharat with the intention of finding dirt on her uncle and confronting him about it.
But to actually find a company mole that was feeding Sanjeev secrets?
That hurt so many people. More importantly, it hurt Hem, and despite the fact that they were in the beginning of a relationship, she wasn’t ready to let anything happen to him.
Mina’s simple plan of taking down her uncle wasn’t so simple anymore.
The realization was like a boulder pressing hard against her chest, making it difficult to breathe. To protect Bharat, and to hurt Sanjeev at the same time, she’d have to hit her uncle where it mattered the most.
Her mother’s firm.
Kohli & Associates was his most prized possession. If her uncle was dealing with trade secrets, just the whiff of a rumor would destroy its reputation. This was national news, and there was no way she could protect her mother’s legacy while also taking Sanjeev down. The firm would go up in flames.
Mina could feel the burn behind her eyes and she bent forward to press her face between her knees.
“Are you okay, miss?” her driver called out from the front seat.
“I’m f-fine,” she called back.
For years all she wanted to do was to take back her mother’s business. To seek revenge against her uncles for hurting her mother.
But now, there was Bharat. Hem.
And herself.
It wasn’t just her reputation, but her moral epicenter.
The code of ethics she used to guide her life choices.
This was the right thing to do. Her mother would do the same damn thing.
She was sure of it. It didn’t help that Raj’s advice from earlier thrummed like a heartbeat in her mind.
Maybe standing up to Sanjeev was enough revenge, and she’d been so narrow minded, so caught up that she failed to see what was really important.
The cab came to a stop, and she quickly paid her driver before she got out of the car and took the elevator up to the office.
Before she stepped through the glass doors, she paused and looked down at her phone. She needed to take extra precautions if she was going to confront her uncle about something that could land him in the middle of an FBI investigation.
Mina turned on the recorder app.
“Just fucking get this over with before you chicken out,” she whispered to herself.
When Mina was sure her phone was ready, she exited the elevator vestibule, badged into the office, and was greeted by the sounds of keyboards, conversation, and ringing phones. A few people waved to her as she walked down the hallway toward the partner offices.
Lies. All of this was built on lies.
Her blood pumped fast and loud in her ears as she approached her uncle’s office assistant. The older woman looked up in surprise when Mina walked by her desk. “Mina? Your uncle is in a conference call. I can page you at your desk when he’s done.”
“That won’t be necessary,” Mina said and strode past her desk before she pushed open his door, phone held in one hand, bag in the other.
The room smelled of smoke and sweat. The windows were cracked and her uncle had someone on speaker as he leaned back in his leather chair, hands clasped and resting against his abdomen. There was a distinct yellow mustard stain on his shirt.
Sanjeev looked over at Mina, glaring before he said, “Gary, I’ll call you back. I may have information for you sooner rather than later.”
A man grunted on the other end of the line. “This is taking too long. Call me soon.”
The lines disconnected.
“Mina, what are you doing here? Isn’t today the day you’re supposed to be at the Bharat offices? I want that case wrapped up.”
Mina hated litigation for a reason. She had a very hard time controlling her emotions, and she knew she couldn’t control the rage that vibrated in her voice. “Is that the person you’re leaking information to?” she said.
She saw the surprise before it was masked by Sanjeev’s legendary poker face. “You obviously came here to say something.”
Mina put her tote on one of the chairs and sat in the other. She still held her phone in one hand and rested it on her knee. “You’ve been negotiating for trade secrets that could affect national fucking security, Sanjeev.”
“That’s a hefty accusation from my niece,” Sanjeev said. “I told you that there are certain things done in business that?— ”
“Do you remember what you told me the first day that we talked about Bharat? How I was supposed to do a due diligence report?”
The corner of Sanjeev’s mouth twitched. “What are you getting at, Mina?”
“I’m not here to waste my time.”
“Oh?” He laughed, and the sound was as noxious as the smell in his office. “Well, it appears that you’re fine wasting my time.”
Mina stood. “Right now, it looks like Bharat will turn down the offer. Too bad for you.”
“What?” He bolted up in his chair. “Damn it, Mina. Bharat needs to accept the offer.”
“Why?” Mina said, as she leaned against the desk. For the first time, she noticed lines of strain around Sanjeev’s mouth. There was a flicker of panic in his eyes.
“It’s not your concern.”
“It is when you know about a patent application that hasn’t been released to anyone outside of the organization.”
He waved his hand in dismissal. “Getting the information from Bharat’s team was easy. Anyone can be bought with enough money.”
“So you’re paying someone on his team for company secrets?”
“Of course!” He burst out. “I’m not the only one, either. Half the board knows that they’ve been working on this software. It’s going to make us a lot of money if WTA uses it for military intelligence.”
“Who at WTA knows this?”
“Why does that matter to you? You have one job, Mina. Nothing else is important.”
She leaned forward, fury burning in her blood.
“Listen up, old man. I know that you don’t care if you’ve put everyone here at risk of losing a job and their careers.
But if this gets out, you’ll be spending all your money on making sure you don’t go to prison.
If you take an early retirement and leave the firm, you’ll save jobs and time with the authorities. ”
Sanjeev burst out laughing. He pushed away from the desk and spun in his chair like a child who had heard the best thing in his life. “Leave the firm? What, to you? Mina, Nakul and I built this firm into the powerhouse it is today.”
His words sounded thick with an accent, and his English broke to reveal his Punjabi roots. “Muma built this firm.”
“Your mother was weak,” he said, spittle projecting from his mouth. “She was stubborn and useless, and I did what I had to do to beat her. Look at the empire I’ve created. You’re only here because your father protects you.”
Mina had to fight hard to swallow the tears clogging her throat. “How dare you? She raised you, Sanjeev.”
“And that bitch never let me forget it.” The words were said with such venom that Mina took a step back, shocked that her uncle was actually affected by her accusations.
“And you!” he continued. “You’re her spawn.
” His face contorted into something ugly.
His breath was fetid as he raged at her.
I keep you around so that I can make sure you’re not trying to stab me in the back otherwise I would’ve gotten rid of you, too.
But don’t think for a second I don’t see her filth in you every day.
You won’t have this firm as long as I’m alive.
” He pounded his fist on the desk and every item on its surface shuddered from the impact.
You won’t have this firm as long as I’m alive.
Sometimes truth hurt like a scratch or a papercut. Other times, it was a soul-crushing experience. Mina was left winded. All the blood drained from her head, and she was dizzy and bereft.
She stood, chilled despite the temperature in the room with the sound of Sanjeev’s heavy breathing.
“You’re the reason why WTA targeted Bharat in a hostile takeover, aren’t you? Despite what the other board members know, you’re the one trying to take down the company.”
Sanjeev’s smile was toothy and feral. “Of course, you idiot.”
Mina picked up her bag, her phone still clutched in her hand.
“With the way you’ve screwed with Bharat, you’ll be in jail soon enough and your career will be as good as dead.
Nakul’s, too. But the good thing is you won’t have to worry about Mom’s firm, because it’ll be gone. ” Her voice cracked over the last word.
Sanjeev laughed again, this time with a hint of menace. “Little girl, I’ve been playing these games longer than you have. You’re just another chess piece in my master plan. You’re going to be the exact reason I get away with all of it.”
Chess piece. Master plan. “What are you talking about?”
“Why do you think I made you lead the comp committee?”
Mina’s mind raced, struggling to make sense of it all while her heart continued to break.
“You told me about what decision you wanted so I’d look for the mole, didn’t you?
” she said quietly. Her stomach bottomed out and she thought she was going to throw up.
“Once I was in close enough proximity to the mole, you would’ve filed a false claim that I was behind the info leaks.
You planned on making the connection between proximity and probable cause. ”
Sanjeev’s laugh was pure evil. “Finally! She’s figured something out.”
“Then you’d pin all of this on me. You’d ruin my career, just like you ruined my mother’s career?”
She backed away from the desk, ashamed that she’d been stupid enough to not think beyond her own wants and needs. “You knew I was trying to take back the company that you stole from Mom.”
“You could’ve have been more obvious, Mina.
” He picked up his phone and motioned to her.
“Now get out of my office. I was going to be gentle and just screw you out of a job, but if you vote against me on WTA’s offer for Bharat, then I will destroy your future.
Do what I ask of you, otherwise you’ll regret it. Are we clear?”
Mina knew when it was time to pull back, and when it was time to charge. She picked up her bag and turned to leave. “This isn’t over, Sanjeev,” she said and bit back the tears when she heard the sound of his chuckle behind her.
She took no pleasure in slamming his office door after exiting.
“Ms. Kohli? Mina?” Vibha said from her desk.
Mina opened her eyes to see her pale face, her sullen expression. She’d obviously heard most of the conversation.
Mina would be surprised if she didn’t hear most of Sanjeev’s conversations. She looked down at her phone and stopped the recording.
“I’m— He’s— Ms. Kohli,” the woman said.
“You worked for my mother first, before you spent years watching Sanjeev ruin lives,” she said quietly. “If you have anything on Sanjeev. Any emails. Save them and send them to me. I’d protect you for the help you’d give me.”
She registered the shock, the fear, and knew that the woman was a lost cause.
Mina turned to walk away, ignoring the rest of the curious faces in the office. Once she was in the elevator, she checked the recording on her phone. The sound was low, but clear enough to hear every word.
It wasn’t until she was in another cab that she let the tears fall. Through blurry vision, she then sent a quick message to Hem.
MINA: Where are you?
HEM: With my brothers. What’s up?
MINA: Need to see you.
HEM: Is something wrong? At Ajay’s.
MINA: Yes. Address? Your brothers need to hear this, too.
He sent a Google pin moments later.
HEM: I’ll be waiting for you, hiriye.