Chapter 30
The vault door clicked shut behind them, sealing them inside the brightly lit vault chamber. The soft hum of the lights above hummed faintly as Siya turned toward Dhruv.
‘Why did you bring a bag?’ she asked in a hushed tone.
He gave her a tired look, like she was missing something obvious. ‘Thought we might need it to stash whatever you’re planning to steal.’
She waited until Rajat’s footsteps faded into silence before asking, ‘Why would he do that for you?’
His gaze was roaming the shelves as he answered, ‘What do you mean?’
‘Rajat works directly under Dad, and only answers to him. Why would he risk going against him?’
Dhruv shrugged. ‘People do a lot in the name of loyalty.’
Siya crossed her arms. ‘Loyalty to you?’
He exhaled and leaned back slightly against one of the steel shelves. ‘I cover his kids’ school fees.’
It took her by surprise and she asked, ‘You’re paying for their education?’
‘Yeah,’ he said, shrugging it off.
‘For how long?’
‘A couple of years. Rajat and his wife Lata weren’t expecting triplets, so she had to quit her job and only his salary couldn’t stretch enough to cover for five people in Mumbai. They were struggling so I helped in any way I could.’
‘That’s very thoughtful of you,’ she said, touching his arm.
‘Careful there, that sounded dangerously close to a compliment,’ he teased her, then rubbed the back of his neck, betraying his awkwardness. ‘They are good kids. His daughter, Hetal, wants to be a marine biologist. I didn’t even know what that was when I was her age.’
His self-placating gesture was so similar to Vihaan that she chuckled. ‘I see why you and Vihaan are friends. You made Meera’s day, by the way. She’s a hardcore fan of his paintings.’
‘That’s great. I’m glad she had a memorable day.’
‘There’s a lot I missed, didn’t I?’ Siya murmured, guilt pricking her when she saw the fading bruise again.
His answer was a small, reluctant smile. ‘There’s a lot we both missed.’
‘What else don’t I know about you?’ she asked, wondering out loud.
A corner of his mouth twitched as Dhruv reminded her, ‘A lot, and you’ll find out in time, but we’re kind of on a schedule here.’
‘Right,’ she scolded herself. There will be plenty of time to make up for past mistakes, if they got out of here without getting caught.
‘You have a clue what we’re even looking for?’ Dhruv asked, his voice bouncing lightly off the chamber vault.
She was already walking toward the computer system that had all the information. ‘I know it’s risky but I think her updated will is in here. She left it with her lawyer, Naksh Mehta.’
He looked lost in thought. ‘When I joined the company, there were whispers about how Dad cleaned house by letting go of all senior executives after your mother was gone.’
‘Why?’ Siya asked, tapping the keyboard to find the filing system codes, but found no sign of any will stored under her mother’s name.
‘My guess? He’d been worried that the ones who’d been loyal to her would sabotage his plans for the company or undermine his control. Her lawyer must have been among them too. They were let go at the end of the day without warning.’
‘How could he justify it?’
‘He gave some bullshit about streamlining the workspace, but my theory has always been that he didn’t want reminders that she had the true power.’
‘Maybe that’s why I can’t find anything on the system. Dad never gave me the will when I turned eighteen, and I’ve seen mom’s personal vault. There were no legal documents in there. What do I do now?’ she wondered out loud.
‘I think if we look at his employment records, we might find a clue as to where he stored it,’ Dhruv suggested.
Siya agreed with a nod and they quickly rushed to the shelves lined with folders. She searched through the labels lined below the rows of sealed drawers and lockboxes.
‘God, I hope we find it in time. If Dad catches us here, we’re dead,’ Siya said, concerned.
Dhruv let out a sudden laugh, ‘Ah, I see. So, we’re basically committing corporate espionage.’
His boyish grin was infectious, making her smile. ‘Yeah, I guess we are. You know, you could’ve walked away. God knows I gave you enough reasons to. Besides, this is risky,’ she told him as she quickly perused over the contents.
He smirked. ‘You walked out of the office with a mad spark in your eyes. I figured you’d either get caught, or blow the vault up trying to find whatever you’re looking for. Someone had to supervise, so I came.’
Siya chuckled at his attempt to feign nonchalance.
Then, Dhruv hesitated before speaking up again. ‘Siya, if you’re not happy with Abhay, if he doesn’t treat you well, we can… we can work together to find a way to get you out of it.’
Siya chuckled. ‘Don’t worry. That’s the only thing that worked out well for me.’
‘You know, I wasn’t fair to you earlier. I should’ve told you about what Dad did, but I didn’t think you’d care. Or maybe I didn’t want you to, because it was easier to believe you hate me than hope you’d protect me,’ he confessed, still facing away from her, perusing through files.
She went up to him, and lightly caressed his back as she said, ‘I hope we can figure it out with time.’
He gave her an assuring smile. ‘That makes two of us.’
She gave him a nod, then turned back to the shelf. Her fingers dragged along rusted metal handles as she moved past shelf after shelf until she found a section labelled as HR - Employment Archive, 1990-2000.
‘Dhruv, here!’
He quickly helped her pull out the heavy cardboard box, and they split the pile in half as they sorted through the worn folders until she found the name that made her breath catch.
Mehta, Naksh (Senior Management Personnel - CLO)
She opened it, and a flurry of yellow papers slipped out, ranging from acquisition lists, employment records, and audit records. Tucked under them was a leather-bound diary.
Dhruv leaned over her shoulder as she flipped through its pages. Most were routine reminders with some meeting memos and client initials with future merger plans. And on the last page, dated the day of her mother’s accident, were three words followed by a folder number. Her mouth went dry.
Arohi Kashyap. Locker box 28. Personal items.
Dhruv whistled low under his breath. ‘That’s it. You were right to come looking.’
They quickly found locker box 28 amongst the little lockers lined up toward the back wall. It required a passcode, though, and there were no other scribbled notes in the diary to guide her.
‘Think, Siya. She must’ve decided a passcode you’d know,’ Dhruv urged, placing a hand on her shoulder.
Something she might know? Her mind scrambled with several options but nothing that fit a six-pin code. She wouldn’t have gone for an obvious one like birthdays to make sure it was safeguarded against Kartik. Maybe it was something her father wouldn’t know.
Could it be… something he never found out?
Her eyes widened. Siya quickly punched her mother’s accident date and she held her breath. She almost wept in relief when the small steel door pushed open.
She exchanged a glance with Dhruv, then pulled out a sealed file and an envelope. The weight of it felt heavier than paper should, and she broke the monogrammed wax seal. There it was written in ink. She held the second copy of her mother’s updated will on the same date as the passcode.
Siya stared at it, dumbstruck. ‘Oh my God, it’s real,’ Siya whispered.
It was the date her mother had decided to leave her father, but he might have never found out the real reason she’d been out on the road in the first place.
‘Is that it?’ Dhruv asked, noticing her stillness.
‘I think so.’ She clutched the folder against her chest, nearly crumbling the envelope in her tight grip.
‘Do you want to open it right now?’ he asked, holding her gaze.
She nodded, not trusting herself to speak.
His eyes flicked toward the door, and he said, ‘Okay. I’ll keep watch. Just… don’t take too long.’
She managed a quick nod.
She gave her one last look, and gently squeezed her shoulder, before walking out of the door.
Siya took a deep breath, trying to steady her nerves. Her palms were damp, and she rubbed them against her thighs as she whispered aloud, ‘You don’t have time to fall apart now. Pull it together.’
She looked down at the envelope in her hand. Her name was scribbled atop the envelope in her mother’s handwriting that she would have recognised anywhere. Her heart hammered inside the rib cage.
The legal document was easier to look at so she pulled out the stack of stamped sheets. She quickly scanned through the familiar phrases and the amended clauses that outlined how this was an updated will belonging to Arohi Kashyap.
Neena was right. This is real. And if this is real, then it’s also real that her father had destroyed the copy in her mother’s vault to hide it from her. Fury surged up so fiercely that for a moment, she couldn’t see straight.
She smoothed the document open on the table as she read.
On the morning of 01st Feb, Arohi has made the following amendments:
As a person of sound mind and under the supervision of Naksh Mehta, LLB (Hons) as her witness, it’s Arohi Kashyap’s will and intention that as soon as her eldest daughter, Siya Kashyap comes of age at eighteen, the copyright and licensing of the all the jewellery designs created by her, by her father Jairaj Kashyap, and her grandfather Dayanand Kashyap would pass to her.
She will be the sole license holder of all jewellery designed under the banner and brand of Kashyap Luxe, except those commissioned by independent contractors.
Siya gasped loudly and quickly pressed a palm against her mouth.
She read it once, twice, then thrice but the words didn’t change.
The realisation hit her like a battering ram.
Her mother had left the legacy of three generations to her and she’d never known.
The foundation of this company, the original designs, belonged to her.