Chapter 31 #2
‘Or else, I’m pretty sure the media and public will be far more interested in the mysterious accident that killed beloved humanitarian Arohi Kashyap than some silly boy playing with his camera.’
Her jaw clenched hard as hate burned through her veins like venom. ‘Viraj is playing with people’s lives.’
‘And he’s very good at it,’ Karthik replied with a pleased chuckle. ‘That’s why you should think twice before doing something far worse than murder.’
‘I won’t let you win,’ she said, though it lacked conviction. Loud, insistent denial echoed in her head, drowning out everything else.
‘Sweetheart, you’re a fool if you think you can outplay me. None of your childish tantrums will make a difference. The world, especially your sister and husband, will only remember you as a murderer.’
The line went dead.
Her father’s words slipped past her final defences, and something bruised and fragile inside her slowly began to go numb.
Kashvi flung the phone onto the bed. She dragged a hand through her curls, restless energy spilling through her limbs with nowhere to go.
Through the high-pitched ringing in her ears, she heard Siya shouting outside in the living room. Her voice drifted faintly through the closed door, telling Kashvi her sister was home.
Kashvi breathed in shallow bursts, pressing her palm against her chest. If she allowed her father to hold this over them, it would never end. He would haunt them until he rotted away everything they had built with love.
She knew she had to come clean and tell Siya the truth she had buried for years.
A sharp, nauseating fear curled low in her gut. Because deep down, she knew Siya would never forgive her.
But this was the only way to outplay her father.
Her panic slowly collapsed into resignation, and Kashvi reached for her bedroom door and opened it.
Siya stood with her back to her, one hand braced on her hip as she fired questions at Vihaan. Her hair was twisted into a messy bun, and she wore one of Kashvi’s old chikankari kurtis.
The sight almost made Kashvi cry again, but she held it back.
When she cleared her throat, Siya turned around. The air around her charged with fury as she took in the bruises on her younger sister’s face. She cursed in a way Kashvi had never heard before.
Siya crossed the room in long strides, stepping over the littered floor, while Abhay followed behind her, equally alarmed. ‘What the hell happened here?’
‘Di, it’s fine,’ Kashvi murmured.
Abhay looked her over. ‘Are you okay? Did you see a doctor?’ he asked, concern etched across his face.
She nodded weakly, too drained to speak.
Swayam stepped up behind her, wrapping an arm around her waist. ‘Maithili came to check on her. She’s fine now.’
‘Good,’ Siya said, though her eyes still blazed with fury. She gripped Kashvi’s shoulders. ‘Then you can explain to me who the hell Viraj is and what’s going on.’
When Kashvi winced, Swayam gently reminded her, ‘Siya, take it easy. You’re overwhelming her.’
‘Don’t tell me to take it easy,’ Siya snapped instantly. ‘Where were you when this happened?’
‘Siya, listen—’
She cut him off, frustration spilling over. ‘No, you listen. I trusted you to take care of her, to keep her safe, but just look at her.’
Guilt flashed plainly across his face.
Kashvi quickly said, ‘Di, it’s not his fault.’
Siya turned a confused gaze towards her. ‘Then tell me whose fault it is, because I swear my head is going to explode if someone doesn’t give me an answer soon.’
Abhay rubbed a hand over her back, whispering something into his wife’s ear. Siya drew in a deep breath and loosened her grip on Kashvi’s shoulders.
‘It’s Dad,’ Dhruv said, and that alone was enough.
‘Of course it’s him,’ Siya scoffed bitterly. ‘Why would he ever leave us in peace?’
‘Guys,’ Vihaan called urgently, pulling their attention towards him. ‘You need to look at this.’
‘What is it?’ Abhay stepped closer and bent down towards the laptop balanced on Vihaan’s lap.
Vihaan pointed at the screen. ‘Kuber unlocked the folder. There’s so much dirt in here. Politicians, celebrities, rich families, you name it. Viraj is literally holding millions for ransom.’
‘Not Viraj. My father,’ Kashvi corrected quietly. Karthik had implied he targeted many people, but the sheer scale of it still shocked her.
Siya cursed again, her restraint hanging by a thread.
Dhruv tore his gaze away from the laptop. ‘This is it. We got him. We can send him to jail and make sure he never hurts any of us again.’
Swayam nodded immediately. ‘We need to report this to the police right now.’
‘I’ll call the Commissioner,’ Siya said, reaching for the phone Abhay handed her.
Before she could dial, Kashvi caught her wrist. ‘You can’t do that.’
Siya’s brows pulled together. ‘Why not?’
Kashvi drew in a deep breath, trying to steady her frayed nerves. ‘Because you need to know the full truth before you do anything.’
Swayam studied her carefully. ‘Kash, who were you talking to in the bedroom?’
‘My father,’ she said, turning towards him.
He held her gaze. ‘What did he say?’
‘If we go to the police or the media, he’ll expose me as a murderer,’ she said, the words sounding distant even to herself.
‘What the fuck?’ Siya shouted.
A deep crease formed between Dhruv’s brows as his fists clenched. ‘Is he out of his mind?’
Swayam kept his gaze fixed on Kashvi, his hand rising to cup her cheek. ‘Baby, listen to me. He can make up whatever lies he wants, but we won’t let anything happen to you. I’ll protect you, I promise.’
There was so much love and acceptance in his eyes that Kashvi’s heart cracked at the realisation that she was about to lose it all.
‘He’s not lying.’
‘What?’ Swayam, shock flashing across his features.
‘He’s not lying. I killed someone,’ she repeated numbly.
The colour drained from Siya’s face. ‘Kashu... who?’
Kashvi squeezed her eyes shut, and a tear slipped free before she finally confessed. ‘Our mother.’