Chapter 34
Sidharth
“You’re sure this is where we’ll get our lead?” I ask, my eyes locked on the fancy, single-story boutique in front of us.
“To be honest, I don’t know why we didn’t think of this before,” Viraj says from the passenger seat.
I give a short nod but don’t take my eyes off the boutique. It’s one of those places that screams classy, expensive, and elegant the second you lay eyes on it. Large glass windows framed in pale gold, and above them, a sleek, minimalist sign reads Maya’s Boutique.
We never questioned Maya before because we assumed she was just another name caught in Deepak’s web—someone who didn’t know half of what he was hiding. Besides, Deepak’s too damn smart to leave his cards lying around.
But now, something deep inside me is screaming that’s exactly where we screwed up.
Hell, I’m a detective. It’s my job to chase every lead, even the ones that look like loose ends. So how the hell did I miss this?
“I’ve a feeling that once we step inside, we’re not walking out without answers,” Viraj mutters, again.
I flex my shoulders, a muscle ticking in my jaw. “You better be right. Because I’m done walking out of places empty-handed.”
“The only way to find out is to go in,” he says, pushing his door open and stepping out of the car.
I follow suit, hoping like hell this isn’t just another goddamn shot in the dark.
We head straight for the entrance. The moment we step inside, the scent of rose oil and fresh fabric hits me.
I pause near the door, my eyes taking in the upscale space. Sleek gold rods line the walls, each holding designer clothes in soft, muted pastels. Elegant, oversized pots sit on the polished floor, and a tall mirror gleams under the soft lighting. Everything about the place screams quiet luxury.
My gaze sweeps across the room until it lands on Maya, deep in conversation with a customer. It’s just her, the woman beside her, and a saleslady quietly rearranging the clothes on a nearby rack.
As if sensing my eyes on her, she lifts her gaze to meet mine. And I catch it. That flicker of recognition, followed by a flash of panic. But it’s gone just as fast. She straightens and pulls her shoulders back, masking it all behind a calm, practised smile like nothing ever slipped.
Holding her gaze, I start walking towards her, Viraj matching my stride. We stop just a few feet away from her. She’s dressed in a sleeveless, fitted blue dress. Designer, no doubt. But that’s not what grabs my attention. It’s the marks on her neck. Faint, ugly, shaped like fingers.
Her hand flies up instinctively, her fingers curling around her throat to hide them. Too late.
“We need to talk,” I say, getting straight to the point.
Maya nods, while the older woman, probably her customer, in her mid-fifties, glances at me and Viraj, her brows arching slightly in quiet curiosity.
“I’m sorry, Mrs. Dixit, but I need to step away for a moment. I’ll have my saleslady assist you,” Maya says, drawing the older woman’s attention back to her.
Mrs. Dixit gives a polite nod. “Of course, dear. Go ahead.”
“Thank you,” Maya says to her, then turns to the young saleslady. “Take over, Shanti. I’ll be in my office.” Then she looks at me and Viraj. “Let’s go.”
I give a short nod and fall into step beside her, Viraj right behind as we trail after her through the boutique.
She walks into a small, neatly arranged office. Viraj shuts the door behind us as she turns to face us, positioning herself beside her desk.
“What can I do for you?”
“Deepak,” I say, crossing my arms across my chest.
Her brows pull together. “What about him?”
“Deepak is a suspect in an ongoing investigation.” I don’t give her more than that. I want her to fill in the blanks herself. “And you’ve been too close to him not to know something.”
I immediately know that I’ve struck a nerve, because the color drains from her face.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she says, her voice faltering.
“Try again, Maya. That’s a weak start,” Viraj says from behind me.
But I don’t look at him. My eyes stay locked on hers as I step forward, stopping just a few feet away.
“You’ve got two options. Cooperate, and tell us what you know.
Or we’ll dig out the truth out ourselves.
And if it comes to that, trust me, it won’t be pretty.
It just might drag your name through every bit of dirt Deepak left behind. ”
She looks away, fidgeting with her fingers, then glances back at me.
“He… he has a temper,” she murmurs. “He gets angry sometimes. Says things he doesn’t mean.”
“And does things he doesn’t mean too?” I press, pointing my finger at her neck. “The bruises on your neck, that’s part of his anger, isn’t it?”
She flinches, but nods.
“He’s not who people think he is.” Her voice is barely above a whisper as her shoulders sag.
“He’s a monster when he loses control. He never used to be this way, or maybe I just didn’t see it.
” Tears brim in her eyes, but she blinks them away.
“Even the miscarriage I had… it was because of him. He shoved me during a fight. I lost my balance and hit the side of the table.”
“Fuck,” Viraj mutters beside me.
My eyes stay locked on Maya, gauging her expressions. “And Nisha? Do we need to be worried about her when it comes to Deepak?”
Maya blinks rapidly, then gives a shaky nod, before she steps around her desk, hands trembling as she opens a drawer. Her fingers fumble before pulling out a small stack of photos.
“I wasn’t supposed to see these,” she whispers, holding them out to me.
I step forward and take them from her hand. The moment my eyes land on the images, every muscle in my body freezes. Nisha is in every damn one of them, with a bold red X slashed across her face in each photo.
“Where the hell did you get these?” I growl as Viraj takes the photos from my hand.
“I went through his cupboard one day while he was at work,” she says, her voice trembling.
“He’d been acting strange and secretive.
I thought maybe he was cheating on me. After all, that’s what he did with Kavya.
Dated me while he was still with her. I thought karma was finally catching up to me.
” She swallows hard and lowers her gaze. “But instead, I found these.”
“You had these, and you still kept quiet?” My voice is icy cold. “Why?”
“I didn’t know what to do,” she whispers. “I was scared. If he’d found out I had them…”
I slam my hand down on her desk. “You should’ve come to us the second you saw these, Maya.”
She flinches, her breath catching. “I thought… maybe he was just angry with Nisha. She used to lash out at him, just like she did with me. I thought he’d eventually understand that it was okay for Nisha to be hurt…
because we did cheat on her sister behind her back.
” She looks up at me, guilt heavy in her eyes.
“I told myself he wouldn’t actually do anything.
That he’d cool off. That it was just anger, not something dangerous. ”
“You were wrong,” I grit out, jabbing a finger at the photos. “Because this isn’t anger. That psychopath boyfriend of yours is threatening to kill Nisha.”
Her face crumples in shock. “I… I didn’t know it was this bad. I swear, if I had known—”
I cut her off, my voice cutting her mid-sentence. “You should’ve known. The signs were all there. You just chose to look the other way.”
Viraj steps forward now. “What else do you know?”
She hesitates, then says, “I overheard him once. He was on the phone… he thought I was asleep.” Her fingers tighten around the edge of the desk.
“He was talking to some guy, some Prakash. He kept saying, ‘If this blows up, you’re going down with me.’” She shakes her head slowly.
“I didn’t know what it meant back then, so I didn’t think much of it. ”
I glance at Viraj. He’s already pulling out his phone and silently steps out of the room. We’re going to make sure Deepak ends up exactly where he belongs.
I turn back to Maya. Her face is pale, her hands still trembling.
“This stays between us. And if you hear or find out anything else, you come to us first. Got it?” I tell her.
She nods, wiping at her cheek.
Without another word, I walk out of the boutique and spot Viraj already in the passenger seat.
I slip into the driver’s seat and glance at him. “What did you find?” I ask.
“My men are bringing Deepak to the station. He’ll be there before we even reach.”
I nod and press down on the accelerator harder than necessary. I can’t wait to get my hands on him. He thought he could play his sick little games and walk away clean. He was so fucking wrong.
Forty-five minutes later, I pull up outside the station. The moment the engine’s off, I’m out, slamming the door shut behind me as I stride towards the entrance. Viraj follows close behind.
Once I’m inside, I don’t wait for protocol. I head straight towards the interrogation room.
The officer standing outside clocks me in and gives a quick nod. I return it and turn to Viraj.
“I’m the one doing the talking. You should sit this one out,” I say.
The truth is, I don’t want him in there because if he comes in and I lose my temper, and there’s a damn good chance I will, then he’ll try to rein me in with one of his smart-ass remarks.
I don’t need that. I need to do this my way, not by his rule book.
Viraj narrows his eyes. “Are you sure? You’re emotionally involved. That’s not wise.”
“Don’t make me repeat myself,” I snap. “I’m doing this. If I need you, I’ll call.”
He holds my gaze for a beat, then gives a tight nod.
I turn and push the door open. Stepping inside, my eyes land on Deepak, seated on the metal chair, arms folded, one leg bouncing. He’s wearing a crisp white shirt and formal pants, with sleeves rolled up, two buttons undone, hair combed neatly, as if he just walked out of some damn board meeting.
I shut the door behind me and walk up to him.
“We meet again,” I say casually, taking the seat across from him.
“What the hell is this, Sidharth? Why am I here?” he snaps, slamming his arms onto the steel table and leaning forward.
“I’m in the mood for a little conversation,” I say, leaning back in my chair, letting him get a feel of what it’s like when shit pushes you past your limit.
His mouth tightens. “Can you get to the point?”
I tilt my head and smirk. “Impatient, are we?”
He exhales sharply. “I don’t have time for your games, Sidharth. Just tell me what the hell this is about.”
I arch a brow. “I just met your girlfriend, Maya. She shared some interesting facts about you.”
Deepak scoffs. “And what interesting facts could possibly have brought me here?”
I lean forward. “Like how you have anger issues, and that the miscarriage wasn’t an accident.”
A muscle jumps in Deepak’s jaw, the veins straining along his neck. “She’s lying.”
I cock my head, studying him. “Is she?”
He shifts in his seat. “You seriously believe her?”
“Why wouldn’t I? There’s no reason for her to lie. Or even fake the bruises,” I say flatly.
“What bruises?” he snaps, too quickly.
“The ones you left on her neck. Probably when you were strangling her,” I bite out.
“I don’t know how she got those. But it wasn’t me. I don’t lay my hands on women, no matter how crazy they get.”
“Then tell me this,” I lean in closer, my voice dropping to a cold whisper. “How did she have a miscarriage?”
He slams his palms on the table. “You think I killed her baby? I’d never stoop that low. She miscarried because she came home drunk despite being pregnant and fell off the stairs.”
“You actually expect me to believe that?” I sneer.
Deepak’s nostrils flare. “Yes, I do. That woman is nothing but a cheating, lying bitch. I chose her over Kavya, and she cheated on me. Hell, the baby she carried wasn’t even mine.
I only found out all this a week ago. We had a fight.
She threw things at me, and yes, I shouted at her.
I lost my temper. But I never laid a hand on her or the baby. ”
“Right,” I nod slowly. “And yet, you’re still with her.”
He jerks in his chair. “Like I said, I found out about her cheating and the baby just last week.” He exhales sharply.
“She came home drunk. Some guy had dropped her off. When I asked who he was, she confessed he was her boyfriend. The baby’s father.
That’s when I told her I’d had enough. I ended it for good and have been living separately since.
” He leans forward, his voice tight with frustration.
“That’s why I don’t even know what bruises you’re talking about.
Maybe that’s why she’s making all this up… because I walked away.”
I slam my hand on the table, hard enough to rattle it.
“You’re fucking lying,” I snarl. “She found photos in your cupboard. Photos of Nisha, marked and targeted. And she heard you talking to Prakash.”
His brows pull together, a flicker of confusion crossing his face. “What photos? What the hell are you even talking about? And who the hell is Prakash?” he shoots back, his voice rising with disbelief. “I don’t know any Prakash. This whole thing is a damn setup!”
Before I can lunge across the table, grab him by the collar and slam him against the wall to remind him exactly who Prakash is, the door creaks open and Viraj walks in.
“We’ve got a lead on Prakash. We need to move if we want to catch him.”
I’m on my feet in an instant, my heart racing. I give Viraj a sharp nod, then turn back to Deepak. “I guess your partner will be joining you soon.”
Without giving him a chance to reply, I turn on my heel and shove the door open, striding out with Viraj. My mind spins with rage, adrenaline, and the sickening weight of everything we’ve uncovered. But there’s no time to process it. We’ve got a predator to catch.