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“Excellent.” Agastya rose from his seat and started to pace his study. “Bring me everything. I’m going to slam the prison doors on him myself.”
“Yes.”
Something in Virat’s tone gave Agastya pause. “What is it?” he asked, his instincts prickling.
“I’ll meet you at our usual place in half an hour?” Virat countered instead sending Agastya’s instincts into overdrive.
“Done,” he said tersely, hanging up and gesturing to Naresh to get the car ready. He waited until everyone left the room before he sat down in his chair, burying his face in his hands. What now? Was there no end to this?
Two days since he’d declared his love for Veda in front of everyone, including the judgemental presence of her siblings. Two days since he’d heard anything from her. His calls, messages, voice notes…everything went unanswered. He’d tried to go to her house to meet her but an extremely apologetic and terrified security guard had asked him to leave, saying no one was at home. Agastya had glanced up at the fully lit up house but hadn’t bothered arguing. He’d left without another word.
Two days. He’d lived an endless, miserable lifetime in them. And it looked like he had a literal lifetime left filled with days exactly like them. She wasn’t going to forgive him. She wasn’t coming back. Maybe it was time to accept that.
Naresh knocked on the door and Agastya took a deep breath, pulling himself together. He could fall apart in his bedroom later but for now, he wanted closure on the other matter. He strode out of the room, his people falling into line behind him. The rest of the house was empty, his parents already having retired for the day. The strain of current events was telling on Nanna and his blood pressure had been fluctuating leading Agastya to hide most of what was happening from him.
“Anna.”
Agastya stopped, startled, when Harsh appeared from his bedroom, dressed in tracks and a t-shirt. His brother looked surprisingly fresh and rested, a first in many years.
“Can I come with you?”
“It’s work Harsh,” Agastya said, already turning away.
“I know.” Harsh stopped him with a hand on his arm. “I want to help.”
Agastya turned, a refusal on the tip of his tongue. But he stopped, his own exhaustion and his brother’s resolve changing his mind.
“Let’s go,” he said simply. “I’ll fill you in once we get there.”
They made the drive in silence, neither wanting to speak in front of an audience. It had always been like this, hadn’t it? They’d lived in a fishbowl with the world waiting to dissect every word, every action, all the time…Agastya had never known another life but for a second, the briefest second, he wondered what it would be like if he walked away from it all. He would if she would come with him…
The car pulled up outside a crowded nightclub. Harsh’s eyebrows shot up. “Not really your style, is it?” he asked, grinning as they got out from the car. A group of young girls standing to the side looked to be having multiple orgasms at the sight of Harsh. A stony-faced Agastya glared at them but Harsh laughed and blew them a kiss before following Agastya into the noisy space.
They walked through until they found a booth at the end with Virat cosied up to a young girl in quite possibly the shortest dress in the history of dresses. Maybe it wasn’t a dress. Agastya had handkerchiefs that were longer than that. And maybe he was just a grumpy, judgemental, old man with no joy in his life, he thought as he slid into the booth beside them.
Virat detached from the girl’s lips long enough to greet them with a nod. “Could you get us a drink, sweetheart?” Virat purred at the girl who looked ready to wet her pants in excitement when she saw that they were joined by Agastya and Harsh. “Three whiskeys please?” Virat held his card out to her and she grabbed it before he could change his mind.
“Sure.” She simpered a little as she walked off, hips swaying.
“Okay.” Virat’s eyes went flat and cold as he stared at the brothers. “Can I talk in front of him?” he asked, tipping his head towards Harsh.
Agastya held up a hand as Harsh bristled. “Yes,” Agastya said simply.
“We found the money. It took us through a couple of shell companies and an umbrella of…” He stopped himself. “I won’t bore you with the details. We found the money. It’s untouched.”
“And it can be clearly traced back to Ganesh?”
Virat nodded. “He wasn’t working alone. He had a team of people working with him but yes, he was the mastermind. And we have his digital imprint to link him to it.”
“Brilliant.” Harsh beamed. “This is wonderful news.” He glanced from Agastya to Virat, both of whom were watching each other carefully. “Why don’t you guys look happy? What am I missing?”
Agastya exhaled. “What is it?” he asked.
“We always knew he was looking to implicate you,” Virat began carefully.
“Rip the band aid off,” Agastya advised. “Did he dump the money in an account in my name?”
“No.” Virat still had that strange, disquieting look in his eyes.
