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“Hmm. And what about evidence? To prove a murder, you first need a dead body. Do you have one? Or even a photograph of one that proves she was killed in Goel House?” I enquired politely.
She sputtered in anger.
“Well… obviously I didn’t stop to take photographs when I was fighting for my life,” she stammered. “But I can show the cops where he threw her off the terrace.”
“The cops can’t set foot on the property without a warrant, and no magistrate worth his salt is going to issue a warrant without a dead body. And I promise you this, Diya, the Goels would have sanitised the crime scene by now. That dead body has probably already been cremated under a false name. Even if you take the cops to their house, I doubt if you’ll find so much as a drop of blood on their property.”
She flung the towel to the floor in anger.
“So, that’s it? The Goels just clean up the evidence of their crime and they go unpunished? That’s not fair,” she cried, and I snorted in response.
“Life is not fair, Diya. You did your best for that woman, but unless you can provide any details about her, there’s nothing you can do about it. This isn’t the first time Ayush has killed someone, but nothing has ever been proven against him.”
She paced up and down the bathroom, digging her hands into her thick hair.
“This makes me so mad,” she raged. “Can’t we go around the village and ask the locals if someone is missing? That woman must have a family living locally. Someone would have noticed she was missing. We can join the dots backwards, Dheer!”
“The locals don’t involve the police in their issues, Diya. And no one’s going to speak up against the Goels. That’s a dead end,” I said firmly.
“Fine! Then I’ll just take myself home and go straight for therapy, because Ayush and his family might already have forgotten about that poor woman, but I will never forget her,” she declared.
I grabbed her by the shoulders as she walked past me and forced her to look at me.
“Not so fast,” I growled. “The Goels leave no loose ends, Diya. And you are a loose end. They won’t let you leave Trikhera alive.”
She went pale at my statement.
“Are you crazy?” she whispered. “So what am I supposed to do? I can’t hide in your palace forever. And what if they come after me here?”
“They wouldn’t dare to set foot on my land,” I replied grimly. “But you do have to stay here until I deal with them.”
“But I don’t want to stay here,” she wailed. “I refuse to spend any more time under your roof.”
“Well, you don’t have a choice,” I said drily.
“I hate you,” she seethed, pushing my arms away.
“You can hate me all you like, but you’re still staying here. I’ll see you downstairs when you’re ready,” I replied, slamming the bathroom door shut behind me.
I knew I deserved it, but it still rankled to hear her say that she hated me. An uproar greeted me when I walked downstairs. My family had returned from their dinner, and I wondered why they were back so early.
“Where’s Diya?” demanded Isha. “And are you out of your mind?”
“Diya’s cleaning up in my bathroom, and she’s safe,” I informed her, wondering why she was so mad at me.
“What is wrong with you, Bhai Sa? I know you were upset about her meeting Ayush, but that does not give you the right to kidnap her,” she yelled.
“Kidnap her? I rescued her from Ayush Goel’s men. They were about to kill her.”
There was a collective gasp from Isha and my mother.
“Beta, are you sure that’s what happened? I mean… I know you have a beef with the Goels, and maybe you misunderstood what was happening,” Ma said hesitantly.
“Four men attacking a woman with swords is not a misunderstanding, Ma. It’s an attempt to murder,” I replied grimly.
“Ohmigod! I need to see Diya. No, wait! First, I need to call her mother and tell her what happened,” cried Isha. “She’s been blowing up my phone demanding you send her daughter back. The Jadhwals are furious, Bhai Sa.”
She ran up the stairs with her phone to her ear. Meanwhile, my phone rang, and I was surprised to see Veer’s name flash across the screen after nine long years. I swiped to take the call, but before I could greet him, he started yelling at me.
