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I shook my head sadly.
“I won’t be here long enough to set any traditions, Your Highness. The countdown to our divorce starts now,” I said, turning on my heel and walking into the bedroom.
CHAPTER 20
DHEER
Isha blew out a heavy breath and shook her head in disapproval.
“You guys can’t go on like this, Bhai Sa. It’s like there’s a Raksha-shaped wall between the two of you, and you will never find true happiness until you bring down that wall. Just tell her the truth,” she pleaded.
“I can’t, Isha. You know that,” I said sharply. “Besides, she will leave me even sooner if I tell her the truth.”
“She’s hurting, Bhai Sa. She has never got over what she sees as your betrayal, and you can’t build a marriage around it. You have to smash through it to build her trust in you.”
“No! I know it will take me a long time to earn her trust again, but I’d rather do it without referring to the past because the past is dead. Nothing good can come out of raking it up again.”
She shook her head again and picked up the tray with the money that my mother had used to utaaro our nazar.
“I need to take this down to the orphanage in the village. I’ll see you guys later.”
Diya came out of the bedroom just then. Her nose was red and she looked as if she had been crying. She ignored me and looked at Isha.
“We’re going to the police station, Isha. Can you help us get away before the elders see us?”
“Of course! I’ll call them into the den to see the wedding videos and pics I took on my phone,” Isha said promptly. “Give me ten minutes.”
Ten minutes later, Diya and I crept downstairs and slipped out through a side door. My car was already waiting in the driveway.
Kirori Ji was waiting for us when we got out of the car at the police HQ, and I introduced him to Diya. When she learnt that he was the person who was responsible for the evidence we had found, she thanked him with joined hands. He was greatly embarrassed to have a Maharani show him so much respect, and blew his nose loudly on a handkerchief as he led us upstairs to meet the Police Commissioner.
“Commissioner Saheb, Hukum aa gaye,” he called before we entered the office.
Commissioner Dhaliwal rose to greet us and was all praise for Diya because he was immensely impressed by her determination to bring Ayush to justice.
“Your Highness, we’re doing our best to build a strong case against him so that we can get a warrant to search his house. If the husband is telling the truth about where they buried the body, we will have enough evidence to throw Ayush in jail, and your evidence will keep him there for a long time.”
“I’m glad to do my part, Commissioner,” replied Diya firmly. “Did the husband say why Ayush killed her?”
The Commissioner blew out a heavy breath.
“It’s a very murky story, Your Highness. The Goels have their fingers in many pies. Some legal, but many illegal ones, as well. And this man, Manto Singh, was just given charge of Ayush’s latest venture - human trafficking. He brings in girls from the distant villages around here on the pretext of finding them jobs in the city, and sells them to red-light districts all over the country.”
Diya inhaled sharply when she heard that.
“And these people are praised in society for their philanthropy,” she snarled.
“That’s the way of the world, ma’am,” said the Commissioner gently. “As I was saying, Manto Singh was taking delivery of these girls in huge containers. His wife, Sheela, thought he was cheating on her with another woman, so she decided to spy on him. She discovered these women locked in a container outside his office, and being a decent woman, she freed them all. She even paid for them to go to women’s shelters around the city.”
“That was the maal that Ayush meant,” exclaimed Diya. “He said she had stolen his maal.”
“Exactly! And that’s why he killed her. Her death was supposed to set an example for anyone who interfered with his business.”
“Will he really go jail, Commissioner Sahab?”
“Yes, ma’am. I promise you that Ayush Goel will go to jail, not only on this murder charge but also on charges of human trafficking. His Highness has also provided us with evidence of his drug dealing. We’re building an airtight case to take down the Goel empire. You will be required to come here and give a statement after we begin the formal investigation into Sheela Singh’s death.”
“And when will that begin?”
