‘He’s fifty-eight,’ he corrected her. ‘Ravindra is well-established and wealthy. It’s a respectable proposal. Kashvi can do a lot worse than him.’
‘She’s still in university,’ Siya said, trying to reason with him, but she knew that look on her father’s face. He’d made up his mind, and that meant her valid arguments would fall on deaf ears.
Kartik shrugged. ‘She’s nearly done. Someday, when she’s older, she will thank me for securing her future. And this alliance will be beneficial for us too.’
‘You’re not securing her future. You’re selling it to a man who is more than thrice her age and has been accused of sexual harassment by his ex-wife!’
He disregarded her words with a casual shrug, and Siya barely resisted the urge to pull her hair out. ‘We’ll make sure she’s comfortable.’
Her hands were trembling so hard that she clenched them into fists. Her heart was pounding loudly. ‘You think I’m going to let you trade her off like an object? She’s my sister!’
‘You’re letting sentiment cloud your judgement, just like before at the dinner. Emotions are temporary, but legacy isn’t, so stop overreacting and act like an adult,’ he said, his tone laced with warning.
‘I’d rather be sentimental than soulless. How could you even think of him for Kashu?’
He casually fixed his cufflinks as he replied, ‘She’s of age. And he’s offering a seat on his board, which gives us access to new investors and new markets in Dubai, London—’
‘I don’t care if he is offering ownership of the moon!’
The polite mask her father wore cracked just enough for her to see the flash of rage underneath.
‘Ravindra is powerful, connected. So what if he has been accused? He was never convicted. As a lawyer, you should know what innocent until proven guilty means.’
And she finally saw it for what it was. Punishment. Her chest tightened, and she tried to swallow past the lump in her throat. ‘I understandexactlywhat this is. You didn’t get what you wanted out of me, so now you’re trying to use her.’
‘I gave you a better choice. You were too dumb to see it,’ Kartik said in an even tone.
‘You’re talking about Kashu. She’s a kid! Don’t you care what this will do to her?’
He gave a long sigh like he was waiting for Siya’s tantrum to be over. ‘You’ve always been a difficult child to tolerate, but I never took you for a stupid person.’
Her voice cracked as she asked him, ‘Do you care about anything other than winning?’
Kartik tilted his head and plainly responded, ‘I care about Kashyap Luxe staying at the top, where it belongs. That's all that matters to me.’
His answer ruptured something in her heart. All this time, she had hoped that deep beneath the ruthless businessman lived their father. But this… this is who he really was. This was his retaliation against his daughter.
He fixed her with a cold, furious stare. Controlled, calculated rage simmered just beneath the surface, and it sent a chill down her spine. ‘I gave you the easier choice. You could’ve married Abhay, but you are a selfish girl who would rather compromise our future than do the right thing for the sake of family. And now your sister has to pay for it.’
‘No, don’t do that. Please leave the family out of this,’ Siya whispered.
‘This familyisbusiness, and your refusal to understand that is precisely why you will never be ready to lead it. No sacrifice is bigger than the legacy we have built. Everything comes second,’ he stated as a matter of fact.
‘Even your daughter’s life?’
‘Especially that. This is the consequence of your selfish decision. You chose yourself over us. Now Kashvi has to carry that weight. What makes me sad is if your mother were alive, she’d be ashamed of the selfish woman you’ve become, who chooses herself over her own flesh and blood.’
Siya felt her chest cave inward as if he’d punched her. For a moment, she couldn’t breathe. He always knew exactly where to strike to draw blood, but this time he’d aimed to kill.
Her hand shook as she dragged her fingers through her hair. ‘I raised Kashu. She’s my whole world. I held her through good, bad and worst days. I’ve done everything in my power to give her the life she deserves, and I will not let her sacrifice it.’
Kartik leaned forward and said quietly, ‘Then stop being the reason for her suffering. Be the sister you’re pretending to be, or Kashvi will have to live with the consequences.’
The room around her had gone still. A shallow breath left her as his words rang in her ears.
If your mother were alive, she’d be ashamed of the selfish woman you’ve become.
After their mother passed away, Kashvi became her baby girl. And if someone had to be sacrificed at her father’s bloodthirsty altar, it wouldn’t be her. Not while Siya still had a choice.
