“This wouldn’t have happened if you had told us earlier,” she snapped. “That you and Karan had a sister. It would’ve saved so much trouble.”
She turned to Mishti briefly, then back to Abhimanyu.
“Mishti wouldn’t have ended up circling back into your family in London. I wouldn’t have let her take that job at Rajat’s father’s NGO either, if we had known. The hospital job I offered her there was the safest option.”
Abhimanyu frowned, clearly confused now.
“Wait.Youoffered her the hospital job in London?” he asked slowly. “What does that mean?”
Mishti and Komal went completely tongue-tied.
The words had slipped out before either of them could stop them, and now there was no taking them back.
Abhimanyu’s expression darkened instantly as he turned to Komal.
“Did you know Mishti was in London?” he demanded. “Where she was… before any of us did?”
Komal swallowed, registering the anger flaring in his eyes. But before she could answer, they heard Karan’s voice from just behind Abhimanyu.
“Soyouhelped Mishti elope from Mumbai,” Karan asked.
Mishti froze.
Because this wasn’t a guess anymore. Karan hadn’t just connected the dots; he had finally uncovered the truth. Right here and now.
They all turned toward Karan, who was already walking toward them, his angry gaze locked on Komal. Mishti swallowed hard. She knew Karan and Komal had never gotten along. And this revelation that Komal had helped her escape to London… it was not going to sit well with him.
The moment Karan reached them, Abhimanyu’s anger spiked even further.
“I can’t believe this, Komal,” Abhimanyu said. “All that time… when none of us knew where Mishti bhabhi was. when we were desperately searching for her, when Karan bhai was using every source he had to trace her—” He glared at her. “Youknew? You helped her elope? How could you?”
Komal didn’t flinch.
“Yes,” she said finally. “I knew. I helped Mishti.”
Then she turned to Karan, meeting his eyes without hesitation.
“And I would do it again,” she added. “Because I’m not afraid to stand up for my friend.”
Her voice hardened.
“She needed to get away from a husband like you. Helping her was the best thing I could’ve done. She deserved better, Mr Wadhwa.”
She didn’t look away.
“And that better… was neveryou.”
Karan’s fists curled at his sides as anger surged through him.
“I always knew there had to be an insider,” he snapped. “She couldn’t have done this alone.” His gaze burned into Komal. “And there you are.Komal Sharma.Always the daring one. Always the one misguiding my wife… pushing her to defy me.”
Mishti had heard enough. This time, she stepped forward and placed herself firmly between Komal and Karan.
“Komal didn’t do anything I didn’t ask her to do,” she said. “And on what grounds are you two questioning us? Did either of you ever tell us the complete truth…ever?”
Her gaze flicked to Karan first.
“Forget you telling me, Karan. You didn’t trust me because I was a Goel.” Her voice tightened. “But what about you, Abhimanyu?”
