I opened the first document. It was an email thread between Keshav and his CEO, Manoj Savla. Plans to launch before us. Boasting about finally one-upping us. Counting profits before they even stole our work.
My jaw tightened. They weren’t just thieves; they were proud of it.
The real shocker was the last document.
Rekha told Keshav which karigars to poach from the Hyderabad workshop. How much to pay them. Attached were Meera’s sketches.
Rekha was behind it all.
My anger tightened its grip.
The karigars had been poached before Ananya even joined the company. How long had Rekha been sabotaging us? Sabotagingme?
Were any of the problems we faced even real? Or did she manufacture them all? She did not need money. It had to be out of spite. I wouldn’t put it past her.
My fury didn’t flare; it calcified. It demanded blood.
‘The other folder has enough dirt on Lehenga Bazaar to make sure it stops bothering you.’
In Arjun’s language, that meant the end of the company.
He was a real estate developer, but had his hands in lots of jars. He also had a ‘guy’ for everything. That, and the fact that getting this proof wasn’t going to be above board, was why I sought his help. I didn’t ask how or where he got all this information, and he didn’t say. It was the one unsaid condition he had for all favours.
‘Thank you,’ I replied, my voice calm, almost detached.
Lehenga Bazaar’s pot of bad deeds was full. It deserved the wrecking ball coming its way. I didn’t like the idea of destroying the livelihood of its unwitting employees, but if they refused to accept my deal, I’d have no choice.
‘And I thought my family was dysfunctional,’ he said, then his granite-like expression cracked,softness peeking through. ‘If you want to talk about it …’
My eyebrows shot up. ‘Arjun Singhania offering emotional support? Let me mark my calendar.’
The scowl on his face was instant. ‘I was going to say, I don’t have the time for it. Go to Yuv,’ he said.
A smile formed on my face, and he mirrored it.
I exhaled. ‘I’m okay. Well, I will be. I just …’ Silence stretched inside me. The life I’d built had come apart in my hands.
The woman I love was gone. The people I’d considered family didn’t know the meaning of the word. The company I’d poured my heart and soul into for the last eight years had lost the values it was built upon.
And the cherry on top, I’d completely humiliated myself in front of Rhea. Going to their flat drunk, talking to her like that was unacceptable.
A firm hand clasped my shoulder. ‘The only way out of a difficult situation is through. You’re on your way out, Jai. It can only get better.’
I had said these exact words to him a few years ago. He was going through a rough patch and just needed help and some perspective.
I lowered my head in a nod.
‘I have another meeting,’ Arjun said, grabbing his briefcase.
‘Thank you for this again,’ I said, gesturing towards the hard drive. ‘Have a good day.’
‘Don’t mention it.’
Once he left, I sat behind my desk and copied the contents of the hard drive onto my computer and the cloud.
Rekha had made her move. Now, it was my turn.
I composed an email.
