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"Yes Mam. December 2010, Mumbai. His wedding date is 13th of December."
"Whom did he marry?", I felt a lump in my throat.
"Some Anjali Gupta. She is a small town girl from Ambala"
"Ok...continue."
"MD. That is all we could find out. There was a lot of fiasco around. By tomorrow, I think it'll get sorted out. Sorry for disturbing you."
"No, you're doing a good job guys!", I collected myself together and cutting the call, I made my way back home.
At home, I googled myself for RK. Aaron and these people were right. RK did marry. His profiles had a mention of his marriage to some Anjali but the pictures seemed to have been removed from all the websites and where they were available, they were locked by pass codes. I rang up Shane, who was acyber expert. He promised to hack snaps and email me. A few hours later, he emailed me one pic. It wasn't very good quality but the faces were recognisable. The girl. I looked into her face and was horrified to death. The same girl whom I saw at RK's party 6 years back. The same Ms Shy. RK looked ok in those pics. He wasn't clearly enjoying. It was evident. A tear escaped my eye and fell on the space bar key.
"Mam, food is ready."
"Just a second Stacy", I said as my inbox pinged with another email from Shane. He told me that the information had been deleted on confidential grounds. "What the!", I banged the table shaking all the contents. I had to speak to RK. Because I hadn't seen his wife around him. Maybe she died, or something bad happened to her. Thats why RK is melancholy all the time. I couldn't wait for my interns to get me information. It was a long and endless night. I sat sipping coffee after coffee, my head resting on the knees that were pulled up. The sun peered the next morning and I realized that I had taken a small nap by the end of the night.
Hurriedly, I rushed to the office and waited for my trainees to come. They were on time.
"Morning, MD", Aaron came in first. I nodded. He came and sat on the chair in front of me, handing over a pen drive.
"What is this?", I flipped it around.
"Its our research. We have managed to find out something more." Mia entered with a file in her hand. Caroline followed.
"Play it, Aaron and only the part of his whereabouts in past 6 years", I said.
While Aaron set up the projector, Mia and Caroline handed over their research documents. It included some paper cuttings.
"Mam its done!", he said.
I stared and smirked. He stuck out his tongue, "Sorry! MD."
"Continue. And be confident", I felt excited.
"Rishabh Kundra, RK as he is known among his colleagues and acquaintances is the son of the legend in Iron and Steels, Ltd. Mr Mohan Kundra..."
I pressed back the chair so that I could listen in a more relaxed manner.
"On 13th December, 2010...he married Ms Anjali Gupta, age 25 years"
My eyes opened. There were images of Anjali and RK flashing on the projector screen. Those images were clear and HD. I wondered how these people gathered information I couldn't. While Anjali blushed profusely, RK looked subtle and calm. I sighed.
"It was all good until 2012, when there are reports of RK being arrested for molesting his wife and physically abusing her"
"WHAT!", I jumped off my chair.
"Yes, MD", Aaron whispered.
"We're sorry MD, in case we hurried with everything", they looked scared.
"No...", I took a deep breath.
"Continue", I focussed.
"So, MD. As we were saying, it is said that there was a huge court case and RK was in custody for many than 2 years."
A small tear rolled down my eye. I was glad that it was dark and the trainees didn't notice it.
"Who accused him for molestation?", I asked clearing the lump in my throat.
"Our assumptions point towards his wife. She had been rumoured to be dating one of Kundra's old business rivals. And later on, it was said that she did this on his request. He wanted to emotionally wreck RK and that is what happened."
"Business rivalry? That's it?", it was hard to imagine how low could people stoop just for the sake of profit, money and business.
"And Rihan, one of the company's most trusted employees was found to be leaking important confidential information to Anjali and her boyfriend."
"Rihan?", I was shocked. Why did it not occur to me. How could I not notice that ever since I met RK again in Brisbane, he never mentioned Rihan. And it was stranger because RK and Rihan were best of friends. No wonder Rihan was completely out of RK's world. "Are you sure the boy's name was Rihan?", I wanted to re confirm. "Yes mam! Rihan. R I H A N.", Mia spelled it. I nodded gulping the lump down my throat.
"Yes MD. Rihan was getting Crores of rupees from Anjali's Boyfriend."
It was hard, it was suffocating to feel and imagine what he felt and went through all these years. That's why he is reserved. That's why he kept away from me. That's why he doesn't allow any one to go near him. That's why he doesn't make friends. His trust had been trampled under the feet of his most trusted people. All of us were just spectators. No one could possibly feel even an iota of what he felt. I needed to talk to him immediately. I wanted answers only he could give me.
"MD?", Ri held my shoulders. I looked at her in shock. She had been listening to this, I could see through her eyes.
"Hi. Ri!", I faked a smile.
"Continue guys!", Ri spoke on my behalf and sat on the table next to me holding my hand tightly.
"A year ago. RK's elder brother Virat offered to swap places. So RK and his mother shifted to Australia"
"Where is the girl?"
"Anjali?", Mia asked. I nodded.
"The girl and her boyfriend were charged for false accusations and defamation. After formal divorce, RK however took back all charges against her and asked her to leave the city immediately. It is said that she lives in Ranikhet. A small hill station in Kumaon Himalayas"
"Bitch", I muttered.
"And her boyfriend?", Ri questioned.
"He is serving his sentence in prison. 5 years", Aaron added. I nodded, it sounded like a relief.
"RK is setting up his industries here and he is a very reserved guy now.", Caroline concluded.
"Good job Guys. Brush up your orating skills a bit. Rest will be fine", I cleared my throat and took my jacket and keys and rushed out.
"MD!", Ri called out. I turned back. My eyes were flushed with tears. I could feel the warmth of the tears and the burning sensation in my eyes.
"Everything will be fine", she hugged me tightly. I drank my tears.
"Should I come along?", she insisted. I refused. I had to do this alone. He needed a friend after everything he had been through. "I need to see him alone. I will be fine Ri. Just take care.", I added and left.
I reached his office in about an hour. Before coming out of my car, I wiped off the tears in my eyes and waited till the red color of the eyes vanished.
At the reception, Grace greeted me with a smile. "Welcome back Mam! RK Sir?", she inquired. I faked a smile swallowing the lump in my throat. "Yes please Grace."
"Mam, he is just back from meeting and you can see him in 5 minutes."
"Is he back in his cabin?"
"Yes Mam!"
"Then I am sorry Grace, I need to see him NOW. Don't worry. I have no professional work with him"
"But Mam!"
"Grace! RK is a friend more than a rich businessman for me!", I roared. She nodded and showed me the way to his cabin.
I politely knocked on the door. "I said 10 minutes Grace!", he yelled from inside. Annoyingly, I barged into his room. He stood up seeing me. I turned and locked the door from inside.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?"
"Shut up! JUST SHUT UP!", I yelled pointing my fingers at him. Tears started falling uncontrollably.
"Madhu?", he grew softer.
I walked to him and hit him hard on his chest bone pushing him back.
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