Posted:
*So much curiosity and hope after the last chapter. I suppose that's a good thing, better than the infinite pain preceding it. How about we get some thrill and pace in the story now? 😊
Tighten your seat belts, it's a convoluted journey!
PS - Ask me if there is a technical doubt."
Chapter 26
"I love you Madhu" Rishabh muttered again to himself and ran down the stairs from his room, closing the door behind him. His mind was now desperate to find any way - no matter the cost - of saving Madhu.
"Mr Kundra. Is everything ok?" Agarwal asked as soon as he picked up the phone.
"Yeah. Listen I know it's early in the morning. But we need to talk."
"It's ok. I am at the Bangalore airport actually. I'd be in Mumbai in 2 hours. I can come over to your office."
"No...we need to talk now."
"Ok I have 20 minutes to boarding. Is everything fine?"
"I have to save Madhu. I am going to withdraw money from my account."
"Mr Kundra we have..."
"I don't care. Madhu is not on the negotiating table any more. I don't care what the cost is."
"Mr Kundra, I am lawyer and it is my job to advise you..."
"You have done your job. Now your job is to do what I say. Tell me this, how soon can your team draft papers that basically transfer assets and cash to Dipali equivalent to what she would get from the Bangalore share sale. I don't want her to touch those, but everything else - other businesses, properties, everything is fair game. Can you evaluate and come up with a fair offer and the papers for it in like 3 hours - I want to take it to her as soon as possible. She just cares about the money. We can file for mutual divorce then and this would be over."
"Mr Kundra, first of all, I don't think you understand what you're doing. This will destroy you. But to answer your question, the papers can be done in three hours. But exact valuation of all your other assets as per market value...it would take time."
"It doesn't have to exact. Put ball park numbers. We can handle it if her lawyers negotiate."
"Fine. But even then, I don't think it is going to work."
"Why not?"
"If we exclude the entire Bangalore township, including your shares and hers since those can't be sold and also the few properties she has which we anyway cannot take back, the rest of your assets will barely be equal to the fair market price of what she can get from those shares especially if we take into account the fact that your new projects are so young, nobody is going to buy those, at least not at a fair price. Which means, in the best case, you lose everything else you have...all other businesses except the Bangalore one."
"Okay. I am okay with that. I can build business again."
"Mr Kundra, it includes your house."
RK paused for a second. This house was sacred to Rishabh because his parents have lived and died here. It was the only property that lawyers on both sides had known from Day one of the negotiation that wasn't on the table. Even Dipali knew that and didn't bother with it. But RK thought about the prospect of losing Madhu, which meant, among other things, him being left alone in the house for the rest of his life. This house would be empty, just like his life would be. What was the point of it then? His parents would forgive him.
"This house is not more important than Madhu." he answered, and it was Agarwal's turn to be surprised.
"You surprise me Mr Kundra. But even despite all this, there are two problems. First is that Malhotra is offering a premium to Dipali, paying a lot about fair value for the Bangalore shares. Which puts the total amount of money she can make at greater than the value of what we can offer to her. But even if we somehow play with the numbers and structure the transaction to make it look better there's the second problem, which is that I think Ms Dipali Sinha is not going to agree on the deal. She...umm...pardon my saying this, but your wife...from her tactics so far, actually likes hurting you. She is not going to make it easy, especially because we can offer her at best a similar deal - not a substantially better one."
RK quieted down upon hearing Agarwal's argument. It was true. Dipali was a heartless sadist and she actually took pleasure in his misery. It won't be easy to convince her to take the deal. At best, she would humiliate him before taking it. But if she somehow knew or got to know about Madhu, she would actually make it worse.
Still, at this point, RK was willing to take any risk.
"You're right. But I am desperate. I am not going to give up without trying. I know I don't have any leverage against her right now...I will think of something, but either case, I want you to do this as soon as possible."
"Mr Kundra. You realize this would be a big loss. We can win this case, trust me. Dipali doesn't deserve anything."
"She doesn't. But Madhu does. I will give up anything for Madhu. Just do it and call me when it's done."
"Mr Kundra, wait. I think there may be another way. I...I didn't want to speak of it earlier because it is illegal and very risky, but now...hearing you...if things have come to this. I think I have another way to handle this without compromising the court case and without having to go to Dipali."
"Tell me."
"Mr Kundra this is very..."
"I said tell me"
"Do you remember two years ago, we had a problem with our retail operations in Mumbai where local goons were harrassing our employees at the outlets?"
"Yes. We got them arrested."
"Yeah. That case is still in court. The police had managed to catch the whole gang in that investigation, and there are multiple other charges on them. The head of that gang is a mafia don called Sultan. He has many businesses, all illegal, and the police have never been able to nail him. My criminal team has been working with the police with whatever evidence we had on him...anyway...it's a hard case."
"Yeah, I know that."
"Yes. So this guy Sultan. He deals in a lot of hawala transactions. He may be willing to lend you money."
"Black money?"
"Of course. But according to the police he deals with crores of cash everyday. I suppose he could give you a crore in cash in an hour. Of course it would cost a lot, but there would be no legal paperwork and you could return the money to him in 2-3 months. He might ask for some collateral, but his requirements are not like those of a bank. He would just need to know that you have enough wealth that you can pay him back. Though most likely, if you don't pay him back, he is going to kill you first and take over the collateral later. We could give him the papers of your house. There would be no record of it and that property is out of Ms Sinha's lawyers' radar. We still cannot legally sell it, but just handing him over the papers would be fine with him."
"Get me Sultan's number, or address. I want to do this."
"Mr Kundra you should understand the risks. This guy is dangerous. I have no idea what he can do. He can kill you because he felt like it. If anything goes wrong in the court or if he got nervous or...you know...Second we have no guarantee he would play fair. It's possible he chooses to keep the house even when you want to return the money. After all the house is worth over 12 crores. And finally, if the news of this leaked out at any point...if anyone ever got to know about your association with him, there could be severe damage to your reputation, your company and even the case, if it happens in the next two months. That risk alone is huge. He can be bribed by any of your rivals, including Dipali, at any point to himself leak it. And then who knows what the police would do..."
"Mr Agarwal, I understand." RK cut him off. The risks were grave, but again, no damage to him was worth losing Madhu. Especially with the time constraints right now, he didn't care. If problems arose in the future, he would handle them in the future.
"You have to understand that my life is not more important than what's at stake here."
"Rishabh we can get Madhu back in 2 months...maybe even sooner." Agarwal tried one more time, this time switching into his well-wisher uncle mode.
"Just get me Sultan's contact details."
"I will ask my team to find out. Give me a few hours."
******************************************
"Are you looking for something?"
Rishabh turned back, startled upon hearing the question.
"I heard you here in the study. So brought you tea. Is there something you are looking for?" Patil answered, keeping RK's tea on the side.
"Patil kaka. Do you know where the keys of the inner drawer are?" Rishabh asked, pointing to the locker where RK's dad and then RK himself kept some of the most important documents.
"Yes. You gave them to me, remember? I will bring."
"Oh yes" Rishabh exclaimed before he sat down and held his head in his hands. Amidst all the tension of the morning, he had forgotten he had given the keys to Patil the day after Dipali, Radha and Sikky had left. They had a lawyer call and ask RK for Radha's jewelry that she had kept in the locker and had not taken with her. At the time, the cold impersonal nature of the request - rather, a veiled threat to sue - had aggravated an already hurt and dazed RK. He had taken the key from its usual place and thrown it towards Patil, telling him to give whatever the lawyer had asked for when he came to collect. That was the night Rishabh had walked to Madhu for the second time.
The memory rekindled the pain that had never really healed in the last three months. He hated Dipali with all his might, but at least he could understand her. She had fooled him, he had let her. His fault. At least he knew what he did wrong in blindly marrying and trusting that woman. But Radha? He had worshiped her as a mother more than his own birth-mother. Never once in his life had he disrespected her. He would have given her anything if she had just asked. And yet, she had betrayed him. She hated him. RK didn't think he could ever get over that feeling. Today, he knew he was taking a big risk with his life and pretty much everything he owned by trying to get a deal with Sultan. Associating with a criminal like him, even in desperate situation, was against everything his father had ever taught him. And yet, he was convinced it was worth it because it was for Madhu. For his love.
What if though, Madhu didn't find his love to be worth anything more than dirt, just like Radha had not found his love as a son worth anything?
"Here it is" Patil kaka returned and RK snapped out of his insecurity. This wasn't the time for self-pity and for the darkness in him to slow him down. This wasn't the time for doubt. If Madhu didn't want him, that would be fine. The only thing that mattered was her safety and happiness. In the truest sense of the word, Rishabh did not have anything to lose. At least nothing that was of any value to him, including his life which felt worthless anyway. Therefore, even the smallest chance of getting Madhu was worth everything.
Patil watched as RK composed himself and wiped his tears. Then he walked over to the drawer and opened it.
The first thing that fell out was an old family photo album with one RK's childhood picture on top slipping out. It was him and Radha playing together. RK looked at the picture with contempt and felt bile rise up to his throat. He threw it on the floor and pulled out the files to look for the papers he needed.
"I still can't believe Radha memsahib did what she did to you." Patil softly spoke as he picked up the picture. He had worked many years in the Kundra household, from even before Rishabh was born. In all sense of the word, the Kundra family was his family.
"Forget it Patil kaka. People like Dipali and Mrs Radha Kundra are beyond the understanding of human beings like us."
"Dipali was a witch . I know you are tense these days and it's all because of her. I...I need to tell you something...I am sorry beta, I should have told you earlier, but..."
"Told me what?"
"I had seen Dipali and Sikander together...I mean...they were.."
"When?"RK asked, pausing, understanding the implication.
"Six months before all this happened. Remember when you had gone to the US for work...9 or 10 months back now? I saw Dipali and Sikander..umm..kissing...in Sikander baba's room. I was cleaning the adjacent room and I first went there because they were fighting loudly about something. Sikander baba was asking Dipali to sign some papers and she was refusing, but then she agreed and signed the papers. After they started kissing. They didn't see me. I was shocked. I thought about calling you, but then I didn't know what to say...it was your wife and your brother. I was sure you wouldn't believe me. But after a day, I went and told Radha memsahib what I saw.
She was shocked when I first told her. I don't know if she was acting, but it didn't seem like it at that time. She went to Sikander immediately and yelled at him a long time. I don't know what they talked about but I heard voices. I truly believed she had taken care of whatever that was. But when...three months back...knowing that all three of them were always together...I didn't understand it. But I am sorry. If I had told you earlier, maybe things would not have gone so bad. Maybe you could have handled in the situation in a way that created less problems for you."
"It's okay kaka...it's not your fault. It's my fate. It was loyal and brave of you. Neither of us knew what Ma...I mean Mrs Radha Kundra...anyway...I will handle this" RK assured Patil and walked out of the house, the property papers in his hand.
********************************
He was halfway to office when the rage and hurt over Radha caught up to Rishabh again. He called his lawyer then cut the call realizing he would still be in a plane. Impatient with the wait and frustrated with his hurt, he turned his car on an impulse to the house his people had told him Radha now lived in.
"Rishabh" Radha muttered as she opened the door, shocked to find her stepson at her doorstep this early in the morning. Ever since that night, they had not seen each other at all.
"Mrs Kundra" RK smirked eventually. For the first moment or two when he saw her, he was lost for words. She looked older and more tired than he remembered. But then his anger returned. He entered the house without being asked and Radha followed without protest.
"I see your only son and your beloved daughter-in-law has left you alone by yourself in this old flat." he muttered icily.
Radha did not respond though, surprising him.
"I just thought I'd drop in and ask...what new conspiracies are you scheming these days with Dipali?" he continued, trying to find words that would be vile enough to make him feel better.
"What do you want, Rishabh?" Radha asked.
"Nothing. What can I want? When I was a kid, I wanted a mother. All my life, I thought you were it. I was wrong."
"I raised you like my own kid..."
"Why? That's what I want. I want to know why did you treat me well all these years when all you wanted was my destruction. For money? You knew I did anything you said. You could have just asked me. I would have given you everything..." Rishabh lashed out, screaming, but eventually gave up realizing the futility.
"You wouldn't. My son...Sikky...your father didn't..."Radha answered, but her words were muffled with sobs.
"Forget it. I don't know why I came here. My father trusted you. I trusted you. And you destroyed everything just for money. And now Dipali...your partner...she is hell bent on destroying everything Dad built. All those lives...those employees...they mean nothing to you people...when family doesn't mean anything, how would you care for employees...relationships...marriage...parenting...nothing has any sanctity in your eyes otherwise you wouldn't have let your son sleep with the woman married to someone who treated you next to God...you disgust me Mrs Kundra...did you yourself also cheat on my father just like you encouraged Sikander? But trust me - and tell this to Dipali and Sikky too - I am going to save those people and I am going to save dad's legacy. This battle is not over yet. You'll pay." RK screamed and stormed out of the room. He had said a lot of words, but he still felt as restless and outraged as he was when he came here. Still, there was nothing left to do...
"I didn't know" RK stopped at the door as he heard Radha speak behind him.
"I didn't know Dipali and Sikander had an affair." she continued, and RK turned to face her.
"Liar. You always knew. You told me you weren't surprised that night. And even if you didn't, Patil kaka told me he told you about it."
"I mean I didn't know from the beginning. Yes, I forced you to marry Dipali but at that time I had no idea Sikky and Dipali had been together. I always used to worry that you'd get married to someone who would force you to throw Sikky out. Your father...he left everything to you. Only 10% to me and Sikky. I knew you were in my control, but I was worried for my son and I thought if your wife in the future made you change your mind...your father...he was never fair to me or my son. I didn't cheat on him. I tried, I really did. I treated you like my son. I respected and loved your father, but he only really loved your mother and you. It wasn't fair. When I met Dipali, I thought if I got her to marry you, you would always be in my control. Sikky was bad and irresponsible with business, basically everything we did. I thought as long as I controlled you, his future was safe. And at first I was happy. Dipali wasn't very nice to you, but you did not complain and in the meanwhile she would always do what I say and spend generously on me and Sikander. It was all your money of course, but I thought if I controlled your wife I had a long lasting stranglehold on it. What I did not know at the time was that Dipali was the one controlling me, not the other way round. Patil told me he saw them together. I confronted Sikander and he told me the whole truth. I was outraged. I wanted to throw Dipali out of the house. But then, Sikander told me they had both been planning this from the beginning and that Dipali would divorce you and marry him. Also, by that time, you had transferred a lot of property and shares to Dipali. Sikky convinced me that once they got married, all the money would be ours."
"How much money do you need? Would you take it to your grave? Has there been anything in your life that you wanted and you did not get?" RK asked frustrated.
"It wasn't for me. It was for my son. For Sikky. I got greedy. He is not like you. He is not smart or hardworking. You would make more money...but he...I was scared for him and I was angry at your father for being unfair to him. I did not treat you as different from him until the day your father treated the two of you different!"
"But what about me...I treated Sikky as my brother...always. I covered up every mistake he did. He wasted so much money and I never said anything. Why did you do this to me? And what did you get at the end of it? That Dipali...that double crossing bitch...she is not with you any more, is she? And from what I hear, she's found someone new to sleep around with, so Sikky didn't get anything either, right? In fact looks your look your real son has abandoned you and run away."
"You are right." Radha interrupted, her voice defeated. "I did wrong to you. I was blinded in love for my ungrateful son. But I won't apologize to you...I don't deserve it."
"I don't want your apology. In fact, I don't even want to say anything to you any more or have anything to do with you. You will suffer for what you did. And as per Dipali, I am going to prove her adultery in court and get back the money, I swear."
"I can testify for you in court if you want. I mean...if you want...she was cheating on you and..."
"Really. Do you know if you do that the courts will order an immediate arrest for Sikander? Sleeping with another man's wife is a crime. Will you be able to do that?"
Radha stayed silent, not responding, her eyes gazing the ground.
"Thought so." RK sneered. "You were silent then, you are silent now. Anyway, I don't need your magnanimous gesture for evidence. Don't think you can buy forgiveness. You tainted the pure relationship of a mother and son. You are going to burn in hell."
RK turned on his feet to leave when she screamed.
"I didn't have a choice." He glanced back questioningly while she continued. "I stayed silent because I didn't have a choice."
Twenty minutes later, RK was back in his car, his mind reeling with possibilities and joining together dots, when his phone rang. It was the lawyer.
"Mr Kundra. I got Sultan's details and one of my men managed to speak to him about the loan, without revealing his identity. You can meet him today at 3. I will send you the address."
"Ok, but forget about that for now. I need your team to look into something else for me."
Anupamaa
Kabhi Neem Neem Kabhi Shahad Shahad
