EPISODE 34
Earlier that day at the shop—before they had been interrupted by Rakesh—Raghav had alluded to a ‘most important conversation.’ And as he didn’t strike her as hyperbolic in speech, that teasing tidbit had revisited her throughout the day.
Was what he wanted to share now related to that?
‘Do not swallow bait offered by the enemy.’ Despite being a keen student of Baji Rao, Pallavi found herself ignoring this admonition.
She followed Raghav Rao indoors.
She saw they were not alone. Farhad was standing next to the dining table where a young man was hunched over a laptop.
Raghav pulled out the chair next to the young man and indicated to her that she should sit.
Again, Pallavi hesitated. She looked at Farhad. He did not speak but he gave a very slight solemn nod. And despite a strong premonitory sensation, she sat down.
Raghav said, “Farhad remembered a scene at the casino last year in which a man lost a large sum at the gaming table. He believes that man is Mandhar Deshmukh.” He gestured to the young man who applied his fingers to the keyboard, and then angled the screen so she could study it.
It was footage from a security camera. It ran—and yes, it was Mandhar.
When was this?
Pallavi asked the young man. “What is the date of this footage?”
The young man indicated the date and time at the bottom of the screen.
It was a week after their wedding!
As though Raghav read her thoughts, he said, “He was using another name which is why he evaded the police.” Removing a folded piece of paper from his trouser pocket, he handed it to her. “He was using this name.”
Pallavi unfolded the paper. It was a receipt from the same day showing an amount of just above one crore paid from Jayati Jewellers to Mr Mann Desh for a two-carat cushion green diamond ring.
One crore!
Hot tears instantly filled her eyes—and overflowed. She lifted the edge of her dupatta but found a crisp white handkerchief pressed into her palm. It was Raghav’s. She mumbled her thanks.
He said, ‘Watch this footage—”
She dabbed at her eyes and looked up.
It was of a man and a woman leaving a shop. Jayati Jewellers showroom presumably. She leaned closer. It was Mandhar—clearly!—but he wore a turban and an outrageously large moustache. So he had adopted a fake name—and a disguise!—to remain undetected in Hyderabad.
Her blood boiled at the depth of his cruelty. His bride and his family were nearly demented with worry—while he was wandering these same streets with a turban on his head, and this creature on his arm—!
As any woman would understand—any woman who has been betrayed by a man—Pallavi wanted a better look at her.
“Can you show me that bit again? I want a closer look at the woman,” she asked the young man.
He ran the footage—paused it—then zoomed in on the woman’s features.
“She looks happy,” Pallavi said, unaware she had spoken out loud.
Raghav said, “Of course, she does. She has just received one crore for taking another woman’s ring off her husband’s finger.”
Pallavi met his eyes and asked, “How long have you known? About the ring, I mean. When did you learn that I came to the casino that night because I was interested in the ring?”
Raghav replied, “Only since this morning when Farhad reminded me of this incident at the casino last year. The exact amount ‘Mann Desh’ lost that night was what I paid for this ring. I followed a hunch. I checked the records at JJ and the receipt confirmed it was the same man—”
“—And the same amount,” she finished.
Mandhar had pawned her treasure—and thrown away the money at a gaming table! She couldn’t remain seated as this reality hit her.
Getting up from the table, she strode out to the terrace—and continued to the edge of the barrier. The moon hung so beautifully right above her. Almost taunting her with its perfection.
What hurt the most was not Mandhar’s recklessness—but her foolishness. How could she have married him? How could she have believed herself in love with him? How could she have been so incredibly stupid to fall for his empty words?
“You got off easy,” came Raghav’s voice.
She had not heard him approach.
She swung around in a temper. “Easy? Is that how you see it?”
“You are alive and free,” he pointed out.
“Yes,” she shook her head, “If your philosophy is measuring everything against certain death—then I suppose I should be doing cartwheels at how excellently things have turned out for me.”
She flounced away marching the length of the pool, turned at the end—her lengha twirling at her ankles—and returned to his side. “Let’s tally my blessings.” She began to count on her fingers. “I married a bigamist. He faked his death. He pawned the only thing I had left of my parents memory. I’ve been forced to live like his widow for a year—while he—” she waved off into the distance, “—is living it up in Mumbai with his real wife—who, by the way, is pregnant. But I am free and alive, as you point out.”
“So you know where he is?”
“Yes. I suppose you know that as well.”
He nodded.
“How?” she asked.
“I hired a private investigator.”
“I don’t understand,” she asked, her brows drawing together. “What is your interest in him?”
“In him?” He gave a laugh. “I’m not interested in him.”
“Then why launch this enquiry?”
“Do you need me to speak the words, Pallavi?”
Edited by JalebiJane - 2 years ago
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