The Indian Tycoon's Marriage Deal Page 14

  Rohan thrust a printout of an Internet article at him. It showed a cartoon of Krish in a firefighter’s suit, trying to put out a blaze that engulfed a huge skyscraper with the DGE logo emblazoned on it. To one side, was a caricature of KD serenading buxom women on a luxury yacht. Krish’s face turned grim and he threw the printout back on the table towards Rohan.

  ‘I have no taste for dark humour these days.’

  Rohan shook his head. ‘Ignore the cartoon, Chief. Read the article. It’s the most positive piece that has come out since the problems began. The reporter has also agreed to do an exclusive interview with you, focusing on the corporate restructuring of DGE.’

  ‘It’s too early for such an article, Rohan.’ Krish powered up his laptop and opened his presentation file. ‘Right now, I would be happy if I can pacify the employees’ union and make them call off their strike.’

  Rohan would not be deterred. ‘The reporter also gave me some confidential information. She says that the string of DGE exposés in the media have all come from one source.’

  Krish’s head jerked up at that. ‘And did she tell you who it was?’

  Rohan nodded. Krish’s face grew grim as he murmured almost to himself, ‘I knew it! Maya!’

  Rohan was flummoxed. ‘No.’

  No? It had to be her! ‘Then, who?’

  ‘Viren Saxena. He planned this media campaign to sabotage DGE and KD’s credibility.’

  ‘Viren? I know he has been having some major issues with KD recently.’ Krish stroked his chin as he thought aloud. ‘But it doesn’t make sense. Unless KD knows that Viren is the one who has brought him down, the revenge theory doesn’t work.’

  Rohan was all excited now. ‘Exactly, and he’s been building towards it. He was definitely the one who sabotaged the DGE-Cosmo deal. Cosmo is all set to enter the Indian market with its own hundred per-cent-owned subsidiary and guess who will be heading it?’

  Finally, it all fell into place for Krish. ‘Viren Saxena.’

  ‘Bingo!’

  * * *

  Maya sat on the bank of the river under the shade of the large banyan tree where she’d spent some of the loveliest moments of her childhood. Swimming in the river as Papa fried fish that he’d caught. Eating lunch off leaf plates. Papa’s voice, soft and mellow, as he talked about his favourite trees. As the cool breeze soothed her tortured mind, the banyan tree was like a long lost friend, under whose protective shelter she felt at peace.

  She read for the umpteenth time the last entry in the diary that Papa had addressed to her:

  Maya, my darling daughter, I tried to be strong for your sake. But I failed. Perhaps that is my karma. I hope you will forgive me. I fervently pray that you will leave behind my failures, my dashed dreams, my unfulfilled life. You are a strong girl and you have a long and happy life ahead of you. Go after your dreams, Maya. I am asking you to do what I never could—leave the past behind. Don’t make my karma into your destiny.

  She now understood fully what her father had meant. He had asked her to forget and forgive—something that he had struggled with. His blessing for her was a forgiving heart—something that had eluded him all through his life. She clutched the diary to her and let the tears flow. If there was one thing she would give anything for—it was Krish’s forgiveness.

  It had been six weeks since she had returned home. For the nth time she replayed that last night and agonised over how she could have done things differently. She would forever be haunted by the despair, the hurt in his eyes as he had rasped, ‘For God’s sake, Maya, why?’ Through tear-washed eyes she had seen him turn his back to her—his shoulders clenched, his body radiating his rejection of her. She felt as if something within her had been ripped out. By the time she’d made up her mind to show him what she’d stolen, it had been too late. The man she loved had walked away from her life. For ever.

  She’d finally faced her moment of truth. That nothing would ever be the same again. The documents in her hands mocked her and in anguish she had shredded them and finally let go of her revenge. She had eventually pulled herself together and called for a taxi. As she’d walked down the driveway she’d stopped in her tracks as she’d seen KD waving goodbye to the last of the guests. The man who had turned her world topsyturvy stood there. And she’d stared at him blankly. She wasn’t even aware that she had called out to him until he turned around to look at her. ‘You have something to say to me?’

  She stepped off the dark path and on to the lawn. She didn’t know what force carried her forward or compelled her to say the words that she did. ‘Mr Dev, does the name Subodh Shome ring a bell?’

  KD looked at her, uncomprehending. ‘Who?’

  Maya was amazed at how calm she felt. Almost as if every emotion she had ever felt had been wrung out of her. She didn’t recognise the cold, level voice that felt as if it belonged to a stranger. ‘The man you sent to jail on the false charge of patent infringement.’

  Something flared in KD’s eyes momentarily. ‘Oh yes. Subodh Shome. It’s late and I don’t intend to waste my time talking about him. Goodnight.’

  ‘Sure, why should you ruin your sleep when you felt nothing about ruining his life?’

  His face suffused with colour as he angrily shot back, ‘He was a thief and he got what he deserved.’

  ‘Is that how you justify your actions? Fortunately, documents don’t lie. And, according to them, you are the thief.’

  At Maya’s words, KD stumbled, reached out to grab the lawn chair that was nearest to him and plopped down. Maya watched him with cold eyes. ‘And when he threatened to expose you, you had him thrown into jail. Was it just an ego trip, Mr Dev? All that power and influence…to be able to bring a man to his knees, to ruin his family, just to play God!’

  ‘Lies…all a bunch of lies.’ Instead of his customary deep growl, KD’s words came out slurred and shaky. He brushed a trembling hand over his eyes and the fear in them was palpable. His breathing was laboured and he struggled to speak. ‘I want those documents. Name your price.’

  Maya felt something stir within her. And she was surprised that it wasn’t red-hot fury. It was pity. Pity for a man who measured everything in terms of hard cash. Pity for a man who was so enslaved to his ego and pride that he had lost all sense of right and wrong. Pity for a man who’d lost the love of his only son and wasn’t even conscious of the fact.

  The lump in her throat was hard as rock. ‘You destroyed us. Me. My father. My mother…and you think you can put a price on that?’

  As it finally dawned on KD, he looked at her with fear and trepidation. ‘You’re Subodh’s daughter.’

  ‘Do you think you have it in you to admit the truth, even if it is to yourself?’ And when he didn’t answer her, Maya shook her head. ‘I thought not.’

  She heard KD stutter, ‘Please don’t…’

  She exhaled. ‘Don’t what? Don’t expose how the great Indian tycoon scammed and destroyed a trusting, honest man?’

  He practically withered in front of her. The terror that she saw in his eyes should have been a balm on her tortured heart. But it wasn’t. All she felt was overwhelming pity for a man who was blinded by his lust for power and pathetic enough to plead with her for the sake of his non-existent honour.

  ‘One exposé in the media is all it would take for the great Kamalkant Dev to lose his status, honour, prestige.’ But she didn’t feel any thrill or excitement at the sight of KD practically hanging on to her every word. Instead of the sweet taste of success, she could only savour the bitter taste of loss. ‘Don’t worry, Mr Dev, I won’t do it. Not because I want to spare you the embarrassment. But because Krish doesn’t deserve to pay the price for your sins.’

  Maya saw KD’s face turn white as a sheet but his plight left her unmoved. For whatever it was worth, she had purged her life of Kamalkant Dev.

  * * *

  Krish steered the car into the driveway and pulled up outside his cottage. As soon as he stepped out of his car, an ecstatic Baloo greete
d his arrival home with an indecent amount of joyous hi-jinks. The warm welcome put a smile on Krish’s face and for a few minutes he forgot all about the relentless queries he’d had to put up with all day, ever since Viren’s master stroke was played out in a blaze of media glory.

  As news of Viren being appointed CEO of Cosmo International’s fully owned Indian subsidiary hit the headlines, the media took special delight in highlighting the fallout between the college buddies turned corporate rivals, KD and Viren, and the dramatic change of fortune in their careers. The media hounds scrapped over the meaty details but finally they began tiring of it. Through it all, Krish and Rohan worked relentlessly on putting DGE back on track—working out agreements with the employees’ union, renegotiating with investors and financiers, rebuilding broken bridges with suppliers and customers. Krish knew that confidence-building required transparency and honesty—and it was only a matter of time before the tide would turn.

  Amazingly enough, KD had gone along meekly with all their plans. Clearly, Viren’s betrayal had come as a big blow. KD’s blustering arrogance and power-fuelled megalomania had taken a huge dent. It was almost as if he had withdrawn from the battle, laid down his arms and retreated. Whatever the reason, KD’s cooperation had made life easier for everybody all around.

  But through all the media frenzy and the hectic damage control sessions, one question kept gnawing at him like a vulture pecking at a carcass. If Maya had no intention of betraying KD, what did she steal that night? Why did she not tell him what she was after? As Krish strode up the stairs and towards his room, he glanced across the corridor at Maya’s room. He hesitated for a moment—as he dreaded the thought of being assaulted by the memories of that last argument with her—but he needed to know, dammit!

  He marched down the hallway and threw the door open. He could still feel the echo of his angry words resonate in the silence. The bunch of fresh flowers that she always had in a vase next to the window had wilted. And yet everything else was neatly arranged. On the desk, her sketching pens and pencils were stashed in a pen stand. Her landscaping books were still on the shelves in the bookcase. The wind chimes that she had hung at the windowsill tinkled gently in the evening breeze. He looked around, stunned. He pulled open the closet. It didn’t make sense. He’d accused her of being a thief. But she’d not taken anything with her…In fact, everything that he’d ever bought for her was neatly arranged inside. His hand lingered over the silks and the soft cottons as if that alone would make her materialise. He pulled open a drawer and found all the jewellery safely stacked away.

  His eyes fell upon a small ring box and he opened it. It was his mother’s ring—the same ring he’d slipped on her finger the day before the wedding. A twinge of remorse squeezed his heart as he took it out. He remembered the day of their marriage and the vows they had made to each other as they stepped around the holy fire. It had seemed like the most natural thing to do—to bring her home as his wife. Somewhere deep within him, he’d known that she completed him. And yet, at the first sign of trouble, he had broken his vows and opted for the easy way out—banished her from his life. He’d made the one mistake that he never ever did in a business relationship—made a hasty decision in the heat of an argument. But what about Maya? Why hadn’t she defended herself?

  As he placed the ring box back in the drawer, he noticed her large sketch pad. He pulled it out. On the cover, in big black bold letters were the words ‘SHVP, Deovan’. He felt his breath catch as he flipped it open and stared at page after page of colourful landscaping designs. Each of them had been meticulously sketched out with intricate details—she’d recreated on paper every minute detail that they had discussed that night at the cottage in Deovan. She had taken his ideas and given form, shape, texture to them. She had kept her side of the bargain—to prepare the designs for the resort. Confusion rammed through him. Why would she do that if her sole intention had been to steal documents to sell? What was the information that she was looking for and why did she not use it?

  He banged the closet shut but it flew open. A piece of paper had wedged itself at the bottom. He pulled it out. It was a torn scrap of a legal document. All he could decipher was a couple of signatures—KD’s and Subodh Shome’s—and a few random words. Was this the document that Maya had stolen from KD’s office? It seemed like some kind of a contract. Who was Subodh Shome? What was Maya’s connection to him? He needed some answers—and there was only one man who would have them.

  Minutes later, he stormed into KD’s den and it didn’t take long for Krish to get the whole sordid story out of his father. Shock rampaged through him as he felt the full weight of the damage that his father had caused. Could Maya ever forget the hurt and pain that his father had inflicted on her family? Why blame his father alone? He had behaved no better. He had been totally wrapped up in his own insecurities and paranoia, ready to believe the worst of her.

  KD watched as Krish grappled to come to terms with what he had just told him. ‘Krish, there is one more thing I need to tell you.’

  Krish looked at him, dreading the thought of what he was about to reveal. KD tore his eyes away from him as guilt and remorse overcame him. ‘She assured me that she wouldn’t expose me in the media.’

  Krish raked his hand through his hair as he clenched his jaw against the pain that clawed at his gut. ‘Why? What did she say? Tell me her exact words.’

  ‘Because she knew…’ KD searched for the right words as he evaded his son’s eyes. ‘She said she didn’t want you to pay the price for my sins. Krish, I’m sorry…for everything—’

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  ROHAN STRETCHED LAZILY as he woke up feeling refreshed. For the first time in weeks he’d had a full night’s rest—not even an earthquake could have shaken him awake. He checked his mobile phone. It was seven-thirty a.m. and his phone had already logged five missed calls from the boss. Three of them at two-thirty a.m.! Oh no, not another crisis! He shot out of the bed as he speed-dialled Krish. As the phone connected, he pulled the handset away from his ear as Krish’s voice barked down the line, ‘Get to the office. Now, please.’

  Half an hour later he found Krish deep in a meeting with two men in sharp suits taking copious notes.

  Krish glanced at Rohan. ‘Good morning. I’m glad you slept well; we’ve a lot to do.’

  Rohan looked sheepish. ‘Morning, Chief. I’m sorry, my mobile was…’

  Krish waved away his apology. ‘Rohan, meet Akshay Verma and Shyam Mehra from MDS. They are private detectives.’

  ‘The same MDS that rescued kidnapped industrialist, Ram Sharan Goenka?’

  Akshay, the older among the two, whose ramrod-straight posture hinted at a military background, nodded as he shook hands with Rohan. ‘Yes, Sir, the very same. We have an impeccable record in tracking down missing persons. The police were on the Goenka case for months, but when his family approached us, we located the criminals and rescued him in five days.’

  Krish wrote out a cheque as he shook his head. ‘Uh-huh…Not good enough. Five days is too long. I want Maya located ASAP. You already have several leads that I have provided.’

  Akshay nodded gravely. ‘We’ll get on the job right away. Do you have any addresses that we could check out in her home town?’

  Krish gave them an annoyed look. ‘You’re not looking for a criminal. Finding someone in a small town like Howrah with the leads that I have given you shouldn’t be tough. The sooner you find her, the bigger the bonus you get. And your clock has already started ticking.’

  As soon as the detectives had left with an advance of five hundred thousand rupees, Krish instructed Rohan, ‘I need you to follow up with them and give me reports on their progress.’

  Krish looked out of the large plate glass window at Connaught Place.

  A worried Rohan looked at Krish. ‘Chief, are you okay?’

  Krish turned around and Rohan saw the haunted look in his eyes. ‘Rohan, I need to find Maya urgently. I messed up. Big time.’

&nbs
p; * * *

  Maya struggled to put her life together piece by little piece. After being locked up for more than four years, the house had demanded her immediate attention. But that was the easy part. The difficult part was dealing with the unholy mess of her feelings. How do you discipline your runaway heart, box up your love for a man who hates you and stash it away?

  Her home had always been her refuge and yet she could find no comfort. Even after she had swept all the cobwebs away, scrubbed the floors, spent her meagre resources on getting a paint job done in bright colours, she didn’t feel a shred of satisfaction. And the thought of spending a life without Krish made her eyes fill with tears all over again.

  Startled at the loud knock on the door, she dashed away the tears that were streaming down her face. Just in time too. Mashi, the nurse who’d been such a godsend during Papa’s last days, stormed in and folded her in a warm embrace.

  ‘O Ma, tomaye dekhi! Look at you, all grown up!’ And then, clicking her tongue disapprovingly, ‘What’s with you young people, why do you all want to look like dried sticks?’ That brought a smile to Maya’s face; she was amazed that her facial muscles hadn’t forgotten how to!

  Hands on her ample hips, Mashi gave her a mock fierce look. ‘Did you think you could sneak back into town and I wouldn’t know?’

  Maya’s excuses that she was planning to look her up were instantly waved off as Mashi busily started opening up a tiffin box full of delicious food. ‘You sit down while I fetch a plate for you.’

  ‘You don’t expect me to eat all this, do you?’ Maya protested.

  ‘You need fattening up. That stick-thin look might be fashionable in Delhi, but not here. So, come on now, get on with it.’

  In a way Maya welcomed Mashi’s bossiness. At least it took her mind away from Krish. But if she’d thought she could deceive the doughty old nurse, she was sadly mistaken. ‘I know something happened in Delhi that you don’t wish to talk about. But know one thing—if you ever want to talk, I’m here.’

  Maya looked away—she didn’t want to go there. Some day she would tell her about Krish, but not now. Not when the memory of his accusations and the contempt in his eyes still had the power to lacerate her heart to shreds. Not when the thought of spending the rest of her life without him filled her with a heart-aching loneliness that she had no idea how to deal with.