Chapter 31: The Disclosure.

Salaam everyone. How are you all? Here is the next chapter of Misconceptions.

Please note that the title of the previous chapter is changed to accommodate the meaning of the chapters.

Happy reading.

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Chapter 31: The Disclosure of the Vindictiveness.

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Radhika knew that the faces of Prithvi and her father behind their masks should be brought to the forefront by their confession itself. If it is in some other way, people will not believe what a poisonous person Prithvi Mehra is. Even if the evidence in the court is tampered, she can breathe a sigh of relief if these people will confess their sins. She can guess the reason why these two came to the country when there is 99 percent chance that they will be arrested before they open their mouths to say their names. But it will be too late if they already planned something and came here only to put the final touches to their plan. The cunning jackals chose to abscond to countries where there is no extradition treaty.

Now that she got a clear idea of what should be done, she made her way to the farmhouse along with her mother. She prayed that her mother is strong enough to confront the evil face of her father again. Even her mother does not know the extent of evilness of her father and Prithvi Mehra. Radhika, Vikas and Hitesh chose to keep the facts from her so as to save her from further heartbreak. At that time, she thought that the villains of their life will never return to their lives. But it seems that the fate has other plans and wants the disclosure of the vindictiveness of the scoundrels and closure to their crimes.

Whilst she is on the way to farmhouse, she called Arjun and told him to do as she said until she said otherwise. When she got an answer in affirmative, she told him to collect Pawan from wherever he is and relieve both of them from their duties for a while because she has some important thing to discuss with them.

Arjun accepted that he will bring Pawan to his cabin as soon as possible and they both will be ready for whatever she has to discuss with them.

A tight knot has formed in her throat when Arjun reiterated how much he loves her and disconnected the call. She is not yet ready to reveal the true faces of their fathers to him but she has to do it now before something happened that is not reversible.

She prayed for Arjun and also thay he will not lose faith of trusting people implicitly after this disclosure.

* * *

It is after lunch time, Prithvi broached the topic with Chandra of his impulsiveness to jump into the crust of matter before taking permission from him.

'What were you thinking, Chandra that you jumped directly into the matter? Could you not wait for my sign to go ahead?'

Chandra shrugged and said, 'I thought that the earlier we cut the chase, the faster we will be off to our sanctuary again.'

The scoundrel actually shrugged while answering him! There is something different in Chandra's behaviour but Prithvi was unable to put a finger on it. It has been many years that they had face-to-face conversation. They chose two different countries that India doesn't have an extradition treaty. Even if India formed ties and a treaty to extricate them for the country they were hiding, they thought one of them should be alive and free to carry on their legacy. He did not know why he is getting a feeling that he should not trust Chandra anymore. But he chose to ignore this intuition and if there is one person whom he should make an ally, not an enemy, that will be Chandra. He cannot trust any forces outside these walls because their freedom is at stake.

Before he can chastise Chandra on talking so casually to his employer, they heard a rumble on the driveway of the farmhouse and in came his beautiful daughter-in-law and Sweta. If only they both were not under the protection of Chandra few years past, he would have tasted both of them but Chandra made sure that they both were off his limits. He left them alone because he did not want any complication if Sweta raised her voice and gone public with her allegations. He did not have a doubt that public will believe her but he knew prevention is better than cure, so he put his hands in his pockets whenever they both were in front of him even though he was sorely tempted to touch them. If not Chandra, his goody-two-shoes wife would have murdered him for laying a finger on her friend. Now the temptation is again in front of him and again with complications, but they are different sort of complications this time. He is sure his son will chop him to pieces if he so much as touch the hair on his wife's head.

Why should they always come with complications!

His lust filled haze was interrupted by Chandra who is talking to Radhika now.

'What are you doing here, Ayushi?'

'Oh! You remember my name, do you now, Dad?'

Chandra rolled his eyes at his daughter's sarcastic tone and asked her again the purpose of her visit.

Radhika waved a hand in dismissal and answered, 'Nothing to do at work and also I have wanted to make sure that you are comfortable here. I don't want my husband to think what a irresponsible woman he had got as his wife.'

Chandra narrowed his eyes and asked, 'Is that the only reason?'

'What other reason can there be? Oh, right! If you are thinking I will ask the reason why you have come here all of a sudden winging away all the threats that are on your heads to air, then forget it. I am not going to indulge in that questionnaire because I can guess the reason. I am not a ninnyhammer as you think of me, Dad.'

Prithvi thought Chandra has cursed under his breath but the dialogue is too long to consider it as a curse. Maybe they are string of curses. He doesn't have time for family reunion. He suspected his daughter-in-law had an ulterior motive to come here but he did not let his brain work because his senses became numb seeing so much beauty in front of him. Now that his eyes and mind are brought out from the mist of lust, he can see that Radhika is too cool for her own good.

What is that she wants from them?!

'If you can guess the reasons for our return to India, pray tell me what your guesses are, sweet daughter-in-law. I want to hear them as well.' he asked this time.

It is better if he tread the way slowly and carefully, he does not want to be trapped in his own web.

'Of course, Papa.'

He knew she deliberately used the word just to spite him and remind his place in her life and she succeeded everytime as well.

She continued, 'you are here because Arjun has become a successful politician and thereby an asset for you. And you should have thought that your sins can be nullified now that he is in power of doing that. Am I on point?'

He nodded his head and gestured her to carry on.

'You also would have wanted to coerce Arjun in reversing the Wills of all the properties after you got a clean sheet from court so that you can lead a lavish life.'

'On spot, dear daughter-in-law. But I did not know you can understand me so well. Even Maya did not understand me as much as you did right now. If she had, then I would not have been forced to remove her existence from this world.'

* * *

Radhika would have danced in ecstasy if not for the pale face of her mother and a sharp intake of breath she sensed more than heard from the other side of her mobile phone. She put Vikas; Arjun and Pawan on a video call before she entered the farm house. She told them to mute their microphones so that they can hear her but she cannot hear them. If Arjun found her request odd, he did not say anything because he promised her he will do as she had asked.

She wanted the confession in front of Arjun and Pawan before the culprits are arrested. It is high time the godly mask is removed from Prithvi Mehra's face. He might have acted all saintly in front of everyone but they will know the true face of him that only she knew from a conversation she overheard on the day of fire accident.

She could clearly see what had happened that day even it is ten years past the incident.

She saw the house caught in fire when a gas cylinder was bursted and that sound reverberated in the entire house. Pawan was out on an errand that his mother had given him. He became all moody after Arjun left for London, so his mother thought it is best if his mind is diverted to other matters.

Maya aunty was helping Pawan's mother in preparing the dinner. Radhika heard the noise and came down from the first floor to see the kitchen in flames. She tried to move past the fire but was unable to. Maya aunty pushed her out before she could go any further. And she herself moved in to save Pawan's mother, who is on the other side of the kitchen. Radhika is not ready to give up on them, yet. So, she moved in ignoring the protests from Maya aunty. The sleeve of her dress was caught in fire, she felt the heat on her skin but she is far beyond to look on her injuries. Maya aunty, who saw this caught her by her shoulders, put off the fire using a wet kitchen cloth she had in her hand and pushed her outside. But this time, her movement towards the kitchen was hindered by two things: one -- the fire that is swallowing the kitchen and two -- the voices from the other side of the window from where she stood.

One voice appeared to be very near and the other like it was spoken from a very long distance. Only when she put her face to the glass pane did she see the person talking on a phone.

'Work is done, Sir. She will not survive the fire and along with her will be the maid who rejected your touch.' said the man.

'Good! I can taste their deaths on my tongue, now that I am hearing the crackle of voices made by them. Good job, Shyamlal. Your efforts will be duly rewarded as soon as you leave the property.' said the voice on the other side, which could be undoubtedly Prithvi Mehra's.

'But what about you, Sir?' asked the minion named Shyamlal.

'I will be out of the country before a complaint is lodged and the investigation gets started.'

'Very good, Sir. I will be taking your leave, then.'

'Very well! Good luck with your journey of life, Shyamlal.' said Prithvi Mehra and a sound is heard that meant he disconnected the call.

Before she can run outside and catch this Shyamlal, her mother came running and dragged her out of the house. Her mother was in the garden when she heard the noise but the time she has taken by dodging the fire on her way made her to miss the final glimpse of her friends. The kitchen turned to ashes and the fire is spreading quickly to the other parts of the house. Before her mother knows it, Radhika's vision blurred and she was unconscious -- for months after.

After she woke up from her long slumber, her mother said that she made sure the evidence against Prithvi Mehra and Chandra Mishra were sent to the district magistrate along with the written confession of Sweta that she was indeed the eye witness for some of the crimes her husband and his employer had committed.

At the time, Radhika did not want to burden her mother by intimating another of their crimes and also she did not have energy to keep her eyes open for a long time. So, she chose not to mention any of this to her mother, now that they are well away from danger.

She was brought back to the present when her mother lunged towards Prithvi Mehra. But before she can strike him, her father caught her hand and dragged her away from Prithvi. He whispered something in her mother's ears to which her mother stared wide-eyed at her father.

What game is her father playing now!

She did not want to interrupt the flow of Prithvi's confession and she also does not want to lose the angle, which gave clear view of Prithvi's face. She chose to stay silent and ask for the details later.

'Oh, you poor lady! You thought your friend died because of an accident, did you not? Well, sorry to break your bubble and make myself as I can see no danger from both of you.' he said, paused and sighed for a dramatic effect before continuing, 'I had sent a man to puncture the pipe attached to the cylinder. I know Maya was going to prepare dinner that day. Do you think that is a coincidence? No, I asked her to prepare the dishes because her relatives were going to visit us, which was a lie, of course. Poor lady, in her love for her loved ones accepted to do the task without another thought. I made sure the maid and Maya did not get a doubt that the cylinder was leaking. My man was alert all the times to see any change in their facial expressions. Obviously that man met our maker the same day too. You see, I don't leave lose ends. You know what will happen when someone lights a stove that has a hole in the cylinder pipe, don't you? That's what happened there too...

'I know I should not have killed Maya, but she was a thorn on my side from a long time. After Arjun went to London, she had transferred the last paisa to his name. So, now you understand right that she has no right to breathe another moment after that. That's why I have given her peace. As you know that it was a preplanned murder, Sweta, I also know that you will use your smart brain and bring the truth to light. So, Chandra and I absconded to different countries where the law of our country cannot extricate us without a bilateral treaty even though we were found guilty. Yes, I am a genius and I will take a bow for that.' finished Prithvi with a bow for his elaborate speech.

'You are indeed a genius, Mr. Mehra. But did you not once think that maybe I am here with an ulterior motive?'

'Well, I thought so too but I can see you did not look like a person, who got wired to make our confession viral. I told you the truth basing on that assumption.'

'Thank you for making such assumptions! Because you are going to get arrested in a few moments.'

Before he could open his mouth and ask what she meant, the main door of the farmhouse opened with a bang and in came ten police personnel with Vikas in tow.

'But how?'

'I used the technology, Papa ji. Simple as that!' she said with a shrug.

'You savage!!' growled Prithvi and reached for her neck but she was quick to intercept the blow and catch his hand in a firm grip. He winced from the pain that her hold is causing him. Good.

'Now who is being impulsive and childish, Mr. Mehra?' she taunted and released his hand.

She can see he could not sense his hand after she released it. She made sure of that and her training in Marma helped her to achieve that.

'My hand! I cannot sense it, you savage!!' shouted Prithvi.

'Yeah, maybe your hand thought why to work when there is no need or maybe you got a stroke and you were unable to recognize it because of your jittery nerves. Happens, Mr. Mehra. Don't worry.' she said coating her words with extra sweetness.

After the police had taken away Prithvi and Chandra, Vikas and Radhika rushed towards Sweta, who is going to lose her balance considerably.

'He killed her!' whispered Sweta. 'How could I not see that before? All the chain of incidents clicked in perfect place. He murdered her, Vikas.' cried her mother.

'I know, Ma. Radhika knew that from a long time.' said Vikas.

Her mother turned towards her.

'I overheard Prithvi and his minion's conversation on the phone. He listened to the devastation caused by him. Before I could do something, you pulled me away from there.' she answered to the question in her mother's eyes.

'And you never thought to inform me about this?'

'I thought to not to devastate you further.'

Her mother nodded her head in understanding and opened her mouth to ask something. But they had no time, they should reach Arjun and Pawan quickly. She could not imagine their position.

'Ma! We need to get out of here before it is too late. Arjun and Pawan needs us.' she said and turned towards Vikas. 'Make the arrangements, Vikas.'

Vikas nodded and the trio left the farmhouse when a car was brought to the front door and dodge anyone who were eager to get any information from them. They messaged Hitesh to meet them at Arjun's office.

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End of the thirty-first chapter.

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Till next time, Sayonara.