The Guilty Ones

Chapter 40

"What? Have you gone mad Khushi? How come her be a drug dealer, I thought he was an accountant"

Khushi couldn't stop her tears. All her dreams, her imaginations and her lifelong beliefs broke into pieces. She person whom she admired the most, the person whom she considers her hero ended up being the biggest villain in the story.

"Khushi, what is going on? Please stop crying and tell me"

She didn't speak a word. Instead handed him the letter and left the library. Khushi needed some alone time. She needed to lock herself inside her room and cry. She wanted to be away from the world and hide.

Akash looked at the letter and started reading it.

To: Mr S. Gupta

Date: xx.xx.xxxx

From: Director, AR Group of Industries

Dear Mr Gupta,

As stated in the meeting we had with you on xx.xx.xxxx, starting from xx. xx.xxxx AR group of Industries are disconnecting all their business with ********** Corporation and ********* Limited. These two companies have been identified as the biggest drug importer in India and the Indian government has decided to liquidate these two businesses with the documentation provided by AR group.

We have requested you to stop conducting business with these two companies at the meeting we had and expected you to comply immediately. Unfortunately, we have received a breach of agreement letter as you have continued your business with these two companies after the start date of our witness protection agreement.

The Commission has given us a week to get our orders in place. Therefore, with this letter we are offering you the following two options:

Option A: Discontinue all your communications and businesses with the above two companies.

Option B: Resign from your employment as an AR employee and continue your actions with the above two companies.

This is the final warning and we expect a reply from you before the end of xx.xx.xxxx

Yours

Raizada.

Akash couldn't believe his eyes. Khushi spent all these months trying to find proof against Arnav but ended up finding one against her dead father. He knew what she might be feeling. She lost her parents when she was 12 but until now they lived with her. With this letter, she lost her father for the second time. The father she worshipped and adored ended up being a criminal.

Could this be the reason for her parent's sudden death? Does that mean Arnav's father got them killed?

Akash was about the leave the library when he saw another envelope under the table. Khushi might have dropped this when she was going through the boxes. He took it and turned around to see the address.

'To Mr S. Gupta - Warning'

Without wasting a second he opened the letter and got the shock of his life.

'Gupta, my men told me that you went ahead with that illiterate Anand and became a government witness. Don't forget that the protection order is only for him and his family. Your family is vulnerable and you have 24 hours to come back and work with me. Otherwise, be ready to say goodbye to your life.

I have enough to prove how you used a forged signature of Anand to get businesses to us and one more step and I will make sure your name is ruined in the market before I bury you. 

By the way, your wife and that beautiful daughter of yours will be buried next to you.

Tick Tock - G.A.'

It was now clear what happened to her father. Whoever this G.A. is, he or she is the one who killed them. Khushi's father chose the correct way and ended up paying for it with his life. Khushi got saved because they didn't take her to the party that night.

Akash took both letters to Arnav and NK.

"Where is Khushi Akash? How did she take this?"

"She was crying and then she left. She didn't see the warning letter"

"Give it to me, I will give it to her"

"Bhai, I think you should leave her alone. She does not like it when people see her vulnerable"

"Oh, I have seen her way more vulnerable than this so don't worry about me"

Saying that Arnav left while Akash and NK looked at each other trying to understand what Arnav meant by that. Neither of them knew about the night Arnav and Khushi shared nor they were updated about the growing closeness of Arnav and Khushi. They didn't know that another shock is on its way.

"Khushi, open the door, now"

"Please Arnav, leave me alone. I am not in a mode to deal with you right now"

"Khushi, you have ten seconds to open this door or if not I am going to break this"

"Why can't you understand when I say I don't want to see anyone? When I am ready to talk to someone, I will come out"

"One.... two....."

"Stop counting and leave me alone. I beg of you"

"Three.... four..... five"

"Arnav, I am serious, LEAVE ME ALONE"

"Six... seven... eight...Nine..."

"Ok wait"

Khushi knew Arnav meant it when he said he will break the door. Although it is his house and he will bare the damage, she is the one who will end up not having a door to her room. As much as she wanted to be alone, deep down she wanted to talk to someone. 

Maybe talking to him will help her. At the end of the day, they both shared fathers who were criminals. The difference is that his father took an initiative to correct his mistakes.

"Khushi, I have something for you. Akash found this letter underneath the desk. You have missed this"

"What letter?"

Arnav gave her the letter and she started reading it as soon as she saw the envelope with the big red 'Warning' sign.

"My father was the one who forged your dad's signature? He was the traitor? Here I came with head high wanting to put you behind bars but it was my own father who is the master criminal here"

"Khushi, everyone makes mistakes in their lives. Your father might have had a good reason to do it"

"But still, it does not make me feel better Arnav"

"Khushi, my father wasn't a saint either. What happened has happened and we cannot change the past. What we can do is to learn and make a better future"

"But Arnav, how am I going to face the rest? All these years I have been blaming the wrong people"

"Khushi, you missed the hidden fact in this letter. Your dad went with my dad meaning he wanted to rectify his mistakes. But unfortunately, I believe he paid a big price by doing so"

"Arnav, they killed my parents just because my father wanted to be clean?"

Khushi without realising what she was doing put her head on his chest and hugged him. The tears that she was holding because she was disappointed in her father started rolling down. 

Her father actually wanted to change. He wanted to be good for her. He wanted her to have a better future. But that same reason got him killed.

Arnav hugged her back and gave her a forehead kiss. He knew the best thing he can do is to hold her and let her cry. She had to let go of her emotions. 

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