I Am Guilty

24. Unveiled

Kunal's words were not appropriated by Aniket. He clenched his fist, but did not say anything. He was really curious to know what this man knew that he did not.

Mitra pushed opened the door and walked in, followed by Kunal.
Arjun was under the effects of medicine and was sleeping peacefully. Kunal sighed and stroked his head, combing his unruly hair. He then looked at Mitra.

"Will your be fine by yourself for a few hours? If you say, this can wait."

She shook her head.
"It should not wait any longer, Kunal. Get done with it. I am there with him, don't worry. And, Dad would be arriving in an hour. So it should be just fine."

Kunal nodded and walked out, after a glance at his sleeping friend.

"I want everyone to be present." Kunal had asked, when Arjun's mother protested and demanded to let her stay at the hospital.

"Please, Aunty, trust me, Arjun needs to clarify his side of the story. Can't you give him the benefit of doubt?"He pleaded.

Sapna broke down bitterly.
It was not about giving a chance to Arjun anymore. She had been blinded by rage when he came back, but watching him almost dead, made her regrets resurface. She realized, she was not ready to let go of him.

She was held by Aniket as they left the hospital with heavy heart.

The drive back home was filled with anticipation. When everyone was home and Kunal stepped in the Mathur Residence, he pulled out a pen drive and asked Samrat to put it on the big television.
The confused family sat around the television as Samrat commenced his task to connect the pen drive.

Veena looked at Kunal and realized suddenly that he was the one who helped Arjun kidnap her.

"You were there with him that night. Samrat, he is the other guy." She suddenly screamed.

The family was taken aback.

Samrat halted his movements and looked at Kunal with furrowed eyebrows. His face contorted to slight anger.

"Why do you think we will listen to whatever you have to say? You can show yourself out." She seethed in anger.
Richa looked up hopefully.

Kunal was momentarily at loss of words. If the family decided to not believe him, that would be the biggest loss ever, for him, and for the family too.
But to his surprise, Aniket intervened.

"Let us see what he has to say. Go ahead, Samrat."

Richa blinked and bit on her thumbnail, praying to the almighty for all the luck that she would need. She did not know what was to appear on the screen about Sahil's. She just prayed that she was nowhere mentioned.

The video started with a loud thud. There were no faces on the screen. Arjun's phone had fallen down and the only thing visible was the ceiling, but the conversations, the thudding of the punches, Arjun's groans and screams and Sahil's mention of each and every incident was recorded with crisp clear voice.

Mention of the young girl who was mercilessly killed, made the hair on everyone's skin stand up.
They realised that Arjun was as clueless as they all were. He too was a victim all along.

Naren could not believe his ears when Sahil mentioned about Richa. He looked at her with disbelief and she had tears pooling in her eyes. She could not defend herself anymore.
Veena was taken aback when she realized that she was just a puppet in Sahil and Richa's hands. They were playing with her feelings and her life.

Samrat had a shiver run down his spine when he realized how deeply everything was connected.

Naren slumped on the sofa with a thud, when Geet was mentioned. The betrayal hit hard. It did not help to know that he was being fooled by his wife for ten long years. Suddenly, everything appeared to be a lie. His entire life was a lie.