Preeti's point of view
"Siddharth..." I called for him when he took a furious steps towards downstairs. I and Puja were following him behind and I was try to calm him so he can't burst on Keerti and James.
"Siddharth Please listen to me.." I caught his elbow but he didn't stop and climbed down the stairs furiously.
"Siddharth.." I call him again and pull his elbow to grab his attention but my words fell on his deaf ears.
When we reached to the living room everyone was already present there. Keerti was sitting between Mom and Shivani di.
Left side of her forehead is red and swollen like someone banged her head on wall. Her hair which was completely styled at once is now a mess and her cheeks were stained with dry tears. Look on her face clearly said that she suffered a lot in past days.
At single sofa James was sitting. His both elbows are resting on his both knees and face is buried between his palms. He was looking tired and exhausted. His both hands are wounded and dusted. Nick was sitting on another couch and typing on his phone.
"Bhayi..bhabhi.." keerti's eyes fell on Siddharth. James raised his face from his hand and looked at us.
Siddharth fisted his hands and clenched his jaw when he looked at James with furiously.
"Sid.." James stood up from soffa.
"Siddharth.." I gasped and palmed my mouth when Siddharth took a furious step towards James and punched on his face with full force that James face turned into other side.
He hold James by his shirt collar with one hand and again punched him with his free hand.
"Siddharth..stop.." I run to him and hold him by his elbow to stop him but he jerked my hand away and again punched James on his stomach.
Everyone stood from their seats and looked at furious Siddharth. No one dares to stop him. This is first time for my family to see Siddharth's rage.
"You fucking betrayed me." Siddharth punched james on his face.
"You hide your relationship with my sister from me." Siddharth said while hitting James.
"I know I deserve this for hiding my relationship with keerti for years but listen to.." James could not complete his sentence when Siddharth landed another punch on him.
"Bhayi Please stop...Bhabhi please stop bhayi.." Keerti said between her sobs. She hold my hand and pleaded me to stop Siddharth.
"You should have told me." Siddharth said while landing another punch on James' jaw.
"Nick Please stop him." I run to Nick and asked him to stop Siddharth.
"Relax pretty Preeti..Let release Sid some of his frustration." Nick said mischievously and I gave him a look. He huffed and released a long breath.
"Okey fine...boys stop fighting like a street dogs." Nick walked Siddharth who was landing punches on James continuously and pulled him back by his waist but Siddharth free himself from Nick's grip and walked to james to beat him more.
"Sid.. he is not your fucking punching bag. At Least listen to him first." Nick said while stopping to Sid. Siddharth again free himself from his grip and was about to punch him again when..
"I know, who blackmailed Preeti for Keetti." Siddharth hold his punch in air and looked at James with his blood shot eyes when James told him about the blackmailer.
But how James know that someone blackmailed me for Keerti. I didn't tell this to anyone, not even Siddharth then how he know?
.......................................................................
Keerti was cleaning the wounds of James with the help of Riya di which Siddharth cause him and pressing the ice pack on his right cheek. Siddharth was sitting on the couch and looking at James and keerti furiously and flaring his nostrils in anger often.
Nick was talking on the phone and I was sitting on the chair looking at James blankly and try to figure out how he knows about the blackmailing. Our family was standing around us and waited for us to break the silence.
"Enough of playing doctor-doctor. Now tell me where the hell were you from past two month and How do you know Preeti was blackmailed by someone for keerti?" Siddharth snapped and stood up from the couch furiously.
"Siddharth.." I immediately stood up from my chair and walked towards and hold his arm to stop him.
James and Keerti immediately stood up from his seat and Nick end the call when they saw Siddharth got up from his seat furiously.
"One day I wa..."
"James one minute.." Everyone's eyes turn to me when I cut off James in mid sentence when he started to speak.
"Before you start, they have to know the story behind it." I said.
I looked at Siddharth who was looking at me with rage and confusing eyes. I gulped the lump in my throat due to nervousness and continued because it is the time to tell Siddharth everything.
"One day I was doing a normal house chores when I got a message from an unknown number, saying that he had Keerti's nudes and if I didn't give him the amount what he was asking he leaked her nudes on social media and also warned me not to say a single word to anyone."
A loud gasp escaped from our family members. Siddharth was looking at me with his red rage full eyes. His hands are fisted and jaw is clenched in anger but I know this rage is not for me. It was for the person who dared to blackmailed me or try to harm his sister.
"First I didn't believe him. I can't confirm with Keerti because she was already angry with me. I tried to tell Siddharth and next moment he was lying unconscious on road in his own blood. " I said and gulped the lump. My heart is filled with heaviness and tears are threatening me to fall from my eyes because this I don't want to look week especially when I was telling the truth. I looked at keerti and I saw regret and guilt in her eyes. She bent down her head in shame when she noticed I was looking at her.
"He demanded two million dollars for exchange of keerti's nudes. I don't know what to do, where to go? Whom to ask help? Keerti didn't believe me, you were lying on hospital bed and I can't risk anyone's life by telling them so I called India and ask two million dollars for kshama from your Indian bank office account. Next day when I went with money, he told me to drop the bag on the cafeteria table and took the envelope from it. He asked me to leave from there without turning and opened it later but out of curiosity I opened it as I step out from the mall. I found a letter in which he said he made me fool and want money from my husband for ruining his life and he will soon ruin your life. When I returned to the table where I drop the bag full of money to find that person, I was late bag was missing from there." I said while looking at the wall blankly.
I looked at Siddharth and I saw softness in his his eyes. His eyes were not fill of rage but the guilt that he can't help me but this is not the end of the story, there is more which Siddharth deserves to know but before I could say anything James speaks.
"..and that day I was returning to home after a meeting with client when I spotted Preeti on the other side of the road walking blankly under the heavy rain. When I reached to her, she was a mess, she looked like someone suck breath from her lungs. I noticed a letter in her hand and there I came to know about keerti's nude and the blackmailing. I hacked Preeti's phone and there I came to know about the blackmailer by that unknown number. He was smart and tried harder to hide things properly but not so smart that I could not find him." James said.
"The actual blackmailer was not in New York. He was playing games from India, using his pawns in New York. So you took the next flight to India to find him." Siddharth said looking at James and Nick and I looked at him confusingly. He nodded his head and gestured me that he will explain it later.
James nodded his head as yes, and continue, "It took me whole month to find the blackmailer who blackmailed Preeti and to my shock it was the same blackmailer who blackmailed you with yours and Anna's hotel video and sent yours and Anna's kissing pictures to Preeti to ruin your already ruined relationship that time."
I looked at james who was already looking at between Siddharth and I. Tear welled up in my eyes thinking about that pictures. It wasn't because Siddharth kissing another woman but the reason was he endured so much pain and go through hell that time and I wasn't with him. Someone tried to his relationship with me by sending me those pictures but my faith on Siddharth never loose. I confronted him and told me the story behind those pictures. I didn't want to judge Siddharth without hearing his side. Since my childhood I was afraid of being judge. Every single person in my life judge me without hearing my side except Siddharth. He never judge then How could I do this to him. How could I judge him without hearing his side. It still give me a shiver, if that day I didn't confront Siddharth and hear him without judging we might not together today and standing here as a couple.
"If you found the blackmailer then why didn't you inform Sid or Nick and why didn't you hand him to the police. " Anit jiju asked to james.
"I can't take the risk to hand him to the police with keerthi's nudes. Sid already have enough in his plate and telling Nick means indirectly telling Sid." James answered of Anit jiju's question.
"Then what did you do?" Nick asked him.
"I met the person and offered him money in exchange of Keerti's nudes but after taking money from me he kidnapped me to reach you. He knew that you will send someone or come yourself to find me. He obsessed to ruin your life Sid. He wanted to take everything what you own or have, especially, Preeti." Siddharth's and my head snapped to James when he finished the sentence.
Who is the one who wanted me snatched me from Siddharth. Everyone knows I am only his and No one can separate us from each other.
"He kidnapped in some kind of old and greasy warehouse for almost whole month and on those days I came to know that he wasn't alone in this. Someone was helping him. I don't know the person but I can confirm it was girl other side of the phone." I came out my thoughts when James speaks again.
"Who was that person?" Siddharth asked him with greeted teeth.
"Kartik..ex colleague of Preeti in P.S Automobiles." James said and I gasped in shock.
I don't know Kartik would go to this extend for his revenge that he will come after me to New York and try to harm me and my family. I don't know he was that obsessed with me that he will went this low to get me.
"But Keerti how did you find James." Dad asked to Keerti.
"Aron helped me." She said looking at Dad with her teary eyes.
Hearing his name from her tongue a memory flashed in front of my eyes of that day and I felt something wet on mg both cheeks.
"Aron, Anna Smith's boyfriend. That weird asshole who always wears black hoodies and can backstab anyone just for money." Keerti nodded her head in agreement when Nick asked her.
"But how did he know you need help?" Siddharth asked her while looking outside to balcony of living room blankly which opened to our backyard and then his eyes met with Keerti.
"Obviously... she gave money to that black hoodie money sucker." Nick said while rolling his eyes.
Aron was the black hoodie person who stalked me everywhere and scared me with his dark aura. Bug if he didn't reach me on time I couldn't help Siddharth. That time I didn't know that he was a boyfriend of Anna's Smith and he gave Siddharth enough proof to send her jail.
"I told him to help Keerti." Everyone eyes turn to me. I looked at Siddharth with my teary eyes.
I don't know when tears streamed out from my eyes. His eyes were looking deep into my eyes, asking for the explanation and I know this is the time to commit my sin to him. This is time when he came to know that how much his wife is cowered and have no dignity to run away from half dead man whom she could save by helping him.
"Petty Preeti before you start, I really want to know how do you know that Indian deal was the trap for Sid." Nick asked me with curiosity.
I don't know how to answer Nick because I don't know from where to start. Maybe because I still don't know who is the person behind all of this.
"Puja go to your room and took out black file and a pendrive from my handbag." I told Puja while wiping my
tears. She nodded her head and run towards upstairs.
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"Preeti Di.." Puja handed me the file and pendrive which I asked her to bring from her room.
"These are the real soil testing and other reports of that apartment land."
I said while handing the files to Siddharth. He took the file from me and read it.
"These are.." I nodded my head in agreement when he looked at me with shock. Nick took the file from him and read it.
"According to these reports the soil of that land is not capable for any construction. If you built any building there, it will collapse in next two or three year. It means all blame will go to your head." I finished the sentence looking at Siddharth who is looking at me.
"But I checked all reports myself and they were fine." Siddharth asked me confusingly.
"They were fake reports someone exchanged them with actual reports." I said and saw the shock on Nick's and Siddharth's face.
"But I am still confuse. How did you know this is the trap and How do you know that black hoodie Aron." Nick asked me confusingly.
I looked at Siddharth and he was also looking at me asking me the same question silently through his eyes. I walked to him. He already extended his right hand for me to hold it.
I hold his hand and took a step towards him when he pull me to him. He was looking into my eyes with love and tears welled up in my eyes when guilt take place in my heart.
I hold his both hand in mine and said, "Siddharth...Now what I am going to tell you is the bitter truth of my life and the sin I had committed. After hearing the truth maybe you hate me or even leave me but remember one thing I love you so much and I can go to any extended for you. What I have done is only save you from the problems."
I gasped when he pull me by my waist and tangled my hair in his fingers while pushing my hair back. I put my hands on his chest and looked at him.
"I can never hate you and the day will be the last day of my life if I leave you." He said while looking down deeply in my eyes, like the words directly came from the bottom of his heart. More tears welled up in my eyes and they streamed out from my eyes when I blinked.
He wiped my tears with his thumb and caressed my right cheek lovingly.
"I know that you broke into my office to steal all evidence related to Indian deal and I also know you were at the parking lot the other day." My eyes went wide when he mention the parking lot. Means he knew that I was there then he also know that what I have done. Before I could ask him anything he speaks again...
"I don't know the whole story and I wanted to know everything from you. Please love, tell me what happened that day? Why you came behind me? How do you find me when No one knew where I went. How do you know I was staying at the hotel near the central jail? What are you doing in that parking lot full of goons?" He asked me firmly so many questions in one go and caressed my cheeks lovingly. He take off his hand from my waist and wipe my tears with his both thumbs.
I sniffed and wiped my tears when they fall from my eyes again. I don't know Siddharth already knew the half of the story. But he still doesn't know the full story and I am going to tell him the rest of the story.
"Aron was following me from months and scaring me with his black aura. After your accident Aron came to meet me at hospital in night. He told me that someone wants to meet me to reach you. He needs your help and in exchange of it, he could help me in this mess without telling you or anyone. He also told me someone was trying to trap you by tempting deal but as soon as he told me he was a ex boyfriend of Anna Smith, I didn't believe him and told him never show his face. But after your accident when Nick came home for office work and I went to study, to give you some snacks, I saw a project file of your Indian deal. Then it clicks me that it must be the tempting deal which Aron was talking about. I can't tell you because after your accident I was so afraid of losing you. I can't take risk with your life So instead of asking help to Aaron I called India and asked help to Neha and Dhruv. Because Dhruv is also in a construction business and have connections in PWD department and with politicians due to his father." I said looking at Siddharth with my teary eyes.
My head is splitting into two with a headache and my throat is feeling like someone is choking me. My whole body is aching in pain and my legs are begging me sit down. I can feel the burning sensation in my red puffy eyes and I was tired due to the lack of sleep but I was adamant not give which my body asking for.
"So you broke into my office and destroyed all the evidence related to that deal from New York and here Dhruv and Neha helped you to get rid off all evidence." Siddharth asked me and I nodded my head in agreement.
"Who was that someone who wants to meet you to reach Siddharth?" James asked me.
"Jeffrey Smith.." I said and everyone looked at me with shock. My eyes met with Siddharth his eyes holding the same shock and he soon cover it with his blank face.
"Then what happened? How you end up in that parking lot?" Siddharth asked me.
"One day when I went out of house for some work, again Aron came on my way and asked my five minutes. I agreed and he took me to the restaurant where Jeffrey smith already presented. He told me that his niece already killed his daughter and now she wanted to kill him also so she can transfer his company and the power of attorney under her name. His company is already in loss and he didn't want to give her single penny so he wants to sell his larger number of shares to you." I said looking at Siddharth.
"But why he wanted to sell his company's share to our company and why he dragged Preeti in this?" Dad asked to Siddharth, who was looking at the floor blankly.
"Because he knew I would not be ready to meet him so he used Preeti to reach me. His company is already in loss and he knew only I can save his drawn business." Siddharth said looking at the floor blankly.
"Now I understand why his company's CEO was so adamant to sell his company's share only us." Nick said like he find the lost piece of hardest puzzle.
"He told me that he had all proves against her, saved in a device and she wanted to kill him for that before he could reach you. Your life could be in danger and I can't take that risk. I can't let anything happen to you till I am breathing. You were not picking up my calls. I can't weight for one more day to give you that device and alert you so next day I went to the hotel where you were staying but before we could reach you her niece's goons find us. He was being shot two times already and we both hide in the parking lot to save ourselves but they find us there also. He gave me the pendrive and told me to only give that you. He told it is the solution of all your problems. When goons find us in parking lot he told me to run away and told me not to look back." More tears escaped from my eyes when I remember that night and what happened that day. It is the hardest part to explain.
That day someone lost his life because of me. Shivani di come forward and my shoulders to give me comfort when my body started shaking due to cry. I almost forgot that our family is surrounding us and witnessing our confessions.
"What happened after that?" James asked me.
"They shoot him. Like a coward I ran away from there and didn't turn back. I heard the gunshots but I didn't turn back to look him and I know they killed him. No, I kill him. I could have help him but I leave him half dead. He was dead because of me. I killed him Siddharth." I choked on my tears and palmed my mouth when I broke into sobs. Shivani di keep rubbing my back to calm me but I wasn't far away from calm.
I looked at Siddharth, he was blankly looking at the floor. He doesn't have any emotions on his face and he was awfully silent. I know he must be hating me right now for leaving Jeffrey that condition. Now he know I am not a powerful woman as he thinks of me but a cowered who leave person behind when she could help him. I am no more innocent. I am a murderer. An hour before we are having a best moments and pleasuring each other. He told me loves me but now he will hate me. I will be dead if he leave me. I can't live without him and can't see the hatred in his eyes for me. My dream having a beautiful family with Siddharth will be a dream now. He hates me.
"He is alive." My head snapped to Siddharth when words leave from his mouth. He was looking at the floor blankly and then his eyes met mine.
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Finally half of the truth came out. But Siddharth confession is still left.
I hope you like the chapter and I do justice with your high hopes. I tried my best to pen it down perfectly when suspense got revealed.
I will try to update soon.
What do you think what happened next?
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