Page 72 of Born in Grief

“Whose place is this?” Ashish asked, his eyes on her, the look in them flat, dark and deeply chilling.

“None of your business,” Dhrithi retorted.

“Arrey wah, Bhabhiji has found her tongue after her patidev died. Or was it after she murdered him?” Naveen, who’d been silent until then, smiled. “Maybe we should cut it out as an offering to his tortured soul.”

Terror sliced through her as she met his sociopathic gaze, trying not to let any of her thoughts or feelings show.

“What. Do. You. Want?” She gritted the words out.

“You told the cops about Andheri and Borivali. I saw it on the videos of the whole scene uploaded online.” Ashish stepped closer to her, clearly the ringleader. He trailed one finger down her jawline, watching as she firmed her jaw and stared back at him defiantly. “Why?” he asked softly. “Why would you do that? What do you know?”

“Nothing,” she said, her voice husky with the effort of suppressing her fear. “I just know Varun had some property there.”

“Varun had some property there.” Majid giggled, clearly too stoned to stay in menacing character mode. “Like it was only his.”

“Shut up,” Ashish snapped, still watching Dhrithi. “If you didn’t know anything, why tell the cops? What’s your game, Bhabhiji?”

“I don’t have a game.” Dhrithi swallowed hard. “I was just cooperating with the police so they’d finish their investigation, and I can get on with my life.”

“How did you know those flats existed?”

“Varun told me,” Dhrithi lied rashly.

Ashish didn’t call her bluff, but she could see it in his eyes, his rejection of her lie. He stepped closer, hard, calloused fingers gripping her chin and tilting her face up to his.

“Whose flat is this?” he asked, his voice a coarse whisper. “Answer me. I won’t ask again.”

“It’s mine.”

The hard words electrified her, making even Ashish jerk away from her, his hand falling away from her face. She looked towards the door and saw Amay standing there, a cold, hard look on his face. Behind him, Virat, his usual impenetrable mask in place, and Ishaan, a sociopathic little smile on his face, stood.

“Dhrithi.” Amay’s quiet look had her rushing to his side. He grabbed her and pushed her behind him, Virat and Ishaan flanking her.

“Your house?” Ashish’s eyes narrowed as he took in the new entrants. “Do I know you guys?”

“Oh no.” Amay stepped forward, his teeth bared in a feral smile, one that Dhrithi had never seen before. “You know nothing about us, Ash.”

The nickname from school had realization creeping into Ashish’s gaze. His skittery gaze darted from one face to theother before coming to rest on Virat’s. And recognition slammed through him.

“Virat Jha,” he said softly. “Well, well, well, it’s been a long time.”

“Not long enough,” Virat responded. “I would have been happy to have never seen your face again.”

Ashish smiled. “Ahh but I see your face all the time. Every time I seeherin my memory, I see you. And I see her all the time especially when…” He made an obscene jerking motion with his hand. “Do you remember how you cried that night? Like a puppy that had been kicked in the ribs. So loud, so squeaky, so-“

Whatever he’d been about to say was lost in the sickening crunch of flesh on flesh as Amay punched him right in the mouth. Ashish dropped like a stone to the floor while Amay coolly shook out his fist and stepped over his inert body to look at the others.

“All right, shitheads,” he told the others who were gaping at them. “Who wants to go next?”

Chapter Forty-Two

AMAY

“We just wanted to talk to Dhrithi.” Majid stepped forward closer to where Ashish lay on the floor, his arms and legs sprawled in every which direction. “We came by to offer our condolences.”

“And how did you know she was here?” Virat’s drawled question held a lethal violence that no one could mistake. Amay saw him step on Ashish’s outstretched hand, palm up, as he walked forward to confront Majid.

“She’s our sister-in-law,” Majid smiled. “We’ve always known where she was. Our circles are tight.”

---