Page 81 of Born in Sin

Amay and Ishaan exchanged glances but didn’t answer. Virat was typing furiously on the laptop. She walked over to glance at the screen and noticed it was some form of code.

“Kabir said he’s sent across the location for the Saturday event.” She aimed the comment to the top of Virat’s bent head.

“Yeah,” he muttered tersely.

Yeah? That was all he was going to give her? What happened to no more secrets?

“Vir-“ she began but before she could say anything else, he pushed back from the table, his hands ploughing through his hair, grasping it and tugging.

A deep sense of foreboding settled in Cara’s chest. The last time she’d felt it had been in the run up to graduation, in the time leading up to that night.

“What is it?”

“The address, the one that they sent Kabir for Saturday night…” For once, Virat looked unsure, like he wasn’t sure what to make of the information he possessed.

“Yes?” Her voice unconsciously gentled as she took a step toward him.

“It’s Mohan Sir’s residence.”

Cara’s brow furrowed. “Our old math teacher?”

Somewhere in the distant recesses of her mind, alarm bells began to clang. Long suppressed memories rose to the fore.

Her mother and Mohan Sir standing by the window of the teacher’s den, looking to be in the middle of an intense conversation.

After what that boy did to Mohan, I should have had him expelled.

All my life I worked in this school, even after Mohan left, for you…only for you.

Mohan Sir’s voice echoed in her head, soft and vicious. “You don’t have a problem, Jha. You are the problem.”

“Celi-“ Virat’s voice came from far, far away. She blinked, bringing him back into focus.

“It was him, wasn’t it? The person who was hurting you?”

Virat stared at her.

“No more secrets,” she reminded him.

“Yes,” he admitted.

“And it has something to do with my mother,” she said flatly, a pit of rage opening up inside her.

Virat hesitated but nodded.

“And these assholes are using that as leverage. That’s why they’ve sent this house address to Kabir. On the off chance that you follow Kabir there, they’re expecting this to throw you off.”

Virat nodded, his gaze locked with hers.

“If that’s what it is, then they’re not expecting to actual destroy some poor girl’s life there. They have a secondary venue. They’ll probably pick Kabir up from this place and transport him to it.”

Again, Virat nodded.

“Have you found it?” The rage was now burning bright, a phoenix’s flame in her chest.

“Not yet,” he told her. “But I will.”

She backed away from where they stood, making for the front door.

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