Chapter 11: The Return of Reyansh

The sight of Vikram Kapoor standing in her doorway felt like a punch to the gut. Aradhana froze, her heart thudding painfully in her chest. What was he doing here? Her mind raced as she tried to gather her thoughts, but before she could speak, Vikram stepped forward, his presence filling the small hallway of the apartment.

“I’m afraid I don’t have much time, Aradhana,” he said, his voice smooth but laced with an edge of something colder, more dangerous. “We need to talk.”

Her heart pounded in her chest, and despite her father’s warning, she couldn’t help the anger that bubbled to the surface. “What do you want, Vikram?” she asked, her voice steady, though her hands trembled slightly by her sides.

Vikram’s eyes glinted with amusement, but there was no warmth in his gaze. He looked over her shoulder at Rajiv, who stood behind her, his expression unreadable. “I’m sure your father has been telling you stories,” Vikram said, his tone laced with sarcasm. “But I’m here to make sure you hear the truth.”

Aradhana’s mind was spinning. Her father had warned her to stay away from him, but Vikram wasn’t leaving anytime soon. She needed to know what he wanted, what he knew about her family’s past.

“Come in,” she finally said, stepping aside to allow him into the apartment. She exchanged a tense glance with her father, whose jaw was clenched. He wasn’t happy about this, but there was little he could do now.

Vikram entered the apartment, his eyes scanning the room with a calculated air. He took a seat on the couch without waiting for an invitation, his posture relaxed but every movement controlled, deliberate. Aradhana sat down across from him, her gaze locked on him, determined not to let him intimidate her.

Rajiv remained standing, his arms crossed over his chest. He was as still as a statue, but the tension in the room was palpable.

“I’m sure you’ve been wondering why I’ve come back into your life, Aradhana,” Vikram said, breaking the silence. “You’ve heard a lot of things, but you don’t know the whole story. There are parts of your father’s past that he’s tried very hard to keep buried. And believe me, he’s done a good job of it. But the truth has a way of coming to light, doesn’t it?”

Aradhana’s throat tightened. She turned to her father, but Rajiv’s face remained impassive. “Dad, what is he talking about?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. “What truth? What past?”

Her father’s eyes softened for a brief moment before he spoke. “Aradhana, this isn’t the time—”

But Vikram cut him off, his voice low but firm. “Oh, but it is. The time has come, Rajiv. You can’t protect her from everything forever. The truth is out there. And you’ve been hiding it for far too long.”

Aradhana’s head spun as she tried to process his words. Her family’s secrets, her father’s mysterious past—it was all starting to unravel before her eyes. She turned back to Vikram. “What are you talking about?” she demanded, her voice shaking slightly now.

Vikram leaned forward, his fingers steepled in front of him as if savoring the moment. “Your mother,” he said softly, each word hanging in the air like a bomb about to explode. “Your mother was involved in something... something dangerous. And Rajiv here—he’s been keeping it from you. Keeping it from everyone.”

Aradhana’s breath caught in her throat. “What? My mother?” She turned to her father, disbelief written all over her face. “No. You’re lying.”

Rajiv’s expression faltered for the briefest of moments, but he quickly regained his composure. He looked at Vikram, his eyes narrowing. “Enough, Vikram. You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

But Vikram wasn’t done. He leaned back in his seat, his gaze never leaving Aradhana. “Oh, I know exactly what I’m talking about. Your mother was involved in a business deal—a deal that went horribly wrong. And Rajiv here, well, he was right in the middle of it. The mess they made... it’s still affecting all of us.”

Aradhana’s mind reeled. Her mother—what had she been involved in? And her father, the man who had always been her rock—what was he hiding?

“Dad, what is he talking about?” she asked again, her voice barely above a whisper.

Rajiv took a deep breath, his shoulders slumping slightly. “Aradhana,” he said quietly, “I didn’t want you to know any of this. Your mother... she made choices. She got involved in something dangerous. And when it all came crashing down, she tried to protect you, to shield you from the truth. But it’s been years, and now, the past is catching up with us.”

Aradhana’s head was spinning. She could barely process the words coming out of her father’s mouth. Her mother—her kind, gentle mother—had been involved in something criminal? And her father had kept it all from her?

“Why didn’t you tell me?” she whispered, the hurt in her voice undeniable. “Why didn’t you trust me?”

Rajiv’s eyes softened with regret, but the look in Vikram’s eyes was much colder. He leaned in closer, his voice almost a whisper. “Because Aradhana, your mother’s involvement in that deal... it’s linked to people who are still out there. And they’re not done with your family. Not by a long shot.”

Her world tilted, the ground beneath her feet feeling uncertain for the first time in her life. Her family’s dark past was crashing into her present, and she had no idea how to handle it.

Before she could speak, the doorbell rang again, breaking the tension in the room. Aradhana’s heart skipped a beat. Who could be at the door now?

She stood up, her legs shaky as she walked to the door. As she opened it, she froze.

Standing in the doorway was none other than Reyansh Lamba.

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