~ Always Besides You ~

38. The Deception

"I think where you stopped your narrative holds the importance, Pooja. You would need to know the details of it." Arvind smirked.

"You know, we love investigating. But the real success is when the guilty confesses himself before everyone. And I guess, Kartik will have something to say, rather clarify on the matter, right Mr.?" He crossed his arms to chest standing besides Kartik staring him pointedly while Ananya came to the other side caging him.

"Bhaiyya has nothing more to add to what I said just now." Pooja said in between her long breathes.

"You killed Kavita! Didn't you?" Ananya asked him not wanting to beat around the bush. "We don't want the answer in 'Yes' or 'No' as we know it. We want the reason, actual reason."

"What the heck!!!" Pooja yelled but soon ended up coughing badly. "Now are you trying to trap my brother in that---"

"Why?" Arvind repeated the question without any emotions.

"You did it??" Sangita asked unable to believe the facts unveiled.

Kartik was introduced to her on her arrival in India by Pooja as her brother but the facts that the brother-sister duo had their own purpose was not revealed to her neither she knew Pooja had another identity nor she had a connection with Maheswaris other than business.

"Gitu, no!! What are you even---" Pooja tried to speak but was pushed aside by Sangita.

"Did you????" She again asked while Arvind continued his unwavering stern gaze. "Why??" She asked analysing his silence to be a yes.

Sanskar stood rooted surprised again. So did Ragini!

Others also stood as spectators as the scene unfolded before them.

"HAAN!!! I DID IT!" Kartik said in a menacing voice as the hall went to utter silence for a while.

The only faces which didn't had any changes were of Arvind, Ananya and their teammates. Others including Pooja were shocked to the core at the confession.

"Bhai!!" Pooja mumbled unbelieving. "You told me it was an accident by Maheswari's car. The doctor himself had told us that someone who had been with Sanskar drugged Kavita, and it was late for him to save her. How did you--- in all these where were you--- Why Bhai?" She fumbled with her words on her brother's cheating. She had considered him and her Dad as her God, as her brother was the only possession she had who was HER!

"Why? You're questioning me, Chutki? As always, you're slipping into that emotional fool mode, right? You're a Rathore! You can't be emotionally weak but you just failed me everytime and is even doing the same now. And your friend, this Sangita, worser than you. Both of you needed two f**king years to convince yourselves to do something. Even when I managed to give you the biggest disaster, you disappointed me by going into remorse mode!" Kartik's expressions varied like a psychopath while Pooja stood rooted astounded at the sudden change in her brother.

"Do you even know how frustrating it is to handle you both? I would fuel you, you wil be all cool like "Haan, it happened! Dad is here. Purvi went there! Purvi did this, Gitu said that, she is sad, etc etc.". God girl, we had some purpose of living. And I know you do speak against them only to convince me that you're not involved emotionally with them. But I don't care. This game!!! This is my game!! Kartik Rathore's game!! I've been playing it since long!"

Pooja shuddered at the terror in her brother's voice and the madness in his eyes.

Others let the conversation go uninterrupted. Finally, the time is here!

"Why? Why--- why--- why---" He mumbled like curses looking here and there.

"You asked right?" He asked pointing Arvind while he remained unmoved.