Shape of the Sun

Penultimate

Two weeks later.

The entire nation had woken up to watch the morning news and gone crazy.

The verdict of Rajkumar Reddy's trial, one of the highest profile ever, had been brought down in a case that was the most shocking display of criminality. It was hard for the average person to understand why a person born into one of the most prestigious families in the country would be involved in attempted bigamy, money laundering, abuse of power in the hospital, and allegations of patient harassment. If that wasn't the inversion of well-bred, what was?

They weren't the only ones in shock though.

Anisha scrambled for her phone at the end of the carpet, the light coming from the large TV screen illuminating the dark room as well as her disheveled, trembling form and the tears running down her face. She dialed the sole number on the contact list who picked up on the first ring.

"Prithvi," she went straight in, "What is the meaning of this?! Why...Why are things like this?! This is not what you told me would happen!"

There was a heavy pause before his reply. Even if Anisha couldn't see whatever expression he had on, Prithvi's words reeked of thinly-veiled contempt and a concerned affectation.

"My dear Anisha," he bit on the term of endearment very hard, "What did you expect? That your Raj would be given an easy sentence? He chose this path..."

"Liar!" She was going crazy. "You are a liar! Raj had nothing to do with most of those things and you know it. You framed him! Ah, Raj..."

The frail woman crumpled onto the metallic Persian carpet, weeping so profusely, her pain avid to any hearer except the one on the other end of the call. Prithvi's voice turned extremely hostile, stripped of all pretenses.

"Idiot," his words were cold, "So, I am to blame for your foolishness? You would have been wasting the little time that you had left in that tiny hospital room if not for me. Now listen," he hissed, "don't ever call this number again. Try it and you'll see what I will do to you. Useless piece of trash."

The line immediately went dead and with it, any semblance of reason left in Anisha. She burst into hysterics, her laughter the spitting image of unhinged. Brown eyes rolled back and forth in her head and with them, the tears that spilled forth onto the carpet beneath her. Her body sputtered and then came to a halt so that she was crying facedown, forehead pressed to the carpet and her hands digging into its fabric.

Anisha wanted to do what was right for once. She wanted to do her bit and make Prithvi regret what he had done. And at this end, there were two things that she wanted to let out.

"Raj...I am sorry. I am so sorry."

She kept the other words in her heart, silently whispered and cherished them as the timeline of their relationship ran through her head like a movie. 

It was a pity that they could never do things right anymore. And it was even more of a pity that Raj's friend's carpet would never quite look the same after today.

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It had been a hard life, and when Prithvi finally thought that he had a chance to best his half-brother, all his efforts had gone to waste. He downed another shot of vodka, upset, and hurled the glass to the wall. It shattered into pieces, evoking fear in the hearts of the attendants who scurried about to clean their unstable boss's mess.

They weren't wrong. Prithvi was the word.

He had woken up happy after yet another late-night phone call, comforting Bhairav and assuring him of his full support (and distress), only to a verdict that annoyed the hell out of him. It was unfair the things that his father did for his other son.

Prithvi's thoughts were unfounded, but that was besides the point for him. Anyone who had watched the news and heard the verdict of an eight-year prison sentence, a four-year medical practice ban and license suspension by the GMC, as well as the total compensation and fines amounting to 6.15 lakhs rupees would feel a hint of pity for Rajkumar. But not Prithvi. Never Prithvi.

He had spent so much money and effort bribing the bank officials and the higher-ups at Royal, taking advantage at their offence at his half-brother's threats to whistleblow. He had done all that and for what? For Bhairav Singh Reddy to charge in and pad well enough, so that the extradition was struck down and the minimal sentences were given?

Father had really made him mad this time around.

And as if that wasn't too much, that foolish woman had called him and gotten a rise out of him. He wasn't as surprised as much as irritated that he let his emotions slip through and was paranoid enough to have his phone destroyed, even though it was a burner. If only that damned Veeranshu Garewal lowered his security just a bit more, this problem would not exist today.

It ticked him off so bad. Seven hours had passed since then and he still felt unease tugging at his insides. What to do? What to do?

Prithvi didn't know whether to sit still or not. Perhaps, going for a drive would clear his head? Should he? Should he not?

Damnit. He had also not received a call from that woman to confirm that all the loose ends had been tied. Prithvi groaned and rubbed circles at the edges of his temple, only lowering his hands onto the desk when his guards rushed into his office. There was a hideous look in his eyes.

"What is the meaning of this rubbish?"

"B-Boss..."

"Prithvi Malholtra? We have a warrant for your arrest. Please cooperate with us."

He shot to his feet, the tiredness wiped out at the sight of police officers trooping into his office in such surprising numbers. There was a familiar face at their head and it pissed him off to no end.

"DCP Taneja, can you explain yourself?" The guts of a mere tool! Ha!

The other man ignored the threat hidden in his words and calmly held out a typed sheet of paper. This is how it should be.

"Prithvi Malholtra, Anisha Gopal has been found dead in Mr. Veeranshu Garewal's apartment and assisted by a gun licensed under your name. There was also a written note found at the scene that implicates you in the manipulation of Rajkumar Reddy's case and trial."

"W-What?! She's a lunatic! How can you believe her nonsense?! Don't tell me it's because she's dead and I'm not?!"

"The court would the judge of all that. You can ask all your questions to a lawyer at the police station." he motioned to a waiting subordinate, "Handcuff and take him away."

Panicked, Prithvi screamed at his secretary that stood on the side and at a loss for what to do.

"Are you blind or what?! Call my father and my lawyers right now!"