Apricity

Part 24

"I-I found out when Bitiya confided in her high school teacher," Lalit stammered, his voice trembling with shame. His shoulders sagged under the weight of his burdened conscience as it howled and clawed at his chest like a trapped animal.

"S-She had called for... for an appointment with you." Lalit gestured at the Malhotra patriarch with the slightest tilt of his head, unable to look him in the eye. "She said... said it was an urgent and important matter and wanted to meet right away."

The desolate man trembled, tears streaming down his face as he struggled to hold back the guttural sobs bubbling in his throat. His breath hitched and caught, suffocating him with each gasping inhale, mirroring the suffocating weight of his guilt. He forced down the lump in his throat, choking on the bitter truth that hung heavy in the air like a toxic cloud. It was almost too much for him to bear, just as it had been too much for his audience to hear.

Mohit's voice cut like a knife through the tense silence that had consumed the room. "You didn't even try to tell me?" he asked with a heavy tone. "Did you never stop to consider how reckless your choice was? Not once?"

Lalit's knuckles turned white as he clenched his knees, the tension evident in his bulging veins and prominent muscles. "It was right around the time of madam's death anniversary. I didn't want to add to your already overwhelming pain."

Mohit's lips twisted into a wry chuckle, and he shook his head in disbelief. Shlok shifted uncomfortably in his seat as the tension in the air became palpable. "Please continue."

"She... told me what, uh, what was happening... with Bitiya. I confronted Chhotte Sahab-"

The angry father and bitter brother snarled at the mention of his name. "Don't even utter his name," he growled. "He's lost any right to be considered family after all he's put us through."

Vyom's voice dripped with malice as he spoke, his body language exuding a predatory aura. "You just don't get it, Lalit," he drawled, stretching his arms and legs like a predator preparing to pounce on its prey. "Having kids killed our sex life, man. And let me tell you, the longer you go without any action, the more desperate you become." His smirk was filled with twisted intent as he emphasized his words with a sly wink.

Lalit's stomach churned as Vyom's words sank in. "She's your niece, sir. How could you?" he spat out.

Vyom chuckled darkly. "Oh Lalit, you always were too naive for your own good. We're just satisfying each other's desires, like a true family should. And with her mother dead and her father consumed by grief, she needs a protector. And I, well...I need someone to fulfill my darker cravings." A twisted smirk played on his lips as he reveled in the power he held over his young niece. Lalit could barely hide his disgust and fear at the predatory nature of this so-called family bond.

The employee's nose wrinkled in disgust and his eyes squeezed shut at the meaning behind the words. "This is unacceptable, sir! She's just a child, and your own niece no less!"

Lalit gulped, struggling to find the right words to voice his anger and disbelief. "You...you..." he stammered, searching for the appropriate words to condemn Vyom's actions.

But as he looked around the room, he realized the gravity of the situation. The Malhotra family was no longer a unit of love and care that he had envisioned. It had become a den of deceit and manipulation, with some family members exploiting the vulnerability of others.

"I can't allow this to continue," Lalit finally managed to say, his voice echoing with determination. "I will report everything to sir. Bitiya deserves justice, and I won't let this go unpunished."

"What do you think that will accomplish, Lalit?" Vyom interrogated, leaning closer with a malicious grin. "You'll be the one to ruin Bhai's peace and destroy any chance of normalcy for our family. In the end, Bhai will resent you for making a big deal out of nothing and robbing him of his only remaining family member. Is that what you want, Lalit?"

Lalit felt torn apart by Vyom's words, but he knew he had to do what was right. He couldn't allow this darkness to envelop the family any longer. "I know the risks, sir," he said, mustering up all the strength he had. "But I can't ignore the truth any longer. I owed it to Bitiya and the family to protect them from this madness."

Vyom's eyes narrowed at Lalit's defiance. "We are family, Lalit. Blood is thicker than water, and you will realize that when you stand alone against me." He leaned back in his chair, a smug smile on his face. "We can always find a way to discredit your loyalty. You don't want to lose your position in the family, do you?"

"For a little power, for a little influence, you snatched my daughter's right to justice?" snarled Mohit, grasping Lalit's collar. His eyeballs almost popped out of their sockets.

Shlok, the calm and composed figure amidst the chaos, swiftly stepped forward, placing a firm hand on Mohit's shoulder. "Sir, please," he implored, his voice steady but tinged with concern. "Violence won't solve anything. Let's find a way to handle this situation without losing ourselves."

Mohit's face reddened with fury as he tightened his grip on Lalit's collar. His anger radiated like an inferno, scorching the air around them. "How can you stand there and defend him?" he roared, his voice laced with betrayal. "He knew what was happening all along and did nothing! He betrayed us, our family!"

Lalit gasped for breath, his eyes wide with fear as he struggled against Mohit's iron grip. "I...I didn't know what to do," he gasped, his words barely escaping his constricted throat. "It was not greed for power or influence, sir. Please believe me."

Mohit's grip tightened even further, his face contorted with rage. "Believe you?" he seethed. "You had the chance to protect my daughter, to stop this madness, and you chose silence? How can I ever believe anything you say?"

Shlok's hold on Mohit's shoulder grew firmer, an anchor of stability in the tempest of emotions that threatened to consume them all. "Sir, I understand your anger," he said calmly, his voice cutting through the chaos. "But now is not the time for violence. He's our only chance to learn as much as we can about this unfortunate situation."

Mohit's grip slowly relaxed, his breaths becoming heavy and labored as he fought to regain his composure. His eyes bore into Lalit's, filled with a mix of betrayal and desperation. "Tell me," he demanded, his voice quivering with unshed tears. "What else did you hide?"

Lalit's heart sank as he felt a wave of guilt crash over him. He had held onto this secret for so long, thinking it was for the best. But now, faced with Mohit's anguish, he realized that his silence had only caused more pain.

"I...I'm sorry, sir," Lalit whispered, his voice barely audible. "I... I threatened him, pleaded him, to stop, but... but I failed. I'm sorry! I didn't know he'd exploit his own daughter for his lust and I wished I had revealed the truth when Chhoti Malkin sought divorce. But it was too late."

The resigned sigh that escaped Lalit's lips at the completion of his sentence evoked a fresh wave of remorse in the guilt-ridden father.