Aarohi And Dev

CHAPTER 66

Dev POV

My hands quivered as I gingerly returned the incriminating evidence to its clandestine repository, my soul burdened by the gravity of my findings. The man who had been my uncle-familiar, always with a smile-now stood revealed as not merely a criminal, but quite possibly the architect of my father's demise. The mere thought sent a shudder coursing down my spine. How am I supposed to tell my mother? How do you tell someone that her brother is the reason her husband is dead?

As I sat in the car, lost in a maelstrom of emotions, my thoughts drifted back to the day preceding my father's untimely passing. A vivid recollection unfolded before my mind's eye. I recalled my uncle ushering me into his office, nonchalantly unveiling his aspirations. "Look at this. This is the name of my enterprise. Soon, I will establish my dominion," he had declared, his finger tracing proudly over the logo-the very same logo that had confronted me earlier today. At that moment, the weight of his words eluded my comprehension, but now, all was crystal clear.

I harkened back to the memory of my father storming into the room, his countenance ablaze with a mix of wrath and trepidation, wrenching me away from my uncle. His voice resonated with seething anger and palpable fear as he snarled, "How dare you bring my son here?" At the time, I thought he was being overprotective, just a father worried about his child. But now, I knew. He had been shielding me from the menace that lay not solely in my uncle's ambitions for the business, but in the threat he posed to our very family.

The pieces of this intricate puzzle began to interlock-the simmering ire within my father, the palpable discord between him and my uncle. My dad knew. He comprehended the depths of my uncle's capabilities and endeavoured to shelter me from reality. The epiphany crashed over me like a surging tide, leaving me gasping for breath. The depths of betrayal rendered were profound, the wounds raw and profound.

What should I do now? I wondered. I couldn't let my mother find out this way-not yet. She would be devastated, shattered beyond repair. But the truth was like a ticking time bomb, and eventually, it would have to come out.

But how does one shatter another's world with the crushing weight of truth?

My entire body felt numb as I entered the house, the weight of the truth pressing down on me with every step. My hands trembled so much that I wondered if I'd even make it home. When I walked in, Mom and Devika looked up at me, their eyes full of concern. I couldn't bring myself to meet their gazes. Without a word, I headed straight to my room, my heart pounding with the unbearable burden of what I now knew.

Moments later, Rose entered her presence a lifeline I desperately needed. The second I saw her, all the strength I'd been holding onto crumbled. Rising from my feet, I knelt in front of her, burying my face against her, the floodgates of my emotions bursting open. Tears streamed down my face uncontrollably, like a child who had just found refuge in his mother's arms. I couldn't hold it in any longer.

"Dev, what's wrong? Wh-What happened?" she asked, her voice breaking with worry as she knelt in front of me, wrapping her arms around me in a protective hug. She cradled my head, her hand gently patting my back, trying to soothe me even though she didn't know the full extent of my pain.

The rage surged through me, like fire burning beneath my skin, but I clung to Rose, forcing myself to stay under her calming embrace. "I found the man who killed my father, Rose," I choked out, my voice trembling with emotion, my tears blending with the fury that had been building up inside me. She cupped my face, her eyes soft and full of concern, her fingers brushing through my hair with gentle, protective strokes.

"I was desperate to know," I continued, my voice breaking, "desperate to find out who took him from me. But now that I know... I wish I never did."

Her eyes searched mine, filled with worry and shock. She was trying to hold me together as my world crumbled around me. "Wh-who is it?" she whispered, her breath warm against my face, like she already feared the answer but had to hear it.