Kumkum: Ties of Love and Lies (COMPLETED)

Chapter 21

The night was heavy with tension as Pugazh paced the confines of his study. Sandhya's cold demeanor lingered in his mind, but his focus was clear—he needed to uncover the truth about Shravani's murder. He owed her that much.

His suspicion turned to Gautham. While Rekha's involvement was shocking, Gautham's connection to the murder felt more sinister. Pugazh couldn't ignore the pieces falling into place, especially remembering the man he'd argued with on the night of his engagement. That man was still out there, and Pugazh knew he held critical answers.

Pugazh reached out to the man using the contact information he still had. The call went unanswered. The silence deepened his suspicions, so he decided on another approach—confronting Rekha directly.

It was late when Pugazh found Rekha in the garden of the Rajasekhar estate, her usual poise replaced by an unusual stillness.

"Rekha," he said, his voice sharp, "we need to talk."

She turned, her expression calm but her eyes wary. "What is it, Pugazh?"

"Don't play games," he snapped. "I know you've been hiding things about Ezhil and the black market. I need answers."

Rekha froze for a moment, then let out a cold laugh. "And what makes you think I'll tell you anything?"

"Because you don't have a choice," Pugazh said, stepping closer. "If you're innocent, you'll talk. If not, I'll find the truth without you."

Rekha's gaze darkened. In a flash, she pulled a knife from behind her back, her hands steady as she pointed it at him.

Pugazh's eyes widened, but he held his ground. "Rekha, what are you doing?"

"I tried so hard, Pugazh," Rekha said, her voice trembling with a mix of anger and desperation. "I tried to keep it all a secret, but you just couldn't leave it alone."

"What are you talking about?" he asked, his voice low.

"You've always been the problem," she hissed. "Shravani was getting too close to the truth about the black market. She found out about Ezhil's dealings and was going to expose us. I couldn't let that happen."

Pugazh's heart pounded as her words sank in. "You killed Shravani," he said, his voice heavy with disbelief. 

Rekha nodded, her grip on the knife tightening. "And Gautham helped me. She called him, thinking he'd protect her, but I paid him enough to turn on her. We burned all the evidence she had collected. And now, you're getting too close, Pugazh."

"You don't have to do this, Rekha," Pugazh said, his voice firm. "It's not too late to come clean."

Rekha laughed bitterly. "Come clean? You'd like that, wouldn't you? But no. When I'm done, you'll be gone, and I'll frame your little wife for your murder. She'll rot in jail, and with you both out of the way, the hospital will fall back into Ezhil's hands. Everything will go back to normal."

Before Pugazh could react, Rekha lunged at him. He tried to grab her wrist, but the blade cut deep into his side. He stumbled back, blood staining his shirt as he fell to the ground.

"Rekha!" a voice called out, and both turned to see Ezhil approaching, his face pale with shock.

"Ezhil," Pugazh gasped, clutching his wound.

"What are you doing?" Ezhil demanded, rushing to his wife.

Rekha turned to him, her tone shifting to one of persuasion. "Ezhil, listen to me. He was going to destroy us. I had no choice."

"You tried to kill my brother?" Ezhil asked, his voice trembling with anger.

"He's ruining everything!" Rekha cried. "If we don't stop him now, we'll lose everything we've worked for."

Ezhil hesitated, torn between his loyalty to his wife and his horror at what she had done.

"Help me, Ezhil," Rekha pleaded. "We can fix this together. But we have to leave now."

Ezhil looked at Pugazh, who was struggling to stay conscious, then at Rekha. After a tense moment, he nodded reluctantly.

They fled the scene, leaving Pugazh bleeding and alone.

Sandhya had been restless all evening, something in her gut telling her that something was wrong. When she couldn't ignore it any longer, she decided to check on Pugazh.

She found him in the garden, lying in a pool of blood.

"Pugazh!" she cried, running to him.

His eyes fluttered open briefly, his lips moving as if trying to say something. But before he could, he slipped into unconsciousness.

Sandhya's tears blurred her vision as she pressed her hands against his wound, trying to stop the bleeding.

Suddenly, the sound of sirens filled the air, and police officers arrived on the scene.

One officer approached her, his expression grim. "Sandhya Rajasekhar, you're under arrest for the attempted murder of your husband."

"What?" Sandhya exclaimed, shocked. "I didn't do this!"

"Save it for the court," the officer said, pulling her to her feet and cuffing her hands.

As Pugazh was rushed to the hospital in critical condition, Sandhya was taken away, her heart breaking as she realized how far Rekha's plan had gone.