Shadowed Desires

Epilogue ♥️

Five Years Later...
Mumbai, 4:00 pm

Life had taken small yet significant turns for them. Kritika stepped out of her car, dressed in a simple saree, with bodyguards in casual uniforms following her.

At her office, a man in his 40s entered her cabin while she was engrossed in work.
He said, “Mrs. Kritika Shekhawat, may I know why you are not approving my plan to open a hospital in your ruling state?”

Kritika didn’t even glance at him and replied,
“Aap hi apne records dekh lijiye, mujhse baad mein baat kar lena.”
("Check your own records and talk to me later.")

He placed a black bag filled with cash on her desk and said,
“Kya rakha hai ye sab mein, CM sahiba?”
("What’s the point of all this, Madam CM?")

She looked at the bag and said,
“Kharidne aaye hai apne liye hospital yaha?”
("So, you’ve come to buy yourself a hospital here?")

He replied,
“Ye to chota sa gift hai meri taraf se. Agar aap approval de dein to aur bhi aise kayi bag mil sakte hai.”
("This is just a small gift from me. If you give approval, you’ll get many more such bags.")

Kritika stood up from her seat and said,
“To Mr. Roy, ek bag aisa aapke hospital ko approve karne ke liye, ek bag un fake medicines ke liye jo aap patients ko supply karoge, ek bag management un doctors ke liye jo aap appoint karoge aur unke liye kisi ki jaan se jyada profit important hoga, ek bag aap jo organ trafficking karne wale ho unke liye, ek bag un females ke liye jinhone aapke khilaf harassment ke case file kiye hai.”
("So, Mr. Roy, one bag for approving your hospital, one for the fake medicines you’ll supply to patients, one for the doctors you’ll hire who care more about profit than lives, one for the organ trafficking you plan to do, and one for the women who have filed harassment cases against you.")

He said,
“Tumhara laalach to khatam hi nahi ho raha hai, par koi nahi, ek crore rupee kal subah tak tumhari desk pe honge.”
("Your greed has no end, but fine, one crore rupees will be on your desk by tomorrow morning.")

Kritika looked at him and said,
“Ab Mr. Roy, aapke crimes hi itne hai, compensation bhi to bhari lagna tha.”
("Mr. Roy, with so many crimes, the compensation had to be hefty as well.")

She gestured for him to look at her laptop screen, where the CCTV recording of him placing the cash-filled bag and making his offer was displayed.

He looked at her in disbelief and said,
“What the hell is this? Kisi ne sahi kaha hai, aurton ko power de di jaaye to sach mein kamyabi inke sar chadh jaati hai.”
("What the hell is this? Someone was right, when women get power, success really goes to their heads.")

Kritika replied,
“Dekhiye, ab aapko jitna time mein de sakti thi, wo maine de diya hai.”
("Look, I’ve given you as much time as I could spare.")

He placed a gun on her table and said,
“Lagta hai tumhe apne parivar ke paas wapas nahi jana hai. Galat insaan se panga le rahi ho tum.”
("Seems like you don’t want to return to your family. You’re messing with the wrong person.")

Kritika took out her own gun, wiping invisible dust from it, and said,
“Mr. Roy, sajawat ke liye nahi rakhi hai, chalani bhi aati hai mujhe. Aur aapko demo dekhna hai to batayiye.”
("Mr. Roy, I don’t keep this for show—I know how to use it. Let me know if you want a demonstration.")

He said,
“Acha nahi kar rahi ho tum ye.”
("You’re not doing the right thing.")

Kritika replied,
“Janbujh kar kisi insaan ko hospitals ke naam par crime hub kholne dene se to acha hi hai.”
("It’s better than knowingly letting someone turn hospitals into crime hubs.")