Memories

28

Shivani

Today was supposed to be one of the happiest days of my life—not because it was my wedding, but because my best friend was finally getting married to the love of her life. I should have been buzzing with excitement, enjoying the laughter, music, and celebrations that had been weeks in the making. Instead, my heart carried a weight, and my mind refused to stay quiet. Something had been gnawing at me, and no number of bright lights or happy faces could distract me from it.

The decorations around the house were breathtaking. Strings of jasmine and marigold adorned every corner, and golden fairy lights blinked like stars, as though the heavens themselves had descended to bless the occasion. The sound of shehnai and dhol echoed in the background, blending with the chatter of relatives and friends. Women in vibrant sarees and men in neatly pressed sherwanis moved in and out of the hall, their faces lit with anticipation. Everywhere I looked, people were smiling, laughing, gossiping, and living in the moment.

But I couldn't.

Because two days ago, I had stumbled upon something that could change everything. Something that could put lives at stake—especially Karthik's.

A breakthrough. That's what it was supposed to be. I had been following loose ends for weeks, frustrated by how careful the person behind Karthik's accident had been. But then, finally, a small crack appeared. The money trail.

The account that paid the lorry driver wasn't just any account—it was a ghost account. A hidden bank account in the name of a non-existent person. Every rupee that had gone into orchestrating Karthik's so-called accident had first passed through that account. But the moment I tried to dig deeper, the trail vanished into thin air, almost as if someone had anticipated I would get this far. The name didn't exist. The ID proof tied to the account didn't exist. But the transactions—those were real, and damning.

The company's funds had been siphoned off, routed to this phantom account, and from there to the lorry driver who had almost killed Karthik. That meant one terrifying thing—it was an inside job. And not just any insider. From the way things were structured, it had to be someone with both access and power. Someone from the Varma family.

I had spent nights replaying every interaction, every face, every word, trying to figure out who it could be. But no one fit perfectly. Every guess felt like stabbing in the dark.

And then yesterday, the dread returned full force. Another transfer. An amount of ₹1,00,000, wired to a fresh account. That couldn't be a coincidence. It meant they weren't done. Another attack was coming.

I had immediately called Bharat, my ally in this investigation. His voice, usually calm, had turned sharp.
"Shivani, you need to warn Karthik immediately. Don't take this lightly. Whoever this is, they won't stop until they succeed."

His words had echoed in my ears since then, louder than the music blaring from the wedding speakers.

I had tried to find Karthik all morning. He was constantly surrounded—family, photographers, rituals, guests. Every time I pushed through the crowd, someone or something came in the way. My anxiety only grew, twining itself around my chest like a vine, suffocating me.

Desperate, I decided to approach the one person I trusted next to Karthik—Manoj Uncle. Over the past few weeks, I had grown closer to him. He wasn't just a silent bystander in the wedding chaos; he had been there, guiding, helping, and offering a kind of steady reassurance that I hadn't realized I needed. I had told him parts of the truth before, and he had promised to keep it safe.

I spotted him near the corridor, away from the crowd, talking to a distant relative. Without a second thought, I rushed up to him.
"Hey, Manoj Uncle, I need to talk to you immediately. It's important. Please come with me."

He looked at me, surprised at my urgency, but didn't protest as I grabbed his hand and pulled him upstairs to one of the empty rooms. My heartbeat pounded in my ears, and my palms were clammy. This was it.

"What is it?" he asked, closing the door behind us.

I took a deep breath. My voice trembled, but I forced the words out. "I've been hiding something from you, Uncle, and I think it's time to tell you the truth. You know about Karthik's accident, right? What no one knows is—it wasn't an accident at all. It was planned. Purposefully created. He wasn't meant to survive. Someone wanted him dead."

His eyes widened slightly, but he stayed quiet, letting me continue.

"We've been investigating this, me and a few others, and all the signs point to someone from the Varma family. It's not just a random enemy—it's someone close, someone with access. And Uncle... it's happening again. Yesterday, another transfer was made. Money. Enough to hire someone to attack him again."

I swallowed, trying to steady myself. "If you see him before I do, please warn him. Tell him to be careful. He has no idea how close danger is."

For a moment, silence filled the room, broken only by the muffled sounds of wedding music downstairs. I could feel my pulse racing, waiting for him to say something—anything.

I left him there and hurried back toward the hallway. My eyes scanned the crowd, searching for Karthik's familiar frame. The sense of urgency only grew stronger, every second ticking like a countdown I couldn't stop.

And then it happened.

As I turned a corner, someone grabbed me. The force was so sudden, so violent, that I didn't even have time to scream. My back slammed against the wall, and before I could react, a hand pressed a cloth against my face. The sharp, chemical smell burned my nostrils, and panic exploded inside me. I thrashed, tried to push away, but the grip was iron, unrelenting.

The world began to blur. My vision swam. My lungs screamed for air, but every breath only pulled in more of that sickly-sweet scent. My strength drained away, my limbs turning heavy. The voices and music downstairs faded into a distant hum, like echoes from another world.

The last thing I remember was the terrifying realization—someone didn't want me to warn Karthik. And then, darkness swallowed me whole.