Two Brothers: Shadows of Deception

Chapter 50

Uncovering the Truth

(Siddharth)

I couldn't sleep last night. I was preoccupied with thoughts about where things went wrong. How could someone send an email from her PC when it's password-protected and only she knows the password? Did someone else know her password? Who would want to frame her? Then it hit me: Arohi? Could she be behind this? If it's her, I'll confront her. She's an obsessive psycho. I initially didn't like the fact that she was staying with them, but Ved arranged for her to stay elsewhere, and it was clear she wasn't happy about it. The way she looked at Niharika showed her disdain. But how can I prove it when the email was sent from Niharika's PC? I sighed in frustration, glanced at my phone, and noticed it was already half-past two. I put it down and closed my eyes, hoping to get some sleep before daybreak. I have a meeting to attend in a few hours.

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I had been sitting in the conference room for an hour, waiting for Vedant. When I called, he said he would be here in 20 minutes, but it had already been an hour, and there was still no sign of him. I tried calling him, but the calls went straight to voicemail. Our clients were becoming impatient. With a sigh, I checked the time on my watch. It seemed he wouldn't be arriving anytime soon. I cleared my throat and stood up from my seat. "I apologize, everyone. Our CEO had to attend to some urgent matters that require his presence. I'm sorry for the inconvenience. Let me proceed to explain the details to you instead," I said, nodding to Priya. She understood and quickly set up the projector for our presentation. I proceeded to explain the details to our clients, and the meeting extended for an additional hour. After we finished, they seemed satisfied with our presentation and scheduled another meeting with Ved for final confirmation. We shook hands and bid our farewells.

Afterward, I returned to my office and attended to some important files and video conferences. Today was a busy day, and I had to take care of Ved's duties as well. No one knew where he went, and attempts to reach him were unsuccessful. It was nearly 6 o'clock in the evening when I wrapped up the last video conference with our clients in Dubai. Loosening my tie, I stretched my arms and let out a sigh. I sat down in my chair, leaned back, and closed my eyes. Where are you, Ved? Why aren't you answering your calls?

"Sir," I heard a voice say. I opened my eyes and saw Priya standing in front of me. "Yes?" I asked, feeling tired. She bit her lip, a nervous habit of hers. "What is it, Priya?" I inquired. "Do you believe that Niharika sent that email by herself?" she asked softly. I sighed and nodded my head. "I know," I said. "So you don't doubt her? Do you think there's foul play involved?" she asked, surprised. "Yes, I believe there's more to this. But I don't know how to prove it. The email was sent from her official account, and only she has access to that PC," I explained. Priya offered a suggestion, "Maybe someone tampered with her PC to gain access and frame her." I pondered her words. Then something struck me. I got up and gestured for her to follow. "Come, let's go to the IT Department," I said, walking briskly toward the elevator.

We arrived at the IT Department, and I made a beeline for Ajay's cabin, barely acknowledging the greetings from others. "Ajay," I called out, and he swiftly stood up from his seat. "Good morning, sir. What can I help you with?" he politely inquired. "I need some information. Yesterday, Ved requested the details of an email sent by Niharika, right? I want to know the exact time that email was sent," I requested. Ajay nodded and immediately began typing on his computer. After a few moments, he turned the screen towards us. "Sir, the email was sent at 7:15 PM," he reported. A smile crept across my face. "Thanks, Ajay," I said, patting his shoulder, and exited the cabin with a wide grin.

"Why are you smiling?" Priya asked, her brow furrowing in confusion. "The email wasn't sent by Niharika. I'm certain of it," I replied, still smiling. "How can you be so sure?" she inquired. "Because she was with me from 7:00 PM to 7:20 PM that day. I saw her leaving the parking lot. She's definitely not some kind of supernatural being who can be in multiple places at once," I explained, widening my grin.