Her face flashed in my mind as she was sitting on my bed, looking at me, silently. I remembered the way she had stared, the way I had misunderstood that look. What if she had done it on purpose? What if this had been a trap from the very beginning?
I felt rage surged through my chest, hot and blinding. Desperation followed right after. I had to end this before it destroyed everything.
I pulled up in front of the building and got out of the car, slamming the door behind me. I recognized the place, I had seen her enter it yesterday.
“Kavya!” I shouted as I stormed inside, my voice echoing against cracked walls and narrow corridors. “Kavya!”
“How dare you come here?”
An old man’s sharp voice cut through the air.
Before I could even turn fully, a young man rushed at me, throwing punches. They landed clumsily, full of anger but weak. I barely moved. I could have crushed him right there but I didn’t need another case added to my name.
“Where is Kavya?” I demanded, looking between them.
“After what you did to her, you still have the nerve to ask?” the old man said. His voice shook, tears gathering in his eyes. “What more do you want from my poor child?”
“I’ll kill him, Pa!” the young man snarled, lunging at me again.
I caught his wrist easily and met his eyes with a hard glare. He froze at the same spot.
“Whatever she’s filed against me is wrong,” I said through clenched teeth. “All of it.”
“Wrong?” He took out photographs from his pocket and threw them at my chest. They fluttered to the floor. “We have proof. Look at those and tell me they’re wrong.”
Slowly, I bent to pick one up. The moment I saw it, my breath stalled.
“What the hell is this?” I hissed, crushing the photo in my fist. “Who the fuck took these pictures?”
“We don’t know,” the old man said quietly. “We found them outside our door yesterday.” His eyes hardened. “But I’m glad they exist. They’ll put you behind bars.”
“Are you insane?” I glared at him. “Where is Kavya? I need to talk to her.” I moved toward the stairs, but the young man stepped in front of me and shoved my shoulders.
“You’re not going anywhere near her,” he said. “You’ve already done enough damage to my sister.”
“Where is she?” I demanded, clenching my fist. “I want her to take this complaint back.” My voice dropped dangerously. “I’ll pay. Whatever amount you want.”
“She will not!” her father shouted, loud enough for the neighbors to hear. “You people think money washes away everything?”
“My sister is not something to be used and thrown away,” her brother added bitterly. “She could have been ruined. Do you understand that? Ruined.”
I noticed movement outside as people slowed down, watching and murmurs began to rise. It was becoming a public scene. And it was dangerous not just for me but for my father.
For the first time since this nightmare had begun, something colder than rage crept in. Damage. Reputation. Consequences that could never be undone.
“I want justice,” Kavya’s father said, dragging me back from my thoughts. “And if your family truly feels ashamed then there is only one way.”
I frowned. “What way?”
He looked straight at me. “Marriage.”
The word hit like a gunshot as it went straight through my chest.
“You,” he said coldly, “will marry my daughter.”
I froze.
“So the people know,” he continued, “that we didn’t sell her silence… we protected her honor.”