The morning after the prayer meeting, Aditya and Meera went to Paradise. As they got out of Aditya’s car, they spotted Rohit seeing a middle-aged man off at the gate. The latter was dressed in a business suit and carried a leather briefcase. He shook hands with Rohit and walked to a silver Mercedes parked nearby, driving off by the time Aditya and Meera had crossed the road.
‘Morning, who was he?’ Aditya asked Rohit.
‘Mahesh Sardesai, our family lawyer. He is also legal counsel for Bakshi Pharma,’ Rohit said, leading them inside. As they walked down the driveway, Aditya’s eyes were focused on the black Honda, which was parked in its usual spot. He glanced at Meera, who nodded slightly, as if she knew exactly what Aditya was thinking.
Aditya walked over to the Honda to inspect it. The damage was very visible; the front bumper was smashed and the right side of the bonnet, all the way down to the wing, was dented.
‘What caused this?’ Aditya asked Rohit.
Rohit hesitated for a moment before glancing up at the open window on the first floor. Aditya and Meera looked up, too, just in time to see Tanvi turning away from the window. She was watching us, Aditya realised.
‘Actually, it was my doing ... I ran into a lamppost yesterday, while driving to the prayer meeting,’ Rohit said, looking up at the window again. ‘Come, let’s go in.’
Rohit filled a couple of cups for them from the thermos flask on the table. As they sat sipping the lukewarm coffee, Rohit began, ‘There is something you must know. Mahesh had come to deliver some news.’
Aditya and Meera leaned forward, waiting for him to continue.
‘Remember I had told you that Chauhan, Tanvi and I—each of us—own 15 per cent of the shares in Bakshi Pharma?’
‘I remember,’ Aditya said.
‘Mahesh looked after Chauhan’s personal legal matters as well as ours. He was the executor of Chauhan’s will. And .’
‘And?’ Aditya asked, half-anticipating what Rohit was about to say.
‘As per Chauhan’s will, Tanvi is the sole beneficiary of his shares in Bakshi Pharma, effectively making her a 30 per cent owner in the company now.’
‘What about his family?’ Meera asked.
‘Chauhan never married and has no close relatives, except an older brother who is also unmarried.’
‘So Tanvi was the sole inheritor,’ Meera said.
‘Tell me, did Tanvi know she was the only beneficiary in Chauhan’s will?’ Aditya asked.
Just as Rohit was about to reply, they heard the familiar creaking sound. Tanvi was coming down the stairs.
Rohit whispered, ‘Yes, she knew.’