The Guilty Ones

Chapter 28

Khushi was in the library looking at the files she got from Arnav. There were a number of transactions from different locations in the country that had no name or place. Those transactions started a number of years ago and continued until they stopped four years ago.

 Khushi noted down those transaction numbers and emailed NK and Shyam asking for more details about these and the reason for them to stop. In about ten minutes, she received a reply from Shyam.

"Hi Khushi, unfortunately, due to our existing NDA I cannot let NK reveal you the names of those people. But the reason is simple, we stopped doing business with them. The previous transactions were to keep the ongoing contract with them. Once we cancelled the contract the transactions stopped. Once against, due to the nature of the NDA, I cannot disclose their business venturer"

The email was enough for Khushi to know something is going on. They were pretty big accounts. Unless someone has a genuine reason no one in their right mind would cancel those contracts. Basically, the AR group is taking millions' worth of losses by cancelling these contracts.

"Why would they cancel these? I need to find out. If Shyam or NK is not ready to answer me, I should go to the source itself"

Khushi thought for a second and walked to Arnav's room.

"Mr Raizada, may I come in?"

"It's open Khushi, come on in"

Khushi walked in and saw Arnav sitting on the couch and looking out the window. His room has this big glass window that opens to the back garden. Since the first time she saw this she fell in love with this place. In fact the whole house. Once you are inside, no one can think this house is in a city.

"How are you feeling now?"

"Getting there, but it's killing me not being able to go to work. NK is pretty adamant about it. I never thought I'd be listening to him"

"It's for your own good. I am sure you'll be able to start your killings and abductions in no time"

"I must give it to you for your creative imagination Khushi. Killings? Abductions? Wow, seriously?"

"You are telling me that you have never killed anyone?"

"Never, I haven't fired a gun in my life"

"Really? Well, you might have not fired the gun, but how many times you have ordered others to do so?"

"That's for me to know and you to find out. You have the full transparency so go ahead and find out yourself"

"I will, but for that, I need to get answers to my questions. Each time I ask something your lawyer brings up NDA and I end up getting nothing"

"What do you mean? You know we had NADs that we need to honour. So why complain now?"

"Look, Arnav, sorry, Mr Raizada, When I...."

"Arnav is fine. I feel like my father when you call me Mr Raizada. I am only a few years older than you Khushi. So stop making me feel older"

"Whatever, what I was telling is that I signed the contract only because you promised me full transparency. I agree you can cross out the names or any personal identifiers. But your lawyer is basically giving me a piece of paper with black highlights on each word"

"And you need more unlighted words?"

"Yes, imagine, if tell you I have a friend who needs something from you so can you give that person that something?"

"What something?"

"Exactly my point. What something? That is what I am getting. I asked them about some transactions and the reply I got was transactions stopped because we no longer have a contract with them. But due to NDA, we cannot give you a name, location or nature of the business. What am I supposed to get out of that?"