"Mom. What are you doing here?" I asked her surprised. She didn't mention anything about coming to office today morning, that too to Ved's office. I looked at Ved, he was standing with his hands in his pockets and he was having this stone cold expression in his face. It was obvious that he hates being with her in the same room. I don't know why he hates her this much. And there was Arohi standing near Ved's table with an annoyed expression. She gave me an uninterested look. Yeah, she doesn't like me near Ved. I sighed and shook my head. "Well, I came to see Ved. I heard what his wife did to this company and I was asking him why he still didn't ask her to leave?" She said with an annoyed face. I saw Ved tightening his jaw and narrowing his eyes at her. She looked unaffected by his behaviour and then she looked at Arohi and smiled widely and walked towards her. She held her chin in her fingers. "But I think he will do it soon because, now love of his life has returned to him. I'm so happy that you are alive. He suffered a lot thinking that you were dead. Even though you are a bit late. I hope he will correct his mistake." She said with glassy eyes and gave Ved a sympathetic look. He looked away. "I know that girl was not worthy to be his wife. It is our luck that we found out about her true nature soon." She said with disgust.

I opened my mouth to talk but was cut off by Ved. "SHUT UP." He screamed at her. "Shut the fuck up. Open your ears and hear it for the last time. Don't talk about my wife like that. She is not what you think she is. Understand. And of all the people you have the least rights to judge her character." He said giving a hard glare to our mother. She looked a little taken aback but maintained her seriousness. Gulping hard she opened her mouth again. "Why are you still supporting her Ved? She showed her true colour and still you are defending her?" She shouted at Ved. He gritted his teeth and took a furious step towards our mom. "ENOUGH." I shouted in my maximum voice and it worked, everyone's attention was on me now. I sighed heavily. I looked at Ved. "I came here to tell you that Niharika is innocent." I said. His expression changed instantly. "What, now you are also taking her side? What is with you both? How come she wrapped you both around her fingers in this short time?" My mother asked fuming.

"Mom." I gave her a warning look. She gritted her teeth and went silent. I turned towards Ved. "I came to know about this yesterday and I wanted to tell you soon but you didn't come to office yesterday and you were not picking up your phone. The mail was not send by Niharika. It was someone else." I said. I saw creases forming in Ved's forehead. "How can you be sure? The IT dept confirmed that it was sent from her PC." He asked. "Yes it was send from her PC but it was not her who sent it. She was with me in the parking lot talking during the time the mail was send. Someone else used her PC to send it, so that the blame will come to her." I said. Ved posture completely changed. There were so many emotions flashing through his face. "Unfortunately yesterday we couldn't find who it was. But then today Priya told me that there is a way to find the culprit." He looked at us with confusion. "Everyone who has to go in and out of any office in this building have to swipe their ID cards. So we came to a conclusion that if the culprit has to come out of the office after sending the mail they have to swipe their ID's to exit the office. So to confirm this we went to the security cheif's office and we found out whom was the last one exited from the office." I finished. "And who is it?" Ved asked with so much fury. His eyes were fuming and his fingers were fisted.

Before I could answer the door opened and Mr. Singh entered the office. Everyone turned around to look at him. "Sir you asked me to meet you?" He asked politely to Ved but didn't get any response. "Sid tell me who is it?" Ved's angry voice made me turn back. I puffed and licked my dry lips. "He." I said pointing my fingers towards Mr. Singh. I saw Mr. Singh frowning and giving a confused look to us. "What..." He couldn't complete the sentence because Ved was standing in front of him in an instant. "Did you do it?" He yelled. "What are you talking Mr. Aryan?" He asked with a confused expression. "Don't act Mr. Singh. I know that you were the one who send the mail to the Singhania's regarding the auction. Why did you do it?" I asked him coldly. "What? I. I didn't do it. Mrs. Niharika was the one who sent it right. The IT dept confirmed it." He said with trembling voice. I was losing my patience. "Don't act innocent Mr. Singh. I have proof that you were the last one who went out the office on that day. You were present in the office during that time. Here is the list of entries of ID cards. It shows that your exiting time as 7.20, just after five minutes of the time when the mail was sent. Moreover Niharika was with me all that time. So spit the truth. I can even go through all the CCTV footage if you want. There will be enough evidence to show that you were the last one who left the office." I shouted at him while raising the papers in my hands. The blood from his face drained. He gulped hard in fear. "You can hide yourself from the security guards Mr. Singh but not from the system entries and CCTV cameras. Did the Singhania have asked you to do this? You were the one who were hiding the sales amount for them right. What were you offered for being a spy?" I asked him moving next to Ved.

We both were towering his small 5'6 figure. He was terrified. He was like a sheep trapped between two wolfs. Suddenly Ved held his neck and lifted him up. His legs were not touching the ground. Everyone gasped. "Tell me why did you do it? If you tried to pull another stunt you won't be seeing another sunrise. Mark my words Mr. Singh; you know I won't bluff right. You tried to tranish the reputation of my wife. You accused my wife for something she didn't commit. Why did you do that? This won't go unnoticed. I will make sure that you will suffer but if you want me to be a little generous tell me the truth now. There will be no Singhania's to save you. You have known me for years now and you know how I deal with my enemies." He whisper yelled at Mr. Singh. He was boiling with anger. His fingers around Mr. Singh's neck tightened and he was struggling for breath. No one moved in the room. Everyone was terrified. I quickly came out of the trance and moved towards Ved. "Ved." I called him but he was not listening. "Tell me you son of b***h." He roared, throwing Mr. Singh to a side like a sack of potato. He fell down and hit his head on the wall and started to bleed. Ved stalked towards him and lifted his fisted arm to give him another blow. I rushed towards them.

"NOOOO. Please. No. I did it because Mrs. Aryan asked me to do it." He said suddenly keeping his hands in front of his face. He looked terrified and vulnerable. Ved's hand stopped in the mid air. We both looked at him confused. "What?" Ved asked again. He looked at us for second and slowly removed his hands covering his face. "Please. Please don't hit me. I did it because your mother, Mrs. Uma Aryan asked me to do it. Please spare me. I'm sorry. I'm sorry." He pleads. We both looked at him in shock, and then we slowly turned around to see our mother. She was standing there equally terrified. Her breathing was heavy and her body was shivering with fear. She looked at Ved like a prey in front of its predator.

"Mom? Why did you do it? Why you want to harm Niharika? What did she do to you?" I asked taking small steps towards my mother. But her eyes were locked on Ved. She neither answers nor looked away from him. I could see her hands shaking with fear. I slowly reached her and put a hand on her shoulder. She gasped and flinched at my touch. She looked at me with fear and heavy breaths. Sweat buds forming on her forehead and face. "Why did you do it?" I asked her a bit softer this time. She looked down and wiped her face with her palm. She licked her dry lips in nervousness. Then she looked at Ved again. I looked him. He was beyond furious. His eyes were red with anger and his muscles were tightening. He gritted his teeth. He closed his eyes as if he was trying to control himself. He looked at Mr. Singh. "Get out. If I see you anywhere near my office I will not spare you. Understood?" He asked. Mr. Singh, he nodded his head. "Now go pack your things and get out of my building." He shouted at him. Mr. Singh looked at my mom pleading but he didn't get any reaction. "GET OUT." Ved roared and with that Mr. Singh ran out of the office.

He then turned towards our mom. He took predatory steps towards her. She took a step back but was stopped when the table hit her back. She gulped hard. He bends down to her eye level with fuming eyes and fisted fingers. "I have warned you many times. One wrong step your life will be doomed. Didn't I?" He whisper yelled at her. Her breath was getting heavy. "Ved." I opened my mouth but was cut off by a roar echoed the whole room making every one startled. "DIDN'T I?" He banged his both arms on the table hard making mom to flinch. "You are so going to pay for this." He whispered in front of her face. Her hold on the table tightened. "I was just doing a favour for you. You married her to avenge me. How can you be so selfish? You were spoiling both of your life. You deserve a better life Ved. She is not the one for you. You are making your life hard with the thought of revenge. I'm your mother, I can't see you like this." She said. She was struggling to not avert her eyes from his face. She looked troubled. "Oh really?!! You were so concerned about your children's life? Then where were you all these years? Han!! Do you even know the meaning of the word mother? And what right do you have to speak about spouse relationship?" He spit angrily. She stood silent. "I'm asking you dammit. Answer me." He yelled and moved close to her. I pulled him back. "Ved." I called him but he was indignant. "You don't know anything about our lives. You never cared. You did this to save yourself from the endurance. You are a selfish woman who cares about only money. I was giving you more than enough right. I told you I will keep your secret safe as long as you don't get involved in my life, didn't I? Then why did you do this? Why are you always snatching away the people I love from me?" He shouted and tried get out of my grip.

She looked at him with anger irritation. "Oh now stop all these love and marriage drama Vedant. I know you married her to make me uncomfortable. You were not in love and you were not even in a relationship. It was all an act. I know it. I know how your relationship with her was. You were strangers to each other. You people were staying in different rooms. You people were not even in speaking terms all the time." She shouted at him waving her hands in the air. Suddenly Ved stilled in my arms. He frowned and looked at our mother suspiciously. I could feel his speeding heart beat under my palms. Then he turned towards Arohi.

He slowly removed my hands around him without breaking the eye contact with Arohi. He slowly took calculated steps towards her. He stood in front of her. She gulped hard. "You both are together in this right." He asked but it was not a question; it was more of a statement. His gaze falls between mother and Arohi. They both looked each other and gulped hard. "AREN'T YOU?" He screamed at her face. She flinched. She didn't dare to look at him. Her eyes were filling with tears. His breath became heavier and his knuckles turned white. "Don't shout at her. It was me who brought her back from states." Mother said with a low voice without any eye contact. He tilted his head to a side with closed eyes and took deep breath. I know that he was controlling his anger. To be frank, I too was getting irritated with mother. Why is she doing all these?

"Why are you doing this mom? What is your problem with Niharika? She is a nice girl mom. Why don't you try know her before you come to a conclusion?" I asked breaking the silence. She didn't look at anyone. She just stood there silent. "Mom. I'm asking you. Answer me." I was getting really annoyed now. "Because, she couldn't bear her past standing in front of her." I heard Ved's voice and it was unexpectedly calm. Everyone looked at him. My mother's face paled. Her lips were trembling. She gripped her saree tightly. Ved looked at her without any emotions. I was confused. "What do you mean by her past? How is it connected with Niharika?" I asked confused and curious.

He turned his head a little and looked at me. "You always hated our father for ending his life right. You thought he committed suicide because he couldn't deal with the financial problems in the company, isn't it? Do you know how the company faced such a crisis suddenly? Do you know who caused it? Do you want to know the real reason behind our father's death?" He asked glaring back at our mother. She gasped in fear. "Ved no, please. Don't do this." She pleads. The fire in his eyes ignited again. "I gave you a chance Mrs. Uma Aryan and you blew it. Now it's your time to face the consequences. So be ready for it. I'm going to uncover your long time secret in front of your favourite son." He voice was deadly and animalistic. His red eyes were full of hatred and rage. He slowly turned to face me. His demeanour was dangerously calm and compossed.

"Our father died because of her. He ended his life because he couldn't take the betrayal the love of his life caused him." He said. "Do you know what she did? . She sells out our company shares to provide money for her lover. She drowned our company in debt so that she can get the money for her lover. She caused our father's death and down fall of our company. And do you know who her lover was? Nakul Varma, the person once my wife called dad." He said in his cold voice with complete disgust. I gasped in shock. My blood went cold. I felt numb. It was like someone pours a bucket of ice water on my head. I couldn't process anything. I looked at my mother utter shock. Did she really do all that? Her posture gave away the answer. I looked at the woman standing in front of me. Her eyes were closed; her head hung low and tears were flowing down through her cheeks. She stood there defeated, ashamed and broken.

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