By afternoon, Kabeer and his team reached Mumbai, their minds heavy with the Manali findings. As they headed to the police station, Karthik's phone rang. It was Ashwin, his voice urgent. "Karthik, where are you guys?""On our way to the station," Karthik replied, his tone calm but curious. Kabeer leaned in, his voice sharp. "What's wrong?""Sir, get to the hospital—now. It's urgent," Ashwin said.
The team exchanged uneasy glances, their frowns deepening, and Kabeer instructed the driver to divert to the hospital.Within half an hour, they arrived. Kashish—whom they had known as Nishi—sat on a hospital bed, her arm bandaged, her face bruised. The team scanned the room, trying to piece together the scene, until Ashwin spoke, his voice tight. "It was Nia. She stormed in, attacked her, and blamed her for the Singhania family's downfall."
Kabeer sighed, his jaw clenched. Garima stepped toward Kashish, her voice soft. "Are you okay?" Kashish shoved her away, her tone sharp and defiant. "I'm not a kid." Karthik opened his mouth to retort, but Vivek placed a hand on his arm, shaking his head."Where's Nia now?" Kabeer asked, his voice steady but strained."In lockup. We arrested her," Riya replied, her tone firm.
Kabeer nodded, his expression unreadable. Riya's voice softened with concern. "Sir, what's going on? Why are they so aggressive all of a sudden?"Before Kabeer could respond, Garima cut in, her tone resolute. "Because justice may be delayed, but it's never denied." Vivek nodded, his eyes gleaming with agreement. With that, Kabeer, Vivek, Garima, and Karthik head to the police station to confront Raajveer, Nia, and Nitya's grandparents, leaving Ashwin and Riya to watch over Kashish.
At the station, Raajveer sat in a cell, his face twisted with fury. As Kabeer entered, Raajveer lunged, grabbing his collar. Before he could strike, Kabeer's hand shot out, delivering a sharp slap that sent Raajveer stumbling back. "Behave," Kabeer said, his voice low and commanding, "or you'll regret testing me." Raajveer froze, stunned by Kabeer's intensity. "And I'll make sure you never forget who's in charge here," Kabeer added, his tone cold but controlled.
Raajveer's shock deepened as Kabeer called for Nia and Nitya's grandparents to be brought into the cell. The three stood, their faces taut with fear, staring at each other as if dreading what came next. Kabeer, Vivek, Garima, and Karthik watched in silence, hoping the tension would break their resolve. They had clues—Nitya's testimony, the beneficiary document—but no solid evidence yet.Finally, Nitya's grandfather spoke, his voice trembling. "We're innocent, sir. Nishant gave us money and threatened to kill our granddaughter if we spoke the truth."
The officers remained silent, their faces unyielding, urging him to continue. The old woman broke down, tears streaming. "Nishant… he killed our son and daughter-in-law. And David is still alive."Karthik's eyes widened. "David's alive? Where is he?" Vivek shot a piercing glance at Raajveer, who swallowed hard. "I… I…" Raajveer stammered, then began, his voice heavy. "After Uncle David refused to merge his business with Vinay Oberoi, Dad was furious. He tried everything to convince him, but Uncle wouldn't budge."
His eyes glistened, betraying guilt. "Uncle was good to us. So were Nishi and Kashish."Kabeer's brow furrowed. "Who's Kashish?"Nia's voice was low, almost a whisper. "The girl you arrested as Nishi."The officers froze, their twin theory confirmed. Vivek leaned forward, his tone urgent. "Where's the real Nishi?"Raajveer's head bowed, tears welling. "Dad killed her last year. He abused her, like he did Prashika aunty—treated her like a punching bag."
Garima's voice cut through, sharp with disgust. "And you? Didn't you do the same?"Raajveer's voice cracked. "I… I was forced to hurt Nishi. She knew I didn't want to—""Stop being ridiculous," Karthik spat, his tone laced with contempt.Vivek pressed on, his voice steady. "If your dad killed Nishi, how is Kashish alive? And you still haven't answered about David."Raajveer took a shaky breath. "Before the accident, Dad and Uncle were in the same car. Dad was trying to convince him, but Uncle stood firm. So Dad… kidnapped him and tortured him. To the world, he died years ago."
Kabeer sighed, the case spiraling into chaos. "As for Nishi and Kashish," Raajveer continued, "Uncle David never revealed his daughters publicly, fearing Dad would harm them. When Dad went to Manali to drag Prashika aunty back, Kashish was at her uncle's—Prashika's brother. Aunty kept it hidden."Karthik's eyes narrowed. "How did you know about Kashish?"Raajveer's voice softened, heavy with memory. "Last year, on a business trip to Paris, I met her at a café where she worked as a receptionist. She looked like Nishi. I was shocked, but we talked, and she told me the truth."
Garima interrupted, her tone sharp. "So you two knew each other?"Kabeer nodded, processing the revelation, then exhaled heavily. Raajveer's voice broke again. "Even Dad's murder… it was planned. Me, Nia, and Kashish—we were tired of him. He tortured Uncle David every day." The room fell silent, as heavy as a graveyard. Raajveer's anguish was palpable, his sobs echoing. Garima's eyes narrowed. "So you posted your scandal video too?"Raajveer locked eyes with Kabeer for a moment, their gazes intense. "I don't know," he said, his voice firm. "I had no wish to ruin my reputation." Kabeer gave a subtle nod, barely noticeable, but Vivek caught it, his suspicion deepening.
Something about Kabeer's behavior felt off, though he couldn't pinpoint it.Raajveer continued, his voice breaking. "Dad burned Prashika aunty alive in his mansion in Gujarat. I planned his murder—I was done." His tears flowed freely, his anguish an elephant in the room. Kabeer cleared his throat, his voice strained. "One last question. Where's David?"Nia clung to Raajveer, her voice barely audible. "He passed away last month. We tried to save him, but… it was too late."The officers were speechless, the weight of the truth crushing them. They retreated to the discussion room in silence. Karthik spoke first, his voice hollow. "No one's truly guilty. The real culprits are already dead."Kabeer's tone was firm, though his eyes betrayed his struggle.
"We can't work on emotions, Karthik. No matter their trauma, they had no right to kill." He hesitated, the words heavy. "Prepare the chargesheet."The team nodded, their faces grim. In the following weeks, they visited the Gujarat mansion, collecting evidence of Prashika's murder and David's kidnapping—burn marks, bloodstains, and witness statements from former staff. Vivek, however, was distracted, his mind fixated on Kabeer's subtle nod to Raajveer's denial of the scandal video. Was Kabeer hiding something? He kept his suspicions quiet, but they gnawed at him as the case progressed.
The team cross-checked hospital records to confirm Kashish's identity and gathered CCTV footage from the staged car crash. The case was ready for trial.The TrialThe trial began a month later in Mumbai's High Court, under intense media scrutiny. Kabeer, Garima, Karthik, Ashwin, and Riya sat in the courtroom, their faces tense. Vivek, still troubled by Kabeer's behavior, watched him closely, but focused on the case
. The chargesheet outlined the crimes: Raajveer, Nia, and Kashish for the premeditated murder of Nishant Singhania under Section 302 and conspiracy in David's kidnapping Section 364; Nia for assaulting Kashish in the hospital Section 323; Raajveer for assaulting an on-duty officer Section 353; and Nitya's grandparents for concealing evidence Section 201 related to David's kidnapping and their son and daughter-in-law's murders.
The prosecution presented an airtight case: the notebook detailing Prashika's abuse , the Manali beneficiary document showing Nishant's motive to seize David's empire , Nitya's testimony about threats to her parents , and Gujarat mansion evidence—charred remains and staff accounts—confirming Prashika's murder. CCTV footage of David's staged accident and hospital records proving Kashish's identity as Nishi's twin were pivotal.
Raajveer's and Nia's recorded confessions sealed their guilt.Raajveer took the stand, his voice broken but defiant.
"I don't regret killing my father. He destroyed our family—Prashika, Nishi, David. I had no choice."
The courtroom buzzed, silenced by the judge's gavel. Nia followed, her tone bitter.
"Kashish joined us because she suffered too. We were all victims."
Kashish, revealed as the surviving twin, spoke softly, her eyes haunted.
"I wanted justice for my mother and sister. I didn't care about the cost."
Nitya's grandparents, frail and tearful, admitted to taking Nishant's money out of fear for Nitya's life.
"We lost our son and daughter-in-law," the grandmother sobbed. "We couldn't lose her too."
Their testimony painted Nishant as the mastermind, silencing witnesses through threats and bribes. Nitya, present in the courtroom, watched silently, her face etched with pain but relief, knowing her parents' killers were exposed.The defense argued for leniency, citing the culprits' trauma and Nishant's tyranny.
"They acted out of desperation," the advocate pleaded. But the prosecution, led by a sharp lawyer, was unrelenting. "No suffering justifies murder or assault," she declared, pointing to Kabeer's team's meticulous evidence.
After three weeks of heated proceedings, the judge delivered the verdict. Raajveer was convicted of murder Section 302, kidnapping conspiracy Section 364, and assaulting an officer Section 353, receiving 20 years imprisonment without parole. Nia was convicted of murder Section 302, kidnapping conspiracy Section 364, and assault Section 323, sentenced to 15 years, with two years added for the hospital attack
. Kashish was convicted of murder and conspiracy, receiving 12 years, with leniency for her trauma and cooperation in revealing the truth. Nitya's grandparents were convicted of concealing evidence Section 201, receiving 3 years each, with immediate probation due to their age and coercion by Nishant.
The court acknowledged Nishant's crimes—Prashika's murder, Nishi's killing, and David's kidnapping—but noted that he and other deceased perpetrators could no longer face justice.
As the gavel fell, Kabeer's team sat in silence, the weight of the case settling over them. Karthik whispered, his voice heavy, "We got justice, but it doesn't feel like a win." Garima nodded, her eyes distant. "Too many lives destroyed." Kabeer's face was grim but resolute.
"We did our job. That's what matters." Vivek remained silent, his suspicion about Kabeer's nod unresolved, but he chose to let it go, trusting the justice served.Outside the courtroom, reporters swarmed, but Kabeer pushed through, his team trailing behind. Nitya, now free to rebuild her life, thanked Garima quietly, her eyes brimming with hope. The Singhania empire, built on silence and secrets, had crumbled under the weight of truth. For Kabeer, Garima, Karthik, and Vivek, the case was a haunting reminder that justice, though served, could never erase the scars it uncovered
~THE END~