Ties that Kill : An utterly addictive crime thriller filled with twists Page 2

  “I tried calling Vaani, but she hasn’t answered any of my calls,” She heard the sound of a piano in the background. Mrs. Patel knew Rebecca was an accomplished pianist. It must be her practicing. “What about you? Oh, I hugged my daughter after I learned of Jia’s death. I guess I should be thankful that she’s still here. That’s her playing the piano.”

  “She sounds great.” Alia wasn't in the arts, unfortunately, so she had nothing to counter Aditi.

  “That reminds me,” Aditi said. “Isn’t Sonia arriving in London soon? I haven’t seen her in ages.”

  Ten years, to be precise. Seven since they fought.

  Mrs. Patel’s voice was lodged in her throat. She recalled sitting next to her younger daughter at Jia’s wedding ceremony. Seeing Sonia after several years of silence made her react in abnormal ways. She felt exposed and untethered. Her mind always reeled back to the argument they had when Sonia was at university.

  “I don’t feel safe with you,” Sonia said, her twenty-four-year-old self staring intently at Mrs. Patel. She stood in a dirty dorm room, feeling the ground dissolve under her feet. “I know what you did to dadi.”

  “What!?” Mrs. Patel spluttered, wondering why her daughter was suddenly bringing up her mother-in-law. “What are you talking about?”

  “I…” Sonia breathed heavily. “I saw you coming out of her room on the night she died. You had blood on the edge of your dress.”

  “Sonia…” Mrs. Patel felt her throat dry up. “Dadi died due to a heart attack.”

  “Then why were you wearing that blood-stained gown? I saw blood on her when I went in.” she said. “It was you, wasn’t it?”

  “It’s not blood…it’s…” Lost for words, she felt tears heat her eyeballs. Sonia had seen her. She wondered who else knew that she’d been up to something that night. “Who else knows?”

  Sonia was dumbstruck for a moment. “Did you…” she wiped her tears away. “I haven’t told anyone. You know, I haven’t been able to sleep properly since…dadi’s death. I know you hated her but…I never thought you’d kill her. Your blood flows through my veins…a killer’s blood flows through my veins. I feel scared I might do something horrible.”

  “That’s ridiculous—”

  Her husband burst in before she could quell her daughter’s fears. She’d been forced to abandon the conversation. She thought she’d explain next time but there was no next time. Sonia stopped coming home after that day. She took up internships in America and stayed there to start her own business. One day became seven years. They never called each other, knowing one of them would have to explain and clear the air. Mrs. Patel wasn’t ready to tell her daughter the truth, knowing the consequences of her actions.

  She inhaled sharply, feeling a headache come on. This is how she felt every time she thought of reconciling with Sonia. Guilty, drained, and anxious. But it had to be done. Even if it was the last thing she ever did. She looked up at her friends and wondered if anyone knew what she’d done. Did any of them guess?

  “Geeta?”

  “Hmmm?” Mrs. Patel forgot what Prema had been talking about. “Vaani, oh yes. It might be best to give some space for now. She’ll call when she’s ready to return.”

  “You’re right. That’s so thoughtful of you.” Aditi said. Mrs. Patel offered a tepid smile.

  As Aditi continued chatting, she found her mind drifting back to Sonia’s image. She missed hearing her daughter’s voice. Of Alia and Sonia, Sonia had always been the smarter one; the daughter that gave her no trouble while growing up. She should’ve known that Sonia would explode like a volcano someday. The quiet ones always did.

  “Geeta, are you listening?”

  Mrs. Patel looked up, realizing that tears formed in her eyes. “Y-yes. Something went into my eye,” she said, rubbing her strained eyes. The older you got, the harder it became to face your past. Still, she hoped to be in better control of her emotions by the time Sonia arrived.

  If she arrived.

  2

  Sonia

  Three months ago

  Lace curtains beat against the window as Sonia looked down at the Harrods gift hamper lying on her freshly made bed. She’d arrived at the sangeet straight from the airport, chauffeured to the castle in a Rolls Royce that the Mehtas had arranged. Looking down at the iPad wedding invite with an ivory card glued on it, she wondered what had induced her to attend Jia’s wedding. Ever since her fallout with her mother, Sonia had stayed away from London, sending her business partner James to attend conferences on this side of the globe. For the last seven years, her life had been confined to San Francisco. All she knew was work until her universe shrank to algorithms and funding rounds.

  Sonia picked up the Rubik's cube that she carried everywhere and began solving it. She liked puzzles. They helped keep her mind off the unpleasantness of life. Her eyes remained on the cube, twisting and turning until three green squares aligned in a row. Yet, her mind wasn’t here. She kept remembering her mother’s face from that night’s event— still as proud and unbending.

  Looking back, Sonia wondered how things had gotten this far. She had been her mother’s favorite. Mrs. Patel had given her everything she wanted. That was before she knew what her mother had done to her grandmother. Sonia was afraid of her now. Her mother had always been controlling and overbearing but she had no idea her mother could kill to fulfill her ends. As a child, the incident had shaken her to the core. Even now, she didn’t trust her mother. Her dadi had been so innocent and fragile. Her grandmother had loved her and always took her side in arguments. Sure, she loved to nag Mrs. Patel, but she never meant any harm. But her mother had hated the fact that the old woman lived with them and constantly judged her daughter-in-law’s actions. Sonia knew anger could make people snap. Still, didn’t murder make one a monster? How could a human being resort to such violence? More importantly, how could her mother? For she was made of the same blood and bones, the same DNA, the same deviant tendencies.

  She looked down at the cube and found that it had been solved. All the colors were aligned perfectly, inviting a sigh from her. This was too easy. She needed something more challenging to distract her mind. Restless, Sonia stood and picked up her phone. Shoving it into her pocket, she glanced at the clock on the wall. The sangeet function had gone on till the wee hours of the morning. It was a very Bollywood-inspired event that helped set the tone for the upcoming wedding. The bride and groom’s families were split into teams. They participated in a dance-off. There was also a concert to get the mood going. The guests partied, sang, and danced until 2 am.

  Outside the window, the columns of the French castle rose against the starry night sky. It was magnificent, though a little intimidating. Memories of her brief meeting with her mother that evening invaded her mind, making her terribly uneasy. Mrs. Patel had mostly ignored her, stubbornly sticking to her toxic parenting principles. Sonia had been equally stubborn, Yet, she couldn’t help but wonder if things would be different if her mother apologized. Would she forgive her? Did she want to?

  After learning the truth about her grandmother’s death, Sonia had become wary and suspicious. She often stayed awake at night, afraid of the silent shadows. She wanted to tell someone the truth but knew that it would ruin her mother’s life. That’s why she wanted to get away from her family; to get away from the difficult decisions that she’d have to face if she lived close to them.

  She ran her own business now, a fintech startup in Silicon Valley that was growing exponentially. Things were better. Things were okay. But nothing could fill that hole in her heart. She thought she’d be able to go on like this forever until Jia called her last month and told her that she was getting married.

  “You have to come. I know you’re busy but I need you there,” Jia had said. “Mummy would love to have you. She’s obsessed with that article about your startup in Forbes. If I tell her I invested in it, she’ll faint.”

  Jia and her sister Alia were best friends, so she’d seen a lot of Jia. Alia had stayed in touch after Sonia’s quarrel with her mother and helped her when the business was struggling. Alia and Jia had invested in her startup and still owned shares. So, she couldn’t deny Jia’s request when it came. She was tired of hiding and perhaps, it was time to face the past. So, she agreed to attend the wedding of the century in France, knowing fully well that it’d bring her into contact with her estranged mother.

  At 3 am, Sonia pulled a jacket over her t-shirt and walked out of her room. The dark hallway lit up, sensors catching her presence. Only a few lights came on as part of the hotel’s eco-friendliness policy. Alternate chandeliers filled with light, guiding her way down a maze of doors. Names tags were pasted on those wooden doors, and she was surprised to find that she was on the same floor as the priest and Veer, Alia’s fiance. They were going to get married in six months and her mother had already begun planning for the wedding if Alia’s words were to be believed. She wouldn’t be able to get out of that one either. So, she had three months to process her emotions and learn to breathe the same air as her mother.

  When Sonia reached the staircase, she saw someone coming down. Three paths split from the staircase, one to her hallway and two others to two other sets of rooms. The silhouette turned his face, letting light cover his long nose. She recognized the male figure’s cropped hair, tall frame, and broad shoulders. She’d seen him several times over the last few years.

  Veer.

  Sonia wondered what he was doing in the hallway in the middle of the night. She knew his room was on the same floor as her. Had he been meeting Alia upstairs? Veer looked both ways before moving in the direction of his room. She moved left and right, hoping he wouldn’t see her. What was she to say to him? Sonia was no good at making small talk and she was in no mood t
o carry out an entire conversation with him. Not in the middle of the night.

  Luckily, he turned before he got to her, disappearing into his room. Once he was gone, Sonia lost courage, wondering what she was doing. She should be sleeping, not bumping into people from her past. When she turned, however, she caught another figure detaching himself from the staircase. This time, he saw her.

  “Ajay?” Her voice overcame the short distance. Ajay, Jia’s brother, stared back at her, dressed in a black hoodie, and sweatpants, and armed with a phone camera. He turned the camera off and lowered it into his pocket.

  “Sonia,” Ajay blinked. “Long time no see.”

  Ajay, Jia’s younger brother, was a student at Cambridge University. He was all grown up, his curly black hair now straight and orderly.

  “Did you come down with Veer?” she asked, turning her head in Veer’s direction.

  “I was taking pics of the hotel…you know, for Instagram.” Sonia felt like she’d interrupted his photo session but couldn’t back out since that would look awkward.

  “I see. Did you enjoy the concert?”

  “It was lit.”

  Sonia shook her head, lacking the capacity to communicate with a teenager without a good night’s sleep. “Good night, then.”

  “Night.” Ajay began moving up the stairs, humming a song. The hotel staff wasn’t around but you could use the intercom to call them. Sonia wondered if she should order something to eat. She’d been too busy to eat at the buffet because everyone suddenly wanted to catch up with her.

  Oh, I saw your article on Forbes. Congratulations.

  Where have you been?

  You just disappeared.

  By the time the fourth person introduced themselves, Sonia had given up on eating. As she walked back to her room, she heard a voice in the distance. Knowing she should keep going, she took a step forward only to hear the voice turned down to a whisper. Curiosity got the best of her and Sonia tiptoed to the adjacent hallway. It was dark, unlike her own with most rooms empty. Sonia saw someone moving, hand resting on the door handle. Jia.

  Sonia stepped forward, making out the hissing sounds Jia was making. She was on the phone, one hand holding her head.

  “I can’t go through with this wedding,” she said, inserting a card key into a closed door. “You know why—”

  Before Jia went in, she raised her head and spotted Sonia. Sonia froze where she was, not knowing how to run away. Who was Jia talking to? And was she serious about not going through with the wedding?

  “Hey.”

  Jia abruptly hung up before Sonia could see the caller’s name, a bead of sweat condensing on her forehead. Her eyes were red, and she instinctively took a step back as Sonia approached her. Knowing it was too late to leave, Sonia reached her side and asked, “Are you okay?”

  “Y-yes…” Jia said, her palm shaking on the door handle. “Sonia…How are you? Didn’t think I’d see you here…”

  Sonia knew Jia’s room was on the floor above but didn’t voice the contradiction. Jia already looked shaken and scared, and Sonia didn’t want to frighten the poor girl any further.

  “About what I heard…” she began. “Are you serious about not going through with the wedding?”

  Jia turned to the carpeted floor, fixing her eyes on a distant point.

  “You can talk to me,” Sonia said. “Is something wrong with Arjun?”

  Sonia didn’t know the first thing about Arjun, but she knew Jia and Arjun had been introduced by Mrs. Mehta. Arjun’s father was a successful industrialist from India who owned factories all over Europe and Asia. If Alia was to be believed, it had been an arranged marriage. Sonia didn’t know anything about Jia’s relationships other than the fact that she had been single for as long as she knew. That was maybe why Mrs. Mehta got desperate and introduced her to someone. Not that she agreed with that mentality. However, Sonia was old enough to know what kind of crowd her mother ran with. All these women cared about was looking good in society in the most conformist way possible, and a grand wedding was a part of that puzzle piece. Sonia didn’t want Jia to be unhappy after all that Jia had done for her.

  “Nothing’s wrong with him,” Jia said, moving around. Her phone with a sparkly pink case slipped. Jia hurriedly caught it, inserting it back into her pocket. “I’m fine…. it’s just...nerves. Mallika says all brides have cold feet. Anyway, I finally get to see you in person and it’s like this. How are you doing?” She looked down at the Rubik's cube that Sonia was carrying. Mentally cursing herself for forgetting about it, Sonia shoved it in her pocket. “Still into puzzles, huh?”

  “Yes.”

  “You were so good at them.”

  “It’s just a hobby. I like figuring things out. The more challenging, the better.”

  “That’s great. I think I’d get a headache. Umm…We should…Let’s catch up some other time. Good night.” She reluctantly left as Jia stepped into the empty room. She wondered if Jia planned to sleep there but didn’t ask.

  “I’m here if you need me.” She said to the closing door. And just like that, it was dark and lonely again.

  Talking had come so easily to her in the past but now, she walked on eggshells around her family and friends. Turning around, Sonia made her way back to her room. It had been a dumb idea to venture out without a destination in mind. Seeing all those people from her past was messing with her head. Sonia couldn’t wait for the wedding to be over.

  3

  Veer

  Present

  Veer looked out at the geometric glass skyscrapers that reflected the cloudy sky. A lot of these new skyscrapers in the City of London had popped up over the last ten years, altering the skyline. Still, London would never manage to look like New York; not with rainclouds populating the sky most of the year. This city lacked hope. It lacked freedom.

  Veer had been born in India and spent the early years of his life in Mumbai. The Madans moved to London when Veer was ten. They’d lived here ever since. The transition was rough for Veer who couldn’t make friends easily. He’d always been an introvert. He hated the heat and poverty that he’d found in India, but he hated the constant need to keep up appearances in London too. Freedom seemed out of reach, regardless of where he lived. Glancing down at the glass nameplate fixed to his desk, Veer felt the weight of the responsibility that lay on his shoulders.

  An e-mail lit up his computer screen, a reminder to e-mail Jia Mehta who hadn’t gotten back to his sales estimates in three months. Covering his face with his hands, he recalled the fateful night Alia, Veer, and Rebecca arrived on the third floor to find Jia lying face down on the rug. She was dead. It took five seconds for reality to sink in. He hadn’t expected her to die so suddenly. The detectives had done a haphazard job of investigation at best, but he couldn’t fault them for not thoroughly interrogating ten thousand guests. Why had Jia suddenly committed suicide? She’d shown no signs of it.

  It seemed that Jia had been with him just yesterday, attending furniture and home decor fairs together and touring factories for research. Madan Enterprises and Jia’s father’s company had collaborated on a new interior design project that would be available in Madan Supermarket in India. Their idea was to combine high-quality design with affordable materials to appeal to the Indian market. Jia, who specialized in lifestyle brands and consumer marketing had been put in charge of the collaboration. Veer represented his family in the partnership, bringing knowledge of financing and management to the project. It was his father’s way of testing him; of looking down his nose at Veer and judging him for the mistakes he might make. Veer hated working for his father, but he had no choice. His father was a successful businessman who detested any sign of weakness in his sons. Veer had been trained to follow in his footsteps, something he’d rebelled against until he couldn’t any longer.

  It wasn’t always like that.

  A shrill vibration broke Veer’s reverie, bringing his attention to his phone. Mallika had sent him a message. Clicking the link open, he found himself staring at an engagement invitation.