The main hall felt like a courtroom where the verdict had already been decided. Meira was brought to the centre, facing a semi-circle of the Salai family. Yamini stood at the forefront; her face twisted with a volatile mix of anger and triumph. For a long minute, the only sound was the heavy ticking of the grandfather clock.
"You know why you've been brought here, don't you?" Yamini hissed, her eyes burning with hatred. Meira, already trembling from the sheer weight of their stares, shook her head in confusion.
"I... I don't know, Ma'am," Meira stammered.
"You stole from my room," Yamini declared. Meira's eyes widened. Before she could speak, Mohini intervened. "Yamini, you are making a grave allegation without any evidence."
Yamini ignored her. "No wonder you've been sticking to my poor daughter like a shadow. You were scouting for an opportunity." Taniya tried to speak up, but one look from her mother silenced her.
"Ma'am, I haven't done anything to deserve this," Meira pleaded. Yamini responded with a crooked, mocking laugh.
The heavy doors opened as Divya and Rudra entered. "It seems a serious matter is being discussed," Divya noted coolly.
"We are punishing a criminal," Yamini snapped. She explained that a jewelry box, intended for Taniya's wedding and crafted by the royal goldsmiths, had vanished from her locker. "This girl was near my room this morning. Who else could it be? The servants are vetted; we are family. Only she is the outsider."
"Aunt Yamini is right," Raghav added coldly. "She should be punished."
"Yamini, you need solid proof for this," Divya stated firmly.
"What proof?" Yamini sneered. "Unless you think one of us is a thief?"
Rudra stepped forward, his voice calm. "Wait. You say Meira is a suspect because she was in that corridor? I was there too. And I saw Vivek Uncle roaming around an hour later. Among the three of us, only Uncle knows the password to your locker."
The room turned to ice. Yamini froze. "What? Vivek is my husband! Why would he steal from his own daughter?"
Vivek's face turned a ghostly pale. Shekar sighed, "We should check the CCTV. It's the only way."
Half an hour later, Shekar returned, his face lined with stress. "Well, Shekar?" Yamini prompted, still expecting Meira's name. "Tell everyone the truth about this girl."
Shekar looked at his brother. "The box was taken by Vivek."
Silence fell like a guillotine. Yamini turned to her husband, her expression shattering. "What?"
Vivek lowered his head in shame. "I had to. My business is failing. I begged DS for help, but he refused. The stakeholders were going to take control next week... I had no choice."
"You should have come to me, Vivek," Divya said softly.
Yamini's grief turned instantly into venom. "Why would he ask you? You aren't that close to this family, after all." Divya's face went pale at the sharp reminder of her standing.
"Meira is innocent," Mohini declared. "Yamini, you owe her an apology."
Yamini's ego flared. "I will not apologize to an outsider. I've already accepted enough 'outsiders' in this house," she said, throwing a pointed look at Divya before dragging Taniya away. Taniya gave Meira a look of profound sorrow before disappearing.
Divya turned to Meira, her voice strained. "We are sorry for what happened. I will ensure it doesn't repeat."
As the room cleared, Meira turned to Rudra. "Thank you for today."
Rudra smiled warmly. "Don't worry, Meira. You are like Kiran to me. I'll look out for you."
Divya, who was halfway out the door, stopped dead. Her face, already battered by Yamini's insults, now looked truly horrified at Rudra's words. Meira, feeling a sense of brotherhood in Rudra, thanked him again and left with Seema.