Page 49 of Born in Ruin

“Sahay Uncle,” she greeted Dhrithi’s father with a fake smile. “Hello.”

She’d never liked him and she’d never known why. He was a cold fish, ice in his veins. Her father was many things but he’d always been a somewhat decent father to her. Arindam Sahay, on the other hand, didn’t seem to care if his daughter lived or died. And that in Mayukhi’s eyes was unforgivable.

“Beta, Sahay Uncle has good news for us,” Baba said when it was clear Mr. Sahay had no intention of returning her greeting.

“He does?” Mayukhi sat down in the chair across from their unexpected morning guest and crossed her legs, waiting for Baba to get to the point.

“He’s going to bail our company out.” Baba was ecstatic. “And then we are not beholden to that crass upstart anymore and you can get on with your life, happily. We are so grateful to you, Sahay Ji.”

Mr. Sahay took another delicate sip of his green tea. Mayukhi suppressed the urge to upend it on his crotch.

“Nothing to be grateful about, Chatterjee,” Sahay responded after swallowing his miniscule sip of tea. “After all, we old money, old school folk have to band together against these vulgar social climbers right?”

“How?” Mayukhi asked, the single word cutting through their mutual back scratching.

“How what?” Mr Sahay looked at her quizzically.

It was amazing that this cold blooded lizard had contributed the sperm that made Dhrithi. She was the warmest, most loving, most exuberant soul Mayukhi had ever known. Mayukhi had never questioned why Varun had wanted Dhrithi so desperately. Being around Dhrithi, knowing her, meant wanting to bask inher reflected sunlight. Being loved by her meant allowing the same sunlight to warm you from the inside out.

“How do you plan to bail my father out?” she asked, her voice crisp with disdain. “Aren’t you bankrupt?”

Mayukhi’s father stilled in his chair. “What are you talking about Yukhi? Sahay Saab-“

“Is as broke as a dog scrounging in the trash. So, how are you going to bail us out?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Sahay matched her disdain for disdain.

“Don’t you?” A thin, mirthless smile stretched her lips. “Your daughter didn’t inherit the money you were desperate to use to settle your debts. All she got was that massive house which even if she sells…I doubt you’ll be the first beneficiary of her ridiculously large heart. So, how? Where is your money coming from? Who is funding you?”

“I don’t need to explain myself to you.” He stared at her like she was a cockroach that had wandered over to play with him. “You want the money or not? It’s simple enough.”

“Not.” Mayukhi tossed out casually. “We’re good, thanks. We don’t need your financier’s money. We have my fiancés.”

A red flush tinged his cheeks as he looked from Mayukhi’s father to her. “You’ll regret this. How are you going to get out of marrying that bastard?”

“I’m not going to get out of it,” Mayukhi said cheerfully. “I’m going to ride this money train to kingdom come baby.” She flashed a grin, a shark’s grin. “And I do mean ride.”

“Yukhi!”

Her father’s scandalised shout had her rising from her seat.

“That social climbing upstart that you all despise,” she told both men. “Is worth ten of you. He has more class in his little finger than you could embody in ten lifetimes.”

“How dare you?” Dhrithi’s father got to his feet to face her, his anger chillingly vicious.

Mayukhi watched his fingers flex at the side and she wondered if he was thinking about wrapping them around her throat. When she directed her smile at him, it was a razor blade that promised infinite pain.

Mr. Sahay was about to find out she was nothing like his daughter. She wasn’t everything good and kind and sweet. She was a thorny cactus who would take pleasure in drawing blood if he came for her and hers. And she was starting to realise that this little bunch of people were also inexplicably hers.

“I dare so much more than this,” she answered over her own father’s spluttery noises. “Thank you for your offer of help but please, focus on your own problems. Ours are mine to handle.”

“You’re going to marry that trash for money.” Mr. Sahay’s mouth twisted with disgust.

“Well.” Mayukhi shrugged, allowing her own disdain to show. “You married your daughter to filth for money, so it does seem to be a bit of trend at the moment, doesn’t it?”

“You’ll regret this,” he snarled, his Ice Man mask slipping, as he stormed out of her home.

“I already do,” Mayukhi murmured as she watched him go. “Just not for the reasons you think.”

---