75 Chapter 75

"Should I call Raj?" she asked worriedly.

"No, no. I want to talk to you."

"Well, come in and have a seat." She stepped aside and led him to the couch. "Can I get you a cup of tea?" Loud music blasted from Ankur's room. "Sorry, I just need to take care of that."

She walked to Ankur's room to lower the volume. At first, Ankur protested but she soothed him with her mom talk, assuring him that the music would stay on. It just needed to be a little quieter.

She came out and started to walk toward the kitchen when Vivek said, "Thank you, but I'll pass on the tea. I am far too full from breakfast to drink tea."

Mala sat down across from Vivek. Silence filled the air as they each waited for the other to speak.

"I hope everything is okay with you…" she started, letting her voice trail off.

"Yes. Everything is fine, except... Mala, do you know of some documents that Raj may have kept at home?"

"What kind of documents? Raj doesn't tell me anything about his work. Do you mean housing documents or anything related to the bank? Because I can help you with those."

Vivek saw right through Mala's acting and it just irritated him more. She had to know where Raj kept the documents. So, he probed further. "I'm looking for the documents related to his recent research. Do you have any idea where he keeps them?"

"Oh the experiment on the speed of light?"

"Yes!" Vivek's eyes gleamed with hope. Mala had made a mistake. Clearly she knew a lot.

"I'm sorry Vivek, but Raj never tells me anything about work. I don't know anything about any papers. All I know is that the experiment had something to do with the speed of light. Can you believe that? Fifteen years of marriage and that's all I know about my husband's work. I guess you know more about him than I do,." she added with a chuckle.

Vivek's irritation exploded. "C'mon Mala, I know that Raj gave you those documents. Stop playing dumb. I don't think you understand their importance. I have funded Raj's experiments for years, but ever since the lab exploded, I can't find even a trace of the research reports. How can this be possible? I know he hid them somewhere and I need you to get them for me." By the end of his speech, he was practically screaming in her face.

Mala shrunk into the chair, trying to escape his anger.. "Honestly Vivek, I don't know anything. Why would I lie?" Then, finding a sudden burst of courage, she added, "And if he has hidden them, then I am the last person on Earth who would help you find them!"

Vivek stood up and walked towards the centre of the room. He pressed his fingers on his forehead as if he was fighting off a headache. He felt the anger building up in him.

"Mala, those documents are worth millions!" he screamed. "We can start a new research facility and put Raj in charge. He can continue his research. I will make you millionaires overnight. Imagine what all you can do with that kind of money. You can get best help for Ankur. You can give him a future. I just need the documents. Do it for your son."

His voice grew so loud that even Ankur could hear it over the music playing in his room. All the extra noise caused Ankur to become more and more anxious until he ran out of his room to see his mother.