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This is an unedited draft of the book, meaning there will be several grammatical errors, name mismatches, plot discrepancies, and other sematic errors. If that is something you find offence, please do not proceed further.

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Swati Sandeep

Dhruv took a break for lunch and walked into his office to check on Dheer. He had not seen the boy the entire day. The sous chef was cribbing about the extra work, but Dhruv did not pay attention. Dheer had joined only a couple of days ago. The staff was used to the hectic shits. The sudden complaints seemed meaningless to him. What the staff did not understand was that Dheer was not an employee. He was an intern. The boy did not have to put in the grunt work, but Dheer pulled his weight.

Dhruv smiled when he saw Dheer with his nose buried in the system. The glasses he was wearing complemented his persona. He had never seen him wear the glasses before, so he assumed that Dheer only needed them when using a screen.

"Lunch ke liye chale? (Shall we go for lunch?)" Dhruv called out when Dheer remained oblivious to his presence.

"Aa gaye aap? (You are here?)" Dheer removed his glasses and pulled a few vouchers from the file he was going though. "Main aapka hi intezaar kar raha tha. (I was waiting for you.)"

"Kuch chahiye tha? (Do you need something?)"

Dheer pulled the chair next to him and motioned for Dhruv to take a seat. He had identified several discrepancies in the invoices and needed clarification.

"Kya hua?"

"Yeh Ratan traders kaun hai?" Dheer tapped at a voucher.

"Humare meat suppliers hai. (They are our suppliers.) They make sure we are stocked every day. We make weekly payments. Why are you asking?"

"Okay. And who are Rataan traders?"

"Abhi bataya to tha na (I told you already)...."

Dheer shook his head and pointed to the discrepancy he had observed. "We make payments to two different Ratan traders. Look at the spelling. It's the same but has an additional 'a'."

Dhruv saw the spelling and his eyes widened in surprise. He had never discovered it before. The receipts looked just the same.

"Maybe their receipt book had a printing error."

"Observe the dates, Bhaiya. Ek he date pe do different receipts bheje gaye. (They sent two different invoices the same day.) With different amounts. How can they use two different receipt books on the same day?" Dheer circled the dates.

"Aur yeh pehli baar nahi hua hai aise. (And this is not the first time.) Every week we pay two different bills. Different amounts. This is not with Ratan Traders alone." Dheer pulled out another set of papers. "These are from Anuj Farms." Dheer circled the names highlighting the difference in spelling again. Again an extra 'u' was added to hide the discrepancy. Anyone who saw them could not differentiate.

"In the accounts we only enter them as Ajun Farms and Ratan traders when we are actually making payments to four different vendors. I take it you were not aware of this?"

Dhruv shook his head. He had no clue. Both the suppliers Dheer mentioned were long standing clients. He never questioned any invoices he received from them and simply made the payments. He sent the same instructions to his accountant.

"Then there is something else you should know. These receipts are settled in cash." Dheer separated the receipts that had come with a different name. "There is no bank account linked. Who makes this payment?"

"I do." Dhruv ran his fingers through his hair. The discovery shocked him. Every Friday evening he withdrew cash from the account to compensate the vendors and suppliers. Certain vendors offered a healthy discount for cash payments and he thought it was good business to accept the discounts.

"And you pay them directly?" Dheer frowned. His Bhaiya was no fool to hand over money to any idiot.

Dhruv shook his head. "Raghav makes the payments. As you know some of our chef assistants like to take a weekly pay. Friday is the pay day. Raghav takes care of everything."

Dheer did not like hearing that. Raghav, their sous chef, was a royal pain in the wrong place. The man was over involved in everything and often behaved like the restaurant belonged to him. He had tried bossing him, but Dhruv's presence kept the man in check. Raghav still found out sneaky ways to mess with him, but Dheer could give back as good as he got. The one time Rahav tried to put him on dish duty he had called him out and made it clear that he would tell Dhruv about it. Raghav stayed clear of him since then, but he knew he bullied the other staff behind Dhruv's back. Dheer could never trust a man like that.

"Aap uspe bharosa karte ho? (Do you trust him?)"

Dhruv wanted to nod his head, but he did not. Truth was he did not trust the man. Raghav was a great cook and he knew how to work the kitchen. He never cribbed about the extra hours or demanded more compensation. Dhruv needed an experienced hand to take orders and Raghav fit the bill perfectly.

"Nahi karte aap uspe bharosa? (You don't trust him, do you?)"

"Tughje lagta hai usne keya hai yeh? (Do you think he is responsible for this?)"

Dheer nodded his head. There was no other explanation.

"Can you tell me when he joined?"

"18 months back. The guy has been a constant, Dheer. He might be a little weird, but he does a good job. I don't think..." Dhruv had to stop when Dheer turned the laptop around and showed him the accounts he had pulled out. He had filtered the cash payments made to Raatan traders and Anuuj Farms. "The cash payments started eight months from now."

Dhruv closed his eyes in disbelief. He had handed over the responsibility of cash payments to Raghav 10 months back. The man had been fooling behind his back and he was completely unaware.

"He is clever, Bhaiya. Look at the amounts, it's not so huge that it would need your approval. He sneaked in a few thousands every week. The money could not be missed easily. Most of the food here gets sent to the shelter at the end of the day. It is easy to write it off as losses. The man is playing a dirty game. I am sure these supplies never came in. This whole thing is bogus. You can call Ranan traders and cross check if they ever demanded cash payments. If they agree then I am wrong."

Dhruv trusted Dheer, but he could not discredit a long standing employee based on Dheer's words alone. He had enough evidence but Dhruv still gave the man a benefit of doubt and called in Ratan traders. As Dheer said they confirmed that they only ever took check payments.

"Call Ahuj farms," Dheer pulled the number from the books, but Dhruv stopped him. They did not need more proof.

"Please call them, Bhaiya. We need all the proof before confronting the man."

Dhruv sighed and made the call. Anuj traders confirmed the same. They did not do cash payments. Only the small vendors engaged in small payments and they were all settled once a month. Dhruv himself handled the payments as he was on a first name basis with most of them.

"7,55.860" Dheer shook his head as he totaled the amount. It was not a huge amount but for Dhruv it was a substantial cut from his profits. "You need to call the police, Bha... Sir" Dheer corrected himself. Now that he sorted out the issue he was once again self-conscious. "This is fraud."

Dhruv nodded his head but did not say much. "Go for lunch. I will deal with it. Thank you for bringing this to my notice. I owe you big time."

"I did my job, Sir. That man belongs behind bars."

"He has a family, Dheer. Two young children aging parents."

"You will let him go?" Dheer looked at him in disbelief. "That's crazy, Bh.... Sir. He needs to...."

"I will not let him get away with fraud, but we don't have to call the cops. Let me handle this."

"But, Sir.."

Dhruv gave his head a firm shake, cutting the protest short. Dheer walked away annoyed. All he wanted to do was walk inside the restaurant and punch the ugly pigs face, he could not understand how Dhruv was handling it so calmly. The man did not deserve any kindness. He deserved to be kicked out. He always thought his Bhaiya was a shrewd businessman. He was not ready to see the kind side. 

The kitchen buzzed with rumors as Raghav quit in the middle of the day. No one knew what happened but they knew the chef was upset. A cleaner had overheard a part of the argument between Dhruv and Raghav. The man was pleading with him to not call the cops and that he would repay the amount. They did not know the whole story but they could figure it out. Most of them already knew that Raghav was taking liberties with the cash. He also bullied some of the waiters to pay him a percentage of their tips in exchange for keeping them on the job.

The man was not liked by anyone. If not for Dhruv they would have all quit long ago. Dhruv was a fair man and they all received their pay on time. He never deducted pay for sick days or treated them unkindly. They knew they would not find a better boss than Dhruv. So when Raghav quit they all rejoiced. Though it meant more work they did not mind. Working under their chef's command was pure pleasure.

The kitchen operated without a glitch. None of the customers were ever inconvenienced. That night the waiters grabbed most of the tips as the customers were exceptionally pleased. When Dhruv was upset he went on a cooking spree and it showed the results. Dheer wanted to stay back but Dhruv sent him back after the eight hour shift. He needed to calm himself and he could not do so in Dheer's presence.

By the time he closed the restaurant, Dhruv felt drained. No matter how hard he tried he could not get over the betrayal. The one thing he found hard to forgive was deception and lies. Dhriti often told him that he gave his trust easily. Never before had he ever regretted the trust he gave. The betrayal left a bitter taste in his mouth.

Dhrti paced the hall agitated. Dhruv had called her to let her know what happened. He sounded so low that Dhriti's heart went out of him. She wanted to know what happened but was reluctant to ask Dheer. Even the boy looked upset. For the first time since he came to their home she had drag Dheer for dinner. He wanted to skip it but she did not want him sleeping on an empty stomach. Dhruv was very particular about not skipping meals. If he found out that would upset her twin more.

When she heard the door opening she rushed to greet her brother. The look in his eyes said it all. Dhriti engulfed him in a warm hug without waiting for an explanation. Some people mistook Dhruv's silence for his weakness, she knew better.

"Bhool ja Dhruv. (Forget about him, Dhruv) He is not worth your time." She pulled back and gently cupped his face. "Acha hai uske sachai abhi pata chal gaye, warna pata nahi aur kya karta woh. (It's good that you learned about his deception or he would have done something worse.)"

"Aaj bhi kuch pata nahi chalta, Riti. (I would have been clueless, Riti.) It was Dheer who found out about the fraud." Dhruv lowered himself on the couch. "I owe the kid big time."

"Dheer ne madat ke tere? (Dheer helped you?)" Dhirti sounded skeptical but Dhruv was too exhausted to pick up on the tone.

"How did he find out?"

Dhruv told her everything. Dhriti shook her head, even though she had her doubts about Dheer she did not believe that he could orchestrate the whole thing. She never liked the slime dog Ragahav. Calling him a dog was an insult to the loyal canine breed. If she got her hands on the thief she would wring his neck.

"You should have called the cops."

"Usse kya milta hume, Riti? (What would we have gained from it?)" Dhruv shook his head. "A family would have been destroyed. He has young kids. His wife is a homemaker. You met the family."

"They are not us, Dhruv" Dhriti's eyes softened. "That man is not dad...."

"But the kids can end up like us. I don't want that. Raghav will pay back every penny. I have the power to have his name blacklisted from every restaurant. He has already transferred five lakhs. The rest he will have to settle in a few days."

"No matter where he goes he will try to pull the same trick, Dhruv. Kutte ke dum kabhi seedhe nahi hoti. (A dog's tail cannot be straightened.) He will try to trick someone else."

"He has signed a written confession. I don't think he will try the same trick again. He said it was the first time he did it...."

"And you believed him?"

"No," Dhruv answered honestly. "That is why I am not giving him a reference. He would have to start from scratch or explain why he was terminated from our restaurant. That should make his life difficult. Let's leave it at that."

"You are too kind, Dhruv. That man deserves a punch in the gut and a few days behind the bars. Agar mere haath lage toh uska muh tod doon main. (If I get my hands on him I will rearrange his features.)"

Dhruv got up. He was not in the mood to discuss Raghav. Dhriti grabbed his hand and stopped him. "Kahan jaa raha hai. Dinner? (Where are you going? What about dinner?)"

"Bhook nahi hai, angel. (I am not hungry, angel.)"

"Aise kaise bhook nahi hai? Jaa muh haat dhole. Main khana laga detey hoon. (How can you not be hungry? Go freshen up. I will warm up your dinner.)"

Dhruv tried to protest but Dhriti ushered him to his room. By the time he was back she had already warmed the meal. Dhruv sat down to eat but only played with the food. His mind was disturbed. Dhriti grabbed the plate from him and tore a morsel and offered it to him. "Khane pe kabhi narazgi nahi dekhatey, Dhruv. Mumma ke baat yaad hai na tujhe? (You should never take out your frustrations on food, Dhruv. Mumma used to say that. Do you still remember it?)"

Dhruv's eyes filled up. Dhriti set the plate down as Dhhruv's hands wrapped around her midriff. For a second her own eyes watered but she quickly blinked them away. She needed to be strong for Dhruv. Dhriti let her twin take comfort for a few minutes before pulling away from his embrace.

"I know you will take time to make peace with what happened. Take all the time you need." She sat down with him and gently offered him a morsel. Dhruv did not have the heart to protest and opened his mouth.

"It's okay to be upset, Dhruv. You don't have to always be the understanding one. I am right here with you. You are not alone. Remember that."

Dhruv nodded his head. The simple talk helped him unwind. He felt much better.

Dheer stepped back into the room to hide being seen. He had come out to check on Dhruv. He was meaning to stay up to make sure he ate, but Dev was restless. The boy misplaced his phone somewhere and was sweating about it. He could not leave him alone when he was so agitated. By the time Dev drifted off to a restless sleep, Dhruv had already come back. Dheer knew because he was watching the road from their room. Dhruv looked slumped when he entered their home, but now he looked a lot better.

Dheer never knew Dhriti had a nurturing side. For a second he saw a reflection of his grandmother in her. The woman who challenged him and the lady who was offering comfort to Dhruv seemed like two distant persons. Dheer did not know which version was true, but he felt glad that Dhruv did not have to handle everything on his own. He knew what it meant to suffer in silence with no one there to share his burdens. Though his grandparents were always there for him, they could not become his friends. He always wished he had someone to talk to, someone who would understand him without words. At least his brother was lucky in that way. Dheer drifted off to a blissful sleep with the happy thought.

The next morning Dheer woke up to the sound of murmurs. He opened his eyes, annoyed with the duo who did not understand the meaning of bedtime. It was barely five in the morning. It was not the time to be sharing gossip.

"Mere baat maan, Dev. (Listen to me, Dev.)" Dhriti whispered in a hushed tone, but her tone was so loud that Dheer could hear every word. "Dhruv ka mood bahut kharab hai. Abhi use kuch batane ki jarurat nahi hai. (Dhruv is not in a good mood. It is not the right time to talk to him.) Let him cool off. I need to go to the hospital now. I will come back and tell him about the missing phone."

Dev shook his head, his eyes filling with agitation. "Nahi, di. Please bata denge Bhaiya ko phone ke bare me. Baad me pata chala unhe toh bahut gussa karenge. Unhone phone kharidte waqt he kaha tha ke phir se naye wale nahi denge. Aab sach chupaye to maaf bhi nahi karenge. Please unhe pata do na aap. Please. (No, di. Let's tell Bhaiya the truth. When he got the new phone he warned me to be careful. He will be very upset if keep the truth from him. It's best to tell him everything, otherwise he will not forgive. Please tell him everything.)"

"Right now, I don't have the time bachcha and your Bhaiya needs sleep. Don't do anything foolish." Dhriti gave his hand a gentle squeeze. "I will come back and talk to him. But I am sure you must have misplaced it somewhere by mistake. Look in your college locker, ask your friends. Hopefully you will find it and we don't have to tell Dhruv anything."

"I should not have asked for an i-phone." Dev's eyes filled up. "I have lost three phones this year. I promised Bhaiya to be more careful."

"You are always careful, beta. Don't do this to yourself. I will talk to Dhruv and make him understand. Haan woh gussa karega but woh samjhega. (He will be upset but he will understand.) Don't make this more difficult. Do as I say. Go to college and look for your phone. Let me deal with your Bhaiya."

Dev bobbed his head but he looked beat. Dhriti cupped his face gently and placed a warm kiss on his forehead. "We love you, bachcha. Remember that. Don't overthink. Act normal before Dhruv. Okay?"

Dev nodded his head.

"Shoot I am getting late." Dhriti looked at her watch and hissed. "I will be back by seven. Hold on until then. Bye."

Dev gave her a quick hug and stepped back. Dhriti rushed away. Dev sat down on the bed, feeling low. He hated lying and for the past six months he was caught in a web of lies. Now he felt horrible about the new lie. All he wanted to do was go to his Bhaiya and confess the truth. He could take the consequences but that would only upset Dhruv further. He did not know what to do.

Dheer pulled down the blanket and sat down. He did not understand why Dhrti was giving the boy wrong advice. If Dev lost the phone he should tell Dhruv about it and take the consequences. From what he had seen Dhruv adored the boy, he did not understand the need for lies. The music he could understand, but the phone was a trivial matter. There was no need for lies and deception. He wanted to tell Dev to go down and confess, but they did not have a relationship. He was a stranger to the boy and Dhriti, his sister. Dheer could not fault the boy for taking her advice. He could only wish that things could not go wrong for the kid.

He got down from the bed to do the bed. Dev mustered a weak smile.

"Still worried about the phone?" Dheer asked as he neatly folded the blanket, just like he had seen Dhriti do it before.

Dev bobbed his head.

"It's only a gadget, Dev. Why are you so worried?"

Dev sighed. "It's not just any gadget, Bhai. It costs 1.25 lakhs."

Dheer nodded his head. He did not understand what was the big deal.

"Bhaiya asked me to wait until I graduate to get the phone. I did not want to wait. I fought for it." Dev's eyes misted remembering about the fight they had. He wanted it as a gift for his seventeenth birthday. Dhriti had got one for herself and he wanted the same. Dhruv did not agree as Dev had lost three phones in the past two years. He used the metro to travel and it was never safe. Two of his phones were stolen from his pocket. One he had dropped white getting out of the metro car and it was beyond hope. Dhruv had his apprehensions about getting him the device but Dhriti insisted. In the end Dhruv gave in, but the phone came with a warning. If he were to lose it there would be no more phones for him. Dhruv never gave empty threats. Dev's fear was real.

"Okay." Dheer set the blanket down and looked at Dev. "But you were not careless. If someone stole it from you, how are you responsible?"

"That is why Bhaiya was reluctant to get me the phone, Bhai. Now he will ground me for life." Dev sat down with a sigh. He did not mind the scoldings or the punishment, but he dreaded being grounded. He was a social person and loved to hang out with his friends. When he was grounded Dhruv did not even let him touch his phone, hanging out was out of the question. He would be on indefinite house arrest until Dhruv relented.

"That sucks man" Dheer draped an arm around the boy, feeling sorry for him. The one punishment he loathed was being grounded. He would rather take the belt, not that he knew what it meant to be whipped by a belt. No one had ever raised a hand to him in their home. Yash Singh Randhawa was very particular about discipline but he never raised his hand, not at him at least. His grandmother told him stories about how strict the old man was with his sons, but Dheer had the privilege of being the only grandchild and Yash only ever treated him with love. It was his grandmother who took care of the disciplining. And she was too gentle to even raise her voice, but Dheer was grounded often and he loathed every moment of it.

"Maybe Dhriti will convince Bha... Sir." Dheer gave the boy's back a gentle pat. "They seem very close. Sir will listen to her. Let her handle him."

Dev nodded his head but there was one thing that troubled him. "Do you think I should keep the truth from him?"

Dheer was taken aback by the question. He was expecting the kid to ask for advice.

"I know I should not keep things from Bhaiya, but he looks upset. Should I tell him the truth now?"

Put on the spot Dheer was caught. He had been quick to judge Dhriti but now that the kid asked him for advice he could not overlook the situation. Dhruv was already upset, if Dev were to confess everything that would upset Dhruv more and it would not end well for Dev. Dheer did not want his younger brother getting into trouble.

"Bhai, what should I do?"

"Why are you asking me, Dev?" Dheer looked into the boy's eyes. "I am a stranger. Why do you want my opinion."

Dev let out a big sigh. Yes he was a stranger, but there was something about him that seemed oddly familiar. It was almost as if he had known him all his life. Dev could not explain the feeling, but he had to answer the question. "Pata nahi, Bhai. Aap se baat karta hoon toh asie lagta hai jaise kaise apne se baat kar raha hoon. (I don't know, Bhai, but when I talk to you, I feel like I am talking to a loved one." Dev took a step back. "Sorry for bothering you. I should not have asked."

Dev wanted to leave but Dheer grabbed his arm and stopped him. "Don't tell him anything now. He is upset with something that happened at work. Maybe it's best to give it time." Dheer sighed and gave the boy's back a gentle pat. "Let Driti handle it. You try to look for the phone. Maybe you will find it."

Dev nodded his head. He was still apprehensive, but when both Dhriti and Dheer said the same thing, he was convinced. He hoped his Bhaiya would be in a better mood when he came back home. He could not keep the truth from Dhruv for more than a day.

1- Best part of the episode

2- Based on today's episode only what is your take on

a- Dhriti

b- Dhruv

c- Dheer

d-Dev

3- Who was wrong today?

Don't forget to check out the teaser for chapter 14.