Chapter 213 - Why should I believe you?

The café was bustling with people all around as it always has been. It was flooded with college students… some bunking classes and hanging out leisurely while some others came with their pairs to get some alone time. They were cozied up in one or another corner whispering sweet nothings into each other's ears.

This café brought back a lot of memories for Shreya. This is where she had spent her better parts of her university days. She rarely had the patience to actually sit in a classroom in one place quietly and listen to lectures. And because of her status, nobody really questioned her. But even otherwise, the professors preferred it that she did not sit for their classes. Because whenever she did, Shreya would end up asking all sorts of difficult questions that drove them crazy.

So, she would usually sit in this café to pass time. And since she was a topper in her batch, nobody ever raised any complaints.

Shreya went ahead and sat on one of the secluded tables in the corner of the café. She ordered herself a cup of coffee and sipped on it leisurely. This place felt so familiar in someways and so alien in others. They had actually redecorated the interiors. When she used to come here, there were lesser people compared to now and the place only had old furniture back then. An old man used to own this place. And he would hold a place especially for her each and every day. But looking at it now, she could already guess that the old man must have sold his shop out.

Now, it had waiters and counter personnel. It lost its cozy elegance and was now a commercial institution that was all. She cannot really say that she like this place anymore.

She leaned back on the chair and crossed her legs as her eyes wandered around the café astutely. She was checking out whether the café was rigged. But as far as she knew Malini, she was too lazy for stuff like that… just like she herself.

Malini walked into the café and her eyes wandered around in search of Shreya.

Shreya saw her figure the instant Malini walked through the entrance. But Shreya did not bother beckoning her. Shreya just let her search and find her which did not take long.

Malini was what you would call elegant and famine. Whenever she went out, not a single hair will be out of place, unlike Shreya who couldn't be bothered to even brush her hair.

She was wearing a knee-length skirt and a beige blouse that complemented her features perfectly. She was what you would expect from an heiress of a conglomerate. someone who is raised to look proper and carry the weight of the status she was born into. It was almost impossible to find faults in her.

Malini's long hair fluttered in the wind as she sat in front of Shreya and took off her shades. She kept her hand back on the chair beside her and leaned back on her chair crossing her legs.

Shreya nodded her head at Malini acknowledging her for which Malini reciprocated.

Both of them stared at each other after that without blinking for a few minutes. Both of them did not talk for what seemed like a long time.

They assessed each other.

Malini called over the waiter and ordered herself a cup of coffee after which she went back to the staring match with Shreya.

Their posture was almost identical… at least physiologically speaking. But they looked so different from each other… the aura surrounding each other was different. Both had an arrogance about their stare but still so different. Shreya had laziness to her arrogance while Malini had pride in hers.

Malini's coffee was served. She sipped on it looking prim and proper as always. Her every move was elegant to point of mesmerizing.

"You want to tell me why you called me here?" Malini asked seeing as Shreya was not going to start. Her voice was soft and melodic and it made you want to drown in them.

"Do you know about the syndicate?" Shreya asked out of the blue. She first wants to make sure Malini was not a part of it. Even though she was pretty confident in her assessment of Malini and Abimanyu… she still wanted to confirm.

And only if she asked direct questions like this will she be able to assess whether or not Malini was lying. Shreya needed to catch her off guard in order to provoke an honest reaction from Malini.

Malini blinked not understanding. And Shreya had expected as much.

Her eyes were filled with confusion. There was no recognition in them when she mentioned the syndicate. Malini looked at Shreya was if she was talking French or something.

After confirming her doubts, Shreya started filling Malini in on whatever she knew so far. Only when Shreya can honestly say everything will Malini be able to trust her.

"It's an illegal crime syndicate run by your dad and his army buddies… For the right price, they will do just about anything… And they are responsible for the death of the late Prime Minister Girish and my parents. At least." Shreya said everything in one breath without even taking a pause. She then took out the pen drive and slide it across the table and continued, "You will find the evidence there… they are circ.u.mstantial but then with your expertise… if you dig, you will be able to confirm it."

Naren's dad, Abimanyu, and Abishek used to serve in the army for a period of time and they were thick as thieves in there. Shreya guessed that was where they had learned the necessary craft and connections to start something like syndicate.

Malini was dumbstruck for a long time. It took her time to process everything Shreya had just said and Shreya wasn't the one to ease into a subject after all. But once she actually understood what Shreya was claiming, she looked up at her and asked, "Why should I believe you?"

Which was a valid point given the circ.u.mstances… After all, Girish's killer was convicted while her parents' was an accident. And both were public knowledge while the accused was also her own father.

Especially, the Prime minister's murder case�� it was so high profile when it happened that the court sessions were actually broadcasted and the witness had publicly confessed to what he saw.

But then Adi Trivedi had confessed to Adithya about what he saw… which was nothing. Adi Trivedi never saw anything… he did not lie about what he saw but he was made to lie that he actually saw something when in reality he never saw anything. He was one of the first persons to leave the podium where Girish was shot and he was actually recorded by one of the news crews while he was leaving. Nobody bothered to check that was all since he was at the far end of the screen.

With this one finding, Adithya would have been able to throw the whole case off… after all, all the physical evidence was very circ.u.mstantial. The conviction greatly hinged on Adi Trivedi's testimony.

"You don't have to believe me. You can do your own research. I am just giving you a starting point… with your skills, it should be a piece of cake." Shreya replied pushing the pen drive towards Malini.

Malini looked at it suspiciously for a minute before taking it. She did not say a word more.

"You know me… I am too lazy to lie. And I do not speculate… But I would advise you not to speak about our meeting today with your father… Because unlike your belief he is not by the books." Shreya warned.

After all, they both knew each other pretty well. Shreya knew how much of a goody-two-shoes Malini was. She was ruthless and smart as hell… but she also has a very high moral compass. That was the main reason why Shreya had confidently handed her over the evidence. If she was even 1% not sure, she wouldn't have brought it here.

In all the years they have studied together, both had a pretty good understanding of each other.

Business studies came naturally for Shreya… she would understand just about everything related to finance with just one glance while Meera would struggle through it.

But Meera was very proficient in computers. She was a genius. But because of her father, she actually took business studies as her major. And Shreya wanted to learn computers…

Which invariably lead to both of them having almost all the same subjects. They would be neck to neck each and every semester. But Malini never cheated… Shreya was too lazy to cheat… she rarely took her marks into account. But Malini was different… she had this drive to beat Shreya but never could. In spite of her desperation, she never cheated. With her skill, getting the question papers or sneaking in the answers would not have taken much of an effort. But she still never did.