Chapter 20: The Board

The boardroom of Malhotra Exports smelled of coffee and new carpet.

Dev had sat at the head of its table for twelve years.

This morning he took a chair on the long side and left the head empty.

Six directors looked at him. None of them said good morning.

Each had the same printout in front of them.

It was Rhea's email, and under it a spreadsheet with eleven years of payments highlighted in yellow.

Rhea sat across from him in a pale grey kurta, her hair pinned, her bangles gone.

She did not look at Dev. She looked at the table, as a woman does who has been up all night.

"I'll be brief," she said. "I have loved this company since I was a girl. It is the only home I chose."

"It hurts me to bring this."

"But the accounts show that the chairman moved company money into a flat in Goa, a car, and three personal transfers."

"Over eleven years. Without a board vote."

A director coughed. Another turned a page.

"Mr Malhotra," said the oldest of them. "Is this accurate?"

Dev laid both hands on the table.

"Yes," he said.

Rhea's head came up.

She had not expected that. For a second her whole face was open, and he saw how young she looked.

"Every figure on that sheet is real," Dev said. "I signed all of them."

"The flat was Rhea's. The car was Rhea's. The transfers were hers too."

"Dev," Rhea said sharply.

"I paid them because I could not say no to her."

"I used the firm's money instead of my own, and I told no one."

He turned to the directors. "That is a breach. I am not asking you to overlook it."

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