Dakshi's home life was anything but peaceful. Her parents, Mr. Rajesh and Mrs. Savita, were often at odds, their quarrels filling the house with tension. Rajesh was a man of status, well-respected in society, but beneath the surface, he harbored a dark secret—a long-standing extramarital affair. His wife, Savita, suspected it for years but could never gather enough courage to confront him outright. The toxic environment at home left Dakshi emotionally drained, often forcing her to escape into the arms of her friends or her journals.
This chapter begins with the investigators visiting the family home, where the air is heavy with unease. Rajesh sits rigidly in a chair, avoiding eye contact, while Savita weeps quietly in the corner, her grief interwoven with years of suppressed resentment. The couple is questioned separately, their answers offering conflicting perspectives on the events leading up to Dakshi's tragic death.
Through flashbacks, we witness Dakshi stumbling upon her father's affair months before her death. One evening, she saw Rajesh in a secluded café with a woman much younger than her mother. The intimacy between them was undeniable, and Dakshi's heart sank. She returned home that night, filled with rage and despair. She wanted to confront her father, but the thought of shattering her already fragile family held her back. Instead, she confided in her mother, who broke down upon hearing the truth.
"What do you want me to do, Dakshi?" Savita had cried. "Leave him? And then what? How will we survive? How will you survive?"
Dakshi's pleas for her mother to take a stand went unheard, and the emotional burden weighed heavily on her. She began to see her father not as the authoritative figure she once respected, but as a man who had betrayed their family.
On the night of Dakshi's death, neighbors reported hearing another heated argument in the house. This time, it wasn't just Rajesh and Savita—it was Dakshi who had finally confronted her father. She accused him of ruining their family and betraying her mother.
"You think I don't know what you've been doing?" Dakshi's voice had rung out. "I've seen you with her. You don't deserve this family!"
Rajesh, caught off guard, denied everything at first but soon turned defensive. The argument escalated as Savita joined in, throwing accusations and years of pent-up frustrations at him. The fight spiraled out of control, with Dakshi caught in the middle, shouting for them to stop.
The next morning, Dakshi was found lifeless, her pillow stained with her blood. Rajesh's stoic demeanor and Savita's inconsolable grief now come under the scrutiny of the investigators. Did Rajesh's dark secret push Dakshi to the edge? Or did the fight that night spiral into something far worse than anyone could have imagined?
The chapter ends with Rajesh being questioned about his whereabouts after the fight. His answers are evasive, his eyes darting nervously. Meanwhile, Savita, trembling with guilt and anger, mutters under her breath, "If only she had kept quiet... none of this would've happened."
As the investigators dig deeper, the cracks in the family's façade begin to widen. The once-hidden affair, the years of conflict, and the night of the fatal argument all point to a chilling possibility—was Dakshi's death an accident, or did someone in her own family silence her forever?