Part 31 Enquiry

Arnav was driving the car silently but, we can't say his mind was silent. it was roaring like hell. Why the hell his SO-CALLED parents won't let him be peaceful? Who asked them to find a Bride for him? Why the hell they were pocking their noses in his matter when they themselves were not right? He didn't know what to do. He already insulted them many times. Yet, they were not ready to leave him. He knew they had their own reason to do that. Arnav was a famous music director. They were trying to use his familiarity in their favor and intended to earn money with his help. If it was not so, they would have met him at least once when he had been in the hostel. Arnav could not stand it. This was not done. They should be stopped. Or else, they would not stop nagging him.

On the other hand, Khushi was also sitting silently. Her mind was also not silent. She was confused and fighting with herself. She could not address her own feelings. Why did her eyes tear up when she saw Arnav with another girl? Why did she feel her heart heavy? Why could not she be just cool? So what if Arnav was with someone? Why it was bothering her? The much she knew, Arnav didn't have faith in RELATIONSHIP. He hated to even talk about it. He gave her shelter and, protection because she was his friend. He considers her his friend. Being his friend, she should feel happy, to see someone approaching him but she didn't. She felt bad instead.

Khushi was not a kid not to understand her own mind. She knew very well why she didn't want to see Arnav with someone. This kind of POSSESSIVENESS was not right. Arnav might hate her if he had found her gesture. She could not disappoint Arnav. He was the only support she had for herself. She should understand the reality. Just because Arnav moving with her freely, she should not take advantage. It will lead him to exhaustion.

She looked at Arnav who looked rigid. Even though his face was ragged she didn't feel to take her eyes off him.

Arnav looked at her and then at the road. He again looked at her turning his face slowly. He raised his brows.

"Why are you looking at me like this? Talk to me and get cleared, if you want to ask me anything" Arnav asked.

Khushi gulped down. What could she ask? But she had no choice. She had to ask him something not to get caught.

"Why were you getting so much anger?" she asked.

"Because people make me angry..."

"That means, anyone can MAKE you want they want?"

Arnav shrank his eyes.

"You will get angry... you will lose your patience... you will get temper... what people just need to do is, do something that you don't like, right?"

"Who are they to decide my future?"

"Good question but you should ask the question to those who are the reason for your anger"

"What does that mean? Should I greet the girl lovingly?"

"Lovingly? Will you?" she asked teasingly.

Arnav glared at her. He smiled seeing her smiling at him teasingly.

"I don't like when she TOUCHED me. That's why I shouted. She will never dare near me from here..." he said.

Don't know why Khushi felt content. She felt happy at the same time, and a weird thought raised in her head. Would not he like it if SHE touched him?

Arnav flicked his finger and Khushi jerked.

"What are you thinking?"

Khushi nodded NO.

"Don't be stressed. I'm like that..."

"You are not like that..." She said.

Arnav looked at her.

"For me, you are not like that"

Arnav smiled. His smile vanished by her next question.

"Why?"

This time, Arnav didn't look at her nor did he answer her. He knew Khushi was looking at him to get his answer. He didn't know what to answer. Taking a deep breath, he looked at her.

"I don't know," he said.

That brought a smile to her face. She liked this HIDE and SEEK.

Shali Villas

Anjali opened the door and saw Alexander standing with a head constable.

"Please come in Sir," Anjali said, giving them space to enter.

Shyam came out of the room, hearing her.

"Hello, Sir" Shyam smiled.

Alex also smiled at him even though he didn't like to do it.

"Please, take your seat sir" Anjali was about to go to the kitchen to bring him something to drink,

"Where are you going, Ma'am?"

"To bring you something..."

"No need... please sit"

Anjali sat in front of him. Shyam also took place next to her.

"I asked you about your sister and also every matter regarding her. how could you skip an important matter from telling me?" Alex questioned her.

"What matter, sir?"

Alex extended his hand toward the head constable. He gave him Khushi's call list printout. Alex gave it to Anjali.

"This is the call list of your sister's phone before she switched off her mobile. The last incoming and outgoing calls of her phone are YOURS number"

Anjali frowned and Shyam gulped down. Anjali checked the list and Shyam peeped into it slowly. He pressed his toes on the floor to control the shiver.

"She dialed your number and you didn't respond to it. Again you called her..."

"I don't know what to say. I didn't receive any call from Khushi nor did I call her" Anjali said without hesitation.

"Ma'am, I got this list from cybercrime"

"No no... I didn't mean it, Sir. I just said what I didn't do"

"Then who called her from your number? The call had been extended for more than ten minutes... with whom she spoke?"

Anjali checked her phone. There were no incoming or outgoing calls on her mobile.

"She should have called you for some reason but you didn't receive it. Again, she received a call from you... I mean, a call from your mobile... The call timing was 11:51 to 12: 03... didn't you call her?"

Anjali nodded no.

"You?" Alex asked Shyam.

"I think she would have dialed before leaving the house. As we were sleeping, we didn't hear the ring" Shyam said.

"Then what about the incoming call?"

Shyam continued,

"The phone should be on the bed. In sleep, Anjali or Shali should have touched the screen and it should get swiped... and..."

Cutting him,

"I won't keep the phone on the bed," Anjali said.

"If you didn't call her, who called her? The number is deleted from your mobile. Who could have done that? I don't think no thief would have come to your house to delete the number from your phone..." Alex said looking at Shyam.

Anjali squeezed her hand and she understood what Alex meant.

"Did you attend Khushi's call?" Alex asked Shyam.

"I? what Rani Sahiba? Would not I have told you if I had spoken to her?" Shyam asked.

"Then who deleted her number from my phone?" Anjali questioned him.

Shyam was about to say, Shali's name, but Anjali stopped him showing her palm.

"Shali could not have done that because she didn't know the password. If she would have attended the call, she would have woken me up. That's what she always does" Anjali said.

"Do you doubt me, Rani Sahiba?" Shyam asked making a painful face.

Anjali gulped down.

"I don't know whether your wife doubts you are not but I do, Mr," Alex said.

"In which means, you doubt me? Do you know who I'm? I just came back to India from Saudi after a year"

"Yeah... your sister-in-law is missing only after you came to India. She spoke to someone in this house before she left the house. Her sister who filed the missing case didn't know about her call. Another member of this house is a kid. So, you are under arrest, Mr. Jha"

"Sir... you are hurrying. Trust me, I did nothing"

"We will find it out..."

"Rani Sahiba, tell him I did nothing"

Alex extended his hands toward the head constable. He kept the handcuff on his palm. Alex locked it in Shyam's hands without giving heed to his blabber.

To be continued...