"Are you a one hundred per cent sure that it was a man?" I asked her again for the third time.

"Tall, flat chest, loud boots, muscular arms...Yes, I am positive"

I sighed deeply. I turned in my bed and looked at the ceiling. I was totally lost. Everything was falling further and further apart. The more I get closer to the solutions, the further the solution went away.

Raziya called me the previous day to tell me about two significant details she got when she inspected the crime scene where Arjun was murdered and Chandni's house.

The first was one was something that was always expected but never received till then. The crime scene had Lilly's fingerprints.

Though a random criminal managed to escape every year before Kalan's annual visit, we could not get clear proof that both the incidents were related. Lilly's fingerprint on a rod in the crime scene gave us a direct link between the two.

The second one was what made me drown in an ocean of confusion.

Raziya said that a strand of hair was found in Chandni's room and the forensic DNA test confirmed that it belonged to Lilly. However, no matter how many times I repeated the question, Chandni was totally sure that it was a man who intruded her house that day.

There was a possibility that Lilly went there before the intruder's visit. Lilly could have wanted revenge on Chandni or maybe she was the one who stole the file on her. If it was so, the intruder either did not get what he wanted or there was something else that was missing from Chandni's house.

"We need to meet in person, as soon as possible," I said.

"Next Sunday, Indian coffee house?"

"Okay,"

I was feeling overwhelmed. Everyone kept asking me about my progress in the case and I did not want to say to them that not a statement had been added to the file that I prepared with Arjun and Indran. Mr Rajesh Sudhakaran, our sector's manager asked me if I needed a new partner and upon my positive answer, he recommended Riddick. I politely rejected the offer. He then asked me to hand over the case to Riddick if I could not solve it in three months.

I left my loving bed behind when someone rang the bell.

I opened the door to see his highness Riddick in front of me.

"Hi,"

I did not answer him and I kept glaring at him with folded arms.

"Aren't you going to invite me inside?"

"No!"

"It wasn't like this two years back. Lilly can't you put the past behind us" He started walking inside my house and sat on a chair. He directed me to sit on a chair in front of him as I kept glaring at him.

"I am here with a suggestion,"

"And that is..."

"You can hand over the Kaalan case to me and I will hand over the Sheela Mohan case to you"

"Sheela Mohan? Spying on the wife to make sure that she doesn't have a secret affair?" I laughed "No thanks and you may get out!" I stared at him until he stood up.

"Keerthi, I am saying this for your sake," He walked towards me. "You could be next, hand over the case to me. I am sure that I will be able to solve it in three months. I just need a deeper understanding and I am sure that I can find it in your case file."

"Then do it yourself and claim the money that the government offers, do not expect any help from me, just get lost"

He walked towards me and I walked backwards till I had my hand on the drawer with my gun. I was not the kind of woman who would hesitate to pull a trigger at her ex.

"You know that this is more than the case for me," He did not halt and kept walking towards me in small cautious steps as my hold on the handle of the bar tightened. "It is about you Keerthi, I care for you, I still..." He was just an inch away from me when he stopped and I pulled the drawer silently.

"I still love you," He said. He slumped and I could see the sincerity in his blue eyes. I had never noticed shyness or nervousness in his eyes until then. Not even when he asked me out for the first time.

"Did you love me when you reported my file at the firm as your own?" I retrieved my hand from the drawer without the gun and pointed accusingly at him.

Riddick was once the person I loved and respected the most in the world. I would have even given my life if he asked for it. He was the most successful and good looking Employee in our firm. Everyone told me that things were going to get worse and that he was going to use me but I never listened and thought that they were jealous of him. I had to pay the price. I loved him more than myself but a betrayal broke everything we had in a matter of seconds.

It was in January of the previous year. The robbery at Mr James Francis was chosen as the 'competent case' by our firm. Every year our firm chose a case as the 'competent case'. Everyone was open to solve the case and the person who solved it received a cash prize of 1 Lakh rupees and was given the title of 'Detective of the year'. It did not matter to which area we were assigned (spy, detective, crime scene learner, hacker...), everyone could have a shot at it. All of us used our skills up to the maximum to solve the case.

We could also partner up and solve the case so I asked Riddick to partner up with me but he rejected saying that competition was healthy for a relationship. Arjun asked me if I wanted to pair up with him but back then, I did not even know his name. Riddick said me that it would be a bad idea to partner up with him so I rejected his offer.

 I worked hard and found the culprit. I was so happy on the day on which I decided to submit it but I felt defeated when I came to know that Reddick had already submitted his report and claimed the prize. I consoled myself saying that I was happy for his achievement until I found out that he submitted my report. Every bit of information, suspect list, evidence...each and every word was the same. The only difference was the colour of the file.

That was the day I became a shattered soul from a broken one.

"It was a mistake, ok" He held me by my shoulders "I did not want to be someone below you. I did not want you to be someone above me. It's usual, alright! Men always want to be worship-worthy in front of their partners...it's just"

"Stupid idiotic ego with a mixture of the superiority complex that I have had enough of" I shrugged off his hands.

He looked at me with wide eyes.

"You do not hold anymore position in my life, just get out or I will have to call the police"

He opened and closed his mouth a few times before he turned on his heels. 

"I will not let him harm you, Keerthy, not when I am alive," He said as he walked away with heavy footsteps. His long black coat flew behind as he started walking faster.

He turned back just before getting into his car and whispered a 'sorry'.

I shut the door with a thud and closed my eyes as a lot of questions and moments passed through me like an unwelcomed whirlwind. The last thing I wanted then was a dramatic romance.

"Karthutty..."

My eyes flew open as I heard the voice. It had been a while since we saw each other but I was sure that it was his voice. I frantically looked around but I did not see anyone. My knees started to tremble as I searched under the bed and every space where he could hide.

After searching the house for another thirty minutes, I finally laid on the bed and started to soothe myself.

No, it wasn't him. He will never come back. He can't come back. He won't.

"Karthutty..." It was the last word I heard before dozing off to sleep. I tried to open my eyes to make sure I was alone but I couldn't, I was too tired and my eyelids were too heavy.

Author's note: Prompt three used