The Brutal Murder of John Mathews!

Some of the police had gone to the crime scene after they got the call. Nusrat along with Ananya was still in the office. Dr. Vishwa Vyas and Nikhil went to the spot with the CBI team to analyze the crime scene. DJ was called on an emergency basis and he was with the team analyzing the body and the crime scene as well.

"Oh, god! Drashti, lift the call!" Ananya is in her cabin pacing around, trying to call Drashti. She knew it was around 1:00 AM in California and she must have slept by now. Yet she hoped Drashti would pick her call up.

Her hope didn't go down. Her phone was picked up after two more trials.

"What's it, baby?" Drashti's sleepy voice could be heard on the other side.

Ananya didn't waste even a second in letting her know what has happened here, "John is here."

Ananya's voice wasn't loud, and no one could sense some sort of tension in her except Drishti, who knows her bestie in and out.

"Yeah, that's what I said yesterday. Didn't I?" Drashti reminded her of the evening conversation they had just a day ago.

Ananya didn't forget that evening.

"Hello!" Ananya greets into the phone, walking towards the garden on the left side of her home.

A beautiful waterfall on the left and a lot more plants — shrubs, trees, and creepers, some of which are flowers — greeted her.

"Ananya, it's me Drashti," Drashti had called her from a new number and a new phone — the one which she bought just a day ago and no one is aware of it.

"You?" Ananya frowns in confusion, halting in the middle.

"Yup. Your stalker, that John had hacked my phone. Remember I said he asked me about you? Well, as I didn't say anything, he hacked my phone and got your Indian phone number. That's why I bought a new sim," Drashti didn't take a pause to breathe in between as she flung the whole matter onto Ananya's head.

"What?" she screams in shock and a second later, her hazels blaze in the fire of red and more red.

"It's true. I know you're angry. But there's one more thing, I heard he's in India, and that he left for India a day ago. He must be in Delhi already..or may not be!" Drashti wasn't sure if he'd be in Delhi but yes, she was sure he'd be in India. She is a hacker too. So, when she got a notification that said her phone's being in the process of hacking, she stopped it. Alas, he got Ananya's phone number. It's sure he would have known Ananya was in India. But she is not sure if he got their Whatsapp or Instagram chat too. If he didn't get it, he wouldn't know she's particularly in Delhi and if he did get it, he would ...know!

What she heard has put her in confusion.

Maybe not? What does that mean?

"Mam!" she turns towards the watchman.

"Yeah?" she questions, raising her brows at him.

"A man has come!"

His words made her frown deeper.

She hoped it was not what she thinks it was. She cut the call and walked to the gate.

"I know. I do remember. But he is dead!" Ananya drops a bomb on Drashti's head.

"What?" Drashti screams, her sleep ran away with the news and of course, her scream.

It was loud enough to wake her whole house, but thanks to her soundproof room, everyone is safe from their ears getting blasted and jerking up in their sleep.

"Yeah. Someone called CBI reporting his murder!" Ananya stated the fact remembering what happened a few minutes ago.

"What??" Now that was another shock that was dropped on Drashti's head.

Murder?

"Yes! He is murdered!" Ananya gulps down while saying that.

The canteen was soon getting more people into it who had taken a little break from their work. The noise they were making wasn't acceptable to Ananya. She has been to relieve herself from the throbbing head of hers.

She was having a coffee to relieve her pain and it relaxed her a little. So, when the little noise started disturbing her, she had to walk out.

"I need to go and continue my work. Bye!" Ananya positioned the coffee cup on the saucer after which she got up and walked out giving a formal smile to both Nikhil and Nusrat.

Nikhil hadn't gotten the chance to respond to Ananya and had to look at her back as she walked away. While Nusrat was only happy and dancing around in mind for Nikhil and she would get some alone time to spend. Ananya was just an intrusion till then and now that she had seen her walking without even looking back, her smile widened.

Only to dim a little later. The excitement wasn't on her face anymore and the dance in her mind has suddenly forgotten the steps.

Nikhil too had to put away his cup and walk out following the way as same as Ananya. Nusrat burned.

No. She had to follow as well. And so she got up, banging on the table, frustration making its way on her face as she walks following the way as same as Nikhil.

Only to see Ananya and Nikhil halting on their way.

She followed their vision and saw the TV and some murder news running on the News Channel.

John Mathews was brutally murdered.

That was the headline and his photo has been displaying on the screen.

He's an American. Everyone who saw his face can easily confirm that. He had brown hair and his skin seemed too white. He's very fair and looked like someone who goes to the Gym every other day.

Ananya was walking when she heard one of the officers talking on the phone.

What was his name again? Akash! She remembered!

"Yeah?" Akash Mallik had replied taking the call.

"John Mathew's murder?" Akash waited for a few seconds before nodding in.

Now that took Ananya's attention completed and she halted in her track listening to the name she hated the most.

"Alright," Akash had walked into Ashwanth's cabin to deliver the news passing Ananya who stood like a statue.

Nikhil who was following had stopped in his tracks looking at no movement from Ananya all of a sudden.

What happened to her?

Just before he could walk to her, Kumar trespasses him switching on the TV that was set on the wall to watch the news he heard about from his friend just now.

The Television came to life booming the noise as it said John Mathew was murdered. Ananya heard the name and this bought some life back to her, only because there could be so many other John Mathews and she wanted to confirm he was not the one.

And she turned and looked at the photo, she was speechless! The photo on the Television is John Mathew's. The same John Mathews who was a stalker.

Nusrat whose gaze is stuck on the man in question diverts her gaze toward Nikhil who was observing Ananya. She gritted her teeth in anger.

And before she could call out his name, Akash had come out instructing his other teammates, "We've to go the crime scene, let's go! DJ Sir and Vishwa Sir will join us in a few seconds. Nikhil, you too!"

"Yeah, sure!" Nikhil was already walking into his cabin to take out the necessary things.

Nusrat followed behind him. Ananya turned her attention towards Akash.

"Can I come too?" Ananya was impatient to come and look for herself if he is really John Mathews. If he is, what has happened to him? A guy who had come to India for the first time, only to stalk her had been brutally murdered!

"No, Ananya! Ashwanth sir didn't include your name. And anyway we only need a few police officers and forensic doctors at the crime scene. You can start your work after we collect evidence from there." Akash meant there was no need for an ethical hacker at the crime scene and that's why Ashwanth hadn't included her name.

Ananya understood that and smiled a little, although all she wanted to do was scream and shout, "Alright!"

"But how and who must have murdered him? He must have been there for you only," Drashti voices out her thoughts, the same thoughts that were roaming around her head from the time she had heard the news.

"I don't know anything," Ananya presses her head, and her head started aching again. The purpose of drinking coffee turned out useless.

For, a spine-chilling news came that had destroyed the harmony of her peace! And her head!

"Alright! Don't worry. He must have had enemies or might have been caught up in a brutal fight. There must be nothing more to it, okay? Relax," Drashti comforts her friend. She is sure Ananya must be having a headache now.

"Hmm. I hope I won't be out of the Investigation just because he probably had to India for me!" Ananya voices out another worry. There's a high chance of getting removed from the case because in some way she's related to the victim here.

"Nothing like that would happen and even if it does, just relax, they'll find the culprit soon!" Drashti was trying her best to ease her friend's fretting over John.

He shouldn't disturb her peace at least after he was dead!

But that doesn't look as normal as it sounds. It was such a contrasting statement. He was disturbing the peace after he was dead and in more quantity.

"Let's see. I'll be hanging up now, bye!" Ananya sits in the chair and drinks some water, caressing her forehead for any kind of improvement in releasing her stress.

Only to get nothing!

"Bye!" Drashti replies to no one.

....

Vishwa and DJ were analyzing the body. There were knife wounds on his body, especially his stomach and it was just so cruel to even watch. They had their masks on their face and gloves on their body as they continue analyzing for more clues. DJ is yet to join. The media is trying to get in and get some pictures from the scene.

Their TRPs could increase so much!

After all, John Mathews was the son of the former American Brand Ambassador. It had to be a piece of news!

Akash and others including Lolark who had come to the office just today were analyzing the crime scene where he found John lying in the pool of blood. There was nothing suspicious. Yet whatever weird they found at the crime scene, they had put it under evidence including his iPhone and Tablet.

"Did anyone inform his family?" Lolark looked at Akash in question.

"The Media news must have informed them by now!" Akash was sarcastic.

Wasn't that the reason why they were ordered to look into this case particularly? Oh, yes! It exactly is the reason why he had to walk into Ashwanth sir's cabin.

Here are they! Studying the crime scene.

And equally busy pushing the reporters out!

Dj walks into the crime scene just then.

"Good Afternoon, sir!" Akash and Lolark greet him.

DJ just nods as he puts his gloves on walking toward Nikhil and Vishwa, "What's with the body? Did it say anything?"

"Knife wounds and some marks on his neck, someone must have strangled him!" Nikhil says whatever he observed from his analysis.

"Hmm!" He kneels down on one of the knees looking at the body.

Dr. Vishwa was taking some of the evidence he found on John's body into a cover and was busy sealing them.

"Aah! He seemed to have a really brutal death," DJ comments sighing at the body.

"No question on that," Nikhil chuckles and DJ follows him.

...

The body was bought to the Forensic Lab soon and the officers come back from the crime scene. Ananya was still in her cabin working on her laptop from the time she conversed with Drashti, an hour and a half ago, and trying to distract herself a little from another that has been included in her life.

Do problems have a special connection with her? Why is it that she always gets into a mess when she thinks the mess in her life was enough?

God help her! Her head didn't stop aching. It throbbed in more pain. She needs another coffee. Ananya sighs getting up from her cabin and walking out only to halt in her steps.

For her eyes caught the sight of Akash Mallik again.

They came back?

Woah! Too fast!

She might have missed noticing the time. It's been two hours since they got the call and went to the spot immediately after that. Not really fast, to be honest!

"Akash?" Ananya walks towards him, in the hope of getting some answers to the little question she had.

What if it is not John but someone else?

What if the Media had hiped the whole news?

What if John Mathews wasn't really dead?

Her question seemed unreasonable when all the news channels seemed screaming out only the news they had. John is murdered!

Ananya needed confirmation and she could only put her questions to rest if she will see his body with her eyes.

Who knew if that would help her head from blasting out?

"Yeah?" Akash was analyzing the victim's phone and the calls he made to others from the last day. When he heard Ananya's voice, he put them aside looking at her.

"Was John Mathew's body bought to the Lab?" Ananya's eyes screamed nothing. They were empty. Neither was her voice giving away anything that would help people in knowing she was stressed out and hell-tensed about something.

"Yes! DJ Sir, Vishwa Sir, and Nikhil are in the lab already working on his autopsy," he informs shrugging his shoulders.

"Oh. Thank you!" Ananya walked back, towards her cabin. Completely forgetting to drink some coffee! If they're working on his Autopsy, she wouldn't be permitted in the Lab. She sat in her cabin looking out every now and then. She wanted to see his body and be clear about what she heard. Listening to the news and doubting if it was true or not would increase her doubt more.

One hour later,

It was already 5:30 in the evening and there are 30 more minutes before the office hours ended. Ananya looks out again to see if she could see Nikhil. If Nikhil is out, it meant either the Autopsy has finished or it was a break. She'll get the chance to see the body.

As if god has heard her plead! She saw Nikhil walking into his cabin, the same cabin through which he used to watch her and he thought she didn't know. She really wasn't much negligent to the stares and the attention she gets.

Ananya gets up walking out of her cabin and before Nikhil could reach his cabin's door, she calls out for him from behind, "Nikhil!"

Nikhil who had come out after the Autopsy and is hell-tired halts in his way listening to the sweet voice of Ananya. Sweet? It sounded tense to him. He turned around to look at her and his gaze stuck on her face, for she looked really stressed out. And he can see that even if nobody else was capable to do that.

The only special trait he learned! In Ananya's case.

"Yes, Ananya?" Nikhil responded to her, walking towards her a little.

"Can I see John Mathew's body once?" she looks at him. No one would be able to see the little hope flickering in her hazels. Except for Nikhil — who studied her to the maximum level possible.

"Sure!" Nikhil readily agrees, not knowing why she wanted to see. But if she wanted to see what's the harm in letting her see? There's no rule that other officers were not allowed to analyze the body. So what if she's a hacker, she's still a CBI officer.

"Thanks!" Ananya follows Nikhil to the lab. DJ and Vishwa were in the canteen, to have a little air as they drink their coffee

As soon as Ananya enters the lab, she sees his body lying on the stretcher. Her hazels took the sight of his face and nothing else except the tattoo on his left hand — a design that represents A from one angle and J from another angle.

She is confirmed!

Looking at his body with her own eyes and the tattoo on his hand had given her that confirmation. He is indeed John. The little hope she had before that it might not be him but someone else has crashed into pieces.

Ananya doesn't waste a second rushing out of the lab.

Nikhil follows her out calling for her, "Ananya!" Only to halt in his tracks looking at her barging into her cabin. He stood confused and worried.

What has happened to her?

Ananya doesn't wait to get into her cabin and closes the door. She gasps for some breath getting anxious. Not because she felt heartbroken about his death but because she has successfully landed into another mess.

...

"What about the last call he made?" Lolark asks Akash who's been looking into the phone numbers John had contacts with from the day he landed in India.

"Every number I've called and they're ready for statements except one number," Akash informs, keeping the phone away after his talk with each one of them and noting down their details. Kumar is already working on his computer looking for every phone number and its details. Ananya was busy with pending cases and so Kumar took up the charge as instructed by Ashwanth until Ananya gets free from the pending case she was working on.

"Whose number?" Lolark raises his brow in question.

"Not answering our calls but I'll try again. Kumar is looking into it," Akash nods his face taking a deep breath.

Nikhil walks up to them after he saw Ananya closing her cabin door and understands she is stressed about something he isn't able to decipher.

"Hey, man!" Akash greets him and Nikhil just smiles at his friend.

"What's up with the calls? Did you get anything?" Nikhil takes the pain of asking for details.

"I got the details of the number!" Kumar screams and that gets the attention of people in the room.

Kumar's scream didn't sound excited.

"Whose number it is?" Akash walks up to his chair and looks at the screen only to gasp in shock and confusion a little later.

"Ananya Saini?" he whispered loud enough for everyone to hear.

Ashwanth walked in to check up on the case's progress and stood dumbfounded at the name mirroring Nikhil's expression right at that moment.

"Ananya? Our Senior Ethical Hacker you mean?" Ashwanth wanted confirmation. There can be many Ananya Sianis.

"Yes!" Akash's confirmation put many people into a puzzle.

While the woman in question is still anxious and was about to call Drashti who is in her comfort zone when she notices many missed calls on her phone.

She always puts her phone in DND mode during her office hours.

She calls the number back, remembering she left Nikhil without saying anything to him. That was very rude of her. She walks out looking for Nikhil dialing the number wondering who must have called her.

Only to look at everyone staring at her. Ashwanth, Nikhil, Lolark whom she met today, and Akash who had a phone in his hand that was ringing.

Akash lifts the call, "Hello!"

Ananya who had her phone glued to her ear startles a little and understands it's Akash's number.

"You're the last caller in John's call list," Akash states the fact looking into her face and leaving a stunned Ananya who wasn't aware of that.

"Which went unanswered. He has tried for like 20 times," Kumar supplies the information.

"Do you know John, Ananya?" Ashwanth asked the question that's been bugging him from the time he heard Ananya's name from Akash.

Ananya wasn't a person to hide anything and she didn't want to. She'd have still told that she knew John even if there was no name of her in his call list, "Yes. I know him. John is my stalker."

"Stalker?" her simple statement confused them, especially Ashwanth but not Nikhil. He's slowly able to recall something. Something he forgot a long ago.

"Well, he used to be my friend seven years ago before he started stalking me. He was almost borderline obsessive for me. But he's been in treatment as well after I complained about him to his family. He was almost the same age as me, 19 then. He was a little better than before with his obsession and didn't stalk me anymore and that's what I thought until a few months ago when he started the rumor that he's my boyfriend and stuff with his friends and all. My friend even informed me he hacked her phone to get my Indian number some three days ago. That he might be here anytime, stalking me again," she comes out with everything she knows. Aware that this could restrict her from working on John's case.

What a man he is! When alive didn't bother stalking her disturbing her constantly and when he is dead, he left her career in a mess!

"Oh. I'm sorry, Ananya," Ashwanth apologizes.

Anaya doesn't understand for what he's apologizing and looks at him in wonder.

"I know he must have been terrifying you so much but I'm sorry you'd not be working on this case anymore. I hope you understand," Ashwanth clears his point and Ananya nods in understanding.

He had apologized for removing her from the case. Otherwise, she had to join Kumar as soon as he gets gone with the other case.

"That's fine, sir. I don't mind," she shrugs knowing somewhere he must be thinking she might the culprit too.

There are great chances. Aren't they?

Nikhil on the other hand remembers the vague memory he had.

"Thank god he's getting treatment. I've been terrified of his stalking!" Ananya whispers into a phone. Her voice is almost none.

"Anyway, let's wind up for today," Ashwanth dismisses the office and the people get to their cabins to wind up their work.

Ananya treaded towards her cabin. John has successfully messed with the job she recently joined, not just three days ago!

Ananya sighs removing her phone from her pocket and changed the settings, turned the DND mode off, and walks out of the office. Thumb impression at out time is been done!

...

Nair's Mansion,

It was past 7 in the evening and Nikhil had come out of the washroom freshening up. He's still lost in the thoughts of Ananya. He now understood why she looked so stressed out. It was all about John's murder. The man she's been terrified of a few years ago. It was obvious she'd be stressed out.

Should he go and check on her?

Yes, he should!

He'd keep worrying for her otherwise. Better he offers her a ride to Library as well. She'll feel relaxed. 

He took a deep breath looking at himself in the mirror. He's dressed in a beige pullover and green track pants that gave him the perfect night look. Enough for girls to fan over him and faint.

Such was his effect on women kind. 

Except for Ananya! 

The only woman he wanted to notice him and his charms.

Alas!

Ananya is one tough woman to mellow! 

"Nikhil!" His checking out himself in the mirror has been put to a halt for he heard his sister shout out to him.

He sighed and jogged out of his room screaming, "What?" He's looking at his Di from the stairs above.

"A guest is here. Our Neighbor. Ananya," Nitya grinned at him pointing towards Ananya who is seated a little away on the sofa and looking around. From the angle Ananya sat, she wasn't able to see Nikhil but Nikhil could see her.

"Ananya?" he is surprised to find her at his home. He was thinking about her and thought he'd visit her and here is she, in his home. 

Wow! She's in his home sitting on the sofa.

That should have made him happy and excited and it did, but only for a little time. As soon as he remembered the tension, hurt, and disappointment he noticed before in her eyes had taken away the excitement as he walked down the stairs.

His Di had walked back into the kitchen after informing Ananya that she'll be back in a minute to which Ananya nods.

"Hi," Nikhil greets looking at Ananya who is dressed in a black pullover and white jeans.

"Hi. I actually came to give this ball to Sia along with this Chocolate but your Di, she didn't even let me talk as soon as I uttered my name," Ananya although stressed out, didn't want to break the word given to the little kid. So she's here with the stress ball and a bar of chocolate as compensation. For Sia!

"Oh. Sorry. My Di sometimes gets too excited. Sia is sleeping, by the way. I'll give it to her," Nikhil smiles at her taking the ball and chocolate from her hands and sitting down in front of her. Sia is been sleeping for an hour now.

Ananya just smiles, "Okay then. I should go."

"What? No, at least have this tea I made," Nitya appears out of the Kitchen in time before Ananya could step out and listening to her words, denied her from going out.

"But-" she was cut off by Nikhil who insists on Ananya lovingly and she complies. Nikhil can read the awkwardness in her eyes.

Nitya sits beside her brother and starts talking to Ananya about each and every nonsense thing she could talk about. Nikhil sighs, huffing at his sister. She's too excited to meet the woman who's Sia's beautiful barbie doll and his colleague. Thank god his parents went to a party. They would have made it more awkward for her otherwise.

Ananya smiles a little in between and completes her tea, "I should be going. I've some work."

Nitya nods grinning at her, "Sure but please come soon again. It's so fun talking with you!"

Yeah! It was really fun for she was the only one who talked while all Ananya did was give monosyllables.

"I'll drop her out," Nikhil gets up putting the Chocolate and the ball aside as Ananya gets up too, to walk out. While Nitya walks back into the Kitchen after bidding her bye to Ananya.

....

Nikhil and Ananya walked toward the gate in silence. Nikhil wanted to talk but he isn't sure what to talk about. Library? He doesn't get the right words to start. What would he say?

Ananya wanted to talk but she isn't sure how to talk.

Nikhil lacked words yet wanted to talk.

Ananya had words yet couldn't talk.

"I'll go from here," Ananya denies Nikhil from walking out with her to her house. It's just some meters away. She can enter her house in a minute!

"It's fine. I'll come," he insists walking with her on the road. They're in front of Ananya's Mansion now.

"Thanks!" Ananya smiles at him before getting in Nikhil stares at her back with a small smile, nodding at her thanks and thinking if he could offer her a ride to Library as he thought he'd.

Ananya stops herself from going in.

Nikhil is her only option.

She hesitated a little before asking yet asked as that was the only thing that could relieve her from the stress other than the coffee. She knows no one but Nikhil here. Only he could help her. Although google maps and the reviews in it could help her more. She found them often misleading.

"Nikhil!" She calls out to him, almost screaming in reflex as Nikhil started walking back, to get his car keys before he asks her.

He gets startled by her scream and turns back to know if she's fine or not. She's all fine standing in all her glory, looking as gorgeous as ever.

Nikhil raises his brow in question, "What happened? Tumhe kuch chahiye?"

(Do you want something?)

His voice was husky dripping with honey. His concern and care had brought goosebumps to her skin.

"I actually wanted to where the best Library here is. I want the address," she put forth her concern.

Nikhil wasn't surprised by her question, he know she loved libraries. Wasn't that the reason why he was walking back to get the car keys? To give her a ride?

And here is she, asking from him the same. Although not ride but still!

"Sure. In fact, I'd love to drop you there. Let me get my car keys," he was about to jog back to his home to get what he said he'd get — the car keys; when Ananya's voice stops him.

"No, Nikhil. It's fine, just tell me the address. I'll go," Ananya didn't want to bother him more. She can go alone, get a novel or something, read, and get back home after relaxing in silence and tranquility privileged by the Library.

"No, Ananya. The best library here is a public lending Library a few kilometers away and I'm sure you'd want to go to the reference library since you'd have no pass although you prefer a public lending Library. But I do have a pass, let's go and you can use my pass to borrow books and read there for some time. Get them home later as you do as always I won't mind," he grins almost running towards his home leaving a dumbfounded Ananya.

How did Nikhil know she preferred Public Lending Libraries?

How does he know she's used to borrow books and taking them home later?

As always? Nikhil's words roamed around her head.

Did he know her before?

He's just a colleague and recently turned out neighbor.

Just a Neighbor!

Ananya's seemingly Mysterious Neighbor, who knows a lot about her!

To be continued..,

Let me know what you think of the update!

Haha! Here's a little twist. 

Do you think the first meeting in the Hotel is really the first meeting? 

Regards,

polymath_land

11/12/2022