"Mama," Nikhil, who had coffee with Ananya in silence, had come home, lost in thoughts about his first meet, only to come to the earth listening to his niece's scream.

"Hey, Sweetheart!" Nikhil engulfs her in his arms.

Sia who was too angry at him squirms in his arms, wanting to get, and squeals in frustration while Nikhil was confused. Why is his niece trying to get out of his arms? What did he do? He racked his brain in confusion.

Better to ask than rack his head!

"What happened, sweety? Why don't you want to be in your Mama's arms? Hmm?" he tightens his grip on his niece not letting her slip away.

Sia doesn't budge as she shakes her legs, Nikhil catches them too, not letting her hurt herself and him.

"Sia is angry with you! She won't talk with you," Sia mutters tired of fighting him, and rests her little head on his chest, her ponytails caressing his chin and cheek. She presses her cheek more into him, a little roughly, angry at him. An angry pout formed on her face.

Nikhil smiles at her pouty face and pats her head. Sia moves his hand away with her hands not letting him pat her, "Sia won't let you her pamper too."

She pouted adorably and looked really adorably adorable.

"Why? What did Sia's Mama do?" he asks in curiousness. Enough of his sweetheart's angry pouts! Although she looked cute when angry, he couldn't afford her to be angry at him for more than five minutes.

"Sia's Mama is not with her when she woke up. He went to walk alone without taking me, I'm katti with him. Tell him not to talk to me," she turns her face away, huffing and puffing, folding her hands.

"Really?" Nikhil tickles her, asking her to say it is real.

"Really! And tell him to put me down too," she pats his hand away, controlling her chuckles and not letting her Mama tickle her more. She tried hard to maintain her angry pout and glaring eyes.

"But Baby, your Mama didn't go to walk," he replied, not putting her down, and tightening his hold around her back more.

"Oh. So, where did he go?" Sia realizing, asked. Her Mama never lies. It's just that if he doesn't give her enough attention, her little heart gets hurt and her little eyes burn with tears.

"Yes, Nikhil, where did you go?" Nitya asks, coming into the hall, and running behind her daughter. Well, her daughter is too fast and had reached long ago when she's still to catch up with her and she did just now, hearing the last part of their conversation.

"Di, aren't you supposed to get me some water? Your brother has just come into the home!" He didn't want to tell her or listen to him telling his niece that he is with Ananya — her Mami!

Nitya glares at him for ordering her — as if he had asked for her property.

"Water, Di. Water, I'm not asking you to give me back the gifts I gave you," Nikhil clears it out teasing his sister.

Nitya opens her mouth at his tease and stomps her foot in frustration. She wouldn't be able to kick him. For, her daughter is in his arms, "I'll see you later."

"Where did my Mama go then?" Sia asks again, poking her finger on his cheek, forming a dimple on his cheek, turning his attention towards her. She didn't get her answer yet and Sia didn't like it. So, the second time she poked quite hard to which Nikhil actually didn't feel a thing. Her nails weren't sharp and long and they felt soft on his cheek.

He gestures for her to come forward and lend her little ear and she does so without any question.

"To help your Ananya Aunty, baby!" he whispers in her ears.

He's ready to hit his own leg with a rod!

Sia widens her eyes in shock and pouts again, "Oww. Ananya Aunty? You went to Ananya Aunty without me?"

"You were sleeping, baby!" Nikhil was saying the fact. His little girl was sleeping and it isn't
good to wake her up.

His little sleeping princess!

"So? Couldn't you wake me up?" she glares at her Mama, jutting her lower lip, and her eyes began to turn a little moist.

Nikhil sighs looking at that, "Your Ananya Aunty didn't want to disturb your beautiful dreams!"

If a lie can save those tears, it is worth it!

But the little girl wasn't the one to budge easily as she mutters, "I dreamt of my doll and Ananya Aunty. Why didn't you take me with you both?"

"Because we couldn't wake you up, sweety. You were in deep sleep," he says again, inwardly punching himself. What else could he say?

"I won't talk with you," she folds her hands and looks away. Her Mama and secret Mami went out without their princess.

"Yeah, until now who was talking with me?" Nikhil puts on a red hat thinking about it and soon discovers it — a well-versed act, as he says, "yeah, I guess it's the little daughter of our neighbor Aunty. Isn't it?"

Sia screams in protest, jealous about her Mama talking about their neighbor's little baby, "Angry Sia is talking with you! Your niece."

"Oh. What about Angel Sia?" her Mama wonders.

"Your angel Sia is angry. She won't talk," she turns her face away again, jutting her lips together.

"Not even when her Mama takes her on regular walks?" he offers her, laying the bait.

"No," she denies without looking at him.

"Not even when her Mama buys her an ice cream?" he smirks, knowing it'd definitely make the angel Sia talk with him, only to get disappointed at her response.

"Hmm.. No," she denied again, quite lowly.

"So, what should her Mama do to bring back that angel Sia to talk to him?" he huffs asking her. What does this little devil want?

"A walk with Ananya Aunty and buying ice cream for both of us," she grins turning towards him, her little brown eyes glistening with hope.

"But she must be tired, baby. I saw she is having a headache," Nikhil wasn't lying. She truly had a headache and he offered her to make Coffee. When she is about to deny it, he forcefully took over her Kitchen and made Coffee for her which she did drink and he made sure she had medicines for headaches too. Only after that, he ran out of her house. 

"Oh, she should sleep then today. Tomorrow, then?" she was understanding. Her Ananya Aunty is sick and she needs sleep.

"I'll ask your Ananya Aunty, okay?" he possibly can't promise without asking Ananya.

"Okay!" she nods her head, pouting a little.

"So, let's go to a walk now?" Nikhil looks at her in question.

Sia squeals in joy, soon the poot has disappeared, "Yuppie!"

"With Angel Sia Or Angry Sia?" he made sure to ask which Sia was coming with him. The Angel Sia who'd directly talk to him or the Angry Sia who's talking to him as if he's a third person between her and her Mama. She always does that whenever she is angry.

"Angel Sia!" she grins, kissing his cheek. He reciprocates her cute kiss with his sweet-filled peck on her both cheeks.

"Nikhil, your water!" His sister had come into the hall with a glass of warm water.

"That's okay, di! I'm going to walk with my sweetheart now. You drink it, bye!" He left with his niece leaving a fuming Nitya inside who waved her bye to just her daughter and not her brother. Her brother is too much, why should he ask her to bring water when he isn't planning on drinking it?

The night passed with their walk and when they came back home, they had their dinner and played for some time before sleeping.

The next morning,

It was past 8 and Nikhil was ready for the office, had his breakfast already, and gets out, bidding bye to his little niece. Grabbing his car keys, he walks out and gets into the car. All ready for the day! Hoping it'd be another great day in his life.

Only to stop looking into the rearview mirror where he saw Ananya standing in front of her house. He immediately gets out of his car and rushes towards her.

"Hey, Ananya," he greets her waving his hand.

"Hey!" Ananya who was checking her phone, looks up having heard Nikhil and smiles at him as she says her hi.

"What happened?" he inquired.

"Aahh. Actually, my car has some issues. It's not starting. Booked a cab, waiting for it!" Ananya shrugs, pointing towards her car.

"Oh, what's the need to book a cab? I'll drop you, let's go!" he offers, what's fear when he's here?

"But-" she was about to protest when she was cut off by Nikhil.

"No buts, let's go. We will be late to the office," he gestures for her to walk and turns around taking two steps, and doesn't sense her behind.

So, when he turns back, he sees her still standing there, fidgeting with her phone, and walked towards her "Come!"

He engulfs her hand in his and takes her with him to his car. Ananya sits in the front seat canceling the cab she booked, sighing at Nikhil and his stubbornness. He's being too good! Even at the night, he had been too good and that was making her afraid. Whatever the little thoughts came into her mind, disturbing her peace, she kicked them out, putting them in a corner and she did the same for now.

They reach their office soon in silence filled with some beautiful songs. Nikhil had turned on the music player.

Until Ananya asked one question that put his heart racing and brain to work, "When you saw me, was it, love, at first sight for you?"

Nikhil held his breath, he'd be honest, no lies, and nothing would have any space between them, "I don't think so!"

He knows what he said!

Ananya did understand what she had to do!

From his words...and the rest of the journey was engulfed in silence again.

CBI

Ananya walks into her cabin thanking Nikhil after they're done with the formalities and attendance they had to give.

She walks into her cabin and sits on her chair. Since she shouldn't work on John's case, she starts working on the previous cases.

On the other side, Nikhil was ordered by Vishwa to join the investigation room.

"Nikhil, wait. I am coming too," Nikhil hears Nusrat just when he was about to walk out.

"You?" he was surprised as he turned towards her, glazing at her ready form. She was just an intern, wasn't she?

"Vishwa sir told me to observe it. It's good for my internship," she clarifies. Why is he asking? Didn't he like her coming to the Investigation Room?

"Alright!" Nikhil shrugs. It really doesn't matter to him whether Nusrat is coming to the Investigation Room or not. While Nusrat's emotions are exactly opposite to his — her feelings as she walked beside him toward the room.

"Your internship is going to be complete this week, isn't it?" he asks when they're on their way. Nusrat's excitement suddenly go down when she heard Nikhil. She'd be here for 2 more days. Today was Wednesday and in two more working days, she'd be out of CBI to start her MD. It drained her excitement. She'll miss him and more than that, the fear was in the corner of her heart. What if in her absence, Ananya gets close to Nikhil? She couldn't continue her thoughts more.

"Yes," she answers shrugging her thoughts away. She's going to spend her maximum time with him.

"So, where are you doing MD?" he asks, raising his brow.

"AIIMS, Delhi!" she squeals. It was the same university Nikhil has studied in.

"Great," he mutters not knowing his monosyllable had only disappointed her. She hoped he'd offer some help since he's from the same University and she'd get a chance to meet him. But na, he didn't utter anything of that sort.

Investigation room,

Everyone had gathered in the room except Vishwa and Ashwanth. DJ, Akash, Lolark, Nusrat, Nikhil, and Kumar were present in the room with the things they have gathered on John's murder case. John's parents were currently on the plane and flying to India. But the pressure was still there from the higher authorities and they decided to pace up the process in the case.

"So, where our case is exactly at?" DJ being the most senior officer among all of them stood near the whiteboard with a marker.

"We haven't got anything from his body. It just looked like he was brutally stabbed!" Nusrat's answer came in apt and DJ already knows that as he started writing that point.

"One point to be noted, when he was stabbed, his heart rate was too high!" Nikhil adds. DJ nods at him, he knew that too as he adds the point. Nusrat seemed to miss that point in the report. Now is not the time to question. The case is more important.

"Which means his blood pressure has increased," DJ mutters, letting everyone know that John while dying or before dying had high blood pressure due to some reasons.

"Out of what? Anger or Anxiety?" Nusrat asks thinking.

"That we don't know," DJ mutters. Well, who would know why he had got BP when his digestive system showed no cholesterol? John was a vegan! He was healthy and fit and there's no possible reason they saw in the body to know why he had high Blood pressure.

"We noticed a few steps on the spot," Akash interferes, having investigated the crime scene and its surroundings where he noticed a few footsteps.

"What kind of footsteps?" DJ narrows his gaze at Akash and Akash clears his throat, he explains, "It looked like John was running and a few people were following him."

"And?" Nikhil wanted more. How did he come to analyze that?

"We checked the footprint. The one who's ahead of everyone matches with John's footprint," Akash put the footprint as one of the pieces of evidence on the table. Nikhil took both footprints, the one from the ground and the one from John's foot. Both of them matched. He also noticed other footprints lying on the table.

"So, John was running away from a few people," Nikhil mutters looking at a few more footprints. Before Akash could say anything, he heard Nusrat, "But why?"

"Aaah, John knows! We don't. And the other footprints, they're strangers to us. We know nothing except shoe sizes," Akash adds before anyone could ask another question.

"If he was running away, it was only because he must have been afraid," Lolark opened his mouth guessing the reason he know why would someone run away.

"Maybe," DJ agrees, writing the point on the whiteboard.

"But why and from whom? He just landed three days ago," Nikhil puts his doubt down on the mat and every one of them lifts it thinking on the same line.

Why would someone kill a man who just landed three days ago?

"His last call was to Ananya Saini which went unanswered," Akash points and DJ adds another point. Well, he wasn't there when the confrontation with Ananya happened and later got to know from others. By that time it's the latest gossip in their office.

Aah! Gossips breathe faster than air.

"Maybe Ananya Saini put some men behind him to kill him?" Nusrat guesses, she was genuine when she said it. There's a possibility of it, just because Ananya Saini is a CBI officer, doesn't mean she can do no crimes. They don't know her that well.

"What are you saying?" Nikhil doesn't hide his disappointment. He could understand why people could doubt Ananya. But he wouldn't, for, he knew Ananya.

The least Ananya could kill someone. If she could, she'd have done it long ago!

The distant memories were creeping up behind him and he does his best to dodge them away.

"Why are you overreacting, Nikhil? I'm just saying the possibility," Nusrat questions him, and DJ sighs adding the point as well.

"We need to keep an eye on Ananya as well," DJ agrees with what Nusrat meant to say. There could be a possibility!

Being a cop, they need to think from every possible angle.

"Why don't you suspend her, sir?" Nusrat wonders why. Well, she's yet to become a cop. And it'd take time for it.

"No. we don't have any proof. So we technically can't!"

Lolark wonders why Akash sounded so negative. He didn't even know the woman well but he shuns the thoughts to concentrate back on the case.

"Adding to it, we aren't having any Senior Ethical Hacker for working on cases," DJ adds. They have no proof, that's true, and they don't have any other SEH too, and that's true.

That doesn't mean police are supposed to take action on just a mere possibility, without having concrete proof.

"When are his parents coming?" Lolark asks the question. They should brace themselves to interrogate Mathew's family.

"By evening," Akash answers.

"Alright!" DJ said, adding some more points on the side.

"We need to interrogate them and we might know something then," Lolark voices his thoughts, and everyone nod at him.

"True," Nikhil could only mutter. This could probably put Ananya off of the suspects' list.

"Did you get any other thing from his phone?" Nikhil looks at Kumar who was silent all this while

"Nope, except phone calls and messages. Nothing suspicious," Kumar denied. Well, he even searched for his whole social media and got nothing doubtful except for the obsession his message put away for Ananya.

..and everyone knows that by now!

"And one more thing, it looked like the ring on his ring finger was missing," Nikhil adds. How could he forget the minor of minor things? Nonetheless, better late than never. Although that wasn't something to be written on the report, he noticed and remembered it well.

If there was a possibility of John taking his out, there was also a possibility of somebody else taking it out!

"In that case, was it the case of theft?" Kumar guesses. He could only assume.

"Might be," DJ shrugs, continuing his work, and looks at what all they have managed to gather. His identity cards and driving license belonging to his US address did not help in giving them further details, like where he stayed. They had to even check with the famous hotels near the crime scene but he never checked in. His parents are in the air with no way to contact them until they land.

"Let's wait for his parents to come. We can gather more information and investigate," DJ sighs, putting down the marker, and continues, "Until then, go on and search for any recent theft which would kill them after that."

"Sure, sir!"

Everyone was dismissed.

...

Afternoon,

It's been an hour since everyone was dismissed and busy working. It was time for lunch and Ananya had hers in silence not giving heed to the gossip in the office. She knows she isn't wrong and right needs no justification.

Sometimes it does, tho!

"Hey!" Ananya had just finished her lunch when she heard Nikhil greet her.

"Hi," she greets him, a smile tugging at the corner of her lips.

"You're late, I guess," she adds checking her time. Lunchtime was about to end in fifteen minutes.

"Yeah, got stuck up with work," he settles himself opposite her and waits for his food order having given his food token already.

"Nikhil, let's eat a pita burger sandwich today," Nusrat who followed Nikhil stops in her tracks, looking at the woman she didn't like — Ananya.

"Hey, hi!" Yet she had to greet her with a forceful smile on her face and Ananya realized that yet shuns off, greeting her back, "Hi!"

"Have you completed your lunch?" Nikhil looks at the empty plate, embarrassed, and curses himself for the foolish question he asked.

"Yes, I did!" she hid her chuckles and gets up giving her place to Nusrat, "Anyway, I need to go and work. Bye!"

"How can she face us after her name was involved in John's case? This girl, I don't understand," Nusrat mutters under her breath after she was out of their sight and Nikhil scoffs.

"It wasn't her fault that she was stalked by him," he points out. He didn't like the current gossip in their office. They know they are police and ought to doubt everyone related to John. But he couldn't. He knows Ananya can never do that. Not because he was attracted to her at the first glance and it was too intense for one's sake. It's also because he grew to know her and the least Ananya could do harm someone back just because they're harming her.

If it was so, Ananya would have hurt them back who hurt her with their words. She isn't that.

"Come on, you're a girl too. Be a little cooperative if not understanding," he sighs, chiding her but that doesn't affect her much, "Alright. I'm gonna order a sandwich for us."

"No, thanks! I want to eat Pasta and I've already ordered. Don't bother," he dismisses her, taking out his phone, he gets engrossed in playing candy crush.

Not giving a single glance to a very much disappointed Nusrat!

Evening,

It's been an hour since John's parents landed in Delhi and they arrived at the CBI office — just then, after getting done with refreshments in their hotel.

Lolark, Akash, Nikhil, and DJ were interrogating them. Trying their best to get the details useful for them to investigate further.

"Why did your son come here?" DJ asked John's mother — Catherine Mathew, who looked worn out and tired, after all, she's the one who lost her son.

"He said he had to meet someone," John's father answers, on behalf of his wife. His wife wouldn't be able to answer them until she composes herself, which will take a few minutes.

"Who?" Nikhil asks the next obvious question. John came to meet whom?

"We don't know that," Steve Mathews shrugged. They don't know to meet whom, his son had come here.

"Is it the first time he came here?" Akash asks. If it was the first time, the case would be more complicated.

"No. Definitely not. He is used to coming before too," Catherine gathers her voice to answer this as her voice quivered, remembering her son. Although her son isn't used to staying with them, they are updated on his life every day, especially when he was obsessed with Ananya Saini.

"For what reasons?" Nikhil looks at her in wonder. Well, if it isn't the first time he came here, the case wouldn't be as complicated as it looked now.

"Just to roam and enjoy," Catherine stated the obvious. Her son is someone who loved to travel and enjoy. If it was Paris sometimes, it was India sometimes. He used to visit Mumbai and Delhi the most other than Paris and some other countries.

"Where does he stay those days?" DJ wanted some kind of address. Till now they didn't know where John stayed these three days. It's about the time they know that.

"We have a small farmhouse, just 1 hour away from here," Steve answered. For his son's comfort, he had bought houses all over the places he'd visit and their addresses weren't on his property lists out to the public.

"So, before he was murdered, he stayed there?" Nikhil wanted confirmation from his parents.

"Yes." They nod, to which Nikhil and DJ glance at each other while Akash and Lolark just nod.

"What was the distance from that farmhouse to the crime scene spot?" Lolark asked, asking for the address in a way.

Steve gulps down a glass of water before answering, "Half an hour, on any vehicle. Just 10 Km away."

And gives them the address of his farmhouse, "Hmm. We didn't get any keys from him!"

Akash's words were true. They hadn't got any keys from John.

"I don't know why. If he goes out, he locks and his keys are always with him," Catherine was the one to answer knowing how his son was. It looked weird he didn't take the keys with him.

Very weird!

"Do you have duplicate keys?" DJ needs keys to the house before barging in if at all the house was locked. They have the address and they need to go and investigate as soon as the couple in front of him goes away.

"Yes, we do!"

"What is his vehicle number? Did he have on here?" DJ asks one last question, there were none left to ask more, not that they knew of at least.

"He rents whenever he comes here."

The little knowledge could only help them more as they gave their words as they always do, for every single case, "Thanks, we'll find the culprit soon!"

Only that — some remain a mystery.

Is John's case going to be a Mystery too?

After they were shown out by Akash, DJ turns towards Akash and instructs him, "Go to the crime scene and search all the possible ways to reach his house. We don't know from which way, he must have reached the crime scene."

"Sure, sir!"

"Good. Get to work," DJ dismisses Akash as he left.

Now it was just DJ and Nikhil who are in the custody and soon they too left, making their own way towards their cabin after having a little conversation on the case and the details they got to know.

While Akash and Lolark were busy going to the farmhouse with a few more constables, there were people on the other side of the city who are worrying over the phone.

"What? You didn't take his phone? Why?" a man screamed at another man in front of him.

"I thought it was no use since we haven't called him before killing him," the man justified his act. He was true in a way. They made sure they made no phone calls to him before they killed him.

"God dammit! You're so dumb!" he screams at his men and rushes out in anger.

The phone could put them in danger!

CBI

The day in CBI was busy with the new case and the very new gossip about a very new employee. The evening had dawned early, and the sun was off the clouds, looking pinkish-blue and giving them a reason to wind up their work and go home.

"So, how was the case investigation going?" Ananya who was sitting beside Nikhil cleared the silence. Nikhil had insisted on dropping her back and she had to agree. Both of them were lost in their own thoughts when Ananya thought of John's case.

"Good," he muttered. It was nowhere if one could say. It wasn't that bad too — a voice in his mind whispered and Nikhil released a breath accepting that. They might know any clue soon.

Ananya didn't want to ponder on it and ask for more. She was off the case and that wasn't her business. So, she doesn't poke into the business she wasn't supposed to poke. She knows she might be one of the suspects too.

The rest of the journey passes in silence and there were no words passed between them. Each of them was too busy to even think about music — all their thoughts were on the cases.

"Bye, Nikhil. Thanks," she gets out of the car, thanking after Nikhil had stopped the car in front of her home. She needs a relaxing bath, her headache is worsening. She had to see the doctor soon for her frequent headaches.

As Nikhil smiles at Ananya's back, he remembers his niece's demand and gets out of the car, screaming after Ananya, "Hey, Ananya!"

Ananya stops in track and gazes at Nikhil who's walking towards her now.

"Do you want to have a walk with us this evening, with me and Sia?" he hoped for a positive response yet know her response would be negative — somewhere in the corner of his heart.

"I'm sorry, Nikhil. I have a headache and planning to sleep soon!" His guest was right and he could only nod at her in concern. What is with her frequent headaches? It worried him — whether or not it worried her.

"Oh, okay. Take care! What about your dinner?" If she was having a headache, how would she manage to prepare dinner for herself? She doesn't even have a maid in the home.

"I'll cook," she stated. What else could she do other than that? She couldn't play with her health by ordering from outside.

"How can you when you're sick?" he frowned.

"I'll manage. No worries, bye!" She doesn't wait for him to respond and walks into her home giving a small chuckle in the end.

Nikhil sighed, looking at her back, and waits until she locked the door. Going back to his car and drives into his Mansion.

..

Ananya's Mansion,

Ananya was in the kitchen after freshening up and wondering what to cook which would take less time of hers. She was about to take out the ingredients for plain pasta when she hears the calling bell. She raises her brow wondering who's at the door, halting her actions from taking out the ingredients, she left to open the door.

As soon as she opened the door, she saw Nikhil grinning at her. Hadn't he an hour before dropped her home? What's he doing now?

"Nikhil, you and here?" she questions, forgetting to invite him in. Too curious to know why he bestowed his presence in her home, keeping her heartbeats in control looking at him freshly showered in a blue T-shirt and white joggings, his after-shave and one-day stubble didn't really help her increase her heartbeat.

Na, her heart wasn't racing! — What a lie! Sounded so beautiful for her comfort!

"Hi," he greets her. Why does he smile always?

Aaah! A smile to die for!

Ananya shuns the wayward thoughts. Is he looking handsome today or is she so keen on observing — checking him out, that she didn't realize she never noticed how he was too handsome until today?

"Hi, but you here?" she responds. If Ananya knows something, that is to keep her emotions in check unless she's too overwhelmed.

"Did you start cooking?" he asked instead bring an amused expression to her face.

Did he come all the way to ask her whether she started cooking or not? Nonetheless, she answers, with her lips curving a bit in the end, "I was just about to."

"Let me in, then!" he demands and Ananya realizes she didn't even invite him. She was embarrassed as she realized that and bites her tongue letting him in.

"Thanks!" He makes his way into her kitchen and Ananya was about to protest, "But-"

"I am going to cook for you," he cuts her off entering the Kitchen followed by Ananya who looked shocked.

"What?"

"Ananya, you're sick. You'll not be able to cook all alone," he explains as if as he's explaining to a small preschool kid.

Really? He'll cook for her just because she said she has a severe headache?

"I've been all alone whenever I was sick, Nikhil. Nothing new for me," she smiles a bit. It wasn't like she was never alone in her life. She's been alone back in the US and is used to it by now.

Being alone is her favorite now!

"Well, now that I'm here. You're not alone and so, let me cook." He searches for something on the kitchen counter walking and Ananya still stood at her place.

The concern in his words had touched her!

"Do you know cooking?" she asks the most important question shrugging the thoughts away. First his body smell and handsome looks, and now his concern? — how much more can she take in a day?

"Of course. I help my mother," he takes pride in while saying that. Not all the boys know cooking. He's that piece from the rare kind.

"But Nikhil-" she frowned. He knows cooking doesn't mean she'd make him cook when she's capable of cooking by herself!

"Shh!" He shuts her off, touching his own lips, and asks failing in what he's searching for, "Where's Olive oil?"

"There," she points towards one of the shelves not knowing what else to do.

The man in front of her is too busy, taking over her kitchen and cooking for her!

"Thanks," he mutters walking towards the shelf and taking the Olive oil for cooking her a healthy Spaghetti.

He denied her from helping when she was offering him one and made her sit at the dining table, after inquiring where all the ingredients were kept.

Ananya had nothing to do other than occasionally look at Nikhil in her kitchen and at the fruits kept on the table.

After half an hour,

"So, here I present you, Spaghetti with Lentils and Marinara Sauce! Healthy and rich in fiber. Good for health!" he put a bowl full of dishes in front of her and another big bowl was kept away if she wanted more.

Ananya smiled at him and grabbed a chair for him to sit beside as she tasted the dish, "Hmm. Nice, you cook really well!"

It's too tasty!

Even she never cooked that well. She took one more spoon to eat and soon began gobbling down the food, "you're too good!"

He smiles at her compliment. She really liked it and he can see that. 

"Thank you, Mahortama!"

"What?" she is confused at the word he used.

"Mohatarma!" He repeated.

"Meaning?" She didn't know what that means.

"Don't you know?"

"No," she shakes her head.

"It means Madam, a respected woman!"

"Oh!" She tasted another spoon.

"Where are your headache tablets? Have you taken them yet?" he asked. He isn't sure if she had already taken them. But without food, medicines cannot be that effective but that again depends on the medicine, tho. He wanted to see her medicines. He's a doctor, after all!

"I'll take them, Nikhil. Enough now, you too eat while I go and have my medicines!" she gets up, and serves him in another bowl from the bowl which was kept away on the table.

"Fine, but tell me the name of the medicines or better bring them here. I wanna check once," he sounded more like a doctor than her friend. When she had her medicines yesterday night, she had them in her room just like today and he wasn't able to see the name of the medicine. 

And she had a headache again and this time, he wanted to see what her medicines are! 

Confession was the only thing left to name them as official friends.

Somewhere, they developed the kind of friendship they didn't yet acknowledge, in words — not yet!

But in emotions — already done..

....

A woman was seen crying alone in her room, looking at the huge photo of John hanging on her wall, "I'm so sorry, John! I couldn't do anything."

She saw John being sad with her and throwing her away from his life. She cried not releasing the tight grip she had on him, muttering under her breath, crying her heart out, "John. John. John. John."

She saw him managing to release her grip and walking away, only to disappear straight into a photo on the wall.

"John!!" she screams kneeling on the floor.

"I'm sorry but I love you so much!" she confesses looking into the blue eyes of the man, hiccupping in between.

"I didn't know," she mutters hearing a voice that said — you know why was John killed!

"I never used you," she cries listening to the harsh words. Words that said — you did nothing but use him, every time!

"It was you!" she retorts not wanting to retort, her voice a mere whisper as she cried.

"I love him! I love him! I love..him.." She clearly ignored the voices that said — "You're just obsessed with him!"

Obsession — an emotion that can destroy the greatest relationships. 

To be continued..,

Katti - unfriending someone!

Let me know what you think of the update!

How was the relationship between Nikhil and Ananya?

And who do you think is the killer of John?

P.S.: It's 6K+ and with my office work, couldn't complete it yesterday! Apologies! 

Regards,

polymath_land

29/12/2022