Part 29 Doubt

Dhruv messaged his friend something and deleted it. He huffed in relief. He could not tolerate the news of Arnav and Khushi's wedding. Here, he was waiting to marry Khushi and committing many atrocities. It seemed Arnav would effortlessly break all his efforts. He thought for a moment and looked at his parents and Anjali, who were there to take care of him.

"Mom, you can go home and take a rest. I will call my friends. They will be with me."

Sanjana looked at Sudhakar questioningly.

"No need... You and your friends... all are jokers." Sudhakar chided.

"Why are you always chiding him? Don't you know how to talk to him kindly?" Anjana asked.

"Do you want me to talk to him kindly? He would have unnecessarily got into trouble by doing something wrong. I warn you. Don't trust him. He is not what you think." Sudhakar said, glaring at Dhruv.

Dhruv looked at his mother, making a face that already had a few swells.

"Don't leave him alone. I have to go to the office. Will come back in the evening." Sudhakar said and left.

Dhruv waited until he left.

"I don't know why Dad always doubts me. What did I do that he hates them so much?" he asked, feeling sad.

Anjana sat next to him and held his hand.

"He is angry with you because he can't see you like this. Don't you know him?"

Dhruv nodded.

On the other side,

The inspector came to the lonely bungalow to inquire about the incident. In fact, the bungalow was not lonely. The people who stayed there made it lonely by keeping a distance from those around them. This was why Dhruv didn't want to disclose the bungalow. He wanted to tell them some other place, but his friends messed it up by telling the truth.

The inspector came to a small shop that was on the opposite side of the bungalow.

"Who was there in the bungalow?"

"Two men were in the bungalow, sir."

"Where are they now?"

"We don't know, sir..."

"Who are they? Are they brothers?"

"No, sir... they are not brothers. They call one another SALA..."

"Are they brothers-in-law?"

"We don't know, sir. They bought cigars in my shop. They came to my shop only once together. That was when I heard them calling one another Sala."

"Won't anyone come there?"

"A car comes there rarely..."

"Car?"

"Yes, sir..."

"What car?"

"White Fortuner."

"Number?"

"I did not notice it, sir..."

"Mmm..."

"Two days ago, a few goondas chased a man... he ran into the bungalow. They beat him black and blue in the bungalow. Did you see them chasing him?"

"When did it happen, sir?"

"It happened in the daytime only..."

"No way, sir. I'm always here. My house is also attached to this shop. If I'm not at the shop, my wife will be here. If she had seen such a scene, she would have told me. Even though we missed noticing it, the area people would have noticed it, and they would have told us about it."

"What's the point?"

"Nothing would have happened like that. But, I saw the same Fortuner car came to the bungalow two days ago."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, sir... my son saw the car and asked me to buy such a car." He chuckled.

The inspector was not satisfied. And he could not rely solely on one person's statement. So, he inquired to a few more people in the area. But no one said that they saw some goons chasing a man. The inspector had a doubt about Dhruv and his friends. Because the area people's statement didn't conflict but matched perfectly. They were not wrong. If Dhruv had been chased by the goons in the daytime, how would the area people miss noticing it? His friends were so clear that they rescued him from this bungalow. Why did Dhruv lie?

The shopkeeper said he saw a white Fortuner car in the bungalow. He saw the same Fortuner two days ago. Whose car was it? Who came to the bungalow? Was the car owner related to Dhruv?

The inspector came to the shopkeeper again.

"You said two men stayed in the bungalow. How do they look?"

"They look normal, like middle-class guys, sir."

"Could you identify them if you see them anywhere else?"

"Why not, sir? I can surely identify them."

"That's good. This is my number. If you see any of them anywhere, call me."

"Sure sir..."

"Thank you."

The inspector left the place.

On the other side,

Khushi saw the paper bag given by Arnav. She closed the door and locked it. She opened the box in the bag and saw a beautiful red color lehanga. She caressed it lovingly. Her wedding was fixed with Arnav. That was her dream when she studied in college. She admired Arnav to the fullest, and she so wanted to live her life with Arnav. That idiot didn't understand that at that time, and now, he was behind her like an obsessed lover. Stupid...! She gritted her teeth.

She saw the clock and it was 4 o'clock. Taking her purse, she came out. She saw Arnav coming out of his room as well. He smiled at her. She rolled her eyes and headed out. He rushed to her and blocked her way.

"Where are you going?"

"Why should I tell you?"

"Won't you ask me where I'm going... after our marriage?"

She glared at him.

"Don't worry. I will tell you wherever I go."

She took a step to leave, but he held her hand.

"Won't you tell me?"

"I have a salon appointment."

"Oh... making yourself ready for the wedding? You are always beautiful; you don't need salon treatments."

"I always maintain myself no matter what."

"Ok, I will drop you."

"no need... I know how to do my work. You can mind your business."

"That's what I'm doing. Minding my business of taking my would-be wife to the salon."

"No need...a cab is waiting out for me." She walked out and got into a cab.

Arnav started his car and followed the cab because she was going to the salon on the way to AR.

The cab halted in front of a famous salon. Khushi paid the cab and was about to go inside the salon when two men pulled her into their car and drove off.

Arnav, who unintentionally followed her, saw that and was shocked to the core. He changed the gear and followed the car.

Those who kidnapped Khushi didn't expect someone would chase them. They tried not to get into his arms. No matter how fast they drove the car, Arnav didn't leave them. The car reached the outskirts of Delhi.

Khushi looked at Arnav through the back glass of the car, fearfully. She cursed herself for not listening to Arnav. She could have avoided such trouble if she had accepted his lift.

"He is following us..." one of them said.

"I don't think he will leave us... the petrol is going low..." the driver said.

"What will we do now?"

"We have no choice. Push her out of the car..." The driver shouted.

Khushi was horrified. Were they going to push her out of the car? She closed her eyes tightly to bear the pain. They saw a plain land ahead. They opened the door and pushed Khushi out. She fell to the ground and rolled down, screaming.

Arnav was horrified and shouted,

"Khsuhiiii..."

He stopped the car and rushed to her. There were many scratches on her body. Arnav's heard bleeding seeing her in that condition. He lifted her in his arms. Without wasting time, he ran to his car and made her sit. Buckling the seat belt, he started the car towards the hospital.

To be continued...