Ayaan paced in his room. He saw a different side of his mother today. He almost didn't recognise the lady with the fork in her hand, pressing it into someone else's throat.

That was the first time his belief in Raghav's theory strengthened. He didn't believe she would have killed anyone, definitely not a family member like Aakriti. The injury phobia was a proof he wasn't aware of but enough to raise the hand. It was, of course, not enough to point the finger at the woman who raised him, nurtured him and never saw him below her own child.

His mobile rang, with the screen displaying Payal's name. He looked at the time - 10 P.M. Payal never called him that late. If there was anything urgent, she would leave a message. Even at the time of accident, he had only messaged her and she texted back. There must be something very important for her to call.

He held his breath as he answered. Payal presented him with a weird query. "Ayaan, I want the police report of my father's death. Can you help me get it?"

"Why do you want that after so many years?"

"I want it. I want to see the exact accident picture. Please, Ayaan. Please do me this favor."

"Relax, I have a copy of that report with me. I will send you the scanned document."

He sent as promised, wondering about Payal's intention. Payal called him again after five minutes. "What happened, Payal?"

At that moment, Dhruv and Raghav entered his room. He heard Payal out without saying anything. He hung up the call and sat in his chair.

Ayaan was starting to get an idea of what could be done. The puzzle ran too deep into places he wished he didn't have to reach. Payal only gave him a new piece he didn't know where to fit. Before him, Dhruv and Raghav stared at him as if the answer lied with him.

May be it did, with Raghav, thought Ayaan.

He pushed out of his chair. "Dhruv, make sure the room door is locked and Mom and Dad are not lurking outside. Close this cabin door on your way out. You will remain in my room until I tell you to go." Ayaan gave clear instructions to Dhruv and saw his brother carry them out, not without the shock evident on his face. Ayaan hated talking in that manner with his brother but he had list of issues already at hand that needed to be dealt with immediately.

Once Dhruv left, he started his questioning. "You said, you work for someone else. You will tell me my answers today."

"There's no point in asking me, Ayaan."

"I saw Mom pressing a fork to your throat. Do you want me to do the same?"

Raghav didn't flinch. He took his wallet out and produced his ID card. "I'm an informer."

Ayaan glanced at the card with the header, Central Bureau of Investigation. "This is dated 20 years ago. What are you doing now?"

"I was an officer then. I am an informer now."

"Why did you choose to work here?"

"At first, I wanted to collect evidence against Ankush and Chhaya. Later, I saw this job as an access to the who's-who that attend Mahanidhi parties."

Raghav went on to accept that he found the evidence but Aakriti stopped him from filing the case. In an exchange, she asked him to stay and be in close quarters with the friends of Agnihotris to help with other cases.

"What's your equation with Mom?"

"That of partners-in-crime."

---

After half an hour, Ayaan emerged out of his study with Raghav quietly following behind him. Dhruv was exploring the harmonica when Ayaan asked him, "There's a GPS chip attached to it. Can you detach it without disturbing its functioning?"

Dhruv nodded, accepting the small challenge it was to him.

Meanwhile, Ayaan continued, "I will call up Siddhant. Dhruv and I will start  for Jaipur tomorrow. Raghav will come separately. I want to find out the story of that property. Definitely there's more to it than what meets the eye. We need one more person to solve the jigsaw - Deepshika."

Dhruv and Raghav exchanged glances. Dhruv asked, "Didn't she run away with Aunty's phone and laptop? Why did you trust her in the first place? She betrayed us!"

Ayaan didn't respond. Instead, he called an Australian number. "Shika, come back." His voice shook a little as he took her name. Yes, she betrayed him. She misused his trust. But he needed that laptop and phone to know what his Aunt was upto.

Her response was firm. "Why should I come back? You fired me from my job. I have no business to be there."

Dhruv had successfully removed the chip and assembled back the harmonica. That was one thing off his check list.

To Deepshika, he said, "You expect me to believe that? I didn't fire you. It was Dad who gave that instruction. Payal told me everything."

"Does that matter now?"

When push comes to shove, Ayaan Agnihotri kept his cards ready. "No, it doesn't. But you were here on a fake identity. That matters, right?"

After a moment of silence, he gauged his tone to sound serious but not threatening. "Shika, I am sure you know me well enough. All it takes is a call and you would be arrested, wherever you are in the world. You will also bring down Johnson Associates with you. I can promise you that much. Now listen: in the next 24 hours, you will see me in person. If that doesn't happen, my sincere apologies to your Mom, in advance."

Without waiting for the response, he hung up.

###

Ayaan is showing his colors. Will Deepshika return?

This particular update made me realise why the story was tough to write in the initial stage. All the back stories, flashback scenes are lying here one after the other. A couple of updates after this one will feature the back stories of Chhaya, Raghav and Deepshika.

Note: These scenes shall pepper the initial chapters in the second cut of Pursuit.