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how long you can run?

"Bhaiya?" She called but Shivaay had made a beeline towards his room once he had exited his car. She rushed behind him, there is no way she is letting this go.

"Do you have any idea what you did a few hours ago?" Priyanka asked as she grabbed Shivaay's arm to stop him.

He stopped and turned around to face her. "No! You don't have a fucking idea! You don't know the extent of fear I felt when I saw you coming out of those flames!" She glared at him.

"What were you even thinking going head straight into those flames?" She argued.

"I—" he started.

"No! You weren't thinking! You went back to the raging fire knowing full well what happened with you in the past!"

"——that is the problem isn't it?! I don't remember what happened!" And Priyanka froze.

"I don't even have the slightest idea about what happened to me and what I had done to them!" He spoke.

"Priyanka. Shivaay. Please, this is not the time to argue." Aradhya tried to interrupt before the fight blew out of proportion.

"Do you have any idea? How lost I used to feel? The nightmares kept tormenting me every single night——sometimes they grew unbearable and sometimes I had to bear them in silence!"

Priyanka's glare deepened.

"What else was I to do?"

"Guys! Enough!" Aradhya stopped them.

Shivaay ran a hand through his hair, his hands reaching for his phone. He was frustrated.

He grabbed the keys of the car and walked out of the door. Khanna immediately following him behind.

"Where are you going?" Priyanka asked her eyes narrowing.

"Out." Shivaay called over his shoulder, causing her to shake her head in disappointment.

"Make sure Mishra is there in my cabin, the first tomorrow." Shivaay spoke. Khanna nodded briefly, he could tell Shivaay was beyond pissed.

<>

"Are you alright?" Annika asked Gauri worriedly. Her hands clenched around the material of her night suit as she heard her soft whimpers. She wished she was there to comfort her.

"I am..." Gauri wiped her tears. "The image——It was so horrifying. The fire—" she trailed off. For a moment she didn't speak anything. Just tried to calm herself down. To clear what she was trying to say.

Until,

"I need your help." Gauri spoke against the phone screen as she cast a look towards Om who had fallen asleep. They were staying at the guest house that was owned by the company for the meantime.

"Can you come to the police station with me? Tomorrow?" Gauri asked.

"What?" Annika frowned, did she hear it correctly, police station? For what?

"I think, the fire had something to do with Roop bua—" She spoke. Annika's eyes widened at that.

"Wha—"

"When she was holding me, I could smell the kerosene, and she had melted wax on her fingers——at that too at the night of fire, what else could they mean?" She asked in hurry.

"I couldn't tell that in front of everyone, in case if she had something to with this, she would get alert." Gauri explained hastily.

"I think, the police should know about this."

"First, Saumya and then bus, have you told Om and Rudra about this?" Annika asked.

"No, but I will tell them soon enough" Gauri spoke.

"Alright." Annika said, "I will be there tomorrow." And the call was hung up.

She placed the phone back and sighed. This was getting messier. Her hands reached out to her phone.

Should she call him and ask? If he was alright? It was his home as well.

<>

The news of the fire had already spread by the time the morning arrived. The mansion was in ruins once they looked at it during the daytime.

Om looked at the building, unknown emotions creeping inside. He had spent his childhood there. The three of them, all the memories, all the happiness, all the sorrows, they burnt away in the fire leaving behind a crisp.

Last night's events moved like a film as he faced the reminiscent, his hands curled around the thin air as he stared at the ashes of what they had deemed so precious.

He failed. In every way.

He failed Gauri.

He failed Shivaay. Priyanka. Rudra.

He failed the company.

So, this is what Shivaay used to feel whenever someone questioned him, it was true, you could never understand what other face until you are in their shoes.

He chuckled wrily.

Shivaay still came to save them, his family didn't. He did. He remembered suddenly, of him collapsed down his eyes snapped close, it didn't look like it was happening because of the smoke. There was more to it than they all could see.

He was missing out on something major.

He had noticed how tense Gauri was the whole time but whenever he asked, she brushed it off saying that she was fine.

She knew something that he didn't. But what?

<>

"Mishra? Is there something that I should be aware of?" Shivaay asked as he glanced up at him. His eyes narrowed and fixated in a cold glare.

The man gulped.

"There's nothing—"

"Are you sure?" Shivaay asked swiftly before the man could complete his sentence.

Mishra remembered, Neeraj's words. He needs to keep quiet. But for how long?

Shivaay looked at him with narrowed eyes, it was clear that he was being lied to, but why?

"Sir? We have to go to the Police Station. To clear the formalities for what happened during the event." Khanna informed and he nodded and sighed.

"Yeah, let's—"

The ride to the police station was silent as all the time was spent was in contemplation. The poisoning of drinks. The liquidation. The fire. All in less than the span of forty eight hours, it a coincidence or he was reading to much into it?

He wasn't prepared for the surprise awaiting there. His eyes widened slightly when he noticed Gauri and Annika standing there talking to the commissioner.

<>

"Commissioner Kadam, here are the signatures that you needed—" he stopped in the middle of the sentence when his eyes fell upon Gauri and Annika who were standing there.

He blinked. They are here? For what reasons? They looked equally surprised to see him there. Talk about coincidences.

"What are you both doing here?" It was the first question that he asked once he saw Gauri and Annika standing there.

His eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

They both glanced at each other.

"Mr. Oberoi——" he turned to glance at the police commissioner, "A moment, Commissioner Kadam, please." Shivaay spoke, the man nodded.

He turned to them both, he remembered the words Gauri had spoken a moment earlier.

"What about the fire?" He asked tilting his head to the side. Gauri looked down for a moment before speaking up.

"I think bua——" Shivaay's eyebrows arched in surprise.

"Bua had to do something with the fire—" she frowned, "I could smell kerosene in her hands." She spoke.

Commissioner Kadam's eyes widened in surprise.

"That's——" Shivaay's lips parted for a moment, "anything else?" The commissioner asked.

"The melted wax on her fingers..." She trailed off.

Shivaay shook his head, "though I do not doubt you. But the scent of Kerosene must have lingered off, because the scent was present even on my clothes when I exited the mansion."

He turned to the Commissioner, "the papers?" He asked.

Once he signed them, he turned to the man, "I'd say, taking in consideration what Mrs. Oberoi had said, you should check over the family members as well." He spoke.

He glanced at them one last time before walking out of the door.

"Shivaay wait—" Annika called but apparently didn't listen, as his phone rang and he walked outside without any delay.

She frowned.

Her eyes widened slightly when she saw the car parked in front of the police station.

"Oh." She was surprised to him standing outside leaning against his car. She had assumed that he had already left.

"You are here..." She mumbled. He arched an eyebrow, "I believe you told me to wait. I heard you." He said as he turned to look at her.

"Yeah, I just wanted to ask if you are alright?" She pursed her lips.

Shivaay was surprised at the question, "yeah...I suppose I am, why do you ask?" He asked curiously.

"Just that——you were there and the smoke doesn't sit well——" she trailed off and he smiled softly at that. She cares. And his smile widened.

"I wouldn't be here if I wasn't doing well. Don't worry as far as I know, I am okay." He said.

"That's——relieving..." Annika nodded at his words.

She saw the smile lingering on his lips, and without her knowledge her lips curved up in response. 

Gauri watched the interaction bemused. She cleared her throat softly garnering their attention. Shivaay turned to her.

"Do you think there's a link between those prescriptions, the fire, and the odd behaviour of bua and Saumya?" She couldn't help but ask.

He stiffened. "There could be."

"I know you wouldn't want to be dragged into these matters, but they were your prescriptions weren't they?" Annika asked as she glanced at Gauri who nodded along her words.

Shivaay sighed.

"I will be honest, I have no idea what that prescription meant, I have professionals looking into the matter, and I don't wanna be dragged into these matters more than necessary." He glanced at Gauri.

"I would suggest you two, to maintain a safe distance with them if you suspect them. There are high chances they could be true given the circumstances. If you notice something more, alert Commissioner Kadam immediately. And keep those two out of it as well——" He advised. He sighed.

"You don't have any idea how twisted that family could get." Shivaay muttered to himself. He glanced back.

His eyes softened slightly, "how's Rudra?" He asked unable to keep the worry out of his voice.

"He is fine, resting at the guesthouse." She spoke. Shivaay nodded at that. He's fine, that's a relief.

"We will take our leave." Gauri started and Shivaay glanced at Annika before averting his gaze and nodded.

"Of course. Do you have a ride?" He asked as he turned to them.

Annika looked at her phone, "We can take—"

"I will drop you guys, get inside." He spoke softly and without waiting for a response he got in the passenger seat.

<>

"The fire wasn't accidental." Neeraj concluded by looking at the news, Shivaay on the other hand was lost in his own thoughts. "Of course it wasn't, it wouldn't have spread that out of control with all the security measures." Shivaay countered.

"Any other memories?" Neeraj asked as he looked at him. Shivaay hummed.

"It was Veer." He spoke out of a sudden.

"The one who tried to poison you and the one who was after Ms. Annika?" Neeraj asked with an arched eyebrow.

Shivaay nodded slowly.

"That's something way more twisted than I had initially suspected." Neeraj spoke as he looked at his friend, Shivaay looked distraught.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

"I feel like, there was, when I was there——" he stopped for a moment. "There was someone I knew, who saved me. It was Mishra, I think. But he didn't admit anything when I asked." Shivaay contemplated.

Neeraj froze in his place. "You remember?" He asked.

"Vaguely, yes."

Shivaay paused for moment, "Gauri mentioned that she suspected bua" he told him about the hints that she had told him.

"Earlier, the prescription, Saumya was there, right?" Shivaay nodded.

He could see the dots but there wasn't enough information to connect them altogether.

Neeraj frowned, should he show the memos that he found in Shivaay's old cellphone or let him remember the bits himself? He had noticed, Shivaay should see something that would trigger his memories so he could remember. But is he compatible to that level of pressure?

"This all is such a mess." Shivaay sighed.

"It is."