Part 10 The Twins

"ASR, your guess is right. The next murder happened on the outskirts of Delhi" Aman said.

Arnav fisted his fingers, closing his eyes.

"But, this time, we got a clue unlike before, ASR..."

"What clue?" Arnav asked curiously.

"As we alerted the tollbooths and the checkposts about the car, the police found the car by tracking it."

"But, I told you it would not have been the killer's car"

"Yes, you are right. It's not the killer's car. We checked it. The RTO officer sent me the owner's details. I called the person. He said his car had been missing for two days. He has an FIR copy too"

Arnav didn't wonder. He knew somewhat this was how it must be.

"Ok, then what clue you guys got?"

"The police found a half-burnt dead body of a girl"

"Is it?"

"Yes, ASR, this is the first evidence we have ever gotten. In the previous cases, we found only ashes. We didn't even know whether it was a man or a woman but now, we found it. I think we are traveling on the right path. I hope we will reach the killer soon. Thank you so much, ASR. If you had not guided me, I would have missed the killer this time too..." Aman's voice overflew with joy.

"But, we could not save the girl" Arnav regretted.

"At least we got a clue. According to me, it's the biggest progress of the case."

"Mmm"

"How are you feeling now, ASR?"

"I'm all right. Khushi made me take enough rest"

"She did a good job. I'm going to the spot. I want you to come to the spot if you feel better"

"I will come..."

"Thank you, ASR"

"Mmm"

Arnav disconnected the call and looked at Khushi.

"The next murder happened. Aman wants me to go to the spot"

"Whaaaat? Have you gone mad? You are not feeling well..." She was shocked.

"I'm much better now, Khushi. You too join me..."

"Then? How can I let you go alone in this condition?"

"I'm all right, Khushi"

"This is how you work without a rest?" She asked frowning.

"Not all the time... only if it is necessary"

"What's necessary that you are going to the spot now? Is it your work or what?"

"I promised Aman that I would be with him in this case. He wants me"

Khushi rolled her eyes.

"Ok, let's go... we will keep your promise together..." she mocked.

"You can stay if you are not interested"

She glared at him and said,

"Stop annoying me. Let's go" She walked.

Arnav followed her smilingly. Khushi started the bike and looked at Arnav.

"I can ride," He said.

"Won't you sit behind a woman? Is it a prestige issue for you?" She asked sarcastically even though he was not that kind.

Arnav rolled his eyes and sat behind her, giving her an answer by his action.

Khushi drove the bike. He guided Khushi to the location sent by Aman.

"Khushiii..." Arnav called her, coming close to her.

"Mmm?" She looked at him through the mirror.

"I have no prestige issues... especially, with you"

Khushi smiled.

"I can even hug you" he added.

Khushi pressed the brake and looked at him stunningly. Arnav controlled his smile for a few seconds and burst out laughing.

Khushi shook her head from left to right smilingly and started again.

"Why did you show so much shock, hearing the word HUG? Is it wrong or what?"

"Mmm... You had a crush on me but didn't let me know, you grew your feelings for me but kept quiet but when you proposed, you directly want to hug me?"

"Directly? I already hugged you more than five thousand times..."

Khushi again pressed the brake and looked at him stunningly.

"At least two times per day... in the last seven years..." he said meeting her hazels.

Khushi gulped down hard.

"I just am longing for my imagination come true" he smiled.

Khushi sat straight averting her gaze. She didn't know how to react to it.

"If you are suffocating, may I ride?" he asked.

Khushi made up herself and geared the bike up. Arnav was continuously smiling and she knew that. She watched him through the rearview mirror.

They reached the spot. Stopping the bike, Khushi followed Arnav. They saw Aman examining the half-burnt dead body. Khushi stopped moving, looking at the dead body shockingly.

Arnav saw her not moving.

"What happened, Khushi?"

"Arnav, didn't I say, I saw a girl with a man who looked like you?"

"Haan..."

"The girl was wearing the same tops" she pointed at the dead body.

"Are you sure?"

"I'm damn sure... Because I too have the same tops" she said panicking.

Arnav looked at Aman and called him.

"Yes, ASR..."

"Aman, contact the parents of the missing girl and ask them to come"

"Who?"

"Swasti..."

"Do you think this girl would be Swasti..."

"Yes, give it a try first"

Aman nodded. He removed his mobile and dialed the Sulthanpur station. He asked them to bring the parents of the missing girl, Swasti.

Khushi was silently watching Arnav with a lot of questions in her mind.

They waited for her parents to arrive. They were nervous, frightened, tensed, whatnot.

"Ma'am, could you please check if she is your daughter?"

The woman nodded, NO crying.

"I can't... she would not be my daughter... she would not have come this long..." she said fearfully.

"This is torture..." Khushi murmured looking somewhere feeling sad for the woman.

Arnav also felt bad for her. That was a punishment for anyone to identify their loved ones.

"We will be glad if she is not your daughter. You too will be happy. That's why we want you to check. Does your daughter have any identification marks on her body?" Aman asked.

The woman nodded yes.

"Please..."

The woman came to the dead body and checked its left ankle. She saw a mole in the girl's ankle of the body and cried her heart out which squeezed their hearts.

It was confirmed that the missing girl was the one who was killed. Arnav went to the father of the girl who was crying.

"Sir, please don't mistake me. I should not disturb you at this moment but we need your help. Then only we can catch the killer. Do you have your daughter's photograph? If yes, please give us"

He nodded crying and took his mobile out. He had kept his daughter's photo as his mobile screen saver. Taking it, Arnav showed it to Khushi.

"She is the one who you saw, right?" Arnav asked.

Khushi looked at him shockingly. Yes, she was the same girl she saw with the bike man.

She nodded yes.

"Aman, connect the murders with the missing girls, according to the dates of the murder," Arnav said.

Aman nodded.

"If the missing girls are murdered, the case will come to an end ASR..."

"Not until the killer is caught," Arnav said.

Aman nodded and left the place. Arnav saw Khushi gazing at him. He smiled at her. Her question made his smile vanish.

"How did you guess the guy would be the killer?"

"Just guessed..."

"No... No one could guess CORRECTLY without knowing about the man deeply. I just said he resembled you. Without any second thought, you handed his car number to Aman and asked him to trace the car. That's not a simple guess... It could not be...! But, you did... How did you do it?"

"I said it's a guess"

"No... There should be an invisible but strong string between you two that made you guess it. Who is the guy that resembles you? What's the connection between you and him?"

Arnav walked from the crowd. Khushi stood gazing at him. Arnav stopped walking and looked at her. He sighed. He again came to her.

"What do you want to know?"

Khushi looked at him without answering.

"Ok, I will tell you. Now, come with me" Arnav again walked.

Khushi walked with him parallel and asked,

"What does that mean? Do you know him?"

"We will talk later"

"Why not now?"

Arnav continued walking without answering.

"Tell me, Arnav... What are you hiding from me? Why?"

"Khushi... Be patient"

"No... I won't... enough of being patient... I have been patient for seven years..."

Arnav closed his eyes.

"Tell me who the hell is he?"

Arnav opened his eyes and said,

"My brother... my Twin"

To be continued...

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