Part 14 Arnav's fear

"Assalam walekum," the girl said and Arnav stuck for a second and laughed because she was Khushi.

"Khushiiii..." he pulled her inside and closed the door.

Khushi removed the Burqa smilingly.

"What's this?"

"Didn't I say I will not be identified easily?"

"Nice idea"

"Where is Aman?"

"He went to the Sarojini Nagar Market area"

"To catch Aarav?"

Arnav nodded yes.

"Do you think he would be there?"

"No... yet, we can't be careless. We should not leave any single chance"

Khushi sat on the couch sighing.

"He is roaming casually, hiding behind a French beard you guys are searching for him somewhere else"

"We are going to out Aarav's drawing with different forms"

"That's a good idea" Khushi appreciated.

"Mmm"

"What will you do if he comes in front of you?"

"I will kill him without any second thought," Arnav said without any second thought.

Khushi was stunned.

"Are you sure?"

"Are not you?"

"Won't you like to talk to your brother who you are meeting after a long?"

"I wish I would never meet him. if I meet him, I won't give him a chance... he will use it in his favor"

"It seems you are equally angry with him..."

"More than ever before..."

"It's because he became a criminal?"

"He didn't just do crime... he killed innocent girls brutally, after torturing them heartlessly. How could I leave him?"

Khushi nodded yes.

"I can't understand one thing"

"What?" Arnav raised his brows.

"The girls killed by him belonged to orthodox families. They were raised conservatively. Then how did they fall for Aarav?"

"I too don't understand that. I and Aman met the friends of the murdered girls. They are not ready to open their mouths"

"They should have been scared"

"Undoubtedly"

"What are you going to do to catch him?"

Arnav nodded no.

"By the way, how do you know Aarav is angry with me?"

"I saw his eyes shined when I scolded you"

"He will be confused thinking about who you are to me"

"Let him be confused"

"He will try to find you"

"Let him find me"

Arnav widened his eyes.

"Have you gone mad? He is a Psychopath. He won't think about anyone and anything."

"Why are you talking as if I'm unaware of it?"

"What's the use of being aware of it if you don't understand the seriousness, Khushi?"

"He can do nothing"

Taking a step, he clutched her shoulder and lifted from the sofa.

"Khushi, please stop talking like this. He killed eight girls. We got only one dead body. Others became ashes. The post-mortem report made me shiver, Khushi. I can't even imagine how the girls would have struggled with him before dying. Don't be careless in Aarav's matter. you don't know him"

Khushi was surprised to see fear in his eyes.

"I thought you would face him bravely," she said.

"I (stressing) will face him bravely but I don't have the guts to think of YOU meeting him again"

"Ok... I will not be careless and will not do anything stupid"

Arnav sighed. In no time, Khushi embraced him, making him stuck.

"I'm sorry for making you tense. I'm sorry if I spoke senselessly"

Arnav pulled her from the hug.

"Khushi, he is a beast... he is not alone. He has some criminal friends who are helping him to be hidden. They are helping him only to share the girls he trapping. Just think, how cruel they would be if they were only helping him to get girls. Just think about their need...! You are a criminology student. We know criminal's minds better than others. Act accordingly..."

Khushi nodded yes. This time, Arnav embraced her.

"I was longing to hug you but you hugged me, I'm not in the condition to embrace the moment" he regretted.

Khushi leaned on his chest smilingly.

"Arnav..."

"Mmm?"

"Shall we talk something apart from murder, criminal, post-mortem?"

"I'm sorry, our situation led us to..."

"That's ok"

"What did your Dad say?"

"He wants to meet your Nani"

"I would like to meet her before taking your father there"

"Shall I accompany you?"

"Will you?"

"Of course, I want you to meet her"

"Shall we go tomorrow?"

"Yeah..."

"Morning 7 o'clock"

"Done"

"Don't forget to wear this Burqa"

Khushi nodded pressing her lips.

"What about you?"

"I will also wear a fake beard"

Khushi sighed.

That was when they heard a knock on the door. They looked at each other. Arnav opened the door and found Aman standing. He hurried inside and got stuck to see Khushi.

"Khushi, when did you come?"

"Just ten minutes ago"

Aman looked at Arnav and said,

"ASR, I got a call today"

"Whose call?"

"A girl"

"Girl...?"

"She said she wanted to talk to me about her friend Swasti"

"The one who we found half burnt?"

"Yes..."

"What did she say?"

"She said she would call me in half an hour and asked me to make myself free"

"When did she call you?"

"Half an hour ago"

Arnav looked at his watch.

"She will call me again I suppose. That's why I came home"

They sat on the couch and waited. After ten minutes, Aman's phone rang. Aman looked at the number and nodded his head, looking at Arnav. Arnav swiped the green symbol and turned the speaker on. He gestured for Aman to talk.

"Hello, who is this?"

"I'm Swasti's friend"

"Hi, tell me what you want to talk to me"

"Sir, I want to tell you about the killer who killed my friend"

"Do you know him?"

"Yes, sir... I know him. I had seen him only once. Through the MIRROR when he gestured Sawsti in the supermarket."

"Mirror?"

"Yes, sir. he was so cautious not to reveal his identity. He never met Swasti when she was with her friends. He always met her in a lonely place. I unexpectedly met Swasti that day in the supermarket. He hid seeing me there suddenly. That was when I saw him in the Mirror"

Arnav wrote a question and passed the paper to Aman.

"Swasti's family looked conservative. Then how did she fall for him?"

"He looked so charming, sir"

"Means?"

"He followed Swasti but didn't approach her"

"But you said Swasti's friends never met him? if he followed her, how did they miss noticing him?"

"He followed her only when she left her house with no plan. He never followed her to college. I think he was always waiting for her near her hosue"

Arnav and Aman spared a glance.

"Swasti spoke about him non-stop..."

"What did she speak?"

"About his LOOK"

"Look?"

"Yes, sir... he dressed well. Sawsti said he looked like a hero. Before her death, Swasti looked tensed"

"Why?"

"He wanted to go out with him but Swasti didn't agree to it as her parent were so strict. He stopped talking to her being upset with her. She was worried as she thought he would break up"

Arnav rolled his eyes.

"That's why she went on an outing with him"

"Why did he take her to Delhi?"

"Swasti thought her parent would get to know about her outing plan. That's why she preferred Delhi but she never would have expected he would kill her, sir. do you know how many dreams she had in her heart about her future with him?"

"He is a Psychopath. We can't expect mercy in him. Girls like you should be careful. You should not trust anyone"

"She fell for him because he looked dashing, sir...Even I was jealous when I saw him" she said in a low tone.

Aman sighed as he didn't know what to say.

"Sir, please find him before he kills another girl, sir"

"We will do it. Thanks for your help."

"Sir, please don't tell anyone about me"

"Don't worry. Our conversation will be confidential"

"Thank you, sir... please don't call me again"

"Ok"

"Thank you, sir"

The call got disconnected.

"I don't know what to say. Are girls so stupid to fall for outlook?"

"Outer attraction plays a main role in love these days, Aman" Khushi said.

"Just because she didn't want to break up with him, Swasti went with him... poor girl, how happily she would have gone with him...!" Arnav felt bad for Swasti.

"We should alert girls. Ask them to be careful and concentrate on only studies. What say?" Khushi said.

"I don't think it will work. Girls are blind in love." Aman said.

They saw Arnav silent.

"What are you thinking, ASR?"

"I think he is thinking about Aarav. What if he was behind another girl... right?" Khushi said.

"But, we published his photo..." Aman said.

"What if he goes somewhere else where his photo could not reach?" Khushi questioned.

"You mean, northeast India?"

Khushi shrugged her shoulders.

"We tightened the Delhi border. He can't go anywhere. He will be caught soon..." Arnav said and looked at Aman,

"Why shouldn't we appeal for a shooting order?" Arnav asked.

Aman and Khushi looked at him dumbfounded.

To be continued...