Part 5 Into the case

Sending Arnav off, Khushi came inside and stopped hearing,

“I think Khushi brought him here to make him stay here” Garima said.

Shashi was stuck. He didn’t think in the way Garima thought.

“I thought you will make him stay here. Poor him, he has no one in India. You sent him to his friend’s place” Garima felt bad.

They saw Khushi entering.

“Did you bring him here for his stay?” Shashi asked.

Khushi nodded yes.

“He said he is staying in a Hotel. I thought to give him the terrace room”

“See, didn’t I say? He is a professor.

Khushi would have learned many skills from him. You spoilt it” Garima said.

“I’m sorry, beta. I didn’t think that way. I thought you just brought him to introduce him to us” Shashi regretted.

“That’s ok, Dad. He is going to be with Aman. So, he will involve in his case. I will also join them when I get time”

“Mmm…”

“This sounds a good idea…” Garima said.

Khushi nodded yes.
……

Arnav reached the Hotel the Royal Palace and packed his things. Within a few minutes, Aman came there.

“Are you ready?”

Arnav nodded yes.

“You are busy with your case. Then why are you behind me? I would have managed my stay” Arnav said.

“You are here after a long time. How could I let you be helpless? However, nothing is going to happen…Then what’s the point in wasting my time on the case? I’m thinking of quitting the case”

“Oh, come on, Aman… why are you so hopeless?”

“It’s because I’m hopeless. It’s the eighth murder but we can’t even get a single clue”

“You should have searched for it”

“Do you think we didn’t do it?”

“Then you should have gotten something…No matter how clever the killer is, he would have left a simple clue at least”

“Oh, really? You are going to be here for a month, right? Try to get some clue if you can”

“Why not? I believe I can do it”

“Then do it”

“OK, tell me about the case”

“The murders happened in the various places in Delhi, in the same style, same way. We didn’t know who they were and who killed them. We suspect it must be a team because a single person could not do it so perfectly without a single mistake”

“Any suspects?”

“Means?”

“Could you connect any other cases with these murders?”

“No… I don’t think so. We almost inquired about all the criminals who are involved in human trafficking. They knew nothing about these murders”

“How would they confess their crime? They would indeed say they don’t know”

“No, ASR… we tracked each and every one of them. We started doing that after the fourth murder. We started following them closely and the other murders happened one by one when they were under our radar. So, they are not related to these murders… we are so sure of it”

“What if someone related to them did that without involving them?”

“We tracked their phone calls too… we got nothing suspicious”

Arnav nodded thoughtfully.

“Could you give me the case file tomorrow?”

“Why not? I will get it to you tomorrow”

“Mmm… ok…”

“Let’s go… I will drop you in my place and will go to the spot again…”

“You said there is no use in going there?”

“But, I can’t say that to the Assistant Commissioner, right?”

“Is he going to visit the spot?”

“Mmm… yeah… he has to…”

“Ok…”

Aman took Arnav to his place. After dropping him in his place, Aman went to the spot. Arnav lay on the bed thinking about the case. As he was tired, he slept.

The next morning

Arnav opened his eyes and smiled pleasantly, looking at Aman who came out of the washroom, finishing his bath, and wiping his wet hair.

“Good morning, ASR”

“Good morning. When did you come?”

“Early morning 3o’ clock”

“Then why did you wake up earlier?”

“Have to… after all, I’m a police officer…”

“Mmm…”

“It’s a fate of uniform service”

“Hey, do your work with involvement. Then you won’t feel it as a burden. If you don’t love your work, how could you give the good output?”

“I’m ready to love my job but my job is not ready to love me…! it’s always challenging me…”

“Then, you will get more opportunity to prove yourself. If everything is easy, what could be interesting about it?”

“Ok, let me see how interestingly you are working. I will try to catch your point, then”

Arnav went to the washroom smilingly. when he came out getting fully ready, he saw Aman preparing bread toast and omelets.

“I’m sorry, ASR. I could not provide Indian food today. Please adjust”

“That’s not a big deal. I’m always having Indian food only”

“Really?”

“Yeah… everything is available in Scotland too”

“Wow… are you preparing your own food?”

“Then what? I don’t like outside food”

“Then, get married and take Khushi to Scotland. She will cook for you”

“I will cook for her too…” he smiled.

Aman looked at him getting stuck.

“Stop searching for a girl to cook for you… it’s a basic survival skill. Men should also learn that”

Aman nodded his head from left to right smilingly.

“What?”

“I will have to talk to Khushi”
“Why?”

“To tell her how eligible you are for the marriage”

“Shut up and get ready” Arnav smiled.

“Yeah, you have breakfast. I will be ready in five minutes” he gave the plate to Arnav.

Taking it from him, Arnav walked to the couch. He took a bite and said,

“Good preparation, Aman”

“Thank you, Professor…” Aman said making Arnav chuckle.

Arnav took another bite and chewed the toast. He frowned, seeing the HEADLINES in the newspaper.

Keeping the plate aside, Arnav took the newspaper and read the news.
Aman came stuffing a bread in his mouth, buttoning his shirt.

“Aman… why didn’t you connect this case with yours?”

“What case?”

“Missing case. More than nine girls are missing so far…”

“Oh, that one? It’s because the girls not belong to Delhi. They belong to various areas around Delhi”

“So what? What if the killer brought the girls to Delhi?”

“No way, ASR… if the killer had brought them, they would not have been quit. They would have shouted to save themselves. The killer should cross many tolls and check post to reach Delhi. Don’t need to explain how protective Delhi is because it’s our Capital”

Arnav became thoughtful. He got out of the thought due a phone call. He smiled seeing Khushi’s name flashing. Before him attended the call, Aman snatched the phone.

“Khushi?”

“Give my phone”

“How did she call you?”

“I gave her my number”

“When did it happen?”

“Yesterday, after you left the venue”

“Oh…”

Aman attended the call.

“Hello…”

There was no response.

“Khushi…”

“May I know who is speaking?”

“Arnav Singh Raizada”

“No… you are not Arnav but should be Aman”

“How do you know it’s not ASR?”

“It’s not his voice”

“You guys hardly spoke yet, could you identify his voice?” Aman asked looking at Arnav who smiled. Khushi was silence.

“Ok, before giving him the phone, I want to tell you something about him”

“what?”

“He is expert in cooking”

“Really?”

“Yeah… so, cooking will not be ONLY your duty after your marriage”

Khushi smiled.

Arnav snatched the phone from his hand and spoke.

“Hi…”

“Hi… are you comfortable there?”

“I’m certainly not comfortable here. This guy is torturing me” Arnav said smiling at Aman’s reaction.

“Don’t trust him, Khushi… he is lying” Aman shouted.

“My Dad regretted for not making you stay at our place”

“Did you tell him?”

“Yes... because my Mom wanted it to happen”

“Oh, really?”

“Yes, she shouted at my Dad also”
“Poor him” He chuckled.

“I called you remember we have a coffee date today”

“Not coffee date… we didn’t fix it. It’s just date. It may turn as dinner date too” Arnav said.

Khushi smiled.

“Ok, fine. I will come to the spot direct from my office” Khushi said.

“Ok… I will be there in time”

“See you” Khushi disconnected the call.

“Coffee date, dinner date… what the hell is happening here?” Aman asked.

“I confessed…”

“Whaaaat?”

“Yeah, I confessed my love”

“This is why you came to India on one month leave?”

“Exactly…”

“Did she accept?”

“We are going for a date, man”

“Oh, when are you going to talk to her parents?”

“I would have done that today or tomorrow if you had not brought me to your place”

“Means?”

“I was at Khushi’s house when you called me last evening. She wanted me to stay at her place”

“You could have told me…”

“No, her parents seem nice people. If they expect me to be like their son, my dream will be shattered” he chuckled.

“You are so mean, ASR” Aman laughed.

“Let’s go”

Evening

Khushi reached the Café day sooner than the time they fixed. She waited for Arnav, sitting at the corner table and looking through the glass wall.
Her facial expression changed. She saw Arnav going with some other girl on a bike. She was shocked to the core. The bike crossed the Café day in a blink of an eye. Yet, she rushed out of the shop and stood panting hard all distraught.

To be continued…