Part 7 Resemblance

Aman looked at Arnav unbelievably who was smirking.

"Brilliant, ASR"

"Go and investigate the girls' parents and friends. You will find something common in them. Then you will get a clue about the killer"

"I can't understand one thing"

"What?"

"The girls belonged to the various areas around Delhi. If it is so, why did the killer bring them to Delhi to murder them? He could have done that in their area itself. Why did he choose Delhi where the security is always tight?

"To confuse the cops. If he had thought in the way you think, he would have gotten caught a long ago. That's why he should have chosen the toughest way. So that, the police will not think and connect the cases"

"Yes, now also I can't think it's possible"

"Until you get into the case... until you get a clue, you will think like that only. Go and start investigating. Then everything will be revealed one by one. And, don't fix these two cases. If you start investigating, you may get loops to other cases too..."

Aman nodded thoughtfully.

"Ok, let's go..."

"Where?"

"To investigate the case"

"Hello, Mr. Inspector, it's your job... remember that" Arnav smiled.

"Helping your friend is your job. Don't forget that"

Arnav rolled his eyes.

"What are you going to do sitting at home, ASR? Come with me. it will be helpful for me if you are with me"

"Will you expect me to be with you in all the cases?"

"No... it's not necessary because I don't think I will get such a problematic case again. Even though I will get such a case again, I will handle it because I will get enough experience through this case, I suppose"

"Mmm..."

"Let's go..."

"Now?"

"Yes... why? Do you have any work?"

"Nothing... let's go"

Aman feed all the addresses on his mobile and left with Arnav.

"Where are we going now?"

"Okhla... it's just fifteen kilometers from Delhi"

"Oh... ok"

Though Okhla was just fifteen kilometers from Delhi, it took two and half hours to reach the place due to traffic as it was PEAK HOUR.

They came to the missing girl's house. A woman in her late sixties opened the door.

"We are Delhi Police. We are here to inquire about Radha..." Aman introduced himself.

The woman became serious. Her eyes tear up.

"It's been six months... the cops are coming and going but no one is finding my granddaughter. Do you know how we raised her? She won't even step out of the house unnecessarily. She won't talk to strangers. Her daily routine was, from home to collage and college to home. That's all" The old lady wiped her tears.

A man came out of the house, hearing her.

"See, they are Delhi Police. Okhla police can do nothing and Delhi police is here..." The old lady mocked.

"I'm Vasudev. Radha is my daughter"

"We are from Delhi. We are here to investigate about your daughter"

Vasudev nodded.

"come in..." he said looking at his surroundings as his neighbors were peeping from their houses.

Arnav ran his eyes in the house. The man should be finished his evening Pooja just now. The smell of the incense sticks was so pleasant.

"Sir, did you get any information about my daughter?" The man asked.

"We just got the case in our hand... that's why we came to meet you"

"Mmm"

"Which college your daughter studied?"

"Dadabhai Naoroji women's College..."

"Did she have friends?"

"She had two or three friends but none of them visited our place nor she went to their houses"

Aman raised his brows wondering.

"Her concentration was always on her studies, sir. She won't even talk to anyone unnecessarily"

"Did she have any personal problems?"

"There was nothing called personal in her life, sir. She won't hide anything from us"

"Shall we see her room?"

"She didn't have an individual room. She stayed with my mother in her room"

"Didn't she have an individual cupboard and locker too?"

"Yes, she had..."

"Shall we?"

Vasudev nodded and guided them. The room looked simple and clean with two wooden cots.

"This is Radha's cupboard" Vasudev opened it.

Aman searched in the cupboard but Arnav stayed still. He didn't touch the cupboard. Aman searched it thoroughly but he didn't find anything. that disappointed him.

Taking Vasudev's leave, they came out. Arnav saw Aman's hung face.

"What happened?"

"I thought we will get some clues about the case..."

"Didn't you get?"

Aman looked at him perplexed.

"Did you get?"

"All the other girl's family will also be like the same..."

"Means?"

"Orthodox... the girls would also be good girls with limited friends and would belong to conservative families"

"How are you saying that?"

"I just guessed"

"How?"

"You will get to know that if you inquire Radha's friends"

"We will go to her collage tomorrow morning"

"Mmm"

"By the way, why didn't you show interest in searching her cupboard?"

"The local police would have already searched it. There is nothing other than college books and clothes. Then, what's there to search?"

"I can't understand the way you guess things"

"If you understand that, you would have been a professor in a Scotland University" Arnav teased.

Aman glared at him.

"Let's go..."

They started towards Delhi and reached after one hour. They came to a restaurant to have dinner. Aman saw Arnav thinking something.

"Are you thinking about Khushi?"

Arnav smiled.

"When will you meet her parents to take your love story further?"

"Soon..."

"What will you do if they don't agree to your marriage?" he asked teasingly.

"I will take Khushi to Scotland...simple"

Aman was stunned.

"Simple? Like really? Are you planning to elope with her?"

"Why should I...? I will go after informing them daringly..."

Aman raised his brows.

"But, I don't think, it will happen. Her parents will agree to our marriage."

"May I ask you something?"

Arnav smiled. He knew what Aman was going to ask.

"If you are so interested in marrying Khushi to this extent, why didn't you make any moves before?"

Arnav was about to answer, but stopped hearing,

"That's what I too can't understand"

They saw Khushi standing. Arnav spilled a surprising smile.

"Hi... what are you doing here?"

"Just going home. Saw you guys entering the restaurant... So, came here"

She sat next to Arnav, pulling a chair.

"Have you had dinner?"

"Not yet... will have at home"

"Have with us..."

Khushi didn't deny it.

"By the way, Khushi, are you ready to go to Scotland with him if your parents don't agree to your marriage?"

"They will agree," she said confidently.

"How are you so confident?"

"Why won't they agree? He is an eligible bachelor. Anyone will accept him as their son-in-law"

"By the way, how do you know he is still a BACHELOR?" Aman asked teasingly, making Arnav and Khushi stunned.

"He has been in a foreign country for more than seven years... he might have a family there Khushi. be careful" Aman laughed.

Arnav punched his bicep and made him laugh more.

"You may be right, Aman. After all, he is a criminology professor... he should know all the criminal things..." Khushi said looking at him through the corner of her eyes.

Arnav chuckled.

"ASR, you should get angry, instead of smiling"

"You guys are talking something interesting that I never thought of..." he smiled.

"Khushi is not wrong though. You know all the criminal things... don't you?"

"Of course, I know... until we think like a criminal, we can't reach the criminal. We should think in the way a criminal does..."

"That means, you agree that you are a criminal...!" Aman teased.

"Just because I think like a criminal, I can't be a criminal. Will you say, a writer who writes a killer story killed someone to write the story?" Arnav asked mockingly.

Aman and Khushi laughed.

"I surrender..." Aman raised his hands.

"By the way, why are you guys here leaving all the good restaurants in your area?" Khushi asked.

"We are from Okhla..." Arnav said.

"Okhla? Why did you go there?"

"For an investigation..."

"Oh..."

"We will go there tomorrow too," Aman said.

"Khushi, will you join us?"

"Me?"

"Yeah... because we are going to meet the girl's friends tomorrow. If you are with us, the girls will feel comfortable"

"Mmm... ok, I will join you"

"Get ready a little earlier. Then we can avoid terrific traffic" Arnav said.

"Yeah, sure"

They had dinner discussing the case. Arnav told what Khushi should do the next day.

Aman paid the bill. They came out.

"Aman, you go home. I will come after dropping Khushi home" Arnav said.

"Aham aham... go ahead..." he teased.

Arnav extended his hand asking for her bike key. Khushi gave it to him. Wearing a helmet, he started the bike and Khushi sat behind him. Khushi waved her hand at Aman and they left the place.

Khushi touched his shoulder. Arnav smiled at her turning his face. Khushi was stuck. Arnav resembled the bike man who she saw that evening with a girl.

To be continued...