Shrouding a greenish blue brocade fabric suit, I braided my hair nearly before the mirror in Karan's room. The side curly locks were let loose to flutter freely over my temples. I stared at the brilliantly sparkling golden Tinkerbell baby pendant hanging loosely from my neck, recalling the days when my parents had gifted it to me. As a child, I was always passionate about tinkerbells and parting with it would mean disrespecting my dead parents.

"Doctor sahiba is all ready to leave?" I heard Karan's voice from behind the cupboard's door. He was conflicting with his clothes to choose a proper outfit to wear and timely peeking at me from the top of it so that I rush to his help after I was done with my makeup.

"I'm ready, Karan. Haven't you yet selected any for you?" I asked him before picking up my cellphone from the nightstand.

"Help me, Preeta. Most of my clothes are out of order, right! I hadn't taken care of them for so many days and some are not even ironed." He was complaining like any child would and waited for me to respond.

Approaching at his side, I searched for something probable for the day until a navy blue Armani suit caught my eyes. In all probability, it wasn't crumpled which meant he hadn't worn the cloth for days or must have recently ironed. "This will be perfect, Karan."

"Give me two minutes, I'll be back." He took the chalk stripe fabric clothing in his hands before disappearing into the bathroom. I had selected a dress for him to wear for the day and he seemed to be quite happy about it.

He reappeared again, the glamorous suit blazing over his body. As he neared me, the unclasped first button of his glistening linen blend white shirt came to my view, his broad solid chest vividly visible through the smooth translucent material.

Stopping inches closer to where I was, he stated winking. "Do I look like a gentleman?"

"No you're not. Something is missing." I shook my head before picking a blue tie from the drawer. Moving nearer to him, I adjusted his collar and fastened the top button.

Working on the loose ends of the straps, I crafted my fingers to set the trinity knot for his tie while he shackled my waist with his arm in a swift manner, bringing me so close that I could feel his minted breath fanning my cheeks. My heart began racing faster than ever and I hurried with the knots before the sexual tension could arise more inside the room, rendering my consciousness all nervous and full of palpitations.

"Now you look like a gentleman." I stammeringly murmured and he pulled away, his ears all pinkish-red and cheeks blushing from our short lasting proximity.

He sat on the bed to wear his socks but moaned due to the slight pain near his chest. Folding his limbs or bending forward to fix the socks or shoes were still troublesome for him and I did realize his dilemma. I knelt down on my knees in the next moment, clutching the socks in my palms to fix those for him.

"No don't do that..." He flinched at this, trying to pull away. "You are my doctor and I can't allow you to touch my feet... I respect you and your dignity... Please Preeta... That's very bad!"

"Let me do it, Karan. I'm doing it willingly... It's not that you are spoiling my dignity for me. Being your doctor, it's my responsibility to see that you are not hurt because of the wounds." I chided, fixing the socks, shoes and tying the laces for him.

I straightened up on my limbs and he gripped my wrist, pausing me in my position. My right hand was now under his control and he inched the gap between us. Kissing the top of my palm, he mumbled in a husky and impressive voice. "You are bewitching lady, the only shrine of my life!"

He seemed to be so poetic sometimes; calling me his guardian angel and now his lady shrine. I wonder if more of these nicknames were awaiting for me later.

My cheeks were blushing and I was all speechless. "Are you trying to flatter me?" I finally asked and he twitched his eyebrows.

"What made you think so?"

"Your extra sweetening words, Karan. What if the saccharine sugar adversely affect my health?" I began teasing him playfully.

He understood my humour and pinched his lips together. "I'll do your treatment then."

"How will that be?" My hands rested on my hips in a playful gesture.

"I'll add some more sweeteners to it." He pouted his lips forward, intentionally gesturing what he had actually meant.

My cheeks swelled up like two red strawberries because of his open flirting with me. "You are a jerk!"

A cluster of gleaming happiness filled his face and he burst into laughter like a lava exploding from it's base. His cheeks were puffed up and tears of bliss cornered his eyes.

Holding my palms in his, he said in a densely clouded voice, "I don't know what will happen to me when you leave after the case is solved. I've begun relying on you for every little thing."

His face was filled with remorse and he was trying to meet my eyes forcefully. I saw his eyes getting wet and I painfully gasped under my breath. His words affected me because a part of me was also not wanting to leave him alone any day.

Withdrawing from him with a heavy heart, I gradually deviated the topic. "Shall we depart?"
And I found him nodding lazily, agreeing with me for the trip.

___________

We left in Karan's black Porsche and Mr. Karthik joined us from the crossing of the Wellington Street. Karan and I were seated in the backseat while Mr. Karthik in the passenger seat. I could see tension brewing up  in Karan's fearful face from the corner of my eyes the more we were heading towards our destination.

The lush green scenery and cattle grazing over the paddy fields were enchanting my eyesight as I stared outside the car window. The countryside like view always gave me immense pleasure and farmers seeding new crops during the advent of spring mesmerized me.

I always believed that the farmers are the lifeline of the country, growing crops, working their sweat and blood under the scorching sun and earning very little only to provide us food that we eat. Yet we seldom remember them while enjoying our favourite eatables.

"Enticing wonderful, isn't it!"
I exclaimed and caught hold of Karan's hand in a trance while pointing my finger outside the window. He was not paying attention at first but soon came out of his blurred thoughts, bent over to my side of the car and stared outside along with me.

"It is wonderful, Preeta."

"Have you visited such places before or walked the narrow pathways, enjoying the muddy fragrance of rural soil?" I curiously asked since billionaires weren't expected to travel to the countryside where poor communities usually dwelt.

He shook his head. "I haven't but the sight seems wonderful. I've missed many beautiful things in life."

He has missed beautiful things in life! Why is he saying that?

"But Karan, I've heard that you generally donate money to the poor, the ones you seize from the rich. Haven't you ever visited them yourself?"

"I haven't, Preeta. I have only forwarded cheques to the NGOs of the particular poor societies."

"Do you intend to visit here someday?" I asked, studying his facial expressions that he might be wishing to travel to such places in the future.

Karan shifted in the seat closer to me while tightening my hold on his palm. "I have visited these places earlier but only during traveling, viewed things from the car window. I haven't roamed these places physically because my safety is utmost necessary."

"It means you won't be able to visit these places at all due to safety issues? Would you like to miss the chance of basking into the innocent warmth of hospitable villagers."

"I might give it a try in future if ever I'm alive." He was losing his calm since the rehabilitation centre was approaching soon.

"Don't worry, Karan. Nothing will ever happen to you. Promise me that you will not think negatively again." I filled the gap between his fingers with mine, assuring him with confidence.

"I know you love such places because of your selfless profession, Preeta. I promise to visit such kind of a place with you once my case is solved." He fortified the hold of our palms, covering the top of it with his other free hand.

I noticed Mr. Karthik observing us through the front glass mirror and smiling to himself. I wanted to withdraw from Karan but he wouldn't let me go, making me confess to my heart that even I was beginning to adore the close proximity with Karan like never before.

___________

The front yard of the rehabilitation centre displayed a metallic statue of an old man kept on a high pedestal and I read the notice board, discovering that he was the late founder of the centre. There was a four storeyed building behind the statue, generally three clustered apartments conjoined together. There were numerous glass windows and I could roughly count fifteen odd rooms in an entire floor.

Karan was walking beside me at the speed of a tortoise, basically scared of entering the centre. I was still clutching his palms to lend my encouragement and he pulled me closer, wrapping his arm around my shoulder.

"Come on, don't be so scared. You promise me you won't." I wanted to convince him. His help was important for us to investigate the crime scene.

"Don't leave my hand please." He ordered whispering and I rolled my eyes in amusement.

"I will not, Karan. Now walk with me like a good boy." I muttered in a childish voice and he forced a smile out of his lips.

"Sure, mom." He teased and I pinched him in the arm.

The moment he jumped from little sting, Mr. Karthik frowned at us and I squared my shoulders in embarrassment. Karan understood my gesture and pulled his hand away from my shoulders only to clasp my right palm this time.

There was a stout young man wearing a brown jacket and black denims inside the centre, waiting for our arrival. He at first waved at us before shaking hands with Mr. Karthik. Karan too smiled at the bearded man before shaking his free right hand with the new person. It was clearly evident that the three of them already knew one another and it was only me who was the odd one out.

"Mrs. Luthra, he is one of the junior officers working under me. I have specially summoned him here for the investigation," Mr. Karthik told me and the young man extended his palm to shake mine.

My right hand was in the cage of Karan's palm and he wouldn't let it go at any cost. The situation was too embarrassing, for not being able to return the polite gesture to someone like the officer. I pinched my lips together into a tight smile before nodding my head a little. "Hello, I'm Dr. Preeta Aro... Luthra."

I could see Karan smiling on his own when I introduced myself as a Luthra, the scary expression over his face had vanished for a couple of seconds. I didn't know the reason of his strange behavior, of whether he was assuming that he possessed me or he simply didn't want me to let go off him because of his fears. In any case, he only wanted me to stay beside him, our hand in hand and walking side by side together.

"I'm Vikram Sengupta." The officer introduced himself.

"Nice to meet you, Vikram. Shall we proceed?" I asked while walking towards the entrance of the huge building.

I was quietly holding Karan's palm and rotating my eyes everywhere, his safety was my first priority. The centre-in-charge granted us permission for the investigation and we moved to the crime scene immediately in the hope of finding clues to proceed with the case.

________

The bathroom where Karan was shot was on the second floor of the central building. It was already sealed by the local police to prevent any tampering and we were at an advantage of finding clues for the case. Vikram threw open the sealed door, revealing the spell bound bathroom. It was haunted by crime, mystery and of course blood.

Karan's blood!

I could see Karan's legs shaking beside me and he automatically switched his trembling arm from my palm to wrap my shoulders in an instant, dragging me closer to him. It was difficult for him to bear the incessant memories which were terrifying him daily and witnessing his own blood splattered everywhere with naked eyes was definitely unbearable.

Vikram and Mr. Karthik had begun inspecting the broken window pane of the bathroom, the glasses being thoroughly damaged. According to first sight visualisation, the gun shot seemed to have occurred from there.

"The bullet was shot from there, Sir," Karan spoke for the first time since the time we'd entered the bathroom and my guess was right. He was pointing at the broken window pane.

"But there isn't any chance of escape or ease of quickly gliding down-climbing up. How can the attacker climb to shoot him and disappear in such a short span of time? The window pane is too small and the bathroom is on the second floor. The bathroom seems to be the safest place for Karan but yet he got shot. There is no emergency staircase on the behind wall and we didn't even find any fingerprints," Vikram added in confusion.

"Things were planned beforehand, Vikram. This must have been the work of an insider or the attacker must have planted someone here," Mr. Karthik said nodding his head.

"This is a rehabilitation centre and they must be having footages," I suggested and we headed over to the digital room. Karan was still by my side, tightly clutching my wrist as we walked together.

Karan clutched his forehead all of a sudden and I halted, checking his pulse. Our investigation must have pressurised his brain to a greater extent and his nerves were agitated due to the rigorous discussions. Fetching his forcefully to the crime scene of his own attack for a second time was also not the best decision on our part but it was necessary.

Being a doctor, I knew it was affecting his mental health and I gave him the afternoon medicinal dose along with a sleeping pill. I put him to sleep on an office chair inside the digital room and stood beside him clutching his shoulder so that he felt safe. He was in the habit of me staying near him whenever he slept.

The head of the vigilance department of the rehabilitation centre greeted us with a warm smile. "How can I help you?"

"We need to check the footages for the particular day when the incident took place," Mr. Karthik instructed and the head took out the DVD of the exact date of the horrendous incident.

"You'll find every other footage here except for the bathroom. It's illegal to attach cameras there." the man apologized genuinely before switching on the monitor.

"We already know it. This is the reason why criminals choose to commit crimes inside bathrooms where nobody will be able to catch them. There'll be no evidences left behind," I said this time before fixing my eyes on the computer screen.

The footages of the corridor of the second floor began playing on the screen and Karan was seen discussing with some of the officials and staff members of the rehabilitation centre. One of the maids fetched some fruit juices and everyone took his own glass. Karan refused a drink and a grey haired man with long white beards accidentally spilled his own drink over Karan's clothes soon after.

The old man's hands were already shaking while clutching the empty glass and Karan politely smiled at him. Patting the old man's back as a gesture of forgiveness for the mishap, Karan walked away towards the bathroom. A couple of gunshots were heard in no less than ten minutes and I could feel my heart aching in the corner of my chest.

"We are back to square one. Karan has already narrated to us how it all happened and he reached the bathroom, but we can't see what happened inside. Why can't we get any new clue?" Mr. Karthik shrugged his shoulders.

"How will we proceed, Sir? There isn't any clue I suppose." Vikram agreed and I frowned before folding my arms together.

"There are clues, Sir, in fact many." I finally interrupted them. "The man who spilled the drink is not old at all. If you look carefully, he must be wearing an old man's wig and false beards. I know it's difficult to understand but I recognized him from his eyes, the eyes which I had seen on that particular day outside the hospital!"

_________

To be continued...