CHAPTER 33: Stay away
(Day after Shivaay revealed the past to Anika-Prachi…. Day after Riddhima’s entry)
Ranbir and Prachi were thinking about how to move further with the case…. Nothing had been discovered that could be used to solve the case…. Tia’s call records had also been of no use as the person whom she talked to frequently was a mere employee of the Ranas….
Ranbir: We haven’t got a single lead on this case till now. The police also didn’t get any vital clue, at this pace God knows when we’ll solve the case.
Prachi: You are right Ranbir, but we cannot lose hope so soon.
Ranbir: I know we need patience but…. Oh wait, how did we forget about that?
Prachi: What did we forget, what are you talking about?
Ranbir: Tia’s postmortem reports.
Prachi: And what about that?
Ranbir: The reports not only stated about the knife being stabbed in her body but also about the poisoning.
Prachi: Oh yes, and we never thought from that angle.
Ranbir: The reports clearly state that Tia’s body was weak and with the blood loss, she died sooner.
Prachi: So, maybe the person who stabbed her knew that she was weak and wouldn’t be able to cope up with the blood loss.
Ranbir: Well whoever did it, had eyes on Tia all the time, making sure that the poison reached her.
Prachi: In that case, it is not possible without any help from inside Oberoi Mansion.
Ranbir: Maybe some staff or security person could be bribed to keep an eye on Tia and make her eat the poisoned food.
Prachi: Well then we have to check the records of all the staff members of Oberoi Mansion, especially those who have joined or have left the job recently.
Ranbir: I’ll ask someone to get us the records and then we can question the ones those who are doubtful.
Prachi: Yeah, that’ll be better.
*****
Gauri: So, now other than us even Om, Priyanka and Ishana know the truth about Tia and Dushyant’s relation.
Rudra just nodded his head…. He had come before the decided time to make Gauri and Soumya aware of the latest development…. He told them about his conversation with his brother and sister the previous day and that they wouldn’t let any other people know about it….
Rudra: I had no other option then to let them know.
Soumya: That’s not a problem, anyways one day or the other they were bound to know.
Gauri: You are right Soumya. I am not worried about that, I am worried that we haven’t found anything new on the case. We have done Tia’s background check thoroughly now and there is nothing suspicious about her. What are we supposed to do ahead?
Gauri was quiet worried…. She had already lost two important clients and events she was looking forward to…. Her company’s name had been associated with a high profile murder case and people had come with their own conclusions…. She was concerned about all the employees working for her…. They had all worked hard day and night to make the company reach heights, she couldn’t let it crumple down…. She had to live up to their expectations and make their hard work pay….
Soumya: Di, don’t worry we’ll definitely find something; we just have to look more carefully.
Rudra: But what Soumya, we already did what was possible for us and it only revealed about Dushyant and nothing else.
Soumya: Yes, but that is how we start, we cannot expect everything to get solved at once, this case is complicated and we need lot of patience while moving ahead.
Gauri: So, what are we supposed to do now, I am unable to think anything.
Soumya: Di, you were the first one to find Tia’s body, right?
Gauri: Yes, and I am never going to forget that scene, she was lying lifeless with blood around her.
Soumya: And only the knife was lying near her, right?
Rudra: Yes, the only clue was the knife but the police inspected it but did not find any finger prints or anything else.
Gauri: Maybe the killer wiped off the finger prints or wore gloves or something.
Soumya: Yeah, of course the killer wouldn’t want to leave even a small clue behind.
Rudra: Also, the person must haven’t entered from the front gate or door, he must have used the gate at the backside to hide from people. He must have come, done his work and left without getting noticed.
Gauri: Moreover Tia’s room was on the ground floor so it must not have been hard to enter, the windows were an easy access.
Soumya: In that case, we should check the hotel premises, maybe we get some clue or if we can get access to the CCTV footage of the back gate, we can find something more relevant.
Rudra: Yes, as far as I know the police did check the CCTV but only of the insides, they didn’t check the outside, we can give this a try.
Gauri: So, let us go then. Also, we need to do this without anyone knowing about it.
*****
Gauri, Rudra and Soumya were standing outside the hotel room where Tia was murdered…. This was the room where Gauri had found Tia lying lifeless…. The room where Ranveer and his team had questioned the entire family…. The room where Ishana had threatened Shivaay…. The room where Abir had found Gauri’s jhumka near Tia’s body…. Gauri shuddered remembering that night when she had found Tia…. That was the worst night of her life…. Those images were never going to go from her mind…. Soumya kept her hand on Gauri’s shoulder and assured her not to worry…. Gauri smiled at Soumya seeing her concern, she felt relieved to have them by her side…. They had slipped into the backyard carefully not getting caught by any hotel staff or visitor…. Many people recognized Rudra and they didn’t want to seek unnecessary attention….
Rudra: Guys, we should check the surroundings as soon as possible, before someone sees us here and doubts are raised.
Soumya: You are right Rudra, we shouldn’t spend much time here and get the work done soon.
Gauri: Yeah, search around the area and see if you can find anything.
The trio nodded at each other and started looking around the area…. Gauri was looking near the window that could have been used by the person to enter Tia’s room…. She checked the window and found the lock broken from the outside…. Was it already broken…. Or was it done by the killer…. Maybe he had done it to enter the room without any difficulty…. She looked around more to see of anything else could be found or not….
Rudra and Soumya were looking around the lawn near the room…. They were looking down and did not see each other coming from the opposite sides…. They bumped into each other and fell down on the ground…. They looked at each other irritated….
Soumya: Idiot, don’t you have eyes or you don’t use them while moving around?
Rudra: How dare you call me idiot, and for the record, even I can say the same about you, don’t you have eyes?
Soumya: It is useless talking to you.
Rudra: Same here
Gauri heard their argument and came there…. She helped them to get up…. They stood up dusting their clothes….
Gauri: Are you fine, I mean did you get hurt?
Soumya: No Di, we are fine just some scratches nothing serious.
Gauri: Rudra….
She stopped as she saw something shining…. She bent down near the window and picked up the metal object…. It was a cufflink…. Soumya and Rudra saw her looking at something and stood beside her to see…. It was a cufflink with the letter “S” engraved on it…. They looked at each other….
Soumya: What if this belongs to the killer?
Gauri: Does this mean the killer’s name starts with S?
They both looked at each other and then looked at Rudra….
Rudra: We have to find out more to know if this belongs to the killer.
Gauri: Yes, we cannot come to conclusions just with a cufflink.
Soumya: Yeah, we need to find other clues also.
*****
Silence….
A long silence….
A silence that had never existed between them….
There was an unusual calmness in their hearts…. Like they say the calm before the storm….
The new building emotions had created havoc in their souls….
The new feelings had created waves of disturbances in their peaceful lives….
“So, where do we start?”
Ishana said breaking the never ending silence…. She knew if they were to maintain this silence for any longer than intended she wouldn’t be able to keep her feelings in control…. She had made her mind clear that she would get the work related to the case done as soon as possible and never meet Om again…. She had told herself plenty of times that whatever she and Om have is only professional and she wasn’t supposed to attach any feelings to this…. Maybe over the days they had become good friends but then it was just for the time being…. They were not going to be with each other forever…. She did not have any rights to even think about a forever…. Some people are temporary even if the feelings related to them maybe forever…. She was brought out of her thoughts by Om’s voice….
Omkara: Ishana, there is something important I need to talk to you about.
Om said with some hesitation…. Ishana could see that something was bothering him…. She looked at him waiting for him to continue further…. Maybe he had found something about the case…. Something that was disturbing him…. Seeing him not saying anything ahead she spoke….
Ishana: What has happened Om? I feel that something is bothering you.
Omkara: Ishana, I think we should stop working together.
As soon as the words reached her ears she looked at him with shock…. Did he say it or did she hear something wrong…. She closed her eyes for a moment and then opened them again to look at Om…. Seeing him she understood that whatever she had heard was right…. Om was actually telling her that they could not work together any more…. What had happened to him in one night that he came to this conclusion…. The previous day he was behaving with her quiet normally then what changed all of a sudden….
Ishana: What has happened Om, why are saying this all of a sudden?
Omkara: Ishana, this case is very complicated especially when my family is involved, earlier I didn’t realize how crucial this could get but now that I have understood, I cannot put my family in any risk. I cannot put them in any danger….
Ishana: Really Om, weren’t you the one who said that you’ll fight for the truth no matter what happens?
Ishana looked at him in disbelief….
Omkara: Yes Ishana, I am saying all this. I know I had said all those things earlier but now when I thought about it, I have understood that I cannot go against my family, my loved ones for the truth.
Ishana: Wow….
Omkara: I am sorry Ishana, but if it is so dangerous and about my family, I have to think as Omkara Singh Oberoi and not Om.
Ishana could not believe that she was hearing all this from Om…. She had never expected him to say all this….
Wasn’t he who had told her that he would always be Om before being an Oberoi…. Hadn’t he told her that his principles and his belief in the truth were his ways of living his life…. Hadn’t he said a number of times that no matter what happened he would always stand by the truth…. Wasn’t he who had made her believe that nothing was more important than the truth…. Wasn’t he who had asked her to give him a chance to help her…. Hadn’t he told her that together they would fight through all this….
But then why did she believe him and his words so easily…. Wasn’t he also an Oberoi at the end of the day…. Wouldn’t his priority always be his family…. Why was she such a fool to fall for all his kind words and humble nature…. How could she let him walk through all this when he was going to leave her the moment things turned against his family…. Why did her heart believe all those big talks about idealism…. How could she get influenced by his so easily…. Why did she even give him a chance to do all this to her….
A lone tear rolled down from her eye and on to her cheek…. Another tear followed the first one…. Om saw her tears and felt something breaking inside his heart…. He moved ahead to wipe her tears when she moved back and looked at him…. He could see disappointment, hurt and anger in those eyes…. His words had wounded her badly…. He had broken her trust and her beliefs….
Ishana: No Mr. Oberoi, don’t you dare come near me. I was such a fool that I believed all your kind words and actions. I thought you were different but no, I was wrong. I was right when I assumed that you too would turn out to be like the other Oberois.
Mr. Oberoi…. The words made him feel ashamed of himself…. He used it to address the man he hated the most…. He had never thought that one day someone would use it for him and it would make him feel disgusted….
Ishana was right…. At the end he had had only turned himself into the person he never wished to become…. But he had too…. He had to do this because if he didn’t do it…. He would only end up hurting Ishana more…. With the rising feelings inside him he could not let Ishana be near him…. She was affecting him in ways he had never thought it was possible…. But he had to end it today or he wouldn’t be able to end it ever…. If once Ishana became closer to him he wouldn’t be able to ever let go of her….
Ishana: When you had come to my house to offer your help, I was not sure about any of this but then with time I became sure that I made the right decision but today you proved that it was my biggest mistake. I should have never trusted you.
Ishana picked up her things and looked at Om for a final time…. She turned the other side and wiped her tears…. She didn’t have to shed tears for a person like him she scolded herself…. He didn’t deserve her tears…. He was not worth it…. She was walking when she stumbled and was about to fall when Om came to her to save her…. She balanced herself and put her hand to prevent him from coming near….
Ishana: Thokaro se khud ko sambhalna aata hai mujhe. Mujhe sahare ke liye aapki koi jaroorat nahi hai. You have already some too close, now stay away.
Ishana steadied herself and walked out of the room….
*****
Once Ishana was out of sight Om sat down on the ground…. He hit the floor angrily…. He punched it a number of times till his hand started bleeding because of the continuous hitting…. He deserved this…. He deserved much more…. He should not have let Ishana come closer to him…. He should have never got her too attached to him…. He should have controlled his feelings and kept their relation professional…. He shouldn’t have even become friends with her…. Everything was his fault and he punished her…. She believed him and he only ended up breaking her trust…. He could not keep his emotions in control and ended up hurting her…. It was his entire fault…. Why did these feelings ever rise inside him…. Why did he grow close to her….
Omkara: I am sorry Ishana, but it is better you stay away from me.
He sat there as tears flowed from his eyes…. He was guilty for hurting an innocent soul….
*****
The sun was shining brightly…. The soft breeze was flowing…. The entire atmosphere was filled with the fragrance of flowers…. The birds were chirping…. The bees were humming…. The nature had its own rhythm…. There was a peaceful feeling all around…. And suddenly dark clouds surrounded the sky…. The sun was hidden in the clouds…. The soft breeze turned into destructive winds…. Birds and bees stopped their melodious sounds…. She turned around afraid by the drastically changing nature…. She looked around but no one was there…. She was alone…. Alone…. All alone…. It started raining…. She was drenched in the rain…. She tried to find a shelter but nothing was there…. She was alone….
This is what Ishana was feeling at the moment….
Alone….
She reached her house with great difficulty…. Only she knew how she had managed to drive keeping her focus on the road when so many things were going on in her mind…. Her heart was paining…. It was hurting her a lot…. But she couldn’t fall weak…. She couldn’t…. It was all her fault….
Her mistake to trust him….
Her mistake to let feelings rise for him….
Her mistake to let him come closer….
Her mistake to let her heart free….
She sat down on the floor…. She could not take it any longer and tears flowed from her eyes…. Why did he do this…. Why….
*****
Hello everyone, I hope you all are doing well.
A longer update to compensate for the delay in updating the chapters.
Do share your views.
So who can be the S-named person who was present at the murder spot? Who can be the person who poisoned Tia? What turn will Ishana and Om’s life take now?
Keep reading and smiling!!!
Take care and stay safe!!!