Zindaan – The Golden Cage Chapter 13 (Troubling Memories – Part II)

First of all thanks to LCharish, Ninika, Niharika and Saniya for your comments. Thank you for encouraging me and being a constant support. It means a lot, I hope you continue to read it by spending your precious time❤??

Drishya order servants to settle things after leaving of the investigation team. “I told you to check before putting someone on work? Which type of people you chose?” She shouts on the head servant. “Sorry Mam, I personally looked. She seems nice” She replied. “Did I hire you for doing a prediction about who is good or bad? Someone give the drug to my sister and you didn’t get to know ” She shouted. “What were you all doing? If you keep showing this irresponsible behaviour, I will fire you all” She said while moving upstairs. She sees Anika sitting in her room while holding a picture of her mother. “You should take rest,” She said while taking a picture from her hand. “Ishu, Why don’t I remember anything about my childhood?” Anika asked looking at her. “You remember everything. Why are you saying like this?” Drishya said keeping picture on the nearby table.

“I am not able to visualise those memories. Whenever I tried to think about childhood, it’s Daddy’s face come in front of my eyes who are telling me about my childhood but never remember actual memories. It seems like that I have those things only in my mind which Daddy and you told me ” She said while unknowingly few tears rolled on her cheeks. “Ani, You are overthinking. Don’t get in that detective words ” She replied while composing her.

“You are not understanding. My life seems perfect from starting but after these incidents, I get to know that it is not carefree and perfect as it seems. I felt like somebody implant those memories in my mind which I never live. You told me that Mumma gets died from a heart attack, If you can remember it, then why don’t I? Why? ” She said scratching her head in frustration. “When you desperately want to erase some incidents from your memory, sometimes it really gets erased.” She said walking out. “What does that mean, Ishu? Why are you not telling me” She yelled from behind?

Drishya enters in her room and found Raghav’s drawing in her bag. She forgets about him because of Anika. He is a mute child who is not able to say anything but feelings don’t need words. She gets reminded of that little boy who is more mature than his age instead of being childish.

****Flashback*****

“Why did you try to jump from the terrace,” Drishya asked to him in sign language. “I want to die…” He replied while moving his small hands in sign language. He even didn’t tell these things to his counsellor, Anjali. She was just a mere psychologist who studied his case, and Drishya is someone who can feel Raghav’s case.
“Why do you not want to live?” She asked while he nods his head. “Papa was saying that I am living because of his money .” He replied. “You want to prove him wrong that’s why you tried to jump,” She asked. “I want to know that I am really living because of him. Is money can make a person alive after dying” He asked while she gets silent. “No, we all are living just because God is allowing. No one has control over death and life ” She replied while he smiles. “Did your parents also say these things to you?” He asked. “They are not with me,” She said. “Where are they?” He asked looking at her. “You like to draw Champ…Draw something for me” She ignored his question.

*****Flashback ends****

She opens her eyes after visualising the whole scenario in her mind. The worst thing is that she can’t able to forget her memories and incident even she wants to. All the incidents whether good or bad keep running in her mind like a film reel. On the other side, Anika who doesn’t remember anything even she tried to remember. Her memories are blurred and faded, her memories are buried inside her only. Anika wants to remember while Drishya wants to forget. Why is there so much difference? Which one of them is in more pathetic condition – one who want to remember or the one who wants to forget.

Drishya in guilt for not doing anything for that child. But she was caring for Anika, she was busy in helping her. That was just a lame excuse for covering things. Did she really help Anika? No, she didn’t. She searches about Raghav’s father while opening her laptop. Once Anjali told her that his father is an influential personality. She wants to know the address, She has the idea that maybe they leave this city but at least she can ask from their neighbours about the transfer. She notes down the address and decided to go there tomorrow in the morning.

“Where are you going? ” Drishya asked to Anika. “I am going to company” She replied. Though Anika was angry on her for not telling truth, she decided to find truth by herself. What’s left for complaining when she herself doesn’t remember anything? “Ani, You…..” Drishya tried to say but she interrupts her in between. “What I am going to do alone here? Please, I don’t want to be bore” She replied while walking out while she looks on as she didn’t listen to her reply. It’s hard to break relationships, once they’re built even that relation start getting cracks.

“I am not getting it that why didn’t she try to hide from the camera?” Kshitij said while writing the point on glass board with a black marker. “This is your habit to suspect anything without any reason,” Vishal said while he glared him. “I mean to say maybe the culprit is challenging us by showing her face in the camera. Seems like he wants to say that we can’t catch him even after this proof” Vishal said while he hit marker on his head. “No matter whether he leaves clue or not, we have to catch him, ” Kshitij said. “Look, she clearly tried to hide from the kitchen’s camera. If they decided to leave footage as a challenge she didn’t hide from this camera too” He said while playing footage.

“It’s confusing now,” Vishal said rubbing his head. “There are two possibilities only that they forget about that hidden camera or they also don’t know about it too” He replied sitting on his chair. “Where the hell you are taking the case? You meant to say that there are two people ” Vishal asked while he nods his head. “Right, the one who put cameras and the one who order to drug Anika are different people.” He replied. “If we think from your theory, then motive behind Juhi’s murder get changed,” Vishal said in confusion. “Look, there is one of them who want to murder Juhi for not leaving any witness. It can be that person who drugged Anika and later murdered Juhi. It can be another one who fixed hidden cameras, he sees someone is drugging Anika from the camera and he gets to know that we are going to distract. He took advantage of that situation.” Kshitij said after writing possibilities.

“That’s only left for predict. We are not able to catch one and you are saying that there are two” Vishal rolled his eyes while he gives deadly glare to him. “I was confused that which one murder Juhi” He replied to escape from his glare. “Mostly things sign toward that person who stalks and fixed hidden cameras killed Juhi. He sees that somebody drugged Anika and he took this opportunity to kill Juhi.” Kshitij replied. “How can you be so sure?” Vishal asked.

“Look, the person who orders to drug Anika, he has no motive to kill Juhi as Juhi is related to the one who kidnapped Mrs Malhotra. Let me explain, there is someone who is stalking Malhotra sisters and keep Mrs Malhotra as a captive, Juhi can also be involved with him only as we saw her bracelet in the video which Drishya brought. That is another person who orders to drug Anika maybe for taking any kind of revenge and because of any personal reasons. He was unknown to hidden cameras in Malhotra mansion. The first person who fixed cameras take advantage of it and killed Juhi. ” He explained. “This is just only assumption…” Vishal said. “I know and that’s why we are trying to find the truth” He replied. “Autopsy report of Juhi is here,” Palak said while entering while they look toward her. “What’s in the result? ” Kshitij asked. “She died because of a head injury. It can be suicide and maybe someone pushes her.” She replied. “Or it can be someone provoke her for doing suicide,” He said while she nods her head.

“Why did you come to work today? You should take rest” Shivay said to her worriedly. She looks on and muttered while smiling ” I am better now “. ” Why are you this much stubborn. I am telling you to take leave and go home” He said sternly. “I don’t want to be alone at home. That’s why I come here for doing work” She replied while he looks on. Did she say the word ‘alone’ ? She is alone at home like him. He thought while looking her face. “What happen to you?” Anika asks to him on realising his gaze. “You live alone. Don’t you have family” He asked while forgetting the fact that he only read her father’s name in biodata while hiring her?  Anika felt a different type of emotion in his voice, She can’t able to recognise whether it was sympathy, fear, pity or something else.  “No, I have. My sister is Doctor that’s why she goes to the hospital and my Dad keeps busy in his business” She replied.

“Ohh…I thought” He gets to stop in between while Anika looks toward him. He thought that she also belongs to the loneliness world like him. He doesn’t know that some are still alone while living between many people. “What did you think? ” She asked while he nods his head negatively. “Actually no one comes to see you in the hospital that’s why I thought like this,” He said while she looks on shockingly.

What does he mean that no one comes to see her? Dad and Ishu both love her more than themselves, even they didn’t come. Why?  She thought that his Dad and Ishu was beside her all the time. “What do you mean?” Anika asked. “I mean I waited for your family and after that, I leave. Maybe they come after my departure ” Shivay replied. Did he was really beside her most of the time? She looks on and finds him looking at her. “Thank you for saving my life” She muttered. “I didn’t save, Doctor saved your life” He replied. “Sir, you put efforts into taking me hospital. That’s why you unintentionally saved me. Moreover, you are with me most of the time, this thank you is for being there for me” She replied with a smile. Her sight falls on a shining thing near his blazer pocket. She looks intensely and recognises her ‘Chaand Bracelet’. She is going to ask him for returning it, then she reminds that what she going to answer if he asks how it gets in his house.

“Do you know that someone drugged you?” He asked while she nods her head “It is not any common thing. Who drugged you and what’s the motive behind it” He asked while she looks on in confusion whether she should tell him about what is going on in her life or not. He is just a stranger but she was not feeling like that and the reason is unknown to her. “I don’t know ” She wants to tell him but still hide it. How can she trust a stranger? He get understand that he is asking personal things. He nods his head and move toward his cabin.

“I don ‘t know how this miracle gets happen that Dad appoints you again” Swayam hugged her. His happiness has no bounds. “Did you ask Tej uncle for help?” He asked breaking the hug. “No, I didn’t” Drishya replied. “Then how did Dad get agree? Leave it, This is not my concern. You are back and that is enough” He said while she nods her head. “I have to check my patients,” She said while moving from there.

“Can you please handle my appointments for a while. I need to go somewhere urgently” Drishya said to him who was busy in seeing something on the laptop. “Sure, Where are you going?” Advik asked. “I have some work to do” She replied. “How is your sister now? I get to know that someone drugged her” He asked while she nods her head. “Fentanyl, You know it right,” She asked. “Of course, I know it” He replied. “Where were you yesterday? ” She asked while he looks on. “Are you doubting on me Drishya?” He asked while moving toward her. “No, I was just curious. I didn’t see you yesterday” She replied. “I was busy in surgery. How can you see me when you yourself weren’t present in hospital” He said while she nods her head and walked out.

“I think both sisters are playing the victim card.  Isn’t it weird that Anika didn’t report from last month about her mother’s kidnapping and on the other side Drishya report it immediately when she gets to know” Palak said to him who was standing beside glass board. “Maybe, but I think it is a personality difference. Anika is someone who cares more and think emotionally while Drishya think logically. Anika gets scared like any normal person. She thought if she will report to the police, they might be killed her mother.” He said but she cut him in between. “What about Drishya? You are saying, she didn’t care about her mother that’s why she report us immediately” She asked. “Maybe but there is one other possibility too. She gets understand if they want to kill Mrs Malhotra, they did it before only.” He replied. “She knows that they won’t harm her mother until they get the thing which they want,” She said while he nods his head.

Drishya drives her car toward the address which she noted last night. She stops her car in front of a building. “Whom do you want to met?” The security guard asked her. “Mr Vikrant Khatri” She replied. “Apartment no. 65, the second floor” He said while she looks on in confusion. “Didn’t they move to another city?” She asked. “Their family went somewhere but they come back last night.” He replied while she nods her head. She walked inside and enter the lift. “Why didn’t they leave when they told in the hospital about their transfer,” She thinks while moving in the corridor and looked apartment number. She presses the ring bell. “Mr Khatri, Are you inside?” She shouts.

She knocked on door after not getting any response but to her surprise door was already open. “It’s creepy. How it gets open by itself ” She thought while pushing it little. She enters inside and sees the things which are scattered here and there. “Hello, Is anyone here?” She said while moving forward. Suddenly, something like a water drop on her forehead. “What the hell now apartment like this also have leakage problem?” She frowns while swiping her hand. She gets shocked to see blood in her hand. She looks upward and her eyes widened in horror while looking a dead body hanging on the chandelier. She felt like words died in her mouth, she is unable to scream.

Precap – Anika’s search about herself….Detective Kshitij doubts on Drishya for murdering Mr. Khatri.

Kindly Ignore grammatical and spelling errors. Do share your views and Keep smiling.

(Note- I know you all want to kill me for making you confuse. I only reveal that Maya is imagination and I also give sign that she might be in reality. Just keep patient, story is unfolding slowly.)

Regards

Niyu