NEW ASHLOK FICTION : GUILTY Chapter 29page 140 - Page 96

Shlok read and re-read the letter. Unable to think clearly he was struggling to make sense of it all. She is gone! She left me...just like all the rest she too had left me. I'm back where I started this whole crap of a life I live. Alone and bitter. Shit...shit...I should never have let her come into my life. Never should have let my guard down, allowed her to love me and loved her back. I was a fool to think that things could be any different this time around. But it's always the same. Nothing good ever happens. They all leave you the moment things gets tough. They find someone better. Feeling angry at himself for letting himself vulnerable he wanted to punch someone in the face. Images of them sitting on the floor right after he had given the ring to her not too long ago flashed before him in the mirror. He still held the promise ring in his hand and in an instant he just threw the ring at the mirror. But the next moment he was at the base of the Mirror picking the ring from where it had fallen. The mirror had cracked but he didn't even blink. He couldn't careless. The whole mirror could've cracked and fallen for all he cared.

He took out his wallet and placed the ring inside the coin competent. And he was on his way to the station. He continuously tried to call Astha. But of course she wasn't gonna answer his calls. You not only act like a pancy but now you think like one as too. Congrats you're the real deal now!

He was trying to rationalise her thinking. Did she go away to save me and and my career or did she run away to save herself? She could be out of the country by now if she wanted to be. But he still refused to give way to his mind. He was thinking of the same thing just few hours before. To take her away from all this crap and settle down in an unknown place. He can do it. He knows the people who does it for a living. Give them a whole new identity.

As he entered the station he knew what to expect, the wrath of Tyson. "Agnihotri I'm very disappointed" that's what he dreaded the most. He saw Arjun had called him more than ten times. He was making his way towards the cabin when that familiar growl was heard "Agnihotri" the entire floor went pin drop silent. Even the machines seemed to know when to be silent. No phones were ringing, no faxes were being sent or received. It was dead silence. Shlok stopped in his tracks and turned around. There he was standing all 6.4' of him like the Mount Everest towering over each and every one. Man it must be good to be him, intimidating and pompous! Wonder what he calls his kids Kannar Snr and Kannar Jnr. Poor kids. Don't feel sorry for them mister high and mighty I'm sure they have a far better childhood than you. I bet everyone else did. Except maybe her. He missed her. He tried not to think. But she was constantly lingering in his mind. The circumstances didn't help his cause either. It was all about her. It was as if he's been punished for his lapse in judgment.

He walked towards Tyson staring down at him with his eagle like sharp eyes. "Agnihotri! You know what you have to do. Don't disappoint me again" he said in his gruff voice as he handed over the blue colour plastic docket. His life could change irrecoverably once he opened it. But open he must. "Arjun had been briefed" saying Tyson walked back to his cabin. He walked back to his own cabin and eased into his chair at his desk and then with a deep breath took out the contents. He rummaged through the pictures. One after the other it contained pictures of her or what looked like her and the man. Ajith was with her. She was seen handing over an envelope. She was seen getting down from her Range Rover. He could clearly see the Maharashtra number plate. It matched hers. She was in oversized sunglasses and a scarf around her head. But he could clearly see the cow pendant she was seen wearing the day Almeidha was murdered. Her birthmark on her left wrist. Even though her face wasn't clearly visible everything else matched her. Her hight. She was 5.1' and weight maybe around 55 kgs. The woman in the pictures matched Asthas physique without a doubt. The pictures needed to be sent to the forensic lab for analysis. To be authenticated. Not photoshopped or doctored in anyway.

The pictures have been initially analysed by their new computer whiz kid. The cyber cop as he was referred to by all. Dealing with online data, cyber crime. But to be admissible in court the evidence needed to be authenticated by an expert. The pictures had the date stamped. The same time as Brijesh mentioned Ajith meeting a beautiful lady. So it was all adding up. But he failed to find a motive. She had everything. No she didn't. She was lonely and miserable in a loveless marriage to a man who had sex with men. Isn't that enough motive. Wouldn't you want to get out of such hopeless life. She could've just walked out. She had the money. He had given her enough to last ten lifetimes. Did I miss anything in the last will? Did Almeida put any hidden conditions. To keep her trapped in this sham of a marriage so that his status in the society stayed intact and gossip at bay. Sick bas***d! Could it be that she did it for or because of someone else. He hated to go down that road. But it's a scenario he needed to consider as a possible motive. The thought of her in the arms of another got his blood boiling. His eyebrow twitching and gripped the the plastic docket in his hand he wanted to find him beat till he dropped dead. Did she use him? Was he taken for a ride? The more he thought about it the more he was beginning to doubt her. He was in inner turmoil. His mind said she's guilty but his heart refused accept it. He was loosing his sanity as he was going to throw the file Arjun walked in.

"What's going on man? Where the f*** were you? I nearly crapped in my pants trying buy time for you. What's going on with you man? Are you sleeping with her?" He asked point blank.

"Stop being the jealous girl friend man. Who I go to bed with is none of damn business. Lay off it man" Shlok said trying to hide the guilt.

"I don't give a f*** but it becomes my business when I have to pacify Big foot in there for hours when he kept hounding me where the hell is your so called friend and partner. I hope she's worthy of all the shit I had go through. You owe me big! Real big" he said calming himself down. His suspicions were getting stronger by the day. But he waited till he's ready to say it to him.

"I'm sorry buddy! There's nothing to say. She's left me already man. I owe you and shall make it up you" he said with disappointment written all over his face. Arjun felt sorry for him for the first time. He's always envied him. But not today. "I shall hold you to it" he said.

Arjun and Shlok discussed what ever was said to him my SSP Kannar. It was nothing new. To follow due Protocol and to get the analysis done ASAP. It was a high profile murder investigation and the longer it took them to solve the bad it made the crime unit look. The pictures was received via ordinary post. The envelope and original picture had Already been sent to the forensic lab. It was addressed to SSP Kannar and the address was typed with an old type writer. Her bank accounts were to be checked as well. To see if she had withdrawn any substantial amount of money round about that time. All the loose ends needed to Tied up before they can get a warrant issued. The thought of him having to arrest her made his skin crawl with disgust. How can he put a handcuff to the same hand he slid a promise ring and promised her to love and take care of her for an eternity. They may have been mere words but he meant each and every word. The thought of her having to spend a second in the filthy jail cells or the notorious remand cells made him want to run to her and just disappear to an unknown place that very moment. He loved her enough to not wanting to see her suffer even if she's guilty. He deserved what he got. She did a favour. He was trying to rationalise his own thought process. Arjun got a call, probably from his latest lady love so he was out of his cabin in a flash.

He had to accept he hasn't been as sharp as he'd been before. His mind has been preoccupied with her. He's been less than bothered about his job. But now he's back. No deterrents. But still he couldn't stop thinking about her. His subconscious was worried about her driving that beast, he wanted to make sure she was back safely. He called her again. Even before he dialled he knew he won't here her voice. He just couldn't take it any more, he wanted to see her. He was desperate to see her. There wasn't much he could do sitting at his desk. They had to wait for the evidence to be verified. He grabbed his keys and the docket and was out of the station the next moment. He felt free once out. He was feeling suffocated.

He's been driving for a good half an hour when he realised he was near her house. Then he remembered there were no accidents along the way. So I guess she managed alright. Elephant and Speeedys Behen home safe and sound. Back in the cow den! He realised he didn't inform Arjun or Tyson that he was leaving, what if they wanted to discuss the case with him. But it was too late for that. He couldn't careless. Tyson can go to Hell for all he cared. She was more important to him than anything. If he's gonna be suspended by Tyson then be it. He took the right turn and stopped near the gate. The guard recognising the car opened the gate with a salute. He nodded and proceeded.

He parked under the portico and remembered the last time he was here. Him watching her sleeping. He was out in a flash and rang the door bell. Filo opened the door. And he didn't wait to hear what she had to say. He just made his way towards her room. He scaled the curved stairway in long strides. Filo was left standing dumbfounded. She didn't know what just walked through the door. May be it was the wind? He disappeared out of her sight in an instant.

He came barging in through the door. This was not the time to be thinking of bedroom etiquettes! He couldn't careless. To hell with everything. That was his attitude. But the moment he opened the door the sight that awaited him broke his heart to a million different pieces. Here he was thinking may she has fled the country when all the while she's been here on her bed curled up like a baby in his t-shirt crying herself to sleep. He slowly walked upto her. She wasn't even sleeping in the proper side. She was lying horizontally. Her head almost at the edge and her lushes curls cascading down from the side of the bed.

Looking at her he realised how much she means to him. If he was a water works kinda guy then he'd be crying a river by now. But he was not. And he was glad. You don't want two flood gates to be opened at the same time. That would be a catastrophe. Loss of life. Enough with the lesson on natural calamities caused by humans.

But his heart felt heavy, breathing became laboured. Palms became moist. He knelt down and blew at a loose curl that was covering her eye. She had been crying. The comforter was wet. Her nose was red. He slowly leaned towards her face and placed a soft kiss on her hair. She stirred and said "I miss you so much already how can I live without you" in her semi sleepy state. "You don't have to babes" he whispered in her ear. She suddenly opened her eyes. Trying to get a grip of things. She wasn't sure if she was dreaming or he was actually here. She quickly sat on the bed. Blinked and rubbed her eyes. He was still there.

Her first instincts was to grab him and hold him till eternity. And she did just that. He was more proactive than her. He was already holding her in a tight iron clad. She felt heaven in his arms. His warmth as soothing as the morning sun rays after long and gloomy winter chill. But it was melting the ice barriers that she had forcefully put up. She can't afford to back track her thoughts and her decisions. She pulled herself away from him.

"Please go from here. I have nothing to say to you" she said looking down.

"But I have. And you're gonna hear it whether you like it or not. You owe me that much Astha"

"No, I don't owe you anything, just like you don't owe me anything. You're free. We're free from each other"

"You can't just waltz in and out of my life as and when you desire. I don't function like that. Not with you. I meant everything I said. And I intend to fulfil and uphold what I promised. Unlike you. Who can just forget everything with a letter and leave like a cowered. I'm here fighting for us. So don't tell me this cock and bulk speech of its your career I don't want to ruin it. I will be ruined either way. But if you're there I know I can pick up the pieces and go on with my life. I need you"

" what do you mean you'll be ruined either way? Are you suggesting that you believe I'm guilty as well. That's why you'd be ruined. Is that what you came to tell me. Well I can see the writing on the wall. I'm not blind. Now you can get on with your life and your investigation" she said with anger seething through her eyes.

"I don't know what the evidence is saying is true or not. But it's pretty darn convincing Astha. But before that I want you to to tell me if you have anything to share with me. I'm on your side. I will do everything i can do to help you. Tell me are you in anyway connected to this mess"

"Yes. I am. I am the one most connected to this murder after James, my dead Husband! I was made a widow! I'm gonna loose my freedom, I'm gonna loose my dignity, I'm gonna loose my life, what ever crappy life I had still it was mine. So yes I am" she said trying hard not to cry.

"So, now he's you're dead husband. How could I ever forget that. This is what happens when you sleep with pansies you wake thinking like them. I'm such an idiot. I will ask you one last time. Are you connected to anything?" He asked in a very formal and stern voice.

"I have nothing more to say Mr. Agnihotri! I would appreciate it if you wouldn't come unannounced to my house and specially to my room in the future. I don't want to see you here unless you have a warrant or an court order. I hope I made myself clear." She hissed at him anger. " don't come near me. I wouldn't hesitate to file a harassment charge against you Mr. Agnihotri" she said when she saw him walking towards the bed.

That was the last straw. He lost all his cool. He reached towards her grabbed her by the shoulders and lifted her up to his face and "Mrs. Almeida, I Hear you loud and clear. But I'm not scared of your bloody threat. I don't give a F*** if you file one or ten harassment charges against me. Thank you for showing me your true colours. You didn't disappoint me after all. I will be out of your life with pleasure. " saying he barged out of the room closing the door behind him with a loud bang it almost made AStha jump out of her own skin.