Part 7
The hum of the SUV’s engine was the only sound between them. The city lights flickered past the windshield, casting moving shadows inside the car, mirroring the storm brewing in their hearts.
Riya’s words still echoed in Arjun’s mind.
"Kab tak apne past ko apne present pe haavi hone doge?"
For a man who had spent years hunting criminals, dissecting motives, and delivering justice, introspection had never been his strong suit.
But now, sitting beside the woman he had pushed away yet couldn’t let go of, he realized something.
He had spent so long running from his past that he had never really stopped to think—was he running towards anything at all?
***
The team was already gathered when Arjun and Riya arrived. Shree was typing furiously on his laptop, his eyes darting across multiple open windows. Chotu paced the room, while Sameer stood near the whiteboard, staring at the case details.
"Toh ACP Rawte aur Riya ji aa gaye!" Shree greeted, his voice lighter than the mood in the room. "Hum soch hi rahe the ki aap dono ko dinner ke liye bulana padega."
Riya managed a small smile, but Arjun remained silent, stepping towards the board.
"Kya mila?" he asked, his tone all business.
Sameer gestured to the screen Shree was working on. "Karan Singh ka koi bhi record officially available nahi hai. Meghna Malhotra ne kaha tha ki woh unke ghar ka purana naukar tha, par hum uska koi address ya ID track nahi kar pa rahe hain."
"Koi bhi purana document?" Riya asked, leaning over Shree’s desk.
Shree frowned. "Mujhe kuch puraane employment records mile hain, lekin unmein bhi Karan Singh ka koi valid address nahi hai. Jismein woh reh raha tha, woh address fake nikla."
"Iska matlab yeh banda apna asli identity chhupa raha hai," Chotu muttered, his brows furrowed.
"Ya phir kisi aur ki identity use kar raha hai," Sameer added.
Arjun exhaled sharply, deep in thought.
"Agar yeh sach hai ki Rajeev Malhotra ke past se koi bhool laut aayi thi," he said slowly, "toh shayad humein Rajeev ke purane connections investigate karne honge."
Riya nodded. "Hum Rajeev Malhotra ke business partners aur purane employees ki list nikal sakte hain. Karan Singh ka koi purana link wahan se mil sakta hai."
"Good idea," Sameer agreed. "Shree, yeh data nikalne ki koshish karo. Kal subah tak humein kuch na kuch solid evidence chahiye."
Shree sighed. "Haan haan, meri toh sirf ek hi duty hai—computer ke piche ghantaon tak baithna."
Chotu smirked. "Wohi toh tera kaam hai, genius."
Arjun ignored their banter and turned to Sameer. "Main Rajeev ki call records aur financial transactions check karwata hoon. Koi na koi toh connection milega."
Riya hesitated for a moment before speaking. "Aur main Meghna Malhotra se aur details le sakti hoon. Shayad woh kuch aur yaad kar sake."
Sameer glanced between them but nodded. "Theek hai. Sab apne apne kaam pe lag jao."
The meeting dispersed, each team member diving into their tasks. But as Arjun watched Riya walk towards the exit, something pulled at him.
"Riya," he called softly.
She stopped but didn’t turn immediately. "Haan?"
"Main chalun?" His voice was hesitant, uncertain.
For a moment, she didn’t respond. Then, finally, she turned to face him.
"Agar tumse koi fark padta hai, toh chalo."
And for the first time in a long while, Arjun Rawte chose to walk beside someone, instead of walking away.
***
The mansion seemed darker at night, its towering structure almost ominous under the dim streetlights. Meghna Malhotra was waiting for them in the living room, a cup of untouched tea on the table beside her.
"Aap dono firse aaye?" she asked, surprised.
Riya gave her a reassuring smile. "Humne socha ki aap se ek aur baar baat karni chahiye. Shayad aapko ab tak kuch aur yaad aaya ho."
Meghna sighed. "Main puri raat Rajeev ki baatein sochti rahi. Mujhe ab bhi yakeen nahi ho raha ki woh chale gaye."
Arjun’s voice was measured. "Mrs. Malhotra, aapne Karan Singh ka zikr kiya tha. Kya Rajeev ne uske baare mein aur kuch kaha tha?"
She hesitated, as if struggling with a memory just out of reach. Then, suddenly, her eyes widened.
"Ek din Rajeev kisi se phone pe baat kar rahe the. Main unke paas gayi toh unhone phone cut kar diya. Jab maine poocha toh sirf itna kaha ki ‘kisi se ek purana hisaab chukana baaki hai’."
Riya frowned. "Aapko yaad hai yeh kab ki baat hai?"
Meghna nodded. "Murder se kuch din pehle ki."
Arjun and Riya exchanged a glance.
"Phone record check karna hoga," Arjun muttered.
"Aur agar yeh purana hisaab Karan Singh se juda hai, toh is murder ka reason bhi wahan chhupa ho sakta hai," Riya added.
Meghna’s voice broke their thoughts. "ACP Rawte… kya mujhe kabhi mere pati ke katil ka sach pata chalega?"
Arjun met her eyes, his voice firm. "Jab tak main is case ki zimmedaari le raha hoon, sach zaroor samne aayega."
Meghna exhaled shakily, nodding.
As they turned to leave, Riya whispered, "Humne ek aur raaz khola, Arjun. Lekin jawab ab bhi adhure hain."
Arjun didn’t reply.
Because somewhere deep inside, he knew she wasn’t just talking about the case.
Edited by SarafWasima - 8 months ago
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