Chapter 14: World Outside
"There is a buzz amongst the staff…" Payal said when they were eating lunch. No one paid attention and kept their eyes focused on their plates. Payal wasn't deferred with that reaction. "Someone stole Dr. Jha's private file and he is suspecting Dr. Malvika of the theft." She sat back and allowed a moment for people to realize what she just said.
Arnav and Khushi looked at each other immediately and Akash looked up.
'Gotcha!' Khushi thought gleefully looking at Akash.
"Where did you hear that?" Arnav asked looking at Payal.
Payal shrugged. "I heard Dr. Malvika's favorite nurse Vidya gossiping with duty nurse last night." She chewed thoughtfully. "It was Dr. Jha's personal file – something he was working on his own."
"Did you…?" Khushi shook her head before Arnav could finish his question.
"I didn't." She replied quickly when Arnav looked at her reproachfully. She didn't tell him that she had seen a file standing out amidst the sea of them. She hadn't told him that she thumbed few pages in it. However it was too risky to snatch a physical copy of the file.
Arnav pushed his lunch plate away from him and walked away from lunch table. "What's up with him?" Payal asked. Khushi shrugged not missing the look Akash gave Arnav when he retreated.
Khushi didn't understand why Akash chose to sit with them always. A streak of masochism ran in her making her rile him up again and again. After Arnav's incident however she had toned down a little and so had Akash. Payal mumbled something inaudible and ran away with her lunch plate only to sit in another table.
"You don't seem surprised," Khushi said softly noting the burly orderlies few feet away from them. It was only Khushi and Akash at the table and it was the first time in months to come face to face without being flanked with anyone else.
Akash looked at her and blinked in confusion. His face contorted and struggled as if someone was making him do something against his wishes. Khushi rubbed her temple and stared at him. "Cut it out Akash. I won't tell Arnav." She said.
Suddenly, Akash's face relaxed. He smiled at her a little and leaned back in his chair.
"You are good," he said crossing his arms across his chest. "You could've been a great psychiatrist." There was admiration in his voice.
"Look where that got you." She couldn't stop the insult from escaping her mouth.
He shrugged elegantly. "I am exactly where I want to be Khushi." He smirked slightly. "This is the best place to think without being judged."
She resisted the urge to bark out laughter. "Are you kidding me? Look around Dr. Akash. This isn't normal place. Normal people cannot be here. If one isn't insane then they will definitely turn into one because of this place." Her anger surprised her. Akash was the primary antagonist of the story she was in. When did he manage to garner her sympathy?
She looked at him to see him watching her strangely. He now rested his elbows on the table and fingers were intertwined on table.
"I haven't been called Dr. Akash in years." He rasped. "Thank you," he said sincerely.
She didn't know what made her say that but that's how she always addressed him in her head. The man was far from being insane but she fathomed his anger issues were very much real.
"What are you playing at?" She blurted out. In front of Akash all her defenses seem to be abysmally low. He had her unnerving with his look.
He looked surprised at her sudden question. He had expected much delicacy and subtle war of cryptic words to get to the point but she had been naively forthright.
He shrugged. "Same as you are." He replied casually.
"Why do you think I am here?" She said raising an eyebrow.
Akash laughed. Not the fake insane 'I am Superman' laugh but the real one without any pretense. "To catch the punisher, of course." He said as a matter of fact.
She swallowed. "How did you…?" She stopped.
Akash smiled. "I never thought you were not capable of killing. Just that you didn't kill your sister. I am surprised you haven't recognized me yet." He stood up.
She was blindsided. "Have we met before?" She asked puzzled.
Akash turned and looked at her expressionlessly. "We have actually. Shyam was also there with me. But then again, you were completely drunk to realize what was really going on." He turned and walked away without giving her a chance to reply.
Khushi sat back in her chair, stunned at the new revelation.
*****
She was playing snakes and ladder with Payal during recreation hour. Arnav was nowhere to be seen. They had all been cooped up for several days given the weather conditions.
"Come with me Khushi." An orderly came to her table and waited. She looked up questioningly but didn't move. "You have a visitor." He replied understanding her gaze.
"But visiting hours are over," Payal whined. Khushi frowned. She was curious about her visitor so giving into that curiosity she followed the orderly. Maybe it was an elaborate ploy to get her alone? Her paranoia was acting up. She was however surprised to find that she indeed had a visitor. Looking at his uniform she realized why the rules were relaxed.
It was ACP Shukla.
"Missed me?" She grinned sitting down. Against his wishes, a smile fought through his lips and it curled in corners.
"It's the Punisher." He said simply. Humor wiped off from her face and looked at him blankly.
"Is he back?" She asked immediately.
"I don't know, to be honest. I hoped you could tell me." He replied.
"Who is the latest victim?" She had a bad feeling about this.
Shukla sighed. "It's one of the lawyers from your defense counsel – Arjun. He was found dead in an alley near his office today morning. The assumption is that it was mugging gone wrong but I have my doubts."
"Is it because of the way he was killed?" She asked fully knowing that wasn't the reason.
Like expected Shukla shook his head. "I think it's because he helped you during your trial." She bit her lip and nodded. Tears pooled in her eyes and she closed them shut hoping that they would return to wherever the hell they came from. But they spilled out anyway.
"I am sorry Khushi." Shukla said sincerely. "But I need to ask you some questions." He asked softly.
She nodded and motioned him to continue.
"Is there anything you can tell me about Arjun which can make him a target for the Punisher?"
Khushi wiped her eyes on her shirt sleeves. "Besides helping me not to get incarcerated, I don't think so." She shook her head. "He was a lawyer ACP which means there is a possibility that he got some other client acquitted? That could've brought down Punisher's wrath," she guessed.
Shukla shook his head. He opened the file placed on table. Khushi winced seeing the photo there.
"That's Arjun, Khushi. What he did to Arjun is by far the most horrific crime scene he has ever left till date. This," he said pointing to the mutilated body of her lawyer, "is personal."
Khushi stared blankly at spot beyond Shukla's shoulder. He closed the file and looked at her gazing intently at never where.
"Arjun's first case was Tara." Khushi said softly. Shukla looked surprised.
"He defended your sister?" He asked wondering if this was going to be a massive whirlpool of secrets and deception.
"Tara was arrested on spot for drunk driving. There was an accident. Arjun got her out of the mess proving that the other driver was incapable of driving." Her voice was flat and her eyes blank. Akash had put in a seed of confusion in her mind hours ago and now Arjun's death crawl her mind with itchy claws.
"But he has had several cases since then Khushi. Any one of them could have triggered his anger," Shukla rationalized.
"Then why didn't he kill him before? Why waste all this time?" Khushi countered.
Shukla thought for a minute before answering. "Maybe Punisher thought that there would be justice. But you didn't go to jail. So he attacked you. You didn't die. He just waited this time and killed Arjun who is both your friend and your lawyer."
Khushi shook her head. "Punisher doesn't care for surrogates ACP. There must be something else."
"I will look into all his cases and clients he has dealt with till now." Shukla said. He stood up. "I have an inspector waiting for me with Dr. Jha. I should get back there. Thank you for your time."
Khushi stood up and smiled a little. "There is a very specific reason why Punisher chose Arjun, ACP. There are so many defense lawyers in the city who are more successful and much older than him, so why him? Is it just because he is associated with me?"
"I'll sleep on it. I will be in touch." Shukla thanked her again and left.
*****
"Did you get everything from Dr. Jha?" ACP Shukla asked Inspector Deshmukh.
"Yes sir. He said he will provide his expertise once he has gone through the case." Deshmukh started the car.
"How did he agree to it so easily?" Shukla asked. Dr. Jha was good at what he did but he wasn't keen on working with the police department. They had been referred to other psychiatrists in the city but he knew that Dr. Jha was best and probably the most unbiased of the lot.
"I know him for few years now, sir. It's such a tragedy." Deshmukh sighed.
"What happened?" Shukla asked, surprised.
Deshmukh turned and looked at him. It was his turn to be surprised. "You don't know?" He asked. Shukla shook his head.
"Dr. Jha's wife, Anjali Jha, died in a car accident."
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