Episode 5 || Clutches Of Past

“Nothing serious! I went to that crime scene to find some evidence, but I stumbled upon something and scraped my elbow and knees.” Mishka said, showing scraped knees to her, and her expression turned slightly painful.
“My god, let me bring the first aid box. It’s still bleeding!” Riya said, walking away and opened the wooden cabinet in their small living area to retrieve a rectangular box while Mishka closed her eyes to relax for some moment.
“Why do you play with your life? Why did you go to that crime scene? Who will look after kids if something happened to you?” Riya bombarded Mishka with questions, dressing her wounds while Mishka took a sip of masala tea and moaned in pure bliss.
“You make the best masala tea. I just love this!!” She said and took another sip.
“Don’t you dare try to dodge my questions!! Why, Mishka? Why do you have to get into trouble to solve cases?” Riya asked, completely annoyed with Mishka’s irrational behaviour as she drowns herself in every damn case and forgets that she has a family to look after.
“Riya, that bastard raped that girl and then slit her throat. Something the same happened with Agatha because of me, and I can’t erase that horrific picture. I couldn’t do anything for Agatha, but I want to get justice for this girl. Still, I don’t have any way to prove his crime and send him behind the bars. I went there to search for some clues but returned empty hand. You know, her parents are very poor. They can’t even afford to pay my fee.” She said while Riya just stared at her.
“What if something happens to you? Who will look after the kids? That rapist is an influential person!! What if he causes any harm to us? Answer me!” She screeched loudly.
“God, stop shouting!! I know you are there for them if something happens to me.” She said, and Riya rolled her eyes. “Okay, I promise I won’t take such risky cases again. This is the last.” Mishka said, “Oh, by the way, where are the kids?” She asked, looking around the house.
“Summer camp! They will come back the day after tomorrow.” Riya informed and Mishka nodded.
“Oh, I thought, they are coming back today. Anyway, it feels after ages when the house is so quiet.” She said, and they both chuckled.
“Enjoy while it lasts!” Riya said and Mishka leaned back on the couch comfortably, closing her eyes. Riya sat quietly beside her and stared at Mishka while the latter felt her gaze boring into her skin.
“What, Riya? Tell me. I know you want to say something.” Mishka said with her eyes closed.
“Ummm… My boss, Nikhil, has been troubled a lot lately because of a case. It can tarnish the reputation of his company. So, I was thinking if you could help….” Riya said in an uncertain tone.
“Tell him to meet me in my office tomorrow. I will see what I can do.” Mishka replied, and Riya beamed with happiness and Mishka in a bear hug, accidentally hurting her injured elbow.
“Ouch!! Easy, girl. Easy. What’s wrong with you!!!” Mishka exclaimed and Riya quickly left her, but Mishka scrutinised her expressions, narrowing her eyes.
“Are you interested in your boss?” She asked, and Riya’s eyes went wide as she tried to conceal the blush that crept on her cheeks.
“N-no way!! Are y-you m-mad?” She tried to snap back but ended up stuttering.
“Hm… good…. Because employer and employee relationships are forbidden.” Mishka said with an amused face and Riya gulped the invisible knot that formed in her throat.
“Okay, I am going to take a nap. I am so tired. The flight was so tiring!” Mishka rose from the couch and turned to head upstairs to change her blood-soaked clothes and to get some rest, leaving Riya in the living room.
Riya facepalmed herself, “Is it that evident on my face? God, Riya, stop blushing while mentioning Nikhil every time!”
Mishka headed upstairs, briefly stopping outside Aryan’s door and slightly peeking in to find him sleeping peacefully. She closed the door and entered her room at the end of the hallway. She opened her closet to get a pair of shorts and a t-shirt when her eyes linger on the metal locker behind her clothes.
She gazed at it for a moment, contemplating her next action, but ended up entering the code, i.e., the worst day of her life, to open it. It opened, but she suddenly changed her mind and closed it. She took out her clothes and quickly closed the closet.
“Don’t ruin your mood,” She muttered to herself, sprinting towards the bathroom.
***
“And, what fucker?” Danny asked again, desperately waiting for him to continue talking about his date night.
“And I think I am suffering from intimacy problems,” Christian sighed and looked away, ashamed.
“WHAT, intimacy problem!!” Danny screeched loudly.
“Scream louder and let the entire world know!” Christian glared at him.
“Okay, let’s go out and talk privately,” Danny said, and they headed out into the garden area.
“Tell me, now,” Danny said.
“I was an inch away from her face. This close, Danny.” Christian showed the distance with his palm. “We were about to kiss but then again, the negative images of a woman flashed in front of my eyes and I couldn’t do it. This is happening for the umpteenth time in seven years. I can’t get close to anyone. Dinners, parties, everything is cool, but I feel uncomfortable getting close to women.” Christian sighed in annoyance.
“I felt like I am cheating on someone, and honestly, I feel horrible later.” He backed away, looking not anything in particular while Danny silently watched him with his lips pressed in a straight line.
Christian turned. “I think some female spirit is ghosting around me. What do you think?” He asked, and Danny chuckled.
“You are perfectly fine. Don’t worry. I will set your date with Sasha. She is a supermodel, you will definitely….” Before Danny could complete, Christian interrupted.
“Oh no, please don’t! I do not want to embarrass myself again. Don’t set any date for me from now onwards.” Christian said, and Danny tried to suppress his laughter.
“Okay fine. I am not doing anything, chill!!” Danny exclaimed.
“By the way, why did you suddenly plan a party?” Christian asked.
“Today, Maya and I have completed seven years together,” Danny said, biting his lips and Christian nodded, but Danny’s next word stunned him
“I am going to propose to her tonight.” Danny blushed and Christian widened his eyes.
“Danny Taylor is ready for commitment?” Christian asked, and Danny grinned. “Too bad. I was hoping you’d break up with her to celebrate the seven years.” He further added, and Danny nudged him in the chest.
“She isn’t that bad. Come on!” Danny said, and Christian nodded.
“Yeah, not bad, but actually a witch. Have you seen how she makes faces when she sees me?” Christian asked, and Danny chuckled. “Anyway, how do you plan to propose to her?”
***
Nikhil opened the wooden door of his apartment through the imprinting fingerprint and switched on the lights, only to find the house messed up. Adrenaline rushed through him and he cautiously entered further to inspect the house. Everything was turned upside down, and he checked the entire house, but there was no trace of any person.
Nikhil sighed, but something clicked to him and his face lost all colour. He ran upstairs and open the door of the room only to find his closet open. He dashed to check it and as he was expecting, the only proofs against Amblys were missing.
He pulled his hair in frustration and his face turned red. The last hope to save the company from the clutches of Ambly was the proof, but now it was gone. “I am doomed,” He screeched, “Fuck!”
He quickly retrieved the mobile phone from his pant pocket and called the cops, sitting on the foot of his bed with a loud thump. He held his head in his hand when his mobile dinged with a message, and he quickly unlocked it to read.
“I know. You must’ve reached home now. Please don’t stress out yourself, eat dinner properly without using your phone and sleep on time. I love you and I’ll be back soon. Don’t miss me much.”
Nikhil smiled, reading the content. “Thank god you weren’t at home today. I can’t even stand the thought of someone hurting you.”
***
Vera was sitting on her bed when Luke walked in. She gave him a heated look, but the latter ignored her and settled on his desk to complete his work. Vera stared at him for some moment. “We need to talk,” She said, but Luke didn’t respond.
“Luke, we need to talk!!” She said in a high pitch.
“No, we don’t.” He focuses on his work.
“Why are you behaving like this???” She screeched while walking to where he was sitting and Luke glanced at her removing his eyeglasses.
“Me?? What did I do?” He used the same tone that Vera had used before.
“Stop trying to take decisions for Christian!!! He is not a baby!!” Vera exclaimed and Luke creased his forehead.
“So you want your son to wait for that woman who left him seven years back and didn’t try to show up ever again? Christian should wait for her till eternity, right??” He spat furiously.
“Why don’t you tell Christian what happened in the past if you want him to continue waiting for Mishka? What could possibly go wrong if we force him to remember that part of his life, the God himself erased from his memories? Go on, tell him!!” He further added while Vera patiently listened to him.
He laughed as he noticed Vera stiffening. “You can’t, Vera. Because we are not ready to face the consequences that we might suffer if it turns out a bad idea.”
He continued, “I don’t have any problem if Mishka and Christian reconcile. In fact, I’ll be thrilled, but Mishka has to come back for that. You know I tried my best to find her, but she doesn’t want to be found. I have to praise her skills. It’s like she has disappeared from the earth. Now, you tell me, my dear wife, why Christian should not move on in his life and why to wait for the one whom he doesn’t even remember?”
“You think Christian will move on easily with any woman?” Vera asked.
“Right, woman!! He can certainly move on with the right woman,” Luke countered, and Vera took a deep breath to calm herself. She opened her mouth to say something, but Luke interrupted.
“I need to make an urgent call. But think about what I said, either tell Christian everything and make him wait for Mishka or let him free himself from the clutches of the past and move on in his life. If you decide to tell him about Mishka, you will be solely responsible for everything that will happen after that.” He walked out of the room, calling someone while Vera sat on the edge of the bed and a deep frown appeared on her face.
“You are not understanding, Luke. Mishka isn’t a girl who will just walk away without confronting Christian, she would have wreaked havoc in this Knight family and Christian’s life for ruining her. She is not Vera, who will just leave her husband with his ex-girlfriend, wishing them good luck for their upcoming life. There is definitely something that forced her to take such drastic steps that go opposite of her character. There is definitely something concealed from our eyes and I fear the day, the truth will come out.” She muttered to herself.
“We must find her at any cost!!”