CUFFLINKED FOREVER

5. The First Crack In The Ice?

I abruptly joined the backseat beside Diksha who had hugged me really tight when I returned but was strangely silent ever since I had returned.

The journey back to the police station felt quite short. My heartbeat had settled down, and the numbness was slowly fading away from the legs. Cutting through the silence, Mr. Thakkar spoke:

"Agar aap dono ka maun vrat khatam ho gaya ho, toh batane ki kripa karenge k aap log iss case mein kaise aage badhna chahenge?"

"Maine jitna dhoondha Sir, mujhe bass ek ghadi mili h..kaafi ajeeb type k notations hai.." Diksha said.

"Aur aap miss Savi?"

"Sir, mujhe zyada toh kuchh yaad nhi h kyunki mujhe jab hosh aaya, tab tak hum almost yahan pohonch chuke the..par ek naam maine suna tha.. kuchh...Asif..Asif hi tha shayad..Haan! Asif Khan. Yahi naam tha.."

"Kuchh references hai? Kaun h ye Asif Khan?"

I closed my eyes and tried to recall..

The van..the sound of tyres rolling..the smell of cigarettes...and that hoarse voice, which was threatening someone over a call...

"Asif...asif k saath jo hua...wo dobara hoga..agr kuchh gadbad hui toh...yaad rakhna..."

"Sir, jo admi van mein tha..wo kisi dusre ko dhamka rha tha..ki Asif k saath jo hua, woh dubara hoga.."

A faint line was starting to form between the dots:

The murderer was taking revenge and it was not his first time.

Asif Khan was a victim, and now his victims were innocent school going teenager girls..

But how do we trace him? My head spinned.

Rajat:

I dialed the Forensic department and informed them about the nail---the one which I had discovered when I got Savi out of the cupboard.

A call from a private number interrupted my thoughts.
I picked up, and it was the same voice.

"ACP....Tu bada pohoncha hua cheez h..tera records dekh rha tha main.. khair jo bhi h, meri baat dhyaan se sun.. Ye jo, teri officer h na, jise tune bade hero ki tarah aake bacha liya, wo isliye zinda nhi h kyunki tu time pe aaya..wo isliye zinda h, kyunki main chahta tha ki wo zinda rahe.. Badi pyaari si h..par, yaad rakh, main ek kaam kr rha hoon..aur ye sab jo ho rha h na, wo iss kaam ka hissa hai..isliye apni lambi taange bilkul mat ada mere kaam k beech mein.. kyunki agli baar..agli baar tere iss khoobsurat officer ko marunga nhi, aisi halat mein chhodunga, ki khud apni jaan lene pe  majboor ho jayegi.."

The call disconnected, and I stopped the recording. The voices, according to Savi, didn't match.

Therefore, there were 2 ppl involved..

Or maybe more than 2?

The entire police station had gathered near the gate for some unknown reason. I got down, and it was at that moment that I realised: they were here to welcome Savi.

Diksha got down first, but Savi waited inside. And then, with surprise, I noticed: her eyes were glistening with tears, as a soft smile lingered on the corners of her injured lips.

She was about to get down, when she paused and looked around her searching for something, her hands trying to reach her back.

"Jaldi kijiye miss Chavan, mujhe aur bhi kaam h"

She shot up an irritated look at me and bent down to resume her search. That was when I saw-- her uniform was ripped and her milky skin tone of her bare back was smeared with the blood that had oozed out from the cut.

I immediately reached for the new cleaning towel beneath my seat and handed it to her.

Diksha:

Rajat was waiting for her to get down from the van.

Why did he care so much about her? She was just an officer..

Or..maybe...

Were all of their fights just a facade? Were they really attracted to each other?

I stopped thinking and then I saw:

Mr.Thakkar draping a piece of cloth around Savi, and helping her get down.. She stumbled and he supported her right on time.

Things were definitely not what they looked like..

Does this Ice King like Savi?

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Guys, I'm really sorry for uploading so late.. but my exams are nearing and I won't be active till the end of March. So, I'm trying to write jitna ho sakta hai.. Thanks for supporting!