2

Regret is what kills a person from inside.

Rita is not an exception. She has many regrets in her life. She blames it on her Karma. She believes that maybe her past doings made her stand where she is now. She had a happy family but she can't be with them. She maybe looked all happy and jolly when she's with her son and husband, she maybe looked carefree but, inside she's hurting so much. If something had happened to her son because of her she would never be able to forgive herself.

Walking down the street with Sunil, Rita pondered about the life she had been living up until now. Looking back she was happy when she was with her friend whom she misses dearly. After that everything went wrong with her and her family. Then when Aryan appeared she found a new hope to live on her life. But again she failed.

She wants nothing in her life. There's nothing she wishes to have with her. But human nature, she always wanted to find her friend Phurmit and apologize to her for what happened in the past.

Rita looked blankly to the street ahead when she suddenly felt Sunil's warm palm surrounded her fist. Which made her relax a little. She looked at him and looked at her with a reassuring smile on his face. No words were exchanged between them, but anybody could feel that there were many words which were delivered through their eyes.

Rita's lips curved into an unnoticeable smile. But it didn't go unnoticed by Sunil. He slowly caressed her cheek as if he is telling her that he is always by her side.

Rita laughed out a little and said, "People will think that two grown ups having an affair on the streets."

"Let them think. We are unofficially married okay. I don't care what they think of us." Sunil said lightening up the mood.

"You are really corny you know that?"

"Yes, my lady. I am well aware of that."

After ten there were few cars on the street. Everyone was returning home. But there were these two walking down the streets without a care for none.

Seeing it was too late Rita said, "We should go home now?"

"Yes!" Sunil nodded. "It is too late now."

"Oh wait! How will you get home? Did you bring your car?"

"Oh no! I forgot. I left it at the restaurant's parking lot."

"Wow!"

"It's okay though. I will stay at you home today?"

"That was your plan all along right? You sly fox."

"Hehe" Sunil smiled sheepishly.

"But Aryan is at home."

"So what? I'm telling you he would be so happy to see us together."

"That's true though." She smiled. "It's good actually. I'm happy."

"Me too."

For the rest of the journey they walked together side by side, holding hands. By the time they reached home it was midnight already. 

—

"Sir, are you going to work overnight again?" Young officer Rohan asked his senior officer Sandeep.

Sandeep said without taking his eyes off from the documents, "No but, I'm just taking a last stroll through the documents."

"Sir, do you think we are going to find a clue like this. It's been a month since that murder took place and in the meantime another happened." Rohan said in a distress.

"What can we do? We are trying so hard but there is absolutely no fucking clue. The person who killed is really a skillfull killer. Moreover we know that the murders are done by a single person. He or she might be the new rising serial killer. Maybe person had done some killings before but they are showing themselves now because they know their skills have improved."

"Yes sir, this might have happened."

"Anyways Rohan you should get home. You are young and new in the department, I don't want complains that they make newcomers work hard."

"No, no, sir it's okay. I'm fine with it. This case actually fascinates me more. I'm willing to do anything to find the culprit."

"Keep this energy young man. But now I seriously want you to go home, like seriously. Go home, I'm going too."

"Okay sir, okay. I'm going. Goodnight sir." Rohan bid his farewell to Sandeep.

He proudly smiled at the boy who face was filled with smiles. It was one month ago he joined as a young police officer under him. He is a young of twenty five. He didn't get the chance to explore the department properly because that is when the murder case came up.

At first, others officers were reluctant to include a newcomer like Rohan in the investigation of the case, but Sandeep was reluctant to have him. He thinks that it will make him learn more. Also Rohan was eager enough to handle this case with his senior officials. Finally seeing his enthusiasm everyone agreed to make him a part of the team.

The murder happened one month ago. The victim was a girl. She was missing for almost one week when she was found dead near a garbage dumb where her whole skin was removed from her body. It was gruesome to watch the scene. One officer even fainted. The body was unrecognizable at first but later the victims parents confirmed that it was indeed their daughter by looking at the ring in her ring finger.

It was hard for officer Sandeep to watch the victims parents. The sheer horror in their eyes when they looked at their daughter's dead body devoid of a skin made him feel the horror too. This news made the media and the people around the area go crazy. But as nothing happened the same again and there was no clue about the killer because all the clues were gone with the skin, the news died down a little. Then again after three weeks another murder happened. This time the pressure from higher officials increased to find the culprit as soon as possible. That is why for the last one week he stayed at the police station late at night just to go over and over the reports to find any kind of leads. Even if it is small.

It was midnight when sleepiness attacks him. He looked at his watch and it struck 12am. Two hours have passed since Rohan left. He looked around the police station and the police officers on night duty were on patrol. He lastly looked at the documents on his hands and those that were piled in a messed up position on his table. He became dejected. There was absolutely no clue to begin with. With a heavy sigh he got up from his seat and headed home.

On his way out one officer said genuinely, "Sir, don't force yourself too much. Take rest. We all know you've been working hard and also know that you aren't getting enough sleep for one week. Take a good rest sir. Even if we are not the part of this case we will help you as much as we can."

Sandeep just smiled and muttered a silent 'thank you' to his junior.

Though there is so much stress in his life but it would miraculously vanish when he sees his daughter Nisha and his wife.

Nisha is his eighteen years old daughter who just finished her final exams. His wife Namrata is a very good woman. Everyday after returning home he would freshen up and then cuddle up with both the women in his life. It was as if they were his life. It wasn't an exception that day too. Amid this horrendous murder case the women were his peace of mind.

—

Aryan was playing game in his mobile when the doorbell rang. His face lit up and he quickly opened the door. But this time his face lit up ten times. The reason was simple. His mother and father came together. Not wasting any time he straight up hugged them tight.

"I missed you." He could only say this and his eyes teared up.

Both Sunil and Rita chuckled at their son's behavior.

"Young man, let us enter first then you can hug us all you want. Our legs are aching." His father said breaking the hug.

"Oh I'm sorry." Rohan said avoiding eye contact.

"It's okay dear." His mother cupped his cheeks and made him look up. "Don't cry."

He only nodded his head.

After freshening up they all sit together in the sofa. They were silent for a long time. It has been so long that they meet up together like this. Maybe three years or more. Arayn's adrenaline was at its peak. His excitement was at it's peak but he held it in.

"So, how was your date?" He asked breaking the silence.

"It wasn't a date." His mother retorted.

"Of course it was." His father retorted too.

Aryan laughed out a little, "You both are acting childish. Anyway tell me how was it? Did you two enjoy?"

"I enjoyed to it to my heart's content. We eat your mother's favorite macaroni and then have vanilla and chocolate ice cream for the dessert and then we walked till we get home as I forgot my car in the parking lot. If we were in the car, things would have been escalated to something hot instead..." "Ow..."

Sunil yelped in pain as a hard slap from his wife landed on his shoulder. Aryan laughed at his father.

"Why would you do that?" Sunil asked looking at his wife and pouting his lips.

"You have the audacity to ask me why I did that? What are you saying in front of a child? And don't do that pout thingy, it grosses me out." She scolded him.

"What is so wrong in saying that? He is an adult now. He is eighteen years old. He should know this things by now."

"Yes mom, I'm an adult now." Aryan said while holding his laugh.

"You shut your mouth." She snapped.

"Hey hey, my lady. Calm down. It's not a big deal you know. It's twenty first century now. Even small kids know these things like dating, kissing etc."

"Still...you shouldn't say that to a kid who just turned eighteen."

"Why? You want our son to remain clueless about these things? The how can he date girls and give us grandchildren?"

"Ugh! I definitely don't want that."

"See!"

Aryan just watched them argue silently whilst holding his laugh.

"Let's talk about something else okay?" He said while stopping them. Otherwise it looked like his mother would beat the shit out of his father.

"Yes, yes, let's change the topic." His father supported.

"So, I have something to share." He said.

He nervously looked back and forth at both of his parents who were gawking at him when he said this.

"But promise me something."

"What?" His mother asked.

"Tell me you would promise."

"Let's hear it first. What if we cannot fulfill it?" His father said.

"It's something you can do though."

"Come on, say it now." His father said impatiently.

"If I tell you this you have to tell me about your love story, how you met. Everything from A to Z."

"What? This simple? I can start now." His father exclaimed.

"No, you shut up. Aryan tell me what is it?"

"Actually, it's about a girl."

"Woop! So it's a crush thingy. Then..." His father looked like he could not contain his excitement while his mother was just listening with a serious face.

"Her name is Nisha and I like her for almost two years. She transferred to our school two years ago. I couldn't tell her because I was afraid she would reject me. But belive me I really really like her."

After he finished there was a long silence in the room. Aryan by now started panicking in the inside.

"Young man!" His father suddenly exclaimed which made Aryan's heart skip a beat.

"You should've told her by now. If you like her what are you afraid of. I had done the same with your mother. I liked her from the very first day I landed my eyes on her. After getting to know her I asked her out. It was probably after a month or two."

"Wow, pa. You're awesome."

"You both shut your stupid mouth. Aryan don't listen go your father's advice. If you like her then approach her till she's comfortable with you enough to share her problems with you. Then slowly tell her about your feelings. But how would you tell her now? She must've enrolled in a different college, right?"

"No ma, we both applied in the same college and she also want to study sound engineering."

"WHAT?" Suddenly Rita roared which made both father and son flinch.

"Don't tell me you are going abroad just to study sound engineering because of this girl."

Aryan couldn not understand what was going on. He looked at his father for assistance. But he just looked at him smiling awkwardly. That is when he realized that it was the work of his father. He sighed and said to his mother, "No ma, we will go abroad for masters. We will be studying here till our graduation. What did father told you?"

"What? So that's how it is? I though...anyway, that man over there said that you were going abroad now."

"I didn't say now. I just informed you that I'm sending him abroad. It was you thought that he is going now."

"You should've elaborated a little so that I could able to understand. You...you always said things in a kind of way that always made me misunderstand the whole situation."

"No it was always your fault. You should've think otherwise."

"I can see that there's no logic in the chat. You are talking nonsense. How would I think otherwise?"

"Great minds will think every situation otherwise."

"For your kind information, I'm not a great mind. So it would be better if you could explain things so that it is eligible for the third person to understand. You understand old man."

"What? Old man! You're calling me old when I'm this handsome."

"Yes, you're old. Even our son agrees."

"What no? He would definitely not. I'm not old, you're the one who is old."

"No you're old."

"No you."

Aryan just looked his parents antics while sitting in the middle of them. They were so engrossed in their fight that they forgot that he was there. But he enjoy times like this. He actually missed this kind of childish fights that his parents came up with. When they finally stopped, he couldn't help but say, "No wonder you two are divorced."

They both looked at him and said in unison,

"He is the problem."

"She's the problem."

Aryan did not replied to that. He again just hugged them tightly. He just misses them so much together that now when they are together like this he felt like he can breathe properly. He relaxed his inner excitement and said, "Let's go to sleep together. It's already late."