Drifted Apart

Chapter Thirty Seven - New Places

Whatever Hashith had said trying to ease Naveesha's troubled heart, she can't help herself but wonder what would have happened if her father had talked softly with her and had asked what would have left for Thenushi if he had written the only thing he owned for Naveesha. According to Naveesha's plan she had hoped that to happen.

But it had back fired. She would have talked to her father and let him know that what he had said was the truth and that she was not actually behind the property, but for his love. But she had been too shocked for words come out of her mouth, that she had given him the papers wondering why had she taken the papers in the first place. A whole level of what if's were going through her head and she did not know how long will it last before she was in the good terms with her father, again.

* * *

Naveesha squinched her eyes and shook Hashith.

"Hashith," she called. "Hashith," she called again shaking him by the shoulder this time. It was in the middle of the night and their doorbell was ringing.

"Mh?" Hashith asked turning towards her and opening his sleep filled eyes with difficulty. "Why?" he asked grumpily.

"I think there's someone at the door," Naveesha said standing up and buttoning her shirt. Hashith sat straight on the bed rubbing his eyes as the bell rang again.

"Navee wait," Hashith stopped Naveesha as she tried to go downstairs. He was behind her and pulled her from the elbow letting him go forwards. "I'll check," he said and stomped through the stairs. Naveesha walked behind him and waited till he opened the door.

Hashith turned the key and pulled open the door towards him. His mouth opened in shock as he stared at the three men who were standing out. They were dressed officially and had heavy files in their hands.

"Are you Mr. Lokuge?" the American man pronounced his name in an odd old-fashioned way.

"Yes, I am," Hashith replied turning to look at Naveesha and silently asking her what was this all about and whether she had an idea about it. She raised her shoulders at him. The same odd blank look on his face was etched in hers as well.

"Mr. Lokuge, we are from the Internal Revenue Service," the man on the front's eyes roamed towards Naveesha. "May we come in?" he asked as Hashith nodded.

"Yeah, please," he welcomed the officials inside as though he was in a trance. He had no idea of what it was all about.

Without waiting for any more welcomes, the officials sat on the sofa and turned towards Hashith. He waited standing. Naveesha moved to stand behind him.

"Mr. Lokuge, according to loyal sources it had been confirmed that your company had not paid taxes for six years."

Hashith froze. He felt his legs go numb. Naveesha saw the ghostly expression on his face as she too felt as though her body too was going numb. She softly touched his elbow.

"We need to look at your file works," they looked at Hashith's face.

"I- I don't understand," finally Hashith replied. The man on the front looked up at him.

"May I know what don't you understand?"

"I just took over the office on last year," he tried to reason with them. He sat opposite to them as Naveesha stood behind his chair, placing a hand on his shoulder, letting him wordlessly know that she was there with him, whatever would happen.

The officers did not reply instead stared at him.

"I don't understand you sir. My father had been the CEO before me and I don't know about the income tax payments as he had been taking care of it ever since, even now," he explained.