The Lines of Fate

15: Ishaan

"Please let me see him once, sir." This was the twentieth time, Radhika asked to meet her brother. After the police brought Ishaan to the police station, she got to know that his fingerprints were found on the weapon.

Earlier that day the police found two blood-stained knives, one from the garbage dump and another from the bushes near the hall. They were tested and they matched with Bristi's and Mr. Oliver's DNA.

But how is that possible? Radhika couldn't even think of something like this happening, then believing it was far more impossible.

"I can't Radhika." Mr. Das shakes his head, eyebrows drawn together in unspoken apology. "You being a family member is already a problem. I can't let you see him. I can't abuse my powers."

"I know it's a lot to ask," Radhika said stepping forward, "but please sir just once. He is just seventeen. I will not take much time."

"Being seventeen didn't stop him from killing two persons." Dhruv scoffed from beside.

"This can be false evidence, Dhruv!!" Radhika rasped and then cleared her throat. "I know him far more than all of you here. He can't do anything like this."

"Every family of a culprit says like that only, Radhika." Dhruv hissed stepping forward. "You can't throw away the fact that Ishaan went out of the hall room in between the show."

Just for once, Radhika feared, what if all Dhruv said was true? Did her brother- No! She can't think like that. Someone deliberately is trying to frame Ishaan.

"Okay fine! He went out...but is murdering a person, tying him up like that possible in just 10 minutes?" Radhika asked him. "Moreover, we all saw that Ishaan didn't even enter Bristi's room then how did he kill her?"

Dhruv stepped away and started pacing. He didn't have any answers, it was true that they found Ishaan's fingerprints on the weapons and took him in custody but proving him guilty was still not done. No other cases in his working days had made him so confused like this.

"You both!" Mr. Das scoffed, irritated at Radhika's and Dhruv's quarrel. "You both stop, Dhruv come with me to my office, and Radhika...you only have twenty minutes to talk with your brother."

Radhika's heart swelled in gratitude and on instinct she stepped forward to hold Mr. Das's hands, "Thank you so much, sir. Thank you so much."

Mr. Das shot her a smile, regretful that his smile was full of sympathy towards the condition she was in. It was a shocking case to her. No one knew what could come out at any moment. Whatever the result was, there was a high chance of her getting hurt. Maybe not physically but mentally...off course!

After Mr. Das and Dhruv went away, Radhika hurried over to the cells. Ishaan was sitting in one of them, head down looking at the floor. Radhika felt her heart breaking into pieces seeing him like that. She stood in front of the cells holding the bars, not being able to move at all.

What would she tell him? There was nothing that could make him feel at ease at that moment. She had only one thing to do......find the actual culprit. She can't let him cause any more damage. Certainly not to her family!!!

Taking deep breaths Radhika finally entered the cell to talk with Ishaan. She didn't have much time. She needed to prove her brother's innocence. Her brother can't be a killer. Even if God comes and tells her that, she will not believe it.

Radhika slowly went near him and kneeled, "Ishaan I know.... whatever I say now will not make your condition better but I will still say it. I know you can't do this. Someone is trying to frame you. And I promise I will find him. I am beside you. You can't lose confidence. If you, do it... I will not be able to find the person who did this to you."

"So did you go to the washroom that day during the show?" Radhika asked, putting her hand on his head. "Did you see someone or something suspicious? Try to remember and say."

"How many times," Ishaan yelled standing up from his position "do I need to tell you that I can't remember?"

Radhika was so shocked by Ishaan's sudden outburst that she stood up and stumbled back in the impulse. She saw a strange glow in his eyes. It looked like his eyes had turned darker in color. His face showed nothing like the sweet, kind, caring boy he was.

"Can't you remember anything?" Ishaan yelled again. "Or are you trying to prove something? Oh! Right.... You are showing sympathy for me. Trying to show how great you are by trying to find the killer."

"W-What?" Radhika shuttered. She couldn't believe what Ishaan said. He was acting like someone else. Who was he and what had he done to her brother? "I can never do something like that. I love you...I want to save you."

Ishaan chuckled at her words. A creepy-looking smirk formed on his face. "I know how much you love me," he stepped forward glaring at Radhika making her stumble back again. "Don't try to lie. You left me at the hospital when I was born. You didn't even see my face!! I was never more than a stepbrother to you, a brother you hated more than anything else in this world!!!!!"

"W-What are you saying Ishaan? I never hated you...I never..."

Ishaan cut her off, "I don't want to hear that bullshit." He grabbed her neck with his both hands and shoved her against the wall. "I don't want you to pity me."

"W-what?" Radhika's voice broke. She let out a quiet yell, closing her eyes at the pain. She was sure at the moment something was wrong with her brother. She held his hands and tried to loosen his grip.

The more she tried the more Ishaan's grip tightened. She tried to shove him but her body didn't move at the thought of hurting her brother, whom she loved so much.

Her breathing was slowing down. She was not being able to do anything, instead for a moment she felt what it is like to let loose, what would be like if she leaves everything behind, will she be in eternal peace, will she able to meet her father???

Her eyes were closing, she was almost losing her senses.... when she heard yells and the sound of the opening of the cell door and saw Rishav and Dhruv pulling away Ishaan.

She slumped down on the floor coughing the second Ishaan's hands left her neck. She never did imagine something like this to ever happen in her life. How could Ishaan do this? This was impossible.

And that was when images flooded across her mind. It was another vision. Her pain started turning into anger. Despite the extreme pain behind her head, she got up and came out of the cell. Dhruv and Rishav already were able to calm Ishaan down.

Though Ishaan was hit to make him unconscious, it was still better to see him like that instead of the condition he was in a few minutes back.

Stumbling across the corridor Radhika straight went to the weapons sections, took out a gun, and walked out of the station ignoring the calls from Rishav. She knew she was not in her best condition but it was not the time to look at her. She needed to do something else.

How? How could someone do something like this to another person? It was true that when you trust someone too much you get hurt the most.

She drove straight to Salt Lake City and stopped in front of one of the hotels. She went in, took the elevator to room no 406, and knocked on the door.

It took about two minutes for the person to open the door. Seeing her a smile formed on his face even though he was surprised at first.

"Radhika!" He called her in his deep, soothing voice. If it was before... Radhika would sense a warm feeling in her heart hearing his voice. It was one of the many things she liked about Keshav but now it was not the time.

"Why are you h-" Keshav was about to ask but Radhika cut him off, pointing her gun at his head.