Two Souls ✔ [Completed]

Two Souls : Chapter 06

It's hard to reconcile what I've become
With the wounded child hiding deep inside.

~ Breathe Underwater, Placebo

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Present Day

A murderer doesn't stop killing only because you want him to.

He doesn't care that you try to be happy with your girlfriend (soon-to-be wife) and really don't need him to complicate matters.

He is totally unimpressed when said girlfriend's boss claims in an interview that he'll be behind bars very soon. He kills two women alone in the next week and it is rather surprising that the insolent boss isn't one of them.

A stupid nickname doesn't change a thing either, even though some people believe that he should feel embarrassed to be known to the world.

Killers are wayward; nobody knows that better than Vansh Raisinghania. But still he dares to believe that this specific killer finally lost interest in him. The choice of his victims throughout the months suggests as much.

His wife and daughter - it hardly gets more personal than that.

His one-night stand - still troublesome but already triggering less grief.

His hairdresser, his dentist, an agent from his former unit, a woman who flirted with him at a bagel shop, two cashiers, a neighbour – all women that he knew, but wasn't personally connected with.

He is still concerned that the killer remains a free man and he still wants to see him suffer for his wife and child's death, but his worry turns more and more into a professional one. As an CBI consultant it is his job to assist Riddhima and her team to catch that monster and he isn't one step closer to achieve that. At least this new development gives him more space to breathe, makes it easier for Riddhima to distract him.

They have a wedding to plan, but first his birthday approaches, a fact that he'd like to gloss over. Riddhima instead wants to throw him a party and her enthusiasm is contagious. He gives her free reign, fully aware that he might end up with a stupid party hat, and is only shaken when he learns that she invited his old friend Aryan. The nights before the big day he sleeps even worse than usually, worried if mixing his old and his new life will end well. His fears turn to be out unfounded; Aryan blends in well with the other guests and it feels great to talk to him again. If anything, he is a little jealous how openly Aryan flirts with Riddhima.

Only three days after his birthday, Vihaan D'Silva - still imprisoned, still fighting for his release - hangs himself in his prison cell. Vansh can't believe his eyes when he sees the picture that Vihaan drew in his own blood. The common belief is still that Vihaan is responsible for the first killing, but that all those that followed were committed by a copycat or a secret partner. Vansh still doesn't buy that theory, but appreciates that it left the later cases with the CBI instead of prompting the FBI to butt in and take everything away from them.

Everyone is curious if Vihaan's passing will have an impact on serial killer's behaviour. It doesn't; three days later another woman meets her untimely death. Vansh vaguely remembers seeing her before, but is unable to actually place her. Maybe she just has an ordinary face.

He feels more at ease during the day, but he's still afraid of the dark. Sometimes he has weird, incoherent dreams that remind him of the bad time right after his wife and daughter's death. Occasionally he is convinced that someone is in the bedroom, moves closer to Riddhima, touches her with icy fingers. Then, when he turns on the light, there is only Riddhima. Drowsy and grumpy that he interrupted her sleep, but still always able to calm him down.