"You are going to love it," Rishav said while helping Keshav to step out of the car. Nodding thanks, Keshav looked around admiring the beautiful red brick-style old house of the Sengupta's, "How old is your house?"
"It was made during the British era." Radhika smiled thinking about how every part of the house was connected to her.
"That's a lot."
"Yeah, but you will get enough time to explore our house so first let's go in, dad would be waiting for us," Rishav said walking in through the gate followed by Keshav and Radhika.
"The ground floor is sometimes given for rent but now it's vacant. We live on the second floor." Radhika said before climbing up the stairs to go in. When they entered the drawing room, she saw her uncle talking with a man who looked to be in his sixties.
"Azad K-Kaku," Radhika hesitantly called out the name trying to recognize the person.
"Are bitiya...." The man came towards her, a smile on his face, half visible due to his beards. "Kitni bari ho gayi hoh! (How big have you become!)"
"Aap hi toh nehi aye...kahan theh aap itne din? (You only didn't come. Where were you for so many days?)" Radhika asked the man in front of her. It had been so many years that she had not seen him. He was not someone related to her family but he was someone who cared about her a lot.
"Are bitiya...meri ma ka tabiyat thik nehi tha nah...isleye jaana para tha hame, lekin haam toh aye bhi the...tab aap bidesh mein parne chale gaye the nah. (Hey daughter... my mother was not feeling well, so I had to go, but I came after that once but then you had gone to a foreign country to study.)"
"Hah, woh toh hai. Lekin mein apko dekh ker bohot kush huh. (Yes, that's true. But I am very happy to see you.)" Radhika bent down to touch his feet.
"Jug jug jiyo beta.... (Live for a long time....)"
"Are...Azad kaku apne toh nehi kahan tha ki aap dai bora lekar aye hain.... (But Azad Kaku, you didn't say that you brought dai barha with you.)" Rishav said looking at the tiffin box placed on the dining table.
"Tor toh sudhu khabar er e pore ache (You don't have anything else to do other than thinking about food!!)" Mrs. Sengupta hit Rishav on the arm making him yell, "Maaaa....at least don't hit me here...Keshav is there."
"Oh my God. We completely forgot about you." Mr. Sengupta walked toward Keshav and made him sit on the sofa.
"Uncle it's all right. I don't mind at all." Keshav said smiling as Mr. Sengupta took a seat beside him. "I have to say Radhika has a lovely family."
"That's for sure...but tell me are you alright? Is it hurting anywhere?" Mr. Sengupta asked with a worried tone.
"I am fine Uncle."
"I never thought I will be able to see you. Your parents were great persons." A moment of silence prevailed in the room thinking about the present situation, how Keshav's and Radhika's life went into turmoil.
"Mujhe aab chalna chahiye, (I must go now)" Azad Kaku said breaking the silence. "Andhera hoh raha hain. (It's getting dark.)"
"Aap rukh kaha rahe hain? Haam ekber ghum ke ate... (Where are you staying? We can go for a visit.)" Radhika said.
"Yaah she thora he dur hain.... ek chota sa ghar liya hai kirai peh. Kuch din rehe ke phir chale jayenge. (It's a little far from here...took a small house for rent. I will stay for a few days and then leave.)"
"Aaap ka idhar udhar gumne kah swabhab abhitak gaya nehi hain. Chaliye haam apko gate tak chor ate hain... (Your habit of wandering here and there still didn't go away. Let's go, I will see you out.)" Rishav said walking him out of the door.
"Rai...Keshav must be tired. Show him the room." Mr. Sengupta said before going back to his room.
"Amio khabar banate jai.... (Let me also go to cook.)" After Mrs. Sengupta went to the kitchen Radhika took Keshav to his room.
"Who was that man?" Keshav asked while looking around the room.
"Azad Kaku? He used to live downstairs when I was nineteen. A lovely and caring person. He used to make new dishes and invited me and Rishav. Gave us gifts, and talked about his hometown. You could say because of him I felt a little less alone."
"Looks like an amazing person."
Radhika nodded leaning across the door.
"But that was some deep scar on his face."
"What?" Radhika asked straightening up from her lousy position, as a realization struck in.
"What happened?" Keshav asked coming closer to where Radhika was standing.
"I forgot to tell you something."
"What?"
Radhika told him about the old man she bumped into on the road before going to the birthday party and how she saw a vision. In all the midst she completely forgot about him. "I didn't put a thought to the scar. But now on your mentioning, it does look the same."
"But you knew him for many years. You would have sensed something before or seen some vision." Keshav said trying to figure out things.
"The visions don't work like that. It always happens when I am shocked due to something or while having deep thoughts in my mind."
Keshav nodded as he read the expression on Radhika's face, "Are you thinking what I am thinking???"
YOU ARE READING
The Lines of Fate
Mystery / Thriller"But that smile on your face, that's the real magic." Radhika Sengupta had spent most of her life studying and training to be in the Criminal Investigation Department of Alipore, Kolkata so that she can solve her father's murder case. When she is fa...
