The Lines of Fate

26: The Lovers

T/W: Some parts of this chapter can be slightly triggering. However, it's necessary for the plot.

"Hey...." Radhika walked up to where Ishaan was standing on the roof of the investigation bureau. "I had been searching for you."

After finding that Mr. Chatterjee had been sending information to Dhriti Roy, as in who acted to be Radhika and Ishaan's mother, Mr. Das and Dhruv went to interrogate him. Mr. Aditya needed to keep up the act of not knowing anything in front of Dhriti to not let her suspect anything, so he went back home.

Radhika herself thanked him for what he had been doing for all these years. Even knowing that the person with whom he had been living under the safe roof is a killer, he didn't take any action fearing putting the life of his friend and his family in danger. No one can do this except a true well-wisher.

Vaarsh went with him along with some policemen to look after his safety. Keshav and Rishav were talking with his dad and Radhika's father. Not finding Ishaan, Radhika came to the roof guessing him to be there. From childhood, Ishaan had a habit to come and stand under the open sky whenever he felt disturbed.

"Are you fine?" Radhika asked in a very soft tone.

"I don't know didi...just-" Ishaan said, his gaze locked on the last bit of sunlight in the sky as the darkness of the night was nearing. "It's just difficult to accept. It feels like my whole life was a lie. uncle Jairaj knew everything but still, he didn't utter a single word. I know it's the same for you but I can't accept the fact that I had been staying with the person who is responsible for all of our sufferings."

"Hey......" Radhika wrapped her hand around her brother's shoulder, "Everything will be fine...okay? We will be able to catch her, find me and everything will go back to normal."

"I pray everything happens like that. I am afraid. I don't want to lose anyone else. And-" Ishaan stopped suddenly while speaking.

"And what?"

"I don't even know when I will lose control again...but did I truly don't want to hurt you or anyone else...I love you and for that day I am extremely sorry...."

"No, don't say sorry. I should have apologized for not being able to protect you and making your stay in the lock-up."

"Didi, you don't need to apologize. It was to keep me safe. I was living very peacefully but the other prisoners may hold a grudge.... because of my special treatment." Ishaan grinned trying to ease the atmosphere.

"Yeah sure...." Radhika smiled back.

"Everything happened because of me." Vikram's voice made both of them turn around. "I failed to be a proper husband and also a proper father. If I had found out about Dhriti a lot before I could have stopped all this from happening.

"Baba...don't blame you. It happened because it was in our fate." Radhika walked up to him. "It happened because we were not able to defend ourselves. But that's history...we are in this together now and we will surely be successful. She alone can't fight against all of us."

Radhika thanked Keshav in her mind to make her believe these words, she just said to her father. If he was not there...Radhika would never be able to become the person she was at that moment. She was determined to change her fate. She will at least try; she was not going to accept her fate like she used to.

"Yes...sure we are in this together." Mr. Sengupta smiled realizing that his children had grown up. He wrapped one hand around his daughter and gestured for Ishaan to come closer too. Wrapping another hand around his son, he placed soft kisses on both of their heads, "We will surely catch Dhriti."

The buzzing sound of Radhika's mobile phone ruined the moment the three of them were sharing. Seeing the caller id, she quickly answered the call.

"Radhika," Vaarsh's voice came straight, the tone of his voice made her happy mood slowly fade away. "Something's wrong here," he breathed hard.

..............................

Ishaan stepped out of the car in a rush and ran up to Vaarsh followed by Keshav, Radhika, her father, and the other members of their team.

"What? What happened?" Ishaan asked Vaarsh, the adrenaline rushing through his veins.

"I had gone to the nearby shop to use the washroom. Coming back, I heard from the others that Dhriti Roy came along with Mrs. Langston, and from that time the lights have switched off. Chief warned me to not go in alone so I couldn't take any action." Vaarsh said in one breadth.

"We need to go in. Take the positions." Dhruv ordered his team as they slowly walked inside the house forwarding their guns. He told Keshav, Mr. Sengupta, and Ishaan to stay outside but they insisted to go in. He finally let them go when he saw Keshav knew how to use a revolver.

They divided into two teams, one looked on the ground floor and the other went to the first floor. Suddenly hearing Ishaan's scream from upstairs Radhika, Vaarsh and Rishav ran up there only to find yet another horrifying scene.

Mr. Aditya Sen and Mrs. Langston were tied up to the wooden pillars of the bed, both connected with a long white colored cloth that was covered with blood. Both of their throats were slashed.

"D-Dad...." Ishaan slumped down on the floor as tears formed in his eyes. He wasn't able to protect him. Mr. Sengupta kneeled wrapping his arms around Ishaan.

"Again...I lost one of my closest friends. Aditya lost his life in the process of protecting us. No matter what I will catch Dhriti. I can't let his sacrifice go in vain." Mr. Sengupta said, caressing Ishaan's back.

"Were they lovers?" Keshav asked.

Mr. Sengupta nodded as he got up along with Ishaan. "They were in a relationship."

"But why in such a pattern?" Dhruv asked as he took out his phone to make a call at the police station.

"Spells...spells can be cast." Mr. Sengupta replied. He was going to say something else but Rishav interrupted him, making others worried too.

"Where is Rai??????"