A Night on a Highway (completed)

chapter-4

The police van containing Payal, Garima, Shashi and Buaji reached police station almost at the same time as Akash's car with nani, Anjali, mama and mami. Raizadas and Guptas barely acknowledged each other and rushed inside, looking for Arnav and Khushi respectively.

However, nothing had prepared them to see the scene in front of them. There stood Arnav and Khushi, in disheveled appearances, looking every bit tired and holding hands!

"Hello hi bye bye, am I in a dream? Arnav bituwa saying bye bye to Ms. Kashyap and holding hand with Ms. Gupta?" Mamiji voiced the thought on every Raizada/Gupta's mind and Khushi quickly pulled her hand out of Arnav's, throwing an angry glance at him.

She ran to her family and hugged them, while Garima and Payal started checking her everywhere for any injuries.

Nani and Anjali also rushed to a stiff looking Arnav whose eyes were trained on Guptas, and Anjali started crying all over him "Chote, you scared us so much! where were you whole night? Thank god you are ok"

And before Arnav could console her, they heard Inspector Manik's voice,

"If you are guys are done with the melodrama, shall I do some work here? This is a police station not a movie set" he said in a sarcastic tone, while sub inspector Nandini looked at both the families gauging their reactions. They seemed like normal, non-criminal people to her.

"Why have you called us here?" Aakash and Payal asked at the same time and looked at each other before turning away in haste. They had barely started knowing each other but always felt a connection between them. However, a police station was the last place they wanted to think about that...

"We have called you here because these two Mr. Arnav and Ms. Khushi were in our custody last night for an accidental death, which we thought was a 'hit and run' case. However, it is now a more complicated case. And we want you all to identify the body." Sub inspector Nandini told them and watched various expressions of worry and shock on the families gathered. Arnav or Khushi couldn't even prepare their families for what was coming as that would negate the purpose of 'identifying' the body as police strictly told to them.

"Bo-body?" Mamiji asked.

"Yes. come with us." Nandini led to the government hospital which was a block behind the police station...

.

.

They walked in the morgue where Shyam's body was kept covered in a white cloth. Arnav had tightly held Anjali's hand as they stood there and slowly a constable pulled the cover off shyam's body, starting from face to the bottom...

"SHYAMJI!" it was Anjali who cried out his name almost as soon as covers were taken off and everyone soon gasped realizing it was indeed Shyam. Sure, the face was disoriented but they could identify him

"Are you sure you identify him as Shyam?" Manik asked, looking at this woman who was crying berserk over the dead body

"What kind of a question is this? Of course, I know, he was my husband!" she said sharply, amidst the crying

"Di! Calm down. Please." Arnav tried holding her firmly in his grip, and glared at Manik

Meanwhile Garima and Payal were too shocked to react.

However, buaji soon spoke in acquiescence too, "Hai re Nandkishor! This is Shyam babua, I also know him...we -we all know him. He was staying at my house as a tenant. But how he - Anjali bitiya what do you mean he was your husband?"