The Act of Vengeance

13 - Phosphorescent

"Do I really have to assist you with this?" Karthik asked. He didn't want to get himself watch the recording as watching her in so much pain is making him question if he is doing the same with Priya.

In Anu's case, she was just curious about how it was.

Taking the coffee she offered, "I can't believe I am doing this. Who likes to make their morning negative?" he whispered while she was turning on her laptop.

"Is it that tragic?" she wondered.

"Way too much, Ma'am - You don't believe me, I cried for one solid hour – " Gautham interrupted him saying, "And it would have been for even a long time had Priya not consoled you". Priya was there by his side till he gained emotional stability.

True. Watching someone's world fall apart is definitely heart wrecking.

In spite of all their complaints, Anu proceeded to play it.

Karthik warned her a lot that it was a bit triggering but when she completed watching it, so stupid of me to do all this, she thought.

Noticing the embarrassment in her face, "Why are not crying?" Karthik was surprised. Her expressions were completely opposite to what he anticipated. "Why will I cry? Do you think he deserves my precious tears?" she commented.

Shrugging his shoulders, "I am starting to wonder what people's true colors are... The ones they show or the ones the alcohol brings out," he was definitely disappointed by his seniors answer.

"You are too young to understand the term 'true colors', Karthik," she said.

"If this is how the world is gonna be like, then I'd rather be immature for the rest of my life," he whined.

Anu just laughed. She knew. Talking this out would just make another person lose their childishness.

My story; to get out of the monochromatic world I live in, I tried to look at the TRUE COLORS of the world. The more I looked at them, the more I became mature and the more I became mature... I am not who I am, rather just someone who the world wants me to be.

In the process of having a clear sight of the colorful world, my reflection got blurred - If this is what colors are doing to me... I better be color blind! she thought looking at the beam of sun rays entering through the window.

Snapping his fingers in front her face, "Lost in thoughts?" Karthik asked. She gathered herself together. "We don't need to check all call logs. Let's just hear Aditya's and Lavanya's conversation," she said.

"Lavanya Ma'am? Why?" Karthik's questions started showering and Anu answered them in one line. "Because Lavanya knows the truth".

Noticing their clueless faces, she decided to explain them in detail. "This is what happens when you are emotional. You miss the facts," She said. "Aditya said that he knows Vikrama is my adopted son," she stopped there assuming that they would crack the code from there.

Still they had no idea what she was talking about. She expressed her irritation by rolling eyes. "No one knows that Vikram is my adopted son. Even you and your brother got to know it like a month ago - That too because I told you. How did he know that?"

After a pause, "Lavanya," Gautham finally got the point.

"Exactly. Being my best friend, she knows everything about me," things started to fall in their place. "Now, let me zoom it in even more," she took out her mobile and dialed Priya's number.

While the call was connecting, "When was the first hearing for this case?" she asked Gautham as the incident at the shopping mall happened one day before that.