Aarish came running when he received Saisha's call.
"Another theft? How do you know?"
He asked as soon as he reached and she mentally grinned seeing him. His hair were disheveled. Looks like he came here in a hurry.
"I have been checking the footage daily after that incident. Aaj check kri toh pata chala. It's the same time as the last one. 2am. Iss baar kuch expensive nhi hai lekin a pair of earrings have been taken. They must have cost around ₹55000.
Aarish nodded and she escorted him to the security room walking with a grin. She didn't look where she was walking and tripped on a wire. She got disbalanced and was about to fall but he held her wrist and pulled her back.
She bumped into his chest due to the impact and her hands went to his shoulders for support while he held her waist from one hand and her wrist from the other.
They shared an eyelock and her hand unconsciously trailed down to his chest where his heart laid. His heart was beating wildly. She looked down towards it and then back to his eyes.
"Are you okay?"
He whispered and she nodded in a daze. A loud honk from outside broke their reverie and he left her while clearing his throat. He pushed the wires aside and motioned her to step forward.
She walked ahead biting her lip trying to control her squeal. She couldn't believe what just happened. She was practically hugging him.
He saw the footage and said.
"It's not the same person."
Her eyes widened and she looked at him a little scared. Would he find out?
"How-how do you know?"
He sighed and looked at her for a second before turning back to the screen.
"Well for starters, that one was a man and this is a female. Physical structure ka difference. Second, whoever she is, she is a newbie. Very unskilled and unprofessional. Gloves nhi pehne isne. She must have left her fingerprints. You told me you guys clean the counters before closing the shop. That means iss waqt tumhare aur inn employees ke alawa uss chor ke bhi fingerprints honge."
He said and she mentally wohooed at him. He was so smart. She fell for him a little more.
"I'll call the search team. Tab tak shop ko band krwao. And don't let anyone present currently leave. Isse pehle koi customer aaya tha?"
She shook her head and ordered the guard to shut down the shop. The customers present grumbled but Aarish asked them to co-operate.
Every fingerprint present was collected and finally the shop was opened.
"I'll let you know once we find anything."
He said and she nodded. He didn't move. She didn't look away. Something in her eyes changed and he looked away clearing his throat.
"I-I'll leave now."
She sighed seeing his retreating form. She looked towards the sky and made a pleading face.
When the results for the fingerprint data came the next day Aarish was shocked.
They only fingerprints that were present were of Saisha, her employees and the two customers present in the shop at the moment. No other fingerprint.
How was that possible? There were only two possibilities. Either they cleaned the shop again in the morning which led to the erasing of the thief's fingerprints. Or the thief was one of her employees.
Aarish reached her shop. This time in casuals. At first she didn't recognise him in jeans, tshirt and raybans. But the moment he removed his raybans her eyes widened and she felt her breath hitch.
He looked so hot! Uniform suited him so well but casuals did something else to his physique. The way his biceps flexed when he removed his glasses and when he moved his hand in his hair.
She hoped she wasn't drooling. He stood in front of her and pretended to ask for a jewellery design while slowly muttering.
"I need to talk to you. In private."
She just felt a shiver through her spine. Alone. With him. She nodded and guided him to the spare room.
He gave her a paper and she frowned. Those were not the scenarios she imagined when he said he wanted to talk in private.
She looked at the paper and her confusion increased. They were multiple fingerprints.
"What is this?"
"The fingerprint data. There is no other fingerprint than you, your employees and the two customers who were there yesterday."
She bit her lip and gulped before asking.
"What does this mean?"
"Tell me one thing. Did anyone of you by any chance clean this shop yesterday morning?"
She shook her head.
"The cleaner comes in the evening. Toh subha safai nhi hoti."
He nodded and looked into her eyes before saying.
"Then the thief is one of your employees. And since it was a girl. So a female employee."
Saisha looked at him for a minute and then shook her head.
"Nhi! I don't think so. None of the employees would do this. They have been working here for more than 5 years and I trust them."
Aarish chuckled humourlessly and said.
"It's not about how long the person has been working Ms. Saisha. Even people who have worked 50 years at a place can commit such offences. And I have seen people do that. Aur you don't know log kuch paiso ke liye kis hadd tak jaa skte hai. I have seen people sell their own children for money ye toh phir bhi jewellery hai."
Shivers ran down her spine. She had seen movies and news but listening from him made it feel even more real.
The world really is a cruel place. People like these made it unworthy of living. People who put money and material things over human life.
She nodded and asked if he was coming tomorrow.
"Abhi tak toh nhi. If I find something important toh I'll give you a call. So I don't think I have to come tomorrow."
He said knowing very well why she was doing this.
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