Love or Retribution?

Chapter - 29

Subhashini woke up to a screeching doorbell, it took her some time to understand her surrounding, she turned and looked at the clock, it showed 11 am. She got up from the bed lazily trying to ignore the doorbell but it continued to chase after her.

"Coming", she screamed back and pushed herself forcefully out of the bed.

She opened the door and saw Nikhil standing there.

"I have told you multiple times, if I did not open the door after two rings, don't disturb, when are you ever going to learn?", she yawned and moved to let him in.

Just then she saw who was standing behind Nikhil.

Anger started rising inside her shooing her sleep totally away.

"What do you want AC Sir? Here to arrest me too?", she asked looking at him with bubbling anger.

"And you, traitor", she hissed at Nikhil.

"Hey, he brought coffee, that too yummy Starbucks ones", Nikhil said sitting down comfortably while sipping the coffee from his cup.

"I have one for you too, can we talk please?", Arun pleaded.

"I don't have anything to talk to you and I certainly don't want your coffee", she said with same anger, despite her stomach grumbling for a cup.

"Please Subhashini, just because we arrested Thomson, doesn't mean we are done with it, he will be out on bail the moment court opens on Monday, to exonerate bua, we have to make the case stronger with evidence, we need your help Subha", he continued pleading.

"My intention was to find who killed my father and bring him to justice and I had already done that, beyond this is up to you, sorry I cannot help", she said sternly but without looking at his face.

"How can you be so indifferent Subha, she is your mother, don't you care? You cannot walk away from this", Arun this time said with rising anger evident in his voice.

"Watch me!", she challenged and closed the door.

Nikhil looked at her, judgment overflowing in his eyes.

"What? She should have thought about this before giving me a lecture about how great Arun is and before getting arrested, now they want my help? Sorry I am not that gullible."

"If you say so, but I didn't say anything, why are you explaining to me?" Nikhil asked with a shrug.

"If Arun is so great, why didn't she get everything done by him? why that long letter to me? why did she talk to me? if he had so much power, then he should have done everything on his own"

"You know my mother portrayed him as some sort of hero, but in real life, he is just a coward who hid behind me and let me face all the danger alone, or may be it was my mother's plan all along, protecting her precious son, to hell with my life right?", she shouted in frustration while Nikhil calmly sipped his coffee without showing any reaction.

"I am going to snatch that coffee and throw it on your face now, say something Nikhil", she screeched looking at him.

"What do you want me to say Indira, sorry, I am not able to accept you as Subha, to me you will always be Indira, do you honestly think your mother will do something like that?"

Before Subhashini could reply the doorbell rang again.

She looked at it angrily.

"Don't make me call the police on an assistant commissioner Mr. Arun", she screamed, but the doorbell did not budge, it continued to ring.