I Am Guilty

32. Trying To Trust

"What are you saying? Sahil's murder? Wasn't he in the police custody?" Arjun's father was the one to recover from the shock.

Arjun stood there with a blank face. While the family was shell shocked, Mitra took a step back in fear. She did not want Arjun to land in any trouble.

"Yes, he was in the police custody, until this morning. He was bailed out today. And he was found dead in his own house." The officer replied looking at Aniket.

Aniket looked at Arjun for a brief second and Arjun just blinked at him. He tightened his muscles and did not let his gaze waver. He was determined to fight for himself this time and walk away from home, for ever, if his parents refused to believe him. He was done giving chances.

The officer followed Aniket's gaze and his eyes widened for a brief second.

"You came to the police station this morning. Didn't you?" The officer asked.

Arjun pursed his lips for a moment and nodded.
This did not go unnoticed by anyone.

"Why did you go there?" Aniket asked.

Arjun looked away, not sure how to answer. His father lost patience. He grabbed Arjun's arm and turned him to face himself.
"Arjun, this is not the time to keep silent. It's going to land you in trouble. No one knows that better than you. Tell me what happened."

Arjun looked up at him.
"I don't know, Dad. It's true that I went to the police station to meet Sahil. I just wanted to tell him that DNA reports came out clear. I did not kill him, Dad. I really don't know what happened after he left the police station."

His father nodded.
"Officer, I think there is some misunderstanding."

"You are Arjun Mathur?" The officer asked with a frown. He could recall that Arjun was attacked by Sahil. There was a slight possibility that Arjun had been furious and had gone after Sahil to kill him.

"I have arrest warrant for him. Whatever it is, I suggest you sort it out legally. I am bound to take him and keep him locked up until further process." The officer said, looking at Aniket.

"But he is saying that he doesn't know anything." Aniket retorted.

"I am sorry, Mr. Mathur. I am bound by duty. Sahil's father has filed a complaint against him. He is right now in London and coming back. We have already sent the body for postmortem, let's see what the reports say."

Arjun was taken aback when the officer gestured the constable to put on the shackles. He took a deep breath and looked at the officer squarely.

"Can I have a moment with my wife? Please? I got married yesterday. She atleast deserves an assurance."

Arjun's words made his mother tear up.
The officer looked at the young woman who still had all the symbols of a newly Wed and nodded with pursed lips.
"You can't leave the room." He hated himself for being this harsh with the people.

Arjun turned around to face his wife. He gently grabbed her arm and dragged her away towards the staircase. While everyone chose to look away to give a bit of non-existant privacy to the couple, Arjun did not care and hugged Mitra tightly. She was about to burst into tears.

"Listen carefully to what I say. Connect with Kunal and ask him to stay away from all this. Tell him not to interfere. And.. If you leave tomorrow, it will raise unnecessary suspicion. Stay for a day or two. I will be back soon." Arjun whispered in her ears and she hummed softly in response.

He released her after a moment and walked back to where everyone was, holding her hand.

He blinked at her and the constable grabbed him by his arm.
He was about to walk away wordlessly when his father called him out, making him halt in his tracks.

"Don't worry. You won't be staying there for long. I will get the best lawyer. Trust me."

Arjun gave a weak smile.
"I trust you, Dad. And I trust the system too. Once the postmortem reports come, they will know that I was nowhere near him."

The officer frowned. It was so true. The postmortem reports would reveal the exact cause of death and if the young man was telling the truth, he would be free to go. Only the reports could reveal the truth.

Mitra could not hold herself anymore when Arjun was taken away in the police van. She so wanted to use her contacts and get him out of the hell hole, but as he had explained her, she needed to wait for the right moment.

She ran to her room and nobody was in the state to follow her and sympathise with her. Sapna and Bansi, both were crying mess, while Samrat and Aniket were trying to connect with the lawyers, who could act on immediate basis and help in Arjun's case.

Naren just picked up his daughter and walked away.

Kunal ate the final bite of his sandwich when his phone beeped.

"Arjun is arrested by police. They say he murdered Sahil. Arjun has asked you to stay away from this."

Kunal pursed his lips. He sighed in frustration.
"He will not be blamed for this."

"How do you know? He can be unpredictable sometimes."

"Are you suspicious of him?" It was an angry statement from Kunal.

"What? No. I just mean, he acts before he thinks." Mitra clarified.

"We were together the entire day. We were together, partying around in a restaurant."

"I am scared."

"I can understand. He will be fine. If need arises, I will stand as a witness. I will not let any harm come to him. But, for now, he wants to see what his family can do for him."

Mitra wiped her eyes.
"They seem to be shattered."

"Give some time. Everything will fall in place. It's either family stands for him or he doesn't deserve them anymore."

Mitra wiped her eyes with Kunal's last words. She knew, though Arjun, she or anyone from the family would not be able to sleep that night, the incident would change a lot of things for everyone.

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Another chapter up.

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