Like a Shadow to You

Chapter 9: Like A Shadow To You

The following days went like a blink of an eye. Aravind continued to meet her every Friday in a nearby cafe. Their every meeting showed her a new shade of him. Their friendship continued to grow so much that she started to acquaint with him at least two days a week. On a random day, he visited her house without making a call. She was surprised to see him but welcomed him as a form of courtesy.

Kailash was on a trip to Mumbai for a couple of days to handle an issue. Aravind's plan to spy on Kailash through a trained professional helped him learn this information sooner. Learning about this, he made a sudden visit to her house. When she asked about this, he reasoned that he wanted to discuss sorting out a problematic land dispute with her father.

After asking about her store,  he faked a throbbing headache. He kept his fingers on his forehead and complained about how stressful the land dispute was for him. He lied to her about being sleepless for a week due to this issue. Banu became worried about him and offered him an ointment. She asked him to take a nap in her father's bed while she made a decoction. Aravind rejected her offer and pretended to leave the house by explaining how he was burdening her. Without having an idea about his plan, she insisted he stay and get proper sleep.

When she showed him Kailash's room, he faked a tired smile and laid on his bed. He waited for her to leave the place while staring at the way she walked to the kitchen. Then, he turned on his phone and messaged his assistant to make sure Kailash remained busy for the day. He didn't want him to know that he came to the house as it would ruin his plan.

Within a few minutes, Banu returned to the room with a glass of herbal decoction. Aravind acted like he was in asleep and opened his eyes as if he woke up hearing her footsteps. She gave her the glass and got seated on the chair near the bed. Though he didn't like the taste, he finished the drink in a gulp. When Banu reached for the glass, he voluntarily dropped it. The glass shredded into pieces when it hit the ground.

"Oh, I'm sorry. It just slipped from my hand. Let me clean it," he rose from the bed and tried to pick the shreds. Banu quickly pushed his hand away and asked him to sleep while she cleaned the place.

"Banu, I know I'm burdening you today. But you don't have to do this. If you want, I can drive back to my guest house." Though he said that, he made no move to leave the place.

With a gentle smile, Banu replied that he could sleep for an hour and that his staying there did not cause any discomfort to her. She went outside the room and returned with a broom, a dustpan, and a waste cloth. As she scrooched down to collect the glass shreds in the dustpan, he started to enjoy the view.

Banu gently locked the door behind her and threw the glass shreds packed in the cloth in the dustbin. As she did not go to the store, she made a call to the store in charge and enquired about the sales. While she was working, she became thirsty and got herself a glass of water. Aravind was observing all this from a distance. He got a crooked idea and executed it through his phone.

Banu soon received a call from an unknown number. She swiped the screen and took her phone to her ears. Since the person on the other side said they could not hear her, she went to the front yard. Aravind made use of the time to drug her water.

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What is his motive? Will it succeed in it? Give your comments and rate the chapter before leaving.