" Who are you?" Aashika inquired, her voice tinged with curiosity and a hint of caution.
The man jumped slightly and met Aashika's gaze.
"I...I...I live here," he stammered. Aashika nodded in understanding.
"These dogs won't even let you take a step. Where do you live?"
"In the corner house," the stranger replied confidently.
"Oh, that big two-story house. You must be that lady's husband. Your wife is so sweet. Let me grab some biscuits so the dogs will let you pass," Aashika said as she headed to the kitchen to get a packet of biscuits.
Instead of handing them from the terrace, Aashika opened the main door and walked to the front of the house.
"Here. These dogs can be a nuisance," Aashika remarked, the man looking at her with surprise. A small smile crept onto his face as he observed her gesture.
"You seem kind-hearted," he commented, patting her cheek. Aashika gave an awkward smile in return.
"Did you not check the time? Girls shouldn't open the door for strangers at this hour, darling. Be more cautious next time. I might be after money, but some people have other intentions..." he trailed off, his gaze shifting inappropriately.
Aashika quickly took a step back.
"Thank you," he said before hopping on his bike and riding off.
Aashika watched him leave, her mouth agape.
"He...he...was...a...thief?" Aashika gasped, rushing inside and wrapping herself in a blanket.
"He was a thief. I gave biscuits to a thief...Oh God, what have I done? Ayaan is always right. I'm so foolish. How could I forget that it's nighttime and no decent man would be wandering the streets?"
"Please give me some common sense," Aashika muttered as she tried to sleep, eventually she fell asleep an hour later.
⋇⋆✦⋆⋇
" Sir we don't know him. Why do you think we are associated with some thief?"
Aashika heard her mother's voice, which was loud enough for her to hear in her room. She opened her eyes and looked at the bed, but none of their babies were there. She got out of bed and walked out of her room, rubbing her eyes. All her sleep vanished when she saw the police standing at the door.
"You, Miss," the police officer said. Aashika's mother turned around.
"She just arrived here fifteen days ago, so you shouldn't be questioning her," Aashika's mom said. The police officer turned to another lady police officer and said something with his eyes.
"Mrs. Aashika, you know him. We found him stealing in a house yesterday. He has been doing this for months. We also found a knife with him which even has some blood mark on it . After asking around in your neighborhood, we found out that you were talking to this man last night. You even gave him something," the lady officer said.
Aashika expression gave away everything. Her mother raised her eyebrows, not really expecting the police's words to be true, but Aashika's expression told a different story.
"Aashika, you met that thief last night," her mom's voice came out sternly. Her father came out of the room and locked the door from the outside, not wanting the kids to witness anything.
"I didn't know... H... He was..."
"She was talking to him so nicely too. Is she involved with him?" one of the neighbors' aunties said.
Aashika quickly shook her head.
"Mom, I went to call... Ayaan... Then I saw him looking around and the dogs were barking at him. I thought he lived here, so I gave him biscuits. I didn't know he was a thief until he said," Aashika whispered the last part.
"So you opened the door at 2 AM for a thief?" Aashika's mom asked.
Aashika slowly nodded her head. Aashika's mom raised her hand, but her husband immediately held it.
"Calm down. She didn't know about it."
"Even if she doesn't know about him, who opens the door for a strange man at night?" her mother said as her other hand landed on Aashika's cheeks.
"Stop, she is married, stop this," Aashika's father yelled, shielding Aashika behind him.
"It's common sense, we should not open the door for strangers. What if that man has done something to her or took her with him? She has a husband, her own kids, her whole family, yet she just does things like that. Where is my slipper?"
The police officer immediately intervened.
"Ma'am, we have to take your daughter to the police station. We have to investigate her since neighbors claim that she is involved with that thief and she might be dangerous."
"My daughter can't even hurt an ant and you are telling me she is dangerous. These old aunties like to make drama, that's it," Aashika's mom shouted.
The police officer signaled the lady officer to take Aashika with them.
"I don't wanna go," Aashika said, holding her father tightly.
"Wait, can't we do something? She isn't involved," her father said, taking a step back.
"Sir, if she isn't involved, then we will leave her. We have to testify with the thief. She can be his partner."
"She isn't."
"You are saying that. We have to take her," the police officer said, and within a few minutes, Aashika was nowhere in their sight.
"How can this girl always fall into trouble?" Her mother said, sitting on the floor holding her head, her eyes already teary.
"She is just soft-hearted. She doesn't understand anything. Let's go to the police station and see what we can do."
"Or she is just dumb. My daughter... Call Ayaan. He will take care of it," Aashika's mom said, handing her phone to her husband.
"You sure?"
"Yes."
