FORBIDDEN FLAMES ✅

Pieces of the Puzzle

SHREYA'S POV

Vihaan made Aarna sit on his lap and gently asked, "Aaru, can I ask you something princessess?" She nodded, and I looked at both of them, feeling a mix of concern and curiosity.
"Princesses, you know that you have an allergy to nuts, right? And you don't eat anything from outside because mamma packs everything for your school lunch. So, how did you end up eating nuts that day, baby?" Vihaan asked softly.

Aarna thought for a moment and then said, "I didn't eat anything from outside, Papa. I don't share my lunch with anyone. I ate the same lunch mamma packed for me and had some cookies which were in my lunch bag."

I looked at her in confusion. "Cookies? Baby but I never pack cookies for your school lunch."Aarna looked at me earnestly and said, "No, mamma, there was a special yellow box in my bag. I ate from and that too only half a piece from it."

Vihaan and I exchanged worried glances. "Okay, good," Vihaan said gently, "Now go and play, okay?"

Aarna nodded and turned around, then looked back at Vihaan and asked, "Papa, can we go to the park today."

Vihaan smiled and nodded. "Sure, baby, we'll go to the park."

As Aarna went off to play, I stood up and walked into the bedroom feeling tense. Someone had gone behind my back and tried to feed my daughter peanut butter cookies, knowing it could harm her. But who could it be?

Vihaan followed me into the bedroom closing the door behind him.
He placed his hand on my shoulder.  I turned around with tears in my eyes. I hugged him tightly, he wrapped his arms around me immediately his hand gently caressing my hair.

"What's going on around me, Vihaan? First Aarna, now this morning someone broke into our house in our absence. What are they trying to do? I'm scared, Vihaan. I'm scared and something is telling me that something very huge is going to happen. I can't pinpoint what. Someone intentionally gave Aarna cookies knowing about her allergy, and now this..."

Suddenly, a call interrupted our conversation. I immediately broke the hug realising the position we are standing in. Vihaan looked at me with pained eyes, he looked at the caller id and disconnected the call and turned to me.

Vihaan looked at me and said, "Sheru, where is the evidence kept?" He asked suddenly

I looked at him and said, "It's in my special locker."

He asked, "And who knows about that special locker?"

I said, "No one knows about it, not even my team members."

I looked at Vihaan and asked, "Why, Vihaan?"

Vihaan said, "Sheru, think about the incidents that happened in the past. As per the incidents that happened in the office, I told everyone that the evidence cannot be handled by anyone else; it will be with me or with you till we get the permission to examine it right." I nodded

I looked at Vihaan and said, "I told my team the same, that the evidence is with you.

But link the incidents, Sheru. Someone wanted us both out of the office so they could go through the evidence and if my assumption is right, someone who knows about our relationship and knows about Aarna's allergy has done it. Who can have access to Aarna without any doubt?"