Whisper in the Night|18+

Chapter 23 : Lies?

Author's POV:

The car ride back to her apartment felt endless, yet every second seemed to crush her chest tighter.
Rain tapped against the window  gentle, rhythmic, like the world was trying to comfort her, but she couldn't feel it. Her gaze stayed fixed on the blurred city lights outside, each one smearing into the next as tears welled in her eyes again.

Kaira sat rigid in the corner of the backseat, arms wrapped around herself. The driver glanced at her once in the mirror, then wisely turned his eyes back to the road. She didn't even notice. Her mind was somewhere else spinning in circles she couldn't escape.

Who were those people?
The ones she had called parents her whole life.

Her lips parted, but no words came out  just the faint tremor of her breath. She tried to remember her childhood, her mother's laughter, her father's voice... but suddenly, even those memories felt borrowed, like scenes from someone else's life.

Had they killed her real parents?

The thought struck her like a blow, sharp and cruel. She gasped, clutching the edge of the seat. Her heart pounded so violently it hurt.

No. They couldn't.
They wouldn't.
Would they?

And Karan Bhaiya...
Her throat tightened as his name surfaced.
Did he know?
Had he been protecting her all this time... or protecting them?

Her nails dug into her palms until she felt the sting. She wanted to scream, but the sound was trapped somewhere deep in her chest, suffocating her.

The car stopped with a soft jolt in front of her building. She blinked, realizing through a haze that she was home  or at least, the place that used to feel like home.
Now it just looked foreign.

As she stepped out, the night air slapped her face cold and damp. It should have helped, but it only made her shiver. Her legs felt unsteady. She could hear the distant chatter of the city, but it all sounded muffled, like she was walking inside a dream.

Then she froze.
There were police officers outside her apartment door.

Two of them  one taking notes, the other speaking to the landlord. The doorframe was splintered, the lock broken clean off.

Her stomach dropped.

One of the officers noticed her. "Ma'am, are you Kaira Singh?"

Her lips barely moved. "Y-Yes..."

"I'm Sub-Inspector Varun. There's been a break-in. Neighbors reported seeing your door open. We've already checked  no sign of the intruder now. You'll need to confirm if anything's missing."

Kaira 's eyes darted to the shattered lock. Her voice came out weak, barely a whisper. "Did you... find anyone?"

He shook his head. "No one, ma'am. It looks like whoever it was knew exactly what they wanted."

Knew exactly what they wanted.
The words twisted in her chest.

She nodded faintly and stepped inside.

The air hit her like a wall. Still. Heavy. Wrong.
Everything looked... normal, and yet not. The curtains she had drawn that morning hung slightly off, her books tilted on the shelf as if someone's hand had brushed against them. A vase lay broken near the table, water and glass glimmering under the pale ceiling light.

Her heart pounded so hard she could hear it in her ears.

The officer followed her in, keeping a respectful distance. "Please check your valuables, ma'am  jewelry, electronics, documents..."