His heart was a fortress, haunted by the warmth he pushed away, scarred by the silence he forced between them, all because he believed she deserved more than the broken pieces he could offer.
And, her heart was a battlefield, bruised by all the word...
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DISCLAIMER: The story is set in the early 20th century. While I have made efforts to capture the essence of the era, there may be inaccuracies as this is a work of fantasy. I do not own the characters Arnav and Khushi, and this story is purely fictional with no relation to any real individuals, living or dead. Any resemblance to actual persons or events is purely coincidental.
WARNING: 18+, MATURE CONTENT.
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The Nine accused that Arnav and the police interrogated today were tight-lipped. Arnav couldn’t take any action until they had solid evidence against Mr.Rajjani or one of them broke and agreed to be a state witness. He knew he had to find a way to crack at least one of them, and his focus was on a specific suspect—Ramprasad Lallan. There was something about him, an air of authority, that made Arnav certain he was the head of the herd.
"Mr. Roy, have you gathered all the information about the property papers that were confiscated?" Arnav asked his assistant.
"Yes, sir. The lands that Mr. Lala claimed he bought from Mr. Tiwari are adjacent to his new steel factory."
"Mr. Roy, please jot down all the dates of the previous dacoity cases and go to the Land Registry Office to check for any land transactions around that time involving the victims, especially if it was with Mr. Lala. Also, send someone to collect information about Ramprasad Lallan... and be discreet."
Sending Mr. Roy on his way, Arnav went to meet Inspector Shukla, the officer in charge of the area. Inspector Shukla had a reputation for being an honest police officer. He was also the investigating officer of this case. Because of his hard work and dedication, the police managed to capture these ruthless dacoits. Upon seeing Arnav, he stood from his chair to greet him.
"Good morning, Mr. Shukla. How have you been?" Arnav asked, extending his hand for a handshake.
"I am good, Mr. Raizada. How can I help you?" Inspector Shukla replied.
"I need your assistance with a matter." Arnav handed him a paper containing a drawing of a tattoo, which he had gathered from the statement of the only surviving adult victim in the cases they were handling. "Have you seen anything like this before?"
"No, sorry, Mr. Raizada," Inspector Shukla shook his head in the negative.
"Can you ask your constables to search the accused for any tattoos or birthmarks on their bodies?" Arnav requested.
"Yeah, sure can. I'll have them look right away," Inspector Shukla replied, immediately ordering one of the constables to conduct the search. Meanwhile, Arnav and Inspector Shukla continued discussing the case.
A few moments later, the constable came rushing toward them, reporting a mark on their bodies. Arnav and Mr.Shukla quickly rushed to the cell where the suspects were held. There, they found the same tattoo of a pentagonal star on each of their right thighs, confirming Arnav's suspicion.
