Arresting Hearts: Unexpected Bonds Of Love.

Chapter 45

This is a double update my precious readers. Do read chapter 44 before reading this one. :)

Arjun's Pov:

'We have found him.' The words echoed in my mind, sharp and relentless, like a cat pressing down on the keys of a piano, producing an unbearable, continuous sound.

Years of searching, and finally, I had found him-dead. When I got Shabjit's call earlier, I was confused. Besides Rohit, Shabjit was the only person who knew my darkest secrets. Ever since we met at the start of our IAS training, he had been by my side. We started as competitors and ended up as partners. We went through it all together. Fortunately, our bond endured, even after we parted ways and got caught up in our own lives.

For the past year, we had been looking for this man. He was the only one who held the secrets that had eluded me. Without them, I would never reach my parents' murderers. Now that he was dead-or worse, murdered-I could only hope that I'd still find the answers that kept me awake at night.

Another reason I had taken on the hospital case was because of an anonymous tip. I had been told he was hiding here-somewhere.

As bad as it sounded, I was skeptical about facing the situation. A fear stirred inside me, whispering that I wouldn't like what I was about to uncover. It was a sinking feeling, one that made me hesitat but I knew I had to do this.

My grip tightened on the steering wheel, my knuckles turning pale under the pressure. A cold bead of sweat trickled down my forehead, reminding me of all those cold winter nights when I longed for my parents' warmth. They had taken everything with them-the joy, the sunshine, the laughter.

No. They didn't take it with them-it was snatched away from us-brutally, cruelly.

I swallowed hard, blinking rapidly to fight off the burning in my eyes. My throat ached, but I wasn't one to break so easily. I needed answers, and I would be damned if I didn't get them.

When I applied the brakes, I found myself parked in front of an old, rusting house. The building looked ready to collapse at any moment. Mold grew along the cracked walls, and garbage littered the perimeter. It was no better than a dump.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, steadying the surge of emotions before stepping out of the vehicle. As I approached the house, a constable saluted and gestured for me to follow.

Inside, I found Shabjit giving instructions to the other officers. I approached him, unable to keep the desperation from my voice. "Explain."

Shabjit shook his head, looking regretful. "We received information that the man was seen near this area, so we sent a search team. It seems someone already knew we were after him, and by the time we found him, he was already dead."

My fists clenched as I absorbed what Shabjit was telling me. I followed him into the room where the corpse was found. I looked at the body closely , trying to supress the dread building within me.

The man appeared to have been killed brutally with a pointed object-most likely a knife, judging by the blood on his neck. There were signs of a struggle. His arms and face were covered in bruises, the marks darkening into a deep shade of purple, indicating he had been dead for more than 24 hours. His body had already entered rigor mortis, confirming the bruises were not old.

My gaze swept across the room, observant and cautious. "Any evidence?" I asked, trying to maintain my composure. I couldn't afford to weaken at such a critical moment.

Standing beside me, Shabjit shook his head, adjusting the hat on his head. "No. We searched every corner of this ruin. All we found was cash, a tape recorder, and a few photographs."

I put on my gloves and mask before kneeling in front of the body. "Murder weapon?" I questioned further, turning the victim's head to inspect the wound. I glanced up at Shabjit for an answer, but he simply shrugged.

I examined the bruises on the arms closely. If he had struggled with his killer, there must be something useful for us. I requested a magnifying glass and began assessing the body meticulously. Something had to be there. The likelihood of the killer leaving no trace was slim, especially with clear evidence of a struggle. As I continued my examination, I found something unusual-a strand of hair stuck to the corpse's shoulder. Using a pair of forceps, I retrieved it and placed it in an evidence bag.

"What's that?" Shabjit asked, his brows furrowed in confusion.

Standing up, I shrugged as I walked over to the table where the other evidence was laid out. "Evidence."

"Evidence? Arjun, the man is old. You can't call a strand of his own hair 'evidence,'" he said, his voice tinged with frustration.

As I looked through the photographs one by one, I replied nonchalantly, "It wasn't his hair. It belongs to the murderer."

Shabjit's confusion deepened as he ran a hand through his hair. "Would you care to explain?"

I sighed, turning to face him while pocketing the photographs. Pointing at the corpse, I explained, "Look at him. His hair is barely two inches long, but the hair I pulled from his body is about three inches. And notice that this man has white hair all the way to the roots," I handed him the evidence bag with the strand. "But this strand is brown at the roots."

Shabjit's eyebrows shot up in surprise as he examined the evidence, a spark of admiration flickering in his eyes.

"I need an autopsy report as soon as possible."

••••••••••••••••••••••••••

As I watched the lifeless body being lifted onto the stretcher, rage simmered in my veins. How could he be one of them? How could he betray us? My parents gave him everything-food, shelter, respect-and what did he do? He took away my only reason to live-my parents. He helped those people murder them. And for what? That worthless property, which wasn't even theirs to begin with?

Once the body was taken away and the room cleared, I collapsed to my knees, a sob wrenching from my throat. Memories of my childhood flooded my mind, each one tearing at my heart. The pain was unbearable. It felt like all the life, love, and happiness had been snatched away in an instant, as though they never existed.

That old man-I used to call him 'Nanu'-how could he shatter the meaning of that word? He wasn't my biological grandfather, but he had loved-no, pretended to love-my family as if we were his own.

After the brutal murder of my parents, he fled. I tried to find him, but he had vanished, as if he had never been real-just an illusion, a lie.

And now, he was dead.

I felt hollow as I walked out of the house toward my vehicle. Voices echoed in my head-my parents, their laughter, their smiles-all of it, haunting me. I wanted to disappear. I couldn't face anyone-not even myself.

Sliding behind the wheel, I typed a quick message saying I wouldn't be returning soon due to work and hit send. I turned off my phone, leaned back, and closed my eyes, resting my head against the seat. When I was ready, I started the engine and drove straight to the nearest bar.

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Important!!

Firstly, how are you guys doing? I believe that you are alright and happy.

Now, we are on the verge of the most awaited first kiss of our beloved protagonists. *giggling like crazy*.

It would take two updates in total and you would get the scene. I am quite busy till Chatt Puja. And now I have two options. Either I update these two chapters(46 and 47) tomorrow or we wait as per the schedule ( 1 update per week)

So, if I find my notifications flooded until tomorrow, I promise to update the next two chapters by tomorrow evening. Four chapters within 24 hours sounds good, doesn't it?

Now, I leave it on you guys. Hope you have an amazing Deepawali and Chatt Puja. Lots of love💗💗💗💗💗💗