Beneath the Surface

Chapter 10: Fractured Truths

Raju stepped out of the police station into the dimming evening, every nerve in his body still taut. The weight of Akilesh's questions clung to him like a second skin, suffocating and inescapable. He inhaled deeply, trying to clear his head, but the buzzing neon lights and honking cars seemed to pulse with suspicion. The intensity of Akilesh's eyes had left him unsettled, and he could almost feel the inspector's silent doubt trailing him home.

Back at home, Nandhini paced the living room, her hands twisting together as if wringing out invisible worries. The children watched her, picking up on her anxiety with the sensitivity only young hearts possess. Aryan tried to read a comic book, his small face unusually solemn, while Avanthika sat with her doll, occasionally glancing at the front door with her brow creased in confusion.

"Mom, is Dad okay?" Aryan finally asked, breaking the silence that seemed to hover heavily in the air.

Nandhini's forced smile barely reached her eyes. She knelt beside him, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "He's fine, sweetheart. Just... a lot of work."

"But why were there police?" Avanthika's voice was small, uncertain, and Nandhini felt a pang as she struggled to find the right words.

"Sometimes grown-ups have things to sort out. Everything's fine," she said, hoping to sound reassuring. But her heart hammered in her chest, and it felt like she was lying to herself as much as to them.

The door finally creaked open, and Raju stepped in, moving slowly, his shoulders heavy, the edges of his face lined with a tension he couldn't shake. Nandhini was on her feet immediately, her eyes scanning his face for any sign of reassurance.

"You're back," she said softly, her relief mixed with worry.

He nodded faintly, taking off his shoes and avoiding her gaze. "Yeah... it was just some routine questioning," he mumbled, brushing past her to wash his hands at the sink. The cold water ran over his hands, grounding him, but his mind still raced.

The children hovered nearby, their small faces watching him carefully, and for a moment, he forgot his own fears. He turned to them with a smile that was slightly more genuine as he knelt down. "Hey, what are you two doing up so late?"

Aryan held up his comic book. "Just reading. Are you okay, Dad?"

Raju pulled him close, patting his head. "I'm fine, buddy. You know me."

But as he looked into their worried eyes, he felt the weight of what he wasn't telling them. He could sense Nandhini's gaze on him, full of questions he wasn't ready to answer.

The next morning, Raju woke early, unable to shake the tension from the previous day. He found himself standing in the kitchen, clumsily cracking eggs into a bowl for breakfast, more to occupy his mind than anything. The sizzle of the pan was comforting, its simple rhythm a sharp contrast to the mess of thoughts in his head. He focused on each step-whisking the eggs, sprinkling salt, flipping the toast.

Nandhini entered the kitchen, watching him with a quiet intensity. "You're up early," she said, a tentative smile tugging at her lips.

"Just thought I'd make breakfast," he replied, keeping his focus on the pan, flipping eggs and arranging plates.

She moved closer, resting a hand lightly on his shoulder. "Raju... is there something you're not telling me?"

He paused, his grip tightening around the spatula. For a moment, he wanted to spill everything, to lay bare the shadows lurking in his past. But instead, he turned and offered her a weak smile. "It's just... work stress. Things piling up."

She didn't look convinced, but she nodded, sensing he wasn't ready to say more.

The children came tumbling in, their voices filling the kitchen and lifting the heavy atmosphere. Raju set the plates down, putting on a cheerful front as he served them, but a part of him felt detached, like he was watching himself from a distance.

Meanwhile, across town, Akilesh sat in his apartment, a fresh cup of coffee steaming on the table. The smell of roasted beans filled the air, a rare comfort in his otherwise orderly life. He liked his solitude, the neat rows of files on his desk, the quiet hum of the fridge. But today, his mind was clouded. He tapped his fingers against the cup, replaying the recent events in his mind. Raju's face-so closed off yet brimming with something unspoken-lingered in his thoughts. Akilesh had seen enough criminals to recognize a man hiding something.

He sat down, flipping through the case files once more. The details were scant, but the similarities were chilling. The girls, the cuts, the precise nature of the crimes... He made a note to follow up with the forensic team, his detective's instinct buzzing with possibilities.

Back at home, Raju busied himself in the garden, trimming plants as a way to calm his mind. His movements were sharp, almost too forceful, as if hacking away at the doubts gnawing at him. But no matter how many weeds he pulled, he couldn't shake the feeling that his past was creeping closer, suffocating him.

Nandhini appeared beside him, holding a glass of water. "Here," she said, watching him with concern as he took it.

He took a sip, the coolness soothing his parched throat. "I needed this, thanks."

"Raju... whatever you're going through, you know I'm here, right?" Her voice was gentle but insistent.

For a moment, he felt the urge to confide in her, to tell her about the shadows that clung to him. But the words wouldn't come. Instead, he nodded, forcing a reassuring smile. "I know. And I appreciate it."

That evening, as Nandhini put the children to bed, Raju sat alone in the living room, staring at the flickering shadows on the wall. His mind drifted back to Akilesh's probing questions and the relentless suspicion in his gaze. How long could he keep up this facade, pretending the past didn't weigh on him like a stone?

He clenched his fists, frustration simmering within him. If Akilesh kept digging... if he found out... He shook his head, trying to clear his mind, but the tension wouldn't leave.

The door to the children's room creaked open, and Nandhini stepped out, closing it softly. She looked at Raju, her expression filled with concern and a hint of frustration.

"We can't keep living like this," she said quietly. "The tension... it's affecting all of us."

Raju nodded, swallowing hard. "I know. I'll... I'll work it out. I just need time."

She sighed, wrapping her arms around herself. "I hope you do, Raju. For all our sakes."

As she turned and headed to bed, Raju sat in the darkened room, the weight of her words settling heavily over him. He knew he couldn't keep lying to her. But how could he reveal the truth without risking everything?

In the quiet of the night, Raju felt his world fraying at the edges, each secret threatening to unravel everything he had worked so hard to build.