Making Her Mine- An IPKKND story.

Chapter 48 - Ignition

ACP Dubey paced the living room, listening to Arnav and the Guptas.

"Do you know where your Babuji went that day?" he asked Khushi. "Before he had that attack?"

Khushi shook her head. "I wasn't here," she glanced at Arnav. "I was – I was away."

She had accidentally fallen into the trunk of Arnav's car as he drove to Nainital, and lost consciousness. He had only discovered her after driving for hours. Then, because she had siphoned most of his fuel for some grand crazy plan, the car had stopped. It had gotten a puncture, and his phone battery had died in the meantime. They had found a Dhaba in the outskirts of Delhi, and spent the night there.

"Away," pretty much covered it.

"He didn't tell us," Buaji said, her voice shaky. "Garima...?"

"I think he said he was going for a walk, I don't remember."

"Do you know the exact date? We can check what Shyam was doing on that day, before he came to the house," Dubey said.

"It was the 10th of October," Arnav said, glancing at his phone. He looked around at the others. "We were supposed to have a conference in Nainital. I have it on my calendar. Uncle's stroke was the next day, when we got back," he looked at Khushi.

Khushi let out a dry sob. "We let him sit with Babuji, in the hospital," she said. "When we –" she stood up suddenly. "When Babuji had the second stroke, which gave him the paralysis, Shyamji was alone with him!"

Sashi uncle made a moaning noise again.

ACP Dubey walked over to Sashi Uncle.

"Sashi Ji," he said, his voice steady, a stark contrast from that of the family's. "Did Shyam try to hurt you again in the hospital?"

Sashi uncle nodded with effort. Dubey looked grim. The family looked horror stricken.

"Mr Raizada, I think we have enough," he said. "We can arrest him, at the very least."

Buaji and Amma were both in tears. Khushi was dry eyed, but looked worryingly pale.

"Khushi-ji, I understand what you are going through," Dubey said kindly to her. "But this will be the end. We will get him now."

"I can't believe I have been letting that man live with my sister. For three years, and especially after finding out. Even after my accident. In my house," Arnav said, the magnanimity of the horror only now registering.

"Mr Raizada, this will be a criminal case. It will go to court. The proceedings will be in the public record. I don't know how much you can keep this away from the media..."

"I don't care!" Arnav said. "I want this man behind bars. I want him to–" he clenched his fists.

Dubey nodded. "Well, I am going to take your leave. This cracks the case wide open, I must say. I have no doubt Shyam is involved with the attack on you as well. But we have to prove that separately. Still, it will be easier to do once we have him. I'm going to get him arrested in Mussoorie." He glanced at Khushi. "I heard it was your idea, Khushiji. Very nice."

"I let that snake into this house," Buaji said, when Dubey had left. She sat at the table, a cloth bound around her head. "I got taken in by his words, and let him live here with my nieces. I told Sashi Babua that he was the perfect man for our Sankadevi. And when Sashi Babua had doubts, I ignored him."

"Babuji had doubts?" Khushi asked in a small voice.

"Yes. He was surprised that the same man who helped us in Lucknow was living with Jiji. And he wondered why a government lawyer had to travel so much, or work late nights," Garima Aunty said softly. "Your Babuji wanted to make sure he was a good man — for your sake."