Making Her Mine- An IPKKND story.

Chapter 51 - Restart

"What's Dubey doing in the house?" Arnav asked irritably. Di had called to tell him the policeman was at Shantivan.

"He's here to talk to you Chotay, why are you sounding so angry?" Di said.

"He should have called me first!" Arnav replied. Sure, Dubey wasn't like the policemen Arnav remembered, but the man was still annoying, and most of all, he didn't want police in the house. "I'm coming home."

Abandoning whatever lunch Khushi was going to send him, Arnav headed home, supremely annoyed.

Dubey was still as smug as ever.

"I have some information on Shyam, I thought I'd let you know as soon as possible," he said. "Mrs – ah – Anjali ji, do you want to be here?"

Di nodded. Dubey nodded back, a bracing expression on his face. "I must say, Anjaliji, you're very courageous."

Arnav suppressed his irritation. People needed to stop saying that to Di.

But she smiled, a wan smile, and sat down together with them.

"We found the man who attacked you," Dubey said briskly. "We did some solid police work, if I say so myself. We tracked Shyam's phone activities, and he has contacts with some criminals, not surprising given his job. Anyway, we did a huge canvassing, found the man, and also tracked down some CCTV footage leading to and from the road you were found in, which squarely places him at the scene of crime."

"That's great," Arnav said, grudgingly impressed.

"We have also established that Shyam is connected to your attacker — indirectly — Shyam defended his brother in court. The brother was convicted, he's in jail, but I suspect he owes Shyam some favours anyway. That's how he seems to work."

Di, it was clear, was still coming to terms with all this information about Shyam. "So he really did try to k— harm Chotay?" she murmured, a glazed look in her eyes.

Arnav went to sit next to her, and took her hand.

"Di... we guessed as much. I am sorry."

"No, Chotay. I am sorry. I brought him into our lives."

"There's really no way you could have known, Anjaliji," Dubey said in his usual clipped tone. "We couldn't find any hint of past crimes, although his parents died in somewhat suspicious circumstances. Rest assured we will investigate it thoroughly."

"Did Aman tell you about the new evidence we have?" Arnav asked. "Di remembers seeing Sashi Uncle and Shyam at the same place on two occasions, including the day he got the stroke."

"Yes," Dubey said. "Anjaliji, that was a great help — we were trying to figure out his whereabouts that morning. It is likely Sashiji saw you two together and discovered the truth, and Shyam attacked him. We have also found a few more things..." he consulted his notes.

"Shyam was in Lucknow around the time when you purchased Sheesh Mahal, Mr Raizada. He was staying with a friend. We don't know why he was there but we suspect it had to do with your business deal – specifically that you purchased the hotel for your sister."

Di looked up at this, confused.

"I didn't buy it for her, it's just in her name," Arnav said quietly. He had been hoping to keep this from her.

"In any case. We also found out that Sashi Ji had spoken to one of Shyam's colleagues, sometime before his stroke. It appears he was asking about Shyam. He asked questions about his character and family. And — we found a woman who claims she posed on a photo call as a Queen, and a client of Shyam's. Rani Sahiba," he glanced at Anjali. "I understand that's what he called you."