Midnight Mist

I had nothing to hide

Before Renu can respond, Shilpa disconnects the call, her fingers trembling slightly as she holds the phone. Her gaze drifts to the door, the silence in the house now almost suffocating.

Shilpa’s hand shakes as she holds the phone, her heart pounding in her chest. She quickly taps on Sunny’s name and presses the call button, praying he picks up, but the phone rings and rings, and then—nothing. He doesn’t answer.

Her anxiety spikes, just as she’s about to hang up and try again, her phone buzzes with an incoming call. It’s Ashutosh.

Reluctantly, she answers, her voice steady despite the storm brewing inside her. “Hello?”

“Ashutosh,” she says, trying to sound normal, “is everything alright? You finished with work?”

Ashutosh lets out a sigh on the other end, his tone tinged with regret. “Shilpa, I was hoping to come back sooner, but I think I’ll need four or five more days to wrap things up here now that everything is finally settling down.”

Shilpa’s tension sharpens, and she hesitates before saying, “I understand, Ashutosh… But there’s something you should know.”

He picks up on the seriousness in her voice immediately. “What is it?”

“The police called us again today,” Shilpa says carefully, trying to steady her tone. She takes a deep breath and then explains everything: the officer’s intense questions, the footage that seemed to show Sachin’s car, Sachin’s explanation about the jeweler, and how uncomfortable the entire encounter felt.

Ashutosh listens quietly, and when she finishes, his silence fills the line for a few moments. Finally, he says, “I don’t like the sound of this. Sachin isn’t one to hide things, and if he says he was at the jeweler’s, I believe him… But why would the police bring this up again after we already explained everything?”

Shilpa’s voice is tense as she replies, “I don’t know. It just feels like they’re not done with us yet, and now... with Sunny acting strange and not answering his phone, it’s just adding to my worry.”

Ashutosh, sensing something more is amiss, asks, “Wait, Shilpa, what did you mean about Sunny not responding? What’s going on with him?”

Shilpa hesitates, realizing she hadn’t told him the full story. “Sunny told us he was heading over to Tushar’s house after we left the police station. But when I spoke to Renu just now, she mentioned he hadn’t been there at all. I tried calling him, but he’s not answering his phone.”

There’s a pause on Ashutosh’s end, and his voice takes on a sharper edge. “Shilpa, did he say where else he might be going? Or was he planning to meet someone else?”

“No, he didn’t mention anything,” Shilpa replies, her worry mounting. “It seemed so casual at the time. I thought nothing of it. But now… I don’t know where he is or why he’d lie.”

Ashutosh’s tone is firm yet worried. “Shilpa, stay calm. Try calling him again. Maybe his phone’s just on silent, or he got distracted and lost track of time. But if he doesn’t answer soon, let me know. I’ll make a few calls and see if I can find anything from here.”

Shilpa nods, a hint of relief in Ashutosh’s steady voice. “I’ll keep trying, and I’ll let you know as soon as I hear anything.”

As the are talking, the front door creaks open. She turns sharply, her heart racing, and sees Sunny stepping inside, looking slightly tired but otherwise unfazed.

“Sunny!” she exclaims, relief flooding her voice as she rushes over. “Where on earth have you been? I’ve been calling you nonstop!”

Sunny glances at his phone, pulling it out of his pocket with a sheepish grin. “Oh, sorry, Mom. My phone was on silent. I didn’t realize.”