Making Her Mine- An IPKKND story.

Chapter 61 - Puzzle

The one blot in their happiness was Shyam's impending trial.

Dubey came to Shantivan unannounced once again, much to Arnav's annoyance. He had to leave office again, bringing Aman and Mr Roy, his lawyer, along, leaving Akash to take over a conference call he had planned.

Di was already at some ladies meeting, and Khushi was out doing her cooking. Arnav asked Nani, who had been the one to call him this time, to get everyone to stay away. He had to bite back his annoyance at Dubey's lack of propriety, showing up in his police uniform, acting like his time was the more important, like Arnav could just drop everything to meet him. But he had just dropped everything to meet him. He would have been much more brusque if Aman hadn't been acting uncharacteristically cold with the policeman. That distracted him enough to forget his annoyance.

Dubey had fairly good news: He had evidence of Shyam's connection to the attack on Arnav, and even a confession from the man they had caught, whom Arnav was able to identify. The man confessed that his brother had told to him tail Arnav, and kill him whenever he had the chance. The brother, in jail, confessed that he was acting on Shyam's instructions.

Dubey had wrapped up his investigation, and submitted the charge sheet.

It was still something of a shock, to have evidence of what they had already suspected. That bastard had tried to kill him!

"We have a solid case. I am confident that Shyam will be convicted," Dubey said with his usual smug air.

"We can file petitions to keep the names of witnesses out of all the public records," Mr Roy said. "Given the profile of the victim— Sir – and the witnesses being connected to you, I expect this will be granted."

Arnav heaved a sigh of relief. Sashi Uncle's testimony was important evidence of Shyam's earlier crime, and Arnav and Khushi were likely to be summoned as well, and possibly others in the family.

"Anjali ji is not here today?" Dubey asked as he stood up to leave. "I hope she is doing well."

"She's fine," Aman replied, before Arnav, who had opened his mouth, could get out a word. He looked at the two men in mild surprise. Aman sounded cold and unfriendly — and entirely unlike himself.

"Something wrong, Aman?" Arnav asked after they saw Dubey off. "You don't trust Dubey anymore?" Aman had bloodhound instincts, and Arnav had learnt to rely on them.

"No, sir. Why?" Aman asked.

"You were quite cold with him today. I thought something bothered you."

"Oh, no sir, not at all. He's just a little annoying," Aman said, to Arnav's great surprise, because of course Dubey was annoying, but he had never heard Aman saying he found anyone annoying, ever. He raised his eyebrow at his stoic, mild-mannered manager.

"Police officers," Aman said, shrugging.

—-

Khushi seemed unfazed by this information when Arnav told her that evening.

"What is your problem, again?" She asked, sounding irritable – she was going through her papers again.

"Do you want a computer, Khushi?" Arnav asked. She squinted at him. "Yes," she said, finally. "But you already gave me a present for my birthday."

"I don't need an occasion to give my wife a present," he replied. "And I don't have a problem. I'm just – I don't know. It just seems odd. Aman never dislikes anyone."

She gave up doing whatever math she was working on, and looked up at him, chewing her lip.

"You think Amanji doesn't like Dubeyji?"

"He said he finds the man annoying."

"You find him annoying too."

"But I find almost everyone annoying. And, Aman is usually right about people."

"But he didn't say he suspects Dubeyji of anything. He just finds him annoying. I think Amanji doesn't like him because Dubeyji – " she stopped, wincing exaggeratedly, as if she had almost given away something.

"Because Dubey what?" Arnav asked, growing exasperated when Khushi shook her head, her eyes wide. "What, Khushi?"

She had that blush on her face that was a dead giveaway that she was hiding something. She shook her head, panic in her eyes.

"B-because he's a policeman! You don't like policemen either! It's very natural, a lot of people don't like them! Although Salman-ji-"

Arnav rolled his eyes. When she was in her blabbering mode there was hardly any point trying to actually get any useful answers. Her nutcase mode was mostly cute, but also infuriating. "Don't keep secrets from me," he growled, hoping to scare her into telling him what was on her mind, knowing already it wasn't going to work.

"Just silly ideas, Arnav ji. You know all the silly ideas in my head," Khushi said. "It's because I forgot to eat breakfast today, and by the time –"

"Go to sleep," he said, shaking his head at her, cutting off another barrage of random nonsense.

—

"Do you think Aman's acting odd?" he asked Akash at the office the next morning.

"Yes!" Akash said, as if just realizing it. "Bhai... he got mixed up with some samples I had asked him to look at – he never does that normally. And he was very evasive when I asked him what happened."

"Do you think he's having some problems?"

"He hasn't said anything."

"We should find out. Help him, if there's anything to be done. Aman doesn't ask for help."

"Yes Bhai. Maybe someone in the family is sick – his mother is in Haryana, I think she's quite old..."

"He told me he doesn't like Dubey."

"Dubey? ACP Dubey?" Akash was, at least, reacting correctly, as this information warranted: with disbelief. "But Aman doesn't dislike anyone!"

"That's what I said!" Arnav exclaimed, finally vindicated. "There's something wrong."

"Maybe he's getting burnt out at work."

"Do you think we should offer him a vacation?"

"Yes Bhai. That's a good idea. Maybe he can go visit his mother. I'll tell him."