SanDhir - Along Came She

Chapter 16 : The Things You Do For Love

"You smile, you cry, you help, you pray, you save.......you hide, you sin, you betray, you kill....The things you do for love!!"

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Red.

That's all he could see.

Blood red.

The smell was getting to him. His insides revolted. He could literally visualize Ishita's last few moments. Randhir Shekhawat was devastated.

He had called the police and informed them about Ishita's murder. They would be here any instant and so would Ishita's parents. What would he tell them? How would he console the Drs Mittals? Heck, how would he console himself? Yet another death...yet another loved one snatched away cruelly...yet another dark spot in his 18 year old life!

He knew it was merely minutes before the police would get there. And he needed a plan. Yet all he wanted to do was sit still and hold Ishita's hand, willing for her to wake up and tell him that it was all a deadly nightmare!

Randhir dragged himself up, wiped his eyes and took a deep breathe to steady himself. The first thought that plagued his mind was the probable questions that the police would ask and what he would reply.

Why was Ishita here? Did he see her killers? When was the last time he had spoken to her? Did she seem disturbed? Could this have been a suicide attempt? And most importantly...how did he know Ishita was here?

As he repeated these questions in his mind, he grew more and more tensed. Telling the truth would expose Sanyukta and raise a hell lot of doubts. If the killers had got Ishita so easily, what was the guarantee that they wouldn't get to his other friends? He couldn't let that happen....he wouldn't stand and watch his loved ones drop dead like flies around him.

No. He would frame a situation. He would tamper with evidence. He would stage the murder to his convienice. He would do anything to protect the ones he cared about...'her' especially. Sanyukta. She wouldn't become an innocent victim.

Randhir took out his hanky, wrapped it around his palms, bent down and carefully picked up Ishita's cellphone so as not to leave his fingerprints on it. He then switched on the 'SOS' app and looked around for the nearest window or ventilation. He spotted a window right near where Ishita's body lay. He then carefully threw the cellphone outside and it landed on the garden below with a thud, thankfully in one-piece. Randhir then scanned the building for signs that would suggest that Sanyukta had been there. Once he was satisfied that there was nothing to prove that a third person witnessed the murder, Randhir went outside to where the cellphone lay on the ground. He checked to see if it had signal and to his utmost relief, it did. He was done fabricating. Now all there was left to do was await the police and play dumb.

"I can't believe I tampered evidence of a murder that killed my girlfriend...I'm sorry Ishi...forgive me..." he thought regretably.

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"Sanyukta", called Parth in surprise, making her freeze on spot.

Here she was, smeared in blood, and face-to-face with a guy who had no idea what was going on.

"Sanyukta...cover up the blood on ur salwar as much as u can with ur dupatta. I will call a cab. Go back to college and make sure no one sees you...Go straight to ur hostel..."

She recalled Randhir's words and shivered in fear. How would she escape Parth? How would she justify the blood?

On an impulse, she started limping and pretended to be in pain.