A Life Of Lies | ✔

Hansika • 6

Present: April 13, 2018

{A/N: The story was started on March 19, 2018. So the present storyline is on the same timeline as well. Hope this isn't too confusing. All the chapters under this section will have a date and timeline so please follow it and fit the pieces together :) }

"Would you like some tea, ma'am?" The police inspector asks me.

I simply shake my head, resisting to show any signs of fear. I'm in a police station, amidst criminals and cops and guns. Guns. It takes all the power in me to stop the shudder that passes through my body.

"Officer, can we please just finish this investigation soon? Mrs. Mishra is not one of your suspects in any way. This is just an investigation to collect evidence," Lawyer Shilpa says. I'm so glad she's here with me, thanks to Jogi for reminding me to take the family lawyer with me to the station.

It has been twenty-eight hours since Ayansh has gone missing and sixteen since I've been informed. And these hours have shown me what hell would be like. And I've been locked in a 10×6 closet an entire night before. Let me describe how the night went when Jogi forced me into a cab and sent me home around midnight:

I walked like a lifeless body, just nothing on my face. I didn't know how I got upstairs and opened the door. I didn't know if I had locked it behind me and where all the report cards are. I didn't know anything, till I was in the bathtub, hands hugging my knees. I didn't cry, but my body was visibly shaking. Parts of the nightmare I got when in Shillong kept flashing as I could only think of one person: Ayansh, Ayansh, Ayansh. How did I not prevent him from getting into this pyre of mess with me?

There was no water drop left that made a sin by touching me and I couldn't drown myself. I almost decided to, but among the image bombs, the screen in my mind kept showing me of Ayansh, the one when he found out I was pregnant stook out the most. If he were to come back - I slap myself as I correct if to when - When he comes back, he'd want to see the baby. And I'm the baby's host. And that baby deserves Ayansh.

I place my hand on the very small protruding stomach as I focus back on the police officer in front of me. He begins the session.

"These first few questions are for the record. What's your name, ma'am?"

"Hansika Mishra."

"How old are you?"

"I'm 27 years old."

"Who are you to Mr. Ayansh Mishra?"

"I'm his wife."

"When did you get married? And is this marriage licensed?"

The first blow comes small to my gut. I need to not panic and keep a straight face. Straight face, Hansi. Straight face.

"July 25th, 2017."

"And the marriage is licensed, officer. I have a copy of it," Shilpa comes to my rescue. She gives the cop a document I don't remember signing at all. Another hole found, another task to fill it up.

"What is your profession?"

"I don't think that's relevant at all," Shilpa cuts in. "This is about Ayansh."

"Ayansh has funded her profession by the looks of his bank account so I need details on that."

I take a deep breath. "I am a pediatrician. I have a small clinic in the penthouse of the apartment we own."

"And the property and the clinic are under the name of?"

"Ayansh. It's all his property."

"Is there a loan on any of it? Or anything for your educational loan?"

"No. I pay my own educational loan from the income of the clinic. He does not have any property loan that I know of."

"Does Ayansh have any business threats? Anyone, you suspect?"

I pretend to think. "No, officer. No one that I know. He runs a clean business."

"Any personal threats?"

I shake my head. "None that I know of."

"When was the last you saw Ayansh or had a conversation on phone?"

"I saw him yesterday morning before going to my clinic. I tried calling him many times but he didn't pick up."

"Can you give me an exact time when you last time?"

"I opened my clinic at 7:30 that day, so it would be a few minutes before that."

"Okay, that would be all for now. Thank you for cooperating. We'll contact you again if we need you."

A sigh escapes my lips despite all the restraints of my mind. Shilpa pats my hand and gets up. "Come on, Mrs. Mishra. I'll drop you back home."

I follow the tall woman back to her car, not looking back at the police station. I can't remember the last time I was in a police station. No, scratch that. I don't want to remember.

When we get in the car, she says, "He has disappeared like this before as well. So this might not be a serious case after all. We'll give him some time, shall we?"

I grimace at that. I know she's trying to be supportive, but that sounds so off-putting. He didn't just run away from me. Out of all the options that came to my mind, this is the one that didn't. And it's highly unlikely, considering what's on top of my panic list.

"Are you alright, Mrs. Mishra?" Shilpa asks.

"You can call me Hansika, Shilpa."

She smiles at me. "Okay, Hansika. I believe we haven't met before this. I'm sorry about the circumstances under which we meet but it's nice to meet you. Mr. Ayansh has told me a lot about you."

I just smile to be polite and leave it at that. But she has other ideas, clearly. "If you don't mind, can you tell me about your... erm, memory issue? Mr. Ayansh barely gave any information and it might be required for later purpose during the course of the investigation."

Memory issue. Of course. "I acquired Retrograde Amnesia from a car accident seven months ago. I have lost memory of my past, that is the memories before the car accident."

"When exactly was this car accident?" She pesters.

"August 2nd, around midnight."

She stops the car and turns to face me. "You mean one week after your wedding?"

I ignore her as I turn to the window. She takes what answer she could out of the silence as my mind reels back to the night of my accident. It is one of the very few extremely distinct memories I have.

And it is quite the irony that I remember not being married to Ayansh the night of August 2nd.

***