Victor's Home

Chapter 2

17th December 2019

Renita's POV:

"And then?" The cop asked shuffling in his seat and tapping the pen over his notepad. The badge pinned to his uniform read 'Paulson George'.

"As Zoya and I walked out of the mall, the bus that we were supposed to board just started and left. We missed it. The next bus to our route had ten minutes to arrive and so we decided to wait." I sniffled and then swallowed reflexly.

"We were standing there just outside the mall and killed almost.. like.. maybe.. five minutes? Yes, by then my mom called to check on me. Since the traffic was too loud, I took a few steps aside near the trees that lined in front of the mall's compound wall. I spoke to her for just two minutes or less. When I cut the call and turned around, she was not there." I said as the exact scene kept playing over and over in my head, right since I realized that she went missing.

"What did you do after that?" He asked jotting down notes.

"First, I thought she would have wandered off somewhere nearby, but confirmed not after doing a small search. I inquired about her to the auto and the taxi drivers and the public who stood there. I called up my friends in the hostel since a small part of me was illogically hoping that she would be there, but no. I did all that I can and when everything turned out to be futile, then I decided to approach the nearest police station." I explained as fresh tears filled my eyes' brim.

"Why didn't you try calling her?" He asked looking up through his lashes from his notepad.

"Her phone was in my handbag, she didn't have another one." Quick tears rolled down my cheeks before I hastily pressed the kerchief I had to my eyes for like the hundredth time, tracing it to my running nose which would have probably turned beet red by now.

He nodded, "You didn't glance even once at her while talking to your mom?"

I shook my head. "It was a very short call. So I didn't." I said, though now I regretted why I didn't.

"When did she go missing, I mean when did you cut your mom's call? That would be the exact time." He said.

I unzipped my bag and fished out my phone as he studied me closely. My fingers trembled from anxiety as I tried to draw my lock screen's security pattern. It went wrong twice from the pathetic handling before the home screen appeared on the third attempt.

I promptly clicked on the call log icon as 43 missed calls in red evolved at the top of the screen. I ignored them as I scrolled down and checked my last incoming call timing from my mom. It said: 7:47 pm to 7:50 pm.

"7:50 pm. That's when I cut the call." I looked up at him to find him still staring at me.

"Can I see it?" He asked, sticking his hand out already.

I stared at it doubtfully before nodding anyway as I handed him the phone. He examined it for a while and noted down something from it. I watched him closely as those intense eyes wandered over my phone screen with extreme novelty. After taking down as much as he could he returned my phone with a nod.

"So it is been two hours now." He said pursing his lips into a thin line and dropping his pen over the notepad. "Okay, we will need her most recent picture and some of her details before you leave. Don't worry, we will help you. So how will you leave now? It's almost ten." He glanced at his wristwatch.

"My friend is coming to fetch me by her car." I stood up slowly from my chair, sliding the bag straps up to my shoulder.

"Fine then." He said with a quick nod before I thanked him and walked out of his office room.

After writing down all the details they wanted about Zoya, I handed the paper to the policemen who were seated outside his office and walked out of the station with Mithra to her car. I didn't answer my phone which kept buzzing with millions of calls and messages.

By now the whole hostel would have been intrigued by Zoya's disappearance, dying to put me out with their apathetic questions of curiosity. Neha had also come along with Mithra and was sitting in the car. I scrambled next to her as Mithra gently closed the door after me. They didn't pester me with questions, instead kept quiet understandingly.

The car took off smoothly as I sat leaning over the back seat's window, gazing at the outside world which seemed completely unaffected by Zoya's absence. Neha was informing Zoya's parents as her words swithered with hesitation.

I could hear the muffled chaos of her dad's voice crammed with dread and her mom crying beside him loudly, making me feel sick to my stomach. They were asking Neha to pass the phone to me but she didn't. She told them I was not really in the state of talking now and tried to console them.

Tears streamed down my cheeks as I kept replaying my recent hours with her in the mall. I should have held her hands tightly in mine like I always did throughout the evening. What would have happened to her?

I couldn't imagine all the possibilities. We come across so many brutal cases and the injustice posed to women for years. Was she going to become one of them? Tears took up the pace and raced down my eyes. Maybe we shouldn't have come out today at all. Was today going to become her last day?

My mind thought of various things that could have prevented her from going missing. What if we had come out of the mall one minute earlier and taken the bus that we had missed? What if my mom didn't have called at the time or if I had not attended the call? What if I had agreed to her idea of taking an auto to the hostel?

I remember going mad at her for asking to take an auto, after paying that expensive bill in the mall. It was my fault. If only I had agreed and taken the auto, she would have been here with me now... holding my hands, happily smiling, all excited to decorate our new room soon after reaching the hostel.

My heart broke at the fact that I was going back to our room, without her, and I was going to sleep alone, without her hands wrapped tightly around me. I started sobbing loudly unable to accept the reality. I still wish to be woken up by her from my small dream, on our way back to the hostel on a public bus.

Neha shuffled closer to me and pulled me into her arms. She shushed me and rubbed my back gently, as I continued to sob like a child. Then, I slowly grew silent and took slow breaths.

I mustered as much as energy I could and I made myself a promise, that I would find her, safe and sound.

"What will you do if I go missing?"

My eyes sprang open before it sent daggers at her. "I am praying, Zoe. You can't say things like that now. Take your words back"

"I won't!" she grinned.

I stared at her for two more seconds and then went back to prayer.

I felt my body easing into the tight embrace of Neha.

Maybe she should have listened to me. That was the last thing I remembered before my thoughts swivelled into a circle and vanished into the dark.



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