Kashish was disturbed. She couldn't even think of what lay ahead. "Am I the suspect on your list too?" She asked softly, looking up at him, waiting for the light of hope to flicker in the fast consuming darkness.

He took a deep breath, picked up the gun from the side table and walked towards her. Kashish couldn't get a hint of emotion from his face. It scared her more than ever. Her eyes flickered down to the gun. She really never been scared of looking at a gun, or at least one in a picture on screen. 

The gun before ever eyes was a real one. He clicked something in and she froze. Did he just load the bullets into it or something like that?

She looked up at him terrified.

He placed the gun on the table between them, pointing it towards her.

"What is it that you are not telling me?"

Kashish stared at him, growing frigid by the minute. She remembered the kiss. The sweet forbidden kiss of that night. Her secret. 

"I, I told you everything," she replied in a shaky voice looking up at him.

His fingertips rested on the gun. He turned it slightly around and pushed it towards her. Kashish gasped closing her eyes. Was he crazy? What if it the trigger went on somehow. She'd bleed to death in no time.

Kashish slowly parted her eyelids and gazed down at the table. 

"Do you have your answer?"

She glanced up at him. What was he saying? She warily glanced at the gun. Was it the murder weapon or something? She clutched onto her bag tightly. The last thing she'd want is her fingerprints on that thing.

"Kashish, you are practically freaking out at the sight of a gun that's empty. You would never be on any police officer's suspect list. But yes, the timeline does put you at the crime scene. So ... there's a chance the killer saw you leave or... he was hidden and waiting to strike."

Kashish took in a breath or relief. Her mind trying to replay the happenings of the previous night. She was sure she didn't see anyone when she made her way to the library. But then, Ishaan did see her move towards the library building. If only, he didn't follow me up there!

"Kashish?"

She looked up up him. "I don't know, really. I didn't see anyone as far as I remember,"

"How did Ishaan come to the library?"

"He saw me and trailed behind..." She answered cautiously. 

"Right," He said thoughtfully.

Kashish's mind went back to playing the events of the last night. A thought made her shudder, "Virat, what if the police finds my prints on the lock of the library, the light switch or the books I touched? Will that make me the..."

"Relax," He interrupted, rather calmly. "We didn't consider the library but now that you mention it, we may have to..."

"No, I will get stuck into this case then." Kashish panicked. 

Virat sighed, covering his face with his hands.

"What happened?" She asked fearfully.

"I have to back off this case. It's a conflict of interest."

Kashish stared at him. He appeared to be that light of hope that was burning out. "I am scared!" She confessed.

He looked up at her. His eyes carefully analyzing her body language. 

"Kashish, relax. You didn't do anything wrong, so you don't have to be scared. Fear is the first thing that makes a person a suspect."

Terrified, she looked at him. A lot of things had already made her a very promising suspect.

He got up from the sofa across the table and walked around to stand beside the one she sat on. He laid his hand on hers. "Don't worry, I am with you, okay?"

She glanced up at him gratefully. "Thanks!" She mumbled, the lines of worry not disappearing from her forehead.

* * *

Kashish was petrified as she sat on the chair in the interrogation room. This was way more freaky than she had assumed it to be. Her only ray of hope was that Virat was on the other side of the glass, that appeared as a mirror to her. He had suggested that she approach the police and give her statement before they summon her.

An eventful night and now an eventful day. She had had enough. She just wanted to go to sleep and wake up to find herself in her monotonous life where nothing adventurous happened.

A male police officer walked in followed by a female officer. They were both dressed in their uniform just like the one Virat had changed into. 

The lady officer who appeared to be stern, discerning from the way she spoke took her personal details. The male officer was comparatively easy going as he began asking her questions about last night. 

Virat had given her tips on the question throughout the drive. She answered as confidently as she could, following his advice.

"What kind of relationship did you share with Ishaan?" The female officer asked.

Kashish had an inkling they'd ask that. "He was a friend of sorts. I met him for the first time in more than five years, yesterday."

"What —" the disciplinarian was interjected by a woman who opened the door. "There's something you have to look at," the woman said.

The two of them immediately excused themselves walking out after her. Kashish took a deep breath. Minutes later another officer came inside he informed her to return the next day for the remnant of the questioning and led her out. 

Kashish only hoped that they had some insight on the real killer. She stood in the open parking close to Virat's car waiting for him to walk out. 

The sky was dark, it was a few minutes past seven on the clock. 

Kashish wondered if she did the right thing following Virat's advice and telling the officers about the entire library thing on record. What if they never knew and never even saw the library for clues? But it was better to be safe than sorry.

She sauntered around, walking past the metal gates, looking around. The police station was on the road, but not the main connecting road, so it was not jutted with vehicles. After taking a few steps away she turned around to walk in when a strong force pushed her forward accompanied by the sound of a heavy motor like sound. 

Kashish let out a squeal as she fell forward on the rough ground, bruising her elbows and palms. Her knee hurt too. She had only caught glimpse of a motorbike zoom past. In minutes, two constables helped her up and a lady officer rushed to help her walk in. In the next minute a frantic Virat was running towards her. At once, he had his arm around her limping form. 

"Kashish, are you okay?"  He asked, helping her sit on a chair. 

"Yeah," she mumbled, and realized her jaw hurt too. Her chin too, had probably struck the ground. 

"Gita, first aid." He said and in no time the lady officer was beside her, nimbly tending to her wounds.

"What happened?" Came another approaching voice, it was the same man who had interrogated her. 

"There were two men on a bike that attacked. The man sitting behind struck her on the back with force, with this paper." The constable handed the over the paper he had picked up. 

Kashish looked up, curiously. What paper?

The officer handed the paper to Virat who looked furious. 

"Check the cctv," He muttered handing the paper back to the officer.

"What's written on it?" Kashish managed to asked, trying not to focus on the burning sensation on her elbow as the kind lady cleaned her bleeding wound.

Virat stared at her and then glanced at the other officer. 

The officer turned the poppaer and held it out for her to read.

"Keep your mouth closed or I will have to."

Saying Kashish was shocked, would be an understatement. She simply stared at the paper. The person who attacked was probably Ishaan's murderer. The fact was hard to digest.

"What have you not told us?" The male officer asked pulling back the paper, handing it over to the lab constable. "Send it to the lab,"

"Miss Shukla?" He repeated. 

"I told you everything!" She said, her face distorting up as a sharp pain announced itself on her jaw.

"Sujoy, I don't think she has anything to hide. Right now, I think she needs rest. You can question her again once she's better." Virat spoke up.

Sujoy looked at him and they had a silent debate followed by an understanding of some sort.  "Fine. I will assign temporary police protection, two guards will accompany her home."

"Not needed. I think I will be with her tonight." Virat spoke up.

Sujoy looked up at him with a skeptical look, "sure?"

"Yeah!"

"See you later," the man said and walked away.

"Do you want to see a doctor Kashish? Do you feel okay?"

"I can manage, I guess. Let's go home please." Kashish spoke up, quickly that king the lady who had devoted her time to her wounds.

"Okay, thanks Gita!" He said and the lady wlaked away.

"Are you okay with staying at my place tonight? Or would you prefer K stay over at yours?"

Kashish looked at him. "I think your place sounds like a good idea. But I will need to pick.. "

"Yes, let's drive to your home first." He said, craving his arm around her to help her stand while he offered his left arm to her to hold for support.

"The knee pains badly," Kashish muttered sitting down again.

"Let me get a wheel chair."

Kashish grabbed his hand. "I think I will walk." 

"As you wish!"

* * *

Kashish settled in silence, simply watching the traffic. It looked like it would, grey clouds had crowded the sky just like her life. 

She glanced at Virat. She was in awe for his calm composure, just like she liked his tolerate-no-nonsense attitude. "Thanks, Virat!"

He glanced at her. Their gazes met. He didn't say anything but moved his head acknowledging her words.

Kashish felt better after she had freshened up at her home and changed into a comfortable cotton tunic with sweatpants. Virat carried the small backpack that she had packed all her necessities in. 

It was nine by the time they reached his apartment. They had collected dinner on the way from a restaurant. There was mostly silence between them. Kashish was still having a hard time digesting everything. It was almost like she had ended up being in an alternate universe that was just the same except that it had a lot of bad luck in store for her.

Was all of this predestined? From the time she was that teenage girl? Perhaps, ever since she was born. Fate was cruel, she felt that now. She didn't know how to deal with guilt of being Ishaan's bad luck. She had suppressed that thinking about the attack on her. But sooner or later she had to deal with that guilt which was sitting comfortably back in her mind showing no sign that it would leave any sooner. 

"You can take that room." He said as they entered his fla pointing to the door on the right wall. 

"I will go freshen up, you make yourself comfortable, okay? Let me know if you need anything"

She nodded and he quickly walked away. Kashish sat on the same couch that she had sat on hours back. She closed her eyes and leaned back, making sure to not place her aching elbow on handrest. She just hoped she didn't break or crack a bone. 

How was she going to talk to her parents about all of this? They'd probably be disappointed,  surely worried for her. What about Virat? His parents, how would they react on knowing about the happenings? Would their alliance still go on? She still hadn't told anyone about that kiss she shared with Ishaan. It wasn't a peck on the cheek. It was ... way more intimate than that. Maybe she could keep that as her secret and bury it away in the deepest corner of her mind. She didnhave the guts to reveal it.

What about the attacker? How did he know that she wan involved? Why did the attacker think she knew something? Was the killer in the library that night. She shuddered at the mere thought.

The numerous questions gave her a headache. 

Why was all this happening to her?

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Hope you enjoyed reading this chapter. Would love to know your thoughts on it. What do you think?

Any feedback?