As if the questions that they already had lingering on their mind weren't enough, the recent discoveries made, only made it worse.
"What did her mother come to do a day after her dad's funeral? That too, at their house?" Dahlia asks.
"That's the question on everyone's minds now. Unfortunately we have no answer, neither will we get one," Ara replies with a subdued voice.
Kiaan rests his head on the couch, closes his eyes and breathes slowly. His mother enters the room with glasses of water on a flowery tray, her movements staggered, it seems as if they're transported back to the tragedy of last year. The only difference is the revelation of secrets and the absence of two important people.
"How's Russ?" Kiaan asks, sighing and taking a glass.
"Still the same. It's hard for me to describe this," Dahlia smiles faintly, looking away.
Ara rubs her shoulder and offers some water, which she refuses to have. Her appetite had been worsening, it isn't easy for her to even live on.
They hope that he would survive, but they also know how empty they'd become if he didn't.
Hope is such, where you can only wish, but at the back of your mind, you know that you can't dodge what's meant to be.
"Is he making any improvements? Doctors said anything?" he asks.
"A slight improvement. I personally spoke to the doctor, he said he could remain like this forever, we've got to brace ourselves for the worst," Susheel replies, and wipes a line of tear that formed in his eye.
"Something better than nothing. We should be happy about this. Richard will make it out better than ever," Ara spreads her positivity and smiles widely.
Kiaan smiles at her and winks, "You're amazing."
Sarita hits his head gently, "Stop flirting in front of everyone you idiot child."
They laugh and Dahlia notices a picture jotting out from Ara's pocket.
"That's her mother's picture right?"
Ara nods and gives it to her, "Yeah, it's her."
Dahlia looks at her and checks the name at the back.
Bernie.
"Bernie?"
"Probably a nickname."
Dahlia adorns a brooding expression and she suddenly goes up to her room.
After a while, she comes back with a magazine in her hand. She flips the pages and hands it over to Susheel, who reads it out loud.
"Businesswoman of the year award goes to highly talented and goal driven Bernadette Morgan."
He shows everyone the picture, the same lady who looked into Davis' eyes. She wore a classy and formal attire, and her pride radiated in her expression. Jet black hair just like Ellie's, brown eyes and a faint smile.
"It says that she joined the business world a few years ago, and from then she's climbed the ladder so fast. She pretty much controls a lot in the business field."
"I thought I saw that face somewhere. This magazine is from two years ago though, I didn't ever follow her to know her current whereabouts though," Dahlia says.
"Aunt, you have no idea how helpful this truly is. We could use this information to get to her," Ara says and Kiaan continues, "We could ask her what she wanted with Ellie last year. This could make things so much more clear."
"Okay, but who would've thought such a trashy woman would be so successful?" Sarita asks and they laugh.
"It's unfortunate mum. That's how it goes," Kiaan shrugs.
"The contact details for her company are here. Are you going to call now?" Susheel asks.
"I don't think we should delay this even more," Kiaan says.
He dials the number and puts it on speaker.
Secretary: Morgan Companies, hello.
Kiaan: Hi, hope you're well. I'm just calling
to check if I can get an appointment
or contact details to meet with
Bernadette Morgan.
Secretary : Can I just confirm your
identity please?
Kiaan: Uh sure *looks around* I'm calling
from Russell Logistics.
Secretary : Oh alright, however you have
to know that Ms Morgan is no
longer with us.
Kiaan: Sorry, could you please elaborate?
Secretary: Uhmm Sir she passed away a
couple of months ago.
Kiaan: What?
Secretary: Yes, it was on the news, pretty
surprised you missed that. I can
book an appointment with the
current owner though.
Kiaan: And who might that be?
Secretary: The previous manager had
been given ownership.
Kiaan: Do you think you could give me a bit
of details on Ms Morgan? Please.
Secretary: I'm not authorised to give out
any information about her.
Kiaan: Okay I understand, but one last
question.
Secretary: Go on.
Kiaan: Do you have any idea about her
child?
Secretary: Her child? She's always kept
her personal life under wraps.
There's no way I even have the
slightest clue about this. Sorry
sir.
Kiaan: Okay, thank you for your time.
*cuts the call*
Kiaan looks around at the many helpless faces in front of him. Just when they thought they could find out something, it turned out to be of no use.
"So she's dead. Great help," Kiaan says and slouches.
"No, wait. She's a huge businesswoman. Pictures of her funeral should be somewhere," Sarita suggests.
Ara looks at her and exclaims, "Bingo."
Kiaan grabs his laptop and types her name in the search bar. Everyone crosses their fingers, hoping to find something.
"Aha! The sudden death of Ms Bernadette Morgan shocks the business world," Kiaan reads, "Apparently she died from excessive substance abuse."
"Well that sucks, I imagined her to die while choking on money or something," they laugh at Ara's statement.
"Okay here are the pictures. The funeral took place three months ago."
Everyone's eyes explore each of the pictures.
"I don't see anything that useful from these," Sarita sighs.
"Wait," Kiaan zooms in on one of the pictures only to find a lady in black attire, standing right at the back.
It seems as if their heartbeats stopped.
It was Ellie in that picture.
YOU ARE READING
Way And Direction
RomanceThey promised to stay together forever, but reality had different plans. At some points life seems like blissfully surreal, and that was how it was for Ellie and Richard. The bliss that lasted only for a while, only a while till their worlds fell...
