The Guilty Ones

Chapter 49

Arnav and Khushi started going through all the boxes they found in the attic. Since they found those letters in these boxes from the attic, they were hoping for more clues about the pen drive or at least some directions to it.

"Arnav, it is getting late. I hope those two will manage to save the girls. I don't think we will find this pen drive within the given time frame"

"Khushi, that man followed you for years, he kidnapped the girls and risked his life coming to us instead of a simple phone call"

"So? What are you trying to say?"

"Khushi, think, this pen drive means more to him than to us. His life basically depends on it. So, if I was him, I would not lose my trump cards. Harming the girls means he is getting rid of his trump cards. So even if NK and Akash couldn't save the girls on time, they'll still be safe"

"You do have a point"

"It's the only point, Khushi. He planned this for years. That's why we need to find this pen drive. Because I am sure, this has more information than businesses of this man. No one goes to this extent just to retrieve information about his criminal clients"

"Arnav, do you think it must have clues about my parents' death?"

"Khushi, I am positive this pen drive will have more than that. Come on, we've waited a lot of time, let's get back to searching"

Khushi and Arnav spent the whole afternoon going through each and every box, they even re-looked at the boxes Khushi got from the office. Arnav did a full search on their company database to find something they might have missed earlier. After spending hours they ended up with nothing.

"Arnav, this is no use. Not a single clue"

"Khushi, there must be something. If your father wants you to have the clue but wants it to be protected as well, he must leave it in a place only you have access to"

"But we've looked everywhere"

"Yes, but we looked in my father's data, my data and our company's data. Khushi, your father wasn't a psychic, he didn't know you and I are going to meet in the future. So why would he hide a clue about a pen drive he wants you to have in these files"

Khushi realised what Arnav saying is correct. Her father was no fool. He must have calculated everything before hiding this pen drive.

"Arnav, the little I know my father, I can guarantee that he wouldn't have left the pen drive in my possession but he would have definitely left a clue in possession to find the pen drive"

"That's what I am telling. Is there anything you have of them, anything from your childhood?"

"For the millionth time Arnav, no, nothing. I was literally moved out of my house in my pyjamas. I am glad my mom put this locked around my neck a few days before their death. If not, I wouldn't even have a photo of them"

"What? A locket? Damn it, Khushi, why didn't you say so?"

"Arnav it's a locket with my parent's pictures on each side of its inside. You can't hide a pen drive in here. Here, see for yourself"

Khushi removed the locked neckless she had around her neck and handed it over to Arnav. It was a small locket with a tiny handle to open it. Once opened, it has her parent's photos on either side.

"Khushi, you yourself said your father wouldn't leave the pen drive but would have left a clue. So this might be the clue. A locket from your parents. No one would even bother looking at this. So this is the perfect place to hide something"

Arnav took the locket out of her hand and opened it. On the left side, it had a photo of her mother and on the right side her fathers. Arnav gently moved his fingers on the photos. Her father's photo was all fine and flat but he felt a tiny bump in the middle of her mother's photo.