Sea Mist

Chapter 6

KHUSHI felt restless as she sat waiting at Sagar restaurant at Udupi city. She thought about how Arnav had consoled her after she had shared her innermost thoughts with him. It was three days since he had left for Bangalore, and she realized, much to her consternation, that she missed him.

"Hi Khushi," the familiar voice brought her out of her reverie.

Khushi looked up at Rishabh's seemingly expressionless face but she could see the latent anger in his eyes as he sat in the seat opposite hers. He summoned the waiter and ordered two cups of coffee without even asking her if she wanted one. He reveled in being the one in control.

"When did you get back from the US?" she asked politely, "did you have a good trip?"

"Do you even care?" He asked her, "I wouldn't have known you were here if Rakesh hadn't told me. You didn't pick up my calls. You didn't attend Rahul's wedding nor have you called Dee."

He probably had a right to be angry, Khushi thought, since she had not told him or Deepana about her move to Udupi, letting them assume that she had moved to Chennai instead. Two days ago, she had received a message from Rishabh, on her FB messenger, telling her he knew she was in Udupi. She had agreed to meet him in Udupi city after he had relentlessly messaged her.

"I will make a trip to Bangalore soon." She said in a low voice.

"I don't know what has gotten into you --" he stopped when the waiter brought their coffees.

"I told you I needed some time by myself." She said quickly.

"Yes, when you told me that I thought you would be going to Chennai to spend some time with your mother ---" he paused, "—not come to this Godforsaken place to do – God knows what."

"I wanted to get away from Bangalore," she said. She had no intention of explaining herself to him. "I found a job here that's all." she said.

"Do you expect me to believe that?" His tone was laced with sarcasm.

Khushi decided to be direct. "It's up to you if you want to believe me or not."

"You have changed!" He leaned back with a look of disbelief on his face.

"What do you expect after what you told me the other day?" Khushi asked, "it came as a shock to me you know."

"I told you thinking you will move on – not that you will move here" he goaded her, "what do you think you are going to do? I know you talked to Ramya."

"Wasn't I supposed to talk to her?" she demanded, "Meeting Ramya was just the same as I met Deepana and you. I wanted to know about Payal."

"What did she say?" he asked her warily.

She gathered courage. "Did you report to the police what you saw at the farewell party?"

Rishabh looked a little taken aback at the sudden question. "What?" he asked her as though he hadn't heard her.

"Ramya told me that you discussed in the group that you should report that you saw Arnav Singh Raizada arguing with my sister but then she didn't know if an actual report was filed."

He looked at her his eyes turning dark. "Of course, I did!"

For some reason his reply didn't seem convincing. "So, after you reported it, the police still ruled it as accidental drowning," she stated, "why do you still think that he was responsible?"

She could see his temper was rising. "I don't understand why you are asking these questions now."

"Please answer me."