Obscured Glimmer

16. The murderer

NANDINI:

There comes a time in the life of every individual when you just want to shut the world away. You loath your cognition, wishing to cease the very own virtue of the mind to think. Because even the thoughts can be tiring, in the extensively dark overwhelming sets of circumstances when the brain never stops drawing thousands of conclusions exacerbating the already frazzled state. Last day's extreme eventfulness did the same to me.

As I pressed the shower button, hot water trailed down my head, and steams made an appearance all around. I wanted to wash away the tiredness along with a hot shower but the moment the water reached my injured back I hissed audibly due to the stinging sensation. The steamy water pricked my wounds just like the pieces of glass hurting me the same all over again, the only difference being there wasn't a Manik to kiss away my pain.

Shutting my eyes tightly, I gritted my teeth and fisted the palms. As my nails dug deeper into the skin, I tried to divert my attention from the burning of my back to the fresh pinprick sensation near my hand and that made me wonder when did I become a person to create a new tribulation to get rid of the first one?

I rubbed the shower jell on the skin and my mind reverted back to the morning incident of how I dashed out of the bungalow. I had been sleeping on the bed and Manik was resting on the couch with his eyes closed. Without thinking much, I moved out of the place taking my jeep's key. Why did I faint the last night was still a mystery.

For a moment, I wanted to give him a benefit of doubt; I wanted to believe that he wasn't behind my unconscious state, that he didn't inject me with a drug, once again. Although, the chances were less his questions about love did point otherwise.

Life had been a mess due to current happenings, the goons, the murder, accusations on Manik, Navya's devastated state, even my own wounds. But despite the mayhem, my lips curved into a smile as the flashes of Manik's flushed face came in front of my eyes making me feel proud of myself. I had the ability to make the Manik Malhotra blush!

Water dripped from my hair as I squeezed them tightly intending to squash away all my perturbation. Taking a shower did make me feel better, at least my fatigued muscles felt at peace as if they were given a soothing massage.

Moving out of the bathroom, I somehow dressed my wound and then slipped into the uniform. I was all set for the police station putting the service revolver in the brown holster along with the leather ammunition pouch, holding the baton in my hand and wearing the khaki-colored cap having 'Satyamev Jayate' written in silver letters on the top followed by three lions representing the national emblem.

There was something about the uniform, wearing it always lifted up my spirits, giving me the confidence to fight for justice. As a child, I always had so much respect for the people with this uniform thinking when I will be a Police officer I won't look back to sacrifice my life for the Nation.

'Sacrifice. Souls-like you are too pure to be a part of this world.' His words from our confabulation on the beach echoed in my ears and I wondered if he was an IPS wearing a similar uniform, then why he would say that.

Talking to Navya on a phone call, having a little breakfast, I went to the Police Station for having a conversation about Manik with Tyagi Sir.

It was just thirty past eight in the morning. There were very few officers in the station. I made my way to Tyagi Sir's cabin as I found it unlocked. My legs stopped in the middle the moment I heard him shout, "How could you be so irresponsible Jack? I freed those good for nothing goons, only because you gave me your word that Cabir won't be alive to reveal our secret. Taking so much effort I managed to provide you with the address of the hospital where they had admitted him. You were supposed to act fast. He was discharged last night and now, you have no idea where he is. Find him and just kill him before Manik Malhotra comes to know that Cabir Dhawan is conscious."