She remembered their trip to Tahiti. Their honeymoon. It was after four months. And he asked her to select, Tahiti or New York. Since Shes always loved the sea and she had read about the beautiful virgin beaches there. He had rented a beautiful beach front villa complete with a personal butler and chef. They had gone in his private jet. All these things were new to her. They spent one week away from everyone and everything. No internet and no phone calls to disrupt their conversations. He was totally relaxed and she lived and absorbed each and very moment every memory. She felt blessed, contrary to what she felt the day she found out she was to be married off to a rich guy, that day she thought her life couldn't get any worst than that, she thought she was being banished to Hell. To live with the devil himself. But he turned out to be her saviour, her guardian angel. How unpredictable and wonderful is life? And she thanked God for every moment she spent with him and asked for forgiveness for her error in judgment.
She found a new self hidden beneath the pain and the rejection she had felt all her life. James was experienced but very patient and selfless lover, he managed to bring out the woman in her every time they made love. The things she did and he did for her never seized to surprise and amaze her. Who knew? He would always assure her she can be herself without shame. That what ever happens in the confinement of their bedroom will always remain sacred and between the two of them only.
She had asked him why he married her? Why her? What he revealed to her made her despise her father even more.
He had seen her bringing her fathers lunch, when he was in his office to attend a meeting. She was outside and he in his fathers office. Her father had been very rude to her when she tried to open the door.
Afterwards her father had apologised for his daughters manner less ways.
He seeing her tear filled eyes and hurtful face touched his heart. And had inquired about her from her father then and there. Seeing a golden opportunity he had asked him if he's interested in his daughter. But he had mentioned his doubts on she wanting to anything do with him let alone get married. But he had assured him he will speak to her and let him know.
He told Astha, he had felt very possessive of her. Wanting to make her his by any means. He admitted to her he was attracted to her from that moment. And when the next day her father came to meet him at his hotel and informed that Astha had given her consent to his proposal, he had been the happiest. Avadooth had hinted to him now that they're gonna be family he should get the contract to build the factory. He didn't like his tactics but gave into his wish thinking it'll make her happy as well. That her father would benefit as well.
She told him that her father never asked her for her consent. She was forced to marry him. But she told him that she's never been more happier and she's never felt more loved and respected. He was happy to have her in his life.
She woke up! She was in his room on his bed, which used to be hers' as well. She closed her eyes once again trying to shutout that incident and the pain and heartbreak that brought with it, that changed everything for her, for them. Things were never the same after that day.
It was the first time in almost two years that she slept in their bed. And what an irony, they will never share that bed ever again. She's never going to see him smile, hear him whistle Jim Reeves melodies. Never celebrate Christmas or attend Mass. She missed him physically too. She missed his passion for her. How he made her feel like a woman.
The realisation was too much for her to bear all over again. She broke down yet again holding on to his pillow. She could still feel his scent. His perfume. She wished things could've been different, that things never changed between them. But now nothing can be done about the past. It's done. We have to live with the decisions we make. Sometimes with much debate and proper thought process. But Sometimes without any rational thinking or reasoning. Just what the moment dictates to your heart, not your mind.
Her phone hummed. She checked who it was, Mr.Lovemehotri! It read.
She quickly sat on the bed and answered the phone.
"Mrs. Almeida, sorry to disturb you, but I want you to come down to the station to get an official statement and we need to get a DNA sample from you as well" he just went on.
When he heard a soft sob and a sigh..."are you ok? Have you been crying" he blurted out. The minute he realised what he had just said he wished he had a rewind button. Man you better put up that advert for your lost pair...what is the matter with you? If she had said yes I've been crying what would you have done.. Fly to her like superman and wipe away the tears and sing her a lullaby and tell her everything's gonna be alright. Why should I care if she's been crying or may be she was getting busy with her ... He didn't want to think about it. Why he wasn't paying attention to his own thoughts. He was busy trying to come up with a comeback for what he just blurted out.
"What time" she asked without paying any attention to what he asked.
"Drop in anytime before 5 o'clock" he said.
"How long will take?"
"I can't tell you a exact time but it could take just 30 minutes or it could take up to 3 days. But I'm sure it won't take long" he said. Why don't you just tell the truth so that we can all get on with out lives. You go to prison for the rest of life and along with your accomplice who's also your l...
There he goes again...
He was waiting for something the entire day...for someone to be precise, but as always he was too busy with his own thoughts to realise that.
Second floor was a buzz with human chatter, phones ringing in many a melody or rather noises, faxes being received and sent and then she walked in. And you could've heard a pin drop. It was as if even the machines saw her and wanted to pay her full attention.
He almost didn't recognise her without the black and white marked animals on her. Who is she? May be her older sister. This cannot be the same cow girl I saw last night. She looked sophisticated, matured, she looked like a woman not a child. It looked as if overnight she had grown up.
Dressed in a black formal pant and a white silk blouse with black polka dots and black cardigan on top. Her neatly tied in a ponytail. No make up. Baby heeled black pumps and small black clutch completed the look.
She stepped in like a lost deer. Looking for a familiar face. Just then he managed to make his way out of his cabin after the initial shock subsided. He gestured her to come. Who are you the Queen of England to wave. Nancy you really need to get a grip of yourself young lady. He was busy with himself.
He could tell that she's been crying most of the night and the rest of the day as well. Now how can I call you chucky. Now you're more like Chunky!
He greeted her with a Polite smile and extended his hand to shake hands. She didn't say anything. But shook hands and he said "thank you for coming Mrs. Almeida. We appreciate your corporation. Please come in" saying he pointed towards his cabin.
"Please have a seat" saying he stood on the other side of the desk. Waited for her to sit before he took his seat. He seemed to be clumsy all of a sudden. Couldn't find the case file, couldn't find his darn pen, note pad. He was flustered, the great and awesome Det. Shlok Agnihotri, rattled that too in front of her. Why were you behaving like nerd in front of the college cheerleader. Why do you let her affect you so much man. She's not here to ask you out for a date. Get it together.
She watched in amusement. Finally he composed himself and looked at her. And there it was. Of course it had to be... How could she not. His eyes glued to the thing on the left side of her cardigan. Who in his right mind would make something like that out of wait for it ... Yes with diamonds. Holy cow! Yes it's a cow. Diamond encrusted cow. She is cuckoo without a doubt. He must've really loved her to stay married to her even after finding out about her cow fetish.
He spoke on the intercom to make sure there's interrogation room ready for him. He took the file and a note pad along with his recorder and stood up.
"Mrs. Almeida, please come with me" he said.
"Mr. Agnihotri, is.." Was all she could say.
He saw a her uneasyness. "Since it's going to be a official statement It needs to be recoded both audio and video, so that we can use it as evidence if needed. You don't have to be scared" he said.
She stood up without saying anything. He held the door for her.
She stepped out and he after her. He directed her to the small room. It was dimly lit. With a central light hanging. A table with two chairs. And one side had a huge mirror she had seen enough movies to know that it's actually a two way mirror.
She felt uncomfortable thinking that some else could be watching her. She felt like a mannequin put on display. She suddenly felt conscious of herself. She imagined guys taking bets, how long before she makes a full confession, how long it'll take for him to break her. Settling themselves on the comfy swivel armchairs with a nice hot coffee.
He entered the room pressed on a switch and the lit up. The ceilings tiles hid the florescent beams.
He politely asked her to sit and not to be scared that this is just a statement just to further reiterate what she had disclosed last night. "Since you were sedated and still in state of shock the statement may not be admissible in a court of law. I'm sorry I have to ask you the same questions and will take it from there."
He asked the same question with regard to her whereabouts and the way she found out about her husbands' murder. Even now as she talked through the last moments of her
James she couldn't help but shed tears. Remembering how even till the last moment he cared for her well being. For her safety. He kept his word. Always made sure she's well taken care of.
Enough with the drama, Chunky, save it for the jury. Not me.
"Mrs. Almeida, to whom should we speak to with regard to his personal as well as his business legal matters. Do you know if had a last will? Was he having any financial problems? Wa..." He didn't get to complete the question.
"Mr. Agnihotri, I know what you're getting at. Why don't you just ask the question without beating round the bush? I know you and all your colleagues aren't even looking for the men who murdered my husband so brutally, you know why?" Oh! Please do tell me I'm all ears Nancy Drew. You seemed to know so much about us!
"Because the moment you saw me, you all assumed me to be guilty. Just because we have considerable age difference that doesn't mean we weren't happily married. And that we didn't love each other just like any other married couple" she spoke with hurt and anger seething out with each word. Yeah! Right try more like father and daughter. Happily married my foot. Explain the separate rooms, Sathi savitri!
"I didn't have to kill him to get his money, it was already mine. When we got married he made me a 50% partner and few months ago he changed his will making me the sole proprietor to all his properties and his business as well. So, it was all mine. He trusted me enough to do so" she said with pride and matteroffactly. But couldn't keep her tears on check. Great here we go again with the water works. You know you should get a job at Mumbai Municipality. You seem to be like a well that never runs out of water. You could be the solution for our water shortage issues. Just get off your high horse, no one believes your fairytale farce of a marriage was anything but happy. Keep chanting it to yourself. I'm sure you must have had him blackmailed or at gunpoint had him change his will. But don't think for a second I'm buying your Sathisavitri act. Why don't I just give her a piece of my mind. Hold you're horses cowboy! W*F! When did I become a cowboy?
"And one more thing Mr. Agnihotri, Almeida Group of Companies was and is doing better than ever. The first two quarters profit alone was more than last years annual profit. So no he nor his business was having any financial crisis" she said looking straight into his eyes. Wow! Good sales pitch chunky. But unfortunately we are not on Moneyline! But in the middle of a murder investigation.
"Mrs. Almeida, why are you being so defensive. You're not on trial, this is a routine procedure. And don't assume to know anything about police work when you have no idea of the kind of crap we go through everyday just so that all you pretty ladies can get their 8 hours of beauty nap. Ain't you doing the same thing you're accusing me and my colleagues of? How do you know what we're thinking of? How do you know what we are doing and not doing? Don't tell me you have mind reading abilities as well! Have you been sitting in our department the whole while?" He hissed at her.
"I don't have to take this kind of verbal abuse from you or anybody else for that matter. We are done" saying she got up to walk out of the room.
The next instant she was pinned to the door. He had her in a tight grip. "You're not going anywhere, not until I say it's over. I call the shots here. You hear me?" He said with anger threatening to blow his head off. He wasn't thinking. She tried to push him away. But she was no match to him. Like David and Goliath.
"Let go of me! You have no right to hold me here without my consent. I know my rights. I will sue you for excessive force, unlawful confinement and indecent conduct" she said looking straight in to his eyes with anger and resentment clearly evident.
"Try as you may! But you're forgetting this ain't some precinct in your murder mysteries, but Mumbai police. So pull your head out of the clouds and face reality missy!" He retorted back.
"So, I get it, that's how you're able to afford a 50,000 dollar Vacheron Constantine watchwhile still on government payroll. And what's that you're wearing today Hubolt, let me guess 40,000 dollars give or take." She said with sarcasm.
"I'm impressed! you do know your watches. I don't have to justify myself to you or to anybody else for that matter, but you do my dear!" Probably being spending your husbands hard earned money buying expensive gifts for your lo... He's done it again. Why can't he say it. That she's had lovers. He's still too busy trying to convince himself it's just a routine investigation.
"You have no right to speak to me as if you have me all figured out, you have no idea! May be the kind of brainless bimbos you've been going out with may have been concerned about getting their beauty nap by all means. I just lost the one person who loved me and cared about me. And you are sitting here mocking my grief, doubting every word I say. You have no idea what I've lost. So don't pretend to know. Let go of me you ..." she said with tears streaming down her cheeks and she was pushing him with her hands clutching his shirt.
Why did it pained him so much to see her so broken, and sad? Since when did he start being a shoulder to cry for his victims and suspects? Why can't he just let her cry her heart out for all you care and lever her be? Why can't you just walk away from her. Why won't you let her walk away from you? Why do you care? He was unable to think things through. His mind was clouded with so many novel feelings, that he's never Imagined he'd feel one day. He was sure until less than 24 hours ago. Until he saw her sleeping like a baby all curled up. That his heart was made of wood. Deprived of any feelings. Positive feelings. He had let his heart become wooden by choice.
He didn't want to feel any feelings towards anybody but just one, his Sandhya!
"Let me go, let me go..." she was trying to push him away. Her cries turned into sobs. Not realising what he was doing instead of letting her go he forcefully wrapped his strong arms around her. Caging her like a trapped bird. She was relentless in her quest to free herself from her captor. But her tired wings was too weak to break free from his iron cage. But her captor was trying to pacify her. What sort of sadist is he? She once again tried to flap her wings and fly away. But she was too tired too forlorn to fight anymore. She gave in. She settled in her cage, she felt her pain easing. She felt safe in his cage. But it's still a cage she realised and attacked her captor, "let go of me you Moran! Just who the hell do you think you are?" She shouted through the tears. He suddenly realised where he is and what he was doing. He let go of her as if stuck with a bolt of lightning.
"I'm s..." Before he could say anything else her right hand brushed hard against his left cheek...and she just walked out of the room.
He hurried after her and just then she came running towards him. And jumped into his arms and hugged him with all her might. "Papa! Sandhya missed you" saying the little girl kissed his cheeks. And he kissed her back saying "oh! My Little angel I missed you too so much" where's mummy? She pointed towards a young woman dressed in a light blue shalwar.
A very curious pair of eyes watched all of this from the lobby while waiting for the lift.
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