1:30 AM – Police Station…
Ruhi sat with her head lowered, silent and still. Rudra, seated behind her in the room, kept watching her intently.
He thought to himself, “What a girl…! She should have brought someone with her. I can’t even see her face from here, but the way she’s sitting makes it obvious she’s scared. I don’t think she’s told Aditya, Aniket, or Saaniya about this—if she had, they’d definitely be here by now.”
Just then, a constable approached him.
“Sir… it’s late. You should go home now.”
Rudra smiled. “No… I’m fine.”
Rudra’s father had close ties with the Police Commissioner and several senior officials, which meant most people here knew who Rudra was. The station head himself was an old friend of Rudra’s father, so Rudra wasn’t exactly a stranger in this place.
The constable returned with a cup of hot tea for Rudra. He had barely taken a sip when the investigation team—who had gone to Ruhi’s house—returned.
Seeing them, Ruhi immediately stood up, but the officers walked straight past her… heading toward Rudra.
Ruhi’s eyes followed their direction and then landed on Rudra.
Her eyes widened slightly—she was surprised—but she quickly ignored it and stepped forward toward the officers.
“Sir… did you find the person who’s been messaging me?” she asked.
One officer replied, “Ma’am, could you please wait just two minutes?”
Rudra’s tone turned slightly firm. “Sir… please, tell Ruhi everything. She’s been sitting here, stressed, for so long!”
The officer blinked in recognition. “Rudra… you know her?”
If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.
Rudra glanced at Ruhi and gave her a small smile, which she quickly turned away from.
Turning back to the police, Rudra said casually, “She’s… a friend of my friend.”
At that, Ruhi shot him a quick look, as if she felt a twinge of guilt for how she had behaved earlier—but she didn’t let it show.
The officer gestured toward another room. “Let’s sit and talk. Come along, Miss.”
He led them into a different room, and once they were seated, he began:
“We traced the phone’s location to your house. But by the time we got there, the suspect had already escaped. From what little evidence we found, we can tell this person intended to kill you. In the hurry, he or she left the gun behind. If you had gone home tonight, that person probably would have succeeded.”
Rudra, speaking like a responsible man, asked, “Did you find anything about this person? Whether it’s a man or a woman… nothing at all?”
The officer sighed. “Unfortunately… no. It’s shameful to admit, but that’s the truth. The suspect was clever. Judging by the hot coffee cup we found on the table near the sofa, it had only been minutes since that person left. What’s strange is… none of the neighbors heard a thing. That means whoever it was… already knew door lock password. They opened it without making a sound.”
He turned to Ruhi. “Miss… My advice is that you take police protection until we catch this person, and inform your family. Our forensic team is still at your home collecting evidence, but even after that, you should stay away from the house. It’s even possible that the suspect lives somewhere nearby… I could tell you all the possibilities, but I don’t want to scare you unnecessarily.”
Ruhi closed her eyes and took a deep breath, pressing a hand to her chest as if trying to calm her heartbeat. After a moment, she opened her eyes. The fear was gone from her face, replaced by a calm smile.
“Thank you so much for working so hard, sir. Your suggestions are good, but… I can’t follow the first two. I can’t tell my family—they’d be terrified. And it could even affect my professional career. As for police protection… It's a very practical idea, but for an ordinary girl like me, having police around all the time would just make me more scared. I understand you have a responsibility for my safety, but I can’t agree to those two things. However… I will follow your third suggestion. I’ll stay away from that house. I’ll also make sure I don’t go anywhere without security or cameras. I’ll choose a place with good safety and trustworthy people nearby. And I’ll avoid being alone.”
Both the officer and Rudra were impressed by her composed, well-thought-out answer. She was calm, rational, and clear about what she needed to do—something Rudra hadn’t expected. He had assumed she would panic like most girls, but she seemed to know exactly how to take control of her fear.
The officer, his tone a little more serious now, said, “Even if you take these precautions, the danger will remain until we catch him. If you could cooperate with us in answering some questions, we might be able to find him sooner.”
Ruhi agreed, and the officer began questioning her. Rudra watched her answer every question with patience and clarity, feeling both impressed and quietly pleased.
Leaning back in his chair, he murmured to himself, “Well, Rudra… maybe staying here wasn’t a waste of time after all. I’m glad she knows how to handle her fear.”
After about ten minutes of questioning, the officer finally asked one last question that made Ruhi hesitate:
“Have you had a fight with anyone recently… someone you think might want to hurt you?”
Ruhi’s mind instantly flashed back to the argument she’d had with her father last night.
