A Bittersweet Journey [✔]

※17※

It's been 2 days since Ayyan met Ravi. He was irritated. Firstly because of waiting for Ravi's call and secondly because of Rayyan. It was around the time he realized his brother was watching him from across the room through the window over a newspaper. Ayyan could get a feathery sense across the back of his neck and would look up. Sometimes Rayyan's gaze would flick away, sometimes it wouldn't. Contemplative and silent. Ayyan waited for the question but it never came. At last, he asked him,
"Bhai, do you have something to say to me?"

Lowering the newspaper, Rayyan looked at him with a suspicious gaze.
"You say. Do you have anything to inform me?"

"Look bhai, you asked me the same thing that day. I already told you I have nothing to say."
Ayyan replied being annoyed.

"Ayyan, I am giving you a last chance to speak the truth. Is there really nothing to say about the case?"

Ayyan thought Ravi might have told Rayyan about the new lead in the case.
"That Ravi. I'm sorry,bhai. I should have told you but you can't blame me for hiding it. I mean you see you can't control your temper and I wasn't even sure about the footage being fabricated. So didn't want to disclose you without confirming."

"Wait. Footage? Fabricated? What are you talking about?"
Confused, Rayyan asked.

"Ravi didn't tell you about the CCTV footage being fabricated? Then what were you telling me to say?"

"I was talking about Fawad's sister, Reeha being with you in the investigation. And about the footage, I didn't even know that until now. What else are you hiding from me? Tell me the truth."
Rayyan demanded.

Ayyan dug his own grave. Why did he have to open his mouth? Of course, there's no way Ravi would contact Rayyan. Seeing no way to escape he started saying everything from the beginning.

"So you are saying that girl threatened you to accompany you in the investigation. And while investigating you found that a third person was present there who could be a witness or culprit. Right?"
Rayyan summarised the whole incident. Ayyan nodded.

"This many things happened and instead of telling me you were hiding?"
Rayyan scolded.

"Well, I'm telling you now,"
Ayyan replied in a small voice.

"That's because you had no other option. Ayyan do you not trust me enough to say all this?"
Rayyan asked with a hurt in his voice.

"No, bhai. You are misunderstanding me. It's not that I don't trust you. It's just that I know you too well. I trust you to make instinctive decisions without giving a thought to the consequences which might hurt you in the end."

"Fine. This is the last time you do something like this. Don't disappoint me."

"I won't. And thanks bhai. See you later."

☆☆☆☆☆

About the case, Ravi thought a lot. Starting from the beginning he studied the whole case again and again. After some thinking and reaching a conclusion he called Ayyan.

Ayyan was going out from Rayyan's room when Ravi called him.

"Hey, Ravi. I was expecting your call."

"Hey. Yeah sorry, it took a while to call you."

"It's ok. So did you find anything?''

"About that, I wanna talk with you personally."

"Oh. Sure. Where? In your station?"

"No. Let's meet at the cafe across my station at 3 p.m."