Kuch Rang Pyaar Ke Aise Bhi

5.

[POV: Ananya]

There are too many voices.
Too many flashing lights.
Too many eyes on me.

"Madam, please step back."

"Where is the victim's daughter?"

"Is it true he had enemies?"

Cameras. Mics. Police. Neighbors.

They're all here.
And I'm standing in the middle of them, shaking like a leaf... pretending to cry.

But inside?

I'm screaming.

Mama sits on the swing in the verandah, her face pale, her hands trembling. She's repeating the same thing over and over again.

"He was fine last night... he just had his milk... I don't understand..."

I keep staring at her.

The milk.

Don't look nervous.

Don't blink too much.

Don't say anything.

A tall officer walks toward me, notebook in hand. His eyes are sharp, like he already knows.

"You're Ananya, correct?"

I nod, voice barely above a whisper.
"Yes."

"When did you last see your father?"

My heart thuds painfully.
I feel the lie stick to my tongue like glue.

"Last night. He was in his study. I gave him milk."

"Did he seem okay?"

"Yes. He was tired, but... nothing unusual."

He notes it all down.

I look away, biting my cheek hard enough to taste blood.

Inside, the house smells like burnt wood and tragedy.

The bathroom is sealed off. But I know what's behind the tape.

What I did.

Who I used to be.

And what I'll never be again.

A lady constable pulls me aside for a 'quick talk'.

Her eyes are softer. Too soft. It makes me want to break.

"Sweetheart, we know this is hard. But sometimes... families have secrets. Fights. Was there anything between you and your dad?"

I look at her, wide-eyed, teary.

"No! Papa was strict... but he loved me. I would never..."

She watches me closely.

"Did he ever hit you?"

"...Once."

A tear slips down my cheek.

Real this time.

Because I remember that night.
The slap.
The look of betrayal on his face.
The sound of my heart breaking.

I sit in the corner of the hall while Mama talks to the inspector.

My hands won't stop sweating.

They'll find out.

The CCTV. The pills. The burnt kerosene bottle I forgot to hide.

Rohit...

No. Don't think about him.

He left me. Like a coward.

But I'm the one who'll burn.

Suddenly I hear the inspector whispering:

"We found traces of sleeping pills in the milk glass."

My breath catches.

"We'll need to question the daughter again. The timing doesn't add up."

I feel the world tilt under me.

No. No. No.

I run to the bathroom and throw up.

In that moment, I know.

They're coming for me.

And I'm not ready.