6: The Confession

Karthik lay half-naked on the bed, his upper body exposed, the rest covered only by his boxers. Sunlight streamed through the window, striking his cheek. Half-asleep, he reached out, expecting to find Siri beside him. His hand met empty space. He opened his eyes and looked around. She was nowhere to be seen. He got out of bed, put on a t-shirt, and walked to the balcony. Siri was there, gazing out at the rising sun, lost in thought. She was wearing a pink nightgown and a robe.

Karthik walked up behind her and hugged her.

"Good morning, baby!"

"Good morning," she replied.

Karthik kissed her cheek.

"What are you thinking about?"

"Nothing," Siri said.

Karthik knelt beside her.

"Siri, Dad and you are my two eyes. One eye pushed me into darkness, and I don't want the other to leave me. Without you, the world is empty for me now."

Siri turned to him, tears welling up.

Seeing her cry, he reached out to pull her into his embrace. Just then, the doorbell rang.

Karthik opened the door to find the investigating officer standing there, along with two constables, a policewoman, and Chari.

"May I come in, sir?" the officer asked sarcastically.

Siri, seeing the police from the balcony, quickly adjusted her clothes and went inside.

Karthik stepped back, allowing them in. Siri was visibly shaken.

"What brings you here?" Karthik asked.

"I think I should be asking you that, Mr. Karthik. What do you say, Chari?" the officer replied.

"When your father died, I expected you to be somewhere in the city, maybe at home, probably drunk. I never imagined you'd be so far away, seeking 'physical and mental relief' with your girlfriend."

"I made Karthik come here," Siri interjected. "He's been having terrible nightmares since his father's death. I thought a change of scenery might help him."

"Is that so? Or did you come here to celebrate killing your father-in-law?" the officer asked bluntly.

Siri froze. Karthik's fists clenched, his anger rising.

"What are you talking about, Officer?" Karthik's voice was strained.

The officer continued, looking at Karthik.

"Mr. Karthik, let me tell you a story. Please listen carefully."

Siri and Karthik stared at him.

"A young couple, deeply in love. The boyfriend is the son of a wealthy businessman, powerful enough to influence state politics. The girl is an orphan, with no financial resources."

Siri grew increasingly uneasy.

"One evening at a pub, a friend mocked the boyfriend's love and his fear of telling his father. Enraged, the boyfriend attacked his friend."

Karthik listened, his emotions tightly controlled. Siri moved closer to him, taking his hand.

"That same night, he drove straight to his father's house to prove his love. The girlfriend followed in a taxi. They both arrived and tried to convince the father to accept their relationship. But when he refused, they pushed him off the building and killed him."

"Excellent story! You have a bright future as a writer," Karthik said sarcastically.

"Indeed. But your future will be behind bars."

"You can't arrest us based on a story. Evidence is what matters," Karthik countered.

Siri still held his hand tightly.

The officer smiled. He took a file from Chari.

"This is the call data. After you left the pub, your friend Rishi called your father. Two minutes later, your father called you and asked you to meet him at the construction site. After killing him, you cleverly deleted the last two calls from his phone. But you forgot that they're recorded in the network's data."

Karthik was taken aback.

"And, to add to your misfortune, we have a witness. The taxi driver who took your girlfriend to the same building just hours before your father's murder. He saw both of you. I think this evidence, along with the witness, is enough to arrest you."

Karthik looked at Siri, who was stunned.

The officer gestured to his team. The policewoman approached Siri with handcuffs, while the other constable went towards Karthik.

Seeing Siri's fear and not wanting to lose her, Karthik resisted.

"Everything you've said is nonsense. Neither she nor I could ever kill my father. I loved him when he was alive, and I always will. You've been trying to frame us from the beginning, fabricating all of this."

Ignoring Karthik's protests, the constable grabbed his hands from behind and pulled him back, handcuffing him. Karthik struggled, trying to break free, but the officers held him firm.

Siri, distraught, cried out, "I killed Karthik's father!"

Karthik froze, his mind blank. The officers listened intently.

"Karthik lost his conscious before he reached the terrace. So, I met Uncle alone and tried to persuade him to accept my relationship with Karthik. But he refused. Terrified of losing Karthik, I lost control and threw a bottle at him. He turned to avoid it, lost his footing, and fell. To cover up my presence, I deleted the last call from his phone. Then, I took Karthik home."

"Siri, don't do this. Please," Karthik pleaded.

"This is the truth, Karthik. I'm sorry for killing your father. I'll love you forever."

The officer chuckled. "Madam, Hyderabad is a long way. We need to get going." He urged his team to proceed with the arrest.

The policewoman took Siri away. The officer looked at Karthik, as if to offer some comfort, but then thought better of it and left the room with his team.

Karthik stood frozen, alone.