Promises are meant to be broken

Chapter 25

I finally found the Vikram Malhotra of my imagination.

Namik Paul (photo in media box)

If someone has a better option, do share it in the comment box and please suggest someone who can be 'Manager cum Criminal Psychologist' Meera Rathore.

*_*

JULY 20, Thursday

4 pm

Even at four in the evening, the sun was nowhere to be seen in the sky. Instead, the dark clouds were looming over the whole city. Red alert was given to the city by the meteorological department, though, it didn't stop the Mumbaikars from walking out freely and doing their work.

Vikram parked his Bolero aside and marched towards the end of the buzzing street, where Dr. Abhinav Roy's clinic was situated. Even before Annika asked him to contact the psychologist, he had kept himself updated about Abhinav's location along with Akhram's. The sole reason for that was he couldnt let any of the men related to the case disappear in air, just like James. Akhram was with the Zoya in the hospital, who was still unstable as told by the doctors and over the top she was four weeks pregnant.

The last time when Vikrams had checked Abhinav's location, it showed that he was at his clinic. But fifteen minutes ago, his phone was switched off. That was why instead of going to the hospital where Sandra was taken, he drove towards the clinic. Annika will see to Sandra, he told himself.

Reaching to the psychologists clinic which was bigger that he expected, he found it locked from inside.

"Excuse me". He knocked on the counter of the adjoining medical shop. "Is this clinic closed for today?" He enquired, pointing at it.

"No sir, I saw the doctor going inside half an hour ago. But I heard that he's not taking in patients for this week and his receptionist is also on leave. If you want an appointment, drop your number here. I'll pass it to the receptionist." The girl behind the counter offered him without any smile.

There was already a beautiful and smart hotel manager cum criminal psychology fresher with a melodious voice who was behind solving him like a puzzle. He'd didn't need anyone else.

"No thanks." He mumbled and again went towards the sliding double doors. For the sake of courtesy, he ringed the useless doorbell and phoned at the reception. But none of them was answered, so without wasting much time, he moved towards the right side of the clinic. There was a large glass window, through which he was able to see the empty waiting area inside the clinic and a half-opened door that was leading into the doctors cabin.

He was ninety-nine percent sure that Abhinav wasnt there, but that remaining one percent wanted him to just go in and check for once.

Just as he was about to break the glass window with a potted plant, the girl from the medical shop held the sleeve of his shirt to stop him.

"What are you doing Sir?" She exclaimed as he roughly pulled away his shirt from her grip.

"Breaking in, actually." Vikram replied, showing her his badge. "I'm ACP Malhotra, an officer investigating Dr.Roy's ex-wife's death case and he happens to be one of our prime suspects."

"Oh". The girl sheepishly smiled. Sorry for meddling in your work ACP. "But if you want to go inside, you dont need to break the window. There's a door at the back which takes us directly to the doctor's cabin and that door has no lock".

"Where's that door?" He asked, a bit impatiently.

"Come with me, ACP."

She made him walk through the large bushes to the abandoned backside of the clinic and the pointed out an old and rusty iron door. Vikram reached to the door and pushed it open. Crossing the dark and narrow path, Vikram found himself standing behind the shoulder length grill gate covered by white curtains, which separated the cabin and the narrow path. Looking back once, he found the girl following him in.