The Murderer of Aarav Singh Raizada

Rest In Peace

"It's not your fault"

Arnav looked back hearing the soft voice of his brother. NK walked to him and sat by his side in the terrace. "Don't blame yourself for his death!"

"He himself blamed me NK. I killed him!" Arnav said chuckling dryly.

"No. He chose to kill himself!" NK said.

Arnav scoffed and said, "If I was there for him....he would be alive!"

"He knew that you and Khushi ji loved him. But he chose not to share his pain. Akash haunted him. And we all are associated to Akash. May be that made him hide his feelings from us!" NK said.

"Still....it was me right? I couldn't see through him! I always did in his childhood but when he needed me....I shut him out!"

"Nannav, just think from his side. He was happily growing up in his family. He entered his teens and he started changing. His attitude, personality everything started changing. And then he started to feel that his parents don't love him. When doctors confirmed that Khushi ji cannot conceive it hurt him that you both are considering to have children when you had him. His adolescent mind could not take it. He sets off to find his parents. And that take a bad turn to Akash. In order to keep his secret safe Akash starts threatening and torturing him. He was sent to a brothel from where he ran away. He locked himself from Akash in his room.

Now, look at this! He was scared and haunted by the memory of a brothel and then suddenly he sees the faces of the very same people who is closely associated to the person who is torturing him. We all loved Akash and cared for him. May be that held Aarav back from sharing things with us. May be he was scared that he wouldn't be believed. So he waited. He waited for you or Khushi ji to spot his sadness. But you both were busy in your careers which isn't a bad thing. You were doing it for his secure future but his mind couldn't process that. He unknowingly started to see you as insensitive and blind towards his son. And that led him to blame you! It was his mind playing Nannav. Aarav wasn't normal. He was haunted by the demons!"

"We could've changed that" Arnav said, tears rolling down his cheek, "If only I could see it. I could've saved him. Give him the happiness he deserved!"

"It's NOT your fault! STOP blaming yourself. It was meant to happen!" NK said firmly, "This is what happened and you cannot change it.

"He was brilliant wasn't he? Writing letters as a murderer and making a suicide look like a murder!"

NK smiled and said, "Yeah. Dramatic like your wife!"

"Not funny NK" Arnav said.

NK sighed and hugged Arnav. "Just wanted you to know that I'm here! Let Akash go! That bastard can die! Even if the world betrays you, you'll have me by your side!" NK said.

Arnav smiled and hugged him tight. "Thank you NK" he whispered.

"Always welcome dear brother!"

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"I can't believe it. He killed himself!" Fida whispered in tears and Khushi looked away.

Sitting in the park bench, she asked the girl, "When was the last time you met him?"

"The day before he died. We went to a cafe for coffee!" Fida said smiling sadly.

"So that's where he went informing us about football coaching!" Khushi said and Fida looked away.

'What did you talk?"

Fida sighed and said, "He said that he loves me"

"Only that?" Khushi asked.

She nodded and said looking at Khushi, "He never talked much. He was so cheerful to others at school but was always aloof before me. May be that was the real Aarav. He was being himself before me? So I never asked him why he was behaving different. I always let him be himself!"

Khushi smiled sadly and Fida said, "It was me who approached him first. I've had crush on him since long. And I finally told him. He didn't reply. Just nodded his head when I said that I loved him. I asked him out for a coffee and he nodded again. I was so unsure whether he would come. But he came" she said smiling, "It was always me talking, ranting about school about everything under sun and he would just smile. Sometimes say a sentence or two, but that's it! But he always turned up whenever I waited for him! That just told me that he loves me!"

Khushi wrapped an arm around the girl who was now crying. She said in between her tears, "It was the first time he said that he loves me. I was so overjoyed. I couldn't sleep the whole night. And the next day.....I never expected it!"

"Ssh...." Khushi whispered and hugged her tight, "It's okay!"

"No it's not! Why would he do that? Didn't he love me? Didn't he love you all? How can he just kill himself?" Fida cried.

"He couldn't take it anymore!" Khushi whispered, "Let him go Fida. Let him rest in peace. He deserves better! May be a peaceful afterlife!"