Crystallized Truth

Chapter 22 - Icy Flames

The beam circled the walls in both directions as Amelia checked for any portrait or frame on the wall. There was none.

Total of three doors appeared in the row. She tried the first door, it opened without much of a scrape. Every part of mansion was surprising her. Everything seemed opposite to her logical assumptions.

A large room with a queen size bed centered in the room. The discolored paint, covered in dust, was flaking from the walls. The doors hung weakly by the wardrobe. The lamplight leaned broken on the study table. The swaying trees reaching out for sky were peeking from the huge window.

Some articles of clothes were scattered in the wardrobe. The inner drawers were jammed but a few jolts, threw them open. The litters of once magnificent objects were dilapidated in the pressure of time.

The side tables held a broken frame having a disoriented picture of a boy in three piece suite.

Arav? Amelia thought.

But the dark flowers embellished on the corners abolished that notion. The room must be of a girl.

Piya or Mahira. But Mahira was married. Again, Mahira must've room in this mansion too. So it could be anyone from the two.

The study table had some books scattered, the pages of which were crumbling and the cover undecipherable. The drawer had a decomposed rose over a pile of papers.

The papers had articles of newspapers. A few headlines were marked, all which were about the fire in Azaad mansion.

"Fire in Azaad mansion killed everyone." Amelia frowned. Who could keep such article after the fire?

The articles were not the main story of newspaper, in fact, they were sidelined. Such a big news and it got such a pathetic coverage.

Confused, Amelia checked the file below the article. The yellowish papers had a sad handwriting that was clearly readable. The words had the emotions that could be felt. The date above the second last page corresponding with the date of fire in newspaper. The last paper had date days after the fire.

Which meant youngsters lived in the very mansion after the fire. That explained no evidence of fire on the first floor. But how did they live with sizzling ambers on the ground floor?

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The portraits hanging on the wall provided different insights to the life of Azaad family. Some pictures were really old. Belonging to the time when elders were young and happy in a college that surely wasn't of Dehradun. There were marriage pictures where the six of elder Azaads were smiling ear to ear. There were even pictures of Azaad kids birth. Arnav missing from every picture from there on and then making an appearance on last two pictures which happened to be of Arav engagement and Mahira wedding.

"He wasn't around. But why?" Ava ran a hand over his picture. Her hands covered in dust by cleaning all the pictures.

Ava took a collective picture of the collage of frames.

A huge life size portrait hung behind the bed. The faces were distorted by dust but the faded color of red marriage dress gave away the identity.

"Arnav Khushi." Ava muttered. So it was their room.

She checked the things in the room. The side table had dried bottles of creams. Many objects were decayed or rusted. A book peeked from the last drawer. The cover was faded and blank. The pages inside were crumbling but the words in elegant writing were eligible. It appeared to be a diary.

Ava didn't dare to place it in her bags considering its condition. She kept it in her hand in a delicate yet strong grip.

An empty shelf was placed near almirah. The articles of clothe hung inside the almirah. The drawers were litters with decomposed objects or otherwise empty.