Love Happens With A Twist

23

Delhi

Poonam reclined against the wall after losing all energy when she puked everything in her stomach from last night's drink. She was having a splitting headache. The urge to vomit arose in her again.

Abhimanyu's mother just left her room when she heard someone vomiting from inside her son's room. Like every mother, she was worried that it was her son. She entered the empty room and directly dashed into the bathroom, where she saw Poonam looking out of breath.

"Are you pregnant?" She voiced what came to her mind.

She shook her head weakly, as she didn't have any strength to even talk.

"You can't deny it. You are pregnant. The signs are obvious. You had mood swings when you came, and now you're vomiting."

She closed her eyes, not having the energy to explain herself. His mother left to inform her family. On her way there, she saw Abhimanyu returning from his morning jog, a towel hanging on his shoulder.

"Good morning," he began with a warm smile because he was having a beautiful morning, but her sharp, aggressive tone asked,

"How could you forget our teachings and make a girl pregnant? Is this the real reason you married in secret, in a hurry?"

"Pregnant? Ponam isn't pregnant." He refuted, sure that she couldn't be because she hadn't been in a relationship in so long.

"Your wife had mood swings yesterday and is vomiting today. Those are signs of pregnancy. Or are you not the father?" She became serious and inquired.

"What is wrong with you, mother? Poonam is from a respectable family. You met them yesterday. Don't accuse her of such a disgusting act again. I will go and check on her," he said. He understood she was having a hangover from last night's drink. Somehow, she couldn't even vomit quietly. She had to inform the whole house.

Just as he stepped into his room while switching on his phone, it beeped with a credit alert that was transferred into her account last night. A sum of ten crores.

"She is not working currently and has already received last month's salary. Where did this money come from then?"

His colleague Raghav's call popped on his screen. He was with him at every step of his investigation and is the only person who has a copy of all of Poonam's crimes.

"Sir, there is bad news." From his voice, he could tell it was because it sounded unusual of him to start speaking without greeting him first.

"What is it?"

"The police are looking for Ms. Poonam everywhere. Her residence in Mumbai was raided last night, and when they couldn't find her, orders were given to every station across the country that she should be arrested on sight immediately. She is on every news channel and social media as we speak."

"What for? What did she do?"

He heard her gargling in the bathroom.

"She is being accused of importing banned substances into the country. Serious investigations are being carried out, and the police have surrounded her father's mansion here in Delhi. They suspect he is also an ally, as his hospital has the most cases of patients with kidney failure in India."

"That's news," he said, setting his eyes on her when she appeared from the bathroom, looking extremely pale.

"Will you hide her? Or should we come and arrest her?"

He caught her hand because she almost fell while walking. She was frail and feeble, also still not in her complete senses because the effect of the drink hasn't worn off in her head yet. He noticed that from the weird movements in her eyeballs that were turning in circles.

"Thank you," she mumbled and returned to the bed, where she quietly laid down to get some more sleep with the hope it would make her headache go away when she wakes up.

"She imports drugs into the country. Her father is also dragged into the situation because of her. We have to arrest her to free him from the accusation because he is innocent," he uttered, and walked out of the room.

"What about your revenge? Didn't she kill your sister?"

He glanced at his family, who were watching the news about the order to arrest her on sight.

"She didn't kill Pooja willingly. You know, she may be innocent, but that's not my place to decide. You will release the tape. Let the court decide if she is innocent or not. Although I know she isn't aware Pooja is dead, however, we will step back and believe in whatever justice the law hands." He moved to the open balcony to take a look at the sky. He was trying to picture his sister's face who wanted to change her.

The sun shone brightly, but he remained fixed because he couldn't turn away from his sister without telling her the reason he was visiting her after so long: "Pooja, none of your efforts will go unnoticed. At every step now, Poonam will remember you. Also, I promise you she will become a changed person before her punishment is decided. I guess that was also your last wish."