A girl in her 20's was sleeping peacefully on her bed, a serene smile on her lips. Soon, that smile turned into a frown as the continuous ringing of her phone interrupted her sleep. She answered the call without opening her eyes, but her drowsiness vanished after hearing the voice on the other end. I tried to process what I’d just heard from the caller and called the number back, but no one answered.

When my phone rang again, I picked immediately, thinking it was the stranger calling me back, but my heart sank when I saw the number displayed on the screen. It wasn't him. I answered the call.

"Hello, I'm Inspector Rehaan, speaking from Cholapuram Police Station."

Nervously, I wondered why the police were calling me. When the police contact you, it’s rarely good news. My mind raced with thoughts, hoping my dad was safe, especially after recalling the cryptic warning from the earlier stranger. 

"Hello, are you there?" he asked.

"Yes, what’s the matter officer ?" I responded.

He asked, "Do you know anyone named Srinivastav Reddy?"

"He’s my father," I replied, anxiety rising in my chest. "Why are you asking about him? Is everything alright?"

"I'm sorry to inform you that your father has committed suicide."

I didn’t hear anything else after that. My brain froze at the words, "my father is no more". Without realizing it, tears welled up in my eyes. I was still processing the devastating news when I heard Inspector Rehaan's voice again, calling out to me.

"I’m sorry, what were you saying?" I asked, snapping out of my thoughts.

He replied, "It’s fine, I understand. Are you coming to India?"

"Yes, I’m coming as soon as possible."

"Good. We’ve sent your father’s body for a postmortem. You can meet him at Cholapuram Government Hospital, but first, you need to come to the police station. Don’t worry, it’s just a small inquiry."

"Yeah, I’ll come to the station after reaching India. Can you share the address?"

"Of course," he said, and with that, I hung up.

I immediately searched the web for the earliest flight to India. Luckily, I found a ticket for a 6 a.m. flight. It was already 4:30 a.m. I hurriedly packed my luggage, took a quick shower, and double-checked my bag to make sure I had all the essentials. Before leaving, I sent a quick message to my friends, Uncle Krishna, and Andrew.

I hailed a cab and headed to the Helsinki airport. Arriving at 5:30 a.m., I paid the fare and hurried inside to complete the check-in process. After boarding, I settled into my seat. A few minutes later, the pilot’s voice came over the speakers: "The flight is about to take off. Please fasten your seatbelts and switch off all electronic devices. Thank you."

The plane ascended, and I watched the sunrise through the window. It was a beautiful view for anyone else, but my mind was preoccupied with memories of my father. He had sent me to Finland when I was seven. I completed my education there, living with Uncle Krishna, his wife Rukmini, and their daughter Manasa. They were like a second set of parents to me, Anusha,is the daughter of Andrew and Leher. I, Manasa and Anusha are  best friends and inseparable from kids .

I work as a criminologist and criminal profiler at the National Bureau of Investigation in Finland, while Manasa works as a tech specialist. Anusha is an archaeologist and professor at Helsinki University. Currently, Anusha is in India for a project, and Manasa is busy with a case at the Töölö Police Station in Helsinki. My thoughts were interrupted by an announcement that the flight was about to land in New Delhi.

After landing, I caught a connecting flight to Chennai. From Chennai, I booked a cab to the Cholapuram Police Station. As we drove, I opened the window, and the smell of petrichor filled the air. A faint smile appeared on my face despite the heavy heart. The roads were congested with vehicles, and the sound of honking was constant. Eventually, the traffic thinned out, and we picked up speed. Exhausted, I fell asleep.

The driver woke me when we arrived at the police station. After paying the fare and thanking him, I grabbed my luggage and made my way inside. A uniformed officer was sipping tea while glancing at his phone.

"Excuse me," I said. He looked up at me.

"Hi, where can I find Inspector Rehaan?"

"He's inside, madam. You can go in," he replied.

I thanked him and entered the station, spotting a man in his late 20's engrossed in some paperwork. He hadn’t noticed me, and just as I was about to speak, the officer from outside called out, "Sir."

Rehaan looked up from the documents. "Hello, I'm Divya, Srinivastav’s daughter," I introduced myself.

He gestured for me to take a seat and quickly closed the file. "Unfortunately, I can’t take your statement now because it’s already past 10 p.m. According to the rules, police can only take statements from women before 6 p.m., or afterward only in the presence of a female officer, which we currently lack. I’ll need to take your statement tomorrow morning."

"That’s fine, I understand," I said.

"Are you heading home?" he asked.

"Yes."

"I’ll drop you off," he offered, picking up his things.

"No, thank you. I’ll manage," I said, reluctant to trouble him.

"At this time, you won’t find any cabs or autos," he insisted, taking my luggage and heading toward his vehicle. Reluctantly, I followed with my remaining bag. He opened the door for me, and I hopped in, thanking him.

As he drove, I stared out the window, lost in thought. "Are you okay?" he asked.

"I’m fine," I replied, though my mind was far from at ease.

"You know, I’m actually your neighbor. Your father and I were jogging buddies," Rehaan said. I looked at him, encouraging him to continue. 

"But not once he  mentioned you, not even Sitamma."

"Then how did you find me?" I asked, curious.

"While searching your father's room, we found a photo frame with a phone number written on the back. I called it, thinking it belonged to someone who knew him—and here we are."

"Did you find anything? Any clue as to why he would take such a drastic step?" I asked.

"I can’t reveal much right now. The investigation is ongoing." But we are keeping all the possibilities open.

We soon arrived at my house. Rehaan pointed to the two-story building and said, "That’s your home. Let’s get you inside."

He rang the doorbell, and a woman in her 50's opened the door. Rehaan introduced me, and I greeted her with a simple "hello." To my surprise, she pulled me into a hug.

"It’s been so long since I’ve seen you," she said, tears in her eyes. Rehaan seemed surprised that she knew me.

"Why didn’t you tell us about Divya when I asked?" Rehaan asked her.

"Because sir didn’t want anyone to know about her," she replied.

Rehaan and I both asked, "Why?" at the same time.

"I don’t know. He just said no one should know of her existence. That’s why he never let her visit here," she explained, taking my luggage inside. Rehaan and I stood there, processing this strange revelation.

"Come," Sitamma said, breaking the silence. I thanked Rehaan as he left, reminding me, "I'll pick you up at 9 a.m. Be ready."

 Sitamma escorted me to the room and set my luggage down. "If you need anything, just give me a shout. I'll be downstairs," she said.

"Thank you. Good night," I replied, and she left.

After a shower, I changed into comfortable clothes and lay down, staring out the window at the starry sky. The peaceful night contrasted sharply with my restless thoughts. I had more questions than answers, but one thing was clear—the coming days would not be easy, and I would need to summon all my strength to face them.