Aditya woke at eight the next morning. He got up and walked out of the bedroom, looking for Meera.
Hearing the faint squeaky sound of the swing, he made his way to the balcony. As he passed through the other bedroom, he noticed that Meera had cleared up the mess he had made and repacked the suitcase, which was now neatly stacked against the wall.
‘Good morning,’ said Meera cheerfully, sipping a cup of chai. She stopped the swing with her feet to let Aditya join her on it.
Aditya sat there for a few minutes, holding her hand, enjoying the peace and quiet of the morning. ‘Let me get ready and start for Mumbai,’ he said eventually, getting up reluctantly.
‘Can you not stay another day?’ Meera asked, taking both his hands in hers.
‘I wish I could. But duty calls,’ he said with a sigh.
Aditya left for Mumbai after a quick breakfast with Meera. ‘I’ll start back from here day after tomorrow. Drive safe,’ she said, as she saw him off at the gate of her apartment complex.
As Aditya drove towards the Pune-Mumbai expressway, a sense of unease engulfed him. He could not quite put a finger on the reason for his discomfort, but something was bothering him. Was Meera in any danger? He had half a mind to turn back and stay another day with Meera. Reaching Bandra Police Station by lunchtime, he threw himself into his work but was unable to shake off the anxiety. Stop worrying, nothing is going to happen, he told himself.