Page 48 of Shattered

“I’ll have the same,” Suman says, nodding at the waitress.

“Sure,” the waitress says, jotting down our order on her notepad. “I’ll be right back with your drinks,” she assures us before walking off to the counter.

I exhale audibly and shift my focus back to Suman, meeting her gaze.

“Suman,what I’m about to share with you needs to stay just between us,” I say in a low voice.

She gives me a nervous look but nods. “Of course,”

I take a deep breath before continuing, “I think someone was stalking Nisha. I found some threatening emails, and she mentioned something in her personal diary about it. Did she ever tell you anything about it?”

Her eyes widen, and for a moment, I catch a flicker of hesitation before she speaks. “I... I...don’t think she ever mentioned anything like this to me,” she stammers briefly,her gaze momentarily shifting away before meeting mine again. “I think she might have kept it to herself because she didn’t want any of us to be worried,” she adds.

I tilt my head back slightly, studying her expression intently. Something feels off.

“Are you sure about this, Suman?” I can’t help but ask, trying to find out if she’s hiding anything.

She fiddles with the napkin on the table, avoiding my gaze. “I really have no idea. She always seemed so jovial and happy around me, so I neversuspected anything,” she says, her voice uncertain.I press my lips together, trying to read her.

“I think there’s a connection between Nisha’s accident and the stalking. It’s probably the same person behind both,” I state, and her head snaps to mine.

I see her face turn pale. “What? Murder? Are you absolutely sure?”

I nod. “I have some evidence indicating it wasn’t an accident but a deliberate murder.”

“I... I really don’t know anything about this,”she says, shifting nervously in her seat.

“What about your classmates? Did you ever feel like someone in your class was weird or out of line?”

She shakes her head. “No,everyone seemed nice and came from good families.I can’t imagine any of them being involved.”

Despite her words, there’s a lingering doubt in her voice that makes me wonder if there’s more to the story than she’s letting on.

“Sometimes looks can be deceptive. It’s possible for someone to hide their true intentions, even if they seem nice on the surface,” I state bluntly. “Maybe Nisha told you that she didn’t like any particular person in your class,” I press on, striving to uncover something, anything.

She shakes her head again. “No, Nisha was a warm and loving person. She was liked and loved by everyone in the class. Even the teachers adored her. She was a star student. She didn’t hold any grudges against anyone, neither did she have any enemies.”

“Thanks for this talk, Suman. Also, as her good friend, I trust you wouldn’t hide anything,” I remind her, and perhaps myself as well, knowing she would have no reason to lie when her friend’s life is at stake.

“I promise I won’t keep anything from you. Nisha is one of my best friends, and I’ve always wished the best for her. Believe me, I will continue to do just that,” she says, just as the waitress arrives with our coffee.

“I believe you,” I assure her with a gentle nod, settling back into my chair as we naturally steer our conversation toward lighter topics, particularly memories of Nisha.

After finishing our coffee and paying our tab, we step outside into the bright afternoon light and head towards the parking lot. We pause by my car,as Suman had taken a cab to the café.

She pulls me in for a hug, then leans back, locking her eyes with mine. “Keep me updated, okay? And if you need anything, anything at all, just call.”

My face softens. “I will. Thanks, Suman.”

“Also, please tell Nisha how much I miss her and that she needs to wake up soon. I want to hear her talk non-stop,” she says, tears slipping from her eyes. My stomach twists at her words because I don’t know when that will happen.

“I’ll definitely pass your message along,” I say, watching as she wipes her eyes.

“I am sorry I neglected to visit her because of work, but I promise to drop by soon to see her,” she promises.

I give her a nod before she turns around and heads for the taxi stand.

I stand for a few moments in silence. I must relay this message to Officer Viraj. I understand the danger of reaching out to him, but this is what I need to do if I want to find my answers.

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