Chapter 26

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Rameen

"Waleed, have you seen Red?" I asked Waleed who was busy typing a mail on his laptop.

"You know Mia, I try to stay as away from that thing as possible," He replied with a smirk.

"She has a name you know, you don't need to call her thing," I replied irately.

"Whatever," He just shrugged his shoulder.

I came back into the bedroom from the terrace, I had last seen Red last night when I fed her when in the morning I looked for her before going to work she was nowhere in the house.

It was unusual, Red never used to leave the house, she always stayed indoors because of the dogs. Did I tell you, Waleed had five pet dogs, can you imagine? Who keeps five dogs?

I never liked dogs, they terrified me, once in my childhood our neighbor's dog chased me and he had bit my calf. I still shudder when I remember the injections I had to take afterward because of it. His teeth had torn through my skin and I still had the bite mark on my left leg.

After that day, I tried to stay as away from them as was possible, I don't know how Waleed tolerated them and that to so many.

Xander was his favorite one, he was a double coat German Shepherd the size of a wolf. And hairs long and thick, when he roared it felt like the walls were vibrating. He was a nasty beast and he terrified me more than that bitch in the movie Grudge, with black hairs and pale face, just crawling out from everywhere.

I shivered even thinking about her, she was evil and she gave me creeps. I walked back down the stairs to the living room, I checked the kitchen and other rooms but I didn't find Red anywhere.

"Jeena, did you by any chance saw Red?" I asked Jeena who was in the kitchen, busy baking apple pie.

"You mean your cat?" She asked me with wide eyes.

"Yeah, I haven't seen her since morning, I am worried about where she is, she is always around somewhere," I replied to her.

I looked around the kitchen, making cat sounds and meowing, hoping she might come running to me from somewhere, but there was no sign of her.

"Ask Waleed, maybe he knows, the reason your cat is missing," She said in a hushed and mysterious voice.

I looked at her, she was looking at me with an unknown expression on her face, what was she trying to imply?

"What do you mean, Jeena?" I asked dryly not liking a bit her mysterious ways.

"He hates cats, doesn't he?" She asked coyly.

Was she suggesting, that Waleed had done something to her? But why would Waleed do anything to Red? She has been with us for three months now, and I had seen he was getting used to her.

"Waleed adores Red," I answered furiously.

"Does he, really?" She had that mysterious smirk on her face, which I wanted to scratch from her mouth.

"I will ask the maid to look for her," I said leaving the kitchen.

Within half hour the whole house staff was looking for Red, the security guards and the driver were looking in the grounds, while the maids and the cook were looking in the house.

Waleed had joined the guards to look for her, he was worried after seeing my concern for Red. I was pacing on the porch when I saw Waleed coming towards me from the driveway. I looked at him, with hope, he shook his head in a no.

He wrapped his hands around me when he came close to me, I didn't say anything just placed my face on his shoulder. I was getting more and more afraid with each passing minute.

"Sir," A guard called Waleed, he had just come from the backside of the house.

Waleed pulled away from me and looked at the guard, I noticed they were having a silent conversation, Waleed then turned and looked at me and said.

"Mia, wait here," He said squeezing my shoulder.

"What happened?" I looked at Waleed and then at the guard.

The guard gave Waleed a pleading look, and he followed him towards the back of the house, my sixth sense was telling me something was wrong, I followed in the direction they both went.

When I came around the house at the back, the two guards were standing beside Waleed looking at something on the ground, when Waleed saw me approaching them, Waleed took a few long strides and was in front of me within seconds.

"Mia, come with me, you don't want to see it," He grabbed my hand and started pulling away from there.

"Waleed, what is it you are hiding?" I asked hastily.

"Mia, please don't," He kept pulling me away, I twisted my hand in his grip and freed it, my karate training coming in handy.

And before he could hold me again, I ran and was beside the guards, and when I looked at the spot they were staring at a few minutes ago, a scream left my mouth.

There lying on the ground was bloodied and immobile body of red, her stomach was slit and her entrails were hanging out.

Before I could look anymore, I was engulfed in a hug and was been dragged away from the spot. I wanted to throw up, bile was rising from my stomach to my throat, and tears were flowing from my eyes.

I pushed Waleed away from me and I bent as my mouth filled with vomit, I was spilling my guts on the lawn, Waleed was holding my hairs at the back of my neck and was rubbing my back affectionately.

"Mia, I told you to stay there," He said wiping my mouth with his handkerchief as I leaned back up.

I had emptied the whole of my stomach and was now feeling dizzy, Waleed picked me up in his arms and carried me inside the house. I was too exhausted to protest, he placed me on the couch in the living room gently.

He sat beside me and pulled me in his arms, I was a complete mess at that moment, my mind was trying to figure out, who could have done that to Red?

My thoughts were going back to Jeena again and again, the way she was looking at me, her mysterious smile, and her hints regarding Waleed hating cats.

"Who could do this to Red? She was so adorable," I said looking at Waleed, my gaze fixed on him to catch any clue from his expressions.

"It could be the dogs," He replied.

I noticed he was in deep thoughts, his usually calm composure looked rattled, I saw he was also sick to his stomach, by the sight of Red's body.

"Waleed you know it, that it wasn't the dogs," I said emphasizing each word.

"Who do you think can it be?" He asked looking at me alarmed.

"You think I wouldn't have killed that person by now if I knew who did that," I asserted.

"I will ask the security to look at the CCTV footage," He said, standing from the couch.

I was still not able to divert my mind from her body, she was so small and harmless, what kind of monster might have done that to her?

I was stinking from the vomit, I stood up and went to the bedroom to take a bath, I was soaking in the warm water in the bathtub when Waleed came into the bathroom.

He sat on the edge of the bathtub, his eyes fixed on my face, he was trying to know what I was thinking from my facial expressions.

"They are checking the footage, we will find out soon who it was," He said as he caressed my face with his knuckles.

I didn't say anything to him and just nodded in reply, I don't know why but I had the feeling that we won't find anything from the footage. Whoever it was would know the estate was under surveillance by the cameras 24X7, there was no way an outsider could breach the security of this place. It was a fortress, guarded by arm guards and trained dogs.

It had to be someone from inside, and whoever it was I wasn't able to figure out.

Waleed

My senses were rattled, I could not figure out who could have killed Red? And why? She was a harmless animal who could be so cruel as to kill her.

Mia was shaken by her death, a week had passed but still, she had not recovered from it, and I could understand if it was a natural death, she might not have been affected this much, but some had murdered her in cold blood.

Nothing was recorded in the CCTV, it just showed someone throwing out her body from a room on the first floor, but the person was careful enough not to step in the window, they just had tossed it aside.

Jeena was worried about Mia a lot, she had seen how attached Mia was to Red and was trying her best to cheer up Mia, but Mia had distanced herself from everyone like she was unable to trust anyone.

I couldn't blame her, I would have done the same thing if I would have been in her place, thankfully, the time the CCTV showed when Red's body was tossed outside I was with Mia, so she was at least not suspecting me.

I wanted to cheer her up really bad, I was missing her, I was missing her smiles her playful banter with me and of course, I was missing our lovemaking. It's been a week since I kissed her, and it's been the longest since we first made love.

"Do you like any particular color, sir?" The salesman asked me, as I was looking at the kittens in different cages.

"I don't know, which one is the best breed and rarest color?" I asked him.

I had come to a pet shop to buy a kitten for her, Don't be surprised, I don't believe this either, that I am standing in a pet shop and buying a cat.

"The things we do for love," I understand the meaning of this famous quote right now. Poor Jamie Lannister had to go through so much for the woman he loved.

"This is the Persian breed and the coloring pattern is called Chinchilla, this one is the best we have got. It's a pure breed and is trained for the best homes," He replied pointing to a cat.

" Is it a male or a female? I asked looking at the fluffy cat.

"It's a Tomcat," He replied.

"Does it have a name?" I asked again.

"He is named, Greyson, but we call him Grey," He replied with a smile.

"Great, I think I will buy Grey, "I said to him.

The salesman picked up the cage and carried it to the counter.

"Do you want to gift it to someone?" He asked me, clearly he understood I was not into cats.

"Yeah, my wife, do you have anything fancy to pack him," I told him looking at the ugly cage he was in.

I heard a laugh from behind me and turned, a lady walked up to me and smiled.

"I am Claire the owner of this pet shop, I don't think I can pack him up, but surely I can arrange something presentable," She said looking at me with curiosity.

"I suppose you don't like cats," She asked me.

Was it that obvious? That everyone understood by taking a look at me that I didn't like cats?

"Do you want to buy cat food and shampoo for him?" She asked pointing at Grey.

"Yeah, if there is any favorite of his, I would like to buy that," I replied pulling out my wallet to pay her.

She swapped the card I forwarded to her then went inside an adjoining room, she came out with a basket, which had a red ribbon tied to it, she placed a blanket in it and then pulled Grey out of his cage and gently placed him on the blanket.

She stashed some cat food containers and cat shampoo in a bag and forwarded it to me along with the basket. I was debating whether to hold the basket or not, I mean Grey looked like a decent cat to me, but how to make sure he won't bite me the moment I hold the basket.

"Don't worry he won't bite," Claire smiled and said.

At her assurance, I held the basket in one hand and the bag of the other accessories in the other. And carefully carried it to my Range Rover. I placed the basket on the backseat and slid into the driver's seat.

I drove to Mia's office hoping that Grey will cheer her up a little and I will have my wife back, my mind was still caught in the death of Red.

I called Mia, as I reached the signal near her office to come down, she said she will be there in a minute, avoiding parking in the lot, I waited on the side of the street for her.

She came out of the building as soon as she saw my car, her beautiful face was still engulfed in sadness, her amber eyes had lost the sparkle.

"Hey, beautiful," I greeted her as she opened the door and slipped on the passenger seat.

"Hi," She replied with a sad smile.

I felt someone punch me in my gut, my beautiful wife was depressed because of some fucker, and I was not able to do anything to find and punish them.

"Close your eyes," I said to her.

She looked at me surprised but silently obeyed as I told her and closed her eyes. I carefully took the basket from the backseat and placed it on her lap. I was glad that Grey didn't make any sound, otherwise, my surprise would have been spoilt.

"Now open them," I said looking at her.

She slowly opened her eyes and looked at the basket on her lap stunned, then she squealed in delight.

"Ohh my God, Waleed, this is a Persian cat with a Chinchilla pattern, do you know how rare they are."

"Not as rare as your smile, I have been dying for one," I replied caressing her cheeks with my fingers.

"I have missed you, Mia," I said to her who was looking at me with moist eyes.

She opened her mouth to say something but choked, I knew she was overwhelmed with emotions.

"The fun part is, he already has a name and it is exactly according to your taste. Meet Greyson, but he likes to be called Grey," I pointed towards Greyson, who was now looking at Mia with his wide eyes.

"He is beautiful, I love him, thanks," she spoke finally.

She pulled Grey, out of the basket and then tossed it on the backseat, as she settled him on her lap.

"Hello Grey," she purred.

I looked at her satisfied, at last, I was able to break the shell of sadness surrounding her, she was now busy stroking Greyson's fur with affection.

"I can't believe you got a cat for me, you actually went and bought one," she said with her beautiful smile.

"You know, I can do anything for you baby, but I just want my Mia back, do you think I will get her back?" I kept my hand on her and asked with hope.

"I am yours, Waleed, now and forever," she exclaimed, placing her head on my shoulder.

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