Chapter 63: Anonymous caller

Fear that the devil would decide to cancel the agreement which Austin is receiving without any futile attempts, Austin dragged Leena into her room without heeding to her cursing and cussing.

"Don't touch me, idiot." She yelled pulling her arm away.

"I will guard her till the wedding. I can't let this golden opportunity to miss." Austin snickered when he started imagining his one month honeymoon with Leah in Bora Bora. He has been anticipating their first night since Leah has said yes to his proposal. Very soon they are going to become one.

"You have been speaking to yourself lately. If something is wrong with your brain, better go and check with the doctor for any defects. At least Leah can be saved from the wedding." Watching his stupid smile, she scoffed at him with disinterest.

"You said there is a surprise gift." Austin long got wielded to her sharp remarks. He shamelessly evaded the topic as if he is not bothered by it and started inquiring about the surprise gift.

"I will grant it on your wedding day so that you will remember your friend forever," Saying that, Leena stepped out of the room in search of Leah without witnessing there was already an amusement in Austin's eyes thinking of the forever gift.

"Did you fight with Leah?" Abruptly halting her footsteps, Leena came back to inquire about something which was wavering in her mind continuously. After the basketball match, when Leena was pulled into the house forcefully, her eyes unconsciously scooted on Leah conversing over the phone. Leena wouldn't have minded if she didn't notice Leah's panic and scared face. She brushed off her imagination thinking that it could be some friend, but when Leah did not show up for a long time, her instincts were telling that she in some kind of trouble.

"No. Why do you ask? Did something happened to my baby?" Worried, Austin asked. Even if he fights with her, they would compromise in an hour.

"Nothing happened. I just played a prank on you to test if you are really serious in the relationship."

" "

"I am famished. Make a banana smoothie and get it to my room by yourself." Leena threw him out of her room so that she can go in search of Leah. Judging by Austin's words, Leena ruled out the possibility that he is not aware of anything and she also did not want to conceal without Leah's permission.

"She acts as if she is Queen Elizabeth. I will not even give water to her." Austin walked out of the room.

...

"What transpired Leah suddenly? She always puts up cool front irrespective of the situation." The instant Austin was away, Leena walked into Leah's room but the woman in question was nowhere to be found. After searching the entire house, garden, and the surroundings, Leena still could not discover her. She called her, messaged her, but the latter was neither picking nor texting back.

"I will wait in her room until she comes back." Dragging her tired body, she cursed the family for creating such a massive mansion. In the process of searching for Leah, Leena's energy drained out completely but she could not get the clue.

After entering Leah's room, Leena started rummaging the closet, vanity table to find anything suspicious, but she could not unearth anything there.

"Where did she go? Even her phone is busy now." Leena uttered looking at her unanswered phone calls. She tried calling her number again, but there was no response.

Fatigue hit her finally and Leena slightly dozed off lying on the bed. But her senses were wide awake. After a while, she heard the door unlocked from the other end stirring from the sleep. Hearing the familiar footsteps, waking up, Leena finally sighed in relief.

"Where did you escape? I am waiting for you sin_"

Staring at Leah's red eyes, Leena was alarmed by her appearance because she has never seen Leah in such a distressed state.

"Are you crying, Leah?" Troubled by her agonizing face, Leena rushed towards the woman. What happened to her suddenly? She was smiling all in the morning.

"I_ I am not crying. I am just stressed with all the shopping and wedding preparations." With a weak smile, she reassured her and walked into the walk-in closet, pretending to organize her clothes.

"Did you think I am a kid to believe in your lies?" Leena whirled her body hastily looking into her eyes.

"I am fine. Actually, you look tired. Go and have some rest."

"I am not leaving this place until I get my answer." Stubbornly, Leena leaped onto the bed without giving a room for discussion.

"I_I just had a fight with Austin. That's all." Saying that Leah gazed into a distance trying to hide her pain and suffering. Her tears which she has been controlling were threatening to burst out. But she withheld. She doesn't want to involve Leena in her matter.

"Are you really fine?" Who is she trying to fool? Austin has no clue about their fight and I have never seen her in such a wretched state. She was fine in the morning. What could have gone wrong suddenly? Is it something to do with the phone call?

"I am really fine Leena. You are worrying a lot over the matter." Holding Leena's hand, Leah gently squeezed it to assure her, but the tenacious girl could see through the veil.

Nodding her head, Leena smiled to make them latter believe that she is not bothered anymore now. But Leena was ransacking her brain for an idea to get the hold on Leah's mobile. Her answers lie on the mobile alone. Even though Leena knew of other means to get the inside information, but she did not want to invade her friend's privacy.

"Can I sit here for some time. I don't want to see that shameless man." Leena asked. Speaking of him, I did not confront him after I left the match. Where did he escape? First I have to grab Leah's mobile. I will think about him later.

"You are always welcome to stay here," Leah said. In actuality, she wished someone could be there to calm the internal commotion brewing within her and she has no idea how long she could come up with excuses after excuse to mask the lie in front of Leena.

"Thanks a lot my sweety Leah." Sitting idle for some time, Leena got bored and combed Leah's wardrobe, vanity table. and when the time was moving to the end, Leena thought it's time to put her plan in action.

"Leah, did you see my mobile? I am not finding it anywhere here. I need to make an urgent call." Asking that she pretended to check random places in the room.

"I haven't seen it. Let me call and check." She got up from the bed to make a call.

"I think it's in silent mode. Can you lend your mobile? I have to call Reese urgently. She is facing an issue with the client in the office." Leena didn't lie. Reese has really sent a message to call her when she is free. As for the other part, she lied.

"Pretty please." Leena imposed.

Reluctantly Leah handed the mobile. After calling Reese, Leena began speaking with her for a long time until she could see that Leah's initial suspicion disappeared. Her first mission is accomplished.

"Can you get me some water, Leah. I am thirsty blabbering for a long time and this client is really irritating me" Keeping her phone a little away, Leena spoke up in a hushed tone trying to gruff voice.

"I_ Ok."

The second Leah went out, Leena gave an excuse and cut off Reese's call. Opening the call history, she checked the recent phone calls. Anonymous call.

"She has been speaking with an anonymous caller for three hours. Why?" Leena mumbled unable to connect the dots. Closing her eyes, she searched her brain if she stumbled upon the number, but it was a no. She opened the message inbox and phone gallery only to find it is empty.

"I don't have much time left. I have to find a clue to save her."

Suddenly, Leena's thoughts paused when she received an incoming message notification. She didn't click on the message as it would only evolve suspicion to Leah. Thanks to smartphones, at least a part of the information would be noticeable when a notification springs.

"Tonight! 1 P.M at my house. Come along with....."

Even though Leena could not skim the full statement, she got the point.

Hearing to the slight footsteps, Leena pretended to act like she is still on call with Reese. She has already put the phone on silent mode so that it doesn't hastily ring when someone suddenly calls getting her caught. With Leah's state, she would not know or even bother if her phone is being hacked much less in the silent mode.

"How long will it take?" Handing her the water bottle, Leah asked her without sounding desperate. She badly wanted to check if she has got any message from that person.

"I am done." Bidding goodbye to the imaginary Reese, she handed over the phone. "By the way, you got a message from an unknown number."

"It says you have to meet someone_"

Before she could finish off her sentence, Leah grabbed her mobile swiftly.

"Leena! Don't you know a thing about privacy? Get out of my room." Leah yelled.

"I did not even open the message." She walked out with a pout face. The mission is accomplished.

"Don't worry, Leah. I will get you out of this situation."

After Leena went out, Leah closed her door and burst into tears looking at the content of the message.

"Why is he torturing me again? Austin, my happiness, our delighted life, everything will get shattered because of him." Leah wailed like a broken shell until she went lifeless.

.....

Fidgeting her hands, she was looking at the wall clock every now and then. It was still nine in the evening, but her mind was restless.

"Who could it be. As far as I remember Leah doesn't have any ex. That playboy Austin only had girlfriends in the past. Is it one of his ex trying to threaten her?"

"Or could it be a stalker? Or someone is threatening her for money?"

"I have to save her at any cost."

Leena has been keeping an eye on Leah's movements since she came back from the room and the time has arrived now. Devin was not in the room. But she was still on alert fear of getting caught. Without making a noise, Leena slowly walked out of the house and set up a place where she could observe Leah coming out.

Unbeknownst to her, she was also being watched by another person.

The light footsteps in the pin-drop calmness shattered Leena's thoughts bringing her out of the trance and gazed in the direction of the woman walking out of the house.

"She has even covered her face with a scarf now?" Like a cat, she followed behind her. Feared of getting caught, she even discarded her sandals.

Afraid that security would inform her parents, Leah didn't take her car. There is a tunnel that leads to the outside of the house directly without getting caught. So she went near the area to open the slob.

Before she could open it, a pair of hands grabbed her. Scared, Leah turned around and she was shocked to see Leena standing in front of her.

"What the hell you are doing here?" This time, Leena demanded the question.

"I_I Leena. Actually I_" Leah burst into tears. She has been keeping her emotions in check since morning, but when she saw Leena here, she tightly hugged her and wailed like a child. There was already a sense of security seeing Leena here. Even though she felt strange to think of that thought, she still had a feeling that Leena could get her out of the situation.

"Help me, Leena." Leah whimpered.