There was some disappointment on Vikshar's face. That it wasn't his son who had called them but the police officer. But still, he might have something about his son.
"Officer Malkolm, do you know something about my son," Vikshar was somber as he said that.
"No…" There was some hesitation on the other side. "Actually yes, it might be related to your son. There is a body we need to identify. Can you please come the moment you are free?"
The moment he heard that his face stiffened. Tears welled in the corners of his eyes, but he held himself strong. The other two, his wife Flaura and his daughter Sharla were watching him intently. He couldn't tell them until he was fully sure of it.
"Hello, sir…. I can't hear you" Making some excuses, Viksar got out of the house. He didn't want to worry his family, it was enough that they were still suffering. He couldn't just make them suffer more, by telling them the news.
"Mr. Vikshar, are you able to hear me?" Officer Malkolm asked one more time through the phone.
"Yes sir," He said softly. His shoulders had loosened in defeat. He didn't want to hear about it, about his son. Something bad might have happened to him. But if he didn't listen at all. It wouldn't be justice to his family and even his son.
"I know sir, it is shocking news for you. And I can tell how much you are suffering right now. But it is necessary. It might not be the body of your son, but I don't want to give you false hope. That is why we need you here." Officer Malkolm's voice didn't sound like that of a hardened officer at the moment. It sounded like the sound of a person, who had gone through the same thing as him. "The body is suffering alone, it won't want to be apart from its family."
Vikshar sniffed as he used the helm of his shirt to wipe away his tears. He took a minute to compose himself as he spoke on the phone again.
"I will come during my work hours, Officer," Vikshar said while his eyes looked at the skies. The skies were clear, there was no indication of rain at the moment. Still, Vikshar's eyes watered as they looked at the moving clouds.
He didn't want his wife and his daughter to get the impression that he might be up to something. He knew it wasn't fair to keep them in the dark, but he wouldn't tell them anything about it until he was fully sure of it. He was selfish, but it was selfishness for his own family.
It had been 15 days since Miguel had disappeared. And from that the family hadn't been able to pass one of their second without overthinking. The day he disappeared, the most to suffer was Flaura. She hadn't been able to calm herself after his disappearance. From time to time she would just stop, Sharla had been more terrified watching her mom's condition the most. Flaura would immediately feel the comfort of her daughter and Vikshar. The whole family was an emotional pillar for each other in such times.
It happened on the day after the dinner with Liana and Karl. Sharla had gone to annoy her brother in the morning just to find that he wasn't there. Flaura had said that he might have gone early. But she was quickly proven wrong when even after the day had turned into night he didn't come back. They had tried to reach out for his phone, but they found his phone was on the bed. One day quickly turned into two, still, there was no information about him.
They had called others if they knew some information about him. But there was no information. Sharla had tried contacting Miguel's friends. But there wasn't a single one he had contacted a while ago. All she heard from his friends was that they hadn't been in contact for a long time. At last, they had to report to the police. Officer Malkolm was a middle-aged person. His body was fit for his age. The officer had assured them that they would definitely find them. But even after trying, they weren't able to find him.
Days passed by, and Flaura had lost her previous smile. Whenever Vikshar would come home he would find her watching the television, but her focus was not on the program, it was on somewhere else. Even Vishkar himself was having trouble while working, he wasn't in the correct mood. Every talk with his colleague would often seem pointless to him, the only comfort that remained for him was his home. It was good that Sharla had been the strongest of them. Even though with her brother missing it had affected her emotionally, still she was able to go about her life. She had the courage to face herself even in the toughest of times. Both her parents were proud of her for it.
The game shop too hadn't been open for two weeks. The inside of the shop must have been filled with dust. Even if Miguel wasn't present here, they had to take care of the shop. So they decided that Flaura and Sharla would go to clean the shop someday.
Vikshar returned inside his house after cleaning his face. Sharla was standing near Flaura, and both seemed to be waiting for him.
"What did the officer say," said Flaura, with hope in her eyes. Her face looked tired, and the determination in her eyes told that she still had the energy to think and look for her son.
"The officer said that they are expanding their search." A lie he told his wife. He felt a bitterness inside his mouth as he said that. But he couldn't bear to see her more aggrieved than she already was.
"That's good," There was some relief, but it still didn't change the dimness in her expression.
"I am going to the office," Vikshar said, going toward his room to prepare for work.
"I will serve the breakfast," Flaura said as she started walking toward the kitchen.
All of them ate in silence. Even the sound of the television in the hall couldn't erase the emptiness on the table. Vikshar stood up after eating. Sharla had almost finished her breakfast but his wife was still fiddling with the food, eating very little of it.
"Dear, you need to eat if you want to welcome your son properly." Vikshar coaxed his wife. Even after Miguel's disappearance, the determination to meet him again helped her to get through it. But even he didn't know if it could continue for long.
"Right," A little less fiddling, and Flaura took bites to complete half of her food. Vishkar left the home for his office after that.
Vikshar worked in his office till it was time for break. He asked his boss for permission to take a half day's leave. The boss knew of his circumstances. He was sympathetic toward Vikshar and had given him leave without giving him much trouble.
Vikshar hopped in his car to reach the police station after that.
The police station was a bustling space. It was filled with both police and civilians going in and out every now and then. Malkolm took a sip from his coffee and looked again toward the police station. It wasn't just bustling, it had been especially busy these days. The pressure upon him hadn't lessened a bit in the past month or so. It had started just after the arrival of the game. 'What was the name again?' Malkolm applied the heat of the cup to his forehead as he thought about it. Some of the kids were passing by at the moment, talking excitedly about games. The name of the new sensational game immediately came up in their conversation. 'Fallen Times.' Malkolm thought as he took another sip of his coffee.
He couldn't put his fingers around it, but something was different after its arrival. Especially the case of this body kept in the morgue. It was the most horrifying case he had seen since his police career. Such that he had to go out and take coffee to relieve his nerves.
A new car came into the parking area. A black sedan. Malkolm recognized the car. It belonged to the father of the missing boy. The gate opened and he came out. Malkolm started walking toward him.
Vikshar looked glad to see the officer walking toward him. He gave him a nice polite smile, but it couldn't keep away the nervousness he felt.
"Officer Malkolm" Vikshar greeted the officer with a nod. Officer Malkolm greeted him back.
"I was waiting for you." Officer Malkolm replied as he threw away the cup in the trash bin.
"I know it isn't easy, but please bear with me. Let's go," said Officer Malkolm as he started walking toward the police station. Vikshar followed him.