Chapter 3 - Deception

"Hello. I am Rubiya.. we need to talk.. are you free?"

"Can we make a date for lunch tomorrow?", I asked as if in a daze.

"Sure thing", she said and hung up.

**********

I was very confused by the way Dr. Ananth had given Rubiya's phone number. Also the promptness with which Rubiya had called me. I would have loved to wait for some days before I contacted her. I planned to heavily to count upon the surprise of the visit. I knew she would be now be in a very defensive position and it would be hard for me to make her trust me and sift the truth from the lies. For there seems so much going on.. so many emotions.. such contradictions and yet said with such sincerity that I was totally flummoxed. I knew this would be one of the most important cases in my life. How important., even I didn't know.

It wasn't hard to talk to Rubiya. She was a petite woman with winsome smile. Her henna dyed hair glinted in the sun. But her eyes were brown and so direct. Witchy eyes. It seemed like she looked through you and knew what was hidden deep inside you. One can never believe this person ever needed therapy. Such was her personality!

And I had to ask no questions. She was angry and she wanted to be heard. She didn't exchange any pleasant talk with me.

She said, " I have something to say to you and please listen. That woman has manipulated him enough. I guess she wants him to lose his sanity like she has. All she says is bunch of lies. He is one of the most amazing person I have ever met. I love him yes. And yet he never in anyway tried to take advantage of my vulnerability, believe me, I wouldn't have complained. Nor would have any body else. The irony is that he loves her"

She softened up when she talked about him. I could then ask her few questions and she readily replied. She simply spoke about how he had helped her when she came out of a deeply abusive relationship and how he was her pillar of support. Other females, his colleagues, their common friends every one kept saying the same thing .

I wondered how a guy can be loved so thoroughly by everyone. How can there not be atleast one person who had some grudge on him.. And yet the consensus was that she was a mad hatter and he was universally loved. And yet Akriti's words, her story affected me. I felt I was missing something. Even if the Doctor was innocent, there has to be some basis for Akriti's delusions.

I decided to hypnotize Akriti and applied for the permission from the department. I was surprised to see that Akriti readily agreed for the tests and yet, Dr Ananth resisted. I tried to reason with him and even tried to force him and yet he was adamant that as her husband and psychologist, he cannot allow it. Thats when I felt something is wrong.