Teesta Diaries -The Valley of Dark Secrets

Teesta Diaries

The Valley of Dark Secrets

PrologueNew Year’s Eve, 2003

Zoya frantically pressed the elevator buttons three times, juggling with her purse in one hand and her mobile phone in another. Her rental ride was already downstairs, and she hated to keep anyone waiting. But halfway down from her ninth-floor residence after having checked three times if she had taken all that she needed, Zoya realised she had left behind the most important thing for today – her red notebook.

Annoyed at the elevator that did not seem to be moving past the twelfth floor, Zoya decided it was best to simply take the stairs.

Zoya was a woman who liked to think on her feet. Having worked in media and journalism for a little more than five years now, she was accustomed to an exceptionally fast-paced life. News does not let you breathe, or fix your clothes, or take a sip of water, or in Zoya’s case now, wait for the luxury of an elevator ride. Things happen, and they keep happening one after the other, and if you have any wish or intention of telling the news to your audience, you must keep up – Zoya learned this the hard way.

However, Zoya did not have any news to break today. She was simply late for her own book launch event.

It had been a whirlwind of a time for the 27-year-old from Delhi. She had to spare time to finish writing her book, all the while keeping up with her editing and anchoring duties at ROX News Agency.

When Zoya decided to go for a degree in journalism in college, she was warned by her friends and family about the risks of the media sector. “It’s not safe, Zoya,” some said. “There are better professions for a girl of your type,” others added. Zoya acknowledged the statements with a smile and a nod but paid no heed in her mind. The thrill of probable danger and the opportunity to see it from up close was precisely why Zoya wanted to pursue this career.

Even before she graduated, Zoya got an opportunity to work at one of the biggest media houses in private circulation. Before landing her job as the primetime anchor and editor at ROX, she built a prolific investigative portfolio at Sunprime News. She started learning hands-on the twisted ways the world of journalism worked. Some things met her expectations, others took her by surprise. But Zoya was ready for it all.

She took up the assignments that others were apprehensive to work on, starting from controversial political turmoil to gruesome murder mysteries in the remotest parts of the country. Soon, she became one of the most known faces in the industry, despite being only 20-something. Three years later, Zoya was now honoured with the ‘Best Young Journalist’ award and receiving congratulatory emails from media personalities she grew up admiring.

As an icing on the cake, Zoya was set to publish her book that she hoped was the first of many, and from what her agent and editor told her, it was going to become a bestseller in no time.

With all the success in the world, she still managed to be late for her book launch event, hosted by her alma mater, Nightingale Women’s College. When the alumni association and the teacher’s guild at the college heard about their star student writing a book of her own, they invited Zoya for an exclusive book launch event and say a few words on the subject matter.

“Sister Bovary will certainly make a joke about me being late,” Zoya thought to herself in the car and smiled, remembering fond memories from her college days. It was an honour for her to return to her prestigious educational institution after all, that too for such an event.

“Welcome home, Zoya. We have been waiting for you. We thought you might have forgotten about the event, now that you have such a busy life to live,” Sister Bovary greeted her at the front gate.

“I know Sister, I humbly apologize,” Zoya answered with a smile. She knew that hidden behind the oblique comments were nothing but love and pride that her teacher had for her.

Miriam Bovary was Zoya’s teacher for her Elective English course in college. While the main courses taught her all that she needed to know about the nitty-gritty of hard-core journalism, it is Sister Bovary who taught her how to dig deep and find out the truth hidden in any story.

Zoya was escorted to the auditorium by a couple of junior teachers and seated in the front row. After an opening dance performance by the students that once again reminded Zoya of her late teen years, the book launch event finally got underway.

“We now welcome to the stage our beloved alumnus, Zoya Shroff. We are proud of her recent accomplishments, and we thank her for keeping the name of our educational institution shining bright,” the headmistress beamed amid cheerful claps.

A deep breath.

Zoya was back on the stage where she partook in dozens of debates and extempore challenges not that many years ago. It raised the hairs on Zoya’s neck and sent chills down her spine to throw her mind back and imagine all that have happened in her life since then.

After the bouquets were received and the book cover was revealed to the audience, Zoya finally got to the main part of the evening.

“I almost forgot to bring this notebook with me today, had to climb up and down a few flights of stairs to get it. Good for my cardio, though,” Zoya joked. She hadn’t planned on it, but it connected well with the young audience she had in front of her. Confident, she continued.

“Thank you everyone for showing up for this event. It really means an awful lot to me to be able to launch my book in front of the people who moulded me into who I am. It is also an honour to be able to pave the way for those who come after me and show them that if you have a dream, you should always pursue it.

“However, today is not only about the book reveal. Nevertheless, I will hold it up once again for those who do not know, which I assume will be the majority,” Zoya spoke with genuine humility.

Zoya picked up one of the hardcovers from the table and held it up for her audience.

“I was given an hour’s time today by our esteemed institution to read out certain parts of the book. But you are pursuing a college degree, I am going to go ahead and assume you can read. If you want to know what’s in the book, you are free to buy it and I’d be only too glad to sign. If you don’t want to, I will not bore you with its details. Instead, I have a very interesting story to tell you – the story of how I got the final push off the edge to write this book. I have it all written with me, right here in this notebook. Can I do that, Sisters?” Zoya looked questioningly at the front row where all the teachers were seated.

Receiving smiling nods from everyone, she continued again.

“Great authors have often said that you cannot be a writer unless you are an avid reader. I am pretty sure they did not have murder mysteries in mind when they said that, but I have no shame in admitting that it is by far my most favourite genre. Growing up, I read a lot of Arthur Conan Doyle, Agatha Christie, and the likes. Today I shall start my storytelling with one of Miss Christie’s quotes that I love.

“In her book Towards Zero, Miss Christie writes, ‘When you read the account of a murder - or, say, a fiction story based on murder - you usually begin with the murder itself. That's all wrong. The murder begins a long time beforehand. A murder is the culmination of a lot of different circumstances, all converging at a given moment at a given point.’ I could not fully comprehend the significance of these lines up until recently. I always wondered how a murder could possibly begin a long time ago. A few years ago, I found the answer to that question. Leaving that thought to be tossed and turned in your head, I’ll begin my story for tonight.

“On a very cold December night three years ago, I felt braver than I usually do and planned a sudden solo trip to North Bengal. It was a particularly difficult day at work. I had a fight with my mother the day before and we had not spoken since. I had a friend living there and he had been asking me to visit for weeks. I made up my mind.

“What I had in mind was ten days of breath-taking views, aimless wandering, gulping down momos, and catching up with an old friend I know from childhood. I’m not going to lie, I did all that to my heart’s content, and then I had plans of returning home and getting back to my usual life.

“However, destiny had other plans for me,” Zoya said, with a light shade of remembrance misting her eyes. “Plans that involved six bloody murders with an even bloodier story behind them.”

Chapter 1: Tistaang – The Last StationDecember 15, 1999

“We meet after five years, and you are still late. Some things never change,” S.H.O. Ranveer Sawant said, faking a sigh while trying to take Zoya’s backpack. He was a tall, handsome man, well-dressed in his fitted uniform, and clean-shaven except for a moustache that he recently started maintaining since his transfer to Tistaang.

“It’s not my fault! The train was late, you know that! And I can carry my own luggage, thanks.” Zoya exclaimed, punching Ranveer’s arm playfully.

“I know, I know, but you’re my guest. Let me be the gentleman. How will I show face to my subordinates if I don’t even offer to carry my female friend’s bag?”

Zoya and Ranveer continued their banter as they made their way out of Tistaang Railway Station. It was the last stop on this branch of North Bengal’s broad-gauge railway lines. Only a few trains were allotted to this station, and they almost always got late in winter due to night-time fog.

The town of Tistaang was farther away from the railway station. Ranveer’s jeep was waiting for them outside. The seat beside the driver was occupied by a constable. Zoya cast a glance at the name tag on his uniform. It said – ‘Vatsal Soreng’.

“Do you always bring your subordinates with you? Do they carry around your stuff for you?”

“It’s for safety Zoya. I am having a guest over, I simply cannot take risks,” Ranveer said solemnly.

“For sure,” she chuckled. “I am here for only a couple of days anyway. Will you be able to take some time off your noble duty and show me around, officer?”

“I plan on doing that, yes. It’s not like there’s much for me to do here.”

“Oh? I thought you were some hot-shot here.”

“I have my position. It earns my salutes, this jeep, and people at my disposal if I want protection for my friend, yes. But that’s it. Tistaang is a lovely, lovely place, Zoya. There is such a sense of bliss in its very air. You’ll know when you see, yes, you’ll know. But it is too peaceful. Nothing ever happens here except the occasional theft,” Ranveer spoke with regret.

“Oh. I see,” Zoya said, slightly taken aback that Ranveer turned quite serious all of a sudden. “But isn’t that a good thing, Veer? The fact that Tistaang is not infested with crime is a testament to how well you are doing your job here, isn’t it?” Zoya tried to cheer her friend up.

“Not really. The place was already like this. There are only a handful of residents in the town. They mostly live behind the walls of their own estates. There are a few villages scattered towards the foothills – farmers, woodcutters, household helps – the likes of them stay there. Everything is always in harmony. I joined the force to make a difference, you know right? I feel like my skills are getting wasted here,” Ranveer said.

Zoya patted Ranveer’s arm lightly.

“There, there now. I would be a bad person if I wished crime upon this slice-of-heaven town, but I’m sure something or the other will pop up soon enough and you will get to use that sharp brain of yours to catch the villain.”

“Ah, I don’t need your sympathy. It’s best that nothing happens while you’re here, Zo. I don’t want you to get caught in any police business.”

Zoya laughed out loud.

“Hey, you still think of me as your lanky, runny-nosed next-door neighbour, don’t you?”

“Well, you haven’t really changed all that much,” Ranveer said with a grin. “You’re still short, still got that huge mane of curly hair, still wearing those round-framed glasses, still wearing your washed denims and sneakers. In my eyes, you haven’t altered even a little bit.”

“Have you forgotten I am a journalist now? My job literally requires me to talk to the police at all times. I have a bunch of them on my contact list too. You know, resources.”

“I’m sure their lives are riddled with exciting crime,” Ranveer sighed.

“You haven’t changed much yourself, sir,” Zoya took a jibe ignoring Ranveer’s remorse. “Except for that moustache. That goes well with your uniform.

“Keep your false compliments,” Ranveer feigned annoyance. The jeep took a sharp hairpin turn as the entire Teesta Valley opened up ahead.

“Wow, that is magnificent,” Zoya exclaimed.

The valley was glistening as the slanted rays of the sun hit off the woods that grew thick and green along the Himalayan foothills and then merged into the mountain walls like an expensive tapestry. There were houses lined up along the ascent to the summit. The crests of the mountains were hidden in light grey, cotton-like clouds. Far below, River Teesta was flowing, thicker and cheerier here than any of the other towns Zoya visited, and with a constant gushing sound.

The air here was crisp and delectably fresh. It reminded Zoya of a newly opened bottle of champagne.

“You can feel it right? It’s in the air. It looks even prettier under a clear blue sky. It’s a bit overcast today,” Ranveer said.

Zoya nodded.

The jeep arrived at Ranveer’s government-sanctioned residence in another twenty minutes. It was agreed that Zoya would board with Ranveer only. It was the more economic option, and with little to no proper hotels in Tistaang, it was convenient as well.

“I suppose when the town becomes a tourist spot, we would see some spike in wrongdoings. I hope that does not happen though. Tistaang is too pristine to be messed with. I might not be here when that happens anyway,” Ranveer said, getting Zoya’s luggage from the back of the jeep.

It was a nice bungalow that housed Ranveer in Tistaang, Zoya observed. There was a lovely garden out front with tiny rose bushes lined up along the pebbled driveway in the middle that diverged and met again circling a tiny fountain. It was defunct and covered in dust. He had a man servant, a cook, and a gardener at his disposal at all times. From the balcony outstretched at the back of the bungalow, one could get a clear look of the mountains, and on sunnier days, perhaps a glimpse of Mount Kanchenjunga as well.

Zoya felt a tinge of envy in herself.

“All these, and he is still not happy with his job,” she thought.

Some other houses were visible in the distance from the balcony. Zoya pointed at a three-storied one and asked Ranveer who it belonged it as they lit cigarettes.

“Oh, that’s the Oberoi Mansion. They’re probably the wealthiest people around. Mr. Suresh Oberoi owns half of all the tea estates in this region. He owns a lot of other properties scattered all over North Bengal.”

“Tistaang’s own business magnate? Fascinating.”

“He is not from here, obviously. None of the people who live in mansions here are actually from North Bengal. They have just settled here because of the peace and tranquillity.”

Lunch was served quickly. Zoya was delighted to have home-cooked food after a week of dry snacks and roadside meals.

Over the next couple of days, Ranveer showed Zoya around Tistaang. There weren’t any mainstream attractions in Tistaang, but if one knew how to appreciate nature’s bounty, the town had a lot to offer. They met a few trekkers on their trip and even offered hitch-hike rides to a few.

“We don’t get a lot of visitors here, but you’ll find a lot of foreigners who love to trek and explore the uncharted territories. They mostly stay out of the main town and take up lodging at local homestays,” Ranveer explained.

Their last stop on the day before Zoya had to catch her flight back to Delhi was at a humongous tea garden. It was not open to the public, but Ranveer had pulled a few strings and made arrangements. The board that hung on the steel gate of the tea garden said in bold letters, ‘OBEROI TEA ESTATES’.

“Remember the house you spotted from my balcony? This belongs to them. The Oberois. They wield a lot of power in this region, but they also do quite a bit of charity work. A lot of the locals are employed in their estate as well.”

A shaggy-looking security guard finally showed up at the gate after Ranveer’s driver had honked the horn thrice.

“Yes? What do you want? There is no entry without permission,” he said, his voice all husky.

“He sure has been taking weed,” Zoya whispered to Ranveer.

Stifling a laugh, Ranveer informed the security guard that he was the S.H.O of Tistaang and he had permission from Suresh Oberoi himself to visit the tea garden with his friend.

“Ah, yes. Sir did call me in the morning about guests. Come in, come on in,” the guard unlocked the door in a painfully slow pace.

“Take a look around. Don’t bother the tea pickers. I am Hari. I will be in my hut. Yell my name when you have to leave,” he ended dishing out the brief list of guidelines and walked away abruptly.

“Weird fellow,” Zoya murmured. Looking around, she spotted a number of women in traditional attire with baskets tied to their backs scattered all around the garden in. Some of them were carrying their children tied to their front as well. They were stopping in front of every bush, checking the leaves, picking them, and moving on to the next. There was a certain hypnotic rhythm to their way of working.

“There are usually more of them if you come around during summer. Winter flushes are rare and do not really deliver on the quality. But the Oberois do not mess around with profit. They would milk out every last penny,” Ranveer said.

“I guess you can’t build three-floored mansions in obscure hilly towns if you let profit seep through your fingers.”

“Is that Ranveer Sawant I see,” a voice boomed from behind as the two of them were trying to make way deeper into the tea garden.

“What a surprise seeing you here sir,” Ranveer went ahead to shake hands with a man who did not seem in any way would be employed at the estate.

“I can say the same about you, Inspector. I come here often. I have a deal with Suresh where he lets me roam around his estates and I charge benevolently when their businesses require my services, you see,” the man beamed.

“Of course, sir, of course. I have never been inside before today. I made a special request as my friend is visiting me. This is Zoya Shroff. She is a journalist.”

Zoya came forward to shake hands.

“Zoya, this is Mr. Kailash Manchandani. He is one of the most famous lawyers in all of North Bengal.”

Kailash Manchandani had a firm grip, Zoya observed during the handshake. He was a respectable-looking man, whose physical stature perfectly matched with his professional identity. He was donning a pair of khaki pants and an olive-green shirt, and his hair was oiled up and neatly back-brushed. He had an air of sophistication around him that was further amplified by the golden-framed spectacles and gold wrist watch he was wearing.

“A journalist, eh? I guess we are supposed to be at loggerheads then. You people want to dig up the things we want to keep buried?” Kailash Manchandani chuckled.

“We do not take sides, sir. Our job is to simply state the facts that are,” Zoya said coolly.

“Is that what always happens, Miss Shroff?”

Ranveer sensed a bit of tension between the two and decided to intervene.

“We will leave you to enjoy your solitude, sir. Good evening,” Ranveer quickly said and led Zoya away with a hand on her back.

“What’s with the shots?” Zoya asked sulkily.

“Pay no heed. Powerful people are often like that. He does not mean anything, I am sure.”

“How would you know?” Zoya squinted her eyes at Ranveer. “Never mind, not going to let Mister Big Mouth Lawyer ruin the day. I am only here for one more night after all.”

“That’s my girl,” Ranveer walked ahead, talking about how Zoya should take back a few bags of authentic Darjeeling tea from here for her friends and family in Delhi.

Zoya was not paying attention. She turned back to take a look at Kailash Manchandani, who now had his back towards them and briskly walking away. She sensed an air of superiority about him when they spoke, but not one backed by the best of deeds.

“Nah, I’m overthinking it,” Zoya said to herself. With a few springy steps, she caught up with Ranveer, who was still chatting away about the best tea flushes without noticing Zoya was not beside him all this time.

---O---

Zoya woke up early next day to catch her last sunrise in the hills. Born and brought up in the cacophony of Delhi, the serenity of North Bengal that she experienced in these few days were endearing. She could not believe how fast time flew. The day of her departure was here.

Although Zoya was sort of sad having to leave behind the peaceful town of Tistaang, her heart yearned for the thrill and excitement of her job.

“Ah, it has been ages since I have dug up dirt on someone,” Zoya said chewing on her toast at breakfast.

“This is all you people do. Mr. Manchandani was right yesterday,” Ranveer smirked.

“Yeah, yeah, I overreacted yesterday. He’s just one of those cheeky men who like to pull young people’s legs,” Zoya said dismissingly.

“He isn’t the worst; I can tell you that. He put quite a few notorious criminals behind the bar during his heyday as a prosecutor. He recently retired and decided to stick to business law. Suresh Oberoi is probably his biggest client. He helped the Oberois win legal disputes with the previous owners of the tea estates. Without Kailash Manchandani, Suresh Oberoi is not half as rich as he is,” Ranveer said.

“Are you close with Mr. Oberoi? You got the permission to visit his estate quite easily,” Zoya asked.

“I have only been here around a month Zoya. When I got transferred here, Suresh Oberoi came to visit me himself with a box of sweets. He asked about me, my family, how long have I been in the police, all this. I assume it is something that influential people do when someone new in authority arrives in this town. It is a sort of reconnaissance, you can say, to see if I would be too much of a nuisance or not” Ranveer chuckled.

“I thought you said the town sees no trouble.”

“Tistaang does not, that’s for sure. But as you know, someone like Suresh Oberoi surely has tentacles of his business extended in various cities across the country. He might not do anything sitting here and anything not happening in this town is technically outside my jurisdiction. However, as a police officer, I can always send word to the departments concerned if I smell something is wrong.”

“I see. Did Kailash Manchandani come to visit you too?”

“Better. He invited me over to his house for a drink. It was probably the costliest scotch I have ever tasted,” Ranveer laughed. “Say what you want about him, he’s got good taste.”

“I’m sure he does. What about Mr. Oberoi’s children? Do you know them too?”

“I don’t really know anyone here, Zoya. They are all mere acquaintances so far. But yeah, I have met Neeraj. He currently heads the Accounts department for his father’s business. He’s married, but without kids, I believe. As Mr. Oberoi’s only son, he is going to inherit the entire empire when his father passes away.”

“Wow, some people really are born with a silver spoon in their mouth, are they not?”

“What’s with you and successful people?” Ranveer laughed out loud. “You really seem to nurture a combustible rage for those with wealth. Envious, are we?”

“No Veer, I am not envious of them. Of you, perhaps. You’ve got yourself a good job here, bagged a nice bungalow, have people do things for you now and then, that’s all very cool. With these Oberois and Manchandanis… I don’t feel jealous of their money. What I can’t ignore is what they do with the money once they make it.”

“What do you mean?” Ranveer asked, cutting his sunny-side-up through the middle and letting the yellow yolk run free on his plate.

“We’ve all heard Peter Parker say it in our childhood, haven’t we? ‘With great power comes great responsibility’. Money follows success, and what comes after that is unbridled prerogative.”

Ranveer stared blankly at Zoya.

“Right,” Zoya giggled. “I forgot how you hate it when I use big words for no reason. What I mean is, these people often use their money to get away with things. You can’t deny that’s true.”

“No, I can’t. You are right. But does anyone really get away with anything?”

“Are you talking about Karma now?” Zoya laughed out loud.

“Maybe I am,” Ranveer gave Zoya a hurt look for laughing at his comment.

“Never mind. Enough talk about dreary things for breakfast. This is my last day here. Is there something you can show me before I leave for the railway station?” Zoya asked expectantly. She simply could not get enough of Tistaang.

“I think we covered everything. Oh no! Wait. You are yet to see Silchow Lake. It’s a bit farther away from the town, but I think I can show you the lake on the way to the railway station.”

“Silchow Lake? Never heard of it? Is it quite famous?”

“Like most of Tistaang, it is not that well-known. Also, like most of Tistaang, it is breath-taking to look at. You will get some fantastic snapshots for your travel blog, if you ever publish all that you have been writing in that journal of yours,” Ranveer pointed at the red notebook kept beside Zoya’s plate on the table. It was page-marked with a pen. “You have been scribbling away in that the entire time.”

“Oh! Yes, I guess I have. It had been so long since I wrote with pen on paper. I wanted to give myself a break from clacking away on a computer. So, I chose to go back to the old ways to keep record of this trip. I don’t know if I will ever publish them anywhere, though. Perhaps these words I have written are just for me,” Zoya sighed. Although she enjoyed her profession immensely, Zoya missed the days as a feisty teenager when she could write anything she wanted with reckless abandon.

As a journalist well-known in her circles now, she had to be more careful with her words now, more vigilant with her expressions – being a woman, even more so, because the somewhat unforgiving world of media was even more merciless towards her gender.

When she packed her bags for this trip, she simply threw the notebook and a pen inside her backpack in a flickering hope of reconnecting with that creative and curious part of her that she had left behind. She could not tell if she had succeeded. Her trip was more or less peaceful and without incident.

“So, are we going to stop at Silchow Lake?” Zoya asked, boarding Ranveer’s police jeep after stacking her luggage at the back of the car.

“We most definitely are. It would be a slight detour, since that is not the usual way, we use to get to the railway station, even though it is the faster rout. However, since you will not be visiting these parts of the world anytime soon, you shouldn’t miss it.”

“Why don’t people use the route if it is the faster one,” Zoya raised an eyebrow.

“The locals say the road is haunted, that’s why,” Ranveer said.

Zoya burst out in laughter.

“Oh! Come on, don’t tell me you actually believe that.”

“I don’t,” Ranveer looked hurt again. “That’s why I am taking you there. I am just saying, people here do not usually use that road unless there is a rush.”

“Won’t your driver mind to go there for my sake?” Zoya asked, slight concern lacing her voice now. She herself did not believe in astral beings or any form of superstition in general, but she did not want to inconvenience anyone else.

“It is his job to take me where I tell him to,” Ranveer said, his tone ever-so-slightly tinged with pride.

“Let’s get started then,” Zoya beamed.

The two of them got onto the jeep and slammed shut the doors. The driver, Ravi, went around the fountain and slowly drove down the pebbled driveway.

“Sir!!Sir!!!”

Hari came running out of the bungalow towards the car. Ravi noticed his approaching figure in the rear-view mirror and pumped hard on the brakes.

“What the – what happened?” Ranveer rolled down the window on his side and peeked out. “What is it?”

“Sir, you have a call from the police station.”

“I told you to tell whoever calls that I am on leave today.”

“Yes, ji.But the call is very urgent.

Ranveer sighed. He turned to Zoya and said, “Please excuse me. Work beckons. I will be back in a minute.”

Zoya climbed out of the car and starting inspecting the rose bushes as Ranveer jogged his way inside the house.

“Hello!”

“Sir, there is a case that needs your immediate attention.”

“What is it Vatsal? Could it not wait?”

“I am afraid not, sir.”

“Make it quick.”

“A man showed up at the police station a few minutes ago. He says he is a woodcutter from one of the villages. He says his axe has been stolen -”

“Please tell me you didn’t call me for this,” Ranveer said impatiently.

“- And he says he has seen a dead body near Silchow Lake.”

 

Chapter 2: A Scene by the LakeDecember 18, 1999

A piercing scream jolted Neeraj awake from his deep sleep. He was sprawled spread-eagle on his king-sized bed in yesterday’s clothes. His tie was loosened down till his chest, socks and shoes were strewn across the room.

Neeraj Oberoi sat up on his bed, rubbing his face vigorously. His reflection stared back at him from the floor-to-roof mirror that stood across the foot of his bed. His eyes were tired and slightly red. He had drunk quite a bit in yesterday’s business meeting before somehow making it to his bedroom that he shared with his wife and collapsing on the bed.

His wife was not at home.

Now wide awake, Neeraj tried to figure out the source of the shrill shriek that derailed his slumber. He looked at the wall clock before leaving the room. It was 9 o’clock in the morning.

“Damn! It’s late. Why didn’t Radha knock at the door with breakfast?” Neeraj wondered.

Fixing his clothes and running fingers through his hair, Neeraj came down the stairs to find his father in his silk night gown standing in the middle of the living room. Radha, their maid, was crumpled up at his foot on the floor. Radha was sobbing loudly, occasionally wiping her eyes and nose with her dupatta.

“Papa, what’s the matter? And Radha, why are you two hours late to work and why on earth are you on the floor?” Neeraj asked with concern, halfway down the staircase.

But Suresh Oberoi was in no state to reply. Neeraj dashed down the rest of the stairs, flinging himself at his father and turning him around.

Suresh Oberoi’s face was as white as a sheet of paper, devoid of the last drop of blood.

“Papa! What has happened? What’s wrong?” Neeraj asked frantically.

“The police have found a dead body near Silchow Lake, Chhotey Sahib,” Radha managed to say between loud sobs.

“What? A body?”

Radha nodded.

“Do we know who it is?”

“Kailash…” Suresh Oberoi whispered.

“What? Papa speak louder. I can’t hear you.”

“It is Kailash, Neeraj. My friend, our family lawyer.”

“I can’t be…” Neeraj gasped. “How did he die?”

“I am not sure. Radha says his car crashed near Silchow Lake, but the chatter around the town is that he was… he was murdered.”

Neeraj collapsed down on the couch, head sinking in his hands. Silence prevailed in the Oberoi Mansion living room. After what seemed like hours, Neeraj finally managed to speak, “Who could have committed such a monstrous act?”

“It is probably human nature to seek out chaos. Kailash made a lot of enemies anyway, during his time as a criminal prosecutor. Perhaps one of them got to him,” Suresh Oberoi was much more composed now than he was a few minutes ago. “However, that is for the police to figure out. I am going to go down to Silchow Lake and see what is happening? Do you want to come with me?” Mr. Oberoi asked his son.

Neeraj quietly nodded a ‘yes’.

Asking their driver to bring out the car to the front porch, Suresh Oberoi settled down beside the telephone. He had a phone call to make.

“Hello? This is Suresh Oberoi speaking. Have you heard the news?”

“…”

“I heard it from our maid as well. I am terror-stricken to my bones, so is my son. We are headed to the site of crime now. Are you going to join us?”

Suresh Oberoi put the telephone down on its holder and picked it back up again. The call was answered by a young, chirpy female voice.

“Snehal?” Suresh Oberoi said. “Can you pass the phone to your father? This is Suresh Uncle. I have urgent news.

The phone call lasted another two minutes.

Suresh Oberoi got up and made a beeline towards the car awaiting outside the gate.

“Neeraj, are you coming?” he called out.

Neeraj was steps behind his father, but then paused in front of the telephone.

“You go ahead,” Neeraj said. “I’ll be there in a minute.

Neeraj closed his eyes and tried to remember the number. Aadya has long tried to make Neeraj memorise the telephone number of her friend’s house where she stays when she goes for yoga workshops or painting exhibitions in Siliguri.

Focusing hard, Neeraj dialled. The phone rang away without response. Disappointed, Neeraj walked away

“Radha! Make sure you pick all the phone calls that come and do not open the door to anyone you don’t know, understood?”

Neeraj followed his father into the car and looked solemnly out of the window. The sun had come up full and bright by now. The sky was clear.

“Who else is coming, Papa?” Neeraj asked.

“I have called Vikram Shaw and Daksh Rajput. They will be there at Silchow Lake. Where is Aadya? Does she know what has happened?”

“I don’t know Papa. I tried calling her from home but no one picked up.”

The car took off. Suresh and Neeraj Oberoi remained silent for the entirety of the journey.

The roads were still wet from last night’s drizzle. One had to be careful taking the treacherous sharp turns of the hills. Tiny chunks of snow were stuck on the leaves of the trees on both sides. As sun was rising higher, the snow was melting and dripping down the leaves, making small puddles underneath the trees. Birds could be heard chirping, bringing in a beautiful day in the town of Tistaang.

The mechanical sound made by the car’s engine sounded uncannily harsh to Neeraj today.

“Had it always been this loud? It sounds so out-of-place amid the nature,” he thought.

Silchow Lake was only 10 kilometres away from Tistaang. It did not take the Oberois long to arrive near the water body. They could see a small crowd of people huddling together from a distance. Suresh Oberoi asked his driver to park theirBMW a few metres away and walked closer. He was a man with nerves of steel and that is how he has brought up his son as well. However, neither of them has seen the murdered remains of a close person they were familiar with before.

As Suresh and Neeraj Oberoi made their brisk walk towards the group of people, a Ford wheeled in ahead of them. From the backseat of the car, a well-dressed man stepped out. Even though it was early in the day and the atmosphere was grim, Vikram Shaw was never a man to be caught off his guard or his style.

Suresh came forward sticking his hand out. Vikram ignored it and took his friend in for an embrace. The he shook hands and patted the shoulders of Neeraj as well.

“Tough day as it is, isn’t it?” Vikram Shaw liked to speak in a slight accent. “Should we wait for Daksh or should we pay our visit?”

“Let’s not waste any more time,” Neeraj said impatiently.

The three of them went ahead.

“Is that the new S.H.O. who got transferred here last month?” Vikram Shaw asked, pointing at the young uniform-clad police officer who was questioning the group of people.

“Yes, I believe so. Ranveer Sawant. He’s a good fellow, I have met him once,” Suresh Oberoi chipped in.

When Ranveer noticed the three come forward, he excused himself from the local residents but told them that they might be questioned again.

“Hello, Mr. Oberoi,” Ranveer shook hands with both the Oberois.

“Hello officer. I don’t think we have met. I look forward to your tenure here as the S.H.O.,” Vikram Shaw extended his courtesy as well.

“Ranveer, this is my close friend and consultant, Mr. Vikram Shaw. He is one of the top chemical engineers of the country right now,” Suresh Oberoi introduced.

“- And the owner of Froz Chemicals. I’m the second richest man in this town now, at 49 years of age, after Suresh of course,” Vikram Shaw added with a sly grin. “Build my own company from scratch. Not a penny taken from anyone else.”

“Nice to meet you, sir. I hope we could have met under different circumstances,” Ranveer replied, his jaw set.

“Of course, of course.”

Ranveer could not tell if Vikram Shaw was offended or not by being put in his place. The crime scene of a murder was no place to beat one’s own drum, Ranveer thought.

“Is it possible for us to see what had happened, officer?” Neeraj asked expectantly.

“I cannot stop you from taking a look from outside the police tapes. However, I must warn you, you might not have the stomach for it.”

“I have seen my share of blood and gore, Mr. Sawant,” Vikram Shaw tried to lighten the situation.

Shooting the engineer-entrepreneur a look, Ranveer took to lead the group towards the place where Kailash Manchandani’s body was found. They left the bituminous road behind and started to walk down the marshy slopes down to the lake. Underneath their shoes, the soil was muddied up from the rain and covered fully in moss.

“Be careful, let’s try not to slip,” Vikram Shaw chirped. “So, Mr. Sawant, what really happened here?” he gestured at Kailash Manchandani’s dark blue Porsche Boxster that stood below by the lake. The front of it had hit a boulder and got all wrangled up. The windshield of the car was completely broken. The forensics team that Ranveer called over for assistance were scouting the entire area for scraps of the car to take back as evidence. A number of them were scattered around combing the entire area.

“On the surface, it looks like a case of car crash. There was snow and rain last night. The road is not a very well-lit one either. There are even skid marks on the road a few metres up ahead. It would have been a perfect explanation, albeit an unfortunate one,” Ranveer said.

“I feel like there is a ‘but’ coming,” Suresh Oberoi said quietly. He was the one worst hit by the news, Ranveer’s instinct said – perhaps they knew each other longer or perhaps Vikram Shaw was not a sentimental type of person. “You are sure then that this is a murder, right? That is what you were going to add?”

“Yes, Mr. Oberoi. It would have been easy to waive the whole thing away as an accident, if not for…”

“If not for what?” Neeraj asked.

They are almost near the car by now. The climb down to the lake was a steep one. Ranveer pointed at the Porsche. The three of them turned.

Neeraj Oberoi let out a horrified gasp.

“Dear good lord,” the façade of collectiveness that Vikram Shaw had put up till now dropped in a moment.

Suresh Oberoi remained silent.

In front of them, the lifeless body of Kailash Manchandani rested against the backrest of the front seat. His head lolled to one side, facing away from the public view. The back of his head was completely bashed in. The blood from the injury had poured down and soaked his white linen shirt into a bright red. Making his clothes and the interior of the car even messier were the blood from the stumps of his two chopped off hands.

Vikram Shaw turned away in disgust.

“Who would do such a thing?” Neeraj Oberoi asked.

“That’s my job to find out now,” Ranveer said. “We also found this pinned to the pocket of his coat.”

Ranveer brought out a piece of paper and showed it to the Oberoi father and son.

“IN… SEARCH… OF… SATYANWESHI,” Neeraj read it out loud.

“Rings any bells?” Ranveer asked. Both of them nodded.

“What does this even mean? Satyanweshi? It means someone who seeks the truth, right? Is the murderer trying to send a message?” Neeraj asked.

“I don’t have the answers yet, Mr. Oberoi. We just discovered the body an hour ago or so. Please let us conduct our investigation. We will let you know of any significant progress. For now, we need to take Mr. Manchandani’s body to the forensics department and get a thorough autopsy done. We need to know the time and cause of death, first thing. His car will be taken into custody for inspection as well.”

Vikram Shaw had regained his composure by now. Ranveer turned to him and asked if he was okay. Getting an answer in affirmative, he then asked the engineer how he knew Kailash Manchandani.

“We go way back. Kailash helped both of us set up our businesses when we started off as rookie entrepreneurs, even though he was practising criminal law at the time. We have spent many evenings together sharing our joys and woes over drinks. Our families have gone on vacations together as well. He was like a brother to us,” Vikram Shaw said. There was no accent in his speaking anymore.

“Seeing your friend brutally murdered would do that to you,” Ranveer thought to himself.

“Fair enough, gentlemen. I will now have to leave you and get on with the formalities here. However, rest assured, I will get back to you regarding the situation. I will have questions on Mr. Manchandani’s personal life and background, for which I will need your statements. I would recommend that none of you leave the town of Tistaang till the investigation is over.”

“Us? Why us? Do you think any of us is a suspect?” Suresh flared at Ranveer.

Ranveer knew how to handle such responses well enough.

“This is basic regulation, Mr. Oberoi. We are the police. We have to look at everything from a neutral point of view in which anyone and everyone can be a suspect. Your unexpected absence would only hinder the process of the investigation. I’m sure you would not want that. In any case, as I said, I will need your assistance to move forward in this case. I did not know Mr. Manchandani, and now I will not have the good fortune to do so anymore either. But you were his close friend and confidante. I will require to speak to you to understand who might have the kind of grudge on Mr. Manchandani to pull off such violence.”

“I knew he had made his enemies, but never expected he would meet such a fate,” Suresh Oberoi said.

“None of us do, Mr. Oberoi. My heartfelt condolences.”

Bidding them farewell, Ranveer Sawant once again reassembled the group of locals he was talking to before he was interrupted.

“Am I late? Oh god, I’m so sorry, so sorry. Whatever on earth happened?” a voice made the three of them turn around. A man in his early 50s came running up to them, panting and heaving.

“It’s okay Daksh, it’s not like we have anything to do here,” Suresh said gently.

“I came as fast as I could. What a horrifying matter,” Daksh Rajput said, unmindfully jangling his car keys inside the pockets of his track pants. “I was out for a run when I came across the news near the tea stall. A man was excitedly narrating what has happened to the crowd. I believe he works at your chemical factory, Vikram.”

“Ah yes, this excites the locals, it does. Take a look around,” Vikram Shaw gestured. “There are people gathered here looking on with such interest that you’d think we have put on a show here.”

“It’s the first crime here in over half a century or so, I believe,” Suresh Oberoi said. “They have reason to be eager.”

“For them it’s all a play, isn’t it? Kailash Uncle did not mean anything to them after all,” Neeraj said, anger palpable in his voice.

“Let’s not lose our heads,” Vikram Shaw said. “We should all drive back to our house, get freshened up, and regroup somewhere to talk about it.”

All four agreed on the plan.

Getting off the car back at Oberoi Mansion, Neeraj instructed their driver to bring his wife home as soon as possible.

“Aadya will be waiting for you near the Siliguri Railway Station. Pick her up and bring her home. Try not to scare her with any details on the way,” Neeraj warned.

---O---

“Are you okay?” Ranveer asked Zoya, who was standing silently at the edge of the road and looking straight down at the trampled Porsche of Kailash Manchandani.

Ranveer’s words halted Zoya’s train of thoughts.

“What? Oh yes, yes. I’m fine. You know I’ve seen murders and everything. You should carry on with your work,” Zoya reassured.

“Still, this is different. You were on vacation. Don’t worry about my work, my team is rounding up the witnesses. I’ll soon take their statements. I promised you a peaceful stay here at Tistaang. What are the odds of a murder happening the same weekend you are here after me cribbing to you incessantly how crimeless the town is?” Ranveer sounded exasperated.

“Well, it seems like the Crime Gods have heard your plea,” Zoya made a feeble attempt at a joke.

“I’d rather they didn’t. But it has got everyone excited, I can see that. I had to delegate two of my constables to control the crowd when we first arrived. They all want to know what has happened. How can I just divulge information about an ongoing investigation?” Ranveer was frustrated with the situation.

“Who were the men you escorted down to the car?” Zoya asked abruptly, ignoring Ranveer’s comments on the local crowd.

“The older man with square-rim glasses and salt-and-pepper hair – that’s Suresh Oberoi. The younger one is his son Neeraj. The well-dressed one is Vikram Shaw. He says he’s an engineer and runs a chemical firm.”

“But you are not impressed?”

“It’s not my job to be impressed. All is fair and square for as long as things are peaceful, Zoya. But now I have to look at them all in a different light.”

“Who is the fourth guy?”

Ranveer squinted his eyes and took a closer look. The men were standing at a distance and talking animatedly.

“If I am not wrong, he is Daksh Rajput. He is a highly-ranked officer in the Customs department. He has his tentacles deep into many places, if you know what I mean.”

“Corruption?”

“I can’t say for sure. But he knows people. It makes sense that he would be a friend of Manchandani too. He has a reputation of being rude to his subordinates as well. He does look terrified now though.”

“It’s not like they see their friends getting murdered every day at work. Being rude is one thing… what is he doing here though? Why would a Customs officer be posted at Tistaang?” Zoya asked.

“He is not posted here. I think he is here on vacation just like you. Never mind, I’ll worry about him later. I need to talk to the villagers now, especially the chief witness. He has interesting things to say.”

“Oh? Who is it? What is he saying?”

“His name is Mingma – a common name in these parts. He is a woodcutter and has worked in these forests his entire life. He lives up there,” Ranveer gestured at the scattered collection of huts that clung to the side of the hill that went up beyond Silchow Lake.

“Did he see anything?”

“Not really. He says he was blinded by a flash; the kind a car’s headlight would have made. It was at around late evening while he was wrapping up with his day’s work. He remembers being surprised as not too many cars take this route, like I told you before. He did not pay much attention to it and went back to tying up his wooden logs. Next time he looked up, he says there was nothing there, as if the car had disappeared. He is quite old though and probably has impaired sight and hearing. I do not know how much of his words are worth taking note of,”

“Hmm. A tough one,” Zoya said.

“But I cannot totally ignore him either. He is also the one who spotted the car and the body.”

“What was he doing down here?”

“Morning chores, I believe.”

They stayed silent for a while.

“Zoya…” Ranveer started, his mind lost in thoughts.

“Yeah?”

“I was wondering… if you would… if you could that is… possibly stay till this case is solved?”

“What? Are you suggesting you need my help?” Zoya laughed.

“No, no. I am serious. You are a journalist. You do this day in and day out. But this is different. This town has seen murder for the first time in decades, that too in such a fashion, right when you were here. Who knows what mystery lies beneath this heinous crime? Don’t you want to cover it? Think what it would do to your resume. This literally fell onto your lap. It’s like you were meant to do this,” Ranveer said excitedly.

Zoya thought for a few seconds.

“That’s a good idea. I will need to have a chat with my boss at SunPrime if he’d allow me to stay and cover this for the outlet. If he says no, I won’t be able to.”

“I’m sure you’ll convince him. This is an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity Zoya. You can’t let this go.”

“But are you sure I will not be a hindrance in your investigation? I don’t want to be in the way of your work.”

“If anything, you would be a massive help, I’m sure. It’s always good to have a fresh pair of eyes on cases such as this.”

“Done deal, then.”

 

Chapter 3: Witch-HuntDecember 18, 1999

“A murder you say? Whose?” Aadya was wide-eyed, seated in the backseat of her husband’s BMW.

Nandu was caught off-guard. He was told by Neeraj to not say too much to Aadya about the tragedy that has taken place in Tistaang. But she was not the type of woman to back off.

“I can’t say too much madam, please. Sir has told me not to,” Nandu said, looking at Aadya’s reflection on the rear-view mirror. She was dressed in a light blue salwar kameez with little flowers embroidered on the dupatta. She always wore such lightweight clothes to her yoga classes and workshops and kept the more vibrant attires for the art exhibitions or other occasions. Her hair was tied up in a neat bun, a few strands of hair fluttering across the forehead. She had no jewellery on except for her wedding ring on left hand.

Aadya let out a stifled laugh.

“Your sir will tell me himself anyway. He cannot keep too many secrets from me. Why shouldn’t I know anyway?”

“I don’t know madam. I just know there has been a death,” Nandu was trying hard to not mess up. He had never seen his employers look so glum and tensed as they did earlier in the morning when he drove them to Silchow Lake. He did not want to do something wrong today and lose his job.

“Fine, then I will figure it out myself. Take the shortcut that goes via Silchow Lake. I’ll talk to the police and find out.”

“Madam, please. Sir has told me to –”

“I am your employer too, am I not? You are supposed to take me where I ask you to,” Aadya said firmly.

Nandu was left confused with the dilemma. He did not want to disobey a direct order from Aadya either.

“Okay madam, but if sir says anything to me, please tell him that it was you who wanted to go to the crime scene.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll handle it,” Aadya assured.

By the time Aadya reached Silchow, the crowd had thinned out. They had expected a sensational show of some sorts, but all they got was routine police work – people doing their jobs with deadpan faces. Most of them got bored and went back to their homes. Some still hung around hoping for the scenario to change.

Aadya looked around for someone in authority to speak to. Her eyes landed on a young uniformed officer who was talking to an old man, presumably a local.

“Are you looking for someone? I believe the area is now cordoned off to the public. They are trying to make the locals leave.”

Aadya turned to see who was offering the information.

“Hi, I’m Zoya. I’m friends with the officer in charge of this case, if that’s who you’re looking for,” she pointed at Ranveer standing at a distance.

“Thank you,” Aadya smiled.

“Did you know Mr. Manchandani?” Zoya asked. She was walking beside Aadya as she made her way towards Ranveer.

“Yes, I did. He was a family friend. He helped my father-in-law with business,” Aadya was curt in her responses.

Zoya stopped in her track momentarily. “Are you talking about Suresh Oberoi?” she asked.

“Yes, I am. I am married to his son Neeraj.”

“Oh! Nice to meet you. Your husband and father-in-law paid a visit earlier.”

“I see. I could not come with them as I was in Siliguri.”

“You were visiting someone?” Zoya followed up.

Aadya shot a look at Zoya, wondering if this woman she just met was being too inquisitive about her personal matters. Seeing nothing but genuine curiosity on Zoya’s face, Aadya said, “I went there for a yoga workshop.”

“Wow! You are a yoga teacher!”

Aadya laughed.

“No, not really. We have our guruji who is the teacher. But I am a senior student. So sometimes, few of us take classes or conduct workshops if guruji is busy.”

“Still impressive. Is this your profession, ma’am?”

“Please, call me Aadya. And no, you can say yoga is my passion. I am an artist by profession. But I do not work anywhere full-time. I do freelance work.”

“That is even more fascinating. What sort of work do you do?”

“Sketches for graphic novels, cartoons for children’s books, drafts for fashion designing firms, there’s more.”

Zoya was truly impressed. Aadya looked like a simple girl from a cultured background, but her talents were many. She also came across as quite intelligent to Zoya.

“I believe you are the one looking after this case?” Aadya asked Ranveer, not letting Zoya ask any more questions.

“Yes, and you are ma’am?”

“Aadya Oberoi. I believe you’ve met…”

“Yes, yes, your husband and father-in-law. Please, how can I help you?”

“I simply want to know what has happened here.”

“I’m sure Mr. Neeraj can tell you. At the moment, I can’t share with you any more than he knows.”

Aadya looked coolly at Ranveer.

“Of course, officer. I will ask him when I reach home. I was curious to see the place myself once.”

“Be my guest. Please do not cross the police cordon. But other than that, you are free to take a look around. I can do this much for you,” Ranveer smiled. “But I don’t know what you would find of interest here. Mr. Manchandani’s body have been removed and transferred to the hospital for post-mortem. The car has been sent off for forensic testing as well. The reports will come back soon.”

“I see. Then I suppose I will head home,” Aadya quickly made up her mind.

“I’ll walk you to your car,” Zoya offered.

“Thank you,” Aadya smiled. “Have the police found anything yet? Any suspects?”

“I really can’t tell you anything Aadya, because I don’t know myself. This is police business. But between you and me, I feel like this is a well-planned murder,” Zoya said, her eyebrows frowned.

“Are you sure? It could be something else as well.”

“What do you mean?” Zoya asked.

“His car could have skidded. This road has been newly paved and there was snow last night. Maybe it was an accident?”

Zoya remained quiet. She realized that Aadya probably did not know about the chopped hands and the note pinned to Kailash Manchandani’s coat.

“No Aadya. It was not an accident. There is enough evidence to point towards a murder.”

“Really? How can you tell?”

Zoya briefly narrated the crime scene to Aadya as it was when they arrived. Locals had already gathered around the car and were talking among themselves. Ranveer had to ask his men to handle the crowd so that he could get a proper look at the incident. He had asked Zoya to stay in the car, but she was not one to miss out on the first murder Tistaang had seen in over fifty years.

Aadya listened quietly.

“That sounds awful,” she said, when Zoya was done. “What human could commit such an act?”

“Someone with a lot of hatred for Kailash Manchandani, perhaps. I hear he did not have a dearth of enemies.”

“I suppose so. He was a good man from what I know. He helped my father-in-law a lot in his businesses.”

“I am sure he was. But one makes foes in his line of business. He sent a lot of people to prison, didn’t he?”

“He sent a lot of them to gallows as well.”

Zoya gave Aadya a surprised look.

“Surely none of them could have done that,” she thought Aadya was joking.

“You never know. When I first came here after marrying Neeraj, I heard many stories.”

“About?”

“Ghosts, spirits, apparitions… call them what you want. Our maid has told me stories that her grandmother shared with her. When her naani was a child, Tistaang Valley was a place where witches were hunted. Women who were caught doing anything remotely suspicious were captured and burnt alive or drowned or hung from trees.”

“Are you serious?” Zoya asked wide-eyed.

“I am telling you what I have heard. The spirits of the women wronged used to return and lure men into their deaths – men who were usually walking or driving alone at night on this road – just like…”

“Just like Kailash Manchandani,” Zoya finished Aadya’s sentence.

“Yes.”

“But Mr. Manchandani did not hunt any witch,” Zoya said mockingly. She did not believe in any such superstitions.

“Perhaps he saw one, which is why he lost his balance. His car skidded down to the lake.”

“What about the hands? Did the witches chop them off too?”

“They prefer to drink the blood of their prey, people say,” Aadya said. “Anyway, it was nice meeting you,” she suddenly changed her tone. “I don’t know where you live around here, but I hope to see you sometime again.”

“Oh, I don’t live here. I am from Delhi. I came to visit Ranveer for a couple of days. But I have decided to stay and cover this story, as it is the first murder in ages that this town is seeing,” Zoya clarified.

“Cover? Are you a journalist then?”

“Yes ma’am,” Zoya took out her card from her purse and offered it to Aadya. “In case you have information that you don’t want to share with the police, you know who to call,” Zoya winked.

Aadya gave her a nod and got into the car.

“I will make some sketches on what might have gone down here last night. It might help you and your friend visualize the crime better,” Aadya said peeking out of the window as the car rolled away. 

---O---

“So, your boss has no problem with you staying for a few more days?” Ranveer asked.

“Yes. He was very intrigued when I told him the details of the case. He said I should cover it thoroughly,” Zoya said excitedly.

“Great. It would do leaps and bounds for your career,” Ranveer beamed.

“Only you can be happy about a murder, sir,” Ranveer’s man servant said as he placed a plate of pakora on the centre table. He was an old man in his sixties and adored Ranveer like his own son even though they knew each other for a little while.

“You know me, Raju Kaka. I was getting bored of inaction. Ah, these are delicious,” Ranveer chomped on one of the pakoras, making hush-hush sound as the steam hit his mouth.

“Please enjoy,” Raju Kaka nodded at Zoya, who was deeply engrossed in her notebook. “I will bring the evening tea shortly.”

“What are you thinking?” Ranveer asked after the old man left.

“Nothing… just a few things Aadya told me when she came to visit the crime scene?”

“Anything I should know about? What did she say?”

“No, no… it’s all nonsense really. She was talking about witches who trap men and lure them to their deaths. Let’s not allow such silly ideas get into our heads. But something she said gave me an idea of what might have happened with Kailash Manchandani.”

“Witches… wow. I thought only the locals believed in all that stuff.”

“Yeah. Apparently Aadya heard the stories from their housemaid. You’ll probably see her when you go to their house later. Maybe you can tell her to not spread such pointless rumours.”

“I have better stuff to do Zoya. Now tell me what Aadya’s words reminded you of.”

“While she was talking about witches, Aadya suggested that Kailash Manchandani might have seen a spirit on the road and lost his focus on driving, which is why his car skidded down the slope. Now, we can easily set aside the possibility of there being any sort of supernatural activity, obviously. However, it is possible that Mr. Manchandani was possibly distracted by something – something sudden and unexpected that appeared on the road – after which he lost control of the Porsche’s steering. Don’t you think that’s possible?”

“Yes, it is quite possible. Even though it was snowing that night and the road was slippery, I feel it is a bit of a stretch that someone like Kailash Manchandani, who has been driving up and down Tistaang for years now in all sorts of weather, would simply lose control of the car. And then again, there are the chopped hands, the blow to the head, and the pinned note, all of which points towards a well-planned and executed murder.”

Ranveer sipped on the tea that Raju Kaka had left seconds ago.

“The killer did not make any effort of being subtle though, if you notice. Whatever it is that they used to distract Manchandani, it was clearly enough to send his car toppling down to the lake. The blow to the head should have been the final nail on his coffin, no pun intended. It would have been way easier to pass the death as an accident if that is all that had happened. However, they went ahead and bothered to chop off his hands and leave a message. Why would someone do that?” Zoya wondered.

“It means someone wants us to know that Kailash Manchandani’s death was not an accident and that he has been murdered for a reason.”

“That should mean it is one of his enemies, right? Maybe it is someone he sent to jail or the family member of someone who had to hang because of him.”

“There is such a possibility, yes. I will talk to Suresh Oberoi and his other friends soon to get an idea of his life before Tistaang. The act of cutting his hands was a particularly brutal one. It shows that our murderer is not afraid of resorting to extreme violence. Such displays of rage are usually seen in crimes of passion, but my instincts say that this has only been set up to seem like that. I believe the murder has been planned in a very calculated manner.”

“What do you think distracted him in the first place? Do you think it is someone or something that showed up on the road or did he have someone with him inside the car? Maybe the killer was hiding inside the Porsche the whole time,” Zoya threw around different possibilities.

“That is definitely a possibility, once again. I checked with his personal assistant earlier today. She told me that Mr. Manchandani had a meeting with a premier client in Gangtok. She could not say what the meeting was about due to attorney-client privilege, but she said she would provide me with the name and address of the client and everyone else Mr. Manchandani had business with by today. But I don’t think it would help us much. If it is one of his enemies who murdered him, they would not be one of his clients but someone he prosecuted in the court of law. But it would give us an idea of the cases he has worked on as a criminal lawyer.”

“Yeah. Once you know the criminals he has prosecuted, you can find out if chopping off hands or leaving ambiguous notes were an MO of any of them,” Zoya suggested.

Ranveer laughed. “You are talking in proper police jargon now. You’d make a great sidekick. I am looking forward to solving this case with you,”

“How many times do I need to tell you? I am a journalist. I have understanding of your “police jargon”, Zoya feigned offence. “Anyway, there is nothing else to discuss tonight I suppose.”

“There was this other thing…”

Zoya’s ears perked up. “What is it?”

“The hole… there was a hole in the front seat of the car. I didn’t really notice it for the longest time since Manchandani’s corpse was resting against it and we did not want to move it before the forensics showed up and took crime scene photos. But once his body was zipped off and taken away, I noticed.”

“What sort of a hole?”

“The kind made by a bullet from a gun.”

“What? There was a gun used as well? How come you didn’t mention it before?”

“I did not want to add to the confusion. This case is already a hot mess as it is. The murder of such a high-profile personality, that too in such a controversial manner where his dead body was desecrated. I simply did not want to say something this serious without being sure. But the more I think about it and the more I look at this picture, I cannot avoid the possibility of there being a gun involved,” Ranveer slid a photograph across the table to Zoya.

“I wouldn’t know about guns that much, so I’ll take your word for it. Forensic report on the car should be able to confirm it, right?”

“Yes. If I can get my hands on the ballistics – if that is a bullet hole in the first place – I should be able to check if anyone in Tistaang has a gun of the same calibre. However, the reports will take time. Till then, my hands are more or less tied.”

“What about the weapon used to hit his head or chop off his arms? Can you look for those in the meantime?”

“Yes, for sure I can. Forensics report should be able to tell what sort of blunt and sharp objects were used to inflict the respective injuries. It would make it easier to look for them and then scan them for fingerprints.”

“How will you look for the weapons in a place like this?” Zoya sounded surprised. “It’s a valley area. Most of it is covered by forest. There are so many steep cliffs as well. The killer could have tossed it off anywhere. What if it was thrown into a river? They are all fast-paced here. The weapon must have been carried away.”

“You’re right. But it is routine police work. We have to look for the weapon in the near vicinity of the crime scene. Statistics say that most murderers happen to dispose of the arms they use near the place of the killing. There is some psychology involved in this, I suppose. Maybe they do not want to keep the weapon on them for too long.”

“That is probably correct in most cases. However, this killer seems to know what they are doing. Chances are, you will have a tough time finding the weapon.”

“Knowing the nature of the weapon has other benefits too. For example, if the blunt force trauma was inflicted using a spanner, then we can go ahead with the assumption that the killer probably had a car.”

“Oh, I see! That makes sense. I wonder what was used for the hands. It is not easy to chop off the hands of a grown man clean. One would need something very sharp. A regular kitchen knife would not do. They would also need to have good upper body strength.”

Ranveer’s eyes lit up. Something flashed across his mind like a lightning. Zoya noticed it too.

“What? What is it?” Zoya instinctively asked.

“I just remembered something. When Soreng called me from the police station to tell me about the murder just as we were about to leave, he said something about a missing axe.”

“Whose axe?”

“The woodcutter who reported the murder and possibly witnessed some of it as well. What was his name again?” Ranveer turned the pages of his police notebook.

“Mingma, right?” Zoya said from memory.

“Right, right. Yes. Soreng said that Mingma had replaced his axe. He complained about it to me as well when I was questioning him. He was almost crying, saying it was his only good axe and without it he would not be able to chop trees and make a living. I felt bad for him and handed him hundred bucks to buy a new one. It had completely gone out of my mind.”

“Do you think he is lying? Did he use it and then got rid of it somewhere? He is a local. He would know all the places one can hide a murder weapon that would never be found again.”

“I don’t think so. From what we know about the case, Mingma has no motive to kill Kailash Manchandani. He did not even know the man, from what I can tell. There is almost no possibility of the two of them being connected in any way. Moreover, you’ve seen Mingma. He is an old man, quite the hunchback. You think he would have the strength to murder a man of Kailash Manchandani’s build?”

Zoya rubbed her neck thoughtfully.

“Perhaps someone stole his axe and used it as the murder weapon?” Zoya suggested.

“We would not know till we get the reports. But it is a possibility, yes.”

Ranveer and Zoya wrapped up their investigation and planned to relax for the rest of the evening. They put on a movie they both loved to watch together as kids and tried to relive the olden days. However, both of their minds were caught up with the murder and it eventually became impossible for them to concentrate on the movie. Even at the dinner table, they kept circling back to the same topic.

“I think we need to sleep it off. My brain will explode if I think about the incident for another minute but I cannot make it stop either. A good night’s slumber should help,” Zoya said tiredly after Raju Kaka had cleared away the plates. Dinner was a delicious mutton curry and handmade chapattis, but neither of them were in the mind to appreciate it, much to Raju Kaka’s annoyance.

“You kids should at least eat properly. Or else how will you get the energy to solve crimes?”

“Kaka, we are not 10-year-olds,” Ranveer laughed heartily. “You don’t need to tell us to eat our vegetables and drink our milk.”

“Grownups need to eat food as well,” Raju Kaka said making a face.

Ranveer and Zoya wished each other ‘goodnight’ and headed towards their bedrooms.

 

Chapter 4: New People, Old RivalriesDecember 19, 1999

Seated in the back, Zoya craned her neck to take a proper look at the massive mansion of the Oberois as Ranveer’s police jeep halted in front of the porch.

The porch, the pillars that held up the roof above, the foyer that extended beyond – everything was made of sparkling white marble. It matched perfectly with the ivory white façade of the Oberoi Mansion. Ivy plants with colourful flowers circled the pillars from floor to ceiling in a way that was made to look accidental but was carefully curated. It reminded Zoya of the murder. From the ceiling, tiny pots of flowering plants were hanging as well.

“It looks like someone in your house has a love for gardening,” Ranveer said as he shook Neeraj Oberoi’s hand, who was waiting at the porch. “Nice meeting you again. This is my friend, Zoya Shroff. She’s a journalist and is assisting me with the case. She was present at the crime scene in the morning as well,” Ranveer explained.

“It is all my wife’s doing. She is a creative person. She is into arts and everything,” Neeraj said while shaking Zoya’s hand.

Zoya got the vague idea that Neeraj Oberoi did not have a clear idea of what his wife did for a living and but was somehow proud enough to show it off to outsiders. She caught a proper look at Neeraj now, which she could not in the morning from a distance.

Neeraj Oberoi was a well-built man in his early thirties. All the signs of being born in a privileged household were present in him. He was well-groomed for a man and was dressed in branded clothes exclusively. Even his house slippers were from a reputed company and must have cost a fortune.

“Please, make yourselves comfortable,” Neeraj Oberoi showed Ranveer and Zoya into the living room. Zoya looked around with appreciation. The inside of the Oberoi Mansion was just as gleaming as the exterior. Sophistication spilled from every nook and corner as everything boasted of an extraordinary touch of class.

The couches that Ranveer and Zoya were seated were plush velvet ones with gilded frames. The dark red shade added an essence of royalty to it. The centre table matched the couch in elegance and exquisiteness, while the carpet underneath it was quite certainly Persian. There were antique statues of bronze, ivory, porcelain, and China clay at the right spots. An elaborate chandelier hung from the ceiling above. The heat emanating from the lights was enough to keep the living room warm.

A small flame was flickering in the hearth of the fireplace, somehow managing to keep itself alive amid a heap of cinder. The mantelpiece mostly had framed pictures of the Oberoi family. A much bigger frame hung from the wall above.

Neeraj caught Zoya looking at it and cleared his voice.

“That’s my mother, in case you were wondering. She passed away when I was in college.”

“Oh, I am so sorry. I didn’t mean to stare.”

“No, it is absolutely fine. She was a beautiful woman. Too bad leukaemia does not care about one’s beauty.”

The mood in the room suddenly turned heavier than it already was. Neeraj understood that this sudden revelation made Ranveer and Zoya uncomfortable.

“Please, don’t worry about it. That was a long time ago. We’ve all made peace with it. We did everything we could, but even tons of money cannot always save a live. Feel free to ask your questions, officer,” Neeraj said.

A sudden clinking noise caught everyone’s attention. Radha walked into the room carrying a tray of tea pot, cups, and snacks, her anklets making the sound. She was an attractive woman full of the jubilance that comes with youth. However, today, her eyes were a bit red and her face was puffy from all the crying, and her stride missed the usual spring that is present when she walks around the Oberoi Mansion. Even the bright pink salwar kameez she was wearing could not cover up the gloom on her face.

“Ah yes, refreshments. Please, be my guest. The tea is straight from our garden. This is the finest flushes you will find in North Bengal,” Neeraj gestured at the tea. Samosas and dry fruits were neatly arranged on a glass plate.

After Radha left, Neeraj decided to give an explanation for his wife’s absence from the acts of hospitality, but he did it ever so subtly.

“I think Aadya is busy in her studio doing some sketches. I try not to disturb her when she is doing her work.”

“Aadya told me she would make some sketches for the crime scene. Perhaps that is what she is working on.”

Neeraj looked surprised.

“You’ve met Aadya?”

Ranveer shot Zoya a look. As a trained and experienced police officer, Ranveer knew that you are never supposed to volunteer information that does not need revealing. But Zoya was not that vigilant with her words, being a civilian. Moreover, he did not know that Aadya had offered to make sketches of the crime scene.

Ranveer had to step in to take charge of the situation, realizing that Aadya had not told Neeraj about her morning rendezvous with the police at the crime scene. But it was also not his or Zoya’s responsibility to keep secrets as per other people’s conveniences.

“We came across Mrs. Oberoi in the morning. She paid a visit to the crime scene on her way home from Siliguri. She had a chat with my friend and said she would try and recreate what might have happened to Kailash Manchandani. We appreciate the gesture, but I assure you, it is nothing too serious. We have our own photographers and artists for the purpose.”

Neeraj still looked a bit shaken. Nevertheless, he tried to hide it and continued with the conversation.

“That’s nice of her. She is quite talented, I must say. We never had much of art in our family. Everybody I’ve known has been in business more or less. If not business, they were into practising medicine or law. Aadya is the one who brought a bit of artistic touch to my life and this house as well. It rather looks nice, does it not?”

“Yes, Mr. Oberoi. Your house – or at least this living room – looks like straight out of a magazine,” Zoya reassured.

“That’s why they say opposites attract, perhaps. I try to appreciate it, even though I don’t always understand it,” Neeraj said, taking a look around the living room like he was a guest in his own house.

Ranveer caught a quick glimpse of the watch. He needed to get started with the questions soon.

“Thanks for the tea, Mr. Oberoi,” Ranveer cleared his voice. “Now, if you don’t mind, can I ask you a couple of questions? I’d save most of it for your father, since he was the one close to Mr. Manchandani. But since you knew him too…” Ranveer trailed off.

“Yes, yes, of course. I understand. Please, how can I help?”

“Can you tell me about your whereabouts on the night the incident happened?”

“You mean yesterday night, right? I was in Darjeeling since morning. I had to attend a business meeting that started around 5 o’clock in the afternoon and went on till 9 o’clock or so.”

“If you don’t mind me asking, what was the meeting about?”

“Our company sealed the deal for yet another tea garden near Darjeeling. The meeting was about negotiations for the final price, which is why it took so long.”

“When did you get back home, Mr. Oberoi?”

“We got it at the price we had expected, so some of the senior executives of the company and me who accompanied me went for a couple of drinks and a few rounds of pool. I finally set off for Tistaang at around 11 o’clock. I did not look at the watch when I reached home, but it takes about a couple of hours from Darjeeling.”

“So, you reached home at 1 o’clock, we can assume,” Ranveer said, all-business like. “Is there anyone who can confirm this?”

“Do you suspect me for Kailash Uncle’s murder, Officer Sawant?”

“Please, you have to understand. This is routine questioning. My job requires me to make these queries just as much your job requires you to sit through a five-hour meeting,” Ranveer answered in a tongue-in-cheek manner.

Neeraj stared at Ranveer for a couple of seconds.

“As you can see, it was quite late. Our night guard opened the gate for me. You can also check the CCTV camera lodged near the front door of the mansion. I am telling the truth.”

“Of course, I am sure you are. It never insinuated you did not, Mr. Oberoi. If you look at it this way, I am simply removing you from any future suspicion by making sure that you could not have been anywhere near the place of murder at the time it took place.”

Zoya was quietly observing the back and forth between the two men. She had experience of listening to transcripts of police interrogation before as part of her job, but she had never been present in one before today. Even though it was taking place at the house of the person who was being questioned, over tea and samosas, and the room was lit with a chandelier bigger than Zoya’s entire kitchen, it still seemed quite intense to her. She wondered how the interrogations went when they took place at the police station, or worse, inside the lock-up cells.

Zoya’s ears caught the clinking noise again, but it was ever so slightly audible. She thought Radha was coming in once again, but no one appeared. However, the curtain behind Neeraj Oberoi moved, as if a gust of air hit it from outside. But all the windows were closed. There was no air moving in the room at all.

“Will that be all?” Neeraj Oberoi’s voice brought Zoya back.

“Yes. If possible, give me the names and phone numbers of the employees of your company that you were with, I’ll have a chat with them as well. I’d like to talk to your father now. Would that be possible?”

“If you can believe it, he has been eager all day to talk to you about it. I guess he wants to know what you have found out. But I’ve never seen anyone so keen to talk to the police before,” Neeraj guffawed. “Come, I’ll show you to his room. Let’s not bother the old man and bring him downstairs.”

“Please, lead the way.”

Ranveer and Zoya followed Neeraj up the stairs to the second floor. The stairs were covered with a red rug that run all the way till the end of the corridor where Suresh Oberoi’s room was. Neeraj knocked thrice on the door.

“Papa, Officer Sawant is here to talk to you.”

There was some scuffle inside but the door was readily opened. It looked like Suresh Oberoi had been shedding some manly tears in the privacy of his own room.

“Hello, sir. Shall we come in?” Ranveer asked respectfully. He introduced Zoya as well.

“Yes, yes please. Forgive me. I would have gone down to meet you myself. I just lost track of time… it has been a tiring day.”

Suresh Oberoi was a sturdy man for someone in their mid-fifties. He had changed out of the khaki flannels and plaid shirt that Ranveer and Zoya saw him wearing in the morning. He now had a velvet housecoat wrapped around himself. His face looked tired, but his eyes were sharp and observant.

Ranveer and Zoya noticed that a bunch of documents and some old photographs were strewn across Suresh Oberoi’s king-size bed. Some were scattered across his writing desk as well.

“As you can see, I’ve been doing some reminiscing. I wouldn’t lie, Kailash’s passing has caught me completely off-guard. He wasn’t just my lawyer. We were lifelong friends. As Vikram told you in the morning, he was like a brother to us. I was just going through some memories,” Suresh Oberoi picked up a couple of photographs and held them out for Ranveer and Zoya.

Zoya took one. Suresh Oberoi and Kailash Manchandani were standing beside a lake, with their arms around each other’s shoulders. Vikram Shaw was seated by the lake with his fishing rod dipped in the water. He was turning around to pose for the picture. They were all young in the picture, probably in their early forties.

“Daksh took that picture. We made fun of how he could not be in it. This was taken at… at Silchow Lake. Destiny plays such cruel jokes,” Suresh Oberoi gave a sad smile.

“I am sorry for your loss, Mr. Oberoi. We both are,” Zoya said.

“It’s okay. I will not waste your time with nostalgia. Please ask your questions, officer. I assume you would want to know where I was the evening the incident took place?”

Ranveer nodded. He wondered if Suresh Oberoi had done police interrogation before. He did not have the defiance in him that his son did about answering questions. But then again, he was such a seasoned businessman, Ranveer thought. It would not be surprising if he had rubbed his shoulders with the police on a few occasions over the years.

“I was here at home. I did not go out anywhere. My man servant Chirag and our security guard should be able to confirm it, if you need it. I was holed up in the library all evening day before yesterday reading up the newest reforms in corporate laws for business empires like ours. How ironic it is, isn’t it? I don’t usually bother myself with the legal aspect since Kailash takes care of it… Used to take care of it,” Suresh Oberoi corrected. “I can show you the library too, if you want to see. There are great many books collected over the years by my father and grandfather. Several of them are about law and business. Aadya probably added a few classic literature pieces in the last few years. I haven’t had the time to read them though.”

“We would certainly like to visit your library. However, I had some more questions, if that’s okay.”

“About me?”

“Regarding Kailash Manchandani’s past. You were close friends for decades. He knew a lot about your business. I can only assume that you knew about his as well. Can you tell me if there is anyone in his past who might want to seek revenge?”

“There are many such, as it often happens with his line of work. However, I cannot remember anyone as notorious to commit a murder as brutal.”

“Could it be a gang? Did Mr. Manchandani ever deal with any underground mafia groups?”

Suresh Oberoi looked up straight.

“Yes! He did! That was more than two decades ago. It was probably one of his earliest criminal cases. He was an up-and-coming public prosecutor and was acting as the lawyer in a murder case. The convict was accused of killing a young girl. He was a pretty young man himself, not too older than twenty or so.”

“What happened in the case?”

“Kailash proved him guilty and also revealed that he was involved with drug peddling. It turned out that the man was selling drugs to teenagers in and around his town. The girl probably got caught up in the middle of something or got scared and tried to talk to the police, and thus had to pay with her life. I don’t know too many details about the case, you will probably find them somewhere in Kailash’s case file cabinet. However, I do remember him telling us how the convict threatened him of dire consequences when he was taken away by the authorities. He said he would make sure that Kailash paid for ruining his life. He was supposed to serve a life sentence, if I remember right. But if the man got out of jail, he might have been responsible for Kailash’s murder,” Suresh Oberoi stopped for breath.

“Can you give me the name of the convict? I will find out through internal sources if he has been released or somehow managed to escape.

“Yash Zongpa.”

Ranveer noted the name in his notebook.

“Do you have any further questions, officer?” Neeraj asked. He was silent throughout the conversation. He had never heard of this story before or the name Yash Zongpa.

“No, that’ll be all for now. I will not disturb Mr. Oberoi during his time of grief. However, if I do need anything, I will drop by.”

“Please, feel free to. I want to help find Kailash’s murderer in every way I can,” Suresh Oberoi reassured.

Ranveer, Zoya, and Neeraj came out of Suresh Oberoi’s room closing the door behind them.

“Can we talk to Mrs. Oberoi now? Or will she be offended if we disturb during her time of art?”

“I am sure she can make time for some questions. This is urgent police business after all,” Neeraj said, but did not sound too hopeful. I’ll go and ask.

Keeping Ranveer and Zoya waiting in the lobby, Neeraj took a turn and knocked on a door at the landing of the staircase. A muffled voice from inside said, “Come in.”

Neeraj went in. After a few minutes, he came out and gestured at Ranveer and Zoya to come in.

“She said it would be fine to talk to her in the studio itself,” Neeraj whispered as they approached the door.

Inside, Aadya greeted them with the warmest smile.

“Please, welcome to my abode. We live in a huge house, but this is where I truly feel at home,” Aadya spread her hands. There were works of art everywhere. The room was a small one, but it was spacious and airy. It was not the usual kind of mess that artist’s studios usually are. All the sketches and paintings were neatly arranged.

Most of Aadya’s work were precise pencil sketches or vivid oil painting of human characters done with bold brushwork. But there were a cluster of canvases kept separately on one side. Those were different than the rest. Those were landscape drawings of trees, hills, sunrises, sunsets, and more trees. On the surface, they looked unmindfully done, without a lot of care. But upon close inspection, the pictures would seem much more alive, with every little detail paid done with utmost care and caution.

Zoya looked around in appreciation. When Aadya told her in the morning that she worked as an artist, she did not think too much of her calibre. She was now being proven wrong. She indeed was gifted when it came to art.

“What did you want to talk to me about?”

“They will ask you some basic questions, nothing much,” Neeraj volunteered to answer before Ranveer could. It was only understandable that he was trying to protect his wife.

Ranveer considered what transpired between him and Neeraj a while back regarding Zoya’s visit to the crime scene yesterday morning.

“Mr. Oberoi, if it is not too much trouble for you, can you give us the room. I would prefer to question madam privately.”

Neeraj raised his eyebrows at the request, but did not say anything. He quietly left the room.

“Let’s start with where you were that night?” Ranveer jumped straight to the point.

“I told your friend yesterday. I was in Kolkata city for a painting exhibition at ‘The Viceroy Grand’ from where I travelled to Belur Math attending and co-conducting a yoga workshop for my Guruji. I left early in the afternoon day before yesterday and reached yesterday by 5-5:30 o’clock at Silliguri railway station. I was busy with the workshops all day and evening in Belur & Viceroy. In the morning, our driver Nandu picked me up from Siliguri railway station and drove me back to Tistaang. He told me about the murder in the car and that Neeraj wanted me back home as fast as possible. Hearing that it was Mr. Manchandani who was murdered, I decided to pay a visit to the crime scene out of curiosity. That’s all that happened.”

“If you are still not satisfied with my answers Officer, then you can have a look at my train tickets.” Aadya said opening the mini drawer.

Ranveer jotted down a few details in his notebook.

“Can I get the name and number of the Manager of ‘The Viceroy Grand’ where you stayed in Kolkata? Basic formalities that I need to do as the officer in charge of the case,” Ranveer clarified before Aadya could ask if she was a suspect in the case.

Zoya understood that people associated with such cases often took offence at being questioned and asked to provide alibis, which would only exempt them from suspicion and overall make the work of the police easy.

“Sure, I have it written here somewhere,” Aadya got up to look in her purse.

“Thank you. Can you tell me a little bit about Mr. Manchandani? We know he used to visit the house often, counselling your father-in-law about the legalities of his business.”

“Yeah… but they used to keep themselves to either Papaji’s study or bedroom. I have talked to him a few times during festivals and at parties. He seemed like a nice man to me,” Aadya said, her face deadpan.

“So, you have no idea of his business dealings or past cases?”

“I have heard him talk about some of his old legal victories at the table if he ever stayed over for lunch or dinner, or on some occasions when I served him tea in the living room. But I don’t remember much of it to be of your use. I am a woman of art and culture. I do not understand law all that much. I am sorry if that was not very useful,” Aadya said.

“Everything you tell me is useful, ma’am. Thank you.”

The room was quiet except for the sound of Ranveer’s scribbles in his notebook.

“His wife and son have broken down quite a bit,” Aadya quietly said.

“Excuse me?” Ranveer looked up. “Did you visit them?”

“Yes. After I got back from the crime scene, I took a shower and then visited the Manchandani mansion. They live a few blocks away only. I thought it was only right to pay Lata aunty a visit.”

“I see. Were you to close to her?”

“Not too much. But she is a nice lady, quite decent and dignified. I have met her on a few occasions. She was always warm towards me, even bought me gifts during Diwali or souvenirs when they went for a vacation.”

“That sounds nice. How is she doing? I went over to the mansion yesterday morning as a formality, but she seemed in such a terrible state that I did not bother her too much. I spoke to his son instead for his personal and work details. He wasn’t of much help though. Mr. Manchandani’s assistant did a better job of giving me what I needed to know.”

“Yeah, Parul. She is a nice girl too. Well-behaved and competent. Did you speak to his son over phone? I believe he lives elsewhere?”

“Rohan? Yes. He studies at IIT Roorkee. Poor boy. He was trying to be quite tough for his mother’s sake. But I could tell he was absolutely shaken.

“He is a bright kid. He’ll come around, I know,” Aadya said.

Zoya took a mental note of the fact that for someone who says they did not really know the Manchandani family well, Aadya actually had quite a bit of idea about everyone in that household.

“How did you find Mrs. Manchandani when you visited?” Ranveer persisted again.

“She was obviously still grief-stricken. I sat with her for a long time. She wasn’t speaking a lot. She kept saying her fate was broken.” Aadya said softly.

“I guess I should give her some time before trying to talk to her again. But I will need to,” Ranveer said.

“Some time? How on earth can you simply get over something like this? One morning, your husband is there all happy and healthy, next day, he is dead in a marsh with his hands gone. The trauma of such things… I don’t think she will ever get over it,” Aadya said with a sudden sternness in her voice.

“Time heals all pain, I believe,” Ranveer said softly. He really found this part of the job difficult, where he had to push through the investigation in a desensitized manner while others were stuck with the grief of the death.

“Does it though?” Aadya said sharply. “Time blunts the hurt. Nothing heals the pain of the experiences one goes through.”

Ranveer decided it was best not to say anything in response.

Zoya was quiet throughout the interrogation. But seeing an opening now, she jumped into the conversation to change the topic.

“Your husband said you were doing some sketches. Can we see what you have been working on?” Zoya asked.

“Sure,” Aadya instantly smiled. “I was doing the sketches I told you in the morning about. I tried to recreate the incident and put it out on paper. Wait, I’ll show you.”

Aadya walked over to where her easel was and came back with a few sheets of paper.

“Here. Please take a look.”

Aadya handed her the sheets. There were multiple representations of the scene drawn with charcoal pencil. They were impeccably done. Aadya had perfectly duplicated the landscape of the crime scene down to every last tree. In every sheet of paper, there was a different apparition levitating in front of Kailash Manchandani’s car, allegedly causing the car to skid and crash.

The whole setting flashed in front of Zoya’s eyes once again, one scene after another, like a bioscope. All of a sudden, the magnitude of the situation dawned upon her young mind. She had seen murders before. She had to go to remote parts of the country, with nothing but her notebook in hand and a cameraperson in tow, to cover the gruesome crimes.

However, this one felt different.

Seeing the pictures drawn by Aadya, Zoya felt the similar chill down her spine that she felt yesterday morning when she stepped out of Ranveer’s jeep at Silchow Lake. The air was cold and heavy. The thick fog had not all thinned out yet even though it was a while since the Sun rose. The road under their feet was wet and slippery from last night’s snow and rain, despite being bituminous. The path off the paved road down to the lake was even muddier and treacherous to walk down. There were droplets of water dripping down from the pointy ends of the conifers all around.

But above all, Zoya remembered the eerie silence. There were people scattered here and there – local villagers who were intrigued by the first crime their generation had seen in Tistaang. They were speaking in whispers. They had the good sense to not touch the dilapidated car of Kailash Manchandani or his corpse.

Zoya took trip down to the lakeside with Ranveer to take a look at the situation before the forensics team and everyone else showed up. If she were to report on the crime here for SunPrime, she had to have a first look at how the crime scene looked like, and possibly take some snapshots with her camera that she initially brought along to take pictures of hills, sunsets and street dogs. It was no substitution for the better devices used by the professional photographers she worked with, but it would serve her adequately.

The first glimpse of Kailash Manchandani’s body made her grasp.

When Mingma reported to the Tistaang Police Station, he was barely in a state to clearly describe what he had seen. He was bawling and only managed to get out that he had seen a body by the lake. Arriving at the scene, Ranveer and Zoya saw the car down by the lake and thought it was a case of rash driving. They had walked down expecting to see a dead man with splinters in his body and the car steering stuck in his chest. What they had not expected was to see a dead man with his head bashed in and hands chopped off. They had not expected a murder.

Zoya had recovered within seconds and got to work, taking pictures and observing the details of the scene for her report. The way the whole day went, with her and Ranveer trying to figure out the nitty-gritties of the case, she did not get time to process the initial shock.

Seeing Aadya’s sketches, it all came back to her now.

“These are excellent Aadya. You are a very talented artist!” Zoya exclaimed. The sketches were indeed well done. The spirits looked properly ghastly too, the kind that would definitely cause someone to lose control of the steering and skid off the road if they were not too careful, or otherwise familiar with ghostly creatures in general. 

Zoya was doubtful how much of a help it would be to them. But she kept that to herself. She did not mean to offend Aadya in her own house, in her own work studio.

“Yes, yes, they are brilliant. I’ll take them, just in case they come handy,” Ranveer hastily said. Zoya looked at him. She knew Ranveer was trying to get it over with so that they can go back to the police station and continue the actual investigation.

Taking the names and numbers of the necessary people and bidding farewell to everyone, Ranveer and Zoya left the Oberoi Mansion. They were asked to stay for lunch by Neeraj, but they declined. It was frowned upon for a police officer to break bread with potential suspects of a murder.

---O---

“Do you think all their alibis will check out?” Zoya asked Ranveer once they were in the car.

“They are respectable and easily recognizable people. Even if they try to tell a blatant lie to the police, it would be very easy for us to cross-check and find out the loopholes in their statements. I think an astute businessman like Suresh Oberoi and his family members would know that. Why would they deliberately lie knowing that they could get caught overnight?”

“Fair enough. Also, none of them seem to have any motive for the murder. Suresh Oberoi is visibly broken down at the loss of his friend. Neeraj looks shaken to me too. Aadya…” Zoya took some time to think. “She seems very calm and composed to me. But it could be because she did not really know Mr. Manchandani or work closely with him. She kind of stays in her own bubble, don’t you think? Drawing pictures of ghost-killers. Quite imaginative, I’d say.”

“Yeah. On the surface, none of them have any reason to kill Kailash Manchandani. But you never know what anyone is hiding or simply not mentioning because they don’t think it is relevant to the murder and therefore there is no need for the police to know it. But even the slightest of details can lead to cracking a case wide open. I’ve seen this happen way too many times.”

“You’re saying anyone from the Oberoi household could have benefitted from Kailash Manchandani’s death?” Zoya asked, wide-eyed.

“I’m saying that we cannot rule out the possibility. However, for now, I will have to move forward with the information we have.”

“And what do we have, really. It’s very little.”

“That it might be. But cases have been solved with far less to go on with. I am confident we will find a breakthrough somewhere. I am still waiting on the forensics and blood report.”

“You also have a name now. Are you going to look into the criminal Suresh Oberoi talked about or is it not worth the trouble?”

“In police business, we cannot rule out possibilities out of sheer gut feeling,” Ranveer said sagely. “Even if something seems like a wild goose chase, we would still have to see it till the end to make sure that was not one of the possibilities.”

“Thank you, sir. I will keep this in mind,” Zoya joked.

Ranveer laughed. It suddenly dawned upon both of them that it was yesterday that they were laughing over breakfast. Zoya was supposed to be back in Delhi by now, working at her desk at SunPrime Agency or running after some news elsewhere. One timely phone call from Ranveer’s subordinate, and everything became upside down. The jokes shared over the toasts and sunny-side-ups yesterday morning seemed such a faraway memory for both Zoya and Ranveer.

Once they reached the police station, Ranveer ordered one of his constables to get tea for him and Zoya. Like all police officers, Ranveer’s desk was all messy. There were open and closed case files strewn across, pens scattered with their caps off, three paper tea cups stacked one after another in one corner.

“Do you want me to clean up your desk?” Zoya laughed.

“What are you, my wife?” Ranveer took a jab back.

Zoya eyed him narrowly.

“Well. You’d never ask me to be,” she tilted her head.

Before Ranveer could come up with another witty answer, Vatsal Soreng entered the room.

“You called for me sir?” he saluted.

Zoya scoffed and shook her head. She and Ranveer were friends for years now. They first met when Ranveer’s family moved into the house two plots down the street from where Zoya lived. She still remembered the day she had looked out from her bedroom window and seen a blue-coloured mini truck arrive in front of the house. The engine of the mini truck was making a loud noise and the driver had decided to keep the ignition on the entire time it took for the men to carry the furniture from the back of the vehicle to inside the house. There weren’t too many. Zoya had counted a nice couch, a couple of cupboards, one big bed and two smaller ones, and some chairs, tables, and stools. Nothing too fancy.

A few days later, while playing with her friends at the neighbourhood playground, Zoya had noticed a boy standing near the pond and trying to feed the ducks. She was always the friendliest of the lot. She had run towards the boy and tapped his shoulder.

“I haven’t seen you here before. Who are you?” she had asked bluntly.

“I am Ranveer. I am new here. Do you have any food to feed the ducks?” Ranveer had said, without asking back Zoya her name.

Zoya did not have anything for the ducks that day. But next day, she remembered to bring a slice of bread, hoping to see the boy again. Over the next many weeks, they kept meeting at the playground every afternoon and fed the ducks small pieces of bread.

It wasn’t too long before the ducks got plump and Ranveer and Zoya became best of friends.

It was around the fifth or sixth week after they had met that Ranveer told Zoya he wanted to become a police officer. Zoya had asked why. She was younger then. She had heard people say they wanted to become doctors and engineers and scientists, but never a police officer.

“I want to protect those who cannot protect themselves,” Ranveer had said. Zoya did not quite understand. When she told her mother what her new friend had said, she told Zoya to bring him over to their house one day.

Her mother had cooked a hearty meal for Ranveer next Sunday. Schools were off, so Zoya dragged Ranveer over to their house around lunchtime. Over piping hot naans and curries, Ranveer told Zoya and her mother that he used to have a sister. She was named Rashi and he loved her with all his heart. But one day when he was five and she was three, they were playing in the courtyard of their old house while his mother was cooking in the kitchen and his father was at his workplace.

They were playing hide and seek. It was Ranveer’s turn to hide and Rashi’s turn to find him. Rashi was counting down from ten while Ranveer was climbing the mango tree. He knew Rashi would never be able to climb the tree and find him there. But Rashi’s voice stopped at six and instead of ‘seven’, Ranveer heard a muffled shriek. He peeked out from behind the leaves. He saw a grown man in the courtyard, blindfolding and gagging Rashi. She was struggling, but in vain. The man then picked her up and ran out. There was another man waiting outside the gate with a motorbike on. He sped the motorbike away as soon as the first man hopped onto the back of the vehicle seating Rashi in between them.

That was the last time Ranveer had seen his sister.

His parents had made several trips to the local police station, requesting the officers to look for their daughter. The police probably did all they could as well. But Rashi was never found again. The kidnappers never called for ransom either. The Sawant family moved around for a couple of years because nowhere could they settle down properly.

However, they did not move out of that neighbourhood. In fact, his parents still lived there. Zoya and Ranveer graduated school together. Zoya then decided to go to Nightingale’s Women’s College for a degree in media and journalism, while Ranveer went to the police academy in Hyderabad. They still saw each other once in a while after that during festivals. In the last five years, they had only communicated over phone calls and emails.

“Zoya! Oi, Zoya!” Ranveer waved in front of her in an animated way.

“Oh! Hi. Sorry, I got lost in some thoughts. What’s up?”

“Vatsal and I were going through the case files of Kailash Manchandani’s law career while you were daydreaming. We found the name Yash Zongpa and the police officer who was handling the case. Turned out, he is an old Supervising Officer of mine from a couple years ago when I was posted in Hyderabd. He told me that Zongpa is supposed to be in Delhi Central Jail and there have been no news of his release,” Ranveer said breathlessly.”

“So, he is still behind the bars?”

“Yes. I made a phone call to Central Jail as well. Had to pull some strings, but that’s all right. This is a big case. The town might be small, but names like Kailash Manchandani and Suresh Oberoi are big in certain circuits all over Northern India.”

“What did you find out from Central Jail?”

“I was told that Yash Zongpa was indeed still their inmate. In fact, he is a quite well-behaved one. He sort of keeps to himself for the most part. Therefore, we can rule out the possibility of him being the murderer of Kailash Manchandani.”

“But he could have made someone else do it.”

“That is what I was coming to next. The prison official I talked to said that Zongpa does not get too many visitors either. However, the way the murder has been committed shows that it is the work of a criminal mastermind. If Yash Zongpa is that, then it would not be too difficult for him to get word out to someone from his gang and do his dirty work for him.”

“So, what do we do now?”

“We talk to other friends of Kailash Manchandani and try to find other possible reasons why anyone would want him dead. We also dig deeper into Yash Zongpa’s case and try to find out more about his time behind the bars to figure out if he could have given someone the assignment of killing Manchandani.”

“That sounds easy but I’m sure it’s going to be a lot of brainwork,” Zoya sighed.

“You wouldn’t be interested if it was easy, Zo. I know you,” Ranveer said.

---O---

Chapter 5: Digging DeeperDecember 21, 1999

Sleepless night had become common for Zoya, ever since the murder of Kailash Manchandani. She would toss and turn in her bed but sleep would not come to her assistance. The sight of the dead man would always toss around in her mind. Aadya’s pictorial representation made it even more real. Although Zoya did not believe in ghosts or monsters, the bleak and spook atmosphere of the place and the paintings fogged up her mind. Even as a child when her grandmother told her horror stories, she acted as a brave child. However, the recent incidents around her reminded her of the goose bumps she had felt as a child. The images of blood and gore disturbed her mind to the extent where she had lost her peace. The ambience in the old bungalow did not make it any easier. The creaking footsteps on the wooden floor and the bone chilling air diving from the ceilings could make any skin crawl.

Raju Kaka’s stories were an addition to all of the spookiness that Zoya had felt. As a native of Tistaang and his ancestors being part of the land since the preamble, Raju Kaka knew a lot of its history. After dinner, he came to Zoya’s room to leave a glass of milk.

“You should get some rest. You people are always working”, he advised.

He was about to leave when Zoya stopped him, “You were telling us something about witches last day Kaka, was it true?”

“I have never experienced anything supernatural myself but I have mostly heard stories from my great grandmother. People during that time had seen and experienced a lot of the things that they will not be able to explain.”

“What do you mean? What did your great grandmother experience?” Zoya questioned with interest.

“When my great grandmother was in her adolescence, she had her most prominent and strangest experience. One night when the entire village should have been asleep, she heard a lot of noise coming outside the house. She saw her mother preparing the lantern to go out. When she tried to go along with her, she was ordered to stay behind. My great grandmother was never the most obedient child. Curiosity got the best of her and after a while she left the house quietly and followed the villagers inside the jungle.”

Zoya was intrigued, “She must be a brave one to go inside the jungle so late in the night.”

Raju Kaka smiled, “Children of this land are not worried about the jungle. Nature protects us. It is the people that scare us more. However, you are not very wrong. She was a brave girl. She quietly followed the men and women casting long shadows of their swinging lanterns. Slow and careful steps had to be taken to avoid getting caught. She knew once any of the villagers saw her, she would be taken to her mother and her conclusion would not be pretty. After walking deep into the jungle, she noticed that a huge crowd had already gathered around an opening. She took the assistance of the trees to hide her small frame. The people were standing in a circle and there was a firing burning in the middle. The first thing that she noticed was the bright red rising flames. It seemed some sort of a ceremony was being conducted. On one side of the fire sat a man in a black robe and white long beard. His entire face was marred by bright red vermillion. His lips were moving in chants which the entire crowd seemed to hum. The relaxed body of a child assuming to watch a holy ceremony suddenly became ice cold as soon as her eyes landed on the other participant sitting by the fire. My great grandmother was shocked to see a young women in her initial adulthood sitting on the ground with almost all clothes torn. The cold body was marked with bruises and painted with blood stains. What chilled my grandmother’s heart to its core was the blood shot eyes that stared at the crowd around her. People kept throwing cusses at the young woman but she had no responses. It seemed she had been transported into a trance like state. My grandmother could not take her eyes away even though her entire body shivered at the sight. Before she could see the culmination of the ceremony, her mother had noticed her hiding behind a tree. Her eyes were immediately closed and she was pulled back home. She had multiple questions in her mind but none of them were answered. Her mother would silence her each time she brought up the topic. The night was over but she could not bring herself to forget the sight she had as if it had been engraved in her mind.”

Zoya could not hold herself back, “So, her queries were left in darkness?”

“Until her adulthood, yes. Once she had grown up, her mother had revealed the happenings of the day. The young woman was accused by the villagers of practising witchcraft. They had found suspicious objects in her house which they believed she used for black magic. Her entire family was convinced that she could be cured by a holy ceremony. The simple people had no other option but to agree. Opposing the villagers would not have gone down well for them. The old parents also wanted to save their only child. The villagers took the woman for the ceremony against her will and performed different rites. The ending of such ceremonies were never pleasant and was never meant for survival. My great grandmother’s young mind could not fathom the inhuman act which led to a life being perished. The villagers, however, had true belief in such ceremonies. With time and the influx of modern civilization such ceremonies ended. However, it is believed that the souls that were wronged have made home in the woods. We all remain very cautious about not disturbing in spirit.”

Even after Raju Kaka left, his words remained with her. She wondered about the beliefs and traditions of different cultures that has been collected in history. Her logical mind knew that the murder had nothing to do with spirits yet there was something in the stories of Tistaang that spiked her inquisition. Like the small girl chasing curiosity into the woods, Zoya chased the doubts in her mind.

---O---

Ranveer remained lost in the scattered files on his desk. There were too many loose ends that he was unable to tie. Kailash Manchandani, a popular and successful lawyer could have a huge list of enemies. Cancelling out all the possibilities was going to be difficult task. His list began with Yash Zongpa who was in the Central Jail at the time of the murder. Although he was one of the prime suspects due to his threats to Mr. Manchandani, it meant that he could not have committed the murder by himself. It was important to get in touch with old members from Yssh’s gang. Ranveer used his informants and found out that a local chap named Sunny was part of Zongpa’s gang in the early 90’s. Although the fellow had left all criminal activities and lives with his family working as a farmer, he could be of help to get more information on Yash Zongpa. Sunny may be out of illegal business but the fact could not be negated that he could be an ally, helping Yash on his plans from the outside.

Ranveer was wrapped in his thoughts, when an ordinary middle-aged man walked in his chamber. The constable introduced him as Sunny and left the room. Sunny had a common face which cannot be distinguished from the other natives. So, Ranveer felt like he had seen the man before. Sunny waited at the entrance, certainly uncomfortable to be in this place. Looking at his hesitation, Ranveer insisted him to take a seat at his desk.

“You do not need to be so nervous. This is a regular investigation.”

Ranveer’s words had some effect although very little and Sunny placed himself on the chair. His body language still remained stiff. His past criminal connections did not make him the best of friends with the police. He was leading an honest life with his family and wished to be away from all the mess.

“You know Yash Zongpa, correct?” Ranveer enquired.

“Yes, we were friends. He was the leader of a small gang that used to do some local business in the other side of valley area.”

“And the business was related to drugs. Am I correct?”

Sweat droplets appeared on Sunny’s forehead. He simply nodded his head in agreement. Seeing his pale face Ranveer continued, “Do not worry, I am not charging you for selling drugs. Tell me, was there any connection between Yash Zongpa and Kailash Manchandani? You must know that the latter is dead.”

“Yes the news is all over the place. It was a brutal murder I have heard but I do not think Yash had anything to do with it.”

“Let me be the judge. Tell me what had happened in the past.”

“Most of the gang members had either left town or left the business. Yash was operating by himself on a very small level. The last time I had spoken to him, he had expressed the desire to quit and start afresh. He told me that he had some debt to repay after which he will get out of crimes. Yash used to sell drugs to all influential people in the town. There were very few drug dealers back then and rich people relied on him for his confidentiality. One such deal had gone wrong. One of the politician’s son had bought drugs from Yash. During the party the friends had pressured one of the girl to indulge in the drugs. Due to some mishap the young girl could not survive the overdose. The party was hosted by the minister’s son who was to be blamed for the incident but they were influential people who got away with their power. They used their channels and put all blames on Yash. Kailash Manchandani was also fixed by the politician to fight as the public prosecutor and send Yash behind bars to supress the matter and save his son from going to jail. When Yash came to know that Mr. Manchandani who claimed to be an honest man siding with the government actually playing for the corrupt team, he became extremely angry.”

“And that is when he threatened to kill Mr. Kailash in public.”

Although it was not a question Sunny nodded his head, “Sir, I have heard Yash has been doing well in jail and there is no reason for him to act so abruptly when he was going to be freed in a few more months.”

Sunny’s statement did make sense but Ranveer could not have agreed to his words as per protocol. “We will conduct a thorough investigation and then reach the correct conclusion. Thank you for all the information that you have provided. We may need to call you in again for more questions, so, do not leave the town at present.”

“Again? Am I being suspected, Sir?” Sunny was used to the police tactics. He had seen a few cases during his time. Usually people close to primary suspect also came under the radar of suspicion.

“Everyone is a suspect until the murderer is caught. If you are innocent, you do not need to worry.”

Sunny left the room for Ranveer’s thoughts. The man who had seemed so noble turned out to corrupt. Ranveer knew there was more to these popular faces. He wanted to know how many more skeletons were hidden inside their closets. He had to continue his investigation for the day. A prayer ceremony was being held at the Hill View Resort for Mr. Kailash Manchandani. His family, friends, partners, and clients were going to under the same roof. This would be the perfect time interview them. Ranveer was collecting his things to leave when Zoya knocked on the door.

“See, I am here on time.”

“Thank you so much for that and you do not need to knock.”

Zoya laughed, “Of course, I do officer. So how has your day been till now?”

“I met Sunny, one of Yash Zongpa’s old gang members. He gave me more information about the case that convicted Yash. Turns out Mr. Manchandani was not as pious as it appeared on the surface.”

“What do you mean? You got to give me more than that.”

“I will fill you in on that later. Right now we are very late for the prayer ceremony. Let’s get going.”

---O---

The Hill View Resort was a thirty minutes’ drive from the police station. Zoya had been in Tistaang for quite a few days but she had still not been habituated with the majestic view. Each time her eyes landed on the hills, she felt that each corner has been intricately designed by some divine power. The Hill view resort was at a higher altitude which meant that Zoya was treated with more scenic beauty. Zoya observed that the name of the resort was most appropriate. As they reached the top, the panoramic view of the entire valley opened in front of their eyes. The entire resort was pristine white which screamed luxury. Beautiful and costly cars were parked outside the resort. A valley approached Ranveer’s car and guided the driver towards a parking space.

Ranveer introduced himself at the reception and was immediately guided towards the conference hall where the event was being conducted. Everyone knew the Manchandani’s and they mostly had their events at the resort. Hill view was the most popular place for the rich people in the town for both business and pleasure. Zoya was in awe of the beauty of the resort. The crystal clear marble floor reflected the huge glass chandelier at the foyer. Large, spiral steps rose towards the upper floor. Zoya and Ranveer were guided towards the lawn. The conference area was right by the pool. Zoya watched people enjoying swimming in the clean blue water of the pool. Some spent a lazy afternoon on the lawn chairs. They did not have time for comfort. There was a murder to solve.

When Zoya and Ranveer entered the huge conference room, they saw a large number of guests were already present. Some family member was dedicating last words to the dead man. There was a massive photograph of Mr. Manchandani at the stage and beautiful flowers were placed all around it. Some people sat on the chairs in front of the stage. Some stood in small groups around the corner of the room listening to the speech. The duo had reached around the end of the prayer ceremony. After the speech, people went about conversing among themselves and consoling the family for their loss.

Ranveer suggested, “We are here at the right time. The prayers are done. Let’s get on with our interrogation now.”

“Where would you begin?” Zoya asked.

“You see a bunch of men on the right hand corner. There is Mr. Manchandani’s manager and partners in the group. He was, supposedly, in a meeting with them in Gangtok before returning to Tistaang and getting killed. Come on let’s go and get the men talking.” Zoya quietly followed Ranveer’s lead as he approached the men in suits.

“Hello Gentlemen! Sorry to interrupt your conversation. I am S.H.O Ranveer Sawant and this is journalist Zoya Shroff. We would like to ask you some questions about Mr. Kailash Manchandani’s case.”

When the men gave their approval through nods, Ranveer continued, “I have been informed that Mr. Manchandani was in a meeting with you all in Gangtok on the same that he died. Could you tell me what were the events of the day?”

Ravi Mehta, Mr. Manchandani’s manager spoke, “We had a meeting with a client regarding his company’s legal affairs. This was big business, so, Sir liked to have the entire legal team in these meetings that happened everyone.”

“Did you know anyone who would want to harm Mr. Kailash? Did he have any enemies or altercations that you remember?” Ranveer questioned.

One of the men replied, “Kailash was a good man. He limited his arguments to the courtroom. We never saw him raising voice in public. He was friendly with everyone and avoided all kinds of altercations. In his field of work, he had picked up a lot of enemies. It would be difficult to track them all. However, in his personal life, he had none.”

“Did his behaviour seem any different on that day? Something that may be small but significant. Please try to recall.” Ranveer insisted.

The manager jumped in, “Yes. Usually, the entire team goes out for a drink after these meetings. However, on that particular day Mr. Manchandani did not stay back for the drink. He left early for home. The meeting was a success and we all wanted to have some leisure time. There was no incident that could have upset him except a phone call that came for him at the reception of the hotel in between the meeting. He had to get the call as they said it was urgent. When he returned, there was noticeable difference in his body language. His actions and words seemed more urgent. There were lines of worry on his forehead. Upon enquiry, he told us that there was some emergency at home for which he had to return to Tistaang and would not be able to join. We did not force him to stay rather I insisted to go along with him, fearing something serious could have happened. He did not accept my offer and assured me that he would call me if help was needed. I wish I had not listened to him then things could have been different.”

“I understand your emotions but there is no use blaming on self for things out of our control. The information is valuable and I would also need you to give the telephone number of the hotel. I need to make some enquiries there”, Ranveer informed.

“You have all our cooperation. Anything you want, let me know, I will get it for you. You must catch the killer and bring justice to the kind man and his family. We still cannot believe who would want to harm a generous man like Mr. Manchandani.”

“We will do our best to conduct a proper investigation and find the culprit. Thank you for your time gentlemen. I may reach out to you again if there are more questions on the way.”

Ranveer and Zoya walked away from the group to talk among themselves. Until now Zoya was a silent spectator taking in all the information. Zoya stated, “We need to know who called at the reception, right?”

“Yes, it is very strange that the man got a call and left for home and got killed right after. This is too accurate to be a coincidence. The killer is too sharp. I doubt we will be able to trace the call. The strategic planning tells me that he must have used a PCO booth to make the call. This would make it difficult for us to figure out who made the call.”

Zoya was listening to Ranveer when her eyes noticed a couple approaching towards them. Aadya and Neeraj smiled widely when they came close to them. The couple classy in shades of pastel as if they had coordinated their attire. Zoya immediately knew that these attires would burn a hole in her pocket had she attempted to buy it.

Neeraj greeted, “Officer Ranveer and Zoya, it is nice to see you both here. We did not know you will be attending the ceremony.”

Ranveer replied, “We are here with the purpose of investigation. How was the prayer ceremony?”

Aadya added, “It was a beautiful ceremony. We are glad we could attend and be here to support the family. Lata aunty and Rohit are completely shaken. My father-in-law is in the same state of mind. He still needs time to endure the trauma. Sadly, he could not gather the strength to say goodbye. He insisted that we must attend the ceremony on his behalf.”

Neeraj looked a little disturbed as he constantly fidgeted with the belt of his wrist watch, “Yes, my father is having a tough time handling the situation. How is your investigation going?”

“It is progressing on the right track. We are positive about making a break through soon enough.”

Neeraj did ask the question but his mind was not on the conversation. It became more evident when he directed his attention towards his wife, “Aadya, were you not heading towards the gallery? Why don’t you show Zoya around? Aadya has some of her work displayed in the gallery with other eminent artists.”

Aadya laughed, “This is no place to show me off, Neeraj. Nonetheless, I was actually going to the gallery. It is beautiful. If you can spare some time, I would like to show you around Zoya.”

Zoya accepted, “I would genuinely love the chance to view some of that excellent art. Excuse us gentlemen.”

As soon as the women left, Neeraj seemed a little more relaxed, “My father has been going through all old documents and pictures. He might reach out to you soon with some new information.”

“We are always welcoming new leads. In such investigations of murder, we need to be double sure.”

Neeraj opined, “True, considering people can be so deceiving. There is more to most people than it seems on the outside.”

“What do you mean? Is there something on your mind?”

“This is no accurate allegation and there is no proof to justify any claims but you should keep an eye on Radha.”

“Radha? Isn’t she the servant at your and Manchandani’s house?”

“Yes, she is.”

“The simple village girl killing a high profile personality. Why would she do that?”

Neeraj replied, “Money. Kailash uncle had told me that Radha had been caught stealing money from his wallet several times. He had still considered her for the job owing to her financial condition and multiple apologies. Uncle would also joke that it is probably unintentional on her part. She might have kleptomania. We have no idea. There may have been some problems related to money between Radha and Kailash uncle which led to this. I just wanted to bring this into your notice. It is not a serious accusation and there is no proof. Still, I thought it might lead to something later."

"You are absolutely right. Every little detail is important and thank you for sharing it with me."

The conversation died down but Neeraj's proactive approach did raise doubts. It was unusual for people to come ahead and share information. Usually, people wanted to stay away from police affair to not get tangled into it anymore. Neeraj might really be a responsible person or was there more to this dutiful act?

---O---

Zoya was quite impressed by the huge gallery at the terrace of the resort. Aadya was acquainted with the place, so she showed her around. When the women entered the gallery there was complete silence. The walls had been covered by huge framed paintings. They did not need to speak as they walked by one frame to the other. Zoya was mesmerized the work of all the regional artists. She observed that the north-eastern artists have so much talent which needed to be promoted. She also identified some of Aadya's work on the wall. Zoya still could not wrap her head around the fact that Aadya was an excellent artist. The intricate details in her painting could dazzle the eyes of the viewer.

Zoya, finally, initiated a conversation with a compliment, "Your paintings are beautiful, Aadya. Words will fall short to describe them."

"Thank you. You are too generous with compliments. I am very critical of my work."

"All great artists are the same, I believe. However, I am being completely honest about my review. Have you always been interested in art?"

"Yes, ever since my childhood, I have had an inclinations towards the artistic aspects but never had the chance to practice it until adulthood."

There was a sudden gloom over Aadya's face as soon as she mentioned her childhood. Zoya consoled, "I am sorry. It looks like I have upset you."

Aadya smiled, "No, it is not your fault. Talking about my childhood brings back memories of my parents. When I was six years old, I had lost both of them. They were farmers and expired in a plague epidemic in a village named Dayapur in Gujarat around 1979-80."

"I am so sorry for your loss. I cannot imagine losing both parents at such a tender age. Wish the conversation had not scratched the difficult past."

"It has been a long time. The wound is not fresh anymore. Anyway, I was lucky enough to have my uncle, Madhav. He worked in a textile mill in Ahmedabad. I went to Ahmedabad along with him and completed my schooling there. We spent the most amount of time together."

"He seems like a noble man. Taking care of a child that is not one’s own becomes impossible for a lot of people. The world needs more people like him."

"Yes, he is truly a gem. I would be nothing without him. When I was 19, we moved to Bombay. My uncle had received a job at Trinity logistics. Although later with a lot of hard work and perseverance, my uncle took over the company but initially our financial condition was critical. We did not have enough money for me to pursue higher studies. Therefore, I never went to college. I still wanted to do something with my life. There was no opportunity for me to get any formal training in the field of art but my interest made me pursue it on my own. With little money that I received from my uncle and some donations, I got myself art supplies. I would practice day and night to create pieces and sell them at mere amounts of fifty and hundred. Now when my works get bid at huge amounts, it reminds me of that period of struggle."

Zoya noticed the air of pride and sparkle in Aadya's eyes. Art was definitely her place of joy. Zoya added, "The hustle has probably kept you so grounded and true to your art. People, usually, forget their roots with the burst of success at lands suddenly."

"Yes, I agree with you. People should remember where they come from and every soul that has made the journey possible. Apart from my uncle, there was another angel in my life who helped me build my career from scratch. Parikshit Sahni, a magazine owner and fashion event organizer in Bombay noticed me in one of the art exhibitions. I was still searching for a chance to get my work in an exhibition. Things did not work out without contacts and I had none. Thankfully, his eyes, coincidently, landed on me in the gallery. He must have seen some potential, so offered to train me in a fashion designer course and get me some freelance model work. I made quite some money in the modelling field. With the money that I got, I got myself more involved in art. Meanwhile, my uncle had secured our financial position. I was not working for a living anymore. I continued modelling for a few more years because I enjoyed it. During one such event, I met Neeraj."

"Oh, so yours is a love marriage? How did that happen, if you don't mind me prying? I am a sucker for love stories", Zoya laughed. She was glad the conversation had taken a lighter note.

"Absolutely not. Yes, you can it was a love marriage. I was working in a modelling event where Neeraj had been invited as a guest. He had supposedly seen me on the ramp. After the main event, there was a party where we actually met. Neeraj approached me, all dapper in his tux with wine in his hand. He offered me a glass and I liked the chivalry which is slowly dying in the world. We got to talking and learnt we had very little in common. Initially, I did not think this was going anywhere as we were completely opposite. However, Neeraj was persistent in his attempts to woo me. He believed his life needed some of the artistic touch. I felt his feelings were genuine and he was an honest man. We dated each other for a few months and then decided to get married. My uncle had to leave for Dubai for his work. This was also the reason that he insisted for us to get married and settled. All parents are worried about their child's future I guess."

"Wow! That is beautiful. I am glad you both found each other. You look wonderful together."

"So do you and the officer", Aadya smiled.

"Oh no! We are not together. I mean we are not a couple. We are childhood friends", Zoya was flustered by that comment.

"I am sorry for the assumption. I hope I did not make you uncomfortable. Anyone could have made a mistake watching you two together."

"No, not at all but what do you mean?"

"You both are always in sink, like a couple."

Zoya did not reply to that statement. There was nothing for her to say. The conversation was interrupted by the entry of Ranveer and Neeraj.

Neeraj enquired, "Are you ladies done here? Aadya, I have a meeting to attend."

Aadya replied, "Yes, we are done. It was nice meeting you both. Zoya, you should come home again. I will show you some more of my work."

Zoya nodded, "Surely, I would love to. Thank you for the invite."

Neeraj observed, "Looks like you have made a friend Aadya. You should both come over anytime you please. We will take your leave now Officer and Ma'am."

Ranveer and Zoya watched the couple walk away after the goodbyes. They silently walked down the stairs, both lost in their own thoughts. They had both been busy the entire day, collecting their own set of information. They had hardly received anytime to share things with each other. After they sat inside the car to return home, Ranveer mused, "Neeraj just filled me in on his suspicion on Radha."

"Radha?" Zoya wondered.

"Yes, he thinks Radha could have been involved. Supposedly, she stole money from Kailash Manchandani's wallet quite often. I think there is more to this that he not revealing."

"This sounds strange to me as well. Radha is a simpleton from the village. How would she have conducted such a brutal murder? And if she is involved, there has to be someone else supporting her. Who could that be?"

"These are the same questions on my mind but right now questions are all we have. There is no proof, so, I cannot consider Neeraj's accusation to be accurate. We have to dig deeper into this until we hit the end of the tunnel."

Zoya was contemplating on Ranveer's words as he continued to fill her in on the interviews he had conducted throughout the day. Her mind was, however, more attached to Aadya's story. She was impressed by the women who had initially appeared to be like any other affluent women. Her stories of struggle added more to her character. Zoya learnt that people could not be judged by their appearance. There are so many stories of past hidden inside an individual. Aadya was a women of grit and determination. An orphan who did not give up on life. She strived to achieve her dreams and made every effort to keep growing. Zoya wondered if the universe truly supported people who fought for themselves. The depth in Aadya interested Zoya and she enjoyed diving into the lives of such personalities.

Chapter 6: A Bloody AffairDecember 24, 1999

Investigations were in full swing which spared Zoya and Ranveer no time for respite. The two were buried in documents and calls. Discussing the case was their constant agenda. There were a lot of questions and the answers appeared to be vague. The last lead fell flat in front of their face as Ranveer had expected. The number belonged to a P.C.O which was used by several people each day. The P.C.O could be traced but the murderer had obviously used a fake name for the register at the booth. Similarly, Sunny’s claims about his old friend Yash Zongpa were turning out to be true. More inmates and sources confirmed that Yash had very few visitors and was majorly non-suspicious. One of them was a woman, probably his girlfriend or wife and the other was an old man, most certainly his father. He did his work diligently and stayed out of trouble. There was news that he might be relieved early for his good behaviour and contribution. Why would someone spoil their chances of a fresh start? Was the desire for revenge so strong to stop just a step before the finish line?

Work was constant and so was the passing of time. Before they knew it, Christmas was at the doorstep. This was a big festival celebrated around the town. There was one big church which saw most of the population on Christmas Day. Ranveer and Zoya had no plans of celebrating festivals in between an ongoing investigation but Raju Kaka was not letting them off without a proper meal. The duo had been surviving on going to meals or outside food. Raju Kaka insisted that they must have a proper dinner on Christmas Eve. The crime solvers decided they deserved a little time off tonight and enjoyed a hearty meal and the adventure could wait till tomorrow. They gorged themselves on the delicious meals.

Zoya huffed, "Raju Kaka, you are spoiling me with all this delicious food. When I go places alone for my job, I will miss this food badly."

Raju Kaka smiled, "You people eat too little. When we were your age, we ate double the amount. Whenever you miss the food, you should come for a vacation to Tistaang. I am sure Ranveer beta will love it. He mostly spends his time alone."

Ranveer suddenly felt the heat rise on his skin as eyes were now on noticing his expression. Zoya did not stare back. She focused on the food on her plate. Ranveer would have surely loved to have Zoya's company at any point in time. Although there was a complicated case on his mind, the last few days have been easy on him. The house did not feel as empty as it had been and he enjoyed the company at the dinner table. After the dinner, Ranveer suggested, "Tomorrow is Christmas, so work is going to light. I can afford a few more hours of leisure tonight. Would you like to watch a movie?"

Zoya said, "Only if it is a Christmas movie."

Ranveer laughed, "You still love those movies?"

"Forever. Remember how we loved watching them during winter holidays. We would sit all day before the television watching marathons. Don't pretend like you don't love them equally, Mr. Officer", Zoya teased.

"Alright let’s watch something then."

They left their conversation about the investigation behind for a while and relieved some of their childhood. They sat on the couch in the living room, wrapped in warm blankets with a mug of hot chocolate in their hand. The soft light of the television lit the room partially and fire provided warmth. Zoya didn't know what could be more Christmassy than this. She forgot all worries and channelized the carefree child within herself through the movie on the screen.

Ranveer watched as the soft light from the television screen lit up Zoya’s smiling face. She had always been a jolly person. While Ranveer had been a quiet and reserved kid, Zoya was the heart of a party. She always made things brighter around her and that is something that remained constant about her. His bleak childhood needed the sunshine that her personality radiated. Both of them had depended on each other since they were children. Ranveer had never noticed Zoya in the light that he was doing then. Zoya was too engrossed in the movie to notice him staring at her and Ranveer was glad to not be more embarrassed that night. His mind swung on Raju Kaka’s words, he was truly going to miss her once she was gone. They had been apart for long but now that he had spent so much time with her alone, he has enjoyed the real essence of life which lay in companionship. Ranveer genuinely wished that Zoya did not have to leave and he somewhere glad about the mystery stopping her from doing so.

Zoya was comfortably wrapped in the warm blanket, enjoying the Christmas morning. She was half awake, yet lazing around on her bed. Christmas Eve had been quite unexpected. Her work had not allowed her to celebrate many such festivals, same as Ranveer. It felt natural to be spending a festival with Ranveer and celebrating it with simplicity. She would not accept it to herself but she had missed the presence of Ranveer in his life. Work had not allowed her to form substantial relationships or stop to smell the air. She was happy to soak in this moment and hoped for Christmas to be merry. Just that moment, there was a knock at her door. Raju Kaka never woke her up so early and Ranveer was supposed to go in late that morning. Zoya wondered who it could be as she got up quickly and walked towards the door. When Zoya opened the door, there stood an exasperated Ranveer.

“What happened? Why are you panting?” Zoya asked worriedly.

“Vikram Shaw is dead.”

---O---

Ranveer and Zoya inside Vikram Shaw's factory, Froz Chemicals. His body was found by one of the workers inside his chamber. Zoya noticed that the entire factory was marked with yellow tapes. The forensics team had reached before them to restrict tampering of evidence. Locals had gathered outside the factory as soon the news was out. Another murder within days was not something people expected to hear about. When Zoya and Ranveer entered Vikram’s office they observed signs of resistance. Things were scattered all over the place. Files were lying on the floor and all drawer locks were broken. The forensic team was collecting prints around the murder location. Zoya had not seen the body yet. Forensic experts were kneeling on the floor clicking picture of the dead. The body was lying behind the huge wooden desk. Zoya peeped from behind Ranveer's shoulder to look at Vikram Shaw’s corpse. In her line of work, Zoya had seen a fair share of deaths but none so brutal. The image in front of her eyes made her skin crawl. Mr. Shaw’s entire face was covered with burn marks from cigars. His neck looked unnaturally twisted as if it was broken.

Ranveer enquired the forensic expert, "Have you identified the reason of death?"

"We cannot say accurately until the post-mortem is being conducted but there are several major injuries. This man has been terribly tortured and at a slow pace. The bone in his neck has been broken and his head twisted. You can already notice the burn marks all over the face. These are definitely second degree burns from a cigar. His elbow has been dislocated, probably during the altercation and his fingers have all been fractured. These many injuries and the pain could kill a person, however, this is not my final verdict."

Ranveer questioned, "Did you find anything significant around the place?"

"We have to get the handprints that we collected from the doorknobs, drawers and desks tested in the lab. There are large footprints on the floor that indicates that the killer wore some kind of knee length boots that the company workers wear."

"It is a factory and there are so many workers. I do not think the boot is going to be much of help."

"We found his cell phone in his pocket. Take a look."

Ranveer took the phone and instinctively looked through the call history. Vikram Shaw had received three calls in the previous night. The calls belonged to Eken, his servant, Aadya and an unknown caller. Ranveer thought to himself, "I need to speak to the first two callers."

Ranveer enquired to the medical team, "Did you find anything else?"

Forensic expert, Vijay replied, "We have found a note on the dead body."

Ranveer's gloved hands took the note from Vijay, already predicting the words on the note. The small white sheet read, "IN SEARCH OF SATYANWESHI".

Zoya was looking at the paper from over Ranveer's shoulder. She quipped, "The same note again! This is not a simple murder anymore. This looks like a case of serial killing.And the killer seems to be big time fan of Byomkesh –the detective."

Ranveer’s eyes immediately met Zoya and there was curiosity, “If this is serial killing, then how do we justify the notes left by the killer? Who is the Satyanweshi whom the killer is searching?”

“This is a logical argument Ranveer. Serial killers have a fixed pattern of murders but why would they leave such cryptic quotes looking for someone. Seems like the killer wants some truth to be found.”

“Someone is looking to dig up some secret. Now what is this connection with Kailash Manchandani and Vikram Shaw? That is what we need to figure out.”  

Sub inspector, Trishala had reached the location before Ranveer and Zoya. She had already searched the area and spoken to the workers. Ranveer approached her for an update.

Trishala stated, "Sir, you may have noticed the chaos around the place. All locks have been broken and the vault is empty. I did some enquiry and got to know that there was always cash in the vault which means it has been stolen. The watchman Chinsukh is missing since last night that makes him the prime suspect."

"Who identified the body first?"

"It was Teji, one of the workers who found the body."

"I need to speak to him now. Please call him in."

Ranveer had expected to see an older face but the young face had taken him by surprise. Teji was a boy in his early adulthood. The expression of terror in his eyes depicted the fear in his mind. He walked slowly towards Ranveer, followed by Trishala. Teji's lean frame looked even more petite in fear. Zoya watched the young boy shivering in the presence of the authority. This may be the first time he was going to under the inspection of the police. Ranveer tried to be firm yet consideration while questioning the lad.

"I believe you were the first one to see Vikram Shaw after his death."

Although it was a statement from Ranveer, Teji understood that it needed confirmation, so he nodded his head.

"Don't be afraid. Can you tell me what you had seen after reaching the factory in the morning?" Ranveer enquired.

"I was the first one to reach the factory today. Things looked normal from the outside like any other day. The only odd factor was the absence of Chinsukh, the watchman. There is a wooden trunk outside the door of the factory. Chinsukh was always present near the factory gate. I did not pay much attention to it as he may have been ill. I went about my usual routine after entering the factory. I went directly towards the changing room to get into the factory uniform. As I was passing by Sir’s cabin, the air seemed to smell of Cigar. When I looked towards his chamber, I noticed that the door was open and the light was still on. Vikram Sir was usually never present at the factory at this hour. He was not an early riser as far as we knew. I thought he may have stayed the night at the factory for some urgent work. I cautiously approached his cabin to greet him although I was afraid to disturb him in the process. Vikram Sir was not visible from the doorway, so I went inside to check. Only two steps later I was frozen to the ground. There he lay on the ground, dead.”

Teji looked terribly shaken by this point and Zoya felt sorry for the boy to have experienced such a dreadful sight. Ranveer suggested, “Would you like to sit?” He did not wait for an answer and led Teji to a chair in the room.

“After a few moments of silence, a loud scream escaped from my mouth. The other workers had already began to flood the premises. When they heard my voice they came rushing into the chamber. One of our co-workers quickly rode his bicycle to the police station and reported the incident.”

“Is that all?” Ranveer questioned.

Teji nodded his head with finality.

“Thank you, Teji. We may call you in for further questioning.”

 Ranveer directed his attention towards Trishala, “Who was the last person to see Vikram alive?”

“There were two people who left the factory last. Hem Bahadur, a factory worker and Chinsukh, the watchman. Chinsukh is missing but Hem has come to work.”

“Call him in. He might have some crucial information to share.”

Hem Bahadur walked in with a lot more confidence than Teji. His experience probably created a calm exterior. Hem was a man in his forties, probably working in the factory since his teenage. Trishala guided him towards the chair previously occupied by Teji.

"I have been notified that you were the last person to see Vikram last night, along with Chinsukh. Can you tell us anything about the happenings of the previous night?" Ranveer enquired.

"Yes, I was the last one to leave the factory yesterday. There was nothing too unusual about the night, except Vikram Sir looked stressed. He stayed in his office looking at multiple files. We did not pay much attention to it as we had seen Sir being too involved in work and often being worried about the business stuff. I decided to leave the factory at around 6:35 P.M. as usual. Regularly, Chinsukh stayed a bit longer till 8 P.M. as he lived in a small hut behind the factory. Last evening, Vikram Sir instructed him to go to the bungalow and get his dinner for him. Sir was busy with paperwork and did not converse much. Chinsukh decided to leave with me. Vikram Sir's bungalow is at a walking distance from the factory. It falls on the way to my home, so I gave Chinsukh a ride to the bungalow on my bicycle."

"Did you know what may have happened after that?"

"Last, I saw Chinsukh walking inside the bungalow. I dropped him at the gate and we said our goodbyes. He was supposed to get the food for Sir. Eken, the housekeeper may have sent him back with the dinner. He would be able to tell you better about what happened afterwards. All I know is when I came back in the morning, Chinsukh was not on duty and nowhere to be found. Some of us went to his small house behind the factory but there was no trace of him."

Ranveer spoke to Trishala in a hushed voice, "Eken is also one of the last callers on Vikam's call list, right?"

Trishala nodded her head. Ranveer brought his attention back to Hem Bahadur.

"Did you notice anything odd about Chinsukh? Any conversation that would suggest that something may have been different yesterday?"

Hem suddenly had lines of worry growing on his forehead and fumbles appeared in his speech, "Ah...No, Sir. He was the same. No, no difference."

Ranveer was not at all convinced but did not want to push the man immediately, "I might call you to the police station for more questions, so please be available. We are expecting your cooperation."

There was visible relief in Hem's body language. He may be a strong man but talking to police is never pleasant. He bowed his head and walked out of the room.

Zoya whispered to Ranveer, "Do you think he is keeping something to himself?"

Ranveer stared back at her, "Certainly or I have failed miserably at reading people."

Ranveer turned towards Trishala, "Have you spoken to the family?"

"Vikram Shaw lived alone at the bungalow. His parents had passed away long ago. He has a first cousin who lives in Delhi. He and his family have been informed. They will be flying to Tistaang for the last rites. Some of his employees and family friends were here at the factory. I have sent them all to the bungalow."

"We should go to the bungalow and talk to them. Eken and Aadya also need to be questioned about the last call."

Ranveer, Zoya and Trishala drove the short distance till Vikram Shaw’s bungalow. Ranveer seemed lost in his thoughts and Zoya let him ponder by himself. As they entered through the gates of the bungalow, Zoya could not bear the silence anymore.

“What is on your mind?” Zoya pried.

“For starters, a murder.”

Zoya rolled her eyes at Ranveer, “Anything in particular, I mean.”

“The unknown number. I need to get this traced. Who had made the last call to Vikram?”

“Yes, that is something on my mind as well but the note is more disturbing.”

Their conversation was halted as they reached the foyer and were guided towards the living room by house help. Many people were sitting and talking among themselves. As soon as they saw the police enter, all the guests became quiet. One of the men introduced himself as the personal assistant of Vikram Shaw.

“Hello Sir! I am Madan Sen, Vikram Sir’s secretary.”

 “I am Ranveer Sawant, S.H.O of Tistaang. So, where were you yesterday evening Mr Sen?

“I had left the factory premises at 6 P.M, my usual hours. Sometimes, I would stay late at the instructions of Vikram Sir but yesterday he asked me to leave. Generally, he left the factory with me at the same time. However, yesterday, he mentioned there was some paperwork that needed immediate attention for which he had to stay back. I wish I had stayed back with him. Probably then he would still be alive today.”

“There is nothing you could have done to alter the consequences. However, now you can help us find the killer. Do you know any person who would want such an outcome for Mr. Shaw?”

“Sir was a very popular personality. One of the richest in the town. Our Chemical factories are spread all over the country. It was usual for a tycoon such as him to have rivals but none that would want him dead or go to such an extent to kill him.”

Ranveer nodded, “If you can remember any such opponent who had a huge clash with Mr Shaw, let me know. Past details can help us find the criminal.”

Ranveer went around the room talking to managers, supervisors and other associates. He could not gather any crucial information from the bunch. Just then a housekeeper came in with refreshments for the guests. Ranveer assumed that it would be Eken Behari. He may have been a man in his late forties or early fifties. One could not surely tell his age because his greying hair contradicted his strong physical build. He had donned a traditional dhoti and kurta like most other house help.

Ranveer called out, “Kaka, I need to ask you a few questions.”

Eken was suddenly tensed by Ranveer’s voice, “Me?”

Ranveer walked towards Eken, “Yes, you. I have been informed that you had called Mr Shaw yesterday afternoon. I need to know what conversation you had with him.”

“I had called Babu to ask if he would like to have roasted lamb for dinner. He liked to have the lamb cooked by me. Mostly, he remained out for work but he preferred to eat his dinner at home. I cannot believe this has happened to him. Such a kind man…”

Eken’s eyes glistened with tears as he fixed the towel on his shoulder.

“How long have you worked for Vikram Shaw?”

“It has been more than a year now, Sir. Vikram Sir was generous enough to give me this job. I would have died without food and shelter if he had not helped me. I have no family, Sir. I used to survive by begging on the streets. By God’s grace, Vikram Sir found me one day outside a restaurant and offered to give me this job. I am forever indebted to him. He became my only family. Now that he is gone, I am not sure what is going to happen.”

“We understand your situation. You must know that it is important for us to get all the information. Only then can we get to the bottom of this crime.”

“I will tell you anything you wish to know, Sir. You must get Vikram Sir the justice by punishing the evil man who killed him.”

Ranveer assured, “We will do everything possible.”

Zoya’s attention was stolen by the entry of a known face. She was certainly glad to see Aadya at Vikram Shaw’s place although the circumstances were unpleasant. Ranveer’s eyes were drawn towards the same direction. He quickly ended the conversation with Eken and waited for Aadya to walk towards them.

“This town is facing the wrath of some evil.” Aadya commented.

There was no need for pleasantries at the moment. All of them were disturbed by the successive happenings in the town.

“Certainly seems so. You have come alone?” Zoya asked.

“Neeraj is out of town on business. Eken had called to give us the news. Dad could not muster the courage to witness another horrifying sight. I came as fast as I could.”

Ranveer chipped in, “How is Mr Oberoi taking the news?”

“I have never seen him in such a state. He is completely shaken. Losing two of ones closest friends cannot be easy for anyone. They were like family to us.”

“We understand. It is hard for all of you.” Zoya consoled.

“Were you close to Mr Shaw?”

“Vikram Uncle treated me like a daughter, just as Dad. I would often come to visit him as his house is on the way to my Yoga centre. In fact, I spoke to him just yesterday evening.”

Ranveer and Zoya immediately looked at each other. The call record had already confirmed Aadya’s statement. Ranveer questioned, “Yesterday? And what did you talk about?”

“It was not really a conversation. I had called to inform Uncle that I had left his favourite kheer and mushroom-paneer at his house. I had gone to his house to drop the food and meet him but he had not returned from work till then. So, I had made the call. I would often take food to his house. He enjoyed my cooking and would insist for me to make his favourites. Sadly, he could not eat it…”

Aadya went silent, probably thinking about Vikram’s death. Zoya and Ranveer gave her the time to collect herself. Aadya cleared her throat and continued, “I am sorry. It is just a very shocking event.”

“I know it is difficult but I need to ask you a few more questions. Were you aware of anyone trying to hurt Mr Vikram or a common enemy that both the deceased could have had?”

“There has not been much of conflict in this town. From the time that I have been married to Neeraj, I have not seen any distress in the lives of these friend. This is the reason why it is so shocking to us. We cannot wrap our head around this sudden disaster. They may have had enemies in the past for which you would need to talk to Dad. But how can you conclude that it is the same killer?”

“Why? Do you think the two murders are not linked?” Ranveer enquired.

“No. I am asking out of inquisition. I have no reason to believe in anything at the moment.”

“You must have heard that Chinsukh is missing. He was one of the last people to see Mr Shaw alive. Can you tell us something about him?”

“Are you doubting Chinsukh for the murder? It is not possible. He has been working for uncle for years and is one of the most loyal employees. I do not know the man, personally, but I have always seen him around.”

“No one can be trusted at this hour, Ma’am. We have to explore all the options. Moreover, he has been missing from the location. Please do let us know if you have more information about this chap. I do not want to disturb but we would also need to speak to Mr Oberoi. Inform us when he is ready to have a conversation.”

“Surely, I will let you know. Do give me a call if I can be of any help. I need to go to my Yoga centre now. It is important to ward of all the negative energy around us.”

Zoya asked, “Do you think this is caused by some supernatural power?”

“I do not know if there is something supernatural but the killer is no less than a devil.”

---O---

Ranveer and Zoya had hardly slept in the night and were back again at work early in the morning. Ranveer was stuck on the unknown number that was present on Vikram Shaw’s call history. Zoya and Eken had substantial reasons to call Vikram but who was this unknown caller and why had he called Vikram?

This could be an essential lead and Ranveer wanted to find the source of the number urgently. He had acquired a list of the numbers of suppliers, contractors and clients from Madan Sen. Ranveer and Zoya had checked all the numbers but none had matched that of the unknown caller.

Zoya opined, “The number suggests that the call was made from a cell phone. Not many people would have mobile phones in this town if you think of it. This means that the killer has access to money and resources.”

“You are correct. There are very few mobile towers in town let alone people having cell phones. The list that we had received has been exhausted. We need to get more details about this number.”

Ranveer called out to Trishala, “I need you to contact Star Telecom. They have an office in town. Get me the details of the unknown number as soon as possible.”

Trishala accepted the instructions, “Alright, Sir. I will get on with it. Before I leave, Hem Bahadur is here. He wishes to speak to you, Sir. Should I send him in?”

Ranveer stated, “Yes, please show him the way. I wonder for what reasons he is here.”

Hem Bahadur walked inside Ranveer’s chamber with some hesitation. Ranveer gestured towards the chair in front of his desk.

“What happened Hem? Is everything alright?”

“Yes, Sir. I wanted to tell you something.”

“Yes, you can tell me if there is something on your mind.”

“I should have mentioned this yesterday but I did not want Chinsukh to be in trouble. He is a good lad who must have got himself in trouble. I am afraid he has still not returned and there is no news of him.”

“What is it Hem? Tell me.”

“Chinsukh was an ordinary guy but he may have had an addiction. He was a healthy chap in his 30’s but sometimes he acted quite immaturely. I think he was addicted to drugs. Many of the workers had seen him in the dark lanes of Charlie Street. People do not consider those areas to be reputable. The blocks there are mostly inhabited by drug peddlers and people usually go there for all kinds of illegal business. I believe Chinsukh was only into the local plant based drugs.”

“How do you people know that he was doing drugs? From where did he get the money for such expense?”

“Sir, each time he got intoxicated, he would talk about all kinds of supernatural activities. The next morning he would be absolutely normal. These plant based drugs are not too costly. I am not sure if he was having some more expensive stuff and got himself in trouble.”

“This is a valuable information, Hem. Thank you for coming in today. Is there something more that you would like to share?”

“No, Sir. Is Chinsukh going to be okay?”

“Only time will tell. You can go now. I will let you know if there is something more that we need.”

After Hem Bahadur left, Zoya observed, “Chinsukh could have actually planned this. There was a lot of money missing from the lockers. He may have needed the cash for his addictions for which he could have killed Vikram and run away from the sight.”

“What about the unknown phone call?” Ranveer pondered.

Right then Trishala entered the chamber, “Sir, I contacted Star Telecom but unfortunately they were unable to provide any information about the number. The company mentions that the SIM was not purchased locally. The owner details are secure as the SIM may have been procured from some other state.”

Ranveer huffed in disappointment, “Great! Another dead end.”

Zoya reasoned, “What if the call was a coincidence. It could have been anyone. Chinsukh is the prime suspect and we should be looking for him.”

“You are right. I will call Aadya. She knew Chinsukh well and can help us with a sketch of his face. We can then circulate the sketch among different team. This will make the process faster.”

“Let’s get going!”

Ranveer divided the constable in different teams and handed them copies of Chinsukh’s sketch. They went to all the bus depots to enquire about Chinsukh. If he had to leave the town it would have to be either by bus or by train. Zoya believed that the fastest way for escape would have been train for Chinsukh but the police could not find any clues at the railway station. They went around asking people around the bus terminals. Chinsukh could have travelled to Kolkata by bus but most people denied seeing him. Until one of the conductors gave positive information, “Yes, I have seen him. I think it was him, probably boarding a bus to Kolkata. It was too dark I cannot be perfectly sure if it was him.”

Ranveer knew that if Chinsukh had boarded the bus at night, he could have reached Kolkata by that time. It would be very difficult to find any trace of him in that big city.

Two days had passed without any more information about Chinsukh or the killer. Ranveer was disheartened by the progress of the case. The people in the town, especially the factory workers had started to consider it as a ghostly event. They believed the murders and Chinsukh’s disappearance had been caused by evil spirits. The natives had been used to hearing such stories from ancestors but had never witnessed such gruesome happenings in their small town. They were all scared for their lives as there was very little hope of protecting on self from ghosts. Ranveer did not pay attention to these speculations. He had a killer to find and he could not breathe peacefully until he completed his task.

Zoya, on the other hand, as instructed by Ranveer made herself busy with the reporting. The easiest and fastest way to find Chinsukh was to print an advertisement in their newspaper. Chinsukh’s sketch made by Aadya donned one-fourth of the page with his name, address, other identifiable details and Ranveer’s phone number. They had hoped for some positive response to come out of it but sadly there was no news about Chinsukh. Rather the other cities had come to know that the peaceful town of Tistaang had lost its harmony and was now being painted in blood.

Chapter 7: Toxic HistoryDecember 27, 1999

Chinsukh was still missing and the unknown number was untraceable. However, Ranveer had been notified by the forensic department on some crucial findings. He was excited to find something new, therefore had started his day early. Ranveer had an appointment with Dr. Meenu Pradhan, head of forensics at nine in the morning. He did not want to be late and unprepared for the meeting. Tistaang had never seen such a massive criminal case. For this reason the head of the forensics never had to be involved in any of the affairs for years. The dormant department had now suddenly been disrupted by the two successive murders. Ranveer knocked on Zoya’s door with his eyes still screening the file in his hand. As he felt the door open, Ranveer instructed, “Come on, let’s go!”

Zoya rolled her eyes, “Good Morning to you too.”

Ranveer looked up from his file with a cheeky smile, “Are you done?”

“Do I have to go? I do not like the smell of chemicals and hospitals are definitely not a sight to behold.”

“Come on! Don’t be a wimp. This is going to be important for the investigation and you will need it for your report. Moreover the bodies are already gone. We are going to meet the doctor at her chamber.”

“Fine. I am not scared, anyway. I just do not want to be nauseous. You can’t laugh if I faint from the smell of chemicals.”

Ranveer and Zoya shared a laugh after days of continued stress.

---O---

Dr. Meenu Pradhan, a lady in her early forties had been heading the department since last three years. Before this period she had been working as a forensics expert with the police department for about fifteen years. Although the killings were entirely disheartening, the chance of being part of solving such an intriguing mystery was a lifetime opportunity for all professionals. One of the juniors guided Zoya and Ranveer towards his supervisor’s chamber. Dr. Pradhan was sitting at the table looking at her laptop screen. She was so lost in thoughts that she did not notice the first knock at her door. On the second knock, she looked away from the screen and smiled at Ranveer and Zoya.

“Good Morning Officer, please come in. I was going through some of the reports related to the case.”

“Good Morning Ma’am. Thank you for seeing me today. This is my friend and journalist Zoya Shroff.”

“Hello Doctor! I hope you do not mind me being part of the conversation.” Zoya greeted.

“Absolutely not if the officer is fine with it.”

“Definitely Doctor. You informed me that there have been some important findings. Can you tell me what you have found?”

“Sure. Let us begin with Kailash Manchandani’s report. The forensics has located impressions of boot with short spikes around the area of the crash. Similar boot impressions were found at the Froz Chemicals. It is not a perfect match as the snow and rain had washed away some of the footprints at the murder sight of Mr Manchandani.”

“Could you identify the size of the shoe Doctor?” Ranveer enquired.

“It is somewhere around nine.”

“That must be a men’s boot.” Zoya suggested.

“It is more probable that it would be a man considering the size of the boot. However, we cannot negate other possibilities.” Dr. Pradhan mentioned.

“At least this narrows it down somewhat.” Ranveer chipped.

“We tested the blood sample for Mr Kailash but there was nothing unusual. There was, however, a hole in the front seat of the car made by a bullet.”

“Yes, we are aware of this. We also assumed that the bullet shot may have distracted Mr. Manchandani to lose control and cause the crash.”

“But let me tell you the bullet that was fired was not a normal metal one. It was made of special wood. Something very unusual and uncommon. This may also mean that the intention was not to kill the victim with the bullet.”

“Yes, right. Our theory about the distraction also works out this way. What about Vikram Shaw’s report?”

“That one is more interesting. We had tested his blood and the report shows traces of cocaine, ricin, olnerium, charas and phenol. These can all be lethal and poisonous if used in excess.”

“Are these chemicals easily accessible?” Ranveer asked.

“No, these are not sold to every other customer and in regular shops. Ricin and olnerium being plants based pisions specifically.”

“Thank you Doctor. You have been of great help. Please let me know if you find anything more.”

Ranveer and Zoya left the doctors chamber, trying to process the information that they received.

Ranveer informed, “We have another appointment. Mr Oberoi has agreed to meet us today. So, we must go speak to him.”

“Sure. We can also thank Aadya for the sketch she made of Chinsukh.”

Zoya was still not used to the grandeur of the Oberoi mansion. The steward escorted them directly to the library where Suresh Oberoi was waiting for them.

Suresh Oberoi looked leaner than the first time Zoya had met him. He was not the suave businessman graced with branded attires at the moment. There were dark circles under his eyes and his hair looked ruffled. He was hunched over a table with his spectacles in his hand. Zoya was unsure if they should enter the room as Mr. Oberoi’s eyes remained closed. The steward knocked at the room and informed his boss about our arrival. The tired gentleman tried wore his glasses and rubbed his hands over his face trying to act presentable.

“Good Morning Officer and Ma’am!”

“Good Morning Sir! Thank you for agreeing to meet us today. We are so sorry for your loss.” Zoya mentioned

“We did not want to bother you at this time but your input in the case is highly essential.” Ranveer stated.

“I understand, Officer. You are doing your duty. I would like to help if I can.”

“Two of your friends have been killed successively. The murders are definitely related. I am sure you must have already heard about the speculation, considering this is a small town.”

“The people of this town have been saying that there is some evil spirit causing this havoc.”

“Do you really believe in those supernatural stories?”

“I have never believed in such stories but the recent occurrences and the nature of death of my friends have made me doubt my judgements.”

“We still think the murders are minutely planned and executed by a sharp criminal. There is a common enemy out there who wanted both the men dead. Who do you think it could be?” Ranveer questioned.

“They have both been involved in different professions, so they could not have had the same professional enemies. In their personal life, they had been living peacefully without much conflict.”

“There must be something in their past that someone is back to dig out and take revenge for.”

“My mind is too fogged and exhausted to remember anything at the moment. I will talk to Daksh and we can try to figure out more.”

“Daksh Rajput? Isn’t he a customs officer in Bombay?” Zoya asked. She already knew the answer but wanted to get more out of Mr. Oberoi.

“Yes. He is here with his family on vacation. We have all been friends for a long time. Do you know him?”

“Long ago, I had the opportunity to interview him on behalf of my previous company for a report.”

“Well, I wish he did not have to be worried on his vacation but if he can give us something important, please get back to me.” Ranveer requested  .

“No one expects to find ones friends dead on a vacation. It has been equally hard on him. I will try to get in touch with him and give you a call soon.”

Ranveer and Zoya said their goodbyes and walked out of the room. Zoya whispered to Ranveer, “Do you think he is holding back information?”

“Can’t tell for sure. The man has taken a hard hit. He may actually be unable to recall stuff. Also men of this stature has too many enemies to single out one of them.”

“That is true. Still, I believe he should know more as they have been friends for years.

Zoya’s voice died down as they met Aadya at the bottom of the stairs. She looked elegant and poised as always. There was this artistic aura around her which helped to maintain the calmness.

“Did you have a conversation with Dad?” Aadya questioned.

“Yes, we did. However, he could not remember much at this hour.” Ranveer mentioned.

“He has been mostly locked in his room. Not in the best state of his mind. Both Kailash uncle and Vikram uncle had been family to us. Coping with their loss is going to be a long process. We all want to help to bring justice to them and find their killer.”

“You have been of great help. We wanted to thank you for the sketch.” Zoya appreciated.

“No problem at all. I want to do whatever I can. Any leads on finding Chinsukh?”

“Not yet. We are trying. Kolkata is a huge city. It will not be easy tracking him.” Ranveer observed.

“Any other findings on Vikram uncle’s case. What was cause of his death?”

Ranveer was cautious while answering, “There were deep wounds all over his body and his neck was also broken.”

Zoya on the other hand had become comfortable around Aadya, so she blurted, “But it must be the chemicals that caused it.”

Ranveer looked at Zoya with squinted eyes and Zoya, immediately knew that she had given more information than needed.

“Chemicals? What chemicals? I am sorry I know I may be asking too much. I am just too disturbed by uncle’s death. It is okay if you cannot give me the answers.”

“No, it is alright Mrs Oberoi. The post-mortem report shows some chemicals in his body like cocaine, nicotine, ricin, and phenol. These are lethal in nature which could have been agents to cause his death.” Ranveer informed.

“I think I have seen chemical of similar nature somewhere. Let me think.”

Aadya remained silent for a while, fidgeting with the ring in her hand. Her eyes were locked at a blank spot on the wall in concentration.

“Yes, I remember. I had seen a big bottle labelled RCN50LR at Ruma Bagchi’s house.”

“Who is Ruma Bagchi?” Zoya   interrupted.

“She is a friend of mine. Lives at a 20 minutes distance. Everyone knows everyone in this town mostly. Ruma is a pharmacist by profession. She is a very kind lady, often helped us with medicines.”

“Yes, I know her. So, tell me, did you recognize the chemical?” Ranveer was surprised that Aadya had idea about chemicals.

“No, I had no clue. I saw the bottle on the table and asked her about it. She told me the chemical is called phenoxycyanide. So, when you mentioned chemicals this came to my mind.”

“Why did she have such a chemical at her house?” Zoya asked.

“Ruma told me that she used the chemical to kill insects during rainy seasons and the strong smell also kept snakes out of her fence.”

“I think we should go talk to her. She is a pharmacist and this is a small town. There should not be many avenues for the killer to get hold of such a chemical. She might know of sources which can lead us to the killer.” Ranveer mentioned. He doubted Ruma equally at that time for being involved in the case.

“That will not be possible right now. Ruma left town a day after Kailash uncle’s murder.”

“Do you know where she might have gone?” Zoya questioned.

“I am not sure. However, I know that she belonged from Nainital. So, maybe she went home for the time being. Everyone wants to be far away from such chaos. I wish I could too.”

Zoya smiled, “Thanks Aadya. We will take your leave now.”

“You should come by sometime. I have recently created some more pieces. You will like them.”

“I will surely do that.”

Aadya had again unknowingly provided a lead to the duo. As they walked out of the mansion, Zoya observed, “Even if Ruma Bagchi is involved, she could not be the killer of Vikram Shaw.”

“Yes, she was out of town at that time. However, we cannot say the same for Kailash Manchandani. Why did she leave after Mr Manchandani’s murder? And what was she doing with that lethal chemical? Was it just for killing insects? I need to go to Nainital and find out more about her.”

---O---

Ranveer used his team to find out the address of Ruma Bagchi’s native home. It was not very difficult as Ruma was a well-known pharmacist in the area although her past had remained unknown to people. He decided to travel to Nainital alone because Zoya had to stay back and manage her reporting duties. Zoya was following up with all the sources to figure out Chinsukh’s location. Chinsukh had become untraceable as if like a ghost he had vanished altogether. Ranveer was not too surprised as he knew people had their ways in the big cities to make things disappear. It was going to be a long journey to Nainital but Ranveer was ready to take the chance. He believed that somehow Ruma Bagchi was related to the entire case.

“Will you be able to handle things here for a few days? Trishala is there of course to help you out.” Ranveer asked.

“There is not much for me to handle now except my work for the agency which I have been managing for ages.”

“I don’t just mean work. You need to be safe. I do not trust the place anymore. Things have gone downhill and it has ceased to be the peaceful town that it used to be. I will not be here, so you need to stay indoors mostly.”

“Don’t worry. I am a big girl. I will be fine.” Zoya tried to lighten the situation, although Ranveer’s concern had started to grow on her. For several years, Zoya had been taking care of herself. Therefore, the little gestures of care from Ranveer surprised her every time. She was also getting used to his presence and did not feel so good about his temporary absence.

Ranveer laughed, “Sure you are. I wouldn’t have gone alone and on such an urgent basis if it was not this important. This is a promising lead.”

“Why do you think Ruma Bagchi is a crucial link?”

“Just my gut, I guess.”

Ranveer’s flight to Dehradun left at midnight around 1 A.M. The December weather was not kind towards him as he exited the airport in the early morning. Things had already been arranged by Trishala, so a car had been waiting to take Ranveer to a hotel. He had no plans to stay more than a day. The work should be done by that time. Ranveer was already used to the zigzag road that kept circling around the mountains. However, the mountains looked different to him. He could not point out the exact difference but he was sure that nature had its own way to be distinct in different corners. Trishala had booked a room for Ranveer in a hotel opposite to Naini Lake. Ranveer spent the beautiful and long ride talking to the driver, hoping he would be of help considering he seemed like a local.

“Brother, do you know where Amar Vihar Colony is?” Ranveer enquired.

“Yes. It is not very far from here. I can take you there. There are many other tourist attractions. I can show you around.”

“’No, I am on business. However, I will need to go to that colony. So, can you wait for a while outside my hotel?”

“Sir, I can come back to pick you up if you need time.”

“I don’t have time. I will check in and be ready to go.”

“Sure, Sir. I will wait for you.”

“Thanks.”

Ranveer remained quite the rest of the way enjoying the giant mountain quotes with green pastures. He also took a nap somewhere in between. When Ranveer reached his hotel, it was already midday. He had only been able to have some dry snacks in between. There was no time and occasion for him to take a proper meal as his mind was too disturbed. He wanted to quickly gather all the information and get back to Zoya. The thought of Zoya comforted his mind and simultaneously puzzled it. Ranveer had never been so habituated living around someone all the time and feeling their absence so strongly. There had been no calls since he had left but they constantly communicated through messages. The car halted after more than six hours and Ranveer neck and back were on a protest by then. He quickly got down from the car, not waiting another moment inside the small space. It must have been the best stretch of his life as he continued to breathe the fresh air outside. Ranveer eyes landed on the scenic view of the emerald-green lake surrounded by giant mountains. The sun was shining beautifully, casting a graceful glow over the transparent water of the Naini Lake. Nature had the power to freeze time and Ranveer could feel himself being struck by the tranquillity of the surroundings for a few minutes.

The driver’s voice alerted Ranveer, “Sir, the service boy is here to carry the luggage.”

“I do not have much with me to carry. Thank you.” Ranveer addressed the hotel staff. He quickly checked into his room and kept his belongings to simply leave for his search. He was not here on a vacation and there was no time to spare.

Sham Singh, the driver, was waiting for Ranveer as promised. Ranveer got to know about his family and the surrounding places on the short drive to Amar Vihar colony. The area of the colony was more populated than the tourist spots. People usually lived around these parts where markets and other necessary spots were easily accessible. The streets were narrow and houses stuck to one another.

“Sir, where should I drop you exactly?”

“I do not have an exact address. Drop me at the juncture of the colony. Please wait until I return. I will need a ride back to the hotel.”

Ranveer walked around looking for people who could help him find Ruma Bagchi’s house. He located a few grocery stores in the area and went around asking. After a few failed attempts, Ranveer found an old man running a betel leaf stall.

“Uncle, do you know where Ruma Bagchi’s house is?”

“Bagchi? There are only two Bagchis in the colony. One lives two houses away and the other one at the end of the street.”

“Thank you, Uncle.”

Ranveer walked to the first house a few steps away from the shop and rang the bell. A middle-aged woman opened the door.

“Is this Ruma Bagchi’s house?” Ranveer asked.

“No, there is no one named Ruma here.”

“I might be at the wrong Bagchi’s. Sorry for the inconvenience.”

“No problem. Mr. Anil Bagchi lives at the end of the street. You can try there but I am not sure if they are going to respond.”

“Why do you say that?” Ranveer was curious.

“They are quite aloof.”

That is all Ranveer could get out of the woman. It was best for him to see it for himself. The house at the end was not groomed and had bushes all around it. Ranveer tried the bell but it was not working. Several attempts were made at knocking and almost when he was about to give up an old man answered the door. Probably the man had just wanted the knocking to stop and was forced to answer. The older than he probably was due to his grey hair and shabby clothes.

“I am looking for Ruma Bagchi’s family. Is this her house?”

“No. We don’t know her.” The old man quickly replied and hurried to close the door.

Ranveer was not convinced by the way the man answered and his face had lost all the colour.

“Sir, I am a police officer. You are not in trouble but if you hide information, you can be.”

Tension was evident on the man’s face as he tried to weigh his option and eventually decided to give in. He escorted Ranveer inside the small house.

 

Chapter 8: Ruma Bagchi’s Story27th December 1999

The old man ushered Ranveer into the large living room, which also doubled as a dining room. Despite the cosy decor and the upholstery, the room was dim and drab - and Ranveer found the atmosphere stifling and cramped. He privately decided that he didn’t want to spend any more time in the room than required. He sat down on a cane chair and took out his notebook. The old man settled himself on a chair across from him and stared at him.

“Sir, my name is Ranveer Sawant, and I am the SHO at Tistaang - a small town at the Himalayan foothills. We are looking for Ruma Bagchi in relation to a series of murders that have been committed in our small town. Can you provide us with any information about Ms. Bagchi?” Ranveer asked, while providing the old man with his card.

The man took the card but didn’t really examine it properly. He just heaved a sigh and said, “My name is Biren Bagchi and yes, I know Ruma Bagchi, she is my daughter - but I can’t really tell you anything about where she is now.”

“Why is that, sir?”

“I am a retired Postman living on a meagre monthly pension and I don’t really enjoy keeping track of my wayward children. Ruma was a promising child but she went downhill from the first chance that she got.”

“That’s all right, sir, but your answers are very vague. Can you give me some solid facts about Ms. Bagchi’s background?”

“Yes, fine, fine. Ruma is an ex-army medic. After she finished her high school, he managed to make it into the Armed Forces Medical College in Pune. She studied there for seven years and managed to graduate with a specialisation in General Medicine.”

“Wow! She must have been a great student! You mentioned that she is an ex-army medic. Why did she leave?”

“After graduation, she was selected for a permanent commission and she was posted to a military base in the Kashmir Valley. She was a stupid hothead with bad judgement and she managed to get herself kicked out of the Army within a month of her posting.”

“The Kashmir Valley is a really important posting for someone who recently graduated. Was Dr. Bagchi a specialist?” Ranveer asked.

“Yes, she told me that she specialised in alternative medicines, natural poisons, and pharmacology as well. Anyway, during her first month, she kicked a terrorist to death - and the man was supposed to have been captured alive. She just lost control and beat him to death just because she discovered that he had been beating his wife and kids.”

“That’s pretty serious but I don’t think that is grounds enough for a permanent discharge”, Ranveer said after making a mental note of this new information about poisons and drugs.

 “That’s true”, chimed in the old man, “but the terrorist was apparently being chased for 2 years by intelligence services from all over the world. Her little outburst undid 2 years of work and compromised a lot of other plans. At least, they gave her an honourable discharge.”

“What happened after that? Did she come back home to Nainital?”

“Pah! No! After that, she went all the way to some dinky little town on the Nepal border. Last I heard, she was doing drugs and staying with some drug dealer. Can you even imagine? An Army doctor and a drug dealer?!”

Ranveer kept silent and took a lot of notes. He finished his notes and asked him, “Can you give me the names of any friends that Ruma might have who are still living in Nainital?”

“She didn’t have any friends, except for this girl called Mahek Kumari. Mahek was also an army doctor, but I think she retired early to start her own practice. She lives in the house at the end of this street with her husband. She might know - I don’t really care about Ruma anymore.”

Following this tense exchange, the old man ushered Ranveer out of the house as suddenly as he had been ushered in. Then, the old man slammed the door, locked it, and shuffled away to some unknown room inside. Sighing deeply, Ranveer made his way to the houses at the end of the street. The house that Mahek Kumari lived in with her husband was a pretty cottage with a lovely garden and a stone wall. He opened the gate, made his way to the door, and knocked.

A few seconds later, a thirty-something man with clear glasses and a polo shirt answered the door. “Hello, can I help you with something?” he asked good-naturedly.

“Yes, my name is Ranveer Sawant, and I am the SHO at Tistaang. I am looking for Dr. Ruma Bagchi in relation to a case and I heard that your wife might have some idea.”

“Oh, wow. Okay, officer, please come in and have a seat. I will go and get my wife immediately”, said the man. After showing Ranveer to the sofa, he disappeared inside to one of the interior rooms.

A few minutes later, a woman came out of the room. She was tall, well-built, and she was certainly very pretty. She also had an air of knowledge and experience about her that only soldiers can have. Ranveer liked her immediately and stood up to shake her hand.

“Good morning, Officer, my name is Mahek Kumari. Anuj told me that you came to Nainital from Tistaang in search of Ruma. Is everything okay?”

“Good morning, ma’am. Actually, I came so far in search of Ruma Bagchi because she is a person of interest in an investigation about a series of murders that have taken place in our little town.”

“Oh, dear lord! That’s just terrible - please tell me how I can help you. I’d like to be as helpful as I can.”

“Thank you so much, ma’am. I have just been talking to Biren Bagchi and he couldn’t really provide any information about his daughter’s current whereabouts. Can you tell me what happened to her after she was discharged from the Army?”

Mahek frowned and shook her head and then said, “She was always a hothead and she dug her own grave after kicking that animal to death. I know he deserved it, but she should have had some self-control. After she got discharged, she went on a backpack tour of Sikkim. But, she got mixed up with bad company near the Indo-Nepal border and got addicted to bad drugs.”

“Drugs? Do you know what drugs she took?”

“Yes, she told me that she was doing heroin quite regularly. I begged her to stop and check herself into a rehab facility but she blew me off. She told me that she was doing better than before.”

“Do you know what happened then?”

“She got into a really tough situation with loan sharks and dealers near the border town. She was rescued by a drug lord who was very well-known in those parts. I think his name was Yash Zongpa. So, long story short, he rescued her and helped her with sobriety and they started dating. Last I heard, she went to Tistaang and set up a pharmacy there.”

“Thank you so much, ma’am. You provided me with a lot of insight about Dr. Bagchi.”

Ranveer took his leave and then made his way to where Sham Singh was waiting with the car. On the ride back to the hotel, he started wondering if Dr. Bagchi killed Kailash Manchandani for sending her boyfriend to jail.

“But why would she kill Vikram Shaw as well? He had no connection at all to Yash Zongpa’s trial”, Ranveer thought as he made his way up to his room. He decided that it was time to pay Mr. Zongpa a little visit in Delhi.

---O---“Hey, Zoya”, Ranveer answered the phone as he made his way to a cab from the arrival area of Delhi airport.

“Hello, officer saheb! Did you land in Delhi yet?”

“Yes, reporter madamji. I am now going to take a cab and go to the hotel. I’ll probably take a shower, change, have some lunch, and then make my way to Central Jail.”

“Okay, that sounds like a good plan. Be safe. Bye!”

“Bye!”

Ranveer made his way to the hotel and took a hot shower. He also managed to get a relaxing shave done. Then, he ordered some salad and coffee from the room service and had a quick lunch. The Delhi office had provided him with a car and he immediately made his way to Central Jail.

At the check-in desk, Ranveer had to sign in and he was asked to wait for a few minutes. A few minutes later, an orderly showed up and escorted him to Yash Zongpa’s cell. It was a square room with reinforced walls and a metal door. There was not a hint of metal in the entire room besides the door. As Ranveer walked in, he noticed Yash Zongpa sitting meekly and calmly in a chair. The orderly nodded at him and took his position outside the cell’s door.

“Good afternoon, Mr. Zongpa, it’s nice to see you again. I wanted to talk to you about Ruma Bagchi, who is a person of interest in a series of murders that have taken place in Tistaang. We have reason to believe that you know where she is.”

“I don’t really know, Officer, it has been many days since I have talked to Ruma.”

“Please don’t lie when you are so close to parole, Mr. Zongpa. I have access to the visitor records and I saw that she has been to visit you very recently. If you continue with your lies, I will make sure that you are registered as ‘ineligible for parole’”.

Ranveer was pleased to see that his threat had worked. Yash Zongpa was sweating profusely and looked terrified.

“No! No! Please don’t do that! I’ll tell you everything I know! Ruma is in Delhi now. She came to Delhi a few days ago and she has been visiting me. She is staying with some relatives of mine who work in the city.”

Ranveer realised that Ruma Bagchi couldn’t have killed Vikram Shaw, as she was in Delhi the entire time. She could have hired a contract killer to get the job done, but what would her motive behind killing Shaw be? It seemed to Ranveer that the killer was toying with the investigators and sending them on wild goose chases.

Ranveer came out of the room after ten minutes, during which he collected the current address where Ruma was staying. He called the dispatch house and provided them with the address. Within an hour, he got a call from the officer-in-charge.

“Hello, Officer Sawant? This is Inspector Munshi and I was in charge of the raid on a certain Dr. Ruma Bagchi.”

“Hello, Inspector! This is Officer Sawant. Have you managed to reprimand the suspect?”

“Yes, Officer! We have Dr. Ruma Bagchi in our custody and are currently transporting her to the Central Jail processing facility.”

“Thank you so much!”

Ranveer heaved a sigh of relief and waited for Ruma Bagchi to show up. He was notified after she was brought in and seated in an interrogation chamber. He saw her through the one-way mirror and realised that she was very fit and attractive. However, her heroin addiction had left some indelible marks on her physical and mental well-being. He made his way into the room.

“Hello, Dr Bagchi. My name is Ranveer Sawant, and I am -”

“Yes, Officer. I know who you are, I remember when you got posted.”

“Great! Now can you tell me what you know about the murders of Kailash Manchandani and Vikram Shaw?”

“I had nothing to do with both murders and you know that. You already know that I have an alibi - I was in Delhi visiting Yash.”

“Yes, but Vikram Shaw was found with traces of poisons in his bloodstream and I wanted to talk to an expert.”

When he said this, Dr. Bagchi gave him a sardonic smile. Then she said, “I am very happy Kailash Manchandani is dead - he is a horrible human being and I am sure my Yash will be very happy to hear this news. As for Vikram Shaw, I don’t know why he’s dead but I wouldn’t say that I’m very surprised.”

“Oh, really? Why do you say that?”

“He was a total deviant, and his ex-assistant told me that. She left the job three months ago and she told me that he was into drugs. She told me that he was a sex maniac and that he tried to force himself on her many times - but she always fought him off. Finally, she couldn’t take it anymore and handed in her resignation.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. In fact, she is the one that gave me that big bottle of phenoxycyanide for my pharmacy practice. She and I had become friends and she gave me a bottle of RCN50LR as a going-away present, I think. Ha ha!”

As Ranveer walked out of the interrogation room, he called his subordinates and asked them to look for Gul, Vikram Shaw’s ex-assistant. He was in the process of booking a flight back to Siliguri when he received a call from Suresh Oberoi.

Chapter 9: A Set of Suspects27th December 1999

Daksh Rajput sat in the verandah of Oberoi Farmhouse in Tistaang and took a long swig of coffee. He was a tall, stout, and handsome man - and the regal haughtiness of his Rajputana ancestry was evident in his features. However, today, he looked emaciated and there were dark circles under his eyes. Wishing for something stronger in the afternoon, he got up and mixed some brandy into his coffee.

Rajput started his career in the Customs and Vigilance department of the Indian government as a young man freshly out of college. He was a good student and he managed to clear the examination and interviews without a hitch. He managed to rise steadily through the ranks and was now in a very high post. He also managed to get the attractive posting in Bombay - close to the port with numerous import/export businesses.

Being in the Customs department, Rajput had padded his pockets right from his first week at work. At first, the bribes were small and nothing special - an expensive pen, a meal at a nice restaurant, a bottle of special scotch, and so on. As he rose through the ranks, the bribes had gotten exorbitant - and he had managed to earn quite a lot of money. This had made him overconfident, suave, and really rude - most of his colleagues tended to avoid him if they could.

But today, the cool and suave demeanour of Daksh Rajput was replaced by a paranoid and sweaty old man. Even though he was very comfortable in the Oberoi Farmhouse with his family, he kept thinking about the recent murders of his two closest friends. He kept thinking that he’s next - and he shuddered involuntarily at the thought of Manchandani’s corpse - with his arms cut off. He also thought of Vikram’s corpse - riddled with cigarette burns - and took another long swig of coffee.

He also had the mysterious notes and the crazy stalker to deal with. Ever since he and his family landed in Tistaang, he had been finding weird chits inside his jacket. The first one said “Would you like to go nasty again? Come! Let’s catch up this Sunday night at Cafe Snow Dust.” He found a second chit in his snow jacket the next day that said “I’ll be wearing a short red dress that leaves very little to the imagination. Come see me at Cafe Snow Dust and we can go nasty again.” Daksh ignored the messages as a prank initially because there was no Cafe Snow Dust in or around Tistaang. But he thought of himself as a virile man and he really wanted to meet this seductive stranger.

Smugglers had bribed him with countless women after his posting to Bombay and he had enjoyed their company. They were all foreign beauties as well - and he really wanted to meet this stranger and do nasty things after their tryst at Cafe Snow Dust initially. But now, Rajput was paranoid and suspicious. He thought that this was definitely a trick being played - and he was definitely going to end up dead. He kept this fact to himself and got ready for dinner with Suresh Oberoi later in the day. Calling to his wife, he made his way for a shower and shave.

---O---Daksh Rajput and Suresh Oberoi retired into a private study to have dinner and discuss matters of importance. Oberoi asked the manservant to serve the food and then leave them alone. After the manservant left and closed the door, Oberoi said, “I think Kailash was murdered by someone he put in jail while he was a prosecutor. The SHO thinks it’s not Zongpa, so it must be someone else.”

“You do remember that Kailash didn’t just put big goons in jail? He also put a lot of innocent people in jail to suit his own ends.”

“I know, but I don’t think there was anyone noteworthy enough to plan such an elaborate murder. You also have to think about Vikram. Who would kill him?!”

“I have a feeling that Vikram could have been murdered by one of those two women that he used to date while he was staying in Ahmedabad. Do you remember? These were the young ones that he used to sleep with from time to time.”

“Why would they kill him? Didn’t they break up amicably?”

“Amicably?! Ha! Do you think any woman who sleeps with Vikram would want to break up amicably?”

At this point, Oberoi and Rajput had a private laugh with each other and reminisced about the womanizing tendencies of their departed friend. Rajput continued, “Nevertheless, I think that it could have Montu Mastaan who could have arranged this murder.”

“Montu Mastaan? You mean that lowlife called Makrand Sahu? Isn’t he stuck in jail for life?”

“He had a lot of contacts - he could have arranged Kailash and Vikram’s murder from inside jail itself. I think we should ask the SHO to question Montu Mastaan and the two ladies. Do you remember their names?”

“I actually don’t - wait, let me see if I have any emails from Vikram describing all of his lovemaking with them.”

Oberoi fiddled a little on his computer at the desk and said, “There it is! At one point he was dating Nimrit Kothari, and I think she was a voiceover artist. Then they broke up and he started dating someone called Monica Gomes. Oh, wow - she’s a psychotherapist.”

“Good! Now call up the SHO and let him know!”

Oberoi nodded and picked up the phone, and dialled the number of the SHO.

---O---SHO Ranveer Sawant hung up the call and sighed deeply. He was frustrated that his return to Tistaang was delayed by this new task of meeting Makrand Sahu. He just wanted to go and spend time with Zoya again, but now he had to go all the way to Kolkata and talk to this convict. He sighed again and decided that he would ask Zoya to talk to the two ladies that Oberoi mentioned. He doubted that they would provide any information but he wanted to leave nothing to chance. So he dialled Zoya and waited for her to answer.

“Hey, Ranveer! When is your flight? Raju kaka and I have been missing you a lot. We can’t wait for you to get back.”

“Really? That’s so sweet - I’ve missed you both too. But I’m afraid I have to make another detour to Kolkata.”

“Seriously? What now?” Zoya asked. Ranveer was a little pleased to hear honest disappointment in her voice.

“Oberoi called me and told me that this convict called Makrand Sahu in Alipore Jail could have something to do with Manchandani and Shaw. He also told me that two of Vikram Shaw’s ex-girlfriends in Ahmedabad could have also been behind his murder.”

“Oh wow, the boring cliche of the jilted lovers. Do you have to go to Ahmedabad too?”

“No, I was actually wondering if you would like to go and talk to them. I will send the contact details of both ladies to you via email, if you like.”

“Okay, you know what, that’s a great idea. I’ll take the next train out to Ahmedabad - and then we’ll both return to Tistaang together.”

“Great! Okay, see you. Bye!”

“Bye!”

Ranveer hung up and was surprised to notice that he was feeling better. Maybe this was the aftereffects of talking to Zoya - talking to her always made him feel lighter and better. Then, he decided that it was time to book a ticket to Kolkata and make his way to Montu Mastaan in Alipore Jail.

Chapter 10: A Web of Infinite Puzzles28th December 1999 

“Hello, Mr. Sahu. My name is SHO Ranveer Sawant and I wanted to talk to you about the recent murders of Kailash Manchandani and Vikram Shaw.”

“Please, Officer, I don’t know anything about their murders - even though I am very happy they are dead. They are the scum of the earth and they trapped me in this hell forever!” said Montu Mastaan. He was emaciated, with a beard and sunken cheeks.

“Of course, Mr. Sahu, every man in prison claims that he is innocent. You don’t need to plead innocent to me, I’ve already seen your case files. I remember that Mr. Daksh Rajput and Officer Jaslok Pandya uncovered your smuggling operation and you murdered four people to cover your tracks.”

“I was framed!! Do you actually know who the prosecutor was in my case?!”

“It was Kailash Manchandani, wasn’t it? So what?”

“When I was a smuggler, I actually became a confidential informant to Daksh Rajput - who was posted in Kandla at the time. Whenever someone would smuggle antiques from the West, I would tell him. He would take a cut from them and then give me leeway to smuggle in my own goods.”

“Okay, then what happened?”

“One day, Rajput and SP Jaslok Pandya hatched a conspiracy together. Have you heard of Iliasi?”

“Iliasi? Oh, yes, I have - isn’t he a smuggler in the port cities? He’s been underground for a very long time.”

“Iliasi had suffered huge losses and he asked Daksh Rajput to set up a plan that would allow him to recoup his losses. The SP and Mr. Rajput teamed up with that bastard and put me in jail!”

“You keep saying that - but how did they manage to frame you? Right now, your story just sounds like the ramblings of a crazy old man.”

“One day, I got a tip that Iliasi was planning to meet two antique smugglers from Egypt at the port in Kandla. Apparently, a local MP was going to be present too and a lot of hard cash was going to change hands. I went and told this to Rajput and Pandya, who was also there at the meeting.”

“Okay, what happened after that?”

“Jaslok Pandya wanted a promotion and so he wanted to be the one to put me behind bars. At the meeting, he told me to lead them to the meeting - and he also gave me an untraceable gun for my safety. I trusted him and took him to the meeting.”

“What happened at the meeting? I read in the report that you shot and killed two smugglers, the MP, and his bodyguard with that gun that you were caught with.”

“I didn’t shoot anybody! When we reached the port, there was a sudden flurry of gunshots from their end! I got scared, I fired a single shot in the air and ran for my life! Pandya knew he would get a handsome payout from Iliasi and he used my gun to kill the other people over there!”

“What?!”

“Yes! The next thing I know, my picture is in the newspaper with a ‘Most Wanted’ sign - and ironically, SP Pandya caught me in a manhunt and shoved me into jail! Then that bastard’s friend - the Marwari prosecutor ensured that I stayed in this hell for life!”

“Is that so?”

“Yes! The ballistics matched the gun that Pandya gave me - and of course my fingerprints were all over the damn thing! I was trapped!”

“How do I know that you didn’t use your contacts to set this murder up?”

“What contacts?! None of my gang kept in touch with me after I was accused of killing a politician! I was shunned and exiled - and even in this prison, I have to be kept in a special cell with minimum contact!”

After the meeting, Ranveer walked out of the cell wondering about all the information that Montu Mastaan just gave him. He felt like he was caught in a web of infinite puzzles. He didn’t know who to believe. Wondering how Zoya was doing with the ladies in Ahmedabad, Ranveer made his way to the railway station for his train to Siliguri. He had to make his way back to Tistaang very soon.

---O---Zoya wondered about the two women that she was going to Ahmedabad to meet. “A psychotherapist called Monica and a voiceover artist called Nimrit - wonder how much I'll find out from them", she thought, as she drank some water. Accompanying was Tara Ghosh, a young constable who was accompanying her to provide logistical help.

Zoya and Tara got along very well, after finding out they read the same books, and they spent the entire train journey talking about the books. After arriving in Ahmedabad, they had a very quick lunch at the station’s cafeteria and then made their way to the car waiting for them. Constable Ghosh had managed to track down the addresses of Monica Gomes and Nimrit Kothari - the latter was closer, so they decided to go there in the beginning.

It turned out that Nimrit Kothari lived in an apartment complex located along the banks of the Sabarmati river. The complex was very clean and well-maintained – clearly, Miss Kothari had managed to do very well in the field of voice dubbing. Zoya and Tara had looked up her resume, and she had landed a lot of high-profile roles in Hindi dubs for Hollywood movies and TV shows.

After talking to the security guard located at the gates, Zoya and Tara made their way to the tower that Nimrit lived in. She had an apartment on the first floor, and both women decided to take the stairs. Upon ringing the doorbell, Nimrit answered the door herself. Zoya noted privately that she was a very beautiful and elegant woman - with exquisite taste in clothing and accessories. However, she had a severe demeanor.

“Yes, how can I help you?” Miss Kothari asked with a hint of exasperation.

“Good afternoon, ma’am. Are you Nimrit Kothari?”, Tara asked.

“Yes.”

“My name is Constable Tara Ghosh, and I am a police officer from the Tistaang station house in West Bengal. This is my colleague Zoya Shroff, and we wanted to talk to you about something very important. May we please come in?”

“Of course”, Nimrit said and gestured the both of them into her apartment. As they were getting settled in, she asked “Can you tell me exactly what this is about?”

“A few days ago, a well-known ex-prosecutor and lawyer named Kailash Manchandani was brutally massacred in our sleepy little town. This is quite unheard of - and we have reason to believe that you can provide us with some insight”, Tara said. As she did, Zoya revelled in Tara’s diplomacy and level-headedness. She was one of the best young officers working alongside Ranveer at Tistaang.

“I don’t really see what my relationship with Vikram has to do with the murder of some lawyer in North Bengal”, said Nimrit sullenly while motioning at Zoya and Tara to sit down. Her living room was very spartan, but the upholstery and furniture was elegant and tasteful. The walls had pictures of Nimrit with many Bollywood celebrities.

“You know, Ms. Kothari, Kailash Manchandani wasn’t the only one that was killed. Your ex-boyfriend Vikram Shaw was also killed in a gruesome manner. Surely you of all people would want to help us track down the murderer.”

“Absolutely not! To be honest with you, I am elated that Vikram bit the dust. He was a horrible and disgusting man - and he took advantage of my naivete in every possible way. I agreed to talk to you and the policewoman here so that you wouldn’t arrest me or something.”

“I see”, interjected Constable Tara. “In that case, can you tell us about your relationship with Mr. Shaw? We are trying to paint a picture of his life so that we can narrow down potential murderers.”

“Vikram and I met the traditional way, through common friends, when I got my first high profile role dubbing over a popular American TV show. He was easy on the eyes, rich, and well-connected - and the attraction was instant. We first met at a party, and I was unsurprised when we found each other in bed at the end of the party.”

“Okay, and then you both started to date?”

“Yes, pretty much. He was a total sexual deviant - and he hid that fact pretty well for the first few months. He was a total gentleman, and then he started to show me his true self. Did you know he invented a pheromone compound to coerce me into having sex with him?”

“Wow, is that even legal?”, asked Zoya.

“No, it’s not. Vikram had a god-gifted brain and he used it to come up with these disgusting tricks - and then he used those tricks to try out all his weird sexual fantasies on me.”

“How long did you two date?”

“After almost two years of dating, when I asked him if he was ever going to marry me, he just ignored the question. Can you believe that? He acted like I didn’t exist. A week later, he said that he wanted to break up and see other people.”

“I see. Did you ever go to Tistaang during your relationship?”

“Yes, I went twice. I actually have some fond memories of that sleepy little town.”

“So you have absolutely no clue who could do something like this to Kailash Manchandani and Vikram Shaw?”

“Absolutely not - the day I was done with Vikram was the happiest day of my life. I was inconsolable for a few weeks, and then I realised that I was finally free.”

“I see.”

“After that, I managed to get back into the industry and I snagged some good dubbing work for some superhit Hollywood movies. All in all, I’m quite happy with my life.”

“Thank you, Miss Kothari, for entertaining us and answering all the questions that we had for you.”

After interviewing Nimrit, Zoya and Tara left for Monica Gomes’ apartment. She lived quite far from Nimrit’s house - almost an hour away by car. Both ladies had a spirited discussion about what Nimrit told them. The tidbit about the pheromone chemical was especially interesting to both of them. Due to traffic, they reached Monica Gomes’ apartment after almost 90 minutes and rang the bell.

Just like Nimrit Kothari, Monica Gomes also lived in an affluent area of the city of Ahmedabad. The only difference was that Dr Gomes’ residential complex was located in the heart of the city. As they waited for the door to be answered, Zoya and Tara admired the paintings hanging on the inside of the building’s corridor. Almost half a minute later, the door was answered by an attractive woman. She was wearing a turtleneck and trousers, and she also had glasses on. She had a demure expression but it was quite apparent that she was an intelligent professional and a true professional as well.

“Good afternoon, ma’am. Am I correct in assuming that you are Dr Monica Gomes?”, Zoya asked.

“Yes, you are - how can I help you?”

“My name is Zoya Shroff and this is my colleague, Constable Tara Ghosh. We are investigating a case of dual murders in Tistaang - and we have reason to believe that you can provide us with information about the suspects.”

Dr. Gomes gasped and covered her mouth in shock. “Oh my god, dual murders! How horrible! Who died? Is it someone I know?”

“Yes, the two dead are Kailash Manchandani and Vikram Shaw. We discovered that you and Mr. Shaw used to share a romantic relationship a few years ago.”

To Zoya and Tara’s surprise, Dr. Gomes’ stoic expression changed into one of pure joy. She smiled and said, “Oh, so that monster is finally dead. Good - I am ecstatic that he died!”

The shock at her sudden change of expression and tone had clearly registered on both Zoya and Tara’s faces. Dr Gomes noticed that and invited them both into her apartment. Like Miss Kothari, Dr Gomes’ apartment was spartanly furnished but had a really cozy and inviting feel to it. There was a cross on the wall and some pictures as well. There was also an enormous bookshelf covering an entire wall. Zoya couldn’t help but explain “What a gorgeous collection you have!” as she stepped into the room.

“Thank you!”

Once they were seated, Zoya and Tara looked expectantly at Dr Gomes. “Can you please tell us about your relationship with Mr Vikram Shaw? We would like to know why you called him a monster just now.”

“Back when I first met Vikram, I had recently gotten married to the loveliest man on the planet. Vikram and I met at a party, and you could say that he took a liking to me.”

“I see”, Tara said, taking notes.

“He propositioned me - and of course, I said no. I showed him my ring and he actually apologised for not realising sooner!”

“What happened next?”

“During the course of the party, he and I struck up a conversation about the kind of work that I did. As a chemical engineer, he had a lot of expertise in the area of pharmaceuticals and he was asking me about antidepressants and mood stabilisers. He said that he had a fantastic book that he wanted me to see - and asked me to stay back for five minutes after the party.”

“I see.”

“I happily agreed, as he was being such a gentleman until that point. As I waited, he gave me a glass of red wine which I sipped on. Little did I realise that he had laced it with some kind of pheromonal chemical that made me lose myself completely.”

“Lose yourself?” Zoya interjected. “In what way?”

“I lost complete control of my faculties. The next thing I knew, Vikram and I were in bed together and he was basically having his way with me.”

“Oh my god!” Tara said.

“What happened after that?” Zoya asked.

“Then?”

“When the effects of the chemical wore off, I confronted him. He said that if I told anyone, he would contact my husband and my in-laws and destroy my marriage. He said that he would do the same if I stopped making myself available to him.”

“How long did this go on for?”

“Our trysts and “affair” went on for at least 2 years. He used his chemical on me and basically used me to try all of his sex fantasies out. One time, I spoke up and told him he needed to get counseling. He was so angry that he raped me and then contacted by husband and told him about our “affair””.

“Couldn’t you go to the police?”

“No, he had all these videos and pictures of us in bed – and he threatened to send it to my husband, my in-laws, and my colleagues. I was scared that he was going to ruin me.”

“Oh, god. What was the fallout?”

“It was absolutely horrible. My now ex-husband and I got divorced because he refused to believe me when I told him that Vikram had been abusing me. He turned my life into a pathetic hellscape. Ever since the first day we met, I have been wishing for his death.”

“The fallout was an absolute disaster for me - personally. My now ex-husband and I got divorced because he refused to believe my side of the story. Vikram had sent him video tapes and pictures of us having sex, and he couldn’t help believe the contents of those over my words. I lost the love of my life, and since then my life has been transformed into a pathetic hellscape”, Dr Gomes finished with a lot of bitterness and resentment.

There was complete quietness in the room after Monica stopped to speak for a couple of minutes. After that, she smiled and said, “I have been wishing for his death for the past few years, but I could never bring myself to actually do something about it. So I must thank you both for bringing this piece of news to my doorstep."

After the interview, Zoya and Tara got on the train back to Siliguri and Tistaang. They both realised that these ladies seemed to have moved on from the horrible experiences they suffered at the hands of Vikram Shaw. They also had alibis - and there was no apparent reason for them to come back to Tistaang so many years later for the sake of vengeance.

Ruminating over all of these thoughts, Zoya and Tara returned to Tistaang just in time for Ranveer’s return.

Chapter 11: Connecting the Dots30th December 1999

Ranveer and Zoya both arrived in Tistaang within a few hours of each other. Zoya arrived first and she immediately went to Ranveer’s bungalow to wash up. Raju Kaka had clearly missed her as he had prepared a scrumptious meal of mutton and pulao for her to enjoy. Ranveer arrived just as she was sitting down to lunch. “Wait for me! I’m freshening up and coming down to eat - I’m ravenous!” he said, and ran up to his room. Zoya was happy that she got a chance to have lunch with him again after so many days.

After the meal, Ranveer and Zoya started discussing their findings and comparing notes while sitting in the living room. “There’s so many names on the radar. The two victims had a lot of people who stood to gain from their death. I’m really at a loss - I don’t know what to think”, Ranveer said while leaning back into the sofa.

“I know! But, you know what, from all the facts, I think that Ruma Bagchi could have been the murderer. I mean, I think she could have killed Kailash Manchandani at least - he had a direct hand in the incarceration of her boyfriend. She also has the knowhow and training required to dispose of Vikram Shaw.”

“You’re right. But in the same way, Radha the maid also could have killed Manchandani and Shaw for money. She obviously didn’t do it alone - I think she could have done it with an accomplice.”

“I am also wondering if it could have been Monica or Nimrit or even Gul who murdered Vikram Shaw. I mean, the man was a complete jerk - he clearly had it coming all along.”

“The entire thing is completely messed up and illogical. The dots are not connecting and right now you and I are both making shots in the dark. We need to shine a light on this situation and figure it out.”

Zoya yawned and said, “At the very least, I think it would be a good idea to keep Ruma Bagchi in custody. She does not have an alibi for Manchandani’s murder and she actually has a direct motive for his murder.”

“I know, but we can’t remand her into custody yet. That jar of RCN50LR will be treated as circumstantial evidence. We need to gather solid evidence against Ms. Bagchi.”

Ranveer’s cell phone chimed with a text message. He looked at the message and said, “Oh, Neeraj Oberoi wants to meet. He says that he has some important information to give us about the case.” Zoya rolled her eyes and said, “Oh, he does, does he? He’s a regular Sherlock Holmes, that one!” Ranveer laughed and said, “Why don’t you get ready? I’ll go and get ready with the jeep.”

---O---“Okay, Officer Sawant, I have a very strong suspicion on Radha. I have told you about my suspicions of her before as well, but I think she had a hand in the murder of Kailash uncle. She worked at the Manchandani residency as well as our house, and Kailash uncle told me that he caught her pilfering cash from wallets sometimes. He also mentioned to me that valuables would routinely go missing from the house. She has done the same at our house, but we never managed to catch her in the act.”

“Really? Do you have any proof to support this claim? Usually, robbing a household of some cash doesn’t directly translate into cold-blooded murder”, said Ranveer coldly.

“I know! I know! But look at all the facts together! Aadya has told me that Radha’s father is a drunkard who would beat her up and ask her for money from time to time. I have a feeling that Radha had some sort of intentions behind the murder of Kailash uncle. My dad doesn’t think so, but I do!”

“Is there anything that makes you feel so strongly about this entire affair, Mr. Oberoi?” Zoya asked. She found his obsession with pinning the blame on Radha a little weird.

“Yes! One time, when Aadya was out of station for a big painting exhibition, I caught her snooping around our bedroom. She was also talking to someone on a very pricey phone.”

“Really? Did you manage to hear what she was talking about?”

“Yeah! She was asking how much money it would take to arrange a trip to some place. She also mentioned how she wanted to run away from Tistaang and never come back. One thing that stood out to me is her asking how much money she needs to pay for ‘dehdhaani’.”

“Dehdhaani? What is that?”

“I don’t know! It sounds suspicious, so I really think you need to take a look into the matter with Radha ASAP!”

“Okay, thank you, Mr. Oberoi. I will look this matter up and have a chat with Radha as well.”

---O---Back at the station, Ranveer looked up “dehdhaani” on the internet. He couldn’t find anything at all. He placed a call to an informer who he had worked with previously. The man was a talented and industrious fellow who previously used to deal drugs in Meerut. Now he was a police informant and an analyst. He readily provided Ranveer with the answer to the dehdhaani puzzle.

“Yeah, Officer. In the Pakistan-Rajasthan border and the Kashmir valley, locals call the MDMA drug “dehdhaani”. I don’t really know why.”

Ranveer thanked him and promised to meet him some day. After that, he hung up and called out to his subordinates. Preparing himself, he ordered his subordinate to take Radha the maid into custody and bring her in for a round of questioning. In a few hours, Radha was brought into the station house and was waiting quietly for him.

“Hello, Radha. I am Officer Sawant, I am sure you remember me from when I was at Mr. Oberoi’s house earlier.”

“Yes, sir, I remember you very well. Why have you taken me into custody?! The other officers wouldn’t answer any of my questions!”

“Don’t be scared, Radha. I just wanted to ask you a few questions to investigate the murders thoroughly.”

“Okay, but I am just a simple maid. I can’t even read and write properly and I don’t know how I will be able to help you out.”

“First of all, what can you tell me about dehdhaani?”

“What? Dehdhaani?! How did you know about that?” Radha asked incredulously. “I just want to know what it is, Radha. Is it a drug? Is it a person? What is it?” Ranveer persisted.

“It’s neither a drug nor a person. I don’t do drugs! It’s a Kashmiri herb paste that you can apply to make your skin glow. I was talking to a friend in Kashmir who buys dehdhaani and sends them to me via post.”

“Is that so? I hope you aren’t lying, Radha. We will be checking your call records.”

“Go ahead! Why would I lie?”

Leaving Radha in the interrogation room, Ranveer faxed the mobile phone company with an order for her call records. He found the number he was looking for and called it.

“Hello”, said a friendly and cheerful voice.

“Hello! My name is Ranveer Sawant, and I am the SHO at Tistaang police station. Who am I speaking to?”

“My name is Manav. Where did you get my number, Officer?”

“I got your number from your friend, Radha. Do you remember her?”

“Oh! Of course I do! Radha and I used to study in school together until the 8th standard. After that, I dropped out and came to Kashmir. Right now, I am working as a fruit seller.”

“Okay, Manav. Can you tell me what dehdhaani is?”

“Yeah, sure. It’s a local herb paste that is used by women for making their skin glow. It’s very popular in this area. I buy some and send it to Radha from time to time. Why?”

“No reason, Manav. I am just following up on some things for an investigation.”

---O---So far, all of Radha’s stories had been verified. Not wanting to leave anything to chance, Ranveer drove up to the Manchandani residence to talk to the family. He talked to the late Kailash Manchandani’s wife Neelima, the cook, as well as the driver. None of them ever had any suspicions about Radha. On the other hand, Neelima Manchandani actually said she was a wonderful worker and she always took care of the house properly. Neelima was surprised that Kailash had never told him about Radha stealing money from the wallets. Ranveer found this bit of information very strange, but he kept it to himself for the time being.

Ranveer also had the chance to talk to Kailash Manchandani’s son Sohan. Sohan was morose at the death of his father and Ranveer didn’t have the heart to ask him a lot of questions. Moreover, he has been studying at IIT Roorkee for the past few years so he had no idea about what went on in the Manchandani household.

After verifying the stories, he called the station and ordered his subordinates to let Radha go. He then drove back home to rest and have a long talk with Zoya. He felt good to make his way back to her with all of this new information - and he was excited to talk to her as well.

“There you are!” Zoya exclaimed as soon as he walked in the door.

“What?”

“Suresh Oberoi called the residence while you were gone. He called to insist that Radha is innocent and that he can vouch for her, irrespective of what his son said.”

“Wow. I didn’t know the old man felt so strongly about the maid.”

“Yeah. Apparently, gossip has been spreading all over the town. In fact, some of the townspeople have spread all of the gossip to Darjeeling and Gangtok as well.”

“What? Don’t people have a life? Why do they feel the need to sit around and gossip all day?!”

“Wow, Officer sahib, don’t be so grumpy. Gossip is fun sometimes. Even the ladies at Aadya’s yoga centre have started gossiping about Vikram Shaw and all of his ex-girlfriends.”

“I am not grumpy, madamji. It’s just that the gossip makes people think that they have seen things which aren’t there.”

“That’s true.”

“Forget it for now. Tomorrow is New Year’s Eve. I will ask Raju Kaka to make some tandoori chicken and I will go buy a few bottles of beer. We need to celebrate!”

“Awesome! I think I will try to make momos tomorrow.”

 

Chapter 12: A Wedding and a Death2nd January 2000

“Good morning, Sir. Mr. and Mrs. Neeraj Oberoi have submitted a letter asking for permission to leave Tistaang for a few days. Apparently, Daksh Rajput’s daughter is getting married and they are invited to the festivities in Mumbai”, said Vatsal Soreng as soon as Ranveer walked in the door of the station with Zoya.

“Really? What about Suresh Oberoi? Isn’t he going”, asked Zoya.

“I don’t think he is. He is still very broken up about the deaths of his friends and he has chosen to stay home. Mr. Rajput could not postpone the wedding as his daughter will be leaving for the UK immediately after the wedding. Her husband will be starting his job there on the 6th.”

“Hmm, I see. I suppose you and I just need to keep working on the case while everyone else has fun in Mumbai”, Ranveer said teasingly to Zoya.

“It’s okay. I don’t really like weddings, you know. It’s too hectic and there’s too much going on. The only good thing about a wedding like that is the food”, Zoya said quite seriously. Ranveer and Vatsal burst into laughter at her words.

---O---On the morning of the wedding, Daksh Rajput had a completely jam-packed schedule. He had to take care of a lot of last minute problems with regard to the wedding venue and logistics. He was a little henpecked but he was happy - his beloved Snehal was getting married today! He was also over the moon that he had found such a good son-in-law. The groom was a software engineer called Jitesh Zariwala. He was truly impeccable - his family were classy, established, and had a flourishing business in cutting diamonds. Jitesh himself was the founder of a company and he was cashing in on the dot com businesses of the early 2000s. All in all, it was a great opportunity for him and his daughter.

However, he could not help feeling that a shadow was being cast by the murders of his two best friends from youth. Kailash and Vikram were both murdered - and he couldn’t believe that they were gone. At the same time, he was afraid for his own life. He remembered the flirty notes that he received while in Tistaang. He shuddered because it occurred to him that the notes could have been a lure and ultimately led to his own death.

Driving the negative thoughts from his head, Rajput hurried away to ensure that the caterers had started to prepare the wedding feast properly. He wanted to make a good impression on the Zariwala family - he could not leave a single thing upto chance.

---O---The wedding went smoothly and it was a very beautiful ceremony. The vidaai had been completed and the newly married couple were off to the Zariwala mansion for their first night together. Jitesh was a perfect gentleman who escorted his daughter to a waiting Mercedes-Benz sedan. Now, Daksh Rajput was taking a moment to relax and enjoying a much-deserved glass of scotch with a few of his important wedding guests. There were officials from the Customs headquarters in Delhi, big shot importers and exporters, and other businessmen who he was entertaining.

While talking business, Rajput’s cell phone vibrated in his suit pocket. He was in the middle of conversation - so he chose to ignore the message. A few minutes later, he excused himself and made his way to the washroom. He discovered that he had a new SMS. He opened the text message and almost fainted after reading the contents. “I know what you did in 1991. Now, it’s time for payback.” He collected himself, made an excuse, and rushed home.

After getting to his empty bungalow in Tardeo, he made his way to the manicured lawns in the backyard. There was a storeroom and shed there which Rajput used as a storage unit. His family assumed that he used it as a home office, and nobody ever visited it at all. In fact, it was so rarely opened that most of the household forgot that it even existed.

Inside the shed was a series of almirahs and a large locker with a combination lock. Rajput rushed into the storage shed and unlocked the locker. He rummaged inside the locker and took out a large folio binder labelled “1985 to 1988”. He flipped through the contents of the folder and one newspaper cutting struck out among all of the flotsam. It was an old Times of India cutting that said “Wildlife Activist Jeevika Sanyal Found Dead on an Abandoned Bridge Near Shaniwar Wada Fort in Pune”.

Daksh remembered the Sanyal case. The same night Jeevika Sanyal’s body was discovered, her younger sister Pinki Sanyal also went missing. She was in her first year of college at the time and everybody assumed that she ran away due to the grief of losing her sister. Despite an extensive manhunt, the police could not locate Pinki anywhere. Struck by grief at the apparent loss of both his daughters, their father died of shock and paralysis within the next month. He wondered if Pinki Sanyal was the one sending him the notes for what he did to Jeevika Sanyal. Fully sober now, he made his way inside the house to give Suresh Oberoi a call.

“Hello, Suresh.”

“Hello, Daksh! How was the wedding?”

“The wedding went really nicely. But I wanted to talk to you about something else. Do you remember the Jeevika Sanyal affair?”

There was a short pause on Suresh Oberoi’s end. After a few seconds, he replied “Yes, I do remember. Why?”

“I was wondering if the missing sister Pinki Sanyal could have anything to do with Kailash and Vikram’s murders.”

“I don’t think so, Daksh. Pinki was only an 18-year old at that time and she went completely missing. In my opinion, she is either dead or is a drug addict by now.”

“I know, but I can’t help but think she could have played a role in this.”

“I know you’re scared, Daksh, but there wasn’t any link between the Sanyal affair and Kailash. Nor was there any link between the Sanyals and Vikram.”

“You’re right! I can relax a little now. But you should be vigilant, Suresh. Both murders happened in Tistaang - maybe you should invest in better security.”

“You’re right, I’ve been looking into that. But for now, you go and enjoy your daughter’s wedding.”

Immediately after ending this call, he received a call from his wife. She asked him where he was and he made an excuse. He hurried back to the party and sat at a table with his wife, Neeraj, and Aadya. “I love your white coat, uncle. You look so distinguished!” Aadya said to him.

“I chose it for him - he couldn’t afford to dress sloppily for his daughter’s wedding!” Daksh’s wife Meenal chimed in. They all laughed and had some soft drinks. The conversation was light and Rajput enjoyed it more after his fears were assuaged by his previous conversation with Suresh Oberoi.

While sipping the drink, Daksh suddenly felt a strange tightness in his chest - which started to become quite painful. He thought he was having a heart attack and collapsed off of his chair. His wife, Neeraj, and Aadya all started yelling and came to his aid. “Call an ambulance!” Neeraj shouted at one of the caterers who rushed out to check on the commotion. Neeraj tried to give him CPR when suddenly blood started to ooze out of his chest. Slowly, Daksh Rajput’s white tuxedo started to turn red. By the time the police and the ambulance got there, it was sure that he had expired. Meenal Rajput is inconsolable and had descended into hysterics. Aadya firmly grabbed her by the arm and left as the ambulance and the police arrived.

---O---Inspector Samsher Pasha was not happy to be working on the Daksh Rajput case. He was getting pressure from a lot of sides - as Rajput was an important customs officer, his superiors were overseeing and micromanaging his investigation. At the same time, Inspector Pasha took the case as a special favour to Suresh Oberoi. He and Oberoi had become friends when Pasha took his wife and children to an idyllic summer vacation in Tistaang. The first thing that he did was give the shocked and grief-stricken Suresh Oberoi a call.

“Hello, Mr. Oberoi, I’m sure you have heard the awful news.”

“I can’t believe it, Samsher. I just talked to him thirty minutes before he died.”

“Can you give me any information about who could have murdered Mr. Rajput?”

“Daksh was very scared that the little sister of the wildlife activist Jeevika Sanyal, Pinki Sanyal, was the one behind some threatening notes he received while he was in Tistaang.”

“Is there a specific reason why Mr Rajput suspected Pinki Sanyal to be behind the threatening notes?”

“There is a long story involved, and I need to tell you that in private. I think you should start to look for the younger Miss Sanyal immediately.”

“How do I look for Pinki Sanyal, Mr. Oberoi? She has been missing ever since her sister’s death. She is essentially a ghost.”

After hanging up, Pasha spent a long time rummaging through the file cabinets to locate every bit of information left over from the Jeevika Sanyal death. He also took out a much thinner folio binder filled with information about the Pinki Sanyal missing person’s case.

Pasha tried to see if there were any photo records of Pinki Sanyal. He couldn’t find a single scrap of information about her. He realized that they would have to be on the lookout for a ghostly face. His telephone rang and the medical examiner asked him to come down to the examination room ASAP.

“Hello, Inspector. I have discovered something very interesting while conducting the Daksh Rajput autopsy.”

“Yes, Doctor, what did you find?”

“The eyewitnesses said that Mr. Rajput clutched his chest and grimaced in pain for a while before he collapsed. I discovered that he suffered an unnatural cardiac arrest just before he was shot.”

“An unnatural cardiac arrest? What exactly does that mean?”

“He was poisoned with a lethal dose of oxyderoxine, which is a very obscure plant-based poison.”

“Yeah, I don’t think I have ever heard of it. Where does it originate?”

“The plant that it is extracted from can be found in the jungles of the Western Ghats. I read that the local farmers use this as pesticide to protect their grain from mice.”

“So Daksh Rajput was first poisoned with highly lethal rat poison and then he was shot? How is that even possible?”

“That’s for you to find out, Inspector. I also discovered a note in his coat pocket that says “In search of satyanweshi”. I have kept it separately for you.”

---O---Inspector Pasha and his team did a very thorough search of the wedding venue. After two hours of extensive searching, a young constable noticed something odd. On the decorative wall separating the dining and sitting areas, there was a CCTV camera that looked very out of place. It had a rotating axle and there was no rationale for placing the camera in that area.

After examining the camera, the police discovered that it was in fact a makeshift gun designed to fire a single bullet. Inspector Pasha stared at the dismounted fake CCTV camera incredulously and ordered his subordinates to contact the event management company.

However, the interviews with the event management company were not fruitful at all. The entire staff working at the event were vetted thoroughly - since many government dignitaries were going to be in attendance. The wedding venue had its own security team, which was supplemented by the security team of the event management company. At a loss, Inspector Pasha demanded a recording of the functional CCTV cameras located in the venue.

After going through hours of footage, Inspector Pasha made a breakthrough with the case. He noticed a man wearing the uniform of the event management company shuffling around the venue with an old leather bag. The man had an unkempt look about him and looked very out of place in the glamorous event. He was also very old - his face was heavily wrinkled and he had a salt-and-pepper beard too. An immediate alert was announced for this man - and an enhanced photograph of him was circulated all over the state.

Even after ten days, Inspector Pasha failed to make any headway with the mysterious man. The event management head Rohit mentioned that the man just turned up last month begging for a job. He had experience working with CCTVs, so he was employed as a CCTV technician for the venue. He was actually a great worker and managed to take care of the venue’s cameras during the last month. He was not noticed leaving the venue and absconding during the Rajput-Zariwala wedding. Inspector Pasha heaved a large sigh and wondered what the hell he was supposed to do if the main suspect of the murder was nowhere to be found.

 

Chapter 13: The Story of Jeevika Sanyal3rd January 2000

Inspector Pasha was worried about the fact that he had managed to make almost no headway with the Daksh Rajput murder case. He was facing a lot of pressure from his seniors as well as his benefactor Suresh Oberoi. He realised that he will make no progress until and unless he found out the truth about Daksh Rajput and Jeevika Sanyal. He prepared himself and called Suresh Oberoi.

“Good morning, sir. This Inspector Pasha from Mumbai.”

“Good morning, Samsher! How can I help you? Did you have a breakthrough with the case?”

“We’re working on it, Mr. Oberoi. But I need some information from you and I would like you to be transparent about it.”

There was a long pause on the other end of the line. Then, Oberoi said, “Of course, Samsher. What did you want to ask me about?”

“I wanted to know why Mr. Rajput thought that Pinki Sanyal could be after him. The girl disappeared 11 years ago and has been presumed dead by the police department. What possible motivation could she have to kill him?”

There was another long pause on Oberoi’s end. Finally, he sighed deeply and said, “Samsher, what I’m about to tell you doesn’t leave this conversation. Is that understood? I am speaking to you as a friend - not as a witness.”

“Of course, Mr. Oberoi. You can always trust my discretion.”

“Good, good. Daksh and Jeevika went to college together, and slept together a few times even though he had a steady girlfriend throughout that period.”

“His girlfriend then was his now-wife Meenal?”

“Yes, he and Meenal were in a relationship for a while. However, he and Jeevika Sanyal slept together and had a lot of one-night stands throughout college. They continued to do this even after he graduated, got a job, and got married to Meenal.”

“I see. What happened then?”

“Obviously, Jeevika was extremely unhappy that Daksh had not ended the relationship with Meenal and had actually married her. She kept pressuring him to divorce Meenal and marry her. Daksh refused, and then she started to blackmail him.”

“Blackmail?How?”

“She had recorded videos and pictures of their sensual trysts with a hidden camera and threatened to send them to Meenal and her entire family. That is why there was always a lot of tension between Jeevika and Daksh.”

“I see. What happened then?”

“What happened next was when Pinki, Jeevika’s sister, had just gotten admission into college. Pinki had no idea about the Daksh affair - she assumed her sister and him were old college friends. During this time, Jeevika had turned to alcohol and was also very depressed.”

“Okay.”

“One morning, she called Daksh and asked him to take him to Pune so that she could visit her father. When Daksh refused initially, she threatened to send all the pictures and videos to his wife. Daksh told me that he got into a huge argument with her on the way to Pune. On the way, Jeevika told him that she was pregnant.”

“Oh, good lord!”

“Yes. Daksh and Jeevika had a long discussion where he told her to terminate the pregnancy. In return, he would give her a monthly monetary stipend.”

“Did she agree?”

“Yes, after a lot of coaxing and cajoling, she finally agreed to his terms. But a few weeks later, he discovered that she had unilaterally decided to keep the baby. He was at his wits’ end and he asked Kailash for advice.”

“Kailash? You mean the late Mr. Manchandani?”

“Precisely. I’ll be frank with you, Samsher. Kailash told Daksh that he needed to make arrangements to terminate Jeevika from his life altogether.”

“I see.”

“They hatched a plan and Daksh asked Jeevika to come meet him near the fort where her body was found. Jeevika was asked to come to a reconstructed bridge where he would be waiting. Daksh was waiting there with a knife.”

“Wow.”

“Yes, he was dressed in an overcoat and he told me that he tried to make it painless. He hugged and kissed her on the lips as she approached him, and then stabbed her in the stomach.”

“That’s gruesome.”

“He pushed Jeevika’s corpse off the bridge and ran away from the spot immediately. Kailash also made arrangements for Jeevika’s little sister, Pinki.”

“Why? Didn’t you say Pinki had no idea about all of this?”

“Yes, but Kailash wanted Daksh to leave nothing to chance. He had her kidnapped the very same night. Last I remember, she was sold and forced into prostitution in one of the Gulf Countries.”

“I see. Didn’t Daksh Rajput get investigated at all? I mean, surely someone would have figured out the link between him and Jeevika.”

“Yes, that’s true, but Daksh had many contacts and sources in the CBI by that time. He was formally investigated but he had a rock-solid alibi, thanks to Kailash.”

“I see.”

“By that time, Kailash also managed to spin a new angle on the murder case. There was an ongoing property dispute between Jeevika and her brother, since their father had been sick for some time. Of course, after both his daughters disappeared, the old man bit the dust in a few days.”

“Last I checked, even that angle led to a dead end. Jeevika’s brother was in Bangalore at the time of the murder.”

“Yes, even then the investigation couldn’t be completed. All in all, it worked out pretty well for Daksh. I had advised him and Kailash not to take such drastic steps - but Kailash was convinced that it was better to eliminate all risks.”

“All right, thank you, Mr. Oberoi. This will help me to focus my investigations a little bit. Hopefully, I will be able to figure out who killed Mr. Daksh Rajput.”

“All the best, Samsher.”

 

Chapter 14: The Raid On Teesta Valley3rd January 2000

When Zoya woke up, she found Ranveer talking to someone solemnly over the phone. After he hung up, she asked him, “What happened? Is it about the case?”

“Yes”, he nodded. “Daksh Rajput was murdered at his daughter’s wedding last night. They found the same note in his coat’s pocket.”

“What?!How was he murdered?!”

“Inspector Pasha from Bombay told me that he was poisoned with an obscure rat poison from the Western Ghats called oxyderoxine.”

“Wow.”

“But that’s not all. He said that he was also shot in the chest with a bullet fired from a makeshift gun disguised as a fake CCTV camera.”

“Oh my god, it sounds like something in a spy thriller!”

“I know. I wonder who killed Mr. Rajput.”

“Come on, let’s go have breakfast and talk about it.”

Over a hot cup of black coffee, Zoya and Ranveer were discussing the news of Daksh Rajput’s murder. Suddenly, Zoya exclaimed, “You know what?! I’m sure that this spree of murders has something to do with the past of Suresh Oberoi and his little gang of friends!”

“I know, but I don’t know where to start looking. They were a gang of four, and now only Mr. Oberoi is left.”

“You have to put pressure on him. Let’s go to the Oberoi Mansion after breakfast and talk to the old man.”

So, after breakfast, Zoya and Ranveer got ready, dressed, and paid an impromptu visit to the Oberoi Mansion. They were shown in Suresh Oberoi’s study. Suresh Oberoi shuffled in. Zoya was shocked to see the change in his appearance. The regal and hefty man had started to stoop, and his cheeks had become sunken. He looked like the shell of the man that he was.

“Hello, Officer and Miss Zoya. I guess you are here to talk about Daksh’s murder.”

“Yes, Mr. Oberoi. We are actually here for two reasons. First of all, we wanted to assure you that someone is going after all of your old friends. Your own life might be in danger - you need to invest in some dedicated security for the time being.”

Suresh Oberoi nodded but he didn’t say anything. He seemed distracted, Zoya noted.

“Also, we have a feeling that these murders must be connected to your past in some way. What can you tell us, Mr. Oberoi? It seems like you’re not being truthful with us. Why would your group of friends be targeted in this way?”

“We were all powerful and influential men, Officer. Obviously we have made a few enemies in the course of our career. I don’t know why you are discounting the fact that it could be someone from our professional sphere behind the murders.”

“Mr. Oberoi, you all were friends even before you stepped into the professional sphere. If there’s any information that you are keeping to yourself that can help us catch the murderers, you need to speak up right now,” Zoya said.

“I know, Ms. Shroff. But I don’t know what to tell you. There is no scandalous story about our group of friends.” Ranveer went to say something but Oberoi interrupted him. “If you will excuse me, I need to go and lie down. I am feeling quite sick.”

Oberoi shuffled away into his bedchamber, leaving Ranveer and Zoya sitting there in the study.

---O---On the drive back from Oberoi Mansion, Zoya said, “I have an idea for an alternative set of people who could stand to gain from the death of these three people.”

“Oh great! What do you think?” Ranveer chimed in.

“What is the one common factor that connects Vikram Shaw, Ruma Bagchi, and Radha?”

“What?”

“These three dabbled in drugs. Vikram Shaw had a chemical plant, Ruma Bagchi was a medic with a pharmacy, and Radha was looking up ways to buy MDMA from Kashmir.”

“That’s true.”

“I think you and your force should launch a raid on Teesta Valley. Every Saturday, peddlers and pushers set up shop in the Valley to sell their products.”

“Hmm, that’s true. But, wait a minute. How did you know about the fact that they meet up every Saturday night?”

“Oh, Raju Kaka was telling me about it that day.”

“Oof, madam ji, you’re a hardcore journalist, aren’t you? Getting information from all possible sources”, Ranveer said teasingly.

Zoya laughed and said, “Yes, that’s the very first thing that they teach you in journalism classes.”

After returning to the station house, Zoya made a compilation of all the case developments for her editor. Meanwhile, Ranveer and a few of his subordinates sat and planned the raid. They decided to call Siliguri and get some reinforcements, because Tistaang didn’t have a lot of officers. After two hours, Ranveer and his subordinates started to gear up while waiting for the reinforcements. Zoya was surprised to see the sleepy station house transform into a hub of hustle and bustle. Meanwhile, the reinforcements from Siliguri had arrived as well. They drove up in a nondescript black jeep and they didn’t look suspicious at all.

At 10.30 PM, the policemen all bundled up into a large van. Ranveer walked up to Zoya and said, “We’re off. You don’t need to sit and wait in the station. Why don’t you go home?”

“No, I’ll be too nervous at home waiting for news. I’ll wait at the station and we can go back home together.”

“Hmm, okay then. Bye.”

“Take care, Ranveer, and all the best.”

Waving at Zoya, Ranveer got into the van. Zoya watched as the van slowly ambled out of the parking lot and made its way towards the Teesta Valley located in the outskirts of the town. While Ranveer was gone, Zoya decided to open up her computer and make a summary of all the events that had happened in chronological order. She had done this ever since she started studying to be a journalist. It helped her to think clearly and connect the events with a logical link. But that day, she found herself a little distracted and scared - she was concerned about Ranveer’s safety. She drank a cup of coffee and reassured herself that Ranveer was a professional and he definitely knew what he was doing.

A little after midnight, the resident constable rushed into the office Zoya was working in. “Ma’am, there has been news from the Valley.”

Zoya looked up and asked, “What is it?”

“The raid was successful, and Officer Sawant managed to capture Nima Soreng in the raid.”

“Nima Soreng? Is he a major drug dealer?”

“Yes, he’s been operating in this area as the drug kingpin ever since Yash Zongpa was arrested. They said over the radio that all the officers are on their way back now.”

“That’s wonderful!”

---O---The raid team officers sped along the highway in their van, and prepared themselves for action. Ranveer had prepped them and already instructed them in what they could expect during the raid.

“Okay, gentlemen, the main goal of this raid is to capture the major drug distributor in this region”, Ranveer said.

“Nima Soreng?”, asked an officer.

“That’s correct. The goal is to bust up the entire distribution operation based in the Teesta Valley - for one thing. The other goal is to take the head honcho of the operation into custody. That happens to be Mr Nima Soreng.”

“Got it!” everyone said at once.

“We have reason to believe that Mr Soreng has information about the double murders of Vikram Shaw and Kailash Manchandani that took place in Tistaang over the past few weeks.”

“Got it, sir!”

Ranveer instructed the constable who was driving to park the van almost 250 metres away from the entrance to Teesta Valley. Nima Soreng and his gang had lookouts and guards in place, which is why the officers planned to approach the area on foot. Also, all the officers were dressed in plainclothes so that they would not give away their true intentions.

The experienced batch of officers followed instructions very well, and raiding the Teesta Valley took a very small amount of time. Nima Soreng and his lieutenants had tried to flee, but Ranveer flattened the man with a massive punch to the face. In the next ten minutes, Ranveer and his raid team had confiscated almost 5 lakh rupees worth of illegal drugs and had arrested fifteen people for illegal distribution.

He instructed his team to load them up into the police detention van that had been waiting a few metres away from the valley. Then, the officers separated Soreng from his crew and bundled him up into the van. Ranveer radioed the police station, “The raid was a success. We are coming home now - and Soreng is in our custody.”

Half an hour later, Zoya rushed to the main doors after hearing the crunch of tires on the gravel. She could also hear a lively hubbub of happy voices. Ranveer walked in, followed by a scruffy looking man in handcuffs, who was being guided in by two hefty police officers.

Ranveer noticed Zoya and said, “Hello, Ms. Shroff. This is Nima Soreng, and he is the biggest drug kingpin in the town. We captured him in the raid, and I am sure that he can shed a little bit of light on all these murders.”

“I don’t know anything about the murders”, Soreng said sullenly.

Ranveer smiled at him and said, “That’s okay, Nima. If you don’t tell me any helpful information, I will also file charges against you for resisting arrest and obstructing justice. You’ll definitely do 4-5 extra years of time if I do that.”

Ranveer and Zoya were pleased to see that Nima went as white as a sheet. He stammered and said, “N-n-no, I will tell you anything you want. Please don’t do all that.”

“Great!” Ranveer chimed in. Then he turned to his subordinates and said, “Please install him in Interrogation Room A, I will come along after I freshen up.”

---O---Nima Soreng was sitting in the interrogation room on an uncomfortable chair. His handcuffs had been taken off, but he kept shifting in his seat. Ranveer was sitting opposite him and going through his file. He pretended not to notice that Nima Soreng was uncomfortable. He just kept reading the files placidly and taking his time. Finally, Soreng asked “Can I have some water? My throat is very dry.”

“Of course”, Ranveer replied and motioned the duty constable to bring him a PET bottle of water. Soreng thanked the constable and took a large swig of water. Ranveer looked at him and smiled a little.

Finally, he said, “So, what can you tell me about the murder of Vikram Shaw.”

“I honestly don’t know anything about the murder of Vikram Shaw.”

“Come on, Nima. I already told you what will happen if you withhold information from us or lie to us.”

“I’m telling the truth. Vikram Shaw was embroiled in the business, but we never had any reason to bump him off. He was a great business partner!”

“A great business partner? Why do you say that, Nima?”

“He always made his deliveries in time, he always paid 50% advance in cash, and he had a reliable network. He came into contact with us after an introduction from two of his trusted henchmen.”

“Two of his henchmen? Who are you talking about?”

“There was this man called Chinsukh and another man called Eken Behari. Chinsukh was the first one to get in touch with me. Over the past few years, I have provided him with a lot of local and imported drugs.”

Ranveer’s ears pricked up at the mention of Eken Behari. This man was being mentioned in almost every instance of the investigation, in some way or the other. Ranveer had a subliminal feeling of dread – he was almost certain that Eken Behari was somehow embroiled in all of these doings. Giving away no hint of his interest, he asked “What about this Eken Behari fellow? How did you get into contact with him?”

“Chinsukh was an addict and a user, but Eken Behari was a pure businessman - plain and simple. Even though Chinsukh made all of the introductions, I could see that it was Eken that was calling the shots.”

“Is that so? Also, how does Vikram Shaw factor in here? Your operation in Tistaang does not manufacture the drugs or anything. It’s simply responsible for its smuggling and manufacture, right?”

“Eken Behari and Chinsukh frequently used to take large deliveries of charas from me and give it to Mr. Shaw. He used his shipping trucks for his chemical factory and transported the drugs to the Nepal and Bhutan borders.”

“ I see. Then what?”

“Chinsukh was also a huge addict of charas. I saw him getting scoldings from Mr. Shaw because he used to dip into the stock of their business.”

“Anything else you can tell us? All of whatever you’ve told us is not very informative, you know?”

“On the night of the murder of Mr. Shaw, I was sitting in the Teesta Valley because it was a Saturday. Chinsukh and Eken Behari came and told me that they won’t be purchasing drugs anymore as they are going out of town. I was very upset and had an argument with them. They cost me almost 10,000 bucks!”

“Did you ask them why they had suddenly decided to leave the business?”

“Yes, I did, and I also got into a fistfight with Eken Behari. But he broke my finger and told me that if I kept it up, he would come back and break my whole hand.”

“Wow, Nima. I was under the impression that you were a very tough guy. What did he say was his reason for leaving the business?”

“He wouldn’t say - and Chinsukh was completely docile and quiet the entire time. Usually, he was very boisterous and he would crack lewd jokes and laugh loudly. It was very out of character for him to stay quiet and let Eken Behari call the shots totally.”

“Anything else?”

“No, Officer, I don’t have anything else for you.”

“Do you think you will be able to provide us with written testimony of the fact that Eken Behari was involved in the charas smuggling operation along with Vikram Shaw and Chinsukh?”

“Yes, Officer, absolutely!”

Ranveer’s brain was working furiously all this while. He finally had conclusive proof that Eken Behari had some kind of role to play behind this entire fiasco. His gut instinct was telling him that he was the mastermind and the orchestrator behind this conspiracy. He knew that he had to make his way to the Shaw mansion and take Mr Behari into custody immediately.

Ranveer stepped out of the room and took Zoya and two constables and ordered them to get the car ready. The four of them rushed to the mansion of Vikram Shaw. Zoya asked Ranveer what the matter was and Ranveer said, “Eken Behari definitely had a role to play in the murder of Vikram Shaw. We need to take him into custody ASAP.” On the ride to the Shaw mansion, Ranveer provided her with all of the details.

Upon reaching the mansion, the door was answered by a young man. Ranveer asked him, “Who are you? Where is Eken Behari?”

“My name is Madhav, Sahab. I am temporarily taking care of the household because Eken Behari babu has gone to Murshidabad to visit his family.”

“His family? Did he say when he would be back?”

“Yes, babu. He said he would be back in 10 days.”

“Didn’t he tell us that he used to have no family the first time we met him?” Ranveer asked Zoya.

Zoya said, “Yes, that’s exactly what he said. He told us that he used to beg on the streets and Vikram Shaw did him a huge favour by giving him a job at all.”

Ranveer turned to the incredulous young man who was staring at him and Zoya in fear. He smiled a little and said, “You don’t have anything to be scared about. Just answer all of my questions honestly, okay?”

“Okay, babu.”

“How did you get this job?”

“I worked in the market as a labourer and I knew Eken Behari babu from his shopping visits for Vikram babu. One day, he approached me and asked me if I would be interested in being the manservant of the house for 10 days. I accepted.”

“Did he offer you good pay?”

“Yes, babu. He offered me five thousand rupees for working here for the next 10 days. That is a lot of money and I accepted”, the boy said while hiding his face.

“Please take us to Eken Behari’s room in the backyard immediately.”

“Yes, sahab, please follow me.”

Madhav, Ranveer, and Zoya rushed to the little room that Eken Behari lived in. It was a spartan and unfurnished room, but it was extremely clean and tidy. “Split up and do a thorough search of the room”, Ranveer ordered Zoya and the constables.

The constables and Ranveer turned the whole room upside down. Zoya found herself getting a little annoyed at the unsystematic way in which they were disturbing the quiet peacefulness of the room. She went through the drawers one by one, and tried to put everything just as she found it.

While looking in one of the bedside drawers, Zoya came across a treasure trove of clues. She said, “Ranveer! Look!” and all of the officers rushed over to her side. While examining all of the different items unearthed in the depths of the drawer, the officers and Zoya could barely contain their surprise. Zoya remarked that this drawer was a veritable treasure trove of clues.

There were old black and white and sepia-tinted photos of Suresh Oberoi, Kailash Manchandani, Daksh Rajput, and Vikram Shaw. These pictures were at least 25 years old. There was also a note that said “In Search of Satyanweshi”. The most startling discovery was an old photograph of a young girl whose dress was painted with blood.

Both Ranveer and Zoya had this feeling that they had seen this girl somewhere. There was an incredible resemblance between this pretty teenager and Eken Behari. Zoya could not help but exclaim, “This is probably his daughter or someone! Why is her pretty white dress all red and bloody?”

“I don’t know, but I think that we have to uncover the identity of this girl. The truth behind her will lead us to Eken Behari.”

---O---Ranveer and Zoya were back at Suresh Oberoi’s study. This time, Ranveer gave up all pretense of politeness. He said in a very aggressive and agitated manner, “Did you know that Vikram Shaw was a major supplier of illegal charas in the area, Mr. Oberoi?! Did you know that Kailash Manchandani was also one of his biggest investors?”

An emaciated Suresh Oberoi stuttered back, “No, officer, I didn’t know anything about this at all. I am sure that this is all a gigantic misunderstanding. Kailash was a famed prosecutor - why would he involve himself with criminals?”

“We have verifiable eyewitness testimony, Mr. Oberoi. I have also unearthed documents and bank statements that directly incriminate Mr. Shaw and Mr. Manchandani in these illegal activities.”

“They must surely have been framed!” Suresh Oberoi cried out. He continued, “You have to keep looking for that Ruma Bagchi or Gul woman, they were probably behind this!”

Ranveer took out the photo of the blood-painted girl from his pocket and showed it to Suresh Oberoi. He said, “Mr. Oberoi, can you tell us anything about this girl?”

Zoya was surprised at the expression on Oberoi’s face. He looked like he had seen a ghost and his face aged by ten years. He stammered, “N-no! I don’t know who this girl is. Why are you showing this to me?”

“Mr. Oberoi, this photograph was found in Eken Behari’s room at Vikram Shaw’s mansion. Along with this photo, we also found a set of photographs of you and your friends from when you were all young. Are you sure you don’t know who this girl is? You should think real hard and try to recall.”

Oberoi shook his head. “No, Officer. I have no clue. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to go and have some medicine before I get ready for bed.”

With this, the weakened Suresh Oberoi shuffled into his bedchamber. Zoya and Ranveer sat on the couch and watched him go.Zoya remarked, “He manages to get out of difficult conversations by playing this card of being a “grief stricken old man” every single time.”

“You’re right. I think that next time I should come back with a warrant.”

“Or better still, you can arrest him!”

“I would, but I have a feeling that he would have a heart attack and die on the way to the station house.”

For some reason, Zoya found that last remark very funny. In a way that was completely uncharacteristic of her, she doubled over and giggled for a couple of minutes. Bemused, Ranveer commented “You have a morbid streak in you, you know that?”

“I know, I know.”

“Come on, let’s go. We need to make some headway into uncovering that little girl’s identity.”

After this aggressive meeting, Ranveer and Zoya walked in silence back to the car. Ranveer said, “I’ll drop you home and pack a bag. Then, I need to leave for Murshidabad right away.”

“Yeah, I know. We need to find out about Eken Behari and Chinsukh right away. They hold the key to figuring out all of the mysteries connected to this entire case.”

Chapter 15: The Search For Eken Behari4th January 2000

Ranveer departed for Murshidabad early in the morning, after procuring some sketches of Eken Behari and Chinsukh from Aadya Oberoi. Despite being worried about the pressure of the case, he couldn’t help but marvel at the obvious artistic skill that Aadya possessed. These were simple pencil and charcoal sketches, yet they had a lifelike quality to them. There was life in the eyes of the sketches, and they were perfect spitting images of both Eken Behari and Chinsukh. As Ranveer’s police SUV sped over the highway, Ranveer wondered how Inspector Pasha in Mumbai was faring with the Daksh Rajput murder.

Around the same time, Inspector Pasha was preparing himself mentally for his interview with Daksh Rajput’s grieving widow, Meenal Rajput. He was very nervous about asking her to be candid because she had been vulnerable and hysterical ever since her husband’s death. His search for Pinki Sanyal had been fruitless - he used all of his Gulf contacts and still failed to find any trace of the girl. For all he could tell, Pinki Sanyal had directly vanished from the face of the earth without leaving behind any traces at all.

There was a knock at his office door. “Come in!” said Pasha from inside. The door opened a little, and his assistant snuck her head in. “Sir, Mrs. Rajput is here for her interview. Which room should I place her in?”

“I don’t think it’s a good idea to upset Mrs. Rajput by putting her in an interrogation room like a common criminal. Show her into my office - we can have our discussion right here.”

“Got it, sir.”

Inspector Pasha sighed deeply and took a few deep breaths as well. He had been a police officer for ages, but it was always nerve wracking to interview relatives of the victim. At this time, Mrs. Meenal Rajput walked into the room. She was a tall and statuesque middle-aged woman - and it was clear that she was stunning in her youth. Yet after this devastating loss, she looked meek and very frightened. Inspector Pasha was a perfect gentleman - he got up and comforted her and showed her to her seat. He offered her a glass of water and then took his own seat.

“Mrs. Rajput”, he began very gently. “You know that I was a friend of your husband’s - I very much want to get to the bottom of his death. But I need some information and I was wondering if you can give it to me.”

Mrs. Rajput didn’t reply, but she nodded at him and gave him a weak smile. Taking that as encouragement, he continued, “Mrs. Rajput, do you know anything about the Jeevika Sanyal murder case?”

“Yes, I remember reading about it in the papers a long time ago. Didn’t her little sister end up disappearing as well?”

“Yes, Mrs. Rajput. Now, I don’t want to be insensitive - but certain facts have come to light -”

“I know, Inspector. I know Daksh and Jeevika were sleeping together and having an affair for a long time”, she interrupted.

“You knew?!” the Inspector asked incredulously.

“Yes! I knew all along - but I didn’t say anything because Snehal was just a baby and I didn’t know what else to do.”

“Did he ever threaten you by using your daughter as leverage before? It must have been an extremely hard decision to stay in the marriage.”

“Daksh was a very different person outside the house and inside the house. What he used on me were thinly veiled threats which were clear in their meaning.”

“I see.”

“You have no idea how hard it is for a woman in this society. Even then, Daksh was a powerful man and I didn’t want him to have an excuse to take Snehal from my side.”

“So you must know that Jeevika Sanyal’s sister could have a motive for killing your husband?”

“I know Daksh had an affair with Jeevika, but I don't think that he had a hand in her murder. Also, it’s obvious that he didn’t have any hand in Pinki’s disappearance either. Daksh was not a good person - but he would never stoop so low.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Rajput. That’s all for now.”

Despite all of the abuse and threats that Meenal had endured over the years simply for the sake of her daughter, she harbored something close to love for her departed husband. Inspector Pasha noticed it in her confident claim that Daksh Rajput had nothing to do with Jeevika Sanyal’s death. It must have been hard for an onlooker to believe that the death was not connected to Rajput, but Meenal Rajput believed in her husband’s innocence from the bottom of her heart. This fact sobered up Inspector Pasha and he restlessly continued to wonder who was behind the death of Daksh Rajput.

---O---Ranveer had just entered Murshidabad and had stopped at a tea stall to have a cup of tea and stretch his legs. The tea stall was an old favourite of his - the tea was strong and not overly sweet. While he was enjoying the tea, his cell phone rang. He saw that it was Zoya - so he answered.

“Hey, Ranveer”, Zoya said as soon as he answered the call. She sounded frantic, so he got tense.

“Hey. Is everything okay?!”

“Yeah, yeah, everything is okay - but I need to leave for Delhi immediately. My mom called me five minutes ago - she had an accident and she’s in the hospital right now with a broken leg.”

“Oh, God! Is aunty okay? Is there someone with her right now?”

“Yeah, our neighbour uncle is with her right now, and I booked the earliest flight to Delhi out of Bagdogra over the phone. Raju Kaka has arranged a car for me as well.”

“Okay, great. Please let me know if everything is okay once you land in Delhi.”

“Yes, yes, I will. I will come back as soon as possible, Ranveer. Don’t worry.”

Sobered up by this phone call, Ranveer finished his tea and made his way to the Murshidabad station house.“Welcome, sir” said the station house officer Bannerjee at Murshidabad as soon as Ranveer walked in. He gave him a smart salute and extended his hand for a greeting. Ranveer saluted back and responded to his handshake, and said “Hello! Thank you so much for readying everything on such short notice.”

“Not at all! Anything for my senior”, said the officer and gestured Ranveer to an empty chair. Ranveer sat down and he poured him a glass of water. Then, he took his own seat and asked “What is all this about, Officer Sawant?”

Ranveer spent the next half an hour briefing Officer Bannerjee on the events that had happened in Tistaang over the past few days. He recounted the murders and finally ended on the most recent development - the manhunt for Eken Behari as a person of interest in both of the murders.

“So, we need to scour Murshidabad and find out where Eken Behari and his accomplice Chinsukh are supposed to be hiding”, said Officer Bannerjee.

“Precisely”, said Ranveer. He took out the two sketches of the men that Aadya Oberoi had prepared for him from his file. He said, “Please get copies made of these and have them faxed to police stations and chowks in this area. This can help us to broaden the search.”

“You’re right. I will be putting out an APB on these two, and I will also forward these images to stations in the vicinity. A manhunt is required in this situation.”

With this, Officer Bannerjee called in his assistant and instructed them to send out the APB. He himself went over to the copy machine and started printing photocopies that had to be faxed to the stations.

Over the course of the next week, the Murshidabad police force did a thorough search of the city looking for Eken Behari and Chinsukh - along with the sketches. Ranveer also took this time to meet up with some old informants of his. Even they couldn’t provide him with any information about these two people. Ranveer did an extensive search of all the drug dens located in the old town, but he couldn’t find any information at all. Like Pinki Sanyal, Eken Behari and Chinsukh seemed to have vanished off the face of the earth.

---O---10th January 2000

Zoya’s mother had been hit by an oncoming motorcycle and had fractured her ankle. The injury wasn’t serious, but her mother would take some time to recover owing to her advanced age. The doctor advised her to take plenty of bedrest, and she and Zoya were spending time together watching old Bollywood movies. Ever since she came home, Zoya started to rent VHS tapes of old movies that they could watch together. Zoya and her also watch the news. In the meantime, she also made notes about the case that she was working on. She also felt disgusted by the statements that the press were making about the efficiency of the police force. The news of the triple murder had finally spread - and now every major newspaper and TV channel were doubting the qualifications of the cops.

The same story was being spouted on Zee News, and Zoya was making an irritated face. Laughing, her mom said, “Arre Zoya, stop making that face and just change the channel.” Zoya went to change the channel - and at that exact point - a new story came on. The news anchor said, “Now for our next piece of breaking news - the Mumbai Theatre murderer has finally been apprehended by Thane Police! A theatre actress was found murdered and the police spent 2 months looking for the killer!”

“Whoa”, Zoya said aloud to herself.

“The killer has been apprehended as Manav Kaul, a fellow theatre actor and the fiance of the deceased. He had changed his getup by applying makeup and wearing a strange costume - which is why even eyewitnesses couldn’t identify him.”

She continued reading. “Kaul used a lifelike rubber mask of a different face and applied it to his own face. After that, he used makeup and completely changed his own appearance into a grotesque caricature. He was also wearing a strange costume.”

“Whoa!” Zoya shouted. “What is it? Why are you yelling in the afternoon?” Zoya's mom snapped at her. “Wait, I have to call Ranveer,” she said, and ran out of the room.

“Ranveer, I think I have made a breakthrough”, Zoya exclaimed as soon as Ranveer answered her call.

“Really? What did you discover?”

“First tell me - have you found Eken Behari and Chinsukh yet?”

“Not yet. We’re still looking.”

“I think that the two of them are still hiding somewhere around Tistaang. I think that they have applied disguises and are hiding in plain sight.”

“Okay, that’s quite possible. But how do we look for them?”

“I have an idea. Take the photo of the girl you found in Eken Behari’s room and circulate it over the press. Offer some reward for information about her.”

“Hmm, I see. Maybe that will flush him out.”

“Yeah!”

---O---Taking Zoya’s advice, Ranveer circulated an enhanced version of the girl’s photograph he found in Eken Behari’s room. He also attached a reward of Rs. 25,000 for anyone who could give him verifiable information about the whereabouts of the girl. After releasing the picture and the reward notice, Ranveer went back to his search of Murshidabad.

Despite the efficiency of the officers in Murshidabad, they were up against a dead end. In the end, even Ranveer realised that it was highly unlikely that they would find Eken Behari and Chinsukh so easily. He realised that Zoya’s hypothesis made a lot of sense - so all he had to do was wait for someone to call with information.

Two days later, Ranveer received a call from someone claiming to have information about the girl. He answered the phone, “Hello, this is Officer Ranveer Sawant with Tistaang police. Who is this?”

On the other end, a voice crackled, “Hello, Officer Sawant. My name is Neyat Khan, and I am the SI at Gajner Police Station. My serial number is 16548, please verify my identity before we continue.”

“Please hold, Mr. Khan.” Ranveer checked the serial number against his database, and he verified the identity of the caller. Then he replied, “Good afternoon, Inspector Khan. My assistant told me that you had information about the girl.”

“Yes, Officer Sawant. The name of this young girl in the picture is Suhani, and she died almost twenty three years ago in what the experts said was an accident.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, Officer. You see, Gajner is a very small place in the backwoods of Rajasthan. We have a bunch of cotton mills in the area - so the most serious crime is mostly public intoxication. The death of Suhani was a very well-publicised case back in the day.”

“I see. Can you tell me why that is so?”

“Officially, the cause of Suhani’s death was listed by the medical examiner as a hunting accident. But there are many in the village that think that this is not so.”

“Is there a particular reason why?”

“Suhani was a very pretty teenage girl, and she was very smart and popular. She had lots of friends and she caught the eye of some young men who had come to Gajner to hunt deer.”

“I see.”

“The gossip was that the two men had made advances on her, which she had spurred. Then, the very next day, her body was discovered in the woods with a shotgun wound in her stomach.”

“That sounds horrible.”

“It was. Her father, Madhab, a local schoolteacher, was completely inconsolable. He launched an FIR against these two men, but we could not find any evidence at all against them.”

“Did they have alibis?”

“Precisely, they had rock-solid alibis and the farmhouse they were staying at confirmed that they had been inside the entire night.”

“What about ballistics from the shotgun wound?”

“The shotgun that caused the mortal injury was fairly common, but we did not find a gun like that among their armory. Both the men were using foreign rifles, far more powerful than the standard hunting rifles that are used in this area.”

“I see. Did you have a picture of Suhani on file?”

“Actually, yes, I think I have this exact picture. You see, Officer Sawant, Suhani was my first serious case when I started with the police. It affected me deeply - especially when I realised how much pain the young girl must have been in. She was shot in the stomach, so she must have been in agony for a very long time before she finally died.”

“Yes, that is true.”

“I heeded her father’s words and did a thorough sweep of the woods to find the shotgun that must have caused her death, but I could not find a single trace at all.”

“Do you have the names of the two young men?”

“Yes. They were Daksh Rajput and Vikram Shaw.”

“What happened with the case?”

“We tried to investigate, but there was little to no evidence against the two young men at all. Also, Madhab disappeared suddenly and we couldn’t find him at all. After a few months, the case was closed.”

“I see. Thank you so much for calling in, Inspector Khan.”

“My pleasure.”

It was remarkable to Ranveer how the two young men managed to escape without any consequences despite committing such a heinous crime. Also, the disappearance of Madhab was a very interesting development. He had a very strong suspicion that Eken Behari was actually Madhab Behari - but he needed some evidence of that fact. Thankfully, Inspector Khan was mailing him all of the case files on Suhani’s murder - so he was expecting to correlate those facts to that of Eken Behari.

Ranveer wasted no time and communicated this recent development to both Samsher Pasha and Zoya. Zoya immediately said, “I think Eken Behari is just Madhab with a different name and disguise.”

“That is exactly what I thought”, agreed Ranveer. There was silence on the other end of the line. “Hello? Zoya, are you still there?”

“Oh my god! I just realised something!”

“What?!”

“Aadya told me that she was raised by her uncle and his name was Madhab too! What if that’s the same Madhab Behari?”

“I think that a visit to Bombay is in order. But I don’t know what to do - I can’t ask Samsher to do it - he is very busy as it is. Also, I am not sure I can trust him completely.”

“Don’t worry, idiot! I will go!”

“How? Aren’t you taking care of aunty?”

“Yeah, I am, but she can manage - I can ask my aunt to come and stay with her for a few days while I am gone.”

“Hmmm…okay, fine. By the way, do you remember the name of the company that Aadya said her uncle had founded?”

“Yeah wait, I have it in my notes.” After a few seconds, Zoya said, “Yes! Here it is - Trinity Logistics. Okay, Ranveer, I’ll talk to you later - let me book a flight to Bombay ASAP.”

“Okay, all the best!”

Ranveer realised that Aadya and Eken Behari were inexplicably connected in some way or the other. He smiled to himself when he remembered Zoya’s weird suspicion about Aadya in the beginning - he had considered it ridiculous then. Now, it was very clear that she had some kind of role to play in all three murders.

He was steeped in anticipation for Zoya to ring him with news and updates from Bombay. In the meanwhile, he decided to call up Samsher and make arrangements so that Zoya could finish her interviews at the earliest. He couldn’t wait for her to return.

 

Chapter 16: Unraveling the Web of Lies11th January 2000

Zoya was a little annoyed because her travel agent messed up and failed to put her on last night’s flight to Bombay. He had made up for it by putting her on the earliest morning flight and had given her a 50% discount – so she was quietly stewing in annoyance. Then she realised that she was actually waiting with anticipation as she was very close to cracking the case!

After landing and finishing all the baggage formalities, she made her way to the Sahar auto rickshaw stand. She realised that the only way she could find Trinity Logistics was to rely on the auto-walas of Bombay. They know the city inside out and also know all the hidden lanes and shortcuts.

However, this time, she wasn’t as lucky as the auto wala had not ever heard of Trinity Logistics. However, he was pretty helpful. He said, “Madam, I will take you to the Bandra-Kurla Complex - almost all the big businesses in Bombay have a base of operations in that area. If you can’t find it there, we can go to Colaba next.”

“Thank you, bhaiya!”

After arriving at the BKC, Zoya spent at least one and a half hours looking for the Trinity Logistics office. The closest she got was a Trinity Paper Company, but that didn’t have any branch focused on logistics. Slightly disheartened, she made her way back to the waiting auto wala. “Bhaiya, let’s go to Colaba next. I couldn’t find Trinity Logistics here.”

“Okay, madam. You rest and drink some water - I will take you to Colaba in a jiffy.”

True to his word, the auto wala navigated through a complex system of lanes and bylanes and brought Zoya to Colaba in a little under thirty minutes. Zoya thanked him and went to look for Trinity Logistics in the Colaba area. After around 15 minutes of asking around, she approached a tea stall. She asked the middle-edged chaiwala “Bhaiya, do you know of any big company called Trinity Logistics in this area?”

“Trinity?”

“Yes, bhaiya.Trinity Logistics.”

The chaiwala thought for a bit and said, “No, madam. I have been selling tea in Colaba for more than 45 years. I have never ever heard of Trinity Logistics before.”

“Oh no, bhaiya, are you sure?”

A bystander chimed in, “You should listen to Manik bhaiya, madam. He knows all the ins and outs of businesses in this area. If Trinity Logistics ever existed, then he would definitely know.”

“Thank you so much.”

Zoya decided to have a cup of strong milk tea to calm her nerves and thank the helpful tea stall owner. She then called Ranveer on her cell phone.

“Hey, Zoya! Did you make any headway in Bombay?”

“Not really, I found out that no company named Trinity Logistics has ever existed. I’m pretty unsure about what to do now.”

“I have an idea - why don’t you look up Parikshit Sahni?”

“Oh, yeah! That fashion magazine owner who discovered Aadya and gave her a chance.”

“Yeah, I can call Inspector Samsher Pasha and ask him to help you look for Mr. Sahni.”

“Okay, I hope that this isn’t a wild goose chase as well. Since Aadya was clearly lying about her past, I think you should return to Tistaang tomorrow.”

“Yeah, I think so too. Suresh Oberoi is definitely embroiled in all of this. Don’t worry, I will call Samsher and ask him to pick you up ASAP.”

“Yeah, thank you. I have a feeling that there’s something much deeper going on here.”

“Got it. Be careful, Zoya.”

“I will. You should be careful too, Ranveer.”

After the call, Zoya paid the autowala and gave him a large tip for being so helpful and nice. The autowala was very happy and gave her his name and phone number in case she would ever come to Bombay again. His name was Atul and he was only 30 years old - and he and Zoya chatted for a while before he returned to pick fares at the airport.

Half an hour later, she got a call from Inspector Pasha. “Hello, Miss Shroff. Please tell me where you are right now - I will come by and pick you up right away.”

“Hi, Inspector. I’m at the Colaba business area.”

“Perfect, I will be there in 10 minutes. After that, we can go and meet Mr. Sahni.”

“Oh, wow! Did you find him already?”

“Yes, he was in our system because of an issue with the Child and Adult Protective Services a few years ago. He is in an old age home in NalaSopara.”

“Great. I’ll be waiting.”

True to his word, Inspector Pasha arrived within 10 minutes. Like a true gentleman, he helped Zoya stow her luggage in the boot. After she settled in, he took off. “It’ll take us some time to get to NalaSopara – it is quite far.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, it is actually a suburban area of the greater city. Hold tight, we can be there within two hours.”

After two uneventful hours, Zoya and Samsher arrived at the Sunset Years Old Age Home in NalaSopara. It was a beautiful facility and looked very peaceful and idyllic from outside. When they made their way to the reception, she noticed elderly men and women taking walks, watching TV, playing chess, and enjoying life. The receptionist was very cooperative, and immediately directed them to the private room that Parikshit Sahni was in.

“Mr. Sahni has been with us for the past 5 years. There was a major issue with Child and Adult Protective Services. He got diagnosed with dementia 5 years ago and his children mistreated him and abused him. They also disowned him and refused to get him any medical attention. Thanks to the police and concerned neighbours, Mr. Sahni has been living with us now. He is a very sweet old man - even though his mental state is not very good.”

She then took him into Mr. Sahni’s room, who was sitting and watching reruns of cricket matches on his television. An orderlywas sitting on a chair next to him and preparing all of his medicines for him. He said, “Hello. Mr. Sahni is totally non-verbal ever since his children disowned him. All he does is sit around and watch television. Sometimes he draws pictures, but they are rather disturbing.”

“Disturbing? Can you show us some of his pictures?” Samsher said.

“Sure.” The orderlyopened a drawer and took out a sheaf of drawing paper. Zoya and Samsher looked at the pictures one by one. They were done with pencil and crayons, but they did not look like they were done by a child. The strokes were strong and professional – clearly, Mr. Sahni was a gifted artist in his youth. But the pictures were clearly disturbing. All the sketches were of dead bodies.

Even though the drawings were rudimentary, they were clean and they filled Zoya with a sense of dread.

There was something familiar and haunting residing in those simple drawings. Mr. Saini was clearly a very talented artist in the prime of his life - despite the dementia, his fingers could still trace the skill and lifelike quality that he had frequently lent to his other works. Zoya could not shake off the feeling that she had seen these exact paintings somewhere. She wanted to ask Mr. Saini a few more questions, but she knew that it was completely useless.

She stared at the paintings for a couple of minutes on the car ride, and suddenly something clicked. Her mind went back to the crime scene photographs that she had seen at the station house in Tistaang - grotesque and sterile versions of the crimes that had been committed in that picturesque town. She looked back at the painting - and suddenly realised that the crime scene photograph was a realistic reproduction of the paintings!

This deepened the doubt and dread that Zoya felt about the events that took place in Tistaang. Instead of answering her questions, the meeting with Mr. Saini had actually worsened her doubts. Why did Aadya lie about her background? What was the real past of Madhab or Eken Behari? How could a demented Mr. Saini draw such realistic pictures of murders that took place in North Bengal?

She couldn’t quite place where the dread came from, but she knew that she had to return to Tistaang as soon as she could. She asked Inspector Pasha to drop her off at the airport, as she was taking a flight to Kolkata at the earliest.

---O---

The next afternoon, Zoya called Ranveer and told him that she had landed in Kolkata the night before and stayed with a friend for the night. He said, “Great, where are you now?”

“Now, I’m in the train and we have just crossed Malda - I will be in Tistaang within the next 2 hours or so. Can you have someone pick me up from the junction?”

“Of course, I’ll do that. See you soon!”

With that conversation out of the way, Ranveer packed his bag and said goodbye to the officers at Murshidabad station. As he had to return as fast as possible, he decided to get going before the mid-day rush on the highway.

Ranveer sped along the highway as fast as he could, with the siren on. He was usually a cautious driver, but something deep within him spurred him to drive well over the prescribed speed limit. He swerved past rows and rows of SUVs full of tourists going for a holiday in the hills. As he drove, he felt a sense of foreboding and dread but he could not place the source of the feeling. All he knew was that he had to get back to Tistaang as fast as possible.

As he passed a milestone that said “Tistaang: 5 kms”, he was undecided on where to go first. He wondered if he should first pay a cursory visit to the station house and call up the Oberois before dropping in. But the same sense of subconscious urgency and foreboding drove him to make his way to the Oberoi Mansion as soon as he could. To make things faster, he stopped outside the town and instructed his constables to reach the Oberoi Mansion exactly half an hour from then. Then, he got back into his vehicle and made his way to the resplendent Oberoi Mansion’s estate.

The gate to the Mansion was thrown open and there was no sign of a security guard as well. Alarm bells and sirens were going off in Ranveer’s head the moment he drove into the compound of the mansion. He swerved the jeep and brought it to a rough stop right in front of the steps to the main door. He knocked and rang the doorbell but there was no answer at all. Fearing the worst, Ranveer pushed the giant double doors to discover that they were ajar. He easily pushed them open and went inside the house to check.

The house was completely desolate – like a ghost town that is suddenly and inexplicably abandoned by the people living in it. All the lights in the mansion were switched on, but there was not a single sign of life anywhere. He ran upstairs and made for Suresh Oberoi’s study, the door to which was ajar.

Inside the study, Ranveer barged in to discover Suresh Oberoi - or at least, what remained of him, lying sprawled on the floor. The high quality wool of Oberoi’s Persian rug was stained and marred forever from the blood that had pooled and coagulated from Oberoi’s corpse. There was an obscenely large and violent wound on Oberoi’s head - it was clear that his skull had been bashed in. His arms and torso had numerous lacerations and his white shirt had turned into a sickening crimson. Ranveer left the corpse in the study and did a quick sweep of the mansion for any other victims, but he couldn’t find any.

Aadya, Neeraj, and Radha were nowhere to be found and he couldn’t find any of the housekeepers, cooks, or gardeners as well. The entire mansion and its compound was desolate, except for the corpse of Suresh Oberoi lying sprawled over in his own study. By that time, Ranveer had called the forensic office in Siliguri and asked them to get to Tistaang as soon as possible. He came downstairs again to find that his subordinates had just arrived.

The forensic officers arrived within the hour and they did a thorough sweep of the entire house. Ranveer observed when the officers did a preliminary examination of Suresh Oberoi’s corpse and his study. Ranveer instructed his constables to do a thorough sweep of Tistaang and locate Neeraj, Aadya, and Radha.

Half an hour later, a constable had found the security guard who used to work at the Oberoi Mansion. He was visibly shaken and was trembling as the constable brought him to Ranveer. Ranveer asked him, “Why weren’t you at your post?”

“I was fired yesterday, Inspector sahab. Yesterday evening, Neeraj babu came down and gave me 5000 rupees and told me that they don’t need my services anymore.”

“Really? Is that why the whole house is empty?”

“Yes,Inspectorsahab. They fired the entire staff and gave us all some money to soften the blow. The gardener actually took the money and got on a bus for his village yesterday night.”

Just after this conversation, Ranveer’s phone rang. “Hello, SHO Ranveer Sawant speaking,” he said curtly as he picked up.

“Sir! We found Oberoi’s son!”

“Where?!”

“At Aadya Oberoi’s private yoga training institute! The maid’s dead body is also here!”

“I’m on my way!”

Ranveer hung up, rushed inside and got two forensic officers, and sped across town to Aadya’s yoga centre right away. Two of his constables were sitting on the steps outside the building. Ranveer noticed that one of them seemed extremely sick and was green in the face. The other looked at him and said, “It’s horrible. They have been trapped in the heat for a long time!”

Ranveer and the forensic officers rushed to one of the private instruction rooms followed by the constable. They discovered two corpses - Neeraj Oberoi and Radha. Both the dead bodies were barely recognisable - they were violently lacerated and had multiple gaping wounds. The yoga mats on the floor were soaked through with blood, and the heat had turned the entire room into a noxious den of rot and decay. Ranveer noted that both Neeraj and Radha were barely dressed. Neeraj was in a pair of trunks and Radha was in her brassiere and panties. The forensic officer said, “Sir! There are two notes.”

“Can you please read the contents out loud?”

“Okay, sir.” He paused and cleared his throat. “You will find the remains of Aadya by the Rippon lakeside tonight. The truth will sometimes haunt you forever. In case you want to find out the truth, you are welcome to Gajner, Rajasthan.”

He then said, “Sir, he’s again signed off with that in search of satyanweshi” which he did with the previous notes. Just this time, he has included a name - “Eken Madhab Behari”.

Ranveer just stood there, absolutely blindsided by the sudden turn in events. He knew that Eken Behari had something to do with the murders but he didn’t know that the conspiracy ran so deeply. He collected himself to ask, “What does the other note say?”

“Whenever innocence is murdered and murderers escape and take refuge under the law, several Eken Beharis will rise from the ashes - and make sure that the cannibals and devils are dead forever.”

Sobered up by this note, Ranveer went outside to escape the smell and collect his thoughts. Just then, Zoya called and Ranveer took this opportunity to relay all of the information that had come up recently. Zoya said, “I will reach Tistaang in 15 minutes. Let’s go to the Rippon lakeside and find out the truth once and for all.”

“Yes, I will meet you at the station house.”

Ranveer slowly drove up to the station house, wondering about all the evils that had befallen Madhab Behari that he had turned on such a homicidal rampage. He saw Zoya and was surprised when she gave him a big hug. He took refuge in the hug and received solace from her embrace, and he realised that he was extremely shaken up by this insane bout of violence and death plaguing the sleepy little town he lived in. After their hug, he and Zoya went inside to talk about going to the Rippon lakeside to see Aadya.

“Do you think we will even find Aadya at the lake?” Zoya asked. “She is a person of interest in six different murders - why would she suddenly show up at the lake for us to catch her?”

“I don’t really have an answer to this question, Zoya. I just know that we have to go to the Lake at night and find what remains of Aadya.”

“Do you think that Eken Behari eliminated Aadya as well once he was done using her to get his revenge?”

“At this point, everything is simply conjecture. But I don’t think that Eken Behari would abandon Aadya like that - from what we know about their past, she was like a daughter to him.”

“That is true. But, I don’t think it will hurt our chances if we go a little early and patrol the area.”

“No, that’s a very good idea, Zoya. At night, the fog settles in and the marshy areas become unreachable.”

Chapter 17: At the Marshes11th January 2000

When the clock struck 5, Ranveer and Zoya decided that it was time to leave for Rippon Lake. They had considered bringing backup, but then they decided against it. Zoya had said, “I doubt very much that Aadya, a person of interest in this entire affair, will show up at the Lake at the stroke of midnight. It’s too dramatic to be true.”

“Yeah,” Ranveer replied, “I think we might find something useful but I highly doubt that Aadya Oberoi will present herself to us at the Rippon Lakeside.”

Zoya and Ranveer had decided to reach the Lake on the verge of sunset, so that they wouldn’t miss Aadya if she showed up at all. That is why they had a light afternoon lunch at the station canteen and wore dark clothes to prepare themselves for the drive. Ranveer changed into civilian clothes and wore a black sweatshirt and jeans. Zoya wore a black jacket and dark yoga pants. Ranveer slipped Zoya a police baton just for safety. Without a word to each other, the two of them slipped out and made their way to the Lake.

They strolled around the Lake for a very long time, but there was still no sign of Aadya or Eken Behari. Ranveer was a little worried, and he said, “I feel like they won’t show up. I think that this was all probably just a ruse.”

“No, Ranveer. I think someone has to show up. There are still many questions that both Aadya and Eken Behari have to answer.”

There were a lot of benches and seating areas around the Lake - set up by the Oberoi foundation, in fact. Zoya and Ranveer strolled around the perimeter of the Lake for the next couple of hours, interspersed by short rests on the benches. They talked very little, and they both discovered that they were too excited and intrigued by the whole affair.

They milled around till midnight, when suddenly, there was a sudden sound of splashing water. Both Ranveer and Zoya had been looking around, but they hadn’t noticed anyone getting into the lake. The sound came from the far Eastern end of the lake, which was a marshy region that lay undisturbed. It was usually reserved for migrating waterfowl that used to roost there. The marshes were treacherous and locals knew not to go there, in fear of drowning or getting caught in the mud.

Zoya and Ranveer ran as far as they could to the Eastern side, but they couldn’t go further than a large banyan tree as it was not safe. Ranveer scanned the dark marshes, and then suddenly he realised something. In horror, he whispered to Zoya, “Look!” and pointed. Zoya noticed it too and she gave an involuntary gasp and shudder.

There was a woman’s head above the mud of the marsh, looking up at Ranveer and Zoya. It seemed like Aadya, and there was something haunting and terrifying about it. As Ranveer and Zoya looked on in horror with bated breath, the head slowly disappeared beneath the marshy surface. In the complete and permeating silence of the dark spring night, both Zoya and Ranveer kept staring at the surface, too shocked to speak.

---O---The next day, Zoya and Ranveer had a quiet morning. They did not want to speak about the experience from the last night and they just sat in silence, taking comfort from each other’s company. At last, Ranveer broke the silence and said, “At least now, the mystery is solved.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Eken Behari murdered all of them, in revenge for the death of his daughter back in the day.”

“And Aadya?”

“She was his accomplice - and when her use ran out, she killed her too.”

“But he wasn’t there at the Lake.”

“Yeah, I think he forced or pressured her into committing suicide to protect his identity.”

“I think Aadya had a hand in the murders.”

“I don’t think so - all of the evidence points to Eken Behari, and we just saw Aadya die last night. Why are you being so stubborn about this suspicion?”

“I don’t know, I have a sinking feeling. I just don’t know.”

“It’ll be alright. I just need to continue looking for Eken Madhab Behari.”

Chapter 18: Two Years Later11th April 2002

Superintendent of Police Ranveer Sawant sat at his workstation in his Bikaner office and went through all the files about the Eken Behari serial murder case. He had been working towards apprehending Behari for the past two years, but had still come no closer to unearthing his location. Samsher Pasha, still located in Mumbai, was helping him but they had not managed to make any headway. He wondered what Zoya was doing. They had gotten married only six months ago and they saw each other every other week ever since she took on her new job with Rox News.

Zoya had decided that she wanted to make a change, and she shifted away from print journalism to TV journalism. She retained the post of chief editor, but her main focus was being the prime time anchor at Rox News. Ranveer was very proud of her, and he had happily accepted his new posting in Bikaner after getting married. However, he was still no closer to cracking the Eken Behari case. Sometimes he wondered if he would ever find out where he was. Sighing, he pushed aside the old files to work on something more pressing. A 21-year old rape victim had come to his station earlier that day. He was determined to catch the perpetrators and bring them to swift, undeterred justice.

Just at that moment, his wife called him. Smiling widely, he answered, “Hey. Did the train arrive?”

“Yep! I’m now walking down the platform and going to the station entrance.”

“Excellent. I have sent someone to pick you up and bring you to the station.”

“Wow, aren’t you supposed to pick me up yourself? Isn’t that your husbandly duty?” Zoya said in a tone of mock indignation.

Ranveer laughed and said, “Yes, but I am very busy today with important police work. When you get here, maybe you can help me out.”

“Yes, I will - otherwise, you’ll be lost without me.”

“That’s very true.”

“Okay, I see your constable - he’s waving. I’ll see you soon. Love you!”

“Love you too!”

---O---Zoya was sitting in the missing section of the records room and going through pages and pages of unresolved missing cases. There were so many missing women in the country. Probably murdered or trafficked, Zoya thought to herself sadly as she flipped through the pages of the record books.

While going through the missing persons’ records, she came across a closed murder case that had been misfiled. She was surprised to see that it was about Suhani, the 17-year old girl who had died in an apparent hunting accident that Suresh Oberoi and his buddies were tied to.

It was the same picture of the dead body that she and Ranveer discovered in Eken Behari’s room at Tistaang. Sighing and reminiscing on the memories of the murders, Zoya kept going through the other missing files. She made a note to tell the duty constable about the files being disorganised.

She found another file labelled “Latika”, and the uncommon name drew her interest. She went through the file and saw a black-and-white photo of a 15-year old Latika. Zoya saw that Latika was astonishingly beautiful and would grow up to be a stunning woman. In the photo, she was wearing a tiger tooth necklace which looked very familiar to her. Wondering where she had seen it before, she kept reading Latika’s case file.

The next page of the report had a photograph of Latika’s corpse clipped to it. The notes accompanying the photograph said “...the body was found deep in the undergrowth of a forest a few miles away from the area where Latika lived.” At first, a constable lodged a missing person’s report with the police station. When her body was found, no one came to report or claim her - and she was given a cursory funeral. The case was closed a few days after that.

Zoya closed the file and tried to recall where she had last seen a locket like that before. After a few minutes of agonising, she had an Eureka moment. She had seen the same distinctive tiger-tooth necklace around Aadya’s neck! This memory gave her some hope - Aadya’s case was still solvable. She had discovered a little bit of the backstory involving Aadya Oberoi.

She waited for Ranveer to come out of his meeting. As she waited, she organised her thoughts so that they could act on it as soon as possible. Zoya was excited - two years later, they were close to the killers.

---O---After listening to Zoya’s thoughts, Ranveer said, “I think that we need to go to Gajner as soon as possible.”

“Gajner? Yeah, this Latika girl went missing from there.”

“There’s another important reason why we should go to Gajner.”

“What is it?”

“Do you remember the photograph of the girl we found in Eken Behari’s room?”

“Oh, yes! Suhani!”

“Yes, Suhani’s death also happened in the vicinity of Gajner. I think that we should call Officer Khan and tell him we are on our way. He might be able to help us talk to the villagers.”

“Yes, that makes sense. You give him a call, and I will go to the bungalow and pack a small overnight bag for the both of us.”

“Got it. Meet me back here in an hour, and we will set off.”

Zoya went to their bungalow and hurriedly packed a few of their essentials in a small overnight bag. She brought along extra batteries for her tape recorder as well. Her gut told her that there was something waiting for her in Gajner. She made her way back to the station, after which Ranveer and her set out in a jeep.

The drive was uneventful and took less than an hour. On the way, Ranveer and Zoya caught up with each other on things unrelated to their jobs. Even after a whole year of being married, these two were still best friends first and husband and wife second. Laughing and joking, the both of them reached Gajner around midday.

Inspector Khan was there to greet them, and he was an elderly police officer close to retirement. Despite his age, he had a powerful physical structure and he also gave off a very calm and capable aura. Zoya was instantly impressed by the tall gentleman, and all three of them got along very well. Mr. Khan said, “Mrs Shroff, I think that the first thing we should do is go to the villages in the outskirts of Gajner where Latika was from. You will find all the important information about her from people over there.”

“Yes, Inspector Khan. I think that’s a wonderful idea.”

“Inspector Khan, we were also trying to see if anyone in the town had any information about Eken Behari.”

“Yes, Officer Sawant. I think that we can find someone who knew Mr. Behari in the same community”, Niyat Khan said. After this, he took them to his home for lunch and then personally took them to the outskirts of Gajner to talk about Latika. They reached a small colony of small houses, where mostly workers in Gajner’s cotton mills lived.

At first, they encountered a couple of houses where the residents had never heard of Latika or Aadya. They had heard of the name “Eken Behari”, but they had no clue about Suhani. Finally, they had a stroke of luck when they came across an elderly cotton mill worker called Bheema. After seeing the picture of Latika and her locket, he exclaimed, “Of course I know her! That’s Locket Latika - it was a heartbreaking day for us when she died. Of course, no one was as inconsolable as her sister.”

“Her sister? What was her sister’s name? Was it Aadya?”

“No, no, it wasn’t Aadya. Latika had an older sister called Dhaani, and both girls were absolutely inseparable. They were both very pretty and they both did everything together. We used to joke and say that they are joined at the hip.”

“I see.”

“Dhaani was a little jealous of Latika, since Latika was so beautiful despite being younger than her. But still, they were both the best of friends. Then tragedy struck, and Latika went missing. A few days later, her corpse was found a little far from here. Dhaani was inconsolable, and then she went missing too a few days later.”

“What about the girls’ parents?”

“They didn’t have any parents. The two were orphans, and they had an uncle called Bansi who was their guardian. He was a total drunkard and buffoon, and he went missing too after Latika’s corpse was found.”

Thanking the elderly cotton mill worker, Ranveer and Zoya asked Inspector Khan to accompany them to the mortuary. Thankfully, the mortuary kept clear records of all the people whose last rites it had handled. A little digging found out that no one had come to claim Latika’s body after it was found. In the end, the police constable who had lodged the missing person’s report had performed the last rites. Zoya asked the mortuary resident, “Is it possible for us to talk to the constable?”

She replied, “I’m sorry, ma’am, that particular constable passed away 5 years ago. He took voluntary retirement after this case, and went to the mountains in Uttaranchal to retire. We got news from his son that he expired five years ago.” A little later, Ranveer and Zoya decided that they did not need to stay in Gajner for the night after all. They decided to drive back to Bikaner instead of troubling Mr. Khan and his family.

On the drive home, Zoya said, “So Dhaani must be Aadya.”

“Yes, I think that much is clear.”

“She still wears that beautiful tiger tooth locket.”

“Yes.”

“Do you think she killed all four people?”

“I don’t think that it’s possible for her to do that. Besides, we saw her die at the Rippon Lakeside. At least, now we have closure of the fact that she had some role to play in their murders.”

“I still don’t understand why - clearly, Oberoi and his buddies were behind the murder of Latika. But, I think the conspiracy goes much deeper.”

“Exactly. I think that right now, we need to give it a rest, and wait for Eken Behari to surface. He cannot escape the law any longer, and I know that one of these days, he will make a mistake and we will nab him.”

“Exactly.”

“Let’s go back to Bikaner, and spend some time without having to think about work.”

“Yes, I would like to do that very much.”

Chapter 19: Aadya’s Story13th April 2002

Two days later, Ranveer dropped Zoya off at the railway station for her train to Jaipur. From Jaipur, she was going to take a direct flight to Delhi as she had to report back to her new job. The train journey took place mostly at night and dropped Zoya off at the capital early the next morning. Zoya spent her time wondering about what Aadya must have experienced to turn into a cold-blooded killer. Lost in her thoughts, she got off the train and took a taxi directly to the airport. She decided that she will freshen up at the airport after checking in her luggage.

Checking in was uneventful, but took a lot of extra time due to the newly added security measures. Ever since 9/11, the entire world had become much more vigilant. There were luggage checks, inspections, and much more. Thankfully, her press card and frequent travel record helped to expedite the process. At last, she was allowed to board the plane and she sat at her window seat and took a big swig of water. As she was sitting, she looked at all of the other passengers boarding and stowing their luggage.

Zoya was pleased to discover that the passenger occupying the seat adjacent to hers was an elegant woman with only a handbag as luggage. On earlier flights, she had to sit beside overweight men who took up a lot of legroom and space. The woman looked very familiar to Zoya, but she could not place where she had seen her. She was dressed very elegantly - her clothes were expensive but not ostentatious. Even her make up was subtle and very graceful. Then, Aadya’s eyes went to the locket around her neck. The pendant was a tiger claw that had obviously been cared for.

Zoya’s eyes widened in shock and her gaze shifted up, only to find that the woman was staring at her and smiling. Aadya! Her face had changed but she had the same enigmatic smile that she always had, even when she met her in Tistaang. Still in shock, Zoya started, “But how?”

Aadya stopped her with a gesture of the hand, and said, “Hi, Zoya. It is so nice to see you again, after all these years. Let’s talk after we get off at Delhi - this is not the place to have such big conversations.” In response, Zoya could only nod. She was still flabbergasted by Aadya’s sudden appearance. Aadya laughed softly and said, “Let’s talk about something else - why don’t you tell me about your wedding?” while pointing to the new wedding ring on Zoya’s finger.

After landing at Delhi, Zoya and Aadya collected their luggage and went to a cafe in the restaurant to talk privately. Aadya said, “Settle in, because I am about to tell you all about my past. I hope that I will be able to explain to you why I did what I did, and why I hope you will stop looking for Madhab and me.”

---O---As you must have surely figured out by now, the name I was born with was not Aadya. I was born as Dhaani, and I lived in a small town called Gajner. Gajner is only a “town” in name, it is more like a village filled with dozens of cotton mills. I had a younger sister called Latika, and we both were joined at the hip. I doted on her ever since she was born, and she was my best friend and closest confidante. We spent all our time together, and she was the most beautiful girl in the world. I take it that you’ve seen pictures of her. We both had lockets made from the teeth of a tiger that our late mother had given us. I wore mine on special occasions, but Latika wore hers all of the time. In our neighbourhood and in school, everybody used to call her “Locket Latika”. She was a very intelligent and talented girl - and life dealt her a cruel hand early on.

Ever since our parents passed away, we lived with an uncle called Bansi. Bansi used to work at the cotton mills, just like everyone else. However, he was a horrible human being. It was a public secret that he was a depraved alcoholic. He used to drink all the time - it’s beyond me how he could manage to hold down his job at the cotton mill. He never abused me or Latika, but he would always spend his entire salary on cheap country liquor. Every single night, he would come home smelling of spirits. Latika and I would feel scared, and we would hide under the bed whenever he came home. Usually, he would black out after coming home, so it was fine.

One day in 1989, when Latika was around fifteen years old, I saw Bansi and Latika going into a farmhouse on the outskirts of Gajner. I had gone to school and I was coming home - Latika was also supposed to go to school but she didn’t as she was not feeling well. I was surprised to see the both of them make their way into the farmhouse, since that was a location rented out to tourists. We were poor villagers, and we had no reason at all to enter the farmhouse. That is why I decided to wait for her and my uncle to come out. I waited for almost half an hour, but then only my uncle came out. I had this gut feeling that something was wrong, and so I tiptoed my way into the farmhouse.

When I entered, the first thing I could hear was Latika screaming and some men laughing and grunting. I made my way upstairs, where the noises were coming from, and I peeked in to discover the most heinous sight. There were four fully grown men, and they were raping and violating my sister! My sister, who was only a little fifteen-year old girl, was being defiled and I could not do anything to help her.

Looking at the scene in front of my eyes, I felt like I was in a surreal nightmare. It was all real, but it felt surreal and I could not distinguish reality and fantasy any longer. I succumbed to the abject terror I felt, and I screamed out Latika’s name. I should have gone to the police station right away, but I was transfixed at the sight of the pain they were inflicting upon my sister. One of the men held her down and another was burning her with his lit cigarette. The moment I screamed, I was discovered. Two of the men came and forced me inside the room. They said that I had to be taught a lesson and they raped me too.

They did to me what they were doing to Latika -– they were all inside me. I was in so much pain that I started to scream and I almost blacked out. Just like Latika, one of them held my hands, and the others ganged up on me. They threw Latika to the floor, and turned their focus on me. They also rubbed their cigarette butts on my body. At that point, I could not help but realise that I was at the lowest point of my entire life. I also started to fear for the life of my sister and my own. I pleaded with them and cried, but I remember that they just laughed at me. They had their way with us, and they tossed me out later in the night. I tried to bring Latika with me, but one of them slapped me across the face and threatened to kill her if I didn’t go away.



I went home, completely traumatised, and fearing for the life of my sister. The next morning, I discovered that she was nowhere to be found and the farmhouse was empty as well. The four devils had departed in the wee hours of the morning and there was no sign of Latika anywhere. I went to the forest close to the farmhouse to look for her, because I knew some of the hiding places that she would go to whenever she was in trouble. After searching for almost two hours, I found her body in the undergrowth. I don’t know how, but they had managed to kill my sister. They didn’t just rape her like they raped me - they had gone on to kill her and dump her carcass in the woods.

The sight of her corpse made me snap. I sincerely believe that I must have lost my mind completely. I roamed around the forest like a madwoman - and I probably would have died if Madhab Behari did not find me. The first thing he did was take me to his hut and nurse me back to health. He took me to a doctor and he bought me proper medicines. He gave me warm clothes and proper food. He helped me come to terms with the massive loss and trauma that I had suffered. I never really recovered from the damage, but he taught me how to focus my attention on the singular goal of exacting vengeance. Slowly, he managed to get my story out - and he went into the town for a day.

He came back with some new information - apparently, Bansi had lost his job at the mill a few days back. The gossip in the village was that he got into a fight with the mill owner, who had scolded him for drinking on the job. Naturally, he was fired immediately. He had no money to buy liquor, and four men at the farmhouse offered him three thousand rupees for the company of his young and beautiful niece. After doing a little digging, Madhab Behari had managed to find out the identities of the four men - they were Suresh Oberoi, Kailash Manchandani, Vikram Shaw, and Daksh Rajput. He told me that he knew these men from a previous incident - where they had killed his daughter in cold blood while on a hunting expedition. They used their money and influence to escape the consequences - and they were back. During that time, he was a school teacher in Gajner. After his daughter’s passing, he disappeared and joined a gang of wood smugglers operating in the dense forests of Rajasthan.

These smugglers were like Robin Hood - they smuggled the precious wood and targeted corrupt government officials who would try to keep the tribal people under their toes. He swore revenge against those four and he took me under his wing. He was a wonderful teacher, and he gave me a complete education. Apart from reading and mathematics, he also taught me martial arts, acting, the art of disguise, and more. Over the years, I prepared my mind and body so that I could exact vengeance on the demons and cannibals who had abused Latika, me, Suhani, and so many other innocent girls.

When I turned eighteen, Madhab took me to Bombay to meet his old friend Parikshit Sahni. Parikshit, Madhab, and I sat and came up with a plan to ensure that they got their just deserts. I also got plastic surgery done to change my appearance and started training in art in an effort to cross paths with Neeraj Oberoi. During 1996, Madhab managed to rescue another one of the poor girls that these four demons left in their wake. She was a college first-year called Pinki Sanyal, and Daksh Rajput had recently gotten away with the murder of her elder sister. Madhab gave her the same training as me, and she took on a new identity of “Gul”.

My mission was to kill Suresh Oberoi, Kailash Manchandani, and Vikram Shaw - and Gul would travel to Mumbai and take care of Daksh Rajput. Eken and I worked hard to integrate ourselves into the lives of Suresh Oberoi and Manchandani in Tistaang - and I even managed to get married to his disgusting son. In the end, I had to take care of him and Radha as well - they were both rotten to the core and they were trying to blackmail each other. Neeraj was just like his father - a serial womaniser and cheater. He was cheating on me with Radha for ages, and Radha was also blackmailing him. They were an unnecessary obstacle in our way to justice, and we decided to take care of them.

Gul and I lifted some chemicals from Ruma Bagchi’s pharmacy - and Eken managed to concoct poisons using the toxins and other chemicals. In 1998, I married Neeraj and set the plan in motion when I discovered that Manchandani had decided to settle in Tistaang. It was during that fateful summer that you and I met - and you got embroiled into this frightening affair.

“But how did you and Gul kill them all?” Zoya asked incredulously. She knew that Aadya was telling her the truth but the stories were just not adding up.

When Kailash Manchandani left his meeting at Gangtok, we followed him in a nondescript black hearse. Eken’s accomplice was driving it, and I was riding alongside him in the front. Once we both reached Silchow, I sent an SMS to Gul - and asked her to reach the Lake by 7 PM. Then, we changed directions and waited for Kailash to show up by the 9th pillar. Sure enough, he showed up at the Lake, and as soon as he crossed the pillar, I shot a bullet to crack up his windscreen.

He could not see where he was going and he swerved left out of fear. The car went down the slope on the side of the road and hit a tree. He staggered out of the car, only to have the daylights knocked out of him by Eken’s accomplice. He fainted immediately, and I think his head started to bleed too. We loaded him up into the hearse, and then returned him and his car to the lakeside. I waited for him to wake up - and as he begged and pleaded for me to spare him - I chopped off his arms with the axe that I had stolen. When him and his buddies raped me and Latika, he was the slimy jerk who held our hands and forced me to the floor. I repaid the debt in full - and I chopped his hands off. He screamed in pain, and at last he died.

Sobered up by this gruesome tale, Zoya excused herself to go to the washroom and wash up. She assumed that Aadya would take this chance and escape, but when she returned to the table, she was still sitting there. She said, “Wow, you are still here - I don’t know why but I assumed you’d make a run for it.”

“No, Zoya, I still have so much to tell you. Don’t you want to know about the other murders?”

“I would like to know - will you tell me?”

“Settle down, and order two more coffees - I still have a lot to tell you.”

Gul never left Tistaang until the end. She stayed hidden in a hideout cottage in the Teesta Valley that we bought a very long time ago. When Kailash was in the meeting, Eken called him and pretended to be a woman - he was very good at that, you know. Before his life got turned upside down, he used to be a schoolteacher and he also used to act in his free time. Kailash was spooked, and he left the meeting immediately to make his way back down to Tistaang. That’s the reason why he left early, and Neeraj only came back at 1 AM.

“Can you tell me how you killed Vikram Shaw? You told me earlier that you killed him, but the police report clearly states that you were seen in the yoga studio when he was killed.”

When those four monsters were raping me and my sister, Vikram force fed us both some soft drinks that made us lose our consciousness and our wills. I suspect that it is the same chemical that he used on his two girlfriends later in life. That is why I decided to poison him to death. But, I also had my fun with him - like he did with me and my sister. He burned Latika again and again with his cigarette that day, even after she begged him to stop. He twisted her arm behind her back and dislocated it, and even broke some of her fingers.

So, I poisoned his drink and I watched him experience temporary paralysis. He could not move a muscle, but he could open his eyes and feel every ounce of pain that I subjected him to. So, I burnt him again and again with a cigar - just like he did to me and Latika. I also broke his elbow and his fingers, and in the end I twisted his neck and left him there on the floor. During all this time, Gul wore a face mask that looked like mine and made an appearance at the studio. She and I have similar physiques, so no one even had a doubt that it wasn’t me.

“Does that mean that you, Pinki Sanyal, and Maanvi were selected by Eken Behari because of your similar features? I mean - this can’t all have been such a massive coincidence,” asked Zoya.

In response, Aadya laughed softly and said “I wouldn’t go so far as to call it a coincidence. When Madhab and I talked about this, we preferred to call it serendipity.”

“Serendipity? Seriously?”

“Yes, everything fell into place the exact way we wanted it to. In many ways, I have treated this as a sign - that the universe wanted me to have my revenge. I stopped believing in God on that day, but recent events have actually forced me to reexamine my faith and my belief.”

“I see. What about Suresh Oberoi?”

Well, it was actually Madhab’s idea to make up that story about him leaving for Murshidabad so that Ranveer would be out of Tistaang. Luckily for us, you were out of the town too because of your mom’s accident. As I said before, the stars really aligned for our sake. Before killing Suresh Oberoi, I decided that I had to get rid of two permanently large thorns in my side - my dear departed husband, Neeraj and his lover, Radha.

Courtship and marriage with Neeraj was nothing more than a complete and utter nightmare. The only redeeming quality that the younger Oberoi possessed was his foolishness. While his father was a cunning jackal, Neeraj was just a stupid fool whose main goal was self-preservation. For some reason, he got into this affair with Radha, who in turn started blackmailing him for money. I had been almost discovered many times by both you and Ranveer during this entire ordeal, thanks to those two idiots. Also, Neeraj was equally disgusting and revolting as his father - and over the course of many parties, I learnt the things he did to his ex-girlfriends when he was in college.

For some reason, the two had thought that my yoga studio would be a great place for them to meet and have one of their lovers’ trysts. I walked into the studio, discovered both of them going at it on the floor, and I decided to eliminate them both from the equation straight away. I snuck up behind them, slit Neeraj’s throat and stabbed him in the torso a few times to seal the deal. It was also very easy to take care of Radha once Neeraj was out of the way. I left them with the note to rot before handling Suresh.

Neeraj had all the guards and staff removed from the Oberoi compound, for some reason. I think he was scared for his own life and he was going to abandon ship and flee the country. I snuck into the mansion, surprised Suresh Oberoi, and killed him. I had a heavy stone baton with me and I used that to smash his head in. I got carried away in rage at what he did to Latika and me - and so I stabbed him in the arms and in the torso even after it was clear that he died. I calmed myself down, cleaned myself up, and fled Tistaang into Nepal immediately.

Also, the person whom you saw drowning in the Lake that night was Maanvi, Madhab’s old assistant. She was a few years older than me, but her body structure was totally similar to mine. She sacrificed her life to protect my identity and allowed me and Madhab to make our escape from Tistaang. She had leukemia and she was on her last legs - she valiantly decided to give up whatever few days she had left to make my escape easier. She knew the final plan - and her act of valour allowed me, Gul, and Madhab to escape the country. Gul is now happily married all the way in West Bengal and Madhab is living out the rest of his days in the Gulf. I changed my identity and came back, because I discovered that I can’t be far from India for too long.

Zoya remained unmoved. She shook hands with Aadya in silence. As Aadya walked in her exquisite red-chiffon and opened the door to exit, she looked back. Zoya exchanged a relieving smile with her. And Aadya knew that this rezevendous, Zoya will always keep confidential – a ghostly appearance.

 

Epilogue

Zoya said out aloud to her audience, “You know something? No matter what happened, I think that justice was done. I think that in some cases, it is the duty of the private citizen to take the law into their own hands.

The four men - Suresh Oberoi, Kailash Manchandani, Vikram Shaw, and Daksh Rajput - were all supposed to be luminaries and dignitaries tasked with protecting common folk from the dangers of the world. One was a prosecutor, tasked with protecting normal citizens from heinous criminals. Two were business magnates, and the other was a highly ranked government official. All four of these men misused and abused their power to commit various crimes all through their lives.

Wherever these four went, they left behind a trail of bodies and broken dreams in their wake. I think that when protectors become the slayers, and that when cannibals and demons rise in society, there need to be checks and balances in place to prevent them from blooming too large. For every rapist and abuser and murdered that takes root in this world, I can assure you that an Aadya and a Gul and an Eken Behari will aso take bloom. Thank you so much.”

Zoya got off the podium, and was shocked to see abject silence among her audience. Then slowly, as one person started to clap, so did the others. Very soon, the entire hall was booming with the noise of thunderous applause that continued on for what seemed like forever.

Zoya smiled, and found herself blushing from all of the applause being directed towards her. She wasn’t very fond of the spotlight and of being the centre of attention, but it was something she was working on after getting a job at Rox News. She continued, “There are loopholes in the criminal justice system that allow such heinous individuals to escape punishment - simply because of their status and wealth. As long as we don’t institute change at the highest level and stop protecting these monsters, people like Aadya and Madhab Behari will continue to rise up.

As I said before, checks and balances will need to be put into place so that we don’t protect the abusers. Thank you once again for coming out and listening to my story.