Who Killed Anoop?

A rich bungalow spanning several yards loomed large at the backdrop of a sky adorned with moonlight and twinkling stars. Dayana drew the curtain aside and looked out of the window at the rustling leaves that danced to the tunes of the wind. She could hear the growling sound of dogs as if they were involved in a skirmish. No expression on her face as she dialled her husband's number but to no avail. In a jiffy, a car arrived, and her husband Anoop got down. He made his way into the house and his wife was ready to welcome him. It was late at night and everybody in the house except Dayana had retired to sleep. She served him delectable dishes to satisfy his hunger cravings. She asked him the reason as to why he came late. Anoop said he had a surprise for her which he would reveal the next morning. Nobody knew what the next morning had in store. Silence gripped the house through the night and eventually flashed a secret that was hidden beneath the cloak of the house.

Dayana who was sleeping with her sister Ritika woke up the next morning thanks to the ringing sound of an alarm. She stifled a yawn and walked into her room only to get freaked out. Her husband had fallen down the bed and was lying unconscious. She quickly squatted down and tried to wake him up but to no avail. Her heart throbbed involuntarily and she screamed at the top of her lungs. His breathing had stopped and somebody had indeed killed him. Following her incessant screams, everybody came running into the room and the bitter truth hit them like a ton of bricks. Anoop's brother Sai and his wife Dipika thrust their hand into their mouth. Anoop's father Anurag and mother Akanksha couldn't believe their eyes looking at the dead body of their beloved son. Ritika, too arrived at the spot instantly unable to take in the harsh reality. Jeevan, the housekeeper looked at the dead body with tears rolling down his cheeks. Who harboured a grudge against Anoop? Why was he killed? How was he killed? Anurag rushed to the police station to lodge a complaint and it was now the duty of police to unravel the murder mystery. Anoop's friends Rakesh and Veeresh arrived at the spot to console the family upon knowing the horrible news.

Vikram, the strict cop had been entrusted with the task of decoding this mystery. He inspected the dead body and it became clear that someone had smothered Anoop to death. His eyes darted at the house members who seemed to shed tears for the deceased. Are there tears genuine? Are they really saddened by his death? Is there someone who has secretly killed Anoop and is doing drama to look innocent in front of everyone? Vikram decided to conduct his investigation in his own inimitable style. Every member of the house was called one by one to spill out what they knew. Ritika was first summoned to answer the questions. A table was placed at the centre of the investigation room which was illuminated by bulb light. Two chairs on opposite sides flanked the table.

"Why did you go to your brother-in-law's house?"

"My college exams got concluded last week. So, my sister compelled me to stay with her for a week," Pat came the reply.

Vikram dished out a book titled "Murder Mystery" to Ritika which raised her eyebrows.

"I collected this book from the room you stayed last night. Why were you reading this book? Were you trying to find tricks to kill your brother-in-law?" the cop didn't take his eyes off her.

"Sir, I am an avid reader of mystery books. I was just reading this book and for what reason should I kill my own brother-in-law? I don't hate him. If I had hated him, I wouldn't have come to his house in the first place," she tried to justify.

Ritika went out and her sister Dayana stepped inside the investigation room.

"How long have you been married?"

"Three years."

"Why did you stay in your sister's room when your husband got murdered?"

"My sister came to my house last week and every single day since then I used to share a bed with her. My husband used to sleep alone," she said with her spectacle plopping on her nose.

"At what time did your husband arrive at home last night?"

"12 'o' clock."

"Why so late? Was he staying in your enemy's house? Is that the reason you twisted him to death?" Vikram enraged her.

"Please mind your language, sir! He said that he would reveal a surprise the next morning. Have I gone mad to kill my own husband?" she barked out.

"Your husband came late to home. He perhaps revealed the surprise which might have irked you. No problem, we shall continue the investigation," he said.

Next, it was Anoop's father Anurag's turn.

"You were the one who complained. Isn't it, sir?" Vikram questioned.

"Yes, of course! I want justice for my son."

"Did your son have conflicts with anybody in the house or outside?"

"My son is a very amicable person who doesn't quarrel with anybody. Yesterday, he raised his voice against Jeevan who inadvertently broke his favourite aquarium. But that is just a small issue. Even Jeevan doesn't take it personally."

"You may go now, sir!"

Anoop's mother Akanksha knocked at the door.

"Come in, ma'am."

"How is the relationship between your son and Dayana?" he fired a question.

"Very peaceful. Both of them share a good rapport," she said.

"Do you trust Jeevan?"

"He is a very innocent person who has been working with us for over seven years now."

"Okay, you may go now," Vikram drummed his fingers on the table trying to rack up his brains.

Sai was next up for investigation.

"Do you have any professional feud with your brother?"

"No! Why would I fight with my brother? He is everything to me," he raised his voice.

"Calm down, brother! Would you like to have a glass of water?" he smiled.

"No, thanks."

Dipika who was in a queue made a nervous entry into the room.

"Why are you looking nervous?" Vikram glared at her.

"I am scared of the police," she fidgeted.

"If you haven't made any mistake, then why should you be scared of the police," he cross-questioned.

"I am a highly introverted person. I do get scared sometimes, especially when I see police and gangsters," she replied.

"How was Anoop as a person?"

"Very friendly person. He respects everyone in the house and doesn't do any partiality, rather treats everyone equally."

"Did you have any feelings for Anoop?"

Dipika widened her eyes. "He is like my big brother."

"You may go now."

The house servant Jeevan scampered into the investigation room.

"Why did your owner reprimand you yesterday?"

"I broke the aquarium which he held a special place in his heart," he said in a shaky voice.

"So, you felt embarrassed and quietly murdered him late at night. Am I correct?" he fumed.

"I did not kill him," he mopped his forehead.

"Then, did you execute the plan at someone's behest?"

"No, no. I am not the one who murdered him," he shivered.

"Oh, then you know who murdered him. There is a super treatment waiting inside. Do you want to get a taste of it?"

"Sir, please leave me. I don't know anything," he exclaimed.

Vikram banged the table and the constables came in briskly. They were asked to render him electric shock. Jeevan's heart came out of his mouth when the wires were planted on him.

"Sir, I only murdered him," he broke down.

"Why did you kill him?"

"Dayana ma'am hated Anoop, sir. She promised to help me financially if I killed him. She also asked me not to reveal the secret to anyone."

"Are you speaking the truth?"

"Yes, sir,"

In an unexpected turn of events, Dayana and Jeevan were apprehended and taken into custody. The family was stunned into silence and had no words to explain their misery. Dayana was reduced to tears; she rebuked Jeevan for his baseless allegations against her.

"I condemn this fabricated false case," Dayana lamented.

The family couldn't digest how Dayana could mastermind the murder of her beloved husband. The startling revelation left them dumbfounded.

A small boy named Chirag was begging pedestrians to take him to his father. Tears welled up in his eyes. Police constables who happened to patrol in the area took him to the station. He even had a photo of his father in his pocket which he showed to the cops. Surprisingly, it was none other than Jeevan's photo. They started to trace his whereabouts and after a few days came to know that Jeevan was locked up in a cell of some other police station. They took the kid to that station. Jeevan yelped in pain at the sight of his son.

"Is he your son?" Vikram asked.

"Yes, sir!" he exclaimed.

"Why did you abandon your son?"

"He was snatched away from me," he couldn't control his tears.

"Did Dayana do that?"

"No, sir. Dayana ma'am has got no role to play in the murder as well."

Vikram did a double-take at him.

"What?"

"Yes, sir. Since my son is back and is safe, I have no qualms now about spilling the beans."

"Veeresh is the one who killed Anoop, sir. He is Anoop sir's colleague. One night he infiltrated into sir's house and quietly killed him. He then came out only to see me and my son. He quickly snatched my son away thereby subjugating me," he continued. "He told me not to reveal the secret to anyone. In case the situation demands, he wanted me to surrender to the police as a murderer and put the blame on ma'am or else he threatened to kill my son. He promised to take care of my son and also to hand over him to me when the intensity of the case subsides."

"Where is he now?" Vikram asked.

"I have no idea, sir!"

"Okay, Anoop's family know him, right?"

"Yes, sir!"

"We cannot release you until it's proved that what you claimed is correct."

After checking with the family, Vikram got access to Veeresh's photo. They went on a lookout and came to know that he had vacated his house. Quickly, his photo was circulated across all police stations throughout the country to ensure he didn't roam scot-free.

The day when Anoop got murdered:

In the evening, based on the majority of votes Anoop was declared as the chief operating officer of the company. His colleague Veeresh hardly got any votes. He couldn't digest this embarrassment. To see his friend as his boss even though he was junior to him pricked his conscience. Some of his colleagues made fun of him for being a loser in front of Anoop which furthered his grudge. Unable to grapple with the gospel truth, he chalked out a plan to kill Anoop. He sprayed chemicals at the watchman to put him to sleep and then slowly clambered up the pipe to reach his room. The room window was large enough for him to sneak through. He used some device to quietly remove the window door and then smothered Anoop to death. Following his colleague's last breath, he connected the window door back to its hinges and then climbed down the pipe. On the pretext of taking care of Chirag, he just abandoned him in a street before flying to Uttar Pradesh.

Veeresh stayed with one of his friends in Uttar Pradesh. His luck seemed to lose its steam since his photo was passed all over the city. His friend was astounded to see his poster claiming him to be a criminal. When he confronted Veeresh regarding the same he met with a terrible fate. Veeresh stabbed him to death with a machete. He put on a joker mask and rushed to the railway station. He desperately wanted to run away to a far-off place. In a hustle-bustle station, he jumped into the train and occupied a window seat. The heavy wind worked in cahoots with the cool weather, to take his mask off. Anoop's friend Rakesh recognized his face in a fleeting second, caught hold of him and quickly raised alarm. Caught off guard, Veeresh smacked his face before fleeing but the passengers became his impediment very soon. He was subdued by the passengers. The number game got the better of him and eventually, he was handed over to the police station. His detention exonerated Dayana who joined her family back. She wreathed her husband's grave with flowers. Tears propelled out of her eyes which was a testament to the copious pain she endured. She just sat and looked up at the sky wondering if she could get a glimpse of her husband there. Even though he was just a memory, their eternal love continued to evolve in her mind.