Murder at Nine

Once upon a time there lived four best friends named Anwar, Ram, John, and Kuldeep. They were studying together in Royal college and hostel, Mumbai. Everything was good in their lives. They completed their education and soon got busy into their respective careers. Anwar started a Diamond business in Dubai. John was in USA doing great job as a doctor and as a Dean of one of the best hospitals in Ohio. Ram had a chemical as well as logistics business while Kuldeep was working as an engineer in a big, multinational company. Fortunately, Kuldeep and Ram were in Mumbai, India. But soon Kuldeep's good days didn't last that long. He lost his job and started facing a huge difficulty in the financial management of his daily expenses.

One day, Kuldeep got a call from Ram. He was quite happy to hear his friend's voice after so long. And because they were in the same city, they decided on a reunion along with their families. So, as decided they both met at Ram's bungalow. After a delicious dinner, they were both talking about their business and then Kuldeep told him about the financial crisis he was facing due to losing his job. Ram felt very bad for his dear friend and therefore he made Kuldeep his business partner. He made him his partner in the logistics business. First Kuldeep refused for the proposal but because Ram insisted him so much, he agreed.

Soon after two-three days of his new job, Ram shifted him to the bungalow just next to his bungalow. And in spite of the financial problems Kuldeep was facing, he didn't take the house free of cost, rather he decided to pay rent. When he would have enough money, he would buy the house from Ram.

One day, Ram and Kuldeep decided to find the rest of the two friends - John and Anwar. Luckily, Anwar was on social media and so, Ram and Kuldeep found him and called him up. Anwar was overjoyed on hearing his beloved friends' voice. And fortunately, Anwar was in good touch with John because they met once in the hospital due to an accident case. This is when they were reunited. So, Anwar immediately connected his call with John and they were in a conference call. After talking to each other they all were overwhelmed and so decided for a reunion.

John and Anwar were quite busy with their jobs. Therefore they decided to come to India the next week. Days passed by and finally, the special day arrived when they were coming back to India. John was supposed to stay in Ram's bungalow with his family (wife and daughter) and Ram's family(wife and daughter). While Anwar was supposed to stay in Kuldeep's bungalow with his family (wife and twin sons) and Kuldeep's family(wife, a daughter and a son). The next morning, they all met at Kuldeep's house for a brunch. There was a grand brunch organized for everyone on a big, twenty seater dining table. This was to decide the further plans for the vacation as John and Anwar had come to Mumbai for just seven days.

Hence, they decided to go to Mahabaleshwar for the next five days. Soon they left for Mahabaleshwar on a minibus. They reached their destination by midnight and were shocked to see Anwar's huge, magnificent villa there. Everyone was really excited to stay there. Once they entered, they went straight to their rooms and slept. In the morning, they all came down for breakfast. There were a variety of food items present on the table. They all ate breakfast and left for sightseeing. While the sightseeing, Kuldeep saw a person clicking photographs of the group. And Kuldeep noticed this once or twice before. This made him really stressed.

When they were having their lunch, suddenly Kuldeep started sweating and his right hand started aching. And within a second he collapsed. The doctor was called immediately. He detected that Kuldeep probably had got a minor heart attack due to the overstress of something. Everyone got worried about him. After a while, Anwar, Ram, and John went to Kuldeep's room and asked him for what was he overstressed about. Then he explained to them everything from the first time he saw an unknown man till seeing him taking their photographs secretly.

After a few hours, Kuldeep sent Ram and Anwar out for shopping along with their families. He and John along with their families were at home. Kuldeep was still not well and was advised for complete bed rest until some time. They ate their snacks and he went back to sleep. Everyone including Anwar and Ram had decided to eat the dinner together. So, everyone was supposed to come down to the dining area by sharp nine o'clock.

But there was a problem that Kuldeep's room's air conditioner wasn't working. So, John asked him to sleep in his room. Suddenly, there was a power cut. John got a call so, he went out in the garden to take the call as Kuldeep was a good sleep and he didn't want to disturb him. He took a long time talking on the phone. While returning, he saw that Anwar and Ram had also returned home. Anwar asked him about Kuldeep and John's reply to it was that he was resting. Then they all decided to go and see him whether he was in a better condition or not. They were completely speechless on seeing Kuldeep hung dead on a large clock which had its hand struck sharp nine o'clock. Tears started flowing unstoppably out of everyone's eyes. Cops were called. Inquiry began. Every nook and corner of the house was checked but they ended up getting no proofs.

Then the staff and the family members were brought into the picture. All were questioned including the rest of the three friends and their families. In all of a sudden, John remembered that he had kept a maid for Kuldeep but right now she was nowhere to be found. He had a doubt on her. But everything went in vain as he saw her coming into the house in spite of knowing that the cops had taken over the house. She came in and clarified herself by letting them know that she wasn't there in the house last night when the incident had taken place. Instead, she had sent one of her friends in her place due to her severe illness. So, the cops immediately asked her to help them by describing her friend's facial features to the sketch artist. She agreed and soon after a while the sketch of the suspected woman was ready. The cops got a search warrant and left to find her.

The three friends were kept on a house arrest while their families were sent back to Mumbai. Nothing worked out so, they came back to the police station empty-handed. So, after a while, they called the rest of the three friends to the police station. They asked them if they had a doubt on anyone else or if anyone was their enemy or if because of something bad happened earlier, due to which someone might have come to take revenge on it. Then they recognized that during their college days, there was a boy named Sunil. He was from a quite well to do family. But he was really dull and shy. And taking advantage of his innocence Ram, Anwar, John, and Kuldeep had ragged him once. But due to that incident, he got so scared and frustrated that he committed suicide by hanging on a large clock that struck nine in the morning. On hearing all this the police suspected that a reason for the lady coming and killing Kuldeep could be that she would be one of Sunil's family members and she might have come to take his revenge. So to bring that woman out, they thought of a plan. And even the police agreed with it and decided to help them out.

At night, all three friends were partying that the case was closed, concluding it a suicide and they were free from the house arrest. But when they were doing so, secretly keeping an eye on them. And John saw her but he didn't catch her and pretended as if he hadn't seen her. Soon they all went back to their rooms by 8:30 pm. In all of a sudden, there was again a power cut. Someone had just entered John's room with a large, sharp-edged knife. She was just about to attack John when the cops came in caught her red-handed. This was all plan to bring out the real killer. And as expected she was only the one who the cops were searching for. She was soon dragged to court after her confession of the crime and the reason for it was that she was Sunil's sister, Malti. She killed Kuldeep and was about to kill all of them as revenge for her brother's death. She was given life imprisonment as a punishment. And the three friends were given three years imprisonment as punishment for ragged Sunil and being a cause for his death.

After three years, Ram, John, and Anwar had returned back to their families in Mumbai. Till now everything had changed. John's wife and Anwar's wife had handled their businesses so far. And both the families had permanently settled in Mumbai. All four families had started living next to each other by taking houses in the same colony. Seeing their husbands after such a long time, left them weeping. But poor Kuldeep's wife, she knew that she wouldn't be able to meet her husband ever again yet she presented herself happy by keeping a broad smile on her face. In the evening, they all gathered once again for a dinner at Kuldeep's house remembering all the good memories of him. Soon after dinner, they all went back home. And once again at night, the lights went off at John's house. Everyone including John panicked. But John kept the presence of mind and pretended as is if he had dozed. And suddenly a lady covered in a light blue colored attire was about to attack on John, when he caught her hand before she could attempt anything further. He pulled out the cloth she had covered her face with. He was shocked on seeing the unknown lady's face. She was John's wife itself.

Soon the cops were called and she was arrested. But before she was taken away in prison, John wanted to know why did she do so. Then she narrated the entire story that she was the real sister of Sunil and Malti was just an old maid in their house. She had offered Malti lots of money to confess her crime and take the punishment instead of her. And she had married John because she wanted to get into their group and then take her revenge. On that day when Kuldeep was killed, Malti wasn't there rather it was John's wife who wore Malti's mask and killed Kuldeep. After John heard all this, he was speechless and completely heartbroken. Soon John's wife was taken to court and given life imprisonment as a punishment whereas Malti was let free of the prison.

And to conclude with is all well that ends well.