Three Triangles

Three stories adjoining at the same point -

A depressed guy,

A female who lost his husband, and

A cancer patient.

It’s summertime and nobody cared about the sun as everyone wants it to set, the difference of each month depends on how the climate is. Puja on that particular day sitting in her balcony and looking directly at the kids playing downstairs like she has some remorse towards them and while she endlessly looking down on them a tear rolled her cheek. She burst out in loud cry, in an attempt to stifle her loud cry she attempted to grab her saree. While at it, a glass feel directly outside the balcony making it noticeable all the kids they stopped playing and all looked at it.

Mr. Khanna, taking a puff admiring the beauty of the sun although its harsh rays hitting his visual apparatus. He still felt like looking straight at it- before he could hear the glass falling. He heard something more near to him like a human falling. He immediately brought his attention and saw her wife lying on the floor with a doctor’s report. He pulled her and splashed water on her face. She recovered and started to weep looking at him and touching his face. Why didn’t you tell me you have cancer? He smiled and hugged her tight.

While reading old text and looking at the various unpaid bill, Sujit looked at his wedding picture the happiness he had, made him half smile and cry. However, he looked outside the balcony and saw people gathered together downstairs. As few people subsided – there was a body lying on the ground, her hands looked like a broken bamboo stick and there was blood all over. He immediately ran to see.

The cops showed and everyone on the premises kept talking about the last night party on the terrace as she was wearing the same red top – her parents got devastated as they lost their 20-year girl, the body was taken for investigation. Silence gathered all over and the cops began their investigation.

As per the report the party started around 7:30 pm, it was a Christmas evening, all society people were called for. The terrace could hold nearly 80 to 90 people, rest arrangement was done on the 11th floor, where there were booze and eatery at 9 pm. Silva, the girl who had fallen, was seen to be speaking to Mr. Khanna secretly and there was slight agitation from both the sides as she threw the glass of wine on his face and went away. With the fit of rage, he went after her, the other side of the CCTV footage also witnessed Puja talking briefly to her and that was around 8:30 pm, when Silva took her first drink.

At 10 o'clock, Sujit and Silva were standing in the corner of 10th floor where there was nobody around. They were being intimate after which she received a call and immediately escaped that place and ran upstairs.

Right after that moment, Silva’s behavior turned very grave. She was frightened all night and did not dance and disappeared from the party.

Post-mortem report:

The victim was inebriated. There was a sign of struggle on her body and also she was sexually involved before the incident. There was a high content of alcohol in her system.

The police started interrogating all the suspects, she had a word or argument with. She took her life by 5 am, as per the CCTV camera she stood alone murmuring something. One of the inspectors even thought this could be an occult practice however they can’t put this on data. She had been spotted speaking over a phone, the mobile phone was not found.

Interrogation room:

Inspector to Puja, "What kind of conversation you had with Silva? as per the footage she seemed agitated after you meet her."

"I told her she needs to have less alcohol as she smelt inebriated," she said looking at the inspector's eyes.

It doesn’t look like that!

"It was not," replied Puja.

"Please tell us what kind of relationship you shared with her."

She was very innocuous, a girl who believed in fairy tales, we were good friends she often came to my place, she even knew my late husband,

Inspector looking away from her in a state of false care replied.

"Extremely sorry," said clearing his throat,"No more questions you can go."

During the funeral, everyone was present except Sujit, he was not seen after that night. Inspection call was made to him, and he went to Kolkata for an urgent family emergency although police informed the Kolkata police dept. of the incident and to keep a close watch of him.

Before the cremation process started, her mother kissed her dead daughter's head, realizing she is so cold and her jaw has been stitched together. She looked at her for the last time and tears came rolling. Silva’s father looked at her and stood there like a solid rock.

The body kept burning and both the parents were looking at the burning flame and even heard her skull getting twisted. The cold wind and the evening reminded the day she came riding the cycle and fell couple of times.

"She was a true sport and never gave up on anything. I wish she could have spoken to us," said Silva's mother wiping her tears. A moment where she is helpless and in a situation where she can’t put any logic only to attend to feelings.

The first day of the school, when she cried like she is never coming back home. Needless to say, today their home will be a house, a house without a soul.

In the interrogation room:

Inspector to Mr. Khanna, "What kind of relationship did you have with Silva?"

"Well, a very young chap God forbid today, she is no longer to be seen," Mr. Khanna said with perfunctory emotion.

"Mr. Khanna, what kind of conversation you had with the victim," repeated sternly.

"I was just talking in general, we usually talk about anything, and she was a very nice and sober girl. That night she was very furious and more agitated than I ever could have imagine, she wanted a smoke from me and I denied that made her more furious perhaps."

"Did you see where she went?" asked the interrogation officer.

"Well, I was not sober myself so I didn’t notice."

"Thank you, Mr. Khanna." He left from the room.

Few days passed while inspecting her room, they found an envelope which had Rs one lakh cheque inside it.

Her parents had no clue what she was up to, the question arises that who was she supposed to give the money to without her parents’ permission.

Inspector went about inquiring her college friends, Suzanne was her closest.

She was peculiar in a sense, she was a college student – cross tattoo on her left hand, looked clueless and unattended.

Constable to Suzanne,"Do you know anything about Silva's death?" She responded being furious,"Yes, she was tensed from the last few days, she did not even show interest for the college fest," said Suzanne provocatively,"We saw her speaking on a call and being really worried. We don’t know what was really wrong but there was something which she was hiding from everyone around."

Sujit came to the city, with an understanding that everything has been cleared out and he will not be questioned. The constables were standing outside his house and Sujit was not even aghast but petrified what will become of him. He heard a knock on the door and there were 2 constables with guns looking disgruntled and peeing into the door hole, they rang the bell thrice, not to behave like a terrorist he wiped his face, and opened the door,"What the hell were you up to?" one constable said to him. "I am sorry I was taking a bath." he replied. The constable kept looking at the house and said,"It doesn't look like. You were called to the police station for the Silva suicide case."

"Yes, I know that"

"Then why did you make us visit you?" replied the constable standing next to the door.

"I don't know." Sujit while looking at the constable’s gun replied.

He was taken to the police station. While looking at the inspector, who was writing something on a report not even bothered to what he has to say, maybe because he wanted to hear only the keywords.

Inspector to him,"Please share with us what kind of relationship you shared with Silva and what was the content of the conversation that night." His words were just like bullets seeping into him and Sujit had no idea how not to sound like a criminal,"She was attracted to me and I reprimanded her not to be more close to me , but she was adamant like a kid and wanted more and more from me, that night she reached the brink on her inebriated stated and she said she wanted to marry me." The inspector kept writing like he is a reporter and just leaned cryptography as if he made his mind that he is the culprit.

After clearing his throat inspector said,"So you pushed her from the cliff, didn't you? And also extorted money from her. Why don't you confess now and I ensure it will delay your death penalty."

He said all these looking directly at him as he rehearsed all these before him coming here perhaps he also made his mind.

I was aghast and it reminded me the times I had spent with her and now I am being accused of her murder.

I did not kill her, I yelled it at the top of my throat, he banged his hand crumpled on the table and stretch himself close to me, I know Sujit you did it.

NO, NO

Every suggestive evidence shows you are the culprit, that you are the one she spoke the longest. Your picture has been collected from her apartment, her post-mortem report clarified she had sex, 2 hours before her demise and she had sex with you - Every clue is pointing at you.Tell us, why did you kill her?

Sujit continued...

That night we had a major argument and she was scared about something, I don't know what she has to say: her words were all over the place and she was stuttering like a drunken teenager.

Someone was blackmailing her and she had been paying money every week for the truth not be disclosed. She did not mention any names nor the reason. She wanted me to marry her as soon as possible. She kind of irked me and I was not in a position to marry her. These statements made her more irate and she left without telling me anything.

Inspector drank from a glass of water and scribbled something on the paper. In order for us to believe you, we would need circumstantial evidence to back you. You will need to present on the court and case will run against you - if you have a lawyer if no, you can appoint one or else it's your way to death.

Sujit wondered life could take him from being a lover to a murderer just like that.

Proceeding began and the victim has been put in front of the court and highlighting all the evidence against him,

The court still took a week’s break as there was lack of evidence. He was put to the prison till they hear the next. Sujit was neither happy nor sad – as he had no one who could support him. They took him to the prison. It was dark, inside the walls were scratched and old, like before their death each prisoner didn’t want to go and they dragged him. He was hungry and alone, the very thought he will be hanged made him to forget eating.

The moon's light was half entering the room and he could see her face laughing at him. He didn’t do anything, here he was sitting alone as a prisoner and the death awaited him like a taxi driver.

A visitor came to the prison, the next morning.

"I do not know you," said Sujit; completely unaware of who he was.

"My name is Mr. Banerjee, advocate Banerjee, I am your late father's friend. I heard the entire case and it seemed to me that you have been framed."

He replied in a serious tone and adjusted his tie while looking around.

On the other hand, Sujit tried to look clearly who he was,

short-bearded guy, shoes neatly polished, wearing a black suit.

"How did you know my father?" Sujit asked being careful.

"That’s a long story. I will get back with evidence on the next hearing. I have collected all the documents, let me see what I can do for you."

Everyone believed he did it and even considered him a rapist. His ex-wife came to visit him and not only she blamed him for ruining her life, she also abused him for being a murderer and she regretted for meeting him. As he had no friends nobody really came to console him.

While over viewing all the interrogation videos, Mr. Banerjee seemed curious looking at how Puja described the entire situation. Hence, he started following her, she has been seen with different man in the same hotel. He went to the hotel and got to know that she has been doing this for a long time and those men are her partners in a business and nobody has any clue, what is the nature of that.

Mr. Khanna confessed that he saw her growling over a call, and using abusive language while speaking to someone.

He wanted to know the root cause of this business, so they set up a small ploy. In this attempt, they figured she is a member of an extortion group. She received a call from an unknown number telling her to confess that she has done it, so she recorded the call and went to the police.

The investigation grew stronger and in an inquiry with a police station, she had a criminal record. She had been charged with extortion about which no one was aware of.

Victim's phone was recovered, however the data was lost. But the last call which they identified was Puja’s number.

"I did not kill her, she had an affair with my late husband and I saw her couple of times, she was at home in my absence. She was nothing more than a slut," Puja said despondently.

"Is this the reason you killed her?" Inspector responded being assertive.

"I wanted to choke her to death but I couldn’t do it, I couldn’t gather the courage to do so. While I came back she had already disappeared. But I am sure, I wouldn’t have taken her life."

"Whoever did it, must be a heartless guy."

Inspector to her, "Why do you think it’s a guy first of all? And secondly, why did you call her? yours was the last voice she heard."

I had taken money from her, because I had seen her with my husband, and I was going to tell her parents and show pictures with my late husband but it was only once. As he died, I did not do it further. She uttered insensitively.

"You could be still charged, I believe you know it," said the inspector pushing the paper.

"What?" she panted!

Puja has been convicted for Silva's murder, as she had a criminal record and her late husband had an affair with Silva. This was the reason which made her take extort money and murder her out of revenge.

She kept yelling at the court but the constables dragged her to the cells.

1 week later:

Mr. Banerjee:

He took the sip from the coffee, and looked at the kids playing on the field,

He noticed a kid hitting another kid, and made it to look like others did it.

The kid who hit her, pretended he was innocent and slept on the ground weeping and the parents came started belting the other kid.

Few weeks back, Mr. Banerjee had received a call from an unknown number describing the event and how an innocent guy was falling into a trap. Somebody knew Puja had a strong motive of killing her, somebody knew she had a criminal background and the same person saw her speaking on a phone for the last time. It drew his attention to the case.

“Nothing is more elusive than an obvious fact.”

Mr. Banerjee went back to see the tape once again while re-playing the tape each time. He saw that the tape has been tampered with, and even the security guard has been changed.

On Christmas night-

Right after the argument with Sujit, Silva left home as she was feeling uneasy and felt like being home.

Around 2 am, Sujit called Silva on the terrace once again to have a word with her.

The wind was blowing and Silva sounded sick, so he put a blanket on her.

She handed him the envelope which had 50k, "I can’t keep giving you the money," said Silva with a disgruntled face.

"I am sorry, but I would need more."

"But, you promised we will be married soon. This is the last time, I am giving you money. My father keeps asking me that for what I need so much money. I can’t simply cook up the story every time," she said it taking a step back.

"This could be the last time, I know. I am a huge nuisance to you," while using his words, he kept taking the next step towards her.

"I am going to inform everyone that you are blackmailing me. Just because I love you does not mean that you will keep extorting money," her lips fumbled while uttering these.

"I am going to inform everyone tomorrow morning," looking straight at him she confronted.

He smiled and took her blanket in the pretense that he will give her a hug as she wiped her tears. He came close to her and pushed her.

The same night, the CCTV camera has been tampered with, the security guard changed. Until now there was no one who understood that the building guard was different.

It was not an accidental death, it was an organized crime.

It turned out that the case got closed and due to strong evidence, the jury decided Puja had pushed her and it’s an attempt of murder.

Mr. Banerjee while putting back the case papers, in the midst of the crowd, saw a girl outside the window wearing a white one piece, looking sadly towards him. Her legs were badly bruised and eyes were sore. As he kept looking at her, he didn’t realize that the court had gone empty.

He came outside, saw the same girl sitting on a bench alone, her clothes were torn.

Yes, it was Silva.