by UD Yasha
‘I’ll summon Healing Grace to give us all of Malini’s patient records and personal notes,’ I said and then turned to Rahul. ‘Do you think you can examine the clothes of the victims and Manohar?’
‘Yes, I can use the laboratory at work,’ Rahul said.
Rahul and his company's CEO had great mutual respect and understanding for each other. Which made such seemingly outrageous requests possible.
‘I'll schedule an appointment with the CID tomorrow morning so you can go and collect all the samples you need. As the defence counsel, I have a right to perform my own tests on the evidence collected,' I said, feeling a rush of energy. I inhaled deeply and then turned to Radha. ‘How much should we tell maa?'
‘I don’t think we should tell her anything in the beginning at least. It could get too much for her to deal with.’
I remembered what Dr. Aakash Pande, maa’s psychiatrist, had told me. Your mother has gone through intense mental and physical abuse when she was kidnapped. We will never know what happened then and how much damage it has caused. But that’s not the point. It’s you and your family’s responsibility to ensure she is not reminded of it. At least for now. The wounds are too raw.
I knew from experience that such cases could easily escalate fast once the media got interested in them. I did not put it past the local news channels and papers to wait outside our house and hound everyone inside. To add to it all, the media often views criminal lawyers as immoral. With multiple murders and a missing child in question, things could get nasty very soon.
‘I agree. We’ll keep her away from everything as much as possible,’ I said. ‘I’m going to head out later in the night to speak to Shaunak Manohar again.’
Radha moved closer to me. ‘Be careful,’ she said, squeezing my hand gently.
‘You don’t need to worry. Rathod and Atharva will be with me throughout. I’ll also have my gun.’
Silence.
‘I’ll head upstairs. I need to review the evidence that Rathod has shared with me,’ I said as I went to get my laptop from my room. I had only one thought in my mind: what could have possibly happened to Rucha Sinha?
Chapter Ten
I sat on my bed to take a moment for myself. Each bout of high energy was followed by a lull where all my fears began screaming in my head. The same had happened three months back in maa’s case. The stakes were high then. Just like they were now. I focused on my breath. I was still a novice meditator but was already experiencing its benefits.
My mind calmed after a spell. I tried to make sense of it all. I wondered whether Shaunak Manohar was as innocent as he claimed to be. He was not making a great case for himself by lying. His face kept coming back to me. There was something in the way he had suddenly become alert when I had mentioned Rucha. I could not forget it. I hoped to get more answers when I would meet him again in some time.
The burning question returned: why was Manohar lying to me? As far as he knew, I was the one person who would defend him. I thought hard but I could not figure out a good enough reason. My clouded reasoning made way for two possibilities. First, the main issue was something else altogether. He was okay with sacrificing himself for a greater cause, whatever that was. Second, Rucha Sinha’s abduction was pivotal to all of this.
But why was she kidnapped in the first place?
In most kidnappings, a ransom call is made to the family. But in this case, most of the family was dead. The police would be monitoring Malini’s phone. Something told me this wasn’t an ordinary case of kidnapping. All this was happening because of something else entirely.
I tried to run different scenarios in my head to try to make sense of what had happened. Why would someone kill an entire family and kidnap an eight-year-old girl? I wondered for a moment, if something else could have happened to Rucha. What if this was not a kidnapping?
Just then, I heard Shadow hop up the stairs. He must have thought that I came up to sleep. He always slept in the room I was in, most of the times near my legs. He stood silently, his earnest eyes watching me, confused for a jiffy that I was not yet asleep. I patted his head when he came up to me. He jumped on the bed and rubbed his nose on my pillow before making himself comfortable on it.
As I flipped open my laptop and inserted the pen drive that Rathod had given me, Shama opened the door to her room. She stepped out and stood in the corridor. I could see the concern in her eyes. She closed the room's door behind her and walked across the corridor.
‘Maa has fallen asleep,’ Shama said. I could tell she wanted to speak to me, but she saw my open laptop and said, ‘I’ll let you be. I’m downstairs. Let me know if you need me for anything.’
‘Thanks for everything, Shama,’ I said, smiling.
When maa had first come back, she and I had shared a room for a few days. But we slowly began to realize that maa was afraid of the sounds coming from the street that my room overlooked. I caught her staring out of the window in the middle of several nights. She would cover her face with a quilt and block her ears. The slightest sound of any vehicle from the main road sent jitters through her body. The same was true for any kind of bright light.
All of us decided that maa would move to Radha’s room. It was in the back part of the house and away from any obvious distraction. We did not consider Shama’s room on the ground floor as maa had made it clear she wanted to stay upstairs. Almost overnight, maa began to feel safer. She still got nightmares but they reduced in frequency. She also needed someone to be with her throughout the day. But we were prepared for it all. She was a fighter, battling the unimaginable things that had happened to her in the sixteen years she had been held captive.
I stepped away from the laptop and crossed to my cupboard. I had been going to a shooting range once a week since we had got maa back. I did not know when that practice was going to come in handy but it is always better to be over prepared. I pulled a drawer. My gun, a Glock 19, was right at the back. I grabbed it, buckled my waist holster and put the Glock in it. I also pulled out another gun, a Glock 26; a much smaller firearm but just as mean as the 19. The 26 was easily concealable. I put on a chest holster and inserted the Glock 26 inside. I could conceal the Glock 26 in small places and the best part about it was that it was compatible with Glock 19 magazines.
I took my laptop, went downstairs and straight to the garage from the back door. I had converted it into a makeshift office. I had primarily used it for my investigation into maa’s disappearance. Now that she was back with us, I had been thinking of actually using it to park our five-year-old Honda Jazz. But now I had found another purpose for it. It would be my centre for another missing person’s investigation.
The garage was quite large and the assembly inside was basic. There was an L-shaped table and two chairs at one end, while there were two bean bags and a large whiteboard next to the table. The latest addition was a coffee machine that was kept on the table. There was enough stationary in there to last me the next five years. The garage had a CCTV screen as well. I do not know why I had insisted on having a screen in the garage as well. There was one in the living room and a third one in my bedroom.
I wiped the sweat off my forehead and let out a big heave. The garage got direct sunlight for most of the day so it stayed warm, even at night. We had a spare water cooler which I thought I could set up in the garage the next day.
I sat at the desk and opened the laptop, ready to take a look at what the CID had found out.
Chapter Eleven
The pen drive had several folders. I opened the first officer’s report right away. It was written by Senior Investigating Officer Mahesh Bhalerao. He was Rathod’s partner. I started reading his report.
I got an alert of gunshot sounds emanating from Sindh Society at 8.36 pm. The Gunshot Detection System had triangulated the origin of the gunshots in a fifty-metre radius. I navigated the route the GDS had sent me and reached the location at 8.42 pm.
Some part of at least four houses lay within the fifty-metre rad
ius. First, I went to Bungalow Number 28. I rang the bell. An elderly couple opened the door. They said they heard loud sounds a few minutes back, but did not know anything else. I cleared the house after searching it.
I then went to Bungalow Number 42. Nothing seemed out of place outside the house. But I suspected this was the house of interest when I saw that its main door was open. I followed protocol and announced that a CID officer was coming in.
I kicked the door open and saw a man inside. He was holding a gun, pointing it at the door that I had slammed open. There were four dead bodies in the living room, all a few feet away from the man. He obeyed my commands and dropped his weapon and stood away with his hands up. I called for backup. I asked the man for his name. He told me it was Shaunak Manohar. He was not violent and did not protest when I handcuffed him to the front door of the house.
I did not find a pulse on any of the dead bodies. But their bodies were still warm. The backup led by Senior Inspector Kapil Rathod reached at 8.59 pm. The crime scene was secured. Initial observations were recorded by Medical Examiner Dr. Sonia Joshi. Samples from the suspect's clothes and body were taken. The suspect was taken into custody after he was told of his rights. He opened his mouth only twice. First when he said he was innocent. And second, on being asked about the blood on his clothes and hands. He said it belonged to Daksh Sinha who lay dead in front of us.
Bhalerao’s version of the events matched what Manohar had told me. I moved to the next file on the pen drive. It was Dr. Sonia Joshi’s initial report. I imagined an intern typing it out based on Dr. Joshi’s findings.
Four bodies were found in Bungalow Number 42 in Sindh Society. They were all already dead when we reached the crime scene. I place the time of death to be within sixty minutes of finding the bodies. That is between seven forty-five and eight forty-five PM.
All victims were shot once. All have a single entry wound and no exit wound. Initial analysis suggests that all the victims were shot from about eight to ten feet away. Given the dimensions of the house, this suggests that the shooter was inside the house. Though the gunshots, the resulting damage and trauma that followed including blood loss would have been fatal, the cause of death will only be known beyond doubt after an autopsy.
Samples from the clothes and hands of the suspect in custody have been taken. We are also checking for gunpowder residue on the suspect. A ballistics test is being performed to see if the gun the suspect was holding was the one used to kill the victims. The results should come within twelve hours. All four autopsies will be conducted within twenty-four hours.
There were several other folders on the pen drive. It did not have a transcript of Manohar's interrogation with the CID. The CID would have a recording of it. I decided to ask for it the next day. There was a folder with the photos of the crime scene. Another one that had a list of all the physical evidence the CID had picked up from the crime scene. I opened the first folder.
The first batch of photos was taken from the house's entrance. I could clearly see the four bodies. The bodies of Daksh Sinha's elderly parents lay together in the corridor. Daksh was the closest to the door while his sixteen-year-old son was near the kitchen. I grimaced and glanced away for a beat. I had seen violent crime scenes before but never had I seen so many dead bodies in one place at one time. I felt a quiver in my stomach before my mind began thinking about Rucha Sinha once again. I did not even want to imagine what could be happening to her if the person responsible for this had taken her.
Luckily, I did not go down that path because I heard a car outside. The CCTV monitor in the garage sprang to life and I saw a taxi pull over outside our house. Its door opened. A man stepped out. Even in the grainy video, I could recognize that gait as the man walked towards our house.
My heart skipped a beat when I realized who it was.
Chapter Twelve
I got up to step out of the garage, forgetting everything else at that moment. I had last seen Atharva Mehta twelve years back. I found myself grinning, knowing I was going to see him any moment now.
Just then, Atharva emerged from the main gate. He looked different but still the same in so many ways. He had matured, and like most guys, he had somehow managed to look better with age. At the same time, his face had retained that boyish charm that I remembered so well. His eyes were still innocent. They glinted in the night light as he put his bag on the ground and ran to me. He hugged me tightly. The memories of all the times we had spent together rushed to me.
‘Siya, I am so relieved after seeing you,’ Atharva said as his arm pulled me in closer for the embrace.
It was weird but I felt exactly the same. It seemed like a heavy weight had been lifted from my shoulders. I realized only then that I had never felt so comfortable with anyone for a long time.
He pulled out of the hug and said, ‘I don’t know what to say, but thank you. I know this is hard for you considering what has happened. But I didn’t know where else to go.’
‘Of course, I would've helped you in any possible way. I'm glad to see you.'
Atharva nodded once, his eyes determined. They became serious again as the reality of the situation clawed its way back. ‘I went to identify the bodies directly from the airport,’ he said. ‘It’s them. Siya. It’s them.’
‘We’re going to find out who did it and we’re also going to get Rucha back,’ I said.
Just then, Shadow barked once. I glanced up at my bedroom’s window and saw him peeping out. We went inside the garage. I motioned Atharva to take one of the chairs.
As he sat down, memories of our time together came rushing back to me. We were best friends before we started going out, making our relationship very easy. That kind of familiarity and comfort with a person was rare. Even after all these years, despite not being much in contact, I felt assured in some strange manner that I could not understand, as I sat down with Atharva. The circumstances of our meeting were horrible but still, I could not help but feel better seeing him.
He had a light stubble now and his hair was cut shorter. He was not skinny anymore. He moved with an air of confidence and class, the kind that only stems from wearing your country's uniform.
‘Nice place,’ Atharva said, looking around.
‘It’s my makeshift office. I worked from here while investigating maa’s case, three months back and also after I graduated from law school.’
‘Karan keeps me abreast with her development,’ Atharva said.
‘It’s great to have her back. It almost feels unreal,’ I said and paused. ‘I’m going to try my best to find Rucha as well.’
‘I’m extremely worried about Rucha’s health.’
‘Why? What’s wrong?’
‘As you know, Malini had a complicated pregnancy with Rucha. She was a premature baby. So, she keeps getting some or the other infection on top of it all. She has had a respiratory problem since birth.’
‘Does she need special care for it?’
‘Yes, she needs to take two tablets every day. She has a disease that causes her lungs to inflame. She must also always have an inhaler with her. The situation is much better now. Someone needed to constantly watch her when she was young. That's why Malini quit her practice. Even Daksh left a consulting firm and started his own portfolio management business. That way he could be home whenever required.'
‘I thought she just had a weak immune system like a lot of premature babies.'
‘That’s true for her as well. But that’s the least of our worries.’
‘What does the respiratory problem do?'
‘A range of issues. Chest infections, breathing problems and a mild but constant cough and cold. The medicines help keep everything in check. Her condition can decline very rapidly. Just a month back, she had to be rushed to the hospital because she had difficulty in breathing.'
‘How often does this happen?’
‘I think she has been taken to the emergency room at least six times in the past two to three years.’
My heart sank. Rucha had not only lost her family but she was in serious danger of falling gravely ill and maybe even dying if she did not get good medical attention.
‘That Malini is a doctor has been really helpful,’ Atharva said.
I could only imagine.
‘I’ll be back in a minute,’ I said and went inside the house to get some food for Atharva. As he ate, I told him what I knew till then and the next course of action. I could feel another wave of energy flow through me. This was different than the ones I had experienced. I did not know what had caused it, but I was sure I wanted more of it.
Atharva said, ‘I couldn’t meet Malini right now. I was told that a couple of senior inspectors were speaking to her. I’m absolutely gutted, Siya. I can’t imagine how this happened. They were great people.’
‘I have a feeling their murders were about an extremely specific reason. Not the usual ones. Rucha is central to them. We’ll crack the case once we figure out how.’
Silence.
‘Some of our conversations are going to be hard, Atharva. But that’s the only way we can get to the bottom of what happened,’ I said, knowing how hard it was to keep calm when your loved ones were hurting.
‘I understand. I’ll do anything that will help us get Rucha back and get justice for the murders.’
‘I need to know if there were any problems in the family.’
‘I…I wouldn't know what was happening in their house day to day, to be honest,' Atharva said. ‘I have been posted in the far east or up north since I graduated from NDA. Holidays in this profession are hard to get. It's not even that. You don't even feel like taking holidays when you understand how important your work is. I visited my parents in whatever time off I got. They now stay in Panvel. Malini and the kids would try to come each time I was there.' Atharva paused. ‘Sorry, I'm blabbering.' He let out air from his mouth. His voice was now heavy. ‘So, to answer your question, I wouldn't be the best person to know if they were having problems. But I'm sure Malini would've told me if there was any major issue.'
