by Vish Dhamija
Sonny's eyes were fixed on her back till she had disappeared into the bedroom. He had been close to Raaj for many years after meeting him at a party through mutual friends, before Raaj's wedding. They had briefly stayed together in this very apartment before Raaj got married. He was one of the few friends who had attended Raaj and Serena's wedding in Jaipur three years ago. Roughly the same age as Raaj, Sonny was less well maintained in terms of his physical appearance — he was bald and a bit overweight even for his nearly six foot frame. He had been in a few relationships in the past, though no one had actually met any of his girlfriends. Their friends had frequently joked that Sonny was always scared that his girls might fall for Raaj or someone else in the group therefore he never introduced them to others. Serena had tried fixing him and Kim up a few times but they just weren't interested in each other.
Sonny was born in New Delhi with a silver spoon in his mouth. Almost literally. Being the only son of an industrialist father, he had inherited enough money to last generations, but he declined running his father's empire and went into catering. He gradually came up the ranks in the hotel industry and was now a chef overseeing two of the restaurants at the Sheraton.
Serena was out in a few minutes wearing jeans under the T-shirt. He was sitting on the settee in the living room gazing at her blankly with moist eyes.
'I cannot imagine Raaj doing something as careless as that,' he started as soon as Serena sat down. If there was one careless person in their social circle, it was Sonny.
'I know. I still cannot believe the whole thing.' Serena burst out crying, holding her face in her hands.
Sonny got up and put his arm around her. 'Calm down, Serena. One cannot change destiny. I know the biggest loss is yours, but I feel I have lost a brother. Raaj was such a good friend.' Sonny tried comforting. 'You have to be strong.'
Serena just nodded. Words were difficult to come by.
'Do the police suspect anything?' he suddenly asked. 'Do they suspect anyone?'
'It's strange you thought about it. It never occurred to me, though the police are investigating.' Serena looked at him in surprise.
'I'm sure successful people like Raaj always evoke envy and malice in others. Was anything stolen… papers or jewellery?'
'Who knows? There wasn't anything left in the apartment after the fire. The police did not even let me enter. Did Raaj have anything that you are particularly looking for?' Serena asked.
'No. I was only asking… In fact, Raaj dropped all my shares and papers at my place a couple of months ago.'
'Did he return the motorcycle we had borrowed a few days back?' Serena remembered the last bike-ride she had with Raaj only a few days ago.
'Yes, but I wasn't around so he put the keys through my letter box with a thank-you note.' Sonny clarified he hadn't come looking for his papers or vehicle.
Serena broke down again.
'Raaj was much more to me than my financial consultant, Serena,' Sonny continued after a brief pause.
'Yes,' Serena sighed. 'How did you know I had moved in here?'
'I asked Kim. Why are you living on your own? You know you can move in with me for as long as you need.'
'Thanks, Sonny, but I want to be on my own for some time. Could I get you some tea?'
'No. I'll leave now; I have to get to work. I thought I'd see you before that. If there's anything I can do, please let me know. I am still your friend.'
'Of course you are, Sonny.'
Sonny got up to leave. He hugged Serena one more time, then quickly turned away with tears in his eyes and walked out of the door. Sonny's departure gave her time to reflect. Long after she closed the door, she couldn't stop herself from contemplating Sonny's insinuations — he had made her think along the same lines as the police inspector, though he had added a dimension of theft into it.
***
Inspector Michael D'Cunha had been working overtime to gather all he could to justify calling Kim for interrogation. He was honest when he had mentioned to Serena that he had closed all the cases in his career in less than three months. He had uncovered another case like this earlier, one that had seemed like an accident but was actually manslaughter. Moreover, he was due for a promotion and knew that high profile cases like these, where one showed perseverance and tenacity in terms of making discoveries, always helped.
'Miss Kim? I am Inspector D'Cunha. I am afraid you will have to come down to Worli police station to help us with our enquiries,' he stated bluntly.
'But I have other appointments…' Kim started in an attempt to excuse herself.
'Change your plan, Kim. I am not offering you another modelling assignment; I am calling you here for an investigation of a recent case. If you cannot find time, I will have to send constables to bring you here. See you here at two sharp.' D'Cunha noticeably dropped the Miss in addressing Kim and assumed an intimidating stance to convey his mood.
'He wants to see me. I am not sure for what, but he was downright rude. All his politeness has suddenly evaporated. Do you know anything about it?' Kim called Serena immediately.
'No. I guess you'll know when you get there.' Serena kept it simple. 'Should I come along?'
'No. He wants to see me alone.'
'Let me know how it goes,' Serena told her.
***
Kim was at the Worli police station before the appointed hour, but D'Cunha was busy with someone else and called her into his office a few minutes later.
'Nice to see you again, Inspector,' Kim lied. There is nothing nice about having to see a police inspector for an enquiry.
D'Cunha was in no mood to exchange pleasantries.
'What is it that you wanted to talk to me about alone regarding the accident?' Kim was nervous, but remained nonchalant.
'Accident, arson, suicide or murder… it's an open case till I investigate and close it. Sit down,' D'Cunha cut her off. 'Let me make this very clear. We have been keeping a watch on you for the last few days and some of the information collected suggests there was more than a friendly relationship between you and Mr Raaj Kumar. That might or might not have anything to do with his sudden death, but we would like to look at this case from all angles… '
'What?' Kim couldn't hide her disbelief.
'Kim, for the purpose of this investigation, may I request you not to hide any facts. As this isn't yet a formal cross-examination, you don't need a lawyer present,' D'Cunha explained.
'Okay.' Kim had already gone weak at the knees.
'Kim, did you have any relations with Mr Raaj Kumar that were beyond ordinary friendship?' D'Cunha started the onslaught.
'No.'
'No?' he asked, sarcastically.
'Serena and Raaj were good friends and that's it, Inspector.'
'Did Mr Raaj Kumar ever make a pass at you?'
'Never before… but on the day Serena left for Singapore…'
'August 18th?' D'Cunha offered.
'Yes. He was a bit different. He called me up from the airport after dropping Serena and made some rude remarks that were totally inconsistent with his behaviour till then,' Kim stated.
'What kind of remarks, Kim?'
'He wanted to get together with me for a good time. He said Serena was away and we should play around a bit, as no one would know.' Kim was almost trembling and fighting back the tears as she spoke.
'Why would he do that? A reasonable man and a dedicated husband until now… suddenly call up for a bit of fun? How long had you known him?'
'Over two years.'
'And he had never acted in this manner before?'
'No.'
'Strange, isn't it? What happened after that?'
'I told him I wouldn't do anything that would hurt Serena, but he kept insisting.'
'Did you give in?'
'No Inspector. I am Serena's friend...'
'So what you are saying is that the only reason that stood between you and Mr Kumar was your friend?'
'It was the main reason.'
'Wh
at is the other reason Kim? Have you never slept with a married man?'
'That's got nothing to do with this.'
'Don't tell me what's to do — or not to do — with this case Kim. Have you or have you not?' D'Cunha raised his voice to establish his authority.
'I have.'
'Did Mr Kumar know about it?'
'Yes.'
'Was this the reason he called? He might have thought that if other guys can get into your bed, why not him?'
'Yes. He said that if I refused, he would spill enough beans that would give me a difficult time in our social circle.'
'So what did you do next?'
'I said no and slammed the phone down.'
'Did he call again?'
'Yes, a few times.' Kim was quaking in her boots.
'Five times,' D'Cunha stated, passing a packet of tissues towards her. 'The telephone company records show that he called you five times in that hour.'
Kim was shocked that the police knew about the calls and the information D'Cunha had. She herself had not kept a count.
'What happened next, Kim?'
'It was basically the same conversation, Inspector. He insisted and I declined and in the last call I told him to go on and tell whoever he wanted, but I would not get into bed with him.'
'But you did?'
'No.'
'I told you not to hide anything Kim. The security guard in your apartment complex met Mr Kumar around eleven in your building and has confirmed that he saw Mr Kumar's car parked for the next two hours before he saw him, Mr Kumar, leave.'
'What?' Kim was exasperated.
'Don't act so innocent Kim. He was with you in your apartment for two hours. I am sure he must have convinced you to...' D'Cunha did not complete the sentence.
'He never came to my apartment, Inspector.'
'Stop lying. We have already established your morals, so there is no reason for you to act virtuous.' D'Cunha raised his voice again.
Kim felt humiliated and stripped of all decency. 'In fact I had an appointment at the Taj at one and I left home at noon.' The stress had clearly pushed her to the brink and her voice trembled.
'Now that is interesting. You guys had fun for an hour. You left at noon and Mr Kumar left an hour later so that no one saw you leaving together.'
'Raaj never came to my apartment that day, Inspector. Believe me.'
'Believe you?' D'Cunha's tone was even more cynical than before.
'Yes.' Kim had stopped herself up until now but she eventually broke down.
'You're lucky. If you had been to his apartment, I would have taken you in custody and asked you all these questions in a different manner. We can make even the dead talk, Kim. But for now, you will be doing yourself a favour by not hiding anything. Do you understand?' D'Cunha said insensitively.
Kim was so scared that she found it difficult articulating; she sat there speechless for more than a minute.
'Did you tell Mrs Serena Kumar that her husband called after she left for Singapore?' D'Cunha queried.
'No.'
'May I ask why not?'
'What was the point? Raaj passed away and I did not want Serena to have any bitter feelings towards him especially after he was gone — she adored him.'
'Oh, so you wanted to be a perfect friend?'
'I've always been a good friend.'
'Really? Tell me what happened in your apartment that day?'
'Raaj never came to my apartment, Inspector,' Kim insisted.
'I don't believe you, but carry on.'
'I left for my shoot at noon.'
'Did you see him later that day?'
'No.' Kim was firm.
'Okay,' D'Cunha concluded. 'It's your decision. I can assure you that I will definitely get to the bottom of this. You might be needed for further questions, hence you are not allowed to leave the city till the investigation is complete.'
'Can I leave for now?'
'Yes, you can.'
D'Cunha was on a call with his senior almost instantly. 'I have questioned the model, sir. I think she is lying about her relationship with the deceased, for reasons we can understand. I will let the team keep a watch on her for anything suspicious and bring her back in, if required.'
'Okay.'
8
Adi was waiting for Kim to arrive to start looking through the photographs from the shoot last week. 'There you are, gorgeous!' He was up on his feet as soon as she arrived. 'What's the matter with you? You look upset.'
'I am okay.'
'Sure? We can postpone this.' Adi offered.
'Let's see them now.' Kim was adamant.
'Okay.'
Adi could not keep his mouth shut even for a minute, as Kim's photographs were flashed on the big screen in front. He whistled, he groaned, he made comments…
'I wish I could make a wallpaper of these pictures for my office.'
'I wish we could go for a vacation on a beach — just you, me and that bikini.'
'You have an awesome body.'
Three photographs were shortlisted for print and billboards. There wasn't any budget assigned for television commercials, so that was it. It was seven in the evening by the time they finished. 'Have dinner with me tonight,' Adi requested when they waited for the elevator to take them down.
'Okay, Adi.' Kim did not want to be alone. It had been a long day for her and she was still disturbed after the police questioning.
'Should we drive to Bandra?' Adi could not believe his luck.
'Yes.'
'Ask your driver to take your car home. I'll have you dropped later.' Adi seemed to enjoy his newfound position of control. He was delighted, as well as surprised, by Kim's unusual complaisance.
'Okay, Adi.' Kim succumbed.
***
As they finished the meal Adi once again asked if there was a problem and if he could help. 'Actually there is…' Kim gave in. 'I am sure you must have read about the recent accident involving Raaj Kumar in the local newspapers. I was very close to him and his wife, Serena. Remember her? You met her the other day at the Taj?'
Adi nodded.
'The police inspector called me in for interrogation. That's why I had to postpone the meeting to the evening. He was rude, bordering on being nasty; he humiliated me by probing me about whether I had something with Raaj on the side…'
'Which police station is handling the case?' Adi demanded.
'Worli.'
'Who's leading the inquiry?'
'Inspector Michael D'Cunha,' Kim mumbled.
'Why don't we go to my company guest house and I can sort that out for you. I need to understand the situation a little better before I start making calls, you see…' Adi clarified.
Kim knew that going to the guest house would mean that Adi would make a few calls and the police would never bother her any more. But Adi wouldn't do her any favours for nothing. As his driver picked them up from the restaurant, Adi placed his hand on Kim's thigh, leaving no ambiguity about what those calls would cost her. Once at the guest house, he asked the caretaker to fix drinks for them and get the bedrooms ready. After the caretaker served drinks and disappeared, Adi opened his briefcase and shocked Kim by taking out the little pink bikini she had worn for the shoot the other day. 'I've been waiting for an occasion to see you in it again. Why don't you go into one of the bedrooms and change? I will be with you in a few minutes.' He pointed towards a room on the right.
'Okay, Adi.' Kim got up; she did not require any convincing.
She went into the bedroom and took her clothes off to get into the bikini. She felt sick that Adi had carried the costume, she had worn, in his briefcase. However, fear, one of the most potent causes of desperation, convinced her that it was better for her to spend a night with Adi than to spend one in a police lock-up with cops and inmates. What if D'Cunha got a warrant against her? The police were known to behave like an occupying army and a single woman like her could end up totally defenceless against the whole system. Besides, she had heard
of custodial rapes and deaths, and she was quite sure of what she couldn't handle and what she could. Adi, at this stage, seemed easier to handle than the police.
Adi was in her room in ten minutes. He whistled as he saw her trying to reach her back to tie the lace. He came close and held her shamelessly from behind pressing himself against her barely covered bottom with his hands feeling her all over and his lips moving down her neck.
'We can even make the dead talk.' Michael's words echoed in Kim's ears.
'I have pulled the right strings for you, Kim.' He picked her up in his arms. 'Let me pull some here now.' He slowly pulled the pink strings of her bikini as he got into bed with her.
Kim closed her eyes.
***
'All sorted.' Adi called Kim the next day around lunch. 'You shouldn't get any more calls from that inspector or any police station at all. In case you do, please let me know and I will see to it that I attend the session along with my lawyer. Okay, Kim?'
'You're great Adi.'
'You were great in bed last night.'
Kim knew that Indian bureaucracy did not work on facts. It worked on who had better connections and lawyers. Adi, obviously, funded a large number of local politicians for their election campaigns and a few calls got him the guarantee that a small time police inspector would not follow a useless trail and harass a vulnerable single woman.
A month later
'Hello, Mrs Kumar,' called D'Cunha.
'Hello, Inspector.' Serena recognised the voice.
'Mrs Kumar, I have the DNA report from our UK office. They have confirmed, as we already knew, that the body found in the accident on August 18th belonged to your husband, Mr Raaj Kumar. I am sorry that it took so long for the reports to come back. I also wanted to let you know that all our investigations prove beyond doubt that it was an accident. In fact, the calls to Kim that I mentioned when we last met were a miscommunication. She received no calls from Mr Raaj Kumar on the day; the telephone company's lines were entangled, hence the misunderstanding — they've got a new cellular technology and are still inexperienced at using it. We would have been better off in the days of the simple landlines,' D'Cunha lied convincingly.
