FRIEND FOR A REASON…
‘October 25th, Morning 9AM’
“nice work, detective mam! Will your instincts help us this time?”, Akhil mocked.
“sir, am cent percent sure. He is the culprit!”, Priyanka replied.
“I hope so…”
“sir, but how did you get him before I informed you? Did you suspect him earlier? Or are you behind me?”
“yesterday, I was really tired and I was about to rest. Something notified me and you know something, some random woman entered into my room. She sat on my chair and her legs were so straight…on my table!”, he smirked.
“sir!?...”
“let me finish it. She opened my files and I think she would have got something and suddenly she rushed somewhere. And…that’s it!”
“sorry, sir!”, she apologized.
“that’s ok”, he tried leaving.
“sir…but how did you get him? You did not tell that…”
“yup, Inspector Priyanka! The star of this circle and she is a hot chick too. I heard that she had turned up to the murder spot and you chase was so hard…you fell down with heavy breath and that was too sexy…do you need something else?”, he smiled.
“sir…”, she blushed.
“get into the room!”, he left.
“tasteless!”, she cursed and entered the room.
Harish was on his way to office after dropping his daughter in her school. One of his friends called him and informed that Sidh had been arrested last night. Before he could finish, he hung up. He crossed the road with U turn and raced his bike towards the station…
Sidh was inside the room. He could not understand what was happening. He was really tensed. He worried that if Harish had known this, it would be even worse. He was restless. He was looking around thinking of excuses he could make up. He had numb feeling as he was there for a long time. He had those feelings in his stomach that he would have before receiving a question paper. Something smelled so weird over there and it was his own shirt. He had worn it for the third time already and this time he had to be with it the next day too.
Priyanka entered into the room and as she entered she returned to her violent outlook. She was like thrashing him. She starred at him like anything. She sat in the chair opposite to him. Before she could start, there was someone yelling outside.
“let him free, now! Do you think he would have done this? Nonsense! Arrest someone else who is worth of it. All your powers cannot touch bigshots like my father-in-law. How long will you spend your service hurting people like us?”, it was none other than Harish!
“mam! Am ready to accept everything. I should have not done that but I am used to it. Please send my friend away. He is already broken. If he knows this he would feel more…”, Sidh pleaded.
“so…finally. You are here to open up! Well, I’ll send him. Just finish it shortly. We are already tired of it. Tell me…why did you kill her?”
“what? Whom did I kill?”
“just now, you confessed everything and you are starting it again. How do we look? Are we jokers for you?”, she yelled.
“have you arrested me regarding Sarah’s murder case?”, he terrified.
“…don’t make me loose my temper. I would be so soft as long as you co-operate with me. Am not of that kind, I look like…”
“bull shit mam! I did not kill her. She is like a sister to me. I felt bad more than Harish for her death. If you could not find him, just leave it. We’ll see to it. Don’t drag innocent people into this room to make up this case, mam!”, he was speaking…
“Sidh…Harish’s friend! He is so kind. He would often visit this house. They are just friends but they are too close mam, that is where he is weird. One day Harish introduced him to me saying that they would everything from their childhood. I think you would get me right…He is not yet married.That little Aaryana! She is so easygoing with him. He has no limits in that family. He would even stay here certain times. Maybe, he would have done this…”, one of the neighbours report came across her mind. (the most nastiest creatures nowadays are these kind of neighbours. They would be so sweet to us speaking ill of us somewhere else. Times change but this practice will never change. All of us are one such…)
“sister?”, she interrupted.
“mam, why do you doubt me so much?”
“if you are innocent, why did you try escaping yesterday. You could have been normal, right?”, she pointed.
Sidh had nothing to say now. Akhil was looking so hard that it would end up here. Priyanka continued…
“you were speaking all this time. Why are you silent now? Did I ask something that had not happened? Come on, just tell me! Why did you run?”
“ah…”
“shall I say that. You are the one who was clear to plan and kill her. Everytime, I came up towards to this case, you had been there before everyone could. You did not show up techie…your bike! That was my trump card. I saw it wherever I went. So you must have been there.
You were the first to reach there to the spot when her body was found. You received Harish over there. When he fainted, he took him to the hospital. When he was not so stable, you picked up his daughter from her school. When I was enquiring his neighbours, you had been there in his house. Why are so much concerned about him? Are you gay or what? During that fire accident, I saw you bike that day morning over there and it is so clear that you live nearby. Much interesting, right?”, she yelled.
“mam…”, he tried something.
“shut up man! Am not yet done. Am not dumb to catch you up for free. You have two reasons to kill her. You have loved Sarah for a long time eventhough, she is married to your friend. You have tried to abuse her. She refused and you killed her out of fear that she would open up somewhere. You voluntarily entered into the scene making yourself so caring towards your friend.”
Sidh had nothing to say but he started sobbing a little.
“let me complete…second reason! That’s too filmy. You are a gay. You were in relationship with him. You friend did not like this marriage, right? Sarah had been a very big disturbance to you. So you planned and killed her. Now you are happy with him! See, your lover is yelling outside. So much love…han?” she completed with a smile.
“enough, it’s enough! Very nice theory, mam! You can better shoot films. How do you frame people so easily? Sarah…she is my sister from another mother. How could I… I know, you are much influenced by his neighbours call. They’ll never know how deep our relationship is! Of course, I love my friend , mam. But you need not be a gay to love a man… just friendship does! I had been there a thousand times with them even in his absence but only as a security to their virginity and as a dear friend and nothing else. Aaryana, she is like my daughter and we were a family, a happy family. Even if I kiss them, it would only be fatherhood or brotherhood. Am not yet married…and I’ll live a life safeguarding them. Someone threw stones towards our nest, am helping my friend to rebuild it. Don’t ruin that!”, he wiped off his tears.
“why did you run seeing us, Ms.Perfect?”, she interrupted.
“that is what you want, right? I’ll say and am ready for anything. Am a drug addict from my college days. I managed to hide it from Harish till date and whomever known this left me. That is why I did want them to know it. I would inject myself, whenever I feel stressed. This time, I got my drugs which were so rare and it was dangerous too. It was completely illegal!
When I saw you, I thought that you would have come for that and that is why I ran… arrest me, now. I could bear it and never accuse me that I’ve killed her!”, he finished.
“am not gonna” believe you all this shit. You are gonna’ be chained and I’ll show you what does our frames do…”, she yelled.
“Priyanka, he’s innocent”, Akhil entered.
“sir, he is the one. Don’t believe him for all his stories. He is lying”, she yelled again.
“I’ve been through these people. He is just a drug addict. He would have not done that. I could see it. Just leave him.”
“sir, why do you dump me everytime. You are so dumb, sir! You believe whatever you see and am telling you that you are wrong this time. I thought that you would be sharp but you ar not. You seem to be stressed everytime and I think, you don’t wanna’ end up this case. Do you have any evidence to support him, sir?”, she yelled out frustration.
“just shut up and do what I say!”
“am not done, sir! Everytime, you order and we’ll do it, this time I need explanation”, she blocked his way.
“explanation? Fine…am I dumping you? I’ve considered all instincts even after knowing that it would not work out, just to have a try! Of course, we have to end this case, but not with innocent people. I wanna’ get him who have done this as I always do. It’s not so important that you finish this case, it is much important to finish it up right!
Am not dumb to believe people just by their versus. I believe what I see and that is what everyone do. Look at this…these injections, drug bottless and syringes had been recovered from his house! That is why am damn sure, whatever he says is truth and I know what am doing. I thought you were brilliant but you are not. Just leave him!”, he tried leaving.
“sir…”, she dragged.
“once you have some hint, investigate deep into it and then move forward. Don’t just mess up with instincts. They ‘ll never fetch you anything. All you have to look for is…evidences.I think I’ve given you more space which I shouldn’t have… “, he left the room.
Suddenly there was phone call. It grabbed the attention of entire staion. All of them looked there. Akhil turned hoping that something would be important.
“Constable Raj!”, he attended.
“we’ve got something, sir!”, one of the forensic official informed...

NOTHING BETTER
‘October 25th, Wednesday morning 11AM’
“what ‘s that?”, Akhil asked.
“it is something, we would have never imagined, sir!”
“what is it?”, it was Priyanka this time.
“he is not an accused by chance. He is well trained in it. The bomb he have used is something so rare with components like ‘Diazidocarbomyl!?’ and something like that. He have used it. They say that they have seen a similar one in terrorist attacks. Sir, as you said…he is knowing our move. He must be somewhere nearby. What do we do now?”, he finished.
“am leaving, now”, Akhil tried leaving. Priyanka ran behind him trying to stop him. By the time, it started raining heavily.
“what do you want, now?”, he asked.
“sorry, sir! This case is nothing without you. Please sir, I was quite tensed. Please…”, she pleaded. Though he was not convinced, he entered into the station being convinced by her dimples! He sat over there and he was not at all interested.
“well guys! We’ve been searching him but till date we did not even move even a single step forward.You have been with us from day 1. Let us make random guesses. Come on!”, she started.
“Harish…”
“maybe, it is a suicide…”
“office colleagues…”
“he is so brilliant, mam! He must hold a high position somewhere or he must have a lot of people under him. Mam, don’t you think that he would be a serial killer with patterns? We have handled a similar case years ago, where men were found dead in their house”, Raj was listing the options.
“don’t blabber something, man. What do you think, sir?”
“all those points will not even find a place in my dustbin. Officemates is something reasonable. I’ve asked you to enquire people over there. Did you?”, he questioned.
“sir, we actually missed it sir”, Raj saved Priyanka from getting worse again. He expected a blast from him.
“look into it, soon”, Akhil said.
“now…”, he yelled.
Raj had nothing to say but he left. Now Akhil and Priyanka was alone again. Raj knew that he had something on her but he never expressed. He did not wanna’ leave her alone with him but he had to.
“am impressed Priya! Your involvements and instincts are blowing me up. How do you think all this? You are not so ordinary. Something must have happened. Often you act like you are so innocent but you are not. What is it? I wanna’ know it now!”, he commented.
“nothing like that sir! Am normal.”
“if you feel it so weird to say it to me, you need not! I just asked you as a friend because sometimes I really see me in you and that is why I asked. You need not leave, I’ll wait outside…”
“so, kind of you sir! Am not such a girl with lots of passion but I was dragged to this state. This society turned me up. Right from the first day, I did not want my uniform to be dirty at any cause. That is why I was awarded with bloodshed. I lost everyone I loved and that is why I don’t love anyone so much. Am blessed with such a sin. I loved my dad and he left as soon as I was born and more than that I…
Oh! Am out of track. Am independent now and I have nothing to loose anymore. Am free and everything I could loose is my life! That is why I elope around trying to show up myself strict. My own charishma came out sometime when you were around me. I felt my father in you although you are not…sir, you know something! When everything leaves you, there’ll be something with you left behind and that’s you!”, she tried leaving with tears.
“am sorry!”
She turned back gradually and said,“we have this stupid, sir! We apologize for some others fault where they would not even realize that they’ve done it for us. Am tired of people, sir. Am young with old feelings and that is why am so much involved in this case. Relationships…they are all about to deal with! I’ll get him atleast for that small cutie pie! I’ll wait outside, sir!”
“hello, mam! The Inspector of police…Ms.strict! you are in your duty, right? The best police officer with lots of promotions in a short span. Well, you were sincere in your job and I did the same. But you crossed my path unnecessarily and see now what had happened.
Why don’t you care much about you people? Do you like to see someone?”, he signaled. All his people held Priyanka’s husband down in a far distance. He was beaten up so badly and he could not even stand.
“very conventional,right? Even after all those histories you people will not stop this. You must have thought this much earlier but now it’s late. You showed my your duty certain days ago. He arrested me; spoiled my reputation and now even my son is looking at like an accused. All of it is because of you. So now, its’s my turn. I have to so you something and that must tickle your heart every second. What shall we do? Rei!”, he signaled.
Her husband was stabbed at once. “Priya…”, she woke up from her bed. It was again her past across her head after all those conversations with Akhil. She could not control herself. All his memories came across her mind. She did not know what to do then. It was already 3AM and it was very silent outside.
She tried her best and finally she went out to the balcony. She started shouting like something and she could not bear her stress.
“what is your situation, now? Are you so normal? You are having feelings for that ACP? Know who you are!”, something said inside her. She yelled more.
“that bastard who killed Sarah, I’ll catch him up. No enquiries anymore. Am gonna’ drag him all through the streets. I know who I am! And I never wanna’ be in love with anyone anymore. I’ll kill him…I’ll be back on my track”, she yelled…

TO BE CONTINUED...






© arvind