Chapter 2 : Accidental Death or Murder

Chapter 2

Next morning, Arjun woke up as his phone rang. “Hello?”

“Sir, there has been a murder at the Moonlight Shadow Club.” Shree informed.

 “Coming.”

Arjun opened the curtain, checking over Deeya soundly asleep. Arjun went around the bed to wake her up. 

“Deeya!” He shook her hand and realised that it felt warmer. He touched her forehead, it was burning. He reached out for the nearest drawer, finding a thermometer. 

101. He sighed and looked at the watch. 5 am. He calls his mother.

“Aai. Deeyu is a bit feverish. Please come here.”

“I'm on my way.”

Arjun fidgeted around a little, not wanting to leave. He sat beside her. “Deeyu, bachha, I have to go, but don't you worry. Aai will be here soon. Please take care of yourself.” 

-

15 minutes later Arjun was at the crime scene. A man in his late 20s was lying on the floor. 

“Victim : Mr. Yash Rajput. Age 28 years. Aaj subah closing ke time par cleaning staff ko inki body mili.” Riya looked up from her tablet. 

“Body ko autopsy le liye lab bhejo.” Arjun ordered, looking around as his team was busy with the basic tasks. 

Riya picks up a bracelet from the floor and places it in the evidence bag. “Arjun sir, ye dekhiye.” She hands over the bracelet. He immediately recognises it. “Keep it safe.” 

“Sir, ye Mr. Adarsh Nagar hai. The manager.” Shree looks at the middle aged man beside him. 

“How soon can I get the CCTV footage?” 

“Right away sir.” 

“I need a list of all your staff on duty last night and a list of guests. Kal kuch hua tha? Anything that needed intervention from the security staff?”

“Nahi sir, kuch bhi nahi.” 

Arjun inspected the crime scene carefully, looking for marks of struggle, there was none. He found a broken martini glass with lipstick marks and bagged it for evidence. 

“Sir, Deeya nahi aayi abhi tak? I tried calling her, but she didn't answer.” Shree said. 

Arjun nodded. “Chotu, iss area mein apne informers ko active karo aur puchho ki yahan drugs koun supply karta hai.”

“Yes sir.”

___

Later, in the conference room, Riya and Shree set up the whiteboard, filling in the details. 

“Waise 8 baj rahe hai aur ye Deeya madam abhi tak nahi aayi?” Riya asked. 

“Tujhe kyu fikar ho rahi hai?”

“Fikar nahi, bas aise hi puchha.” Riya looked around, there was no one. “Pata hai, kal usne mujhe kaha ki Arjun sir ki shadi ho chuki hai. And that I should stay away from him.” 

“Wait, seriously? Arjun sir aur married? Humne toh aisa kabhi kuch nahi suna.” 

“Wahi toh. Mujhe bhi kuch samajh nahi aa raha.” 

“Chal usko aane de phir dekhte hai.”

“Kiske aane ka wait kar rahe ho?” Arjun raised his brows.

“Deeya ka.” Shree said. 

“Kyu, uske bina tumhara kaam ruka hai kya?” He looked at the whiteboard. “Victim ki family se contact hua?”

“We didn't find his phone, sir.” Shree answered. “Wo MLA Dinesh Rajput ka beta hai, humne uske ghar pe call kiya tha but his parents are out of town, they have been informed.” 

“Okay.” Arjun's phone buzzed. Dr. Vishal, Sanjeevani.

“Arjun, Vishal here. Teri aai Deeya ko lekar mere hospital aayi hai. Ye bata kal kya hua tha?”

Arjun walked briskly into his cabin. “Kya hua, Deeya thik toh hai?”

“Nahi na. Uska BP 45-50 ki range mein hai, which is very low and she's unconscious. Maine blood test ke liye sample bheja hai but can you tell me what she ate or drank?”

“She had some Martini, that's all.” His eyes widened in realisation.

“What was the time?”

“Around 11. She was feeling quite sleepy. I thought she was tired but now it seems like-”

“She was drugged. I just hope it's not a severe overdose. If she doesn't wake up in the next few hours, things might be difficult.“

“I'll come there ASAP.”

“Nahi, abhi tujhe aane ki zarurat nahi hai. I'll keep you updated.” 

Arjun returned to the conference room. Chotu walked in after him. 

“Sir, ek do dealers ke baare mein pata laga hai aur wo bartender toh abhi bhi gayab hai.”

“Alright.” Arjun looked at the whiteboard. “Yeh suspects mein Deeya ka naam kyu hai?”

“Sir, uska bracelet crime scene pe mila isiliye.” Riya fidgeted with her pen. “And those lipstick marks also match the shade she was wearing last night.” 

“Is that a lab test result?”

“I have sent it sir,” She replied.

“Did you check the CCTV footage?” Arjun asked Shree.

“Sir, the CCTV footage is roughly nine hours long from five angles. It will take some time.” 

“Try to be quick. Chotu, let's go to the crime scene again. We need to do another thorough search for traces of drugs.” 

__

Arjun put on his gloves and covered his face with a mask. He went into the bar counter, opening every drawer and cabinet, carefully checking for traces of drugs. He opened the drawer full of tissues. The top of the drawer crunched as he pulled out the tissues. He found small empty ziplock packets. He quickly put them in the evidence bag and packed the tissues separately. 

“Chotu, ise lab le jao, dhyan se. Main thodi der mein ETF aa jaunga.” 

“Sir, aap Deeya se milne jaa rahe hai? Kaisi hai wo?”

Arjun raised his brow. “Tumhe kaise pata?”

“Mere informers ne subah aapki mom ko hospital mei dekha. Aap bhi kuch pareshan lag rahe thhe aur Deeya aayi nahi. So, I figured.”

Arjun nodded. “Abhi aur kisi ko mat batana.” 

“Don't worry sir, I'll keep it to myself.” 

__

Arjun reached Sanjeevani hospital and saw Deeya in the special ward. All types of wires and machines beeping, IV and oxygen tubes around her. His heart sank. 

“Arjun.” His mother placed her hand on his shoulder. 

“I'm sorry, aai.” 

“It's not your fault, beta. Doctors are doing their best and we are praying. Tum apne case pe focus karo. Meri beti ki iss halat ke zimmedar jo bhi hai unhe chhodna mat.

“Working on it, aai.”

“Jao, thodi der uske paas baitho, she will feel better.” 

Arjun sat on the chair by her bedside, holding her hand. “Sorry Deeyu, I should’ve been more careful.” He kissed her hand. “Get well soon, bachha.”

Roshni smiled at him as he walked out of the ward. “Tum yahan ki fikar mat karo, I’m here.”

“Thank-” 

Roshni placed a finger on his lips. “Its my family. Go, do your duty.”

“Yes mam.” He nodded.   

__

ETF Conference Room

“Sir, autopsy report is here, time of death is between 11.30 and 12.30. Cause of death: Brain heamorrhage.” Riya put the reports in front of Arjun, which he began reading.

“Sir, the CCTV footage is not very clear and a lot of it seems to be deleted. I'm trying to recover it.”

“Sir, what if someone intentionally deleted the footage to save themselves?”

“Obviously, Ri, aur kya hi reason hoga?” Shree looked at her.

“Nahi, I meant ki, the killer-”

Arjun finished reading the autopsy report and looked at her. “Kya kehna chahti ho, saaf saaf kaho.”

Riya gulped. “Sir, what if the footage was deleted by Deeya…”

“Not possible. Next suspect?”

“Sir wo aaj aayi nahi hai, humne subah se usko kaafi baar call bhi kiya but she didn't answer. Kuch toh reason hoga na aise bhaagne ka?”

Arjun ignored her. “Yash ke sath jo uske dost thhe, unke baare mein kuch pata chala? Aur uske ghar se kuch khabar?”

“Nahi sir, we are trying to find them.”

“Jaldi karo.”

“Sir, wo Deeya-”

Arjun inhaled sharply. “Riya, jo case hai, uspe focus karo. Baki koun kya kar raha hai, kya nahi, don't worry about it.”

“Sir, we need to atleast question her to clear out things that happened last night. I mean circumstancial hi sahi, things do suggest her involvement.”

“Ek baar mein samajh nahi aata, phir se samjhau?” Arjun yelled.

A dead silence shrouded the room for a few minutes until Chotu walked in. “Sir, I found the bartender.”

Arjun barged into the interrogation room, the bartender sitting there with a smug look. 

“I will ask you three questions, answer them properly and your life will be spared.” Arjun placed his gun on the table. “What did you add in Deeya's drink? Who paid you for it? And who is your supplier?”

“Yash Rajput.” He answered.

“He is dead.”

“I know, but that's all the answer you need.” The bartender cracked his neck. 

Arjun punched his face. “Now, maybe you will have more answers.”

“I will answer but only if you don't punch me.”

“Answers first.”

“Yash kept an eye on your girl since the moment she entered. When you left, we knew we had to act quick so I added a good amount of sleeping pills so that even if she has a sip or two, she can be good for an hour or two. She finished almost half of the drink and Yash had his chance. Sumit went after him but she left before we laid our hands on h-” He fell on the floor with another punch. 

Chotu stood in the corner counting the punches. 

“Chotu, hang him upside down.” Arjun left with a bloodied hand.

__

“Shree, CCTV. Now!” Arjun stood in front of Shree's workstation. 

“Yes sir.” He began playing the footage. 

Riya came there. “Sir, your hand is bleeding.” 

Arjun looked at his hand, “It's okay. Start from 11 o'clock.” 

“Yes sir.” Shree played the video of the dance floor. 

“Can you make it any clearer?” Arjun looked at the blurry video.

 “No sir, this is all the clarity we have. I know it is not very good but in such a high end club, they should at least have some night vision cameras.” 

“Now come to the angle from bartender side.”

Shree played the other video. “We can't see what he is doing.” 

“Sir, do you think the angles are deliberate?”

“Looks like it.” Arjun’s eyes caught the familiar dress on screen. “Wait, pause pause pause.”

Deeya returned to the bar counter, she ordered a drink and Yash stood beside her chatting. She finished half of a drink and walk towards the other side. A few minutes later she walked out and saw arjun and left with him.

“Can we see things from that angle?” 

“No sir, one camera isn't working for almost a month now and the other one does not go up to the stall.” 

“Show it.”

__

Conference room.

“Things we know so far.” Riya started. “Victim Yash Rajput, son of the MLA Dinesh Rajput is found dead in one of the stalls. His death by internal bleeding due to severe trauma to his head. Deeya was one of the people who last saw him and another was his friend, we haven't talked to either of them yet.”

“The bartender admitted spiking the drinks and they had something malicious planned.” Chotu said.

“Does this mean Deeya might’ve kill him in self defence?”

Arjun look at the team “Yash ke jo dost hai uske baare mien pata karo. CHotu, le aao use.” 

Dinesh Rajput came in the conference room. “Sahab, aap mere iklaute bete ke katil ko jald se jald dhundhiye aur mujhe insaaf dilaiye, please sir.” He folded hands, pleading.

“Sir ham vahi kar rahe hain and we need your support. Uske doston ke number,  naam, pata - jo bhi aap jaante hai please bataiye. Uski kisi se dushmani ya jhagda hua tha? Aapse kisi ki dushmani ho jo aapse badla lena chahte ho.” Arjun responded.

“Aisa to kuchh bhi nahin hai. Main to Janata ka sevak hun sahab, aap to jante hi hain mujhe. Uske doston ke bare mein main jyada nahin jaanta kyunki unhen Ghar mein aana allowed nahin hota hai. Main fir bhi kuchh Naam aur number aapko dilwa deta hun.” 

“Sir, kya aap jante Hain ki aapka beta drugs leta tha?”

“Nahin sar aap kaisi baten kar rahe hain” Mera beta aisa kuchh bhi nahin karta. Mujhe apni parvarish par pura bharosa hai lekin agar uske naal hai doston ne usse kuchh galat kam karvaye ho to mujhe nahin pata.”

“Sir, club ke bartender ne bataya hai ki aapke bete ne kayi baar ladkiyon ki drinks mein drugs milakar unhen behosh Kiya hai aur aage to aap jante hi honge…”

“Nahin sir, mera beta aisa kabhi kuchh nahin kar sakta. Mujhe uspe pura bharosa hai.”

Sir, hamare pass video evidence hai.”

“Mere bete ko koi fasane ki koshish kar raha hai.”

Arjun sighed. “Theek hai hum pata lagate hai sach kya hai. Sir ham aapke bete ke katilon ko jald se jald dhundh nikaalenge, aap sabr rakhiye.  Aapko aapke bete ki body sham tak handover kar di jayegi.”

Arjun waited for the MLA to leave and look at the whiteboard again. 

Chotu brought out his phone, “Sir mujhe lagta hai ki ye MLA kuchh to chhupa raha hai, ya jhooth bol raha hai.” 

“Lagta hai to mujhe bhi aisa hi hai Chotu. Apne informers se kaho iss par nazar rakhe.” 

“Ji sir.”

Arjun's phone buzzed. 

“Arjun, the test reports are here.” Vishal said over the call. “This seems to be a new drug in the market, I haven’t seen any cases of its overdose yet. I did read a few articles on it. We have to go for second opinions. I am consulting some doctors in Delhi and Singapore.” Vishal said in a breathe. “By the way your mum has been pressing to take Deeya home and I haven't been able to convince her otherwise.  Can you please talk to her about it? 

“No, do as mom says.”

“But Arjun-”

“Just do as she says.”

“Fine.” 

Arjun disconnected the call.

Riya waited for a moment. “Sir, please ek bar Deeya se milkar puchhe to sahi ki about her side of the story.” 

“It's not the right time.”

“Not the right time? Sir we need to go ahead with the interrogation. If we are not questioning or taking statements from the suspects how are we going to figure it out?”

“Is she the only suspect you have? Go, talk to Sumit or whatever the list is, given by that MLA.” Arjun paused. “Riya, give me that bracelet.”

“Sir, it's evidence. I can't-”

“Just give it.” 

“Sir, I don't understand why you're trying to tamper with evidence. This is unlike you.”

“That won't stand in court even as circumstantial evidence, and it should be returned to its owner before it gets misplaced.”

“All this for a bracelet? Is Deeya that important that you're willing to risk a case's evidence?”

“Yes. Now if you're done with lecturing me, hand over the bracelet.” 

“No sir.” 

Arjun looked at her, “If it wasn't her mother's parting gift, I wouldn't insist.” 

Riya looked at him wide eyed, and passed over the bag. Arjun pocketed it and turned to leave. 

“Sir,” Riya paused as he glanced over, “Not sure which one of us know the real story but your Ms. Deeya is for sure a master storyteller. One of us has believed her lies and I really hope its not you.”

Arjun shook his head and left. 

__

Arjun was on his way to the hospital when his phone rang. 

“Sir!” Chotu said frantically, “iss nalayak MLA ne Deeya ke naam ki supari di hai.”

“What?” 

“Haa sir, pakki khabar hai. Aur bhi kuch pata chala hai.”

“Main thodi der mein aata hun.” Arjun put his phone away.

__

Around midnight Arjun reached his house. He went into Deeya's room, Roshni was talking to her. Arjun stood beside her, "Jaao, thodi der aaram karo." 

"Thik hai, would you like to eat something?" 

"Nai, I'm good." Arjun looked at the machines, the statistics looked normal but she was still unconscious. He settled by her side. "It was a long day! Pata hai aaj kya hua..." 

About an hour later as Arjun had dozed off, he felt a tug on his hand. He woke up. "Deeyu?" He heard a faint noise. Her fingers tightly curled up against his hand.

"Doctor!" 

Within a few minutes the doctor and Roshni rushed into the room. 

"Hello Deeya. I'm doctor Janki." Janki sat beside her, placing the stethoscope on her chest, noting the heart rate. It was borderline normal. "Can you move the fingers of your left hand?"

Deeya softly moved her right hand. 

"Right one, now."

She moved her left hand. 

"Move your toes now."

Dr. Janki noted the movements, they were slightly uncoordinated. "Open your eyes now and look at my hand." 

Deeya slowly opened her eyes, blinked a little and looked around. 

"Take it slow, Deeya." Janki waited.

"I - I can't see." Deeya breathed heavily. "It's hazy, blurry." Tears welled up her eyes. 

"It's alright dear. Please take rest, we shall do a thorough check up in morning, okay." Janki assured her. 

Arjun sat by her side. "Deeyu, don't worry. Everything is going to be alright. I'm here." 

I can't see. His heart shuddered at the thought.

-*-

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