Chapter 10

"You're quite right Ms. Joshi."

Everyone wheeled around to face the source of those words. They were stunned to see Khushi standing exactly at the place where Malini had been sitting while the Inspector had been revealing the facts.

Malini had a puzzled expression on her face while everyone else wondered what was going on.

"I think that NK is innocent."

Multiple gasps were heard across the room as the Inspector's eyes narrowed. Arnav could see that he was getting angry and he wondered exactly what Khushi was up to.

"What do you mean Ms. Gupta? I have clearly proved how Mr. Mehra killed Mr. Jha."

"Well I have a different theory. In fact I have evidence which can clear NK's name."

NK gave her a slight smile while the Inspector gave her a curt nod telling her to proceed.

"I have with me, a file. And in it are the exact details of Shyam ji's last case."

"What? I already told you Ms. Gupta that we know the terms of the case Mr. Jha was working on."

"Yes but you don't have Shyam ji's personal file do you?"

Anjali's eyes widened in shock as Khushi produced a black file. She recognized it as the one her husband had been using for the last few days and which had gone missing.

"This file states that Shyam ji was fighting a case of embezzlement for and not against Mehras Inc."

"The case he was fighting was against a single person who had been embezzling the company's funds. An employee of the company. Someone who had access to the financials of the company. Someone like Ms. Malini Joshi."

All heads immediately turned towards a surprisingly cool Malini. She had her arms folded across her chest and she was looking Khushi up and down with one eyebrow raised.

"She got into the house with the help of her best friend Parvati, crept into the study while we were all in the living room having coffee and poured the poison into Shyam ji's coffee cup."

"Oh really? And he just let me put a deadly poison into his and then willingly drank it?"

Malini sneered at Khushi who gave her a small smile.

"Actually no. I had gone to the washroom straight after dinner and I saw him entering the study when I had finished and was coming back down to where everyone else was. I heard the clock strike a quarter to eleven just as Shyam ji walked towards the study. This means that there was about fifteen minutes in between when he left the dining room and when he entered the study. That would have given you ample time to poison his coffee."

"Aren't you forgetting what you yourself had said? You found the strychnine in NK's room."

"That's right. But I was lying. I didn't find the strychnine in NK's room. I saw you putting the strychnine in his room."

Malini's face paled a little but she continued in her condescending tone.

"Inspector, are you honestly going to believe someone who changes their statements at the drop of a hat?"

"I am, as a matter of fact. You see I told her to lie."

Astonished eyes turned towards the Inspector. Arnav was losing track of what was going on. It was all too complicated.

"You told her? Why would you do that?"

"So that we could distract you long enough for her to extract the original file from your bag. Not the one you had planted in Mr. Jha's office after you had cleverly dropped me a hint regarding Mr. Mehra's involvement in the case."

Malini's mouth was opening and shutting like a fish as she tried to get out of the continually dangerous situation.

"You- you have no proof that I killed him. All this that you're saying is not good enough to accuse me of murder. So what if a placed a file in Mr. Jha's office? That's not a crime is it? And I don't believe this girl ever saw me putting anything in NK's room. You can't pin any of this on me!"

"We can actually."

Khushi reached into her pocket once more and pulled out a piece of torn fabric.

"I found this in the study, wedged in a small gap between the window and the desk. It's obviously been torn off from somewhere. At first I thought that maybe it was a piece of the black dress Parvati had worn on the night of the murder. That's why I had gone to look around her room when I was knocked unconscious. Now I know that it wasn't part of Parvati's dress. It was from here."

Khushi got up and flourished Malini's black bag in front of her face. At first sight nothing seemed amiss but on closer inspection it was clearly visible. A piece of the black fabric had been ripped off. Khushi put the torn bit she had taken out from her pocket and placed it along the rip.

It matched perfectly.

"It's still not enough. I visited this house after the murder had occurred. It could have torn off then."

NK was beyond stunned and he kept looking between his sister and fiance wondering how they could have done something like this.

"Bhaiya, please help me! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to do this! She-she made me do it!"

Parvati was wailing and clutching onto her brother's feet. Tears streamed down her eyes as fear of what might happen next got a hold of her.

"It's true. Everything Khushi said is true. Malu killed Shyam! And- and I let her into the house! That's all! Please don't let them take me away Bhaiya!"

"You stupid girl! How could you just give us away like that?!"

The policemen rushed forward as a maniacal Malini charged towards Parvati. They took hold of her and Inspector Kashyap came towards her.

"Malini Joshi, you are under arrest for the murder of Shyam Manohar Jha. Parvati Mehra is also arrested on grounds of assisting the murderer."

A fuming Malini and a sobbing Parvati were led away as everyone looked on stunned.

...

Tada!!!!! That's the story for you! Hope it was enjoyable! Good news is that I'm planning an epilogue. Just to get rid of any kind of confusion and give a proper ending to all the characters 😆

But that shall come later. Maybe tomorrow or if you'll are lucky, today itself 😉

Thanks so much for all the appreciation people! Love you all!!!! 🤗

Epilogue - Ever After