Chapter 2 - Kaun Hai Woh Matured

About a month earlier.

A man gets out of his car. He is in front of an abandoned factory. There is almost nothing left of the gate. The building looks like no one has ever been here since forever. There are pieces of junks everywhere. The man walks passes the gate, through the junks. He stops when he reaches in the back of the building. He looks around but all he sees is darkness.

Man: Kaha rahe gaya ye? Itni raat ko yaha bulake khud abhitak nahi aya.

A voice from behind startles him.

Voice: Itni bhi kya jaldi hai?

The man turns and sees a figure in the shadow standing behind him. He says carefully.

Man: Anjaan?
Anjaan: Ji.

The man looks at the figure standing in front of him. It is dark but still it is visible to some extent. He is a tall guy with muscular body, has a chiseled jawline covered with beard. But his most distinctive feature is his dark browneyes. There is something mysterious about them, like they are saying a thousand words.

Anjaan: Paise laye hai?
Man: Laya hu. Pure hai.

He hands over a bag. Anjaan takes it and opens to check. It looks okay.

Man: Kaam khatam hone se pahele puri payment lene wali ye baat mujhe khatak rahi hai.
Anjaan: Isse koi fark nahi parta. That is my rule.

Anjaan looks at him.

Anjaan: Woh kya hai na sir. Is baat ka koi bharosa nahi hai ke kaam pura hone ke baad aap mujhe thik se mera paisa denge ya nahi. Aur agar aapne mujhe dene se mana kar diya to main police ke paas ja to nahi sakta na, aapki sikayat le kar.

He smiles. But the man is still skeptical.

Man: But main kaise sure ho jau ke tum apne kaam me safal hoge?
Anjaan: Aapne mujhe contact karne se pahele mere bareme pata to kiya hoga na. To aap zarur jaante honge ke Anjaan aaj tak kahi nakamiyab nahi hua. Aur aapko mujhpe bharosa hai. Warna abhi itni raat ko yaha itne saare paise le kar nahi ate.
Man: Mere paas aur koi chara nahi hai.
Anjaan: Hai. Aap mujhse ye murder sirf badle ke liye karwana chahte hai. Aisa nahi hai ke ki agar target zinda raha to aapki zindagi ujar jayegi.

The man doesn’t say anything.

Anjaan: Aap fikar matt kijiye. Paise liye hai. Murder bhi zarur karunga.
Man: Yaad hai na ke suicide lagna chahiye?
Anjaan: Ji.
Man: Kaise karoge?
Anjaan: Abhi tak socha nahi hai. Deal confirm nahi hui thi na. Ab ho gayi hai. Ab main iske piche apni time aur energy kharach karunga. Isse ek baat yaad aya.
Man: Kya?
Anjaan: Ek murder ko anjaam dene ke liye ek full proof planning ki zarurat hoti hai. Aur us plan ko banane me waqt lagta hai. So please. Aap impatient nahi honge. I will go through with the murder only when I am confident, I can control as many variables as I can. I hope you understand.
Man: I do.
Anjaan: Ek aur baat. Maine jaise kaha tha aapne paise waise hi nikale hai na.
Man: Ha. Alag alag accounts se short amounts nikale hai aur saare notes ko replace kar diya hai. The bills are non-sequential.
Anjaan: Good. Police sabse pahele aapke financial records check karenge…

The man starts to interrupt but Anjaan doesn’t let him.

Anjaan: Even if it looks like suicide. Suicide cases me bhi police involve hoti hai, aap jaante hai.
Man: Hmmm.
Anjaan: Thik hai phir. Abhi aap ghar jayiye aur aram se apni life enjoy kijiye. Aur main mera kaam karta hu.

The man nods.

Anjaan: Aur aaj ke baad mujhe contact karne ki koshish matt karna. Nahi to hum dono ke liye woh khatra hoga. Kaam pura hone ki khabar aap tak pohoch jayegi.
Man: Thik hai.

Their conversation is over. Anjaan turns and starts walking towards the way he came from. Soon he disappears in the shadows. The man keeps looking at his way until then. After that he also leaves.

Whenever he is stressed, he listens to some music. He likes old songs. There is a soothing effect in them that today’s songs don’t have. Before starting the car, he turns on the music player.

While driving, he thinks about the whole situation. wonders whether this is a good idea or not. Anjaan told him that this is going to take time. But exactly how long? He doesn’t know and may be neither does Anjaan. He has heard that Anjaan is good at what he does. But still he is feeling uncomfortable rather helpless, because of not being able to control the situation.

He takes a deep breath. He has done what he can. Now there is nothing left for him to do. If this thing goes south, the best-case scenario is that he loses the one crore he gave to Anjaan and the worst-case scenario is… well, he doesn’t want to think about it. He tries to brush these thoughts out of his mind and concentrate on driving.

The road is immersed in darkness. There is no moon in the sky. The only light is coming from the headlight of the car. There is no sound other than the car’s engine and the music. In the darkness echoed the words….

… kisko khabar kaun hai woh
Anjaan hai koi…

#

Present day

Riddhima: I am telling you, woh kuch chhupa rahi thi.

She and Angad are going to Sunita’s parents’ house, to take their statements.

Angad: You know, parosio se baat karte waqt I had the impression ke Kalash ko koi kuch khas pasand nahi karta tha. I mean kisko bhi uske maut se dukh nahi hua hai.
Riddhima: Same. Iski wajay uski gandi nazar hai.
Angad: To ye possible hai ki agar unhe lagta hai kisine uska murder kiya hai, they feel grateful, ke inhe usse chutkara mil gaya. Aur isiliye woh police ki madat nahi karna chahte.
Riddhima: Anjali definitely hated him. Uski aakho me saaf saaf dikh raha tha.
Angad: Lakin baat ye hai ki most probably Kalash ne atmahattiya ki hai. Aur agar post mortem se bhi ye natija nikalta hai to it doesn’t matter ke Anjali kya chhupa rahi hai. Iska Kalash ke death se koi relation nahi hai.

Riddhima still doesn’t look convinced.

Angad: Come on Riddhima. Saare khirki darwaze andar se band the. Aur ghar ke andar koi nahi tha. To phir kaise murder ho sakta hai.
Riddhima: It is possible.

She pauses for a second

Riddhima: For one person.

Angad looks at her inquiringly. It only takes him a second to get what she meant.

Angad: Come on, Riddhima. No. Impossible
Riddhima: Kyu?
Angad: It seems far-fetched.
Riddhima: Far-fetched? It is the only possible explanation. Well besides suicide.
Angad: Suicide ke alawa aur koi option nahi hai.
Riddhima: Kya sachme aisa hai ya Anjaan chahta hai ki hum aise soche?
Angad: Anjaan iske piche nahi hai Riddhima.
Riddhima: Tum itna sure kaise ho sakte ho.

Angad doesn’t answer, he just keeps driving. Soon they reach their destination. The door is opened by an elderly woman who they can guess is Sunita’s mother. Her eyes are red. It is obvious that she has been crying upon hearing the news of her son-in-law’s death. She tells them to wait and goes inside the house to fetch her daughter.

While waiting Riddhima and Angad takes a look around. The house is quite decent. Not big and lavish like Kalash’s house but enough to get by.

After two or three minutes Sunita comes out of her room. There is an old man with her who is presumably her father. She looks upset but it doesn’t seem like that she has shed a single tear. Riddhima and Angad share look. Sunita sits in the sofa. Her father starts the conversation.

Bhaskar: Ji main Bhaskar Gupta. Sunita meri beti hai.
Riddhima: Ji main Sub-Inspector Riddhima aur ye mere partner Sub-Inspector Angad.

She pauses for a second.

Riddhima: Hum yaha… aapke damad Mr. Kalash Juneja ke death ke silsile me kuch baat karne aye hai.

Sunita says slowly with outlooking at them.

Sunita: Sham ne to kaha tha ki Kalash ne khud ko goli maar di. To phir aap logo ko kya baat karni hai?

Her voice is calm and almost emotionless.

Riddhima: Ji abhi tak post mortem ki report nahi ayi hai. Uske bina hum sure nahi ho sakte. Lakin ha, dekhne se suicide hi lagta hai.
Angad: Mrs. Juneja…
Sunita: Please. Mera naam Sunita hai.

Her voice is still calm but the resentment in her tone for the name Mrs. Juneja seems quite clear.

Angad: Okay. Sunita ji aapke ghar ke servant Sham ne bataya ki kal aap aur aapke… I mean Mr. Kalash ke beech kisi baat ko leke jhagra hua aur uske baad aap yaha chali ayi. Aisi kya baat ho gayi thi ke aapne ghar chhor diya?

Sunita finally looks at them.

Sunita: Chhor to mujhe bohot pahele hi dena chahiye tha. Maine hi der kardi.

No one says anything. She seems to be in talking mode. And from experience Riddhima and Angad know that you have to let people talk when they want to. They will tell you things you wouldn’t think of asking.

Sunita: Zindagi se zayada kuch nahi maanga tha maine. Sirf thodi khushi aur thoda sa pyaar. Lakin woh mujhe kabhi Kalash se nahi mila. Pyaar to chhoro unhone to kabhi meri izzat tak nahi ki. Jab marzi haath uthana gaali dena, bas yehi ata tha unhe.

Slowly her eyes start to fill with tears and her voice starts to break.

Sunita: Maine apni Maa ko ye sab bataya, lakin unhone kaha ki “Shaadi me ye sab sahena parta hai Sunita.” Maine bhi Maa ki baat maanli aur chup chap sab kuch saheti gayi. Phir ek din mujhe pata chala ki unka kisi dusri aurat ke sambhandh hai. Mujhe aisa laga ki meri duniya ujar gayi. Lakin Maa ne kaha, “Sunita, mardo ki to adat hoti hai. Inka ek aurat se kabhi jee nahi bharta. Jabtak woh bahar wali ko ghar me lane ki zid na kare tabtak chinta ki koi baat nahi hai.” Maine phir se chupchap Maa kin baat maanli.

Sunita’s father looks at his wife accusingly. It becomes clear to the outsiders that he didn’t have any idea about all this.

Sunita: Priya jab ek saal ki thi tab ek din mera use leke yaha ane ka plan tha. Lakin kisi wajay se woh cancel ho gaya, aur main ghar pe hi ruk gayi. Kalash jab wapas aye to main neeche jaane hi waali thi ke maine dekha unke saath ek ladki hai. Main samajh gayi ke kya hone wala hai. Maine kuch nahi kaha, chupchap Priya ko leke dusre kamre me chali gayi. Lakin thodi der baad bahar se kisike chillane ki awaz ayi. Main kamre se bahar nikli to maine dekha ke Kalash us ladki zabardasti kamre me lake ja rahe hai. Us din mujhe pata chala ke mera pati ek balatkaari bhi hai.

It is Sunita’s mothers’ turn to be astonished.

Sunita: Us waqt maine wahi kiya jo mujhe karna chahiye tha. Maine Kalash us ladki ki zindagi barbaad karne nahi di. Bohot mushkil se maine unhe roka. Aur us ladki se kaha waha se bhaag jaye aur zindagi me dobara Kalash ke saaye me bhi na pare. Woh waha se bhaag gayi. Kalash jo chahte the woh unhe nahi mila. Woh bohot gussa hue aur mujhe bohot maara. Shayad us din sabse zayada maara tha. Lakin usse bhi unka gussa shant nahi hua. Isiliye jo woh us ladki ke saath nahi kar paye wahi unhone mere saath kiya.

Riddhima and Angad can’t even look at Sunita anymore. Seema has started crying again and Bhaskar is too shocked to react.

Sunita: Woh paheli baar tha. Uske baad ye ek adat ban gayi. Maine phir Maa ko bataya ki Kalash ne mere saath zabardasti ki. Lakin Maa ne kaha “Pati ka haq hota hai.” Uske baad us ladki ke bareme batane ki himmat nahi hui meri.

Both Riddhima and Angad look at Seema in disgust. And her husbands’ eyes have disbelief in them.

Sunita: Jab police humare ghar ayi aur ye kaha ke Kajal ne Kalash ke upar rape ka arop lagaya hai to mujhe is baat pe biswas karne me ek pal nahi laga. Main jaanti thi ke woh sach bol rahi hai.

She pauses for a second.

Sunita: Kalash ne apni puri zindagi me kisiki parwa nahi ki siwaye Priya ke. Maine bohot umeede lagayi ke Priya ke liye unka pyaar unhe sudhaar dega. Lakin aisa nahi hua. Woh jaise the waise hi rahe. Aur unki harkate ab Priya ko khatre me daal rahi thi.
Riddhima: Priya ko khatre me matlab?
Sunita: Har gurwaar ko Priya ke school me uske drama club ke reharsals hote hai. Wapas ate ate andhera ho jata hai. School bhi almost khali ho jata hai. Kal bhi waisa hi hua. Lakin driver ko pohochne me thodi der hogayi. Priya jab driver ka wait kar rahi thi tabhi waha ek admi aya aur use chherne laga. Priya gussa hui to us admi ne use Kalash ke naam pe tana maara. He was getting hostile. Tabhi waha ek aurat ayi aur usne Priya ko bacha liya.
Riddhima: Aurat? Priya jaanti thi use?
Sunita: Nahi. Lakin woh jo bhi thi main uska ye ehsaan kabhi nahi bhulungi. Us aurat ne sirf us admi ko bhagaya nahi, driver ke ane tak Priya ke saath waha wait bhi kiya.

There is something in that story that rises Riddhima’s suspicion. But she doesn’t know why.

Sunita: Priya ne ghar ake mujhe aur Kalash ko sab bataya. Ye sab sunte hi mujhe ek pal nahi laga Kalash ko chhorne ka faisla lene me. Maine decide kar liya tha ke main divorce aur full time custody ke liye apply karungi. Lakin shayad kismat me kuch aur hi likha tha.

In the last line her voice carried a hint of peace for which no one in that room could blame her.

#

Last night.

Kalash Juneja looks at the figure standing in front of him.

Kalash: Wahi jo Anjaan karta hai matlab? Tumhara kaam to….

Anjaan finishes the sentence with a whisper.

Anjaan: Logo ki jaan lena hai.

Kalash looks at him with terror.

Kalash: Tum… tum mujhe nahi maar sakte. Main tumhara client hu.

Anjaan laughs.

Anjaan: Aapko kya laga Mr. Juneja? Just because aap mere client hai you can never be my target?
Kalash: Tum… tumhe kisine paise diye hai mujhe maarne ke liye?
Anjaan: Aisa hi kuch samajh lijiye.
Kalash: Main tumhe double paise dunga. Tum mujhe jaane do. Aur mere badle use mardo.
Anjaan: Aisa kuch nahi hone wala. You see Mr. Juneja mere business kuch rules hai, main uske bahar nahi jata.
Kalash: Lakin mujhe kaun maarna chahega.

Anjaan controls his anger. If he had a choice, he would have beaten this man to death. But he can’t. This is not the plan. So, he tries to contain his anger and speaks through his teeth.

Anjaan: Sharam nahi ati, itni saari ladkiyo ka balaatkaar karne ke baat ye sawal karte hue?

Kalash says in a desperate voice.

Kalash: Woh nahi ho sakte….
Anjaan: Chup. Nahi to yehi goli maar dunga.

Anjaan draws a pistol from his pocket.

Kalash: Nahi nahi please please mujhe matt maro.

Anjaan smiles cunningly.

Anjaan: Nahi. Main aapko nahi marunga. Aap khud khudko marenge. Woh kya hai na mere client ki demand hai. It should look like a suicide

Kalash looks at him with wide eyes. He finally realizes who gave Anjaan the money. And it is visible in his face.

Anjaan: Wah. Aap to samajh gaye ke aapko maarne ke liye mujhe kisne paisa diya.
Kalash: Anjaan please…
Anjaan: Please. Yehi un saari ladkiyo ne aapse kaha tha. Lakin aapne unki ek nahi suni. Aur aapko lagta hai ke ab main aapki sununga? Bilkul nahi. Ab main jo kahunga woh aap karenge.
Kalash: Agar maine tumhara kahena maana to tum mujhe jaane doge?

Anjaan laughs again.

Anjaan: Are Mr. Juneja! Pahele sun to lijiye.

Kalash doesn’t reply. Anjaan continues.

Anjaan: Ab main bathroom me jayunga aur aap light on karke apna mobile lenge aur apna confession record karenge. Jaha aap ye swikaar karenge ki Kajal ka balatkaar aapne hi kiya hai. Sirf uska hi nahi. Baaki sabke bareme bhi batayenge.
Kalash: Nahi main aisa nahi kar sakta. Meri beti ko ye sab nahi pata hai. Use lagta hai ki main begunah hu. Please, nahi. Woh mujhse nafrat karegi. Mujhse bardasht nahi hoga. Isse accha tum mujhe maar do.
Anjaan: Aapki beti se yaad aya. Aapko kuch dikhna hai.

Anjaan grabs his mobile from his pocket. He plays a video and shows is to Kalash. He places his hands in front Kalash’s face in a way that allows Kalash to see it clearly, while ensuring he doesn’t have to look at it himself. It is a video of Priya. She is outside her school and a man is making unwanted advances towards her. Kalash losses his patience before the video ends.

Kalash: Tumhari himmat kaise hui…

Anjaan doesn’t let him finish.

Anjaan: Careful Mr. Juneja. Aap bhul rahe hai ke gun mere haath me hai, aapke haath me nahi.
Kalash: I don’t care. This is my daughter…
Anjaan: Aur Kajal aur woh saari ladkiya jinka aapne balaatkar kiya, woh bhi kisiki beti hai.

Kalash gets taken aback. Then he says in a pleading voice.

Kalash: Please. Meri beti ko in sab me involve matt karo. Tum jo kahoge main karunga.
Anjaan: Good. Now we are getting somewhere. To. Apne confession ke baad aap ye kahenge aab apni jaan dene ja rahe hai, aapki beti ke saath jo kuch bhi hua usne aapki aakhe khol di. Phir aap is recorded video ko saare news channels me bhej denge.
Kalash: Thik hai.
Anjaan: Uske baad aap apne safe se apni gun nikaalenge aur aapke sar pe goli maar denge.

Kalash doesn’t argue anymore. He knows that he has no other choice left. He does what Anjaan has told him to do. Anjaan hides inside the bathroom which is exactly at the opposite of the balcony, after telling him what exactly he has to say in the video. After the recording is done Kalash turns off the lights and Anjaan comes out of the bathroom. He takes a look at the video. It seems satisfactory to him. After that Kalash sends the video to every news channel he can think of. Then he takes out his gun from his safe, sits on his bed and places it in his head. He looks at Anjaan before pulling the trigger.

Anjaan: Do it.

Kalash closes his eyes and pulls the trigger. The sound of the gunshot echoes in the room. Kalash’s body jolts and collapses on the bed. Anjaan moves closer to the body and carefully checks the pulse. He doesn’t find any. Kalash Juneja is dead.

He waits for about 5 minutes before doing anything else. If anyone is awake and heard the gunshot or woken up by it should go back to what they were doing by this time. Then he heads towards the balcony door and locks it. He is wearing gloves, so there is no risk of leaving fingerprints. Then he leaves the room, descends the stairs and exits the house through the front door. Then he locks the door using a master key.

The moon is still out. The trees in the yard have created a shadow. He slowly moves towards the back yard through the shadows in order to avoid being seen. He stops at the point he entered the premises from. The height of the wall here is lower compared to other places and easy for him to climb over.

After exiting the premises, he again tries as much as he can to move through the shadows towards the road where a car is waiting for him. There are two women inside the car one in the driving seat and another one in the backseat. After he enters the car both of them look at him inquiringly. He nods indicating that the job is done. Then the driver starts the car. None of them become aware oft he fact that their car is seen by a pair of eyes.