Cause of death Matured

3 months ago

Mikky

@MidnightLibrary

Cause of death

As they left Bimla's neighborhood, Zunaid turned to Ravindra. "Any updates on the other suspects?"

Ravindra briefed him on the surveillance” ASP Zoya and Officer Shreya were monitoring every move of Nishant , Reyansh and Daksh's.so far nothing suspicious “

Reyansh was at his office, Nishant was busy with work, and Daksh, an artist, remained at his workplace, focused on his projects. He hadn't come out of the building since the morning.

Upon returning to the police station, a constable approached Zunaid. "Sir, Mr. Prithviraj Malhotra is here to see you."

As the ACP stepped into his Cabin , he fell upon Prithvi , who was sitting on the sofa .

“ Prithvi ?” Zunaid Voice softened

Zunaid's voice softened. "Prithvi?"

Prithvi's head lifted, revealing his disheveled appearance. His eyes were shallow and he seemed to be screaming for sleep. Even with his rugged beard .

Zunaid's illustrations stumbled, surmising the turmoil Prithvi was going through. He had already heard and witnessed how much he cared for his wife . He was even shot by a gun to save his wife's life .

Watching Zunaid strolling towards him Prithvi stood on his legs, a gentle gesture of humility . But Zunaid responded through the gesture of his hand to remain seated.

"Zunaid, Sanyo ke bare mein kuch pata chala ? any news about her ?" Prithvi's voice was tinged with desperation.

Zunaid's expression was somber, sensing the gravity of the situation . "We're doing everything we can, Prithvi. Just hold on to hope."

Prithvi's jaw clenched, his eyes reflecting his anguish. Zunaid attempted to lighten the mood. " I can understand, it must be difficult for you , albeit you have to take care of yourself. If Bhabhi returns and finds you in such a condition she will shout at you indeed . And biwian bhaut hi zada khatarnak hoti hai jab gusse mein ajati hai to (women can be formidable when provoked). Trust me ! Zunaid had a playful smile dance across his lips, as he tried to lighten Prithvi's mood.

Prithvi forced a faint smile, a glimmer of amusement flickering in his eyes. He didn't know since long he kept praying to God to return his wife to him .

“Btw I have news , Gauatm Desai's body was found at his resort. " Zunaid said, his tone measured

Prithvi's gaze snapped toward Zunaid, his eyes piercing. "What?”

Zunaid elaborated, "My team informed me. Your father asked the DIG to keep it from you, worried about your state of mind. ”

Prithvi looked at Zunaid intent “ Who can be behind this?

Zunaid reassured him, "We're doing everything we can. Please keep faith in us."

Prithvi's expression remained fixed on Zunaid. "One thing's certain – Gautam knew nothing about Sanyogita's disappearance."

Prithvi's response was immediate. "I do.”He pressed for more information. "Zunaid,who is behind the death of Gautam? Is it a murder? Is she kidnapped?” his voice trailed slow , not dare to imagine any horrific happened to her

Zunaid's reply was cautious. "We'll know more after the autopsy report. But we'll unravel every mystery. And also find out Bhabhi very soon “

" I do!”" Zunaid ,?

" Till we got the autopsy report nothing can be said. But we will soon solve every puzzle"

Prithvi nodded his head in response. He was hoping only for the safety of his wife.

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Zunaid glided into the forensic Lab of Dr. Naina Joshi. Given the high-profile nature of the case, the forensic team had fast- track the analysis . Within twenty-four hours, the preliminary reports were already on Naina’s desk.

She gestured for him to sit across from her. “Take a seat, Yusuf,” she said, then called out for an assistant. “Two cups of tea, please.”

As Zunaid settled into the chair, eyes steady on her. “Dr. Joshi, have you found anything suspicious in the report ?” His voice was low, serious.

Naina’s expression shifted—measured, cautious. “I’m trying my best, Yusuf. There are a few things… that sow seeds of doubt in my mind.”

He nodded subtly , silently urging her to continue.

“Look at this closely,” she said. “The victim’s hands and legs were handcuffed. His mouth was gagged with cloth. Given that, autoerotic activity seems almost impossible. Yet…”

As Dr. Joshi began speaking, she pulled the photograph from a file and placed it on the desk between them . Then came the initial forensic report which she did towards him.

“ Look at this closely, “ she stated. “ The victim's hands and legs were handcuffed . His mouth was also gagged with cloth. Given that , it's highly impossible for him to perform autoerotic. Yet…

She paused, taking a breath before continuing. “He was sexually assaulted. There’s an abrasion on the glans penis , with tissue tears causing bleeding, and bruising along the shaft. On the preliminary toxicology screening, I detected traces of silicon . It’s not something that could have happened accidentally or through consensual activity—especially not in that condition.”

Zunaid leaned forward, his curiosity piqued. "Paraphilia?" he asked.

Naina gave a small nod. "It means he was sexually stimulated using sex toys, most likely made of silicone."

Zunaid’s forehead furrowed, a shadow of confusion crossing his face. "If the victim was already with a woman, why use a toy at all?”

"Revenge," Naina said, her voice steady. "You already sensed it when you analyzed the scene—the intent wasn’t just murder. It was about causing pain... humiliation."

Zunaid studied the crime scene photos again, a grim realization settling over him. "So the killer didn’t just want him dead. They wanted him to suffer... badly."

Without a word, Naina flipped to the next page of the report.

The atmosphere of the room grew heavier with each revelation.

“I also checked through the tests for skin samples, body tissue , blood and hair . Nothing unusual turned up . No toxins, no foreign DNA, nothing.”

She paused again, this time longer, tapping the report with her finger. “But in his urine , Ethyl Glucuronide and Ethyl Glucuronide traces have been found. That confirms he consumed alcohol before death “

Zunaid's eyebrows drew inward. He leaned back slowly, processing the information. He has this much faith that a forensic expert would definitely give any lead .

Naina continued, her voice quieter now, also very serious. “But that is not the issue. Everything about this scene screams deliberate staging—but the details don’t align. It wasn’t just a sexual encounter gone wrong. Someone wanted it to look like that.”

“ I was anticipating the cause of death to be respiratory distress .” Naina said, her eyes fixed on the report in her hands . “ But the forensic report lists it as natural death—cardiac failure and renal failure.”

“What?” Zunaid's gaze became piercing , disbelief etched on his face.

Naina gave a slow nod. “ I already told you, something isn’t adding up . His victim's viscera is clean —no toxins, no trace of poison in the stomach, not even food remnants.”

She leaned forward slightly, her tone growing firmer. “But my suspicions deepened when I found signs of internal hemorrhage in both his gastrointestinal tract and lungs.”

Zunaid leaned back in his chair, tense but focused. A lab assistant arrived with their tea, placing the cups on the table silently before leaving them alone again.

Naina opened the autopsy file and began. “ Victim's kidneys appeared congested, and the urinary bladder was nearly empty. The mucosal surfaces—the mouth, tongue, and esophagus—appeared dry and shriveled. On hematologic tests revealed significant hemoconcentration. That means his blood was thicker and darker than normal, due to reduced plasma volume. Hematocrit and protein levels were unusually elevated.”

She looked up at Zunaid. “All of these findings are consistent with systemic dehydration—likely sustained fluid loss over the preceding 48 to 72 hours.”

Zunaid listened intently as she turned another page.

“ And the things that perplexed me most were his lungs ,” she continued. “They were heavily congested and waterlogged. An autopsy reveals frothy fluid in the airways and trachea. Significant increases in weight of lungs happened due to fluid accumulation. And worse—there was internal bleeding.”

She tapped the report again, her brows furrowed. “Even the alveolar sacs—the tiniest air pockets in the lungs—were inflamed. That kind of damage isn’t consistent with a peaceful death. It suggests a struggle for air. A body trying, and failing, to breathe.”

Zunaid sat still.

The weight of the findings settled between them like a dense fog.

“So no visible poison,” he said quietly, “but a body screaming in distress.”

Naina gave a faint nod. “Exactly.”

Zunaid’s brow furrowed. “If someone was suffering so intensely, how could he even think of sex? A normal person—any person in such tremendous pain —would seek a doctor. Would beg for help. Not... stay and endure it for pleasure. Isn’t that strange?

Pain ? And sexual assault! “ clear sign of revenge. So behind this murder motive is grudge or revenge. Maybe the killer might be an old enemy or …” Zunaid noted in his calculative brain.

Naina stared at ACP, a flicker of curiosity occupied within her eyes.

“If we try to build a psychological profile of the killer,” she continued, “one thing’s certain—the killer harbored a deep grudge. This wasn’t a spontaneous act. It was calculated. Cold.”

Naina’s next words hit him like a jolt. He kept staring at Dr. Joshi . Her words strike so many nerves of his brain simultaneously.

“ Dr. Joshi, one thing I can't understand is how he developed all these symptoms at the same time ? “ Zunaid narrowed his eyes as the pieces of the puzzle spun in his head.

“How did the poison enter his system? It wasn’t ingested. and there are no signs of it in the stomach,.“ he added at last “

Naina expression deepened , “There are many poisons or toxic gases that can cause death if inhaled. That's why I also checked his lungs. In this case there is no trace of puncture on the body. And I was forced to accept the certificate of normal death. And this thing doesn't sit me right!”

She should head out of frustration “ Was he meditating like Vishamitra , menaka appeared suddenly to interrupt his meditation and said, 'Open your mouth baby, let me offer you a taste of something divine . He also yawned like a good boy , as Menka also poured poison that either left no trace in the stomach, or was so natural in its existence that it did not seem unusual to the eye.”

Naina’s ironic words sparkled a flicker of amusement in Zunaid's eyes . A hint of a smile dancer across his lips under the gravity of the situation. Nevertheless his eyes never left her as she continued..

She leaned forward, burying her face in her hands and shook her head in frustration.

“But my gut feelings tell me there is some poison involved somewhere” she whispered, her voice dripping with determination. “ But the question is—how did it enter his body system ? It wasn't through food. “

Naina leaned forward, burying face in her hands and shook her head out of vexation.

Zunaid chuckled. “Hey, Joshi, don’t stress. You’re going to crack it. I’m with you, so why worry ?”

Naina lifted her head and shot him a dramatic eye roll. .A playful smirked curled in her lips as she let out “ Yusuf, don't forget I helped you to solve your two cases so you woe to me still “

Her pout made him grin. “Fair enough.Okay Huzur , tum ziti mein har gaya ..”

She smirked in response.

Zunaid's giggled at her childish side . He leaned forward slightly and clasped his fingers “ Now tell me—back at the crime scene,you mentioned that his naked body was smeared with semen”

“Right,” Naina confirmed, her tone shifting. “ it belongs to the victim . And additionally, we recovered a single hair sample from the bedroom. DNA fingerprinting confirms it belongs to a male—46, XY.”

Zunaid's gaze locked onto hers. "So, you're convinced the killer is a man ?"

Naina nodded. "I didn't say that . But the DNA profiling is claiming its a male DNA”

Naina shook her head. “I didn’t say that. but the DNA profiling is claiming it's a male. That’s it.”

Zunaid’s eyes narrowed. “ In that case there is the involvement of two people?”

Something clicked in his brain, his voice slowing with realization. “Sushil said Gautam brought a woman with him. Her face was covered. Is it possible… that the person under the veil was actually a man in disguise?”

Naina raised her brows and gave a thoughtful nod “ ho bhi sakta hai !” She leaned back, arms folded over her chest “ But there's more . We found two used condoms in thes dustbin . The semen sample matched with the victim . But the other —the mucous residue confirm it was vaginally swab not anal , and it doesn't go with the hair DNA”

Zunaid exhaled, his mind swirling with possibilities. “So this was a premeditated murder…involvement of two people? One male, one unknown? Maybe the woman the guard saw was a decoy . She too involved in this murder ”

Naina’s voice was quiet, speculative. “ Maybe they wanted to confuse us too, so they involved the woman “

Zunaid’s mind drifted to Sushil, the resort’s caretaker. Was he lying to mislead them? Did he have some hidden conflict with Gautam.

Naina thought for a brief moment as she tried to dotted all the cons and pros “ Agree . But it's still a mystery to me how it was delivered. If the poison had been delivered via intravenous route then at least the syringe mark would have been found. apart from inhalation it isn't possible to trace this poison In blood .”

Zunaid sighed , rubbing his chin . “Fair point.”

Naina didn't stop, she continued “ There are a few plants which can cause similar symptoms like Ricin and oleander.

Ricin inhibits protein synthesis in cells, leading to cell death. This is found in the castor bean plant (Ricinus communis), especially in the seed coating . If the crushed seed is given via Inhalation route it will cause respiratory symptoms like Cough, chest tightness, difficulty breathing, Pulmonary edema, Cyanosis i.e., skin turned bluish due to lack of oxygen even failure . But that can still be traceable in blood after 1- 2 days . But in screening nothing such things are found out .

And in case of oleander inhalation route isn't effective. Although it causes sudden cardiac arrest, the active compound in Oleander contains cardiac glycosides which are not volatile — meaning they don’t become airborne easily. These compounds are large and lipophilic, more suited for oral or intravenous absorption, not for absorption through lung tissue.

Zunaid leaned forward. “But who would willingly inhale a toxin? Is it even possible to inhale Ricin—maybe through a cigarette or cigar?”

Naina nodded slightly. “Technically, yes. But high heat from smoking would degrade the toxin. And we didn’t find any cigarettes or cigars at the crime scene.”

He sat back, frustrated. “So how was it inhaled, then?”

“ Burning oleander destroys most of the active compounds, and inhaling the smoke may cause respiratory irritation, but not effective systemic poisoning. Cause Gautam has both kidney and cardiac failure “

Zunaid was thinking deeper to try to find the possibility of delivery of the toxic in someone's body by inhalation route. “ Is it possible for an asthma patient to inhale something toxic? "

She glanced toward the evidence board, deep in thought. “Is Gautam asthmatic?”

Zunaid blinked, remembering. “Yes. According to the medical report, he was.”

“Then it’s possible. You see, the usual metered-dose inhalers are aerosol-based— almost impossible to tamper with anything toxin .

Zunaid's face drops, losing hope.