Beyond the crime scene

2 months ago

Mikky

@MidnightLibrary

Beyond the crime scene

As Ravindra and Zunaid made their way towards the crime scene, Zunaid opened the cigarette packet and offered one to his junior Officer before taking one for himself.

The two shared a brief moment of camaraderie as Ravindra helped Zunaid to light his cigarette before doing the same for his own.

Zunaid, focused on the road, as he sat in the driver's seat ignited the engine and started the car .

The weight of the situation was evident in the furrow of his brow. "There’s some bad news, Ravindra," he said, his tone serious enough to draw immediate attention.

The gravity in Zunaid's voice prompted Ravindra to cast an immediate over him , sensing the weight of something significant foreboding to unfold.

Exhaling a plume of smoke into the crisp air of dawn, he asked “ What about, Sir? Is it something we need to be concerned about ?"

Zunaid gave a troubled nod, while holding the cigarette delicately in between his right index and middle fingers . He deftly maneuvered the steering wheel while rolling the steering wheel

His gaze shifted momentarily to his junior Officer . “ Indeed It's Very serious! …I don't know , but the media got wind of Sanyogita Bhabhi's disappearance —and some outlets are already reporting it as a kidnapping!

A chill of shiver ran down Ravindra's spine at the mention of the leak . There was no doubt — Sanyogita was a respected public figure and the wife of a powerful businessman.

The implications of media involvement would only make things harder. Public scrutiny could significantly hinder their routine investigation.

Ravindra’s composure broke as a wave of astonishment hit him. “What? When... but... how?”

“In the middle of the night. ASP Zoya informed me,” Zunaid replied calmly.

“ Oh shit!” Ravindra exclaimed , pulling out his mobile . His eyes grew wider as the notification flooded on his screen . Social media was already ablaze with news of Sanyogita Malhotra's disappearance from the club . What truly knocked the breath out of him was a headline from a popular influencer: “Could Sanyogita Malhotra be linked to Gautam Desai’s death?”

“ Sir, …..this is shocking ”Ravindra murmured, his voice tight with disbelief.

Zunaid nodded grimly “ We’ll have to face a lot now . The pressure will only increase “

“ One thing doesn't sit right with me ,”Ravindra said after a pause “ How did the media get the news so fast

“Media has its own sources—just like the police. Someone leaked it. That’s certain,” Zunaid replied.

Ravindra hesitated for a moment, then asked “ Sir….do you think Mrs Sanyogita Malhotra could be involved in Gautam Desai's murder ?”

Zunaid, the senior officer, shot a sharp glance at his junior, his brow furrowing slightly in contemplation. “Why do you bring her up now?” he asked, still moving the steering wheel .

“ Sir, remember what Mrs Malhotra’s lawyer Informed us during our last visit? Mrs Malhotra seemed to be growing anxious and worried due to lack of concrete evidence . No matter how hard she fights it, those four men won't ever get death sentences. “

Ravindra's expression darkened as recollected further “ The caretaker at Gautam Desai's Lonavala house noted that the girl seen under the veil was approximately five foot five to five foot six. Coincidentally, Mrs. Malhotra stands at 5'6" herself.”

Zunaid scrutinized Ravindra's features, weighing the implications of his words. His years of experience in law enforcement had taught him the importance of suspicion when it came to murder investigations . Ravindra’s observations were astute, but they also led to a slippery slope of conjecture. He offered a small nod, more out of respect for his junior’s diligence than agreement.

Then suddenly something grabbed his attention. “ If we’re looking to connect this to Mrs. Malhotra, what about the others? In that case the rest of the three remaining will be the next potential targets.”.

Zunaid but wasn't finished. He continued “And don't forget Ayesha. She too has a posture of 5'6”. I spoke to Dr. Joshi yesterday, and she mentioned that the killer profile might very likely link to the medical field —perhaps a doctor, microbiologist, or even a plant scientist or a medical representative . And also there is a strong possibility they can be someone from botanical Science as well . Among those, Satish is one of our prime suspects, and he is a botanist as Ayesha had mentioned clearly in her statement.”

Ravindra nodded, understanding his point . With a sympathetic pat on Zunaid's shoulder, Ravindra added, ““Sir, I'm just saying this from a police perspective. It's become a habit for me to suspect everyone for investigation purposes. It’s what we do.” His voice trailed off.

Zunaid nodded his head in agreement “ Don't feel bad . I do the same sometimes . But I don't believe Sanyogita bhabhi can be behind this. Although she is unbelievably a brave lady — the way she helped Riddhima and her mother get justice , and also supported them in filing an FIR at the police station. I'm still sure she still has faith in law, unless she will never reach out to the police. A woman with that much affection for a stranger…..She won't commit a crime. Killing someone takes a different kind of courage — a darker kind.”

Ravindra nodded thoughtfully. He had also witnessed her humility . At Prithvi Malhotra's sister, Anushka's birthday party she invited them without any formality, treating them like family . Hoping for the positive, he said “Let’s hope for the best. I just hope we find Mrs. Malhotra soon.”

Zunaid didn’t respond. He simply gave a silent nod.

As they arrived at the crime scene , Zunaid came out of the car . A cop from their department approached them.The area was still shrouded in the half-darkness of dawn. It was five in the morning.

After saluting his senior officer, the police officer reported that “ Sir, 'We secured the crime scene as soon as we arrived. The family members have not been informed yet. We discovered a mobile phone from victim'spocket , along with a wallet. His ID card was there in the wallet . The victim’s name is Daksh Singh.”

At the mention of the name a jolt of chilling waves swept through Zunaid's body, reminiscent of an electric shock. Beside him, Ravindra, who had also climbed down the car , stood frozen . His face reflected a similar mixture of shock and disbelief.

Zunaid's eyes darted immediately towards the crime scene which was meticulously fenced off with bright yellow crime tape that fluttered slightly in the wind. He is Naina already on the scene, diligently collecting evidence with a focus determination.

Police officer's voice broke through the tense silence, bringing them back to reality. “Sir, we located the victim’s address from his ID card . The family will be informed after our investigation here is complete “

Zunaid nodded slowly , processing the information. As he stepped cautiously towards the spot , his brow constricted down in suspicion. He couldn't shake off the unsettling feeling, especially noticing the same reporter lingering at the periphery of the area.

Naina was examining the victim's dead body . She wore her mask , and her hands were covered with clinical gloves . When she heard approaching footsteps of the police , however, she didn’t look up , instead kept focused on her work.

Ravindra sat beside her, folding his knees, grinning mischievously. “So, the night isn’t over yet, and Dr. Joshi’s beauty sleep has been sacrificed for the cause of justice.”

A sarcastic chuckle played on Zunaid's lips watching Ravindra teasing forensic Doctor Naina Joshi.

Naina 's eyes narrowed as she shifted her gaze towards Ravindra “ Meri neend nahi, Inspector sahab ki neend udd rahi hai. Nayi-nayi shaadi jo hui hai!” She teased back

( It’s not my sleep that’s being sacrificed , it’s our dear Inspector whose sleep is getting disturbed—freshly married, after all! )

Ravindra went silent , embarrassment spreading across his features.

Zunaid added with a grinning , “Dr. Joshi, you should know Ravindra is planning to woo someone in the future—through an extramarital affair, no less.”

Ravindra’s eyes widened in shock, clearly thrown off. He muttered under his breath, “Why did I even try teasing Dr. Joshi? She’s an example of beauty with brains—and sharp as a scalpel.”

Naina's left eyebrow shot up , flickering a sarcastic smile to Ravindra . “In that case, Yusuf, we’ll have double complaints filed—one from Ritu, and one from Ravindra’s secret girlfriend.”

He shook his head amidst the teasing “ Sir, aap bhi! And Please stop, Dr. Joshi… or Ritu will throw me out of the house and I’ll end up as a forensic sample in your lab

Zunaid's grinned “ This time you started Ravindra “

Naina also laughed . Although their life seems to be domestic life with criminals and dead bodies, they still had a frank personality .

Naina laughed. “Don’t worry, Inspector. We’ll preserve you in formalin. You’ll be our first living, breathing specimen.”

Ravindra clutched his chest playfully. “Such cruel love—first you give wounds, then you prepare a forensic report on them.”

Naina gave him a side glance. “Wounds happen to people who fall in love. You just flirt between shifts.”

Ravindra grinned. “Speaking of flirting… Dr. Joshi, how about tea sometime? I promise—no dead bodies involved.”

Naina rolled her eyes but smiled. “Many people invite me for tea, Inspector. But only a chosen few make it to the forensic table.”

Zunaid chuckled, a sign of clearly enjoying the banter between the forensic Doctor and Inspector Ravindra.

“ Okay now it's enough” He pressed on with a smirk “ Inspector Ravindra is very loyal to his wife . We believe every devotion he says—like bullets fired straight from a gun.”

The playful exchange continued for a few more moments before Zunaid’s tone shifted. He turned to Naina, his expression more serious now.

He sat beside the forensic Doctor , folding his knees “Dr. Joshi, based on your examination of the scene… Do you think it was just a simple accident, or is there something suspicious?”

Naina's face dropped instantly. The humor faded from her eyes. “ Yusuf,” she said softly, “ When I first saw the victim , I couldn't even recognise him. His face was completely damaged…. It looks like he was struck by a heavy vehicle —either a speeded car or a truck . Those must have to be investigated if there is any CCTV camera along the road. But when I go through his ID I can't shake off the feeling. He is dead”

She paused, her fingers tightening slightly around the gloves she held.

“But when I checked his ID… I had a sinking feeling. He’s gone.”

Zunaid leaned in slightly, picking up on the shift in her voice.

“Did you know him?” he asked, sensing something deeper beneath her calm tone

Naina nodded slowly, her eyes glistening as she met his gaze. But held back her emotions. “He’s Aditya’s younger brother.”

Zunaid’s brows furrowed. “Aditya?”

A faint, sad smile crossed Naina’s lips.

“Aditya… is the man my mother wants me to marry.”

Her heart clenched as she revealed the identity of the victim to Zunaid .It wasn’t easy talking about Aditya—her would-be husband. But what choice did she have? Zunaid had never understood her feelings for him. And now, he remained uncertain about how she truly felt for Aditya, the man who seemed to care deeply for her.

How strange life was—The one she loved didn’t love her back.

And the one chosen by her mother never stopped missing her.

Zunaid stared at her in silence, his eyes steady and unblinking. He seemed to struggle for the right words. “I’m sorry, Naina. I know this must be incredibly hard for you… handling this case.”

She let out a slow exhale and gave a faint nod . " It's alright.” she said , collecting her composure firmly “ I believe it might be an accident. The blood was mostly washed away by the rain. The injuries are largely internal—there was hardly any external bleeding. Victim's eyeball erupted out of its socket and there was blood clotted around his nose and ears, those must by internal hemorrhage. That suggests severe trauma, possibly a broken cervical spine and a major head injury.”

Zunaid’s tone turned clinical. “Any signs of fingerprints, footprints, or wheel marks?”

Naina shook her head slightly. “There’s a faint impression—a tire mark that went over his back. The weight compressed his body so much that his internal organs were forced outward. But the track itself is indistinct—washed away in the rain. Still, based on the impact, I’d say he was hit by a large truck or a heavy car.”

Zunaid paused for a beat, then asked cautiously, “Dr. Joshi… is there any chance he was poisoned—like Gautam Desai?”

At that, Naina’s expression sharpened. She looked up at him, her gaze narrowing in suspicion.

“What are you implying, Yusuf? Do you think both cases are connected?”

“It’s possible,” he replied, his voice low but firm.

“ Yusuf , what are you hiding ? you've to tell me. " Naina demanded, her voice firm and unwavering.

Zunaid visibly startled , aslo hesitated for a few seconds. But he knew hiding the truth he was going to get nothing . After a brief pause, he told her everything . When he finished, Naina stared at him, stunned.

“ Oh my God,” She whispered, a hint of subtle sadness and surprise was already etched on her face. “In that case… the killer must be targeting others too. Are there more victims beyond these four?”

in that case the killer must have targeted other people as well..is there anything else other than these four? “Naina asked

“I don’t know,” Zunaid admitted. “Mr. Malhotra hasn’t informed me of anything beyond them.”

" Then you have to find out ”, Naina urged, her voice laced with urgency. “ unless we don't know who we will be the next target . “ Naina answered cautiously, sensing the gravity of suspense .

Zunaid’s eyes locked onto hers. “You’re right. There’s one thing that still doesn’t make sense, though—how did Daksh end up here? My team has been keeping a close watch on those boys ever since Mr. Malhotra told us he suspected only these four.”

Naina's eyes narrowed, her thoughts racing with possibilities. Both of them stood, surveying the area around them in tense silence.

“ Why does Mrs Sanyogita Malhotra want to take action against these four in the first place ? Naina asked , she collected the sample within a zipper and removed her gloves . A man came who helped her to wash her Hansen's water followed by a sanitizer .

Zunaid’s voice was low as he answered, he watch the man left , then he uttered “ Bhabhi's lawyer , Miss Indrani Jaiswal told us she's reopened a rape case….filed by her elder sister against all four of them “

A cold shiver ran through Naina’s spine. She blinked, stunned.

“What?” she whispered, barely able to process what she heard .

“ I know it's quite difficult for you to accept .” Zunaid said gently “I can't speak for the others, including Daksh Singh, but after talking with Gauatm Desai's wife —and learning about some of his secret affairs, including one with his step-cousin’s sister , I can say this much ; Gautam is a sadist and also a Casanova . And unless , Bhabhi didn’t press allegations against him directly.”

Naina’s expression fell. She had no words. Her mind raced, but her lips stayed still.

Reading the worry in her eyes, Zunaid proceeded , “We need to review the CCTV footage from this area.”

Naina nodded slowly “Yusuf…, this area is close to a crematorium . And there’s something important you should know about Daksh . He had Necrophobia . People with this condition are terrified of anything related to death . When I lost my maternal uncle, his whole parents and siblings attended the funeral…except him. I assumed he was busy. But later, Aditya told me that Daksh also had thanatophobia—an intense fear of dying.”

Zunaid stared at Naina unblinking, countless thoughts collided in his mind “ You're saying this place is near a crematorium,” he said , almost to himself. “ ,How could a person like him — someone with a deep phobia of death even come near it ? Especially on a stormy night ? What was he doing out here? “

Naina exchanged a puzzle glance with Zunaid “ I don't know , Yusuf ... .not yet . I'll be able to say more once get the postmortem report ”

“ Sure . Let me know as soon as you do “ He paused, then recalled" their earlier discussion “Wait—have you checked the inhaler? Did anything suspicious turn up?”

“ Yes ,” Naina replied , “ The preliminary toxicology report just came in . The dry powder capsule in the inhaler tested positive for poison.”

“ Ricin?” Zunaid's forehead deepened with wrinkle

Naina shook her head. “No . It's Abrin—which is even more lethal than Ricin . Even as little as 0.1 to 1 microgram per kilogram of body weight of it is fatal if inhaled . And Gautam was a patient of Asthma , so he must have used his I inhaled frequently, thinking it would subside his asthma. But instead… it only aggravated his symptoms . Cause was taking the poison believing it was medicine ”

Zunaid’s face grew grim.

But Naina’s mind shifted direction, caught on something else. Her voice softened with curiosity. “Yusuf… you address Mrs. Sanyogita Malhotra as Bhabhi. Are you personally connected to the family?”

Zunaid’s expression shifted subtly, a faint smile crept on his lips , “Yes… sort of. But she’s an incredible person. If you meet her, you’ll understand what I mean.”

Naina gaze lingered on Zunaid , her eyes narrowing slightly as she scrutinized his expression. She knew ACP Zunaid wasn't one to be easily swayed, but her mind was racing with possibilities.

They navigated the desolate surrounding area, the only sound was the cracking boots beneath their feet. The road stretched out before them, eerily empty, with no signs of life or commerce. No local shops, no residents – just an endless expanse of nothingness.

Zunaid's eyes scanned the area, his gaze lingering on the lack of CCTV cameras. "No witnesses, no footage," he muttered, his brow furrowed in concern. "But who reported the hit-and-run? And how did they know?”

Zunaid's eyes drew towards the crime TV reporter from “Today's New channel" who was also there in Gautam villa at Lonavala. He watched him telecasting the live report from the scene . He grew suspicious when he read the news channel's name . How had the reporter gotten wind of Sanyogita Malhotra's disappearance so quickly? Who told him?

The reporter spotted ACP, he walked to them with microphone in hand , But Zunaid's response was curt , “ No comments “ and he left the scene . He turned away,

Ravindra followed closely behind, as they left the scene and the reporter's probing questions behind.

Naina had already Left. Watching Zunaid strolling towards the police car , Ravindra also followed him . As came near To him he asked , curiosity getting over him better “ Sir , now where will we go? Victims' houses? “

“ No , Ravindra. We will give our Darshan first at Miss Diviya Tripathi's apartment”

Ravindra chuckled “Sir, What do you comprehend after examining Daksh's body? It looks like a simple hit and run case . But Dr. Naina Joshi revelation about phobia of Daksh singh aren't something to overlook”

Zunaid took the driving seat, Ravindra also sat adjacent to the senior officer. “ I'm also thinking of the same Ravindra. How could he come here ? And Why did none of our men watch him come out of his workplace ?do one-thing, asked Miss Shreya to talk inside with the others members where Dask worked “

Ravindra Nodded his head in agreement.

“ I got the update from Suresh , the security guard at the residence where Diviya stays said that Gautam Desai had visited the night prior at the same night Bhabhi go missing “

Ravindra stared at his senior officer. I go through the CCTV footage of the residence , the camera spotted the glimpse of Gautam's timing both arrival and departure “

Zunaid's brain was a sheet filled with so many suspects. If Satish or Ayesha or Divya are any one among them involved in the death behind murder of Gautam, then who is behind the Daksh accident? Is it a simple hit and run case , or something suspicious which I can't see ? Thanatophobia? Can Babhi behind Daksh death, …No see can't. I have to talk with Prithvi.

“ Ravindra, pickup ASP Zoya with us, she can we are going to interrogate a lady So a lady officers can can her better “

Ravindra nodded his head, a tint of smile sprouting in his cheeks .