Mystery Arjun SS: Let Go.....Arjun Case Story Part 8 Page 14 Updated - Page 8

Alisha was busily poring over the files that had come in the morning. She had had to twist a lot of people' s arms to get the baffling information.

Arjun walked in and immediately sensed the electric charge in the air. Alisha had hit upon something. But a small thought niggled as to why hadn't she called him with the information.

He walked up to her and leaned over the files.

"What's up?" he asked urgently

Alisha looked up and nodded at him. He sensed the coolness. He also knew why the usual warmth and camaraderie was missing in her. She was hurt by Arjun shutting her out of his key findings. But now wasn't the time to placate her. Things were moving and he had to keep up.

"I have some news,"

Pointing him to a chair Alisha gave him the update.

"Sir, there isn't any Mrs Rajneesh Sickand the first registered anywhere in South Africa. The Indian Embassy there keeps a tight check on all Indian & Indian origin people under it. The woman the late Sickand had married & later abandoned has remarried and resides in Delhi with her new husband."

Arjun's eyes had widened with interest and he waited to hear more.

"She has her own boy from the second marriage. Ellie is not with her," Alisha informed him quietly.

Arjun sighed and closed his eyes. He tried to calm himself placing his fingers on the bridge of the nose.

"Are you sure?" he asked her very still.

Alisha noticed the play of emotions of his face with interest.

"I had requested the assistance of Delhi police. They have interviewed the women just a few minutes ago. She has never been to South Africa and neither did she ever come here to claim Ellie.Rajneesh being the playboy was about to leave her when Ellie was a year old. In fact when she realised Ellie was a liability she will not be able to cope with all by herself, she gladly dumped her at Rajneesh's door step and fled. She hasn't seen the child in three years."

The anger was back in her voice.

"I think its a cock and bull story about the child being taken back to SA. I checked the airlines for the time around Ellie's disappearance. No child that left here fits her description. All the children who travelled around that time are accounted for."

Both sat silent wondering where could the child be and her disappearance ties into Rajneesh's murder.

"Where is the file on the deceased manager?" Arjun asked suddenly.

Alisha handed him another dossier.

"Joy Dutta. He worked for Rajneesh for the past five years. He was reported missing one day six months ago by his wife. Rumour is that he fled to some Asian country dumping his wife."

Arjun flipped through the file. It had a picture of a burly young man with bulging muscles and a sharp face. The kind some women find very appealing. The eternal bad boy type. He must pump some serious iron, thought Arjun.

" I am going to speak to Joy's wife, Alisha. " Arjun said standing up.

Alisha nodded and stared at him.

"Good job. We need you in Mumbai, Alisha. We'll talk some more when I return," he smiled.

"Yes, Sir. We definitely need to talk," Alisha replied without taking her eyes off him.

Arjun knew what was coming. He nodded to her and left.

Joy's wife lived in a two room apartment in a secluded area of the town. She seemed mild mannered and to all appearances had moved on from the grief of her husband's disappearance.

" He worked for Mr Rajneesh. He was his right hand man. Lived more with him than with me," she said.

A: Did you notice anything different in his behaviour during the time he went missing?

Mrs J: It looked to me that Mr Rajneesh was angry at Joy for something. He was quite irritated and stressed during that time. Don't ask me what happened between them because Joy never told me.

A: Any money problems?

Mrs J: The house ran okay other than that I wouldn't know if Joy had debts. At least no one came knocking asking for money.

Arjun was thoughtful.

A: What do you think? Where might Joy be?

Sighing she replied," I ignored it but that does not mean I'm blind. Joy simply could not keep his hand off girls. I suspect he ran off with some pretty young thing and is having a blast at some beach side with her,"

Arjun stood up. Thanking her he left.

"I will bet my last coin that she was paid to stop looking for her husband. Her house is shining as is she. Joy or someone else is looking out for her."

He parked in front of the massive gates yet again this time alone. The gateman after checking him opened the gates for him.

A slight worry that he might run into Aadhira troubled him.

He asked for Alok and was shown into his small private sitting room.

The man was sitting facing the window staring in to the approaching darkness. Arjun stood at the door and watched him.

It was a simple room but tastefully decorated. There was no feminine touch to the living quarters. It was clear that Ramona did not live here.

Alok slowly turned himself around . He smiled at him and welcomed him inside.

Arjun slowly walked into the room and nodded at Alok.

"Please have a seat, ACP Rawte. Mere gareebkhaane aapka swagath hai," he said with a chuckle. He pointed him to a comfortable looking armchair.

Without asking Arjun for his preference he ordered two cups of tea for both of them.

Once they were alone Alok turned his attention fully towards his visitor.

Both regarded each other in silence. Alok broke the silence.

"I know why you are here," he said gazing intently at Arjun.

Arjun just looked at him.

"But I'll let you do your job," he said sitting back and smiling self satisfied way.

" I came by to give you some good news," Arjun said quietly and watching for reaction.

Alok smiled some more but said nothing.

"Ramona is being given a clean chit of Sickand's murder,"

Alok broke into a cynical laughter.

A: I told you she could not pass a night without that asshole. The bitch!

AR: Why did you put up with it?

A: What would you have me do? Get out of her life and give a free hand into mucking herself up? This was the biggest punishment for her, ACP Rawte. Lugging a lame husband around, ducking into seedy hotels for a romp, forever looking over her shoulders.

He was angry now. Arjun could see bloody veins poking out of the corner of his eyes. The man was hurting & screaming silently.

A: So I decided to stay put and watch her acts and enjoy myself.

He had relaxed now and sat back sipping his tea.

AR: I know who killed Sickand, Alok.

The smile vanished from his face but he composed himself quickly.

AR: Tell me about Ellie.

A: El...

AR I want to know everything about that child and I will not settle for anything less.I know no one came and took her to Soyth Africa. Her mother has not set eyes on her since the time she & Sickand separated. I have been send to wild goose chases too long. But that's it. So without wasting mine and your time tell me.

Alok was taken aback by Arjun's ferocity. He began weighing his options. A moment later he sighed.

Arjun knew instinctively that finally the truth about Ellie is going to be out.

Alok began slowly,

"Ellie, as you know, was the daughter of Rajneesh and his first wife. Rajneesh was a family friend and was invited occasionally to the functions of the house. At one such function he had brought Ellie along. At the time Aadhira was barely recovering from the massive heartbreak she had undergone. She was with her husband at the time of his accident two years ago and had witnessed it firsthand. As if that shock wasn't enough she lost her unborn child too. She had been two months pregnant at the time. She was devastated beyond words."

Arjun froze at hearing this.

Alok continued.

"Aadhira fell in love with Ellie the moment she set her eyes on her. It was as if they bound by something profound even on their first meeting. She frequently had Ellie brought to the house and spent an entire day. After years we could see her laugh and have fun. Each night when Ellie left for home Aadhira would watch her go as if part of her was being torn apart. It was a sad sight. Aadhira's father noticed the changes Ellie had brought in his daughter's life. Rajneesh had also begun impressing him as a shrewd business man. The old man saw a rosy future for his daughter once again. He offered Aadhira's hand to Rajneesh and he quickly accepted.

When he spoke to Aadhira about the proposal she had fiercely protested. But the old man brought Ellie into the picture to convince her. She could not resist the idea of Ellie officially becoming her daughter.The very thought brought a glow to her face. As expected by her father she finally to a wedding with Rajneesh. To all eyes they seemed a happy couple. With Ellie completing the family.

Aadhira enrolled her with a speech therapist and took her to every place a child might enjoy. She filled a huge room with toys and books for her child. It was the happiest time in her life.

Then tragedy struck and her father passed away. She was thrown into grief again. But Ellie this time helped her cope with it. Soon normalcy resumed in their lives.

But Mr Mansingh's death gave wings to Rajneesh. The chameleon began showing his true colours soon after. Women, wine & parties had become the order of the day. Aadhira was shocked at first but Ellie had filled her life so much that she soon began to ignore him altogether. She could not protest as he would then take Ellie with him and move out. So she put up with Rajneesh's shenanigans. She even tolerated Ramona for my sake. After her father passed away I treated her as my daughter and she too respects me a lot. If she threw Ramona out I'd have to go too. So for Ellie & I those two reptiles were allowed to continue in this house.

All was well until six months ago. Ellie was gone one morning. No one knows where. I am sure that story for her mother coming for her and taking her away was bullshit. Aadhira was severely devastated. She raged the whole day screaming for her baby to be found. Rajneesh even slapped her to quieten down. It was hard for anyone to calm her. She wanted to go the police but strangely Rajneesh would not allow it.

A doctor was summoned who kept Aadhira sedated for two days. I began to suspect that Rajneesh had sent Ellie away to torture Aadhira. I will bet my last dollar that he wanted the whole property transferred in his name.

I dreaded the time when Aadhira would wake up and began to scream for her daughter again.

But a shocking thing happened. When she woke up she had gone very quiet. She has never spoken about Ellie after that."

Alok looked up in shock and wonder at Arjun as if seeking a logical explanation from the policeman. But Arjun was absorbing the story.

"I don't know what happened, ACP Rawte. How could she react in this way? I begged Ramona to call in a psychiatrist to check up on her but she cared a damn. I requested her myself but she simply looked through me. As if she didn't know me or what I was talking about.

She began spending hours alone in her room furiously painting. The rest of the time she would walk all over town visiting galleries or sitting in the town square painting. It was not normal. She spoke very little, ate very little and completely ignored everyone."

"But she seemed to have cheered up a lot lately,no?" Arjun asked in a very quiet voice looking straight into his eyes.

Alok looked up alerted. He became guarded and refused to meet Arjun's eyes.

"What do you know about Joy, the manager?"

Alok looked up surprised. He thought for some time before answering.

"So you too made the connection. I am thinking he has a hand in Ellie's disappearance. He has been missing from the time Ellie went away. Dear God! Did he do something to her?"

Arjun stared at the cripple for sometime. Alok was shifting blame for Ellie's disappearance from Rajneesh to Joy now.

"Truth always comes out, Alok. How much ever you stuff it in and try to put a lid over it,"

Alok stared back defiantly.

"And what good that truth is which will only destroy people's lives. Good people's lives," he replied hotly.

"ACP Arjun, you are good human being. I beg you to let things be. It is not going to do any good digging it up. Please,"

Arjun then noticed it. It was on a small table along the wall. He slowly walked towards it and studied it without making Alok suspicious.

Rajneesh murder weapon had been found.

He quietly picked it up and put it in his pocket.

Abruptly he turned around and took leave of Alok.

Alok was alarmed at seeing the policeman hurriedly walk out of the mansion.