JandA look refreshed and very besotted in the morning.š³š³ So does Raj, who bumps into Neha just outside his room. She blushes and holds out her hand. "Thank you Rajā¦.aap log na hote, toh mera kya hota?"
Raj: (embarrassed) Isme maine kya kiya? Sab kuch CID ne aurā¦..ummā¦.Meghna ne kiya hai!
Neha: Meghna ne?
Raj then proceeds to explain, tactfully leaving out the Champak Bhoomiya partš. As he finishes, Neha is torn between amusement and awe. "Maine kabhi socha nahin tha ki Meghna k aye interest kabhi hamare kaam bhi aa sakta haiā¦."
Raj: Maine bhi toh nahin socha tha, tabhi tohā¦.
Armaan enters just then, his arm around Jassi's shoulders as usual. He tries to complete Raj's sentence, "ā¦..tabho toh tera naam Chamā¦."š
Raj gives him a sharp nudge and Armu goes "Owwww!" in exaggerated fashion. Jassi grins and takes Neha's hand. "Raat ko neend theek se aayi? Nikki kaisi hai?"
Neha: Sab theek haiā¦.Nikki abhi so rahi haiā¦.
They all sit down to breakfast, joined by the rest of the family. Neha seizes Meghna's hand as soon as they meet. "Thank you so muchā¦..tumeh nahin pata tumne hamari kitni help ki haiā¦.ab mujhe yakeen hai ki case solve ho jayegaā¦."
Meg goes red. "It was nothingā¦.yeh toh mere Yantricā¦."
Raj rolls his eyes, but he is spared from hearing all about Meg's "hocus pocus" by the ring of the phone. ACP Pradyuman informs them that Shyam Sundar has been located. He has been living in Mumbai for the last 5 years, and they are bringing him to the CID HQ right now.
JandA, Raj and Neha rush to the CID HQ. The ACP leads them to a rather scared-looking man seated meekly in the interrogation chamber. JandA's eyes widen in recognition. It is the same face they had seen in the Record of Employees file. He, in turn, recognizes Neha immediately. "Memsa'ab ji!"
Neha squints at him for a moment. Then she also knows him. "Ohhhhhhā¦ā¦.Shyam Sundar! Tum hi 11 January, 1999 ki raat ko duty pe the?"
SS (not that one!š) : Haan membsa'abā¦.aapko yad na ho, par main wo raat kabhi nahin bhool saktaā¦.
ACP: Shyam Sundar, hume tumhara bayaan chahiyeā¦aur yaad rakhna, tum jo kahoge, usse ek gunehgaar ko uske jurm ki sazaa mil sakti haiā¦.dhyan se, yaad karke bataanaā¦.
SS nods grimly. ACP begins his interrogation.
ACP: Tum Hotel King, Nainital (Anuj Shastri's hotel) mein kaam karte the?
SS: Ji haanā¦.maine wahaan 5 saal kaam kiyaā¦.desk clerk ki naukri thiā¦
ACP: Tumne wo naukri kyun chodi?
SS (looking annoyed) Chodi nahinā¦mujhe nikaal dya gaya!
ACP: Kyun?
SS (glancing at Neha) Yeh toh memsa'ab bata sakti haiā¦inhi ke pati ne mujhe bina wajah naukri se nikaala tha!
Neha looks extremely guilty, and the man looks somewhat apologetic after his outburst.
ACP: (firmly) Shyam Sundar, main tumse pooch raha hunā¦aakhir tumhe nikaalne ki koi toh wajah hogi?
SS is silent for a few seconds. Then he slowly answers, "Wajah mujhe batayi nahin gayi thiā¦..lekin main jaanta hunā¦.mujhe kuch aisa pata chal gaya tha, jo nahin pata chalna chahiye thaā¦."
ACP gives an "Aha!" expression to the others. They all wait tensely for SS to continue. After a pause, he relates the whole story:
The night of 11 January, 1999, the date of Samar Oberoi's murder, SS had been on duty at the desk. His shift was supposed to end at 10 pm. Since he also doubled up as porter sometimes, and dinner was not served after 10 pm, there was no other staff besides him that night. At 9:15 pm, Anuj had entered with two guests. SS knew one of them well: CJ, who often used to spend the night at their hotel, and was very close to the owner. SS had heard whispers of the man's criminal activities, and personally did not like him at all.
The other man was a stranger to SS. He was a handsome, tall fellow(Ankur!š³), but when he entered he seemed to be rather weak and disoriented. He might have been drugged. CJ quietly led this stranger to one of the rooms, while Anuj told SS that he could go home right then as there were no other guests expected. SS had even asked if he was sure, as there might be some late visitors, but Anuj has impatiently told him to be off. SS felt that he was in a hurry to get him out of there. He did not even allow SS to enter the new guest's name in the register, saying he would see to it.
ACP quickly pulls out a photo of Samar and places it before SS. "Kya yeh aadmi wahi tha?"
SS gazes at it for a long moment, then sits up straight. "Haan ACP sa'abā¦..yeh bilkul wahi aadmi tha!"
The others look jubilantly at each other. "Iska matlab hai", whispers Jassi, "ab hamare paas saboot hai ki uss raat, Samar ussi hotel mein, CJ ke saath tha!"
ACP continues, "Toh tum ussi waqt hotel se chal pade?"
SS: Haanā¦main apne ghar ko nikal padaā¦mere jaate hi, Sa'ab ne main gate andar se band kar liyaā¦
ACP: Toh tumhe uss raat ke baare mein bas itna hi pata hai?
SS nods without conviction. Neha senses his hesitation and bursts out, "kahin tum kuch chhupa toh nahin rahe ho? Pleaseā¦agar tumhe kuch bhi aur pata hai, toh bata do!"
SS runs his tongue over his mouth. "Memsa'ab ji, main aapki bath izzat karta hunā¦aaj bhiā¦.issliye bata raha hunā¦..yeh shayad mujhe 8 saal pehle batana chahiye thaā¦lekin mera darr meri majboori ban gayaā¦ā¦"
They are all listening intently.
SS :"Uss raat, maine kuch aur bhi dekha thaā¦..!!š²
Tomorrow: Further revelation
Anupamaa
CID
