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Chapter 28
I wonder if I should have simply served a warrant and sent along a lady officer to haul Anjali's ass down to station. But Arav's innocent face clouds my mind and weakens my resolve. I don't want him to look at his mom like a common criminal while Anjali is anything but common; there is something vicious about her that's been dormant for way too long. No, I ensured Arav was far away from all this along with Shyam. I don't even want to understand what Shyam must be going through right now. The betrayal he would feel for being used like a pawn from the woman he loves. I wonder if it was all Anjali's doing or was our lives neatly drawn out by an unknown entity.
"Would you like to go in?" Keith asks me, bleary eyed. The team has been working too hard to bring things together. "It's best if I don't. Anjali knows me well but I feel I don't like her at all. She may play me using the knowledge she has about me and I have no idea who she is outside being my sister. Go in with Deshmukh," I cock my head towards Deshmukh. Anjali is already in interrogation room. It was a wonder how easily she walked out of the house as soon as she read the warrant. Anjali, my sister, was never this calm. There was always a current of annoyance and panic running under her skin to keep her still and it put her in a constant state of worry. It was a side of her I never saw and didn't even know existed. I was rudely awakened by her behavior than her involvement.
Deshmukh is epitome of detachment. His face is stoic and amongst us he has the best poker face. Its that detachment that is going to be useful to break Anjali.
"Are you okay sir?" Keith asks me softly. I feel bad for the kid. He is practically the baby of the team with energy, vitality and goofiness that came with inexperience. But this case had given him a jolt to reality that was unfair. I know how it is for us police men; it takes one crime scene for us to shed out innocence, one perpetrator to change our view on humanity and a witness's bravery to reinforce that faith in humanity. The cult case however had all those and much more. Keith wasn't that kid anymore. None of us were what we were six months ago. There are edges to our shadows that didn't exist before. There is weariness in our bones that deepest hurt cannot penetrate.
"I will be, eventually, I guess." I reply honestly. Keith nods and walks inside with Deshmukh to begin interrogation.
"Can you recognize any of these people Mrs. Jha?" I hear moments later. Deshmukh has finished the initial rituals of interrogation and started with the real deal. I watch Anjali extra carefully looking for physical behavior, micro expressions and whatnot. I really want to know how well she holds herself when she is accused of murder. Would she flip? Would she scream? What would happen to this calm exterior of hers?
"I have no idea who these people are." Anjali replies without sparing more than a second to glance at the photos spread out in front of her.
"Are you sure? Look closely Mrs. Jha. Take some time." Deshmukh gently insists. Its amazing, his temper.
Anjali stares at him, calculating, unblinking for several moments. Its hard to figure out what she is thinking.
It doesn't make sense - her calmness, the careless way she is treating this interrogation and the way she has not once asked about me or her family.
"I still have no idea who they are," her voice hardens. Deshmukh meets her glare. Her lips twitches a little as if there is a joke somewhere in the silence but the slight tilt of her head says otherwise. She isn't cooperating and she is making it obvious. Why?
"There are several photographs which says otherwise. There are also several witnesses who have seen you with these people." Keith breaks. I feel sorry for putting Keith in a position like this. Being an only child and an orphan, Keith looks up to Anjali a little too much and installs himself in our kitchen whenever he comes home. He feels betrayed as much as I do because it feels like he has been cheated out of a mother figure for the second time in his life.
Anjali's face is still carefully blank but her chin deflects only a little but its there. I zoom in camera remotely and watch only her face on the monitor. She didn't expect us to bring this so soon.
Why is she stalling?
"Mrs. Jha?"
No response. She leans back in her chair and picks her nail, silent. She isn't just refusing to talk but has withdrawn into this shell which makes her impervious to the world. Keith and Deshmukh continue this for another twenty minutes in vain. Anjali is completely shutdown and nothing seems to work anymore.
"Sir ji?" One of the constables walks in. "Commissioner is here along with some high ranking officials." I am not sure if he is scared or star struck. I think its a bit of both.
I walk outside sparing Anjali one last look.
"Sir." I salute the moment I enter the bullpen. I can see my men giving me a weary look and standing way too stiffly. I get several salutes in return out of respect but the senior officials look...lost. Its hilarious if it hadn't been Anjali inside interrogation. "We can go inside my cabin." Three men walk fall in step.
"ACP Raizada, I believe you have arrested your sister. Do you think its wise for you to continue on this case given how you are personally invested?" The commissioner doesn't believe in pleasantries or foreplay. I have no idea why I am coming up with bad puns and cheap jokes. Must be the nerves.
"You could have called me and told me about it." I am being purposefully nonchalant. Maybe this is what Anjali has been waiting for. "Isn't it odd that you asked me to take a step back when I haven't done anything to jeopardize this case?" I shouldn't talk this much. Bloody nerves.
"I am not questioning your integrity ACP, calm down. You are one of our best men out in field and I don't want this case to taint your reputation." He answers mildly.
"It won't." I snap. The three men sit back and my boss isn't thrilled. He is lying and he knows it. He knows I know it. I don't understand why he needs to maintain this charade.
"Are you sure about that?" He insists. "There is always a breaking point when loved ones are involved in a case. It's your sister Arnav and we know that she is the only family left." He replies.
I cannot help but smirk. "No she isn't. I am not this Batman-ish figure who does things for justice. I am honestly doing this for myself and my nephew. If she is neck deep in shit, I would like to help. If she has broken the law, then am keeping kilometers and legal documents away from coming anywhere near us." I think I understand why Anjali isn't scared. I am not too sure but the next five minutes will decide.
"I can bench you from this case, you know?" Its the prosecutor who opens his mouth this time. Asshole.
"Go ahead and do it." I shrug. Of course I give a shit but I am holding some cards close to my chest. They don't have to know it yet. "Your office is already in dumps because of corruption cases your office has been charged with. All I have to do is walk out of this station without my stars and gun and give a depressing interview to one of the many person from the press standing right outside the gates." I am bluffing. Who cares at this point? Its not as if the media cannot be bought. I may simply ruffle feathers for a bit and be in news for two days. It will fizzle and die out after a new story gets its cycle. No, I want something permanent. Something more...tangible so that the three assholes sitting in front of me will realize it for the rest of their lives. I am not sure what but hopefully it should come to me soon.
"You think that will stick?" The prosecutor snorts.
I shrug. "I don't care. I don't understand why you are so worried in the first place. I have enough evidence to put Anjali Jha behind bars and I will do it." It still hurts my throat when I say it. My chest wails in agony at the thought but her actions makes my skin crawl. Everything else takes a backseat when Arav becomes part of equation.
"Does that satisfy your inquiry?" I keep sarcasm to minimum. The three men exchange looks and it becomes clear. Ironic how they wish I don't prosecute my sister while I genuinely want to.
"Has she said anything?" Commissioner asks, changing the tone of discussion. So that's how it is. Information.
"No, I am sure she will when I talk to her next." I stand up and offer my boss a salute. I am done with this shit.
"We have to know what she tells us ACP. Its one of the longest open cases in our department and I believe there are many individuals who would be interested in knowing about it." The prosecutor doesn't hide the underlying threat in his voice.
"Of course sir." I give him a toothy smile and walk out of my cabin.
The interrogation room is quiet. Deshmukh and Keith have exhausted all resources. We have been here all day and there is nothing to substantiate our claims.
I have one last card left. If that doesn't play out as I hope it shall, we are doomed.
"Mrs. Jha." She looks up the moment I enter the room. Her eyes are blank and the twitch of her lips gives me a glimpse of the girl I once used to know - the one who pulled pranks on me when I was twelve and got scolding from parents for no good reason. Sibling rivalry at best.
"Arav and Shyam are deep underground. I don't even know where they went. Khushi's old friends helped them with new identity and I don't think they are even in this country anymore. Cooperate with us and I will think about giving you a chance to meet your son in jail periodically. You walk away now, you will lose your entire family forever. That's my deal." The smugness she has been sporting all day tones down at the start and by the time I finish, she is positively devastated. I was hoping for that. If she didn't love Arav the way I believed she does, I would be in trouble. So much trouble. Now? Maybe there is hope.
"I...can't." She says after fifteen minutes of warring within herself. Or some nonsense like that.
"Grow the f**k up and own up for your shitty decisions." I slam the notepad on the table and walk out.
I wonder if any of her affection was true. Was it calculated response when she convinced me to take IPS exams? Did she seek out Shyam as a target and not because she liked him? Was Arav her bargaining chip all this while?
I am not sure of anything anymore. I just want all of this to be over.
"Sir ji, we have a problem." Its Shukla. I turn around and raise an eyebrow. "It's Khushi sir."
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