Crime Control Squad (Case #1 Hit and Run) Last Chapter 28 Pg 19 - Page 14

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Chapter 25

After questioning the security men at Bright builders and acquiring all the needed records, Vedant and Sagar headed back to their station. It was nearing 6.00pm. It was already dark due to the stubbornness of the sun not to peep out of its home. There was no sun set as there was no sunrise in the first place, figuratively speaking. Except from the rhythmic sound of the wiper dancing on the front glass of the car, shoving away the faint droplets of rain which had housed itself on the glass, no words were exchanged between the two officers. Both were lost in their own thoughts, thoughts about the case, of course. The case was the most complicated jigsaw puzzle they had to solve in the entire existence of their task force- 6 months. Till date, their cases were mostly straight forward to their standard and their main task was to track and capture the people behind the crime.

The squad room was in a busy buzz when Vedant and Sagar entered. Every officer was in a flutter- on the telephone, on the computer or busy immersed in some papers. The air was pumping with energy.

"Update!" said Vedant loudly and briskly as he stood at the head of the room by their murder board.

"Lohan and Shulya are being taken into custody by H-12 police. I spoke with both of them before they were taken away," said Ruby. "Shulya wasn't ready to talk openly. She was still holding something back. Lohan denied knowing anything initially, but when informed about Tejesh's arrest and a witness who had seen his van and his name printed on the windshield, he began talking."

"He accepted to being part of Rajesh's murder?" asked Sagar.

"No. He said he knew nothing about the murder. Lohan and Tejesh knew each other for years through Rajesh. They weren't friends but Tejesh being Rajesh's friend, and Rajesh being his brother-in-law brought in the connection. Lohan had used Tejesh to deliver messages to Rajesh when Rajesh left Shulya. He had also asked Tejesh to put some sense into Rajesh when he was ill treating his sister. That's how they knew each other well. So when Rajesh was dead- or murdered, Tejesh informed Lohan about the same and requested for his assistance. Lohan was more than happy to help. Rajesh's death brought him relief. He did ask how Rajesh died, but Tejesh asked him not to worry about that. He had asked him for a van and Lohan happily provided one. He did doubt Rajesh could have been murdered, but since he played no part in that, it didn't concern him much. He was happy that his sister was finally free."

"So he accepted he provided the van? Did he know anything about the mastermind?" asked Sagar.

"Sadly...No. Tejesh was the only point of contact and all the dealings happened in less than an hour. Tejesh returned the van the following morning and it was normal life to them again."

"And Shulya? Did she know?" asked Vedant.

"Yes. Lohan told her immediately. She was sad but relieved. It didn't affect her in any way. Her marriage was over long back." Ruby paused before she continued. "But there was something else Tejesh requested Lohan to do after few days of Rajesh being cremated."

"What?" asked Sagar.

"Seal the fate of Samar," replied Ruby. "Tejesh knew Lohan and Shulya hated both the Lala brothers. With Rajesh dead, they began planning the fate of Samar. Samar was due to be released in the next 1 year or 2. They didn't want that. Tejesh proposed a plan - an easy attack on Samar which would result in him being in jail, probably forever."

"But Samar accepted to the crime because Rajesh blackmailed him, right?" asked Sagar confused.

"Nope. That's where we were wrong. Samar was blackmailed- not by Rajesh but by Tejesh. Tejesh had sent him a photo shopped picture of Shulya and Lohan burying a body- the body apparently being Rajesh's. Tejesh had threatened Samar to accept to the crime he would be accused of in the future- Veerkaran's murder- else he would let the truth of Rajesh's death and subsequently Shulya being the murderer out to the police."

"That's a very smart move, I must say," said Vedant. "So Samar sees no choice and hence admits to the crime to save Shulya. The killers gathered his hair from the saloon, planted it on the crime scene as prime evidence and then Samar confessed when we got to him. Usually that would have been enough to close the case."

"But we aren't people to be easily fooled, are we?" said Sagar with a wink. "What we need to know now is why was Rajesh killed in the first place? Why did Tejesh, his own close friend, kill him?"

"What if Rajesh and Tejesh were the first choices when Veerkaran's murder was planned but Rajesh backed down when he got to know his brother was going to be implicated again?" asked Heera. "Since he knew about the plan, Tejesh and the mastermind couldn't let him go and hence murdered him?"

"Not a bad theory at all, Heera," said Sagar impressed. "It's highly possible that the same happened. Rajesh is out of the line and Samar would continue to be in prison."

"Listen guys!" called Vedant for attention. He began walking around the room slowly like a professor in class halting at every students' place. "I'll continue on the same line of Sagar but let's move few years back. Rajesh-Tejesh-Maninder and probably our mastermind were part of Kiran's rape and murder. Samar was forced later to take the mastermind's position and the four were convicted and jailed. Maninder died of cancer a year or few later after his release. That leaves Rajesh, Tejesh and Samar who knew the real truth of the foul play. But Samar didn't know who the mastermind was. So that ruled him out. But Rajesh and Tejesh were the other people who knew who the identity of the mastermind. Rajesh gets killed, which leaves just Tejesh."

"You think Tejesh's life is in danger?" asked Ruby surprised.

"No. He is in our custody and hence we needn't worry, I think. Let's level up the security at the same time. But my point is- Dr. Shakti mentioned how there is a bullet which doesn't belong to any of the people involved in the shootout at Hunar Market- not to the criminals or to the officers. From this we can establish that someone shot from the outside. What if that someone was employed to kill Tejesh and the bullet was meant for him- to kill him? Someone knew the police were on their way to capture Tejesh. The mastermind couldn't take any chance- commanded someone to silence Tejesh- but the operation failed. The shooter got away so did Tejesh from his death."

"Let me alert the security at the hospital. There are chances that Tejesh might be targeted again," said Agastya.

Vedant nodded. "The mastermind wants to have no fear over his secret being revealed. He is eliminating everyone who knew the truth of the foul play." He paused. "Alright. Next."

"Army records are a dead end. The request order has to come from the top. I have placed a request anyway, but I don't think it would be accepted. You will have to talk to the Commissioner, Sir," said Charith.

"Fine. Anything else?"

"Yes. I tried talking to Dr. Ritu again but she is reluctant. She still has no clue where her brother is. But her reluctance proves her brother wasn't at home that night. If he had been, then there is no need for her to hide that, right?"

"Correct. Good work Charith," appreciated Vedant. "But now- are you guys going to tell me the breakthroughs? The major ones? I am sure you are saving it for the end," said Vedant with a short laugh. He never missed a cue.

"You caught us, Sir," said Heera with a wide smile. "Agastya!"

"Right," began Agastya sitting attentively. "I traced the blackmail emails sent to Mina. The first three years of the blackmail, the emails were sent from internet cafes all over the city. It's impossible to find out who sent the emails even if we locate those cafes. But- in the last two years- the emails were sent from IP addresses belonging to one single building- one single company."

"AC Constructions? Bright builders?" asked Vedant glancing at the papers on Ruby's desk momentarily.

"No Sir. Not them. The IP addresses for the emails are different. So it came from different computers. But the emails were sent from one company-the office of New Life Group!"

"Aha!!" exclaimed Sagar with a clap.

"Whose computers?" asked Vedant with controlled excitement.

"That's not conclusive," said Heera and continued before someone could interrupt her. "It wasn't conclusive atleast initially. But Agastya found out that the last few emails were sent from the same IP. The IP used by Mr Jeet, the COO of New Life Group!"

"PERFECT!" remarked Vedant, standing at Charith's place. "Great job Heera and Agastya. So Jeet has been the one who had been sending those blackmail emails to Mina! Can we be sure of this?"

"Yes. If you mean can we prove in court? Yes, we can," asserted Heera. "I spoke with the network administrator and got his statement and the related records. According to him, that particular IP has been used only by Jeet for the past 1 year."

"Are there any chances that someone else used his computer?" asked Sagar.

"Chances are there but very meagre. At least it's not possible in the last two years. Jeet had been given a cabin which has been under lock and key, the key being only with Jeet," replied Heera. "So he should have been the only user. If not- he has got a lot of explaining to do."

"In that case, Jeet is the mastermind. He has been blackmailing Mina all these years. Veerkaran resigned because he got to know the truth," said Sagar.

"How? How did he know the truth?" asked Vedant.

"He could have employed a technology expert and found out the same way as we did," said Sagar shrugging.

"Or he read Jeet's mails somehow and got to know the truth," said Charith. "Just like he came across Mina's emails."

"We can ask this directly to Jeet," said Sagar with a victorious smile.

The shrill ring of the telephone diverted everyone's attention.

"Sir, Dr. Shakti on the line," said Agastya.

"Put it on speaker," said Vedant. "Yes. Dr. Shakti. You are on speaker."

"Right," spoke Shakti. Her tone suggested she was on a hurry. "I just wanted to inform you that the woollen fragment that we collected in both the crime scenes- it doesn't belong to a sock. It could be from a scarf or a glove. Your mastermind must be someone who has the habit of using them."

"It could be anyone. I mean- in this weather- people use scarf and gloves to protect themselves against the cold," said Vedant.

"Agreed. In a cold rainy weather like this, people tend to wear them. What about on a hot summer weather? Who wears scarf and gloves then?" asked Shakti quizzically.

"Meaning?"

"Kiran's rape and murder happened in May- the hottest month of the year in our city. I have never seen anyone even glancing at woollen clothes in that month. But we still found woollen material on the crime scene which suggests your killer wears a scarf or gloves, no matter which season it is."

"Ahh!" exclaimed Vedant joyfully. "Great! Thanks Dr. Shakti."

"Also," continued Shakti. "The shootout at the market- Ballistics report has come out in detail. Vikram's bullet hit and injured only one person. Tejesh aka Tejpal. All the rest of the shots didn't hit the mark. So he didn't kill or injure any civilians."

"Thank God!" said Heera in relief.

"I got to run," said Shakti before anyone could thank her.

"This is great news. Vikram Sir might not get seriously implicated now, will he?" asked Ruby.

"Can't be sure," said Vedant earnestly. "He did shoot in a public place without permission. He worked as a part of a black operation. I will do my best to support him but he would face punishment but probably not as severe as it could have been. Anyway- Coming back- the scarf/gloves! That clears things up."

"JEET it is!" said Heera with excitement. "He is the one who wears gloves all the time in order to cover his burns in his hand. He is our mastermind. He is the fourth guy at the rape scene whose place Samar took."

"Shall we arrest him?" asked Sagar.

"Patience, Sagar," said Vedant. "Let's discuss all points and then decide. If Jeet was the mastermind, how was he so sure that Veerkaran would travel by bike and not his car? We did suspect Hariprasad to be an accomplice, right? What happened to that theory? Is Jeet and Hariprasad working together, both having worked in Army? Who called Veerkaran informing him that his friend wanted to see him?"

"The call to Veerkaran around 8 pm informing him about his friend came from a local PCO outside Veerkaran's colony. So someone definitely had been spying on him," said Agastya.

"May be Jeet and Hariprasad were together in the illegal firearms dealing in the Army. They are taking revenge against Veerkaran together?" suggested Sagar.

"Could be," agreed Vedant. "So Veerkaran was being stalked. What if it was Hariprasad? He had the most easiest of access. He called Veerkaran from the PCO- forced him to take his bike- followed him and then killed him? Also- he was seen arguing with Veerkaran and both didn't share a cordial relationship."

"So Hariprasad is our mastermind?" asked Sagar. "Come on Sir! We can't have two masterminds. We already have forensic proof that it is Jeet who has been sending those emails. Why will he blackmail if he isn't the mastermind? How can Hariprasad be our mastermind then? He could have been an accomplice, that's it."

"Why not? All I am saying is- let's not jump to conclusions about who the mastermind is," said Vedant, reaching Heera's seat. "Hmm...Charith, does Hariprasad own a car?"

"Not sure, Sir. But I did notice a car in the veranda of his house. Could be his sister's too," replied Charith.

"Yes," interrupted Agastya. "Yes. Charith is right. There is a car registered to Dr. Ritu Taneja- Brick red colour sedan."

Realising no response from their boss, heads turned towards him. Vedant who had been surveying few papers on Heera's desk stood reading a particular page from a notebook keenly. Heera realised the notebook didn't belong to the case but to her son. She had placed them on her place when she returned from the PTA meeting at her son's school.

"Sorry Sir. That's not for our case," she said in a low voice as she stretched her hand to receive the notebook from her boss. But Vedant had no intention of giving the note back. He seemed really interested and engrossed in what he was reading. "What's the matter, Sir?"

"All these? Your son wrote it?" asked Vedant showing the page he was reading. Heera saw that the page contained mostly red ink marks, highlighting all the spelling mistakes her son had made.

"Yes Sir. Nikhil isn't great with spellings. He mixes the letters while writing and reading too. I am still in search of a good trainer for him," replied Heera, sadness and embarrassment clear on her face.

"Sir! Can we get back to the case?" asked Sagar, growing impatient with the sudden detour.

"Shut up Sagar," said Vedant casually as he walked lost in thoughts. All eyes followed him like he was a shooting star in the sky. "Don't you see it? Nikhil has cracked this case. Get him an icecream tub on my behalf, will you Heera?"

"Sir! I don't understand," said Sagar scratching his head.

"We have been fools to have missed this particular detail. We had it in front of us all the time and yet we missed it. The case wasn't complicated at all like the way we saw it." Vedant completed his cycle reaching the murder board again. "This detail," he pointed at the board. The word 'Mary' was written. "The boy in the apartment building said he saw a car with a picture of a doll and the word 'Mary' written on it. Right? Vikram got the statement from the boy. Now- what if the word wasn't 'Mary'? What if the boy was like Nikhil who had problems with reading?"

The squad room was dead silent.

"What if the word was 'Army' and not 'Mary'? The letters are the same. What if the doll was the plus symbol," Vedant drew a + symbol on the board, "and the boy got confused? He could have seen the + symbol- related it to the Jesus Cross and read 'Army' as 'Mary'?"

"Sir! That's like swinging the bat with no idea where the ball is," said Sagar.

Vedant shook his head and laughed. "Could be. But I can bet- Ritu's car has a + sign since she is a doctor and Army written on the back windscreen of her brick red sedan."

"Which could look like a dark coloured sedan in the night," said Charith. "I'll check it right away."

"Now- for the moment- let's assume what you are saying is right Sir," said Heera. "Then our mastermind is Hariprasad and not Jeet? But Jeet has been the one blackmailing Mina."

The talking of Charith on the phone interrupted the discussion as everyone directed their attention to the conversation, a short conversation. Charith banged the phone down in excitement.

"Sir! You are right. Ritu confirmed saying Army is written on the back windscreen of her car along with the + symbol."

"Can we believe the word of a little boy?" asked Sagar.

"They are our best witnesses, Sagar. Their observation power is better than ours. Agastya! Try and see if you can get the car under CCTV somewhere that night- before or after the murder. I want it on the road somewhere."

"So Pragat and Jeet were telling the truth? Their alibi stands strong?" asked Ruby. "But Pragat is definitely a part of the conspiracy. If not Jeet, he must have been in contact with Hariprasad then."

"Let's bring them in and question them. No arrest," suggested Sagar.

"The problem is- Hariprasad is untraceable. His sister doesn't know where he is," said Charith.

"What about his office? He works for New Life Group, right?" asked Ruby.

"His sister said he works for New Life Group. But the records show no name of Hariprasad enrolled- part time or full time," informed Heera.

"I checked for any records on Jeet. Apart from his name registered in the New Life Group, he has no record whatsoever. No house under his name, no bank account, no car, nothing." Agastya spoke without taking his eyes off his computer monitor.

"Hariprasad and Jeet have equal number of evidences stacked against them," declared Ruby. "Hariprasad's car was seen at the crime scene, he forced his bike on Veerkaran and he has no alibi for the time of murder-yet."

"The blackmail emails are traced back to Jeet's account. He has some connection with Pragat Chandra, assuming the illegal firearms dealing was between them. The ATM guys could have been sent by him since those guys did some course arranged by New Life Group. Above all, he always wears gloves- fragments of which were found in the crime scene," iterated Heera.

"Both have connections with the Army," added Charith.

"So whom should we arrest?" asked Sagar.

"Both!" stated Vedant triumphantly.

"That means we have two masterminds? Jeet behind the rape case and Hariprasad behind Veerkaran's murder? Are they related in some way?"

"No! Only one is responsible. We have only one mastermind," said Vedant with a satisfied smile.

"Jeet or Hariprasad?" asked Sagar. "Please don't play games, Sir. If you know who it is, please tell us. Jeet or Hariprasad?"

"Both!"

"GOD! How can it be both?" Sagar literally screamed.

"Because Mr. Senior Investigating Officer," said Vedant laughing. "Both are the same person!"

"What? How can that be? We would have known if it's the same person," said Sagar, his tone raised in disbelief. The rest of the team were in shell shock too trying to figure out the revelation themselves.

"Calm down Sagar," said Vedant. "It's quite simple. Heera and I met Jeet at Veerkaran's house. But we have never seen Hariprasad. But who have met Hariprasad here?"

"Me!" said Charith. "But I have never seen Jeet."

"That's exactly where we have been fools. Not one of us have seen both these men or say this man in his different identities at the same time. We didn't deem it necessary to put their pictures on on our board also. He has been very careful. For people related to New Life Group, he is Jeet. Outside, he is Hariprasad. But for Veerkaran, he has been both."

"But still Sir," interrupted Heera. "How can you be so sure?"

"Because we forgot one very small detail which we encountered very early in our investigation. When we first met Jeet, who introduced him to us?"

"Dinesh Chavan," replied Heera still confused.

"And how did he introduce the man 'Jeet' to us?" asked Vedant with raised eyebrows.

Heera immediately slapped her forehead in realisation. "H.P. Taneja! Hari Prasad Taneja!"

"Exactly. It's Hari Prasad and not Hariprasad. We got so used to him being called as Jeet by everyone that his real identity slipped our minds. Also he was never under our suspicion radar. Only recently, after we recovered Veerkaran's resignation letter that we have been directing our eyes at him."

"So Jeet and Hariprasad are the same person? Our mastermind?" Sagar was still unable to digest this fact.

"I have completely understood the entire storyboard. Ready for the narration?"

All the officers took their seats instantly. It wasn't a new experience for them. They were used to their boss finally putting all the pieces together to form the big picture and narrating to them as a story. They loved those moments when all the little fragments made sense finally. It was like adding colours to a blank picture. Their boss had the intricate skill of understanding the underlying meaning of every bit of detail and piecing them together. Besides, it felt like the climax of the movie. Trial and courtroom sentence which would follow would be the scale on which their movie would be scored, where the fate of their movie would be decided.

Vedant cleared his throat and took a deep breath. There was a sparkle in his eyes and vigour in his stature. His team had done it again. They have cracked the case even with so many constraints. He felt proud. He felt relieved. He felt happy- pure happiness. He began his narration.

"Veerkaran Singh, Ex Army officer was murdered by a hit and run at JP Link Road Junction on Friday morning at 1.00 am. Forensics confirmed that Veerkaran was already dead when he was hit on the road, which conveyed- he was killed somewhere else. Knowing he went to meet his friend at the hospital, and subsequently hunting down the crime scene using time and distance calculations, we narrowed down to the construction site where Veerkaran was beaten to death. The site belonged to AC Constructions- CEO being Akhilesh Chandra, son of Pragat Chandra- Owner, Bright Builders and senior member in Jeetenge Hum Party.

The anxiety of the Commissioner about the case led us to know about Kiran rape case and how the prime convict Samar Lala was out on parole. We also found how Veerkaran was the prime witness in the rape case and how he raised questions over the sudden change in the forensic evidences. It couldn't have been a coincidence that he was murdered at the same time when Samar was out on parole and hence we started trying to relate both the cases and establish connections. At the end, we have now succeeded in establishing strong connections. Hariprasad being the mastermind, who used Tejesh and Michael to kill Veerkaran and employed Vincent to stage it as a hit and run. But why did Hariprasad do this? Why did he want to kill Veerkaran?"

For that, we have to go back to their Army days. Hariprasad and few of his colleagues, perhaps, were involved in the illegal selling of firearms to Pragat Chandra. Pragat Chandra in turn sold it to the underworld making money and developing his uncle's company and later on his own. They were just business corroborators back then. Not even partners. Veerkaran and his friend suspected some wrongdoing in the firearms department and reported it to their higher officials. An enquiry was promised. By then, Veerkaran's accident happened and he retired. Simultaneously, the enquiry took place. They probably found out a secret hideout in the camp. An encounter was planned and executed. During the encounter, Hariprasad was injured- the reason behind his burns in his hands. He was reprimanded or probably suspended or may be even sent to prison for a few years. That's a blank we have to fill. My guess is he was imprisoned for 5 or 6 years. When he was out, he coincidentally lodged in the next house to Veerkaran's. Of course, Veerkaran had no clue who Hariprasad was. Did Hariprasad know who Veerkaran was? I am not very sure about that either. Another blank. Veerkaran was working for New Life Group. Hariprasad requested him to help him join New Life Group. He showed him his injuries and gained sympathy. He conveniently became a part of the New Life Group. But Veerkaran never liked Hariprasad for reasons unknown. Another blank. Hariprasad could have confessed he was the man behind the illegal firearms distribution but he was a reformed man now or may be the fact was completely unknown to Veerkaran.

Then Kiran's rape and murder happened in the colony. Veerkaran, when on a walk, heard noises and ran to find out the source. Seeing him approaching, the four people ran from the shed. Veerkaran raced behind them and met Hariprasad in the next lane. When he questioned him about the people running away, Hariprasad denied seeing anyone. This angered Veerkaran because he believed Hariprasad was lying and the four men should have ran past him. But I guess, one of the four men who ran away from the shed was Hariprasad himself. He halted in the next street and let the other three run away. He made it look like he was taking a stroll in the lane and nothing more. No one suspected him. Was he part of the rape and murder? Another blank. We can't say that decisively but he did help those men escape. He was at the crime scene which can be proven by the presence of the woollen material he had left behind. Veerkaran's statement of seeing four men was taken seriously by the police and they began looking for four members.

Before that, Hariprasad must have met Pragat when he was in the city. In that way, he could have met the members of Jeetenge Hum Party too and hence Rajesh Lala. It's speculative but Hariprasad knew at least one of the three members who were part of the rape. When police were looking for the fourth person, he offered huge amounts of money to Rajesh to arrange for the fourth person. Rajesh brought Samar in. Samar had no clue who was behind the entire plan.

The case was in court- the four people were convicted. Pragat used his influence to get Rajesh and his friends out in a few years and used Samar as a scapegoat- blackmailing him. Veerkaran sensed some foul play and tried to get Samar talking but it went in vain. Meanwhile, to stop Veerkaran from nosing more, Hariprasad tried to blackmail Mina. He thought Veerkaran would listen to Mina but Veerkaran wasn't that kind of a person. He continued trying to convince Samar and Hariprasad continued his blackmailing. Hariprasad probably sensed no risk in the near future of his secret coming out- What was the secret? His involvement in the Kiran rape case and may be the truth of his illegal firearms dealing. He waited and didn't make any move to stop the meetings at the prison.

Now let us jump to 5 months back. Veerkaran found out about the blackmail and ordered Mina to stop it. Hariprasad got a wind of it that Veerkaran knew about the blackmail. He feared what if his truth was out, what if Veerkaran found out he was behind the blackmail. He realised it was too dangerous to have Veerkaran around. He had to get him out of the way, out of the world to stay safe. He couldn't risk and let Veerkaran take a chance. His life was at stake. His future was at stake. He had just about settled his life. He didn't want to go back to prison. So he started planning to kill Veerkaran. He summoned his loyal accomplices- Rajesh and Tejesh. He told them about his plan to kill Veerkaran. He probably didn't inform them about his history with Veerkaran which ran from the Army days. He told them that there was a high risk that Veerkaran might dig up everything and convince Samar to openly admit of the foul play leading to their arrest again. Tensed, both Rajesh and Tejesh agreed to help Hariprasad. His master plan was to stage the murder as a hit and run so that it would look like a random killing and not a premeditated murder. Tejesh used his friendship with Vincent and Vincent's weakness to drugs, to get him do the racing of the car and bang the bike. All was set but something happened. What? Another blank. Rajesh, for some reason, didn't like the arrangement and threatened to sabotage the entire plan. Hence he had to be silenced and he was. Hariprasad and Tejesh murdered Rajesh and cremated him so that Rajesh would look like just a missing person. Hariprasad then told Tejesh about his plan to implicate Samar again so that he would never open his mouth, would never come out of prison. They used Shulya and Lohan- told Samar that they were the ones who killed Rajesh and if the truth came out, Shulya would be arrested. Samar accepted to the demands to save Shulya- accepted to murdering Veerkaran. They collected Samar's hair from the saloon and decided to plant it as evidence at the crime scene.

Pragat was obligated to help Hariprasad because he feared his name getting dragged into the media for the wrong reasons. He had used his influence to frame Samar by inserting evidence on an ongoing trial. He was part of the illegal firearms dealing too. He felt it would be better to go by what Hariprasad said and accepted to his needs. He gave him the construction site key for the murder. He didn't play a huge role in the murder- but he helped in every way possible.

Meanwhile, Veerkaran somehow got to know Hariprasad was behind everything and threatened to expose him. How? Another blank. But Veerkaran knew and that must have been the reason why he refused to meet Hariprasad at home or why he resigned from New Life Group.

With no Rajesh, a sudden replacement was needed. Hariprasad looked into the records and chose Michael who was a very loyal student- who was also part of the 9 ATM guys who had helped him withdraw the blackmail cash. Michael followed what was asked of him, without questions.

On the murder night, Hariprasad called Veerkaran from a nearby PCO, talked as if his friend at the hospital was calling him for a meet, sabotaged Veerkaran's car and offered his own bike, made sure the bike was taken and as soon as Veerkaran left, he took his car and left the house too. Tejesh and Michael kept Veerkaran under observation when he was at the hospital. When they knew Veerkaran was leaving before time, they punctured the bike's tyre buying themselves some time and keeping Veerkaran in the hospital. They called Veerkaran around 11.45- must have been Hariprasad. He must have said something to Veerkaran to anger him and called him for a meeting to perhaps sort out things. Veerkaran believed and went to the construction site. Tejesh and Michael followed him to the site. All the three ganged up on Veerkaran and beat him to death, then took him to the JP Link road junction. They put Veerkaran in the back seat of Hariprasad's car. Tejesh and Michael drove the car while Hariprasad rode the bike. That's how the woollen fragment made its way to the bike- it could have got stuck sometime previously too. Anyway- as per their plan- Michael and Tejesh made Veerkaran sit on the stationed bike, positioned it on the road, dropped Samar's hair and gave the call to Vincent to complete the job. Vincent tread over the bike and left the crime scene in the same speed. Tejesh made the emergency call while Michael stood around the body to look as if they reached seeing the accident- like passer-bys. Once more people surrounded the junction, the three left the location in different directions.

They waited for news on the media and when they saw Samar getting arrested, they realised their plan had worked. They thought, we, the police have taken the hair sample and will convict him Samar murder. What they didn't expect was people from the apartments to have noted something. Hariprasad knew there was no CCTV on the junction and he positioned Vincent's car in a way it will escape most of the CCTVs in the area. Majority of his plan worked. We never got any solid proof from the crime scene- from the junction.

But when Hariprasad knew Vincent was arrested, he knew we would get to Tejesh. He didn't want us to arrest Tejesh and hence he asked Pragat to arrange for a shooter to kill Tejesh. It became a close call as Vikram arrived with his troop and hence the shooter took the shot from the nearby building without preparation and hence missed it. Chaos broke as everyone in the scene had a gun at that point, and no one knew who fired. But forensics have now proven the presence of an outsider. That must be the shooter who was assigned to kill Tejesh. Anyway- we arrested Tejesh.

Panic stricken, Hariprasad has now fled from the city before we could get to him- talk to him. He realised we still thought Jeet and Hariprasad were different people and hence he spoke as Jeet to me to buy him some time to move far away from us- to also know if we have reached any close to finding him.

So what are we to do now? Our primary goal is to find Hariprasad and collect all evidence to prove him guilty. We have to fill in all the blanks we have."

Vedant stopped talking and could feel his heart beating fast because of the continuous talking. On the contrary, he could sense his officers holding their breath while they listened to him. Drinking a sip of water, he took a deep breath to bring his heart beat to a normal speed.

"This is our theory putting in all the bits and pieces we have. We still have to collect all the evidence. I don't want to arrest someone and then sit blankly, blinking without any evidence to prove. We have the night. The entire night. Let's work it out. Girls! I hope it wouldn't be a problem. I will manage you a compensatory off after this is all over. Ok?

Vedant looked at Heera and Ruby for a response. The first thing Heera had requested him when she joined his team was consideration for no night shifts. She had two little boys and her mother wasn't around all the time. He completely understood and made it a point to send Heera home on time. Now with Ruby in, he had decided to make it a policy for the team to let off the girls as soon as possible at the end of the day. But the situation in hand was different. He needed people- all the people he had to work.

"It's fine, Sir." Heera replied with a smile. "My mother is around and I will inform her."

"No problem with me either," said Ruby.

"Good. Let's get going," said Vedant with energy. "Agastya! I want Hariprasad found immediately. Alert all police stations- inform all check posts. Track and see if he travelled using flight or train in the last 2 days. Check if he has taken his passport along with him. In that case, alert Interpol also. Trace the web call of Jeet's. Go through all the CCTVs especially from the hospital. See if you can locate Tejesh or Michael. Also- I need to know where his car was on the night. Anywhere- I just want to know where it was. I want an image capture of it. That's the key. Not to forget phone records and financials."

"Shall I see if that PCO guy remembers Hariprasad calling from there?" asked Sagar.

"Go," said Vedant without a second thought. Sagar left immediately. "Heera, we have been missing talking to Samar's mother. Go and meet her. Take Ruby along. Charith- prepare a report of our findings. I want to speak to the Commissioner." He paused looking around at his team. "Come on guys! Let's complete the challenge and go on a holiday!"

The team got into working. They could see the end so near them. They were ahead in the race and they were going to breach the finishing line very soon.

-------

do0dleR thumbnail
10th Anniversary Thumbnail Voyager Thumbnail Networker 1 Thumbnail
Posted: 9 years ago
Res1...😊
PS: My exams going on... will unres soon.😊..
oh_nakhrewaali thumbnail
Posted: 9 years ago
OMG😲😲😲😲
too good update couldn't think of this twist, and when I read that jeet and HP are same, i was so shocked 😲
fab yaar👏
Shwets1502 thumbnail
15th Anniversary Thumbnail Achiever Thumbnail + 2
Posted: 9 years ago

Originally posted by: ...Shibu...

OMG😲
too good update couldn't think of this twist, and when I read that jeet and HP are same, i was so shocked 😲
fab yaar👏


Thanks Shibu 😊
Shwets1502 thumbnail
15th Anniversary Thumbnail Achiever Thumbnail + 2
Posted: 9 years ago

Originally posted by: do0dleR

Res1...😊

PS: My exams going on... will unres soon.😊..


No problem...Take your time..😊 Good luck for your exams.
Shwets1502 thumbnail
15th Anniversary Thumbnail Achiever Thumbnail + 2
Posted: 9 years ago

Chapter 26

The entire night passed with no remembrance of how it flew. The Special Branch officers had no thoughts of anything apart from their case. The rains had ceased but the howling of the wind and the freezing chillness in the air continued but with little impact on the team. A queer enthusiasm and an eccentric energy had emerged within the team- unsaid, but clearly visible. Every case had been a bumpy ride for them- ups and downs- pits and potholes- but they had learned slowly how to travel through those paths, dodging the hurdles, undeterred and unhurt. They were a proud little team with confidence touching the sky. They trusted their superior instincts. They trusted their fellow mates- comrades. Above all, they trusted their leader of reverent power. Before they had entered the team, they were officers of position in some unseen team, who did what they were asked to with no space for their own opinions. After entering the Special Branch under the efficient leadership of Vedant, they were asked what they wanted to do. Their opinions were considered. Each one of the officers had understood their strengths better and all the work allotted to them were considering their strengths. There was the occasional work which was completely out of their comfort zone, but they had learned to enjoy those moments, learnt to turn the uncomfortable zone into a comfort one. They loved working in the team in spite of the varied differences in the style of working and their own individual views, behaviour and attitude. Every case had been a challenge for them, and every time they had solved the case successfully, they were presented with a even more difficult case. Their team turned out to be the go-to team for complicated cases. Their journey and success rate in the past 6 months had taken them to the position of being one of the best teams in the city and state. They were considered to have some magic in them to have the vision and passion to solve every case.

Heera was at her seat in the squad room, cupping her face with her elbows on the table. She looked blankly at the empty screen of her monitor. Her mind was racing through all the cases she and her team had solved in the past few months. Life hadn't been easy for her at the time she entered the team. Life had been tormenting. She had never imagined her life would turn so dark and nightmarish. She had always been the best in whatever she did right from her childhood. She was the topper in school and college. In spite of being studious, she never shied away from having fun. She was popular for being great in studies as well as being an unruly youngster. She had met her husband on one of the inter-collegiate meets where he was her competitor. Charan Chaturvedi had seemed a quiet and serious boy, and an expert in quizzing. From that particular competition when Heera first met him to the many other subsequent competitions where both of them participated representing their respective colleges, they began enjoying the time they spent together on stage- the competitive spirit getting better as time passed. Those competitions provided them the opportunity to sit down and discuss varied issues and in every passing discussion, she was impressed by him. Charan wasn't a show off. He genuinely had interest in current affairs and enjoyed quizzing. He loved the challenges thrown at him in the form of questions. He had won majority of the competitions where she was the runner up, but she didn't mind. To put it in clichd words, he had won her heart gradually. She had liked his simplicity and of course his intelligence. She didn't chew the gum for long and conveyed her feelings to him, very openly. To her surprise, he had felt the same and reciprocated her love. Her love story was very straight forward- she had told her kids. Both of them had decided to take a couple of years' break, to settle their careers before they tied the knot. Just as they had planned, Charan had got himself into a software company while she had passed her IPS exams. Both then decided to get married with their parents' assent and they didn't have problems even there. Their parents had readily agreed and they were married eventually. She was 24 when she was married. In the next five years, her two sons were born. Life couldn't have been better. She had always taken pride in her life being a smooth one. She had considered herself lucky. She had told herself that she should have been a great person in her previous birth to have gathered so much goodness in her current life. But a year back, she was struck with probably the worst calamity. Nothing changed except she had lost her husband in a terrible road accident. She remembered how both had been planning to celebrate their 10th marriage anniversary, which never happened. From that incident, though the sun raised everyday bringing light to the world, her life had been a dark one.

Heera always let thoughts of her husband's death inside her only when she was alone. Those thoughts usually forced itself into her mind. On the brighter side, she had the support of her entire family during her time of disaster. But on the darker side, her husband would never be on her side again. Tears filled her eyes as she tightened her jaw in control. Not a moment passed by when she missed her husband's presence. Her once complete family was completely incomplete without him. Her children missed him a lot but perhaps didn't realise what they had lost. Nikhil was 10 and Naman was 8, very young to understand the void in their lives. They still hadn't reached the age to feel their loss. Many a times, her boys had asked for their father. She had told them he had left the world. But for them, it was like their father had gone to another city and would be back one day with boxes of chocolates and bags of toy for them. A day would come when they would realise their father would never come back again.

Early days after her husband's death were difficult. It had taken months for her to accept the hard truth. She had taken a short break and returned to work in the idea of occupying her mind with work and locking up other thoughts. She had realised that she had to redesign her life back to normalcy for her kids. When she had rejoined her work, she wasn't sent on the field by her superiors. They were sceptical about her mental condition. More than her colleagues doubting her abilities, she had lost confidence in herself. She had contemplated on finding a different job too. She had felt being part of the police force would restrict her from spending time with her sons. Timings were erratic and there was a constant danger too lingering on her life. To think extremely, she didn't want to leave her sons become orphans at the end. But with her mother's support and with her in-laws' offer to stay with their grandchildren for 6 months a year, she attained the strength to continue serving the force. As time passed by, the wound of her loss began healing and now it just left a void. The pain had vanished but there were times she felt empty, empty of any emotions. She didn't mind doing paper work in office when she was perfectly capable of working on the field- on crime scenes. Then arrived the time, she was transferred to Special Branch. She considered this change to be the best thing to happen in her life after Charan and her kids.

Heera wasn't alone in the squad room though she felt the emptiness- loneliness. All the others were at their seats too, a strange time for all of them to be in the building. 3.00 am. Charith had put down his head on the table as he took a snooze. Agastya still had his eyes on the computer monitors like it was a magnet attracting his steel eyes- never leaving it. Ruby was typing a report with earphones plugged. She was shaking her legs in rhythm with the music she was hearing. Sagar sat leant back on his chair, both legs on the table, relaxed and lost in thoughts. If not for his intermittent whistling, he looked like he was in a dead sleep- not thinking in any angle. Heera couldn't see what her boss was doing in his room. Very doubtful when she had joined this team, she felt extremely blessed to be part of it. Her boss didn't doubt her abilities and didn't feel the necessity to keep her away from the field. She had an open discussion with him and Vedant had assured that he would do the best to keep her comfortable in the team. He had kept his promise. The only thing which irritated her, always infuriated her and made her frown in the last six months was the laid back figure sitting in front of her- Sagar. In her initial days of working with him, she had to control hard to suppress her desire to knock him down. His lethargic mode of working, his insensitive comments and his careless attitude sent her to the edge. She had always been blunt while talking to him. Even now, watching him in his supposedly thoughtful trance, she had to control her urge to shove Sagar's legs off the table and topple his chair. She knew he wasn't a bad man- not evil in any sense, but she just couldn't stand his presence. His callous attitude and hurtful comments- though not intended to hurt, always caused her burning anger. But in due course, she had learned to keep her emotions at bay. She had understood that it was just his character and it was nothing personal. In addition, Sagar was extremely good in his craft. They had somehow learnt to work together, though they avoided each other pretty much the rest of the time. Either Sagar had realised Heera's discomfort and tweaked his behaviour to suit her or she just got used to his unwelcoming acts.

Vedant entered the squad room rubbing his eyes and stretching his hands. Just because he was the boss and people looked up to him didn't mean he could easily deprive himself of sleep. He had taken a nap in his room. As much as he was energetic and jaunty, he was the only one completely aware of his own health and age. He was 52, not very old but en route to become one. He had become health conscious in recent times- just conscious. He had no clue of how or time to look after himself. And of course, there was no one to look after him too. He shouldn't complain because he was the one who had beckoned this loneliness on himself. Was it the right decision? He wasn't sure. But there had been moments when he regretted his decision to stay alone.

"Have we got everything we want?" asked Vedant looking at his half asleep team.

The sudden deep voice of Vedant penetrating the room jolted Sagar from his reverie as he jumped out of his chair as if he heard a gunshot. Smirks filled the room as the Senior Investigating Officer made a joke out of himself.

"I am still waiting for a few records, Sir," said Agastya. Always with a curious look, time had never mattered to him. It seemed like he got his life locked up on his computers and without it running he would die. He was still brisk, hair kempt, in spite of the long hours of work, shirt still tucked in, full-sleeves unrolled, Bluetooth headset pressed into his ears- he looked like the police agents in Hollywood movies. Nothing seemed to distract him. That was his speciality- his intent focus.

"Take a break. Go home and freshen up yourself. We have dug enough to bury our suspects. We can cover them completely later. I have put in a request to the Commissioner to let us talk to Tejesh at least for a few minutes. If the permission is granted, I want you Sagar, to go and talk to him and get a confession out of him."

"What about the media, Sir?" asked Charith. "We have to inform them of our developments. How much are we going to tell them?"

"Tell them we are getting Pragat in for questioning."

"Awesome! Thanks," said Agastya in a loud voice gathering everyone's attention. "Found Jeet- I mean Hariprasad. He was about to take a flight out of the country. Police have held him and are bringing him here. He would be here in another 3 to 4 hours."

The sun hadn't risen outside but it was morning for the team with this news. They were worried what if they couldn't find Hariprasad on time. They were yet to find Michael who seemed to have dug himself underground somewhere really safe and hidden.

"Great! Agastya and Charith- I want you both to catalogue all the evidences we have and categorise them according to our suspects. Make a copy for each one of us and have a secured soft copy too. Not that I have to tell you both," said Vedant adding the last bit. "I will push the Commissioner and arrange a meeting with Tejesh. Sagar and Heera will take that."

Heera nodded.

"I will inform the area police to arrest Pragat and bring him in first thing in the morning," said Agastya.

"Allow him to have a lawyer," said Vedant. "Ruby will be with me to interview Hariprasad."

"What about Samar?" asked Sagar. "Have we got everything out of him?"

"No. Let's make him confess everything. Let us put all the cases straight and give the criminals what they deserve."

------

Samar

Without a delay, Vedant went ahead to meet Samar in his cell, floored in the basement of the building. The opening of the iron door easily woke Samar from his slumber. Confused about the sudden intrusion, Samar straightened up and sat on the cement platform he was sleeping in and worked hard to open his eyes to see his visitor. Realising it was the big boss standing with two mugs of coffee, the aroma dancing its way towards him; he was surprised by the sudden trip of the Chief.

"Sorry, sorry," said Vedant settling himself on the cement platform, sitting adjacent to Samar. "Sorry to wake you up. It's just that I didn't have time to wait till morning." He handed over the coffee mug to Samar watching the curiosity colouring his face. Samar received the mug and slowly took a sip feeling a hot coffee making its way down the throat burning his throat. He was clever enough to comprehend that the situation must have been something really important and urgent for the Chief to pay him a visit.

"You must be wondering why I am here," continued Vedant. "Simple. I just need a confession. You see- I know about Rajesh's death." Vedant looked keenly at Samar's reaction. He could see Samar thinking hard, his focus completely on the shining reflection of the steaming coffee. He had spent enough time with Samar to conveniently skip the small talks and jump to the significant matters, jump to the primary task in hand.

"Here is a story Samar- which actually has three versions. Let me first narrate the version you told me. You got a blackmail letter from Rajesh saying if you don't accept committing the murder of Veerkaran, he would hurt Shulya. You got a letter saying "Repeat". You understood it and agreed to the crime. Right?"

"Go on," said Samar without agreeing or disagreeing with the version.

"Fine. But the truth is- the second version of the story is- you knew your brother was dead- murdered. You were sent a blackmail letter by Tejesh not Rajesh, along with a possible photograph of Lohan and Shulya being part of the murder. Tejesh threatened you to accept to the crime and in order to save her you did as you were asked to. Correct?"

Samar looked blankly at Vedant. He couldn't understand how the police actually found out about the arrangement. He realised Tejesh must have told them the truth.

"Tejesh didn't tell us anything," continued Vedant reading Samar's mind and taking Samar by surprise. "We found it out from Lohan. Lohan told us everything about what happened. And- for your information- it is a completely different story, the third version- the true version." Vedant paused giving time for Samar to reflect on the sudden surge of information.

"What's the new story?" asked Samar, his tone very tired. It sounded like someone stuck in a well for a long time.

"Lohan said Tejesh came to him asking for his help to dispose Rajesh's body. Rajesh was already dead or murdered by Tejesh or someone else. Shulya or Lohan had no part in his death. Lohan just lent his van for the transportation of the body. Later, Tejesh shared his plan of implicating you and Lohan felt it was a great plan to keep you away from his sister. He agreed and Shulya was informed too."

"She didn't have any problem with that?" Samar's sadness and disappointment was very evident in his voice. He had nearly sacrificed his entire life in order to keep Shulya safe.

"No," replied Vedant.

"Why? Why doesn't she love me even after all this?" asked Samar desperately.

"Love can't be forced Samar," said Vedant. "Your obsessive love for Shulya just scared her. Every action of yours just made her distant from you."

"So Shulya had nothing to do with Rajesh's murder. Can you prove that?"

"Positive. I can also prove that you had nothing to do with Veerkaran's murder too."

"Good. I am not accepting to this murder," said Samar with determination. There was a lingering anger which suddenly floated. He realised how he had been used by everyone close to him, how his love for Shulya became his weakness.

"I want you to give a statement about everything Samar. Everything from Rajesh getting you framed for Kiran's rape and murder. Your DNA sample being taken when you were arrested and when you were in custody, Veerkaran's meetings with you, the blackmail letters; everything. This is your only chance to do something for yourself. Your mother is still out there waiting for you. Don't let her down. She has lost one son. Don't spoil your own life by your foolishness. It's your chance to redeem yourself. I will do my best to prove you had nothing to do with any of the crimes. But I can do it only with your help. If it's proven, you will be out of the prison with immediate effect."

"Do you think Shulya will accept me when she knows I had nothing to do with any of the crimes?" asked Samar.

Vedant wasn't sure if Samar even heard what he said. His mind and heart were stuck on Shulya. "Reform yourself and prove you are worthy of Shulya. Do understand that it's up to Shulya to decide if she wants a companion in her life or not. For now- she seems happy being alone."

"What do you think? Is a companion necessary for everyone in life?" asked Samar.

Vedant remained silent, thoughts travelling to his own state of life.

"What do you think, Sir?" repeated Samar.

Vedant took a deep breath before answering. "Yes. I think everyone needs a companion. A companion definitely makes life more happy and meaningful. There must be someone to care for, someone who cares for you."

Samar nodded with a smile. "I will change myself and prove to Shulya that I am the right companion for her."

"Which means?"

"I will give the statement. I don't want to live this false life anymore. I want to set everything right. I want to do what Veerkaran Sir had been asking me to do all these years. No more fights. No more petty politics and gang wars."

Vedant patted Samar's back in appreciation. He walked to the door and knocked twice with his knuckles. The door opened. Vedant instructed an officer to take Samar's statement. Samar was a huge witness. But his words lacked support and evidence. It wouldn't be enough at court.

Tejesh

The moment the team received orders from the Commissioner granting permission to question Tejesh, Sagar and Heera set out to the hospital. It was early morning at 7. The roads were relatively empty except for the occasional milkman and newspaper-man cycling their way through the muddy roads. The sky hadn't cleared completely and the gloomy atmosphere seemed the perfect time for a good peaceful sleep but not for the officers. Sagar was going through all the files he had in hand while Heera took the driver seat. They fixed on what they wanted from Tejesh. Unlike Samar, they didn't need a confession from Tejesh. There was enough proof to convict him. What they wanted for him to an approver.

Halting their car at the hospital's parking space, the duo walked to the reception, presented the papers and sifted through the security layered for Tejesh's protection.

Tejesh was sitting on his high raised bed doing nothing. An officer stood by the door inside as well as outside. Conscious with the presence of the officer inside, Tejesh kept glancing at the door, before he moved his hand slowly to take an apple from the bowl placed on the table to the right of him. The officer showed no expression. As he took a bite of the apple, the door opened and Sagar and Heera entered the room. Tejesh instantly placed the apple back on the bowl and sat upright.

Tejesh was a tall, lanky man, approaching 30. He didn't look anywhere near a menacing gangster. Cheeks swallowed in, nose sharp as a knife point, his long face made him rather too old for his age. He didn't get up for the visitors in spite of knowing who they were. He wanted to display that he was incapable of getting up because of his ill health. He was informed about their arrival in prior and was asked to wake up early and be ready for his questioning. Deep down, he knew he was caught in the maze with no idea of an escape.

Heera took the only chair present in the room while Sagar sat at the tail of the bed with an irritating smile, a smile which said 'you are at my mercy'.

"How are you Tejesh?" asked Sagar just as a formality. He didn't care for an answer. "You do know why we are here right?"

Tejesh masked his nervousness. He wanted to know everything before he uttered a word.

"I want my lawyer," he managed. He had learned that he had the right to ask for a lawyer. He had been asking for a long time but with no response.

"Who is your lawyer? Whom should we contact?" asked Heera.

Tejesh sat silently. He didn't have an answer. Everytime he had been caught in a mess, a lawyer automatically was sent to his aid but not this time.

"We are not here because of the shootout, Tejesh. That's not our case. We are not here because of the drugs also. That's not our case either," said Sagar noticing Tejesh's eyes narrowing in confusion. "We are here because of the murders you have committed. The murder of Veerkaran Singh and murder of your own friend, Rajesh Lala. Denying it?"

Tejesh stayed silent swallowing some air.

"You know what Tejesh?" continued Sagar. "I don't care you accept or deny your involvement because we have enough evidence and witness to prove that you killed both of them. We have Vincent in our custody who have accepted to have rolled over Veerkaran at JP Link Road junction on your instructions. He has even provided with messages and calls you had made to him. We have Lohan in our custody who has given a statement about his involvement in the disposal of Rajesh's body and the subsequent planning done by you to implicate Samar. We also have an eye witness who saw you cremate Rajesh's body. We have your financials and phone records." Sagar gave a pointed smile. "You have anything to say?"

Tejesh looked everywhere around the room except at the officers. He didn't realise the officers would find out everything. He definitely didn't expect them to reach Rajesh and his death.

"Now," proceeded Sagar. "If you cooperate, I will recommend to the prosecution team to go a little easy on you. But only if you cooperate. For double murder- actually triple murder if you include Kiran- triple murder, drugs, blackmail- I predict no less than a death sentence. You can ease it on yourself by giving me the names of the people involved in these crimes along with you. We know about Michael. Hunt is on to capture him. I want you to tell me about your leader who had planned all this."

Tejesh wanted to say but something was stopping him. He opened his mouth and closed it back again. He wasn't sure if the officer was telling the truth or lies. Do they really have all the evidence?

"He is telling the truth by the way," said Heera talking for the first time. "Don't have any doubts. It's all true. We have all the evidence ready to send you to jail with immediate effect and I give my word- you will never see light again in the rest of your life. But we are giving you a chance now to tell all the truth. You will get a little recommendation from our side for helping us."

"It's Hariprasad Taneja, isn't it? Your leader?" asked Sagar.

The shock on Tejesh's face was clear as a bell.

"We have arrested him also for your information. We have arrested Pragat Chandra also. Do you believe they will think twice before pointing fingers at you? They didn't even mind to kill you," said Sagar with a laugh. "Yes. During the shootout at your hideout, the first shot was fired from outside the building and the bullet was for you. Your partners in crime wanted you dead. Your luck- you escaped." Sagar paused to observe any visible reaction. He continued placing a hand on Tejesh's legs which were covered in a yellow stained white blanket. "We don't have evidence against them. But we have evidence against you. For us, closing the case is important. We can easily drop all the charges on your head like a hot potato and make you the only person responsible for all the crimes. But you know and I know that you were just acting on orders. Help us put everything straight, Tejesh. We will help you however we can."

"In either ways- there is no escape for you. Do you still want to help those people who wanted to kill you? Don't think Tejesh. Take the deal. Turn into an approver," said Heera.

"I want it in writing that I would get special preference for cooperating," said Tejesh with an adamant voice.

"You will get it. I will call for your lawyer now. In your lawyer's presence, we will record everything. Ok?" Sagar looked expectantly.

Tejesh nodded. Heera immediately made the call for the lawyer in front of Tejesh.

Pragat Chandra

"I am asking you again, Sir," said Vedant.

Pragat Chandra walked into the building on the orders of his summon from the police. Being a well known and popular person in the society, care was taken not to cause disrespect in any way to his reputation. He had informed the police that he would come to the station by himself and he didn't need any escorts. Despite his wishes, police had visited his house and travelled with him on the way to the station. Dressed in a white striped shirt and black trousers, he didn't host the smile he had the previous time Vedant had met him. He sat with a lethargic attitude- trying hard to display confidence. He wanted to display his detachment from the case. He had his lawyer along with him who had several papers spread on the table. Vedant wondered what those papers were. He had seen many lawyers spreading papers of no importance on the table, which they never use during the interview.

"May I know what evidence you have against my client?" asked the lawyer skipping the question.

Vedant sat back relaxed like a lion that has trapped its prey.

"Pragat asked for the keys of the construction site where the murder occurred just on the same evening the murder took place. He returned the keys immediately the next day morning."

"I already told you I had asked for a different key," replied Pragat without looking at Vedant.

Vedant placed a page torn from a diary which was enclosed by a transparent plastic cover.

"This is a page recovered from the diary of Mr Akhilesh Chandra's personal assistant- Neha. If you can see- the date is also visible," Vedant tapped at the corner of the paper. "She has clearly written- 'Construction Site - AC576 - Hand over keys to AC - Asked by PC'. Construction site - AC576 is the name of the site where Veerkaran was murdered. AC is Akhilesh Chandra and PC is Pragat Chandra."

"I asked for a different key," repeated Pragat irritated.

"Which ones?" asked Vedant leaning forward. "You would surely remember which keys you had actually asked for."

"Uhmm...," struggled Pragat suddenly taken aback by the question.

"You had some requirement to use some location of your son's company, right? Which one? Which site's keys did you actually wanted?"

"I wanted a key to a different site. I wanted to show one of my clients who was keen on investing in my son's project."

"Must be a huge project your client wanted to invest in? Right?"

"Yes. I deal with huge clients only. My son does the same. The client wanted to invest in one of the ongoing projects of my son's company and I decided to give him a tour of the site. But the irresponsible PA gave me the wrong keys."

"Must be disappointing- your client unable to view the site?" asked Vedant showing acceptance to Pragat's story.

"Yes he was!" said Pragat with sudden energy. "I have promised him to take him to the site this week."

"You mean to say- just because you didn't have the keys- or you had the wrong keys, you cancelled the meeting with your huge client who was due to invest hugely into your son's company? Why didn't you call your son to bring in the right keys? Both your offices are just a few kilometres apart. Why wasn't your son involved in the meeting? It's after all his company." Vedant peered his eyes looking for an answer. Sagar, Charith, Ruby and Heera were enjoying the show from outside.

Pragat remained silent.

"For your information- AC Construction has only one site under construction at the moment. The rest of the projects are in completion stage and have enough investors." Vedant placed another paper on the table, over the page from the diary, which tabulated the list of projects undertaken by AC Constructions and its respective investors. "There are no projects under construction for you to show your prospective or probably- your imaginary client."

Pragat's lawyer checked the papers and looked questioning at his client. It was evident that Pragat hadn't been truthful with his client either.

"This directly links you to the murder scene," said Vedant. "So I am asking you again- Where were you at the time of the murder? Friday morning 1.00 am?"

"So what he had the keys to the construction site? That doesn't prove he was involved in the murder?" The lawyer argued pushing the papers back to Vedant and leaning back on his chair.

Vedant sighed with a pity. "Pragat Chandra holds a high position in Jeetenge Hum Party. The Lala brothers and Tejesh were a part of the party- the three being the prime suspects of this case. A source alleges his involvement in dealing with illegal firearms sold from the army- the same scam for which few army officers were dismissed and punished- the same scam on which Veerkaran blew the whistle on."

"So? All these things can't be proven," sneered the lawyer.

"May be. But your client told me the other day that he was in a meeting with a client at the time of the murder. He was in the office at that time?"

"Do you have a record for that?" asked the lawyer.

"Yes. I said! So?" said Pragat to the lawyer's annoyance. The interview was on record and Pragat had just accepted to have been at his office at the time of the murder.

"The person you said you were with- Jeet from New Life Group. Am I right? He said he was at a meeting at that time too," said Vedant.

"Yes. I was at a meeting with Jeet. We were discussing business opportunities," replied Pragat.

"His real name is Hariprasad Taneja- the mastermind behind all the crimes. He is in our custody now. So if he was busy murdering people at that time- how could he have been with you in a meeting?"

Tension was painted on Pragat's face. Little droplets of sweat formed on his forehead which he wiped with the back of his left palm. He looked at his lawyer for help who sat confused.

"I checked your company's gate and parking register," continued Vedant. "You left the building in your car at 8 pm and never return to your office that night. There was no other visitors' car parked that night which suggests there was no meeting which took place. You weren't at home which your son had already confirmed. So- I am asking you again- Where were you at the time of the murder?"

"I would like to talk with my client alone in private please," said the lawyer.

"Mr Lawyer. It's a very simple question. I am not going to give any time for you both to chat until I know the answer for my question," said Vedant firmly. "I will also inform you that- strong evidences have been stacked against Hariprasad. There is no way he is escaping this time. And questioning him will extricate loads of names which would definitely include you. Tejesh has also confessed and have given the names of everyone involved. It would just take me a matter of time to capture Pragat's car near the murder scene on camera. You were there at the construction site, weren't you, Mr Pragat? Along with Tejesh, Hariprasad and Michael? Hmm?"

Pragat felt like someone was strangling him. He knew he was cornered the moment he was arrested. He should have never helped Hariprasad with his crimes. The moment he contacted him again after many years, he should have shut him out of his life instead of welcoming him. Now his life was more or less over.

"Look Mr. Pragat. I know you didn't take any active part in the crime. Probably the only mistake you did was providing the place for the murder. You will not be charged for murder but for being an accomplice to it. This can happen only if you cooperate. Were you at the construction site?"

"YES!" shouted Pragat exasperated, covering his face.

"That's enough," retorted the lawyer.

"That's enough," repeated Vedant with a smile and a nod. "You can have your chat now." Vedant pressed his palms on the table exerting pressure to rise up. He ceased the process in the middle and went back to his previous position. "By the way- we checked you phone records Mr. Pragat. There had been numerous calls to and from the number 7987777777, which is the same number which lured Veerkaran to the construction site. I will definitely ask- to whom you were calling or who called you. We also traced one of your calls which took place 30 minutes before the shootout at the Hunar Market. Please do discuss answers for these questions."

"Is my client still under arrest?" asked the lawyer.

"There is no reason I should release him. He hasn't given me one satisfying answer, Mr Lawyer. You have seen the evidence for yourself. He has no proper explanation for any of the evidences we have collected. We are obtaining a warrant to search his house and his office soon. He isn't going anywhere anytime soon. Probably will never go."

-------

"Samar has confessed. He has given everything in writing. Tejesh has turned into an approver. Pragat is pleading guilty and wants consideration." Vedant informed his team which had assembled for a meeting. "Good job everyone. But we still have one main hurdle to cross- Hariprasad Taneja."

"What do you think Sir?" asked Sagar. "Will he accept his crimes?"

"I doubt he would," replied Ruby instead. "If we go by his personality- he would fight till the end. He won't give up."

"But he doesn't have anything to fight for," said Charith. "We have every evidence possible gathered against him."

"Don't underestimate the talent of the lawyers. They have the skill to turn over the case any way they want- doesn't matter if truth wins or lies. They won't have any problem in helping a murderer walk free if they are paid a lump sum. L and O is still representing Hariprasad and they have the best lawyers in the city," explained Vedant.

"So it's important for us to crack him?" asked Heera.

"We will do our best. But we can't do much about it if he refuses to confess. Our job is only to nab the criminal with supporting evidences and witnesses. The rest of the case lies with the prosecution team now. I have contacted the team and they would be sending the prosecutor for this case soon. We have to provide him or her with all the help necessary to prove Hariprasad's guilt."

"And you think we have enough evidence?" asked Heera.

"I think so. Let's speak with Hariprasad. Let's see what he tells. Doesn't matter if he laughs at us. I predict he is going to do just that. We will send our reports to the prosecution team then- sit with them and discuss. They might want something more and accordingly we will work on the case further."

"How's our soldier doing?" asked Sagar about Hariprasad.

"Restless. He has been here for nearly 4 hours now. He is losing his patience," said Agastya who had been constantly monitoring the room where Hariprasad was lodged, through the camera.

"It's showtime!" said Vedant leading his team downstairs for their decisive interview.

------

oh_nakhrewaali thumbnail
Posted: 9 years ago
Awesome👏
Finally Tejash, Pragat and Samar confessed the truth😃
Shwets1502 thumbnail
15th Anniversary Thumbnail Achiever Thumbnail + 2
Posted: 9 years ago

Chapter 27

Hari Prasad Taneja

Sharp features, tough body, an air of arrogance thrown through the length and breadth of the room- Hariprasad Taneja sat like a king. Dressed in a yellow shirt- his hawk like eyes and unruly hair gave him the perfect look for a villain. He didn't seem least bothered about the trouble he was tangled in. If he was nervous or scared, he had a great talent in hiding it. He looked intermittently at the CCTV camera hanging from the top left corner of the interview room. He even waved his hand at the camera with a sluggish smirk. His mood swung faster than a normal swing. One minute he behaved like a VIP showing off his impatience. The next moment he sat comfortably rubbing his chin. He even hummed songs snapping his fingers in tune.

The team stood outside the room Hariprasad was made to wait. They made deliberate commotion to keep Hariprasad waiting in anticipation. They took their time to settle down. It was 11 am. They had all the reports and papers ready. Vedant had called the Commissioner to inform him that his team had solved the case and had arrested the prime suspect. He told him that they were going to question him, to get him to confess. Even otherwise, they had enough evidence to get him convicted. To his surprise, the Commissioner had informed him that he would be present to witness the questioning.

The Commissioner, Sagar, Heera and Charith sat outside the interview room watching the happenings inside through the monitor. Vedant had taken Ruby along with him inside. He felt she might have a good role to play when compared to others. The rest of the members were indeed taken by surprise when he informed them about his decision. They liked and respected Ruby. She was a part of the team. But she was new to the profession and she wasn't really police'. She was majorly a psychologist. But for Vedant, the reason behind his decision was completely different. Apart from the case being the first for Ruby, apart from him wanting to give her first hand experience in facing a menacing suspect, he valued her expertise which he felt was really crucial. Hariprasad was a different kind of a suspect. He was possibly a psychopath looking at the brutal way he had murdered Veerkaran. Vedant might need Ruby to crack him in case Hariprasad didn't budge for his questions. There was no doubt that Hariprasad was behind all the crimes. It was just as a token of formality they were questioning him- to give him his right, to give him a chance to admit and confess to his crimes.

"Where is my lawyer," asked Hariprasad the moment Vedant and Ruby entered the room. Ruby positioned herself perched by the wall, looking straight at Hariprasad. She could see the sudden discomfort in Hariprasad's sitting when he looked at her. Vedant took the chair in front of Hariprasad and sat crossing his legs.

"Which lawyer?" asked Vedant with a forced astonishment.

"I had called my lawyer on the way here. But they are not here yet. L and O group! Call them!" shouted Hariprasad, shocked at the casual and careless attitude of his interrogator.

There was a knock on the door and a senior man entered the room. Squat and stout, he had a jumpy walk to the chair near Hariprasad.

"Jagan Jambhavan," he introduced himself with a wide smile. "People call me JJ. I am here to represent Mr Taneja." He stretched his hand for a handshake which Vedant reciprocated. Sitting down and placing a huge notepad and a shining silver pen beside it, JJ blinked his eyes frequently than normal. "So- why have you arrested my client Mr?" He looked questioning at Vedant.

"Vedant Vashisht," replied the boss. "And no one calls me VV," he added with a pinch of sarcasm.

JJ looked disapprovingly. "Can you prove my client is involved in your cases?" he asked.

"Oh yes I can. That's why he is here," said Vedant placing a huge file on the table squeezing few papers to peep outside. "Shall we start?"

"Before you start, let me state clearly. I have nothing to do with any murder. Why would I murder my neighbour, for God's sake?" asked Hariprasad with a little shaky laugh.

"Take a pick. I have many options for you," said Vedant cheerfully.

"Let us hear it then," said JJ.

"First, I would like to know where your client was at the time of the murder. If he can prove where he was, I can avoid the lengthy speech I have prepared and save you from the boredom."

"My client would like to reserve his answer for that question. He would like to see you prove that he was at the scene of murder that night," said JJ on Hariprasad's behalf.

"Thought so," said Vedant caustically. "Right. Your client's sister confirmed that her brother- your client- wasn't at home at the night of the murder. Your client said he was at a meeting at 1.00 am- the time of the murder. We checked his office security. He wasn't there. Pragat Chandra, who first stated that he was with Hariprasad aka Jeet in the meeting, has retracted his statement. So- your client wasn't at home or at his office or with Pragat Chandra."

"That doesn't prove he was at the murder scene," said JJ.

"Yes. But we have a credible witness who was watching the JP Link Road Junction at the time of the murder from one of the surrounding apartments. He had seen a man in a black jacket standing in a corner watching the junction where Veerkaran was circled by people- assumingly after the knock out by the car. The witness has also said there was a car with a hospital symbol and Army' written on the rear windscreen parked near the man. We have checked. Mr Hariprasad's car has the same symbol and Army written. So- what was your car doing at JP Link road junction at that time?"

"No idea," replied Hariprasad curtly. "I don't understand what you are saying."

"It will be easier for you to understand if you tell me where you were that night. I am sure I will understand," laughed Vedant.

Hariprasad remained silent.

"There could be millions of cars like the one you just said- hospital symbol and Army written. You can't prove it's my client's car," said JJ shrugging and looking at his client and Ruby.

"Yes. With this, I possibly can't prove. But- I checked the registration number of your client's car with all the service stations in our city. We located the one where your client had given his car for service on the next day of the murder. Apparently, the back seat of the car was stained with blood and Mr Taneja had asked for a complete change of the seat. When asked about the reason behind the blood- he had said that he had helped an accident victim to the hospital. May I know where the accident happened, Mr Taneja? Which hospital did you take the victim too? And before you tell me I am lying, here is the receipt for the service signed by your client himself, Mr JJ."

Hariprasad remained silent while JJ looked as if he was doing some mind calculations.

"Enough of your silent vows, Mr Taneja. There are many more evidences which can prove that you were involved in the murder of Veerkaran and put you at the scene of crime," said Vedant pausing to evaluate the attitude of the two men sitting in front of him. "Would you care to explain why you have been blackmailing Mr Veerkaran's wife, Mrs Mina Singh for the past 5 years?"

"That's ridiculous!" spat Hariprasad.

"Really? All the blackmail emails for the past two years have been traced back to New Life Group. Your network administrator has confirmed that the IP from which the mails were sent belongs to your computer- and the access to your room is also restricted. Only you can access it. So- care to explain how those blackmail emails were sent from your computer without your knowledge?"

"I don't know," said Hariprasad with disgust. "Must be a cyber attack- Someone is trying to frame me." Hariprasad sat with his arms crossed, his attitude changing to coolness. He decided not to answer any of the questions. He decided to deny all the evidences against him.

"There were regular cash amounts being credited to the New Life Group's account- on the same day Mina transferred her blackmail amount, the same amount. We have narrowed down the men who had withdrawn the amount from the ATM- 9 different men and they have said that it was you who asked them to withdraw the amount and hand it over to you? Those men are connected to NLG via few rehabilitation courses which they had attended. You used them to withdraw the amount transferred by Mina and then credited that amount to your company's account."

"Neither do I know them nor know anything about any amount transfers," said Hariprasad with forced calmness.

Vedant continued. "NLG's bank records also suggest the same amount being split into three unequal proportions and transferred to three accounts- Tejesh's, Rajesh's and your own personal account. Your accounts team informed me that apart from their team, only you have the authority to access the company's account. They had asked you for an explanation for the credit and transfer of the amounts for which you never gave them satisfying answers. But since the money didn't have anything to do with the business and since you were trusted by them- they didn't insist on."

"Rubbish!"

"I have all the records, Mr. Taneja," said Vedant. "See- I have even traced those transactions back to your IP address."

Hariprasad looked like a balloon about to explode. His face turned read and his eyes watery because of the extreme control he was applying.

"Anyway- Mrs Singh said you and Veerkaran had some kind of a disagreement. You had come to meet him at his house but he had refused to meet you. What happened? Mr JJ, your client has to answer this," Vedant added the last line.

JJ nodded and glanced at his client to answer.

"Creative differences. Nothing else. He disagreed to my methods and decisions," grunted Hariprasad.

"Like?"

"How is that important to the case?" retorted Hariprasad

"I ask the questions, Mr Taneja- not you. Explain the differences," shot back Vedant.

"He wanted me to step down from the COO position. He said I don't deserve the position," snorted Hariprasad.

"So he didn't confront you regarding those blackmail emails?"

"No. If I hadn't sent them- why will he confront me?"

"Hmm. Noted," said Vedant. "Moving on. Phone records- You and Pragat Chandra have been talking to each other quite a lot. Do you know him well? What's your relationship with him?

"Business relationship. What else will there be?"

"Can you explain?"

"There is nothing to explain. We both had plans for our companies and we were in discussion relating to that."

"A rehabilitation training company and a construction company trying to do business together. How does that work?"

"Are you saying I am lying?"

"Oh yes I am, Mr Taneja!" laughed Vedant. "If you see- we have gone a long way back into your phone records. You have known Pragat Chandra for many years- at least 5 to 6 years."

"So?"

"So if you were discussing about business now- say for the past 6 months- what have you been discussing all these years?"

Silence.

"You and Pragat had known each other for a long time- probably from when you were in the Army itself. Your Army records are on the way but I bet you were the one involved in the selling of firearms illegally- and you probably sold it to Pragat and that's how you got to know him. Both of you go a long way, don't you?"

Silence.

"So when you finished your sentence and settled down in this city, you contacted Pragat again. He wasn't very keen about having contact with you but his secret was with you. You got implicated for the firearms scam but he escaped. You threatened to expose him. Pragat saw no choice but to help you. Then happened Kiran's rape and murder. Probably you knew Rajesh, Tejesh and Maninder through Pragat. You witnessed the crime and did nothing. Hearing Veerkaran running towards the shed, you ran away with the other three and let them flee while you stood neutral to the happenings. Veerkaran met you but you acted as if you knew nothing about it. Using Pragat, you somehow turned the case away from you. You always wanted to harm Veerkaran but instead resorted to blackmail to keep the family in check. You were probably waiting for the right time. And when you got to know that Veerkaran was aware of the blackmail after 5 years- you panicked and decided to silence him. You planned with Rajesh and Tejesh to murder Veerkaran. But Rajesh backed down and hence you killed him with the help of Tejesh. Replacing Rajesh with Michael, and using Tejesh's friend Vincent to roll over Veerkaran on the road to stage it as hit and run, you succeeded in your mission, finally."

"Fabulous story but completely fabricated," said Hariprasad clapping his hands.

"I have Vincent, Tejesh, Pragat and Lohan who have accepted their part in the crime and have pointed at you to be the mastermind behind the entire plan. Why will everyone point at you, Mr Taneja?"

"I don't know. But it's hardly proof is it? Most of them have previous criminal records."

"May be. But how will you explain the presence of your phone at the crime scene? The nearest cell tower has picked up your phone's signal at the junction at the time of the murder, putting you right in the middle of the scene of crime."

Silence.

"Woollen fragments were found at both the crime scenes- which I bet will match with the ones you are wearing now or the spare sets you have at your home."

Hariprasad shook his head in mockery. "You guys have done so much hard work to stitch me into this murder just because I have a criminal record when I was in the Army?! Alright! Pragat is an old friend but that's got nothing to do with this murder. Above all- you are connecting me to the rape and murder also? That's atrocious! Tejesh, Rajesh, Vincent...Have never heard of all these people. Enough is enough. This is madness. I am not going to tell anything now. I'll see you in court."

"Forensic evidence, phone records, financials, motive- everything is stacked against you, Mr Taneja," said Vedant strongly, anger surfacing. "I am looking forward to see you in court." Vedant took the file from the table and prepared to get up. "By the way- this is your phone, right?" He pointed at the mobile phone placed inside a plastic cover on the table.

Hariprasad nodded.

"Has anyone touched it from the time you came here?"

"No."

"Good," said Vedant as he brought the mobile phone outside its cover. He placed it on the table, display up and pressed few numbers. "Recognise this number?" asked Vedant. The two men peeped at the number.

"No," said Hariprasad.

Vedant smiled as he pressed the call button. The number immediately changed to Tejesh.

JJ looked stunned as Hariprasad pressed his lips together in anger.

"You just said you don't know Tejesh or the number. But for your information- this was the same number from which we got the emergency call. Tejesh called the ambulance as soon as Veerkaran was knocked down. We have put you at the crime scene with your phone and car. Police are searching your house and office. In time we will find your other SIM number from which you had called Veerkaran luring him to the construction site. Game is over, Mr Taneja. Do you have anything to say now?"

"You people are a disgusting lot," said Hariprasad sharply, springing up from his seat.

"You don't like losing, don't you Mr Taneja?" spoke Ruby for the first time, still glued to her spot by the wall. "No. You don't like people defeating you especially when you consider them inferior to you."

"What nonsense are you talking," spoke Hariprasad, his voice controlled and dangerous.

"That's why you never liked Veerkaran, right? Apart from him being the person responsible for the end of your career, you saw him not worthy of the position he held, not worthy of the respect he gained. And when that man- whom you considered worthless- sent you out of your service, insulted you, disgraced you, smeared your name with dirt, stripped you off all the respect- you just wanted to hurt him- cause him pain- kill him- you always dreamt of doing that. At the same time, you prayed never to meet him again, didn't you? You prayed day and night to give you the strength to control your anger and hatred towards Veerkaran. You never wanted to see him again fearing what you might do to him. You genuinely wanted to start a new life- a meaningful life."

Ruby stopped gauging Hariprasad's reaction. He was fuming in anger, still standing, palms gripping the table so hard. He looked like the Spanish bull scratching its leg in rage to pounce on the person teasing it. Ruby observed Hariprasad's knuckles turning white because of his tight hold. On the whole, she was happy that she had succeeded in her first step. She was cool and composed- her voice clear as a whistle.

"Unfortunately- your bad luck continued. The first person whom you met in this new life of yours in this city was Veerkaran. You cursed yourself on your bad luck. You were taken aback when you saw Veerkaran didn't even recognise you. You were silently happy that Veerkaran retired from service because of an accident, an accident which tainted his reputation, which crushed his emotional stability. You wished you had caused that accident. You wished you were the cause of his pain. You wanted to inflict more pain- to make Veerkaran see the kind of agony you had endured in the past years. All the thoughts of a new meaningful life were shattered to pieces and all you wanted was revenge. You didn't care about your life anymore. You didn't care about the consequences of your further actions. You just wanted to see Veerkaran suffer. You then met Pragat- whom you saw have become so successful despite him being involved in the firearms scam. Seeing him successful and looking at yourself in a pathetic position disgusted you. You were tempted to blow the truth about Pragat's involvement but deep down you realised Pragat could be of great use to you. Then like God's gift- Kiran's rape and murder happened. You enjoyed watching the little girl get raped and murdered by those three naive but aggressive men. You sensed a queer happiness inside you seeing someone inferior like the girl beg for mercy. What you didn't expect was Veerkaran to come to the location? But he was there. You were scared. You could feel the tension. You had to immediately escape Veerkaran's eyes. You felt your legs and hands shake in nervousness. You shouted for others to run. You pushed them out of the shed and ran behind them. You halted in the next lane and acted innocent of the situation. You were filled with triumph when Veerkaran fell for your lies. But not quite, did he? He always doubted your intentions. That weak, self centred man wasn't ready to accept the court's verdict and was posing to challenge it. You couldn't let that happen, could you? You had to do something and that's when you started blackmailing his family. You laughed at Mina Singh when she pleaded to let her and her family be safe. An army officer's wife crying and begging you for mercy, of course over the phone. You felt like God. You felt you were above Veerkaran for the first time. You also realised- Veerkaran had only decided to try and convince Samar which you knew wasn't going to happen any day. You understood each one's weakness so perfectly- just like you comprehended your own weakness- fear of defeat. After a long time, you were winning. All your competitors sat on your legs with you deciding their fate."

Ruby saw tears glistening in Hariprasad's eyes as he listened intently to her words- nose flared in anger. His hands were shivering slightly because of the tight grip of his palms on the table.

"And then the golden chance to kill Veerkaran. How could you leave it? You understood you had waited far too long letting Veerkaran live. When you realised his living could become a danger to your reputation, to your life, you decided to put your dream into action. You always dreamt right? Dreamt of killing Veerkaran in the most brutal and crude way. You wanted to beat the life out of him. See him wail in pain. See the blood and life ooze out from his body. You have run those moments in your mind every night, every time you saw Veerkaran. And when you caught him red handed in the construction site- you wanted to stand on top of a building and shout and laugh and announce to the world about your victory. You were always a leader- always instructed your people to do your work. But not this time. You wanted to perform the murder. You picked up the wooden rod with rage boiling inside you and measured every blow. You hit him in the most sensitive areas and you found pleasure in that."

Vedant noticed a sadistic smirk coloring Hariprasad's face. He was visioning every word Ruby was uttering. He was running the entire incident in his mind.

"You never thought about Veerkaran's family. You didn't care about them. All you wanted was to murder Veerkaran in the most vulgar way. You staged it as a hit and run- not just because you wanted to fool the police or leave no evidence tracing back to you. You made it a hit and run because you wanted Veerkaran, an Ex Army officer, known for his charisma, named for his majestic presence, lying on the road alone, legs spread out like a dead frog, blood leaking through every outlet possible- peeling every layer of respect he had. You succeeded in your mission. You finally won. You did what you wanted to do for all these years, didn't you?"

"Yes. I did want I wanted to do and I won! So what?!!!" shouted Hariprasad, finally breaking the barrier and letting all the pressure flow.

Ruby smiled in satisfaction and pity. JJ slapped his forehead in disappointment.

"I think that was a confession, isn't Mr JJ?" askedd Vedant cheerfully. "You can have all the time you want with your client now."

Vedant and Ruby left the room, closing the door behind. Hariprasad slumped on the chair, covering his head. He pulled his hair in frustration. All the control he had mustered was breached and breached to his doom.

Outside, the team was exchanging handshakes. Bright smile flew around and the atmosphere scented with victory.

"Let's not forget about Michael," said Vedant as he patted Charith's back.

"That will be taken care of by the local police," said the Commissioner. "Well done everyone. I never thought you would solve the case within the deadline. Fantastic work!"

"Team effort," said Vedant.

"So...Sir," called Sagar at the Commissioner. "What's our reward for solving the case?"

"An even more difficult case," winked Jayant leaving the team to themselves.

"Party tonight, Sir?" asked Sagar.

"Party? No- Sleep would be better," said Vedant.

"Come on Sir. Let's all go out and have some fun," said Ruby. Sagar was surprised by the enthusiasm of the psychologist.

"You guys go on. I can't," said Vedant.

"Don't be a spoilsport, Sir," said Sagar.

"Sir is right. I have to go home and be with my kids too," said Heera.

"Let's meet for dinner. You can bring your kids also," said Ruby.

"Dinner?" asked Sagar with shock. "And kids? How can we then...you know..."

"Drink? Correct?" completed Vedant. "You guys plan. I have other works to do and lot of sleep to catch up. And...Ruby! Wonderful work inside. Keep it up!"

Vedant left the youngsters to brainstorm. He had been wishing to meet someone for a long time- few months now- and he had decided not to postpone it anymore. The case had taken a toll on him mentally and there were loads of things he wanted to talk and discuss. He wasn't sure if the person he had chosen was right, but he had nowhere else to go.

"Let's call Vikram Sir also- with his family. He had a good part to play in the case too," said Heera.

"Great. Then dinner is final. You can have your drinks another day, Sir. Also- I don't think there is anyone to give you company," said Ruby chiding Sagar jokingly.

"Since the idea of dinner is yours, Ruby and since you were the reason for the grand confession inside- you will sponsor the entire dinner. It will be from your side as a welcome treat," said Sagar.

"We have to throw a welcome party for Ruby, not the other way around," said Heera.

"That's Ok. Deal! I will give the party this time. Sagar Sir will have his day," winked Ruby.

"As for the drinks, I do have the man with me," said Sagar putting his hand on Charith's shoulder.

"Oh no Sir! Not me please. I have never touched drinks in my life. I think you shouldn't too," Charith was shocked with the idea. "It affects the health very badly. I read a research paper which said..."

"Enough! My genius boy! I understood," said Sagar closing Charith's mouth.

"Let's complete our reports and go home," said Heera.

The team walked towards the stairs with a sense of achievement. They felt that every time they solved the case. Apart from the fact that it was one work done for them, they were able to provide answers to the family of the victims. They were able to provide them closure.

-------

Dr Shakti barged into the open room without knocking. Vedant looked up in surprise. He was working on all the reports which he had to submit. He had to file the chargesheet as soon as possible for all his arrested men. He didn't expect the visitor at that time of the day especially when she always detested entering his station.

"What is this??!" asked Shakti throwing an envelope on his table above all the papers he had piled the table's roof with.

Vedant picked up the envelope and before he could pull the paper from inside its shelter, Shakti continued speaking.

"I work for you???? What nonsense is this? I am sure you are behind this," said Shakti.

Vedant ignored the rant and went ahead reading the letter. He gave a little sigh as he reached the end of the letter, a sigh of annoyance.

"You did read the letter, right?" he asked. "It doesn't say you would work for me. It says you would work in this building, and you would be working for Special Branch. Special Branch cases would be your first priority. Where did you read that you would be working for me?"

Shakti remained silent.

"Look, I didn't tell anyone anything or request anyone to do something. I don't know how this decision was made. Perhaps they are breaking down the forensic department into two so that there could be a better productivity and quicker solutions. If you have problems working in this building or working for Special Branch, let the Commissioner know. I have no issues," said Vedant firmly.

"Don't try to get close to me, Ved. That's not going to happen," said Shakti, out of the blue.

"What?" Vedant was shocked at the accusation. "What are you talking, Shakti? Getting closer to you? It's been 3 months we have been working together. I have been trying to talk to you about what had happened all those years back. But seeing that you have no intention or wish to settle things, I had always maintained my distance and now you accuse me of trying to get closer to you?"

"Even after knowing that I don't want to- you were still ready to work with me? Why didn't you refuse working with me? You had the power to do that," said Shakti panting with anger.

"That's different. When I am working with you, you are my pathologist and no one else. I keep my personal lives away from my profession, Shakti. You know that."

"Of course I do," declared Shakti, tears of anger rolling down her cheeks. "That's why you didn't think twice before killing Aakash?" She had always wanted to confront Vedant but she just didn't want to see his face after that terrible encounter.

"I didn't kill Aakash. He was my friend- like my brother," said Vedant.

"You pulled the trigger, Ved. You told that yourself. You killed him," said Shakti.

"Yes!" Vedant stood up to level eyes with Shakti. "I shot him. I shot him not because I wanted to kill him. I shot him because he asked me to. I told you this even before. I was just following his instructions. The operation had laid rules and I had to follow it."

"So it didn't matter if you had to kill your own friend?"

"I had no choice. He was captured and as per the plan- if any officer gets caught by the enemy camp, we had to kill the officer ourselves. That would save them from all the torture they would endure in the enemy's hands. We were dealing with very dangerous people then and Aakash got captured. If I hadn't shot him, he would have been tortured for information and eventually given a painful death. You think I will let my friend go through that?"

Shakti panted in anger. Her entire life was spoiled because of that operation. Aakash and Vedant had been her childhood friends. All the three did their schooling together. While the boys went ahead with their IPS, she went for medical. Yet the three were inseparable. Vedant was the first who had realised Aakash and Shakti liked each other- more than just as friends. He played the catalyst in bringing both together. They were engaged right before a very crucial operation involving a terrorist group hiding in the massive forest of Jinar which Aakash and Vedant were part of. Aakash headed one of the teams. Aakash had made a risky move resulting in him falling into the clutches of the terrorist group. Vedant was the only one who had witnessed the capture and hence the only one who could execute the move, to save Aakash. He had to shoot him and he did just that, hiding behind a tree. He had narrated everything that had happened to Shakti, when he returned with Aakash's body and from that day she had never forgiven him for what he had done to her fianc. As much as he was sad and depressed as to what had happened, he never regretted his decision. Aakash died a warrior's death. He never had to cry, beg or plead to anyone. He had a respectful end to his brave life.

"It's been 25 years since that tragedy happened," Vedant spoke with every word dipped in emotions. "You have got married. You have a very caring husband and a lovely son. Let it go, Shakti. I am not asking you to mend things with me- but wash away the hatred and frustration you have built in. I will not apologise for what I did because I know it was the right thing to do considering the circumstances. I also know you can never forgive me for what I did. Can we leave things that way and start again?"

For Vedant, his childhood was the best phase of his life. He, Shakti and Aakash had done all the mischievous things that could be listed on earth. They were very famous for their naughtiness in school. Shakti was three years junior to them, but she was their leader. Every decision they had made in their life wasn't without discussing with each other. The laughter, the sorrow, the excitement, every other emotion- they had shared it with each other. They were inseparable until they had to go to different colleges. Yet that didn't make any difference to their friendship. They had vowed to be together till the end of their life- no matter where they personal and professional lives took them. But there they stood- no contact for 25 years and hatred polishing their friendship. The only contact he had was with Shakti's parents who gave him regular updates regarding Shakti's life.

"We can never be friends ever Ved, never. I can never forgive you," said Shakti as she left the room without collecting the envelope she had thrown on the table, which lay in Vedant's hand.

Outside the building, as Shakti opened the door of her car, she stood still lost in thoughts. After the death of Aakash, her parents had wanted her to get married. They had waited for nearly a year after the tragedy, giving her time to cope up. They somehow felt marriage might help her come out of her grief. They were right. In Harish Raghavan, she found solace. He had been very understanding and she was able to speak her mind to him. He had been ready to give her time to come around and she did eventually. She was very happy in her life. Slowly and gradually, she learnt how to handle herself with Aakash's thoughts. She eventually put him in the past- put her entire childhood behind her, never wanting to remember those moments again. All those happy memories had turned painful for her. She was really happy in her life and in her work. Her husband had got a transfer to the city and she had requested for one too. She was immediately granted a position as the Head of Forensics and Pathology. What she didn't prepare for was to meet the one man she never wanted to see again in her life- Vedant. All those memories which she had locked up all these years with great difficulty were quick to fill her entire body and soul with agony. She was relieved to know she needn't meet Vedant all the time, but just send him the reports and answer his questions. But now to be in the same building and corroborate with him- that would be too much to handle for her. She had discussed her situation with her husband. Her husband had always told her to let it go. He had also told her that Vedant was right and it wasn't his mistake. Deep down somewhere she knew everyone was right. Aakash's death wasn't Vedant's fault. But she needed someone to blame.

Chargesheets and reports waited patiently for its author to get his focus back on them. Vedant was hurt but he knew Shakti too well to know what she was going through. She lived in denial. She felt better blaming him for Aakash's death and in that case, so be it. It had been 25 years since their friendship ceased. If she was not ready to renew their friendship, he was fine with that.

Vedant completed the chargesheet, collated all the reports sent to him by his team to the Commissioner and the prosecution's office.

"Sir! You are coming for the dinner, right?" asked Ruby as she saw Vedant coming out of his room. She was packing her bag. Charith, Sagar and Heera had already left office for the day.

"No, Ruby! I have some personal work to do. I wouldn't be able to come. But you guys have fun," said Vedant. "I'll join you guys another day."

"Ok Sir," said Ruby. She didn't press more. She felt Vedant did really have something important to do.

"And Ruby...don't forget to drag Agastya from in front of the monitors," said Vedant as he closed the squad room door behind him.

Ruby laughed as Agastya frowned. The case was over but it was just the beginning for her in the team.

------

oh_nakhrewaali thumbnail
Posted: 9 years ago
Awesome👍🏼
Ved-Akaash-Shakti's past😭
Fabulous Story👏
Do write more😃

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