ArHi FF! The Cult [Completed] - Page 8

So where is this going to lead us? Political involvement? Family getting rid of black sheep? Humiliated wife had enough and decided to off her husband? Or there is a serial killer on the loose as Arjun hinted at the beginning? Loads of mystery and a very interesting ACP with a side kick to match. I like Arnav and Shukla's inspection of the people they are talking to. These poors have no clues on how closely they are being observed. The details in your description is flawless and I feel like you are dropping clues all over the place for us but I can't make anything of this story yet. I am very intrigued of how this will unfold tough and wil wait patiently for the next instalment.

Ok, I had to post the previous comment for obvious reasons and you know it. Coming to my real comment -

Chapter 03:

I decided not to go home for the night. It's three in the morning and I am wide awake. Insomnia has been a constant companion for more than three decades. I remember my parents taking me to numerous doctors, therapists and even priests who checked my horoscope. I take pride in being a specimen unfix-able by all. Insomnia never got cured and I started embracing the idea of having to sleep less. I read a lot in my spare time – whatever that is left of the day. And I go back to unsolved cases; not necessarily by me but the ones which have stuck around the station for a long time. I rummaged through the archive room – basically a hole in the station where all the files are dumped.

During one my insomniac bursts I had organized the archive room. Now I run my hand on the shelves which are neatly labeled and categorized. The symbol has been driving me crazy since the moment my eyes fell on it. My eyes roam around the shelves and try to figure out from which one of these files did the symbol come from?

"Saab, Dr. Arjun has come to meet you." I hear a constable call me from doorway. No one else comes here besides Shukla and me.

"Ask him to come here and send us cup of tea and coffee." I answer him distractedly as my fingers pull files and my eyes browse through them. I had remembered that it was in an old case file during the long drive back to station.

"Next time you go under the long phase of insomnia, organize our filing room." Arjun said walking inside the room and looking visibly impressed.

"I thought you were unhappy with the way I organized your bookshelf." I remind him. He flusters and his tired eyes roll. I empathize at his physical state. "You should've gone home Arjun. You look like hell."

Arjun waved his hand. "I have my assistant working on autopsy right now. Lab results will be available after at least two days." He walks in slowly and looks at shelves distractedly.

"Pulling some strings there, are we?" I smile and turn my back to him. With the kind of backlog his department has, it would be a miracle if he can finish it by end of the week.

"I am awesome, that's all." He says with pride. I chuckle at his comment.

"You came all the way here to tell me this Arjun?" I ask him finally turning around. I know something is bothering him. It was evident in his eyes when he saw the mutilation on the body. There was still some residue of that fear left on his face.

He shakes his head and his entire persona changes. He sits on the floor as there is no other furniture in the room and becomes a ball of exhaustion and unknown fear.

"I spoke to a friend about the symbols we saw on the body. He gave me a reference – a college professor who can tell us all about it. I have arranged a meeting for tomorrow and emailed you the details." Arjun leans back on a shelf and stretches his leg in front of him. He cannot relax them fully because the space between the shelves is really small. "It isn't good Arnav."

"You said the same thing before. What's going on?" I don't understand what's going on.

Arjun sighs and removes his spectacles. He rubs his eyes in a way to dissipate tiredness. "The symbols are unique to a specific group of people. These people aren't to be messed with – they keep to themselves and rarely show their true heritage in the society. The origins of these symbols are associated with few Rigvedic tribes – somewhere around Iron Age. These tribes were nomads, scavengers with excellent adaptability. It is said they have always had a hand in societal evolution over the course of history. They never held positions in court or office so no one really knows if it is true or not. They were big on rituals, black magic etc."

It sounds like a bad Dan Brown rip off. But Arjun is deadly serious. "You think they have something do with Vimal Sharma, yes?" I ask him unnecessarily as I am unable to wrap my head around this.

Arjun shrugs. "The blood we found on the wall belonged to the victim. The marks were made on his body when he was still alive." He places the file in his hand on the ground next to him and pats it. He has got crime scene photos for me.

I wince at that imagery. "If it was ritualistic murder, then we have to see this in a completely different way."

Arjun looks at me then. His expression is unreadable. I don't know why he is so freaked out. We have seen some pretty bad things in past decade and if I am being honest, this doesn't fall into top five worst murders we have seen together. I walk towards him giving up my quest for finding an old case and slid opposite to him.

"What's going on?" I ask him directly. He bangs his head on the shelf and shakes his head. His fear wasn't the fear one has when they walk along a dark road. This was much deeper and darker.

"Nothing Arnav…just memories of my mother. She was an anthropologist and she was researching these tribes for a paper she was working on. Those symbols brought that memory…that's all." He is lying and I know it. He knows that I know it and looks at me gratefully when I don't contest it and accept it without an argument. He was hiding something.

A constable walks in with a cup of coffee and tea. I take the tea and he takes coffee. He sighs in relief and tiredness as the first sip of his coffee warms him up. I keep an eye on him and watch him. He looks older than normal and his eyes are bloodshot. I pick my brains to give me some, any, information about his mother. Five minutes pass and I still don't have anything on her; only that she died when Arjun was very young.

Almost two decades ago.

An old file with more photos than paperwork.

The sepia of the photos marring the color of blood.

Symbols engraved on the naked woman's body.

A college professor working late.

Killed in her office.

Unsolved case.

Maybe that's where I have seen that symbol though something tells me otherwise. It doesn't matter since the old case warrants a look once. But not right now. Not in front of Arjun. I can't do that to my friend.

We drink our choice of beverage and Arjun rants about chief medical examiner that he is after his hide for ignoring a lame but high profile case for some time. Like me, Arjun abhors bureaucracy. Punishments in our line of work equates to insults – like how I was asked to escort MLA's daughter to the movies.

It doesn't take too long for me to realize that Arjun is here because he was feeling jittery. This isn't the first time. He comes in search of either me or Shukla for a psychological relief. It doesn't matter what we talk. All that matters for him is there is a living body around him. Working with cadavers does that to a person, I suppose.

"Get some sleep Arjun. If you continue like this…" My mouth goes dry and my tongue sticks to roof of my mouth. I shouldn't have brought it up. He doesn't say anything but give me a sharp look.

"I apologize." I am sincere with my apology. With Arjun there is nothing but sincerity. His break down four years ago was infamous amongst our circle. The repercussion was far too great for law enforcement officials of the city to ignore. It was a small miracle that it wasn't leaked to the media.

"No, you are right. I should get some rest." He stands up suddenly. The small glass tumbler rolls away from his hand and falls to the ground breaking into tiny little shards. "God…" He exclaims as he shuffles on his feet.

"Don't worry about it." He rocks on his heels back and forth. I wonder if I should put in a call to Malvika. She is his therapist and our friend.

"I'll see you tomorrow?" I ask him already knowing the answer. He nods. He parts with a wave and within half a minute, I am all alone in the archives.

I make my way towards the backend of the room where older files are stored. I found the file I was looking for and I am both right and wrong.

Arjun's mother Suman was killed in her office on a Saturday afternoon. She was found naked, hoisted on her table and there were strange markings on her abdomen and torso area. The case had baffled the local police. There were few suspects questioned and interviewed but nothing had stood out to make an arrest. The case lost its steam and was shelved later on.

Arjun has left generous amount of crime scene photos for me. I arrange the photos on floor and the start comparing the symbols from the old murder against the new one. Only two symbols match and rest are unique. The symbol I saw on the wall isn't present here. Now my memory puts the symbol on a patch of white skin. I still cannot remember correctly where I have seen it. I

I only hope this case doesn't turn like the old one.

*****

I am in that moment where dream and reality converge for several moments. My body is shaking and someone is calling my name. I open my eyes tiredly and see Shukla hovering above me.

"What are you doing in my…" I look around and see the dingy archive room. I am slumped on floor with crime scene photos surrounding me. I guess I fell asleep while reading Suman's case all over again.

"Here is your tea sir." Shukla hands me a glass of tea. "Careful sir, there are glass shards near your feet," he warns me when I pull knees towards my torso.

"It fell from Arjun's hands last night…early morning." I stumble across words. Shukla is patient.

"He dropped this file?" He picks up a photo and gives a critical look. "He wants us to meet some college professor to understand the symbols. The meeting is in two hours." He adds for a good measure. Shukla is always precise. I like that about him.

I raise an eyebrow. "Is he not coming?" I am surprised. Shukla shakes his head. I just nod at that. Something about the case had set off Arjun. Was he trying to connect his mother's murder with this?

"You might want to take a look at another case before we go meet the professor." I hand him the file. "Oh, that's Arjun's mother by the way. So certain degree of discretion must be followed." I do not hide the authoritative order from my voice. Shukla nods somberly.

I walk outside the archive room after collecting the photos from the floor. I walk back to my cabin and see the woman sitting in front of my desk.

I sigh and rub my eyes and glare at constable. "Why didn't you tell me that she was here?" The constable looks confused and bumbles incoherently. I curse under my breath and exhale slowly to relieve tension from my system.

"Fancy seeing you here," I gush cheerily with a wide smile. "Good morning!"

She doesn't smile or react to my cheerful good morning.

"Fancy seeing you," she glares. I sigh deeply and lean on my chair. I haven't gone home in two days which has made my sister walk into station to give me an earful.

"I was about to come home…" I trail. She narrows her eyes. "For a shower and breakfast made by you." I force out a smile. She stares at me unblinking and finally simply shrugs.

"I'll take it," she smiles. I sigh in relief.

"Can you wait outside? I will be there in couple of minutes." I wait till she is out of my cabin.

I am in middle of conversation oh phone when I hear her scream. I rush outside, my heart erratic and see that she is sitting on the floor and screaming again and again.

In her hand was the crime scene photo of Suman's murder.

You have picked up another great combination of semiotics and crime. Arjun's mother was a college professor and that too of anthropology. Maybe she was doing some research on the tribes and had found something which was to be kept a secret, so her murder. But it doesn't add up to Vimal's murder. Two symbols were same so there is definitely some connection between two murders. I like the small things you add in the story like Arnav's insomnia and in the previous update Vimal's widow trying her charms on Arnav. It makes the story fun to read and introduces a light element between the heavy duty dark stuff.

Just keep them coming RBji...😃

Wooo! Great start and I just read the 3rd chapter. The story is picking up momentum.
And the ritual sacrifice thingy wasn't exactly new is it? I mean Arjun's mom was killed in a similar fashion.
Now what's with Anjali? Was she spooked ?

I am speechless! Most of your work are thriller, very different from each other with a captivating story. Where do you get your FF inspirations from? A big 👏 & hug for you!!Is Khushi the professor they are going to meet?

Beautiful part
thanx for the pm
Twinkle

Awesome update.

What is the issue with Arjun?!...

I like Anjali.Wonder why she was so panicked to see suman's muder photo
and how she got hold of the photo.

RBji,with your FFs it hard not to get curious.Thanks for writing so well :D