"What do you know about this guy?" I will have to treat Shyam as a material witness. I have a recorder on and Deshmukh with me. Shukla and Keith are following other cases and I don't want to distract them with whatever they are doing. I allow Deshmukh to lead questioning my brother-in-law, Shyam.
"I have seen some of his photographs Khushi kept and she spoke about him sometimes. That's how I know about him." Shyam answers.
"What about Khushi's other friends? Have you ever met them?" I like the way Deshmukh is progressing with the questioning. Maybe we will find the connection we have been missing so far.
"If she kept in touch with the members of her community, she didn't tell me. She had few acquaintances and fewer friends. I have met few friends of hers but I am not sure if they belonged to the community or not."
Deshmukh makes a note in his book. "Can you remember any of them? I know it's been a long time sir, but it would greatly help." Deshmukh presses the importance, gently.
Shyam shakes his head. "As you mentioned, it has been a long time and I honestly don't remember."
"When someone else died in your place didn't anyone from Khushi's community contact her?" I ask, hoping to catch a break.
Shyam sports a pensive look. "I was technically dead in the eyes of law and society so I avoided socializing. As I was in other part of the city, I had no idea who they were. "
"Any names? Addresses if you can recall?" Deshmukh asks but we both know this is a dead end. But Shyam manages to surprise us.
"I am not sure if this helps. Few months before I died in the eyes of law, an elderly gentleman visited us. Khushi was unusually skittish around the man. They were softly arguing when I walked into the living room with coffee. Their annoyance and irritation melted to easy companionship and behaved as if the previous altercation never happened. As it was late, I insisted on dropping the man home."
"So you know where he lives?" Deshmukh asks.
Shyam shrugs. "I don't remember it very well as it was years ago but if you can do with vague recollection, I am happy to help."
"What was this man's name?"
Shyam answers immediately. "His name was Venkat Sahai. When I was driving him home he told me he worked as an accountant in a pharmaceutical company."
"Did you see him again?" Deshmukh sounds happy.
Shyam shakes his head. "I never saw him again. And Khushi didn't mention either and I let it go with passing time."
"Help us with the instructions please." Deshmukh pushes a notepad in front of Shyam. Shyam picks it up and starts jotting down things from memory.
This could be a complete wild goose chase but it's the first bread crumb that's substantial enough for us to pursue. Okay, it was remotely substantial but nothing else was working in our favor either so I am eager to grab anything that's thrown in my way.
*****
"Is this the house?" I ask looking at an average middle class house in a congested locality. Our vehicle occupied the entire width of the street and somehow I feel we have been sent on a wild goose chase.
"This is where a Mr. Venkat Sahai lives. He works as a senior accountant in a pharmaceutical company. According to his neighbors, he is a quiet guy who keeps to himself and has never caused any trouble. He lives alone, by the way." Deshmukh has collected enough information about the said man.
"Let's talk to him." I reply and slide out of the jeep.
The doorbell is answered within seconds. The door is opened by a man in his mid-fifties, average build and a pleasant looking face. His smile drops when he sees us in uniform and when the smile comes back up, it is forced. I don't blame him for the distrust he shows our uniform.
He invites us in after our introductions and my wooly response of "Just here to talk about some things we are working on."
"What can you tell us about Khushi Gupta?" I dive straight in. The man doesn't even flinch. He smiles instead.
"I don't know who that is." He replies holding his smile. I believe there are secrets unwilling to spill behind his smile.
"She is a professor of anthropology. You met her and her husband several years ago." I supply evenly. The man doesn't react first.
He shrugs easily a moment later. "Sorry, don't know who that is."
I smile in response. "She was attacked in her apartment couple of days ago."
Venkat isn't smiling anymore but his grim face gives me all the answers. "I don't know what's really going on here Mr. Sahai but I do want to help her. She saved my life couple of weeks ago by administering an antidote to a poison known to a specific cult. I just want to keep her safe Mr. Sahai." I offer more information than necessary but I want him to know that we are all in the know.
He stares at me blankly without offering any response. I decide to push a little more. "I know she severed her ties from her community. She told me...us all about it. We are investigating couple of ritualistic murders which we believe have been taking place for three decades. So-"
"Is she alright?" Mr. Sahai interjects. I simply raise an eyebrow. "Is Khushi hurt?" He repeats.
I shake my head. "No, she isn't hurt. She managed to get even with her assailant and killed him instead."
Venkat breathes out a sigh of relief. "Is she in jail? Is that why you are here? Did she ask for my help?" Deshmukh looks at me and gives me a pointed look. I am to layout the rules of interrogation and Deshmukh will follow my suit.
"No, she isn't in jail Mr. Sahai. Not yet, at least." I add the last part for the benefit of the interview. "But I believe the man who attacked her was someone from her past. Ranvir."
It's dangerous to give away information like this but I have no other go. Venkat can easily clam up and refuse to speak further and we would have to step back. Of course, we can take him into our custody anyway and force him to talk but that's now how we do things in my station.
The man removes his spectacles and runs his hand on his face. He suddenly looks older than he is and crinkles around his mouth seem deeper. "Khushi's father raised him till he was around and the two were very close. Ranvir became Khushi's friend while growing up. They were very close and complemented each other very well. Ranvir's ambition didn't align to what we as a community did. He wanted power more than anything and didn't like the way we lead our lives. When he was twenty, he left our community. It was also around the same time when the ashram was recruiting."
"Which ashram is this?" Deshmukh asks, pulling his ever faithful notebook.
"No one knows. It was a name that wafted through air in mystery and enigma. A group of people started to emulate rituals and customs that were thousand years old."
"Based on what Khushi's father told them?" I interrupt.
The man seems surprised. "She told you about that?" He asks. I nod evenly. His response is a nod to my previous question, I assume. "It was hazy at best ACP Raizada. A cult was forming under our very nose which brazenly adopted our customs but failed to acknowledge the principles. We could never figure out who were the people behind that cult. We don't have the kind of resources or the time. We aren't Free Masons or Illuminati, you know?" He chuckles.
I cannot help but laugh loudly. "Khushi told me as much; ordinary people leading average lives with two thousand years history in their pockets."
He smiles. "That sounds right."
"Why would Ranvir attack Khushi?" I navigate conversation back to my original question.
"My guess is that he was probably ordered to do so. Khushi would never voluntarily seek him out given how things between them ended." His reply soothes me in a way I cannot justify.
"They had a fall out?" I ask further.
Venkat shakes his head. "It wasn't just a fall out between them Mr. Raizada. Khushi took it worse because Ranvir compromised our safety. He gave away names of elders of our community few of who ended up going missing and presumed dead. The remaining relocated elsewhere and none of us know where. Khushi's father betrayed us by giving away our secrets while Ranvir gave away our people."
"So the cult knows about Khushi?" I ask already dreading the answer.
Venkat snorts humorlessly. "They have always known about her. She is well taught to defend herself and that's what she did."
"Even the over kill? Mutilating the face and abdomen?" I am surprised at the calmness of Venkat's voice when he talks about defending. As if it was an everyday occurrence.
"It's her way of telling not to mess with her. She wouldn't have taken more than five minutes to reduce her assailant to pieces." He is proud. f**king unbelievable. Venkat shakes his head and lets out a derisive bout of laughter. "They started an agenda three decades ago inspector. Only when you start seeing things closely, you will notice a pattern exists. Else, there are just few random unconnected events here and there." Venkat gets up and goes to his room. I can hear him rummaging through drawers in his room. When he comes back, there is a small address book in his hands. He hands it over wordlessly.
"You have to go back thirty years to figure out what is happening Mr. Raizada. Start with Khushi's father." He says solemnly.
Now I am confused too. "Isn't he dead?"
Venkat looks tired. "I am not so sure." He whispers defeated.
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