Chapter 6
Abhay and Pia went to their home and Pia for the first time could understand why this house makes her feel so special. They went inside and was greeted by an over enthusiastic Kantaben who launched into appreciation for Abhay being so caring about his wife and arriving to be with her as soon as he got the news. She further went on saying like how husbands should treat their wives like princesses at this time and be their support and that she was sure that Abhay will take complete care of her unlike some other men who make their wives work even in this condition. Abhay gave a quizzical and puzzled look to Pia as he could not understand a thing about what Kantaben was saying, but he became even more confused seeing Pia trying to control herself from bursting out laughing. They reached their room and Pia could not control herself anymore and started laughing hard. Abhay watched her in amusement and waited for her to stop laughing before asking her:
What are you laughing about Pia? And what was that Kantaben going on about? At first I thought you have told about what's happening to you to her, but seeing your expressions, it seems to be completely else. What is it all about?
Pia replied in between her giggles: She thinks I am expecting!
Abhay was taken aback for a moment, but then he too joined Pia in her laughter and they both laughed together for a while. Then Abhay suddenly asked,"By the way, idea is not that bad, what do you think?" and winked at Pia who blushed and replied in a mock serious tone, "Yup it is not at all bad, so we can surely think about it in another 5 or so years"and burst into giggles again.
Abhay also maintained the same mock serious tone and replied, "Yes of course. Because for next five years I would very much prefer to enjoy my wife's undivided love and attention" with that he pulled a still giggling Pia into his warm and strong embrace and placed a hot passionate kiss on her juicy lips and whispered in his husky voice, "Welcome Home Wifey!" and Pia replied in a similar loaded with passionate voice, "This should have been my line!" "You and I are one and the same Pia!" replied Abhay before sealing her lips with his own and thus stalling any further talks.
Next morning they were pondering about how to proceed about solving this mystery and find out if Maya ever got justice or not. They were exploring various ways like talking to house agents, neighbours etc. when Pia's phone rang. It was Kabir on the line. After talking to him for a few minutes Pia looked at Abhay with a wide smile. Abhay asked what the matter was and Pia exclaimed: See how stupid and adventurous we are. We have a police officer at our dispersal and we are wondering how to find about the murder. We completely forgot that Kabir is a senior police officer and can help us in this matter. He just called up to ask if we think that old records can be of any help to us. And I think he has a point. We would probably just find that Maya's murderer has already been punished by the law and we have nothing to worry about.
Abhay also laughed with her at their own forgetfulness and their over excitement in solving a murder mystery without realizing that it might have already been solved. They decided to go with Kabir to check out the old Police records about the crimes on the Palm Beach Road which took place 18 years back. They checked all the records and they found many crimes like robbery, thefts, accidents, fights, kidnapping. murders etc. but they could not find a single record about any crime having taken place in House No. 10 on Palm Beach Road. No murder was ever reported from that house. How was that possible, they all wondered? They then checked if anyone named Maya was reported missing from any nearby area, but to their surprise no Maya was reported missing throughout the year in the whole Mumbai.
They returned back to their home where Misha was already waiting for them in an irritated mood while Kantaben was giving her dagger looks. Apparently Misha had tried to dispel her misconception but was instead forced to hear a lecture about bad effects of education and science on modern women. Abhay and Pia asked Kantaben to make lunch for all of them and she quickly left the place. Once she was out of hearing, Abhay updated Misha how they have not come across any crime record about this house and that he thought that maybe what Pia saw as a child was an attempt to murder, but Maya survived the attack and did not report it for some reason. But Misha refused to accept that theory and explained that had that been the case, then Pia's brain would have not shut itself like this. It was indeed death which her child brain witnessed. Kabir tried to support Abhay and argued, but if that was the case, then how come no crime was reported. Surely someone would have reported at least her missing. They all sat wondering about it, when Abhay exclaimed:
What if Maya wasn't that important to anyone? I mean if she was an orphan, then probably the orphanage people would not have reported her missing if she would have turned an adult as they might have assumed that she just decided to lead her own life and she might just be a domestic help in this house and people might have assumed that she just left her services and would not have bothered too much about her.
Pia questioned back: But why would someone murder someone insignificant Abhay?
Abhay: maybe someone did consider her significant but she refused to acknowledge. I mean maybe someone fancied her but she did not reciprocate his feelings and so in a fit of rage he killed her.
Pia: But still, why did he chose our house to kill her and why would my father not have reported her missing if she was indeed a servant here.
Abhay: Maybe the murderer convinced your father that she has left and maybe for some reason your father trusted him/her.
Pia: Maybe you are right Abhay, but we need to be sure and for that we first need to find who Maya was before we find who killed her!
Abhay: You are right! But how do we go about it? Hey, didn't you tell me that the gardener has been working here for 20 years, maybe he would have something to tell us.
Pia: You are right. Let me talk to him.
Next morning Pia began an conversation with the gardener and asked him if he remembered any Maya ever working in this house to which the gardener replied in the negative leaving Pia confused. She then changed her track of questions and asked him if he remembered a certain Major Rathod who stayed here around 18 years back to which the gardener replied: Yes I do remember hearing about him, but unfortunately I did not get the pleasure to be of service to him as he resided here for less than 6 months and I had gone to my village for those 6 months. But I did hear that he was a nice gentleman with a small daughter around 3. His wife had died giving birth to her, or so I heard. Poor soul, servants here pitied him. His first wife died like this and second wife left him (I don't know her name now) for another man. It left him so heart-broken that he died within a few months in some sanatorium.
Pia was shocked. She had never heard of her father having a second wife. For all she knew her father had died shortly after sending her off to her aunts. Then when did he get married again? She questioned the gardener further:This second wife that you spoke of, who told you about her. I mean was she there with him when he came and lived in this house? Pardon me for being so inquisitive, but I think this Major Rathod was a friend to my uncle.
The gardener continued: Oh is it? Well like I said, I only know stuff told to me by the servants of that time and they said that the Major had met her in some party before coming to Mumbai and had married her as soon as reaching Mumbai. The girl was too younger to him. She was just 18 I heard while the major was 30. At first the servants liked the girl as she was very friendly with the kid and adored her, but then she suddenly ran away one day and that made them very angry. They said that the Major started losing his mental balance after that and that's why sent off his young daughter off to his relatives.
Pia was completely confused with this new turn of events. She looked at Abhay who was listening to the entire conversation from the living room window and was equally confused. He signalled her to come inside and Pia went inside. They began discussing what the gardener had told her. Pia was in shock of hearing that her Dad had married a second time and that his second wife had been good to her as her aunts never told her anything about it and she herself also did not remember a thing about her, though the latter part at least fitted with Misha's explanations. Abhay suggested that she talk to Madhu aunty about it and ask her about it and Pia agreed and called up Madhu. Madhu confirmed that Danish had indeed married a second time, but that marriage had ended in less than 6 months and so Madhu had forgotten all about it. She did not even remember the name of the girl he had married but remembered that none of them were very happy with the marriage as they were concerned about its effects on Pia.
Pia hung up the phone and sat on the sofa thoroughly exhausted and confused about the turn of events. She did not know what to do. First there was the mystery of Maya and who killed her and then there was this whole mystery of her step mom. It was then Abhay spoke up:Hey Pia, it fits. What if this Maya was some relative or friend of your step mom's and so used to visit here often, and maybe she knew something about your step mom's plans to run away and that's why she was murdered. And maybe your step mom and her lover hid the body carefully and your dad never came to know about it. And since your step mom ran away Maya would have no reason to come to this house again, and so your dad did not report anything.
Pia spoke up: Yes, it is indeed a possibility, but how do we confirm it?
Abhay: By finding out from people who knew your step mom if they knew any Maya?
Pia: Abhay, we don't even know who my step mom was, then how on Earth are we going to find people who knew her. None of the old servants except the gardener works here anymore and he was not here at that time.
Abhay: Pia, that is simple. Your dad was an army officer, so his second marriage record must definitely be there in the army records. We only need to find that out. And leave that to me. My boss's father was an Army officer himself and has lots of contacts in the army. He will surely help us on this matter. I will just now speak to him.
Abhay went to make a call and came back smiling. He told Pia that his friend's father has promised that he will get a copy of the record sent to us within a day or two. And that he had in fact met Danish Rathod earlier when Pia was just about 1 year old and so expressed his surprise and happiness on hearing about her after so long. Pia could not help smiling though her mind was distraught with confusion and doubt.
After a few days they received a courier from Army Headquartes, Mumbai and they eagerly opened the envelope and pulled the document inside it with hands shaking from excitement. They opened the document anxiously, but the colour from both their faces was drained out as they read its contents. The document had the record of Major Danish Rathod who reported to Mumbai headquarters on August 1994 and took residence at house no. 10, Palm Beach Road, Navi Mumbai where he was living with his family consisting of his daughter Pia Rathod aged 30 months and his second wife namedMaya Sharma Rathod.
Edited by ..dishu.. - 13 years ago
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