6

Waikeit was ready to face the day wearing a fake professional smile when approaching her British boss in the office. She had a few things to discuss, and even he had a few points to raise. The day was as usual till her boss finally said the unsaid.

“All this work is okay… But it’s time you think about yourself or at least what I say. give it a thought when at ease.” Waikeit knew that someday things had to go off-road, but she never imagined that day would arrive so soon. She was not ready, but that was not the thing to tell her boss. She simply smiled and nodded.

She returned to her house, and all the time, she was lost in her thoughts. She mechanically opened the door of her home and entered the quiet flat, kept the keys and her purse on the dining table, took some water, changed her clothes, and then had nothing to do. She came by the window and stood there. She had tears in her eyes. What she was thinking was now in front of her eyes in the form of a photograph. How happy she was in those days! Those days when she was with Taluk. She got irritated, threw the photo away at the sidewall, and started crying louder. She was wailing as if no one was watching her. She felt devastated. She was broken.

*****

Mizan slowly walks into the police station and hands the file to the first person he sees at the front desk.

“Hello. I am Mizan Karwa. I am here to lead the murder case of Krit Jhunjhunwala.” Mizan had an authoritative voice. He was evident in his speech and reflected his confidence.

“Welcome, sir. Give me a few minutes.” He replied and took the file to other officials. Mizan looked at both of them, talking about something and nodding.

Meanwhile, another Indian-origin officer came from nowhere and greeted himself to Mizan.

“Hello, sir. I am Sahil Laghari. Northamptonshire Police. You may know that I am going to assist you with this case. What are you waiting for, sir?” Sahil then looked at the two officers exchanging words. “Oh. The paperwork? That will take longer than you think. They are much worse than the Indian Police.” Sahil commented and smiled.

“How did you recognize me, by the way?” Mizan asked curiously.

“Do you see another Indian around? I guessed it.” Sahil was jolly in nature. He always had jokes to crack and laughter ready to burst.

They both came out of the station and discussed the case.

“Krit was an advisor for Raj. He owned many properties in the east and west. He started his business from bars and restaurants and took them this far. He sold off everything from India and came here to settle permanently.” Sahil started to brief about Krit while they sat in the car. Sahil was on the driving side, and Mizan was on the seat next to him.

“Weapon was pretty special as well. 2.4 cm wide and 16 cm steel knife with diamond edges. It was a gift from Rahul to Krit when they started Meer Diamonds. Krit’s property will be distributed among Raj, Rahul, and Aisha. Aisha is also having a small portion of it.”

They kept on talking while driving. They reached Raj’s premises, and the gate opened as they moved inside the mansion. They parked the car in the parking area, moved towards the main entrance, and waited for it to open.

“Krit and Raj both are said to be impulsive while making decisions, but still, Raj took advice on everything from Krit. There was an interview in which they both were sitting, and Raj said that people are capable enough to understand us and our decisions.” Sahil had many more things to say, but Butler opened the main gate, and Sahil and Mizan entered the lavish mansion of Raj.

For the very first time, Mizan had witnessed such an enormous house. He gulped down the excitement, moved towards the living area, and sat on the sofa set. Sahil followed and sat next to Mizan. In a few minutes, tea arrived, and Sahil took his cup and started to sip it while Mizan was busy looking at his watch. He was not very good at waiting for anyone.

Raj then walks down the stairs. Mizan and Sahil had their eyes peeled on him. He came and smiled while shaking his hand with the officers and taking his seat in front of them.

“Thank you, Mr. Mizan, for taking this case. It’s my pleasure to meet you.”

Soon they started talking business.

“Krit always wanted to live in the suburbs. I told him often to come and live with me, but he never obliged. He said my privacy is the most important and valuable thing. I won’t let it go for anything.” Raj smirked while remembering Krit’s words.

“He never had any guards, not even any cameras. Was he always used to living like this? He never received any threat calls or anything like this?”

“Never. He was always out of the limelight and only loved to be like that.”

“What about Aisha, his caretaker?”

“What about her?”

“How was her relation with Krit?”

“She has been working for Krit for more than five years now. She is like a family for him and us.” Raj replied without giving any thought to anything.

“When did you come from the party?” Now it was Sahil’s turn to ask.

Around 10…. 10:15… Something around that only.”

Raj was standing with Shelby and enjoying the performances when someone tapped him from the back. Raj turned to see that it was Rahul and Krit.

“We are leaving now,” Rahul said.

“Let me, too, join you both.” Raj was quick to say.

“No. Your party has just begun. Enjoy.” Krit said while looking at Shelby. Raj smiled at Krit’s humor.

“Okay, drive safely.”

Krit and Rahul moved towards the parking lot to their car. Angel stood at the gate with Taluk, waiting for Rahul and Krit. Taluk was busy looking at something else while Angel’s eyes were fixed on Rahul.

“That’s it. After about 15 minutes, I left the party, and when I returned home, I received that call from Krit.” Raj told everything he remembered from the party.

“Were you with Shelby that night?”

Raj remembered the time when he was on the dance floor with Shelby. They both were into each other. Their eyes were locked. They had so many things to say, but Raj was not ready to share, and Shelby was not prepared to get hurt again by his harsh words of Raj.

Shelby suddenly got too energetic about something, saying, “Come with me,” and tried to drag Raj out of the dance floor, but Raj resisted.

“What we have is special. But right now, don’t make me say something I can’t keep. It’s not temporary; you know that.” Raj was all emotional about what he said. His eyes were deep, and Shelby tried to understand what Raj felt at that moment, but it was difficult for Shelby to understand Raj. For her, raj was a mystery.

Shelby ignored her confusion, let go of her feeling, and simply hugged him and continued dancing to low-beat music.

“Were you with Shelby that night?” Mizan asked again.

Bhasin answered instantly this time. “No. I came alone.”

Mizan nodded and then moved to his next question.

“Mr. Bhasin, when you reached Mr. Jhunjhunwala’s house that night, after how long the caretaker reached the living room? Did you see her when you went inside the house?”

“She must be inside, but I didn’t see her. She came into the living room just 5 minutes after my arrival.”

“Was the door open?”

“Yes.”

Mizan and Sahil stayed quiet. They were done with this meeting. Something was not adding up, and Mizan understood that the case would take longer than he expected.