by Irfan Khan
As Madhav walked down the corridor his eyes were still spotting the cameras. The manager opened the room and gestured Madhav to enter. Karan’s luggage was next to the wardrobe and the bed has been made up by the housekeeping. Madhav walked to the spot on the bed where he had seen Reema and Karan, then he looked in the direction of the wall where the camera should have been. His memory was sharp and he had no doubts. But there was no camera on the wall. Madhav walked towards the wall where the camera was supposed to be. He asked the manager whether there was a CCTV camera in the room. The manager denied vehemently and said that’s impossible in his hotel. Madhav could not see anything on the wall which could suggest that it must have held the camera, which has been removed now. Madhav pulled out his mobile and played the clip on his mobile. Studying the clip Madhav realized that the angle of the camera was not very high. So, the camera was not screwed to the ceiling, it was more at the dressing table level. Madhav pulled up the mirror above the dressing table to see behind it. There have been cases of hotels concealing cameras behind the one-way mirror. But in this case, there was only the wall behind the mirror. This was intriguing. Madhav was stumped.
Madhav walked over to the window and peered down. The window opened into a lake view, and also looked over a portion of the park and the street next to the park. It was chilling to realize that someone standing at the window had a clear view of the exact spot that Nikhil was shot dead. This was all rounding off beautifully for Madhav.
Madhav asked the manager “I want details of the CCTV vendor that the hotel uses.”
The manager replied “Yes sir, I have the files in my office.”
Madhav felt there is something missing “Have you changed the layout of the room or the decor recently.”
The manager shook his head “No sir, but there had been a flower bouquet on the table for some time.”
Madhav turns to see where the manager was pointing “Right here? Why did you remove that”?
The manager replied “It was a sample from an interior decorator but since it was too expensive, we gave it back.”
There it was thought Madhav “What was the period that the bouquet was kept here, I want exact dates.”
They all trooped out of the room down to the manager's office.
When driving back Madhav felt victorious and was giving instructions to his office to speak with the magistrate because he wanted some arrest warrants. Jagan was busy tracking the new leads. They got the CCTV company details and also the interior guy’s coordinates. Jagan was intrigued “I am not sure what we will find from the interior decorator.” Madhav explained “The sex video may have been made from miniature cameras hidden in objects like flower vases, lamps or soft toys. This is the lead which will take us straight to the person who recorded the video. Then we will understand this mystery.”
. . .
Cat is in the bag
Day 11
The operation was carried out swiftly. Madhav managed to get arrest warrants. They picked up Reema and Karan separately and put them in separate rooms at the police station. Reema was broken and shocked. I don’t blame her since she knew for sure that she did not kill me. She was worried about one more thing. The police also had a warrant to search her home. She was petrified that they will find the pistol and then it will be difficult to explain anything. She was also wondering where Karan was. She had a suspicion that police had arrested him too.
I popped into Karan’s detention room to see his condition. He was a bundle of nerves and a total wreck. His face was twitching nervously as he bit his nails and tapped his foot. I was thinking about whether I should hate him more than Reema or both equally. One part of me was reasoning that if Reema had backed off then probably Karan would not have pursued. But then I also think that Karan should have had the sense that she was married and therefore he must keep hands-off. The argument in my head was won by none and I felt justified in hating both.
Madhav walked into the room and sat across Karan. He was direct and asked straight off
Madhav asked sternly “So, tell me how did you kill Nikhil”?
Karan shook his head vigorously “No sir, (Karan was shocked at the directness of the allegation) I did not do anything like that. Please believe me. I hardly knew him and met him rarely.”
Madhav shot back “You were having an affair with his wife and he discovered it, so you killed him.”
“What affair? I was not having an affair.”
Madhav replied harshly “Is it not true that you were engaged to Reema before she married Nikhil”?
Karan tries to sound innocent “Yes, but that was long ago in Jammu. Then it was all over between us.”
“So, you are saying the love was over…”
Karan agrees “100% for sure.”
“Alright let’s believe that for a minute.”
Karan felt relieved until Madhav pulled out his mobile and showed him the video. Karan did not see more than a few seconds and looked away.
Madhav mocked Karan “Love was over but the lust continued. Eh, Karan”?
Karan spoke in a more subdued tone “This was a mistake but I still say I did not kill Nikhil. I can assure you.”
Madhav grabbed Karan by his collar “Where is the murder weapon”?
Karan tried to reply but then changed his mind “Can I get a lawyer? You can’t stop me; I want to call my lawyer.”
Madhav kept the mobile back in his pocket “Sure, you can call your lawyer.”
Jagan brings the landline remote phone as Karan asks for his mobile to access the number. Meanwhile, Madhav leaves the room. I knew that he would now go to Reema. This was going great for him except the fact that he needs the murder weapon. The search at Reema’s house did not get them anything substantial.
Madhav enters Reema’s room where a female constable was stationed. He pulls a chair to sit right across her.
“I will give you a chance to confess everything. This will be the last chance. If you confess and help our investigation then the law can be lenient with you. Now speak.”
Reema has been sobbing for a while and is sounding tired “Please believe me… I am innocent, I have no idea who killed Nikhil or what the whole problem is. I have nothing to confess.”
Madhav keeps the probing on “How did you plan all this and why”?
“You have been targeting me constantly. How can you even imagine that? Nikhil was my husband and we have been together for 10 years. We loved each other a lot.”
Madhav did not buy this story “That may be true but you loved Nikhil even more than this.”
Madhav held out the mobile with the video playing on the screen. Reema saw for a brief moment and shut her eyes hard. She started sobbing but in a muffled way. She was trying to keep her crying to herself.
Madhav pokes her with his statement “Is this is the reason why you had to get Nikhil out of the way, right”?
Reema nearly screams “No… this was a mistake… I wanted to stop… I would never think of killing Nikhil or anyone at all.”
Madhav continued ruthlessly “Where is the murder weapon? What did you do with it”?
Reema’s heart nearly stopped. First her eyes widened and then she started crying hysterically “Please believe me I did not kill Nikhil.”
Madhav wanted this to happen to Reema. If she has a breakdown there is better chance of a confession. “Maybe that’s true. Maybe Karan killed Nikhil.”
Reema disagreed “Karan would also never do anything like this.”
Madhav pushed more “Ma’am, the two of you have a strong motive to kill Nikhil. Why should I believe anything else”?
Reema looks blankly at the floor as the words seep into her mind. She could understand that Madhav was right in assuming this.
Reema tried desperately “What about Sid? You have him in custody”!
For me, all this was very satisfying. The chaos and stress on their faces was priceless. I was amazed that even after getting arrested these guys were trying to ple
ad innocence. If it was not for the video, they would have still been playing nun and priest. But I knew that my euphoria will be over soon when Karan’s lawyer arrives and bails them out.
Madhav was called by Jagan to his cabin. Karan’s advocate Rohit had arrived and was seated in Madhav’s cabin. Madhav had met Rohit a couple of times earlier. He was always representing rich clients.
“Tell me Rohit, what can I do for you”?
Rohit got to the point “Madhav, you know why I am here. You had your time with my clients, Karan and Reema, now tell me if you are charging them with a crime or should I take them with me.”
Madhav knew where this was going but still tried to hang on “They are suspects in a murder case and have strong involvement.”
Rohit knew that Madhav was bluffing “What is the proof? Do you have an eye witness? Any murder weapons”?
Madhav made a last effort “I have proof that they are having an affair and that is their motive.”
Rohit got exasperated “Madhav, you know that is not sufficient evidence. For god’s sake, do you know how many married people are having flings on the side”?
Madhav remains quiet and looks at Jagan. Jagan understands the signal and leaves the room. He appears again after a minute followed by Karan and Reema. Madhav tells Jagan to prepare the papers for the release and take an undertaking that they can’t leave Sugaoni without prior permission.
Madhav was upset with himself. This case was aggravating his sinuses. He was stressed. He was thinking about the murder weapon and wondering about where he can find it.
. . .
Pistol missing
I decided to tag along with Reema and Karan who went straight to my house. Now they have become that bold. They are shaken, it was evident in the conversation they had during the drive.
Karan blew a big sigh “What luck I found Rohit and he agreed to come immediately.”
Reema slumped back in the seat “Oh my god… seriously. I am so glad he came immediately. I was petrified with the thought of spending the night there. Rohit has been really sweet.”
Karan chuckled sarcastically “Yeah, that sweetness was worth 50 thousand. That too, discounted because my friend in Delhi called him personally.”
Reema looked at him with surprise. I felt good about the money burn of Karan. This was only the start.
Reema showed her displeasure ““This inspector is a pain in the ass. We should sue him for harassment. How can he detain us for a murder based on a stupid video”?
Karan agreed “That's what Rohit was saying. They have a very weak case. They are trying to invent a motive. They have no murder weapon or eyewitness.”
Reema was intrigued “Karan, how come, they did not find the pistol at my house? They have searched the place upside down.”
Karan reacted sharply “That's the first thing we have to do. Get rid of that pistol.”
They arrived outside the house and walked inside confidently. They had the swagger of a person who feels victorious. They are feeling invincible because they got out of the clutches of the police. I wanted to see how long this bravado will last.
As soon as they shut the door behind them, Karan grabbed Reema by the waist and dragged her to the bathroom. Karan whispered “We need a shower, now.” Reema’s first reaction was of protest as she tried to wriggle away from him. The protest was so weak that Karan took it as foreplay and as if she was playing hard to get. This was sudden for me and unexpected. Here I was present a few feet away from them. The last time I saw the lovemaking act it was on video and remotely. At that time, I was alive. As a spirit, I couldn’t intervene and stop them. I walked away as it seemed appropriate at the moment. They moved towards the bedroom and saw it in disarray. Things were strewn all around. The police had done a thorough job.
Reema sounded upset “Karan, they have created a mess.”
Karan continued to plant kisses and fondle her like he was searching for the right combination to open a puzzle box. They moved to the bathroom. Soon the shower drowned the sounds of pleasure. I was relieved that they were out of my sight. But soon they returned stark naked and dropped on the bed. Whatever he was doing, worked on Reema as she started responding. I walked to the window and looked out to avoid seeing them in the act. But they were unusually loud with their appreciation of each other. This must be the release of all the pent-up frustration of the police station. I realized that I am feeling the emotion of jealousy and disgust. This meant that as a spirit I was still vulnerable to humankind of emotions. The one emotion which I could not feel anymore was love and affection for Reema. That seems to have vanished completely. I remembered it happened the first time I saw them having sex. At that time, I continued watching because of the sense of detachment from the relationship of being her husband. She was not doing a wife like thing and she had crossed the line.
I turned around and saw them submerged in their ocean of passion. Reema was being quite aggressive. She had taken the dominant position and was on top of him. Karan didn’t seem to mind that at all. It did not matter to her that this was our bed, mine and Reema’s. I could recollect many memories of our lovemaking on the same bed where she was grinding on top of another man. I started a debate in my mind. This man was her first lover before he dumped her and she found me. Though we have a piece of paper called a marriage certificate, I was her second serious lover. If we discount the marriage certificate, then at that point, was I doing to Reema what Karan is doing to her now? Was I the ‘other person’ who was making love to a woman who loved someone else? Now with that logic, in a way, she was not cheating on me since she was making love to her original lover. I must be going mad. This circular reasoning nearly makes me the culprit in this story. An unnecessary intruder in the love story of these love birds.
They reached the final frenzy of their lovemaking as Karan had assumed the top position and had perched her legs on his shoulders. Reema had told me that this position makes the penetration go deeper and works on her G spot. Now my dilemma was whether she discovered this with me or was she training me to make love like Karan.
They cuddled for a long time after the act. Then Reema jumped up suddenly and rushed towards the cupboard. She reached behind the safe to her hiding place and pulled out the old jewelry box. She plonked it on the bed and started rummaging through it. Karan has gone to the washroom for a cleanup as Reema let out a loud gasp.
Karan rushed back into the room “What is it”?
“The pistol is gone. I kept it here.”
She rushed back to her cupboard and started digging around and pulled out more boxes. Karan had joined her and looking around too.
Karan prods her “Think again. Are you sure you kept it here”?
Reema was having a panic attack “I am very sure. Did the police take it, Karan”?
Karan dismissed the idea “Don’t be stupid. If they, had it then we would not be free. That bastard would have somehow connected the weapon to the murder. Especially because it is the same weapon mentioned in the autopsy report.”
Reema collapsed on the bed and started sobbing.
Reema has now started sobbing “This is bizarre. I feel like someone is behind all this but who can it be”?
My work here was done. I went up to Aashar’s room to spend the night as tomorrow would be their final day.
. . .
D-Day
Day 10
I could hardly sleep all night. Not that I need to sleep. As a spirit, I don’t get tired or sleepy but I guess it’s a force of habit. Aashar’s Room always gave me a lot of peace and comfort. I am eagerly waiting to meet him in the after-life. At least that’s what I am hoping. I have heard about all this all my life and now I look forward to it. The only doubt is whether I will be assigned heaven or hell and that might alter my chance of meeting my loved ones.
I glided down to see the love birds. Karan was up early and busy on the phone. He was speaking with someone about helping him.
Karan spoke with authorit
y “Don’t talk about money now. I am okay with that. But I want an instant update of what is happening at the police station. That is a guarantee you have to give me.”
I suppose he was corrupting somebody within the police station. Good move, he wants to pre-empt the actions Madhav will take.
Karan gave some orders “Find out what they have from Reema’s house. I have to know this immediately.”
Whoever was at the other end was making the right noises to convince Karan, who looked out of control. Reema appeared from the kitchen with a tray full of breakfast goodies. Karan was onto his next call. I was impressed with his survival skills. He is fighting tooth and nail to keep from getting convicted. His strong resolve is based on the fact that he is innocent. He did not pull the trigger or send anyone to pull it for him.
Karan hardly acknowledge Reema or breakfast, he was busy giving instructions on the phone “Devinder, what did you get out of the Hotel manager”?
So, he is pressuring the hotel manager to tell him who has made the video. Good luck with that.
Karan heard for some time and shot back “Get someone in Chamba to break the bones of that CCTV guy. It must be him who did this. Are you sure the manager is not involved in all this”?
Reema was quiet and simply buttered the toast and poured tea. She looked deep in thought. Her life has taken some dramatic turns in the last couple of months. I wondered whether her affair with Karan was kind of a reaction to the emptiness she felt after Aashar’s demise. She may have simply dived into Karan’s arms to fill the void. I was not an option for this because between us there was an ambiguity of who is responsible for the tragedy. Not that she holds that grudge with me but any sharing or comfort with me is laden with baggage. Karan got off the phone and Reema looked at him expectantly,
Reema did not get a response and switched to thinking aloud “I still don’t understand who is doing all this? What is their benefit? I could understand if there was a blackmailer who sent the video to the police. But…”