Vikram Rana Investigates: Tales of Murder and Deception in Hyderabad

by Sharmishtha Shenoy

  Both Inspector Reddy and Vikram felt a trifle embarrassed at this uninhibited display of grief.

  Inspector Reddy looked at Vikram and asked, ‘Do you have any more questions?’

  When Vikram shook his head, he looked at Lakshmi and said roughly but kindly, ‘Control yourself. No use crying over spilt milk– send in Mala now.’ Still mopping her eyes with her saree, Lakshmi left the room.

  Mala entered the room looking slightly apprehensive. Inspector Reddy asked her, ‘Don’t be nervous. We just wanted to ask some questions regarding Richa Madam’s death.’

  Mala relaxed visibly.

  Vikram asked, ‘How many children did Richa madam have?’

  ‘Sir, Richa didi had three children, Kinshuk, who is twenty-one, Gautam, who is thirteen and Tia, who is six.’

  When asked about the events of Richa’s death, she more or less repeated what Lakshmi and Rohan had already mentioned.

  After Mala left, Inspector Reddy turned towards Vikram and said, ‘Mrs Richa Lohia was in an excellent mood when she went to bed. So that rules out suicide.’

  ‘Yes, that definitely rules out suicide, plus she did not leave any suicide note,’ Vikram responded absently.

  He continued, ‘But the question is that if she was poisoned, how was the poison administered? When was it administered? She had a normal dinner and whatever she ate the entire family ate the same. She drank the same water as her son did. Hmm, this needs some serious thought.’

  After inspecting the room thoroughly and finding nothing suspicious, the two men collected the medicines and the water jug to be sent for forensic examination. A policeman was posted till the time the door was repaired and the room sealed. They then went downstairs. Rohan was still sitting in the same position as they had left him. He looked tired and weary.

  He looked up as they entered the drawing room and asked, ‘This is really dreadful. We are so anxious to avoid publicity. Any leads?’

  Inspector Reddy said, ‘So far no pointers. We will need to see the autopsy report to understand whether she was really poisoned or if it is some other problem.’

  Vikram looked at Rohan and said, ‘Do not worry Rohan. We will sort this out.’

  Mr Dalal, who had been conferring with Rohan said, ‘Yes, we will definitely sort it out.’

  Refusing Rohan’s offer of breakfast, Vikram and Inspector Reddy came out of the house. Vikram accepted Inspector Reddy’s offer of a lift. He had enough of auto drivers for the day.

  2

  Vikram Rana

  On the way back to Begumpet in Inspector Reddy’s car, Vikram smiled at him. ‘How're things back in the old department?’

  ‘Same as always, Vikram. You know how it is . . . Commissioner’s still sucking up to politicians . . .’

  Inspector Reddy smiled back at Vikram. ‘I am excited to be working together again.’

  Vikram laughed aloud. ‘Thank you! It's my pleasure to work with you as well.’

  Though Vikram had been a brilliant police officer, he earned the wrath of the commissioner of police by going after a rich and corrupt politician who had been involved in a murder case. Though he had proof that the politician had murdered his driver, the commissioner had stepped in and removed him from the investigation team. He had then been transferred to Vizag. After working there for two more years, he felt heartsick and homesick and had quit his job to open his own investigative agency.

  Vikram had reported to Inspector Reddy while he was in the police department in Hyderabad. Inspector Reddy had been very sad when Vikram had left the police department. They had worked together on the murder case involving the corrupt politician. He knew the politician had pressured the commissioner to get Vikram transferred to Vizag. Reddy tried to help Vikram but had been powerless. He was happy when Vikram started his own business, but he still felt Vikram’s loss in the department. They had worked so well as a team. He was confident of Vikram’s abilities and was sure that his detective agency would become a big success.

  Vikram was a man who spoke less and listened more. He had a reputation as a tough but fair cop. His mind was very organised and tidy and he was well-respected amongst his fellow policemen due to his diplomacy, listening and communication skills, and his dry sense of humour that kept them all amused, often at very difficult times. He was still very popular with his ex-colleagues and they kept in touch with him. He had quit around six months back and since then had been puttering around the house, growing flowers in a small pocket garden while waiting for his first case.

  ‘As far as I understand, the Lohia family consists of Gaurav and Rohan Lohia, Gaurav being the elder brother,’ Inspector Reddy continued. ‘And as you are a good friend of Rohan’s, he has called you to help with the investigation. So what else do you know about the family?’

  Vikram smiled. ‘Sir, Rohan is a very close friend of mine. He is more interested in theatre and acting than in business. Gaurav is the hard-nosed businessman in the family and totally dominates Rohan as far as business deals are concerned. The victim is Gaurav’s wife, Richa.

  ‘Rohan is married to the noted film actress, Kiara. They have two sons. Vinay, who is six years old and Vijay, who is eight. In the Lohia family I am close only to Rohan. Except for Rohan, I am hardly acquainted with the rest of the family. Rohan helps his elder brother Gaurav with the family business. But his heart is not in it as he is more interested in art and drama. He is a very active member of an amateur drama group and occasionally asks me to play minor parts when he is short of artists.’

  ‘Hmm! Do you know Kiara well?’

  ‘Rohan has his own circle of friends in which Kiara is not involved. So all of us who are his old school friends hardly know anybody else in the family.

  ‘Anyway, what I understood from Rohan’s narrative is that Gaurav and Richa stayed on the first floor and Lakshmi and Mala were looking after them. Gaurav travelled to London with the two younger children while Kinshuk and his mother stayed back. Last night, the entire family had dinner together and after that, Richa went to bed. As she had a cold, she took medication for that. That is the only medicine that she took. As you know, Nyquil is commonly used for treating colds. Thousands of people take it every day. We have to send the water jug for forensic examination to see if the water in the jug in the bedroom was poisoned. I’ll do some further investigation and we will also need to wait for the autopsy report to find out what kind of poison she was given, or if indeed she was poisoned.’

  ‘Good summary. Thanks for the clarification Vikram. Anyway I will have the mobile records checked of all the family members as a start of the investigation. That might bring up some leads.’

  ‘Yes I think that is absolutely the right first step. It might bring up some important leads.’

  By that time, they had reached Begumpet. As per Vikram’s request, Inspector Reddy dropped Vikram on the main road near his home. While walking back home, Vikram decided that he had very little information to proceed further. He would have to interview some more people in the household for more leads. But first he had to freshen up.

  Vikram had a modest home in Begumpet, left to him by his father. He had his private office on the ground floor. It had been a guest bedroom, which he had converted into his office.

  His pretty but bossy wife, Veena, was obsessed with healthy eating and had recently turned into vegan. Vikram had been regarded as a tough cop but, he was putty in the hands of his wife. Though Veena almost always got her way, there was one source of discord in their otherwise happy marriage. She was always exhorting Vikram not to eat junk food, but like most north Indians, Vikram was a hearty eater who liked rich non-vegetarian food. He snuck it in whenever he was away from home, but Veena always seemed to know when he had done it.

  Veena was an IT professional, working in a multinational company. She had encouraged Vikram to start his agency after seeing his frustration with the police force. She had assured him that she was more than capable of handling their day-to-day living expenses. Knowin
g this to be true, Vikram had focussed on opening his detective agency.

  She was used to a busy husband who was hardly ever home. Since he quit and started his own detective agency, he had been interfering with the way she ran the house, giving critical suggestions. She had been praying that he would get a case soon so that she could run the house in peace. The Lohia murder case was an answer to her prayers. When he came inside the house, he found that she was singing loudly in an off-key voice and dancing with a spatula in her hand while preparing his breakfast.

  Her singing grated on his nerves, but as he was determined not to start a squabble before his breakfast, he heartily praised her. ‘Lovely song. You are a wonderful singer! What are you cooking?’

  Veena had prepared his favourite meal of porridge, bacon and eggs, and toast and marmalade. Suddenly he felt suspicious. Why was she piling him with his favourite non-vegetarian food when she was always nagging him to turn vegan? She must be softening him up so that he would have to do some unpleasant task without protest – like taking her shopping. Veena was a shopaholic and, in Vikram’s opinion, wasted a lot of money buying unnecessary clothes and other useless items.

  After breakfast, she made a fantastic masala chai for him. When she felt that she got him into a mellow enough mood, she said, ‘My boss has asked me to work out of the Mumbai office for a month. I will have to leave for Mumbai in a week’s time. While I am in Mumbai, why don’t you join me for a few days so that we can visit Goa?’

  ‘You know I have just got involved in this new case. I cannot go anywhere till this case is solved.’

  Veena’s eyes filled with tears, a trick she used often with Vikram. She knew he could not bear to see her cry.

  ‘Baby, please don’t cry.’ Vikram pleaded. Relenting he asked, ‘When do you plan to go?’

  ‘We can plan after I reach Mumbai.’ Veena responded with a sniff.

  ‘Okay… I will try to join you in fifteen days’ time for the Goa trip.’ Veena gave him a dazzling smile. She had been angling for this arrangement all along.

  ‘Then I will travel to Mumbai next Sunday as I will have to report on Monday. I have also reserved our hotel in Goa and I will book the tickets from Mumbai to Goa tomorrow.’

  Vikram looked at her accusingly, ‘You had planned this all along!’

  Veena looked offended. ‘You are accusing me of manipulation?’

  Vikram backtracked as he knew he was in the danger zone. ‘Okay, I know that you will need to go to Mumbai so we might as well add on the pleasure trip to Goa. Also I have not gone to Mumbai in a long time, and I love the city. So, fine, we will have a good time in Mumbai and Goa.’

  Veena said dreamily, ‘But I will need to shop for some new clothes for myself and some nice luggage. I do not have a decent rag to my back!’

  Vikram flinched. ‘Now look baby, don’t get too extravagant! We do not want to overspend.’

  ‘Quiet! And I will tell you something, Vikram. I am going to buy you some clothes. I am not travelling with you looking like an ex-cop.’

  Vikram stiffened. The auto driver’s insult was still fresh in his mind.

  ‘What is wrong with being an ex-cop? What is the matter with the way I look? I do not need a thing! Ex-cop? What do you mean?’

  Veena sighed.

  ‘Just be quiet. You are going to Goa looking like a well-to-do handsome husband and not like a cop.’

  Vikram cocked an eyebrow.

  ‘Handsome, is it?’

  ‘Terribly handsome and sexy, Vikram.’

  Vikram puffed out his chest. ‘Yes, I guess I should dress the part. Handsome and sexy! Okay baby, let us spend a little money.’

  Vikram felt quite happy that Veena would have to go to Mumbai. When he was working on a case, he wanted to eat proper food. All this health food forced on him by his wife was numbing his brain. As if reading his thoughts, Veena said, ‘Do not eat too much junk food when I am away. I have asked Rama to come and cook for you.’

  Rama was a cook that Veena had trained to cook healthy diet food for them. Veena occasionally used her services when she was too busy to cook. Vikram resolved to get rid of Rama as soon as Veena left for Mumbai. For now, he nodded submissively and continued to eat.

  After eating, he would look for more information on Kiara Lohia. He would also need to get his car repaired before he went to meet her.

  3

  Kiara Lohia

  After breakfast, Vikram took a shower. He felt clean and more alert afterwards. He decided that to know more about the case he would need to talk to Rohan’s wife, Kiara, separately. Before that, he sat down at the computer and searched for information about Kiara on the internet. He knew Rohan quite intimately but was only slightly acquainted with Kiara. He already knew that she had been a Miss World and then a dazzling film career had followed. The rest of the information he collected over the internet.

  After many ups and downs in her life, Kiara had met the younger Lohia heir, Rohan. She married him in a fairy tale wedding which had made headlines the world over. From judging charity art shows to presiding over opening ceremonies at centres for senior citizens, Kiara had her role cut out. She headed the Rahul Lohia Memorial Trust, whose flagship event was the Global Peace International Art Show. Her latest initiative was a magazine for senior citizens, a cause that was close to her heart. Kiara had been a very successful movie actress before marrying Rohan and had shares worth eight million, jewellery amounting to ten million and property of over one billion. She was a rich woman in her own right.

  Despite Kiara’s wealth and fame, as the wife of the elder and more dominant brother, Richa had been given more importance. Richa’s influential father also ensured that she had a major stake in the business and it was rumoured that she would have soon been appointed to the Board of Directors.

  All this Vikram found out from various online tabloids. The papers also hinted at a rivalry between the two socialite wives. Kiara, the papers hinted, was deeply envious of the greater power given to Richa. As a successful film actress she had been used to the limelight. Now the paparazzi chased Richa while she was relegated to the background and this rankled – so thought the deeply indignant news reporters. It was as if Kiara were their own relative who was being moved out of the limelight by the vampish Richa. Vikram snorted his disapproval at this blatantly sensational style of reporting. He decided there was only one way to confirm if all this was true. He called up Rohan and asked him to set up a one-on-one meeting between himself and Kiara.

  Rohan agreed and after some time called back to say that Kiara would meet him at her office in Madhapur that evening. After lunch, Vikram started for Kiara’s office. His wife had read somewhere that bitter gourd was good for health and after the excellent breakfast, had prepared nothing but boiled bitter gourd for lunch. He lost his appetite after having one look at his lunch plate. The whole incident had literally left a bitter taste in his mouth and he was glad to get out of the house for some time.

  However, by the time he was nearing Madhapur, he had forgotten all about his wife and was in a road rage. He was behind a slow-moving truck and the truck had refused him right of way for ten minutes till by a dangerous manoeuvre he had been able to overtake it from the left. He shouted a few choice epithets at the truck driver, before moving on, feeling slightly better.

  He parked his car in visitor parking and entered the reception area. He gave his visiting card to the beautiful receptionist who was idly leafing through a fashion magazine. She asked him to sit down while she dialled a number and whispered to someone. She then disconnected the call. The intercom rang and after another whispered conversation, the receptionist unwound her slinky form from behind her desk and came over to where Vikram was waiting. She said that Ms. Kiara would see him now. She spoke as if she were in a temple and looked like she should have been one of the lingerie models in Victoria’s Secret shows.

  Vikram followed her swaying hips across the outer office to the inner sanctum. She tapped on the door
with an emerald green nail, opened it and tucking up a stray curl said, ‘Mr. Rana is here.’

  She stood aside and it was Vikram’s cue to enter.

  Kiara was entrenched behind a supersized desk. Vikram had seen Kiara at some of the parties that Rohan had invited him to. But he had never studied her closely across a desk like he was seeing her now. She was wearing a business suit that must have been stitched by an expert London tailor. Diamonds were dripping from her expensively manicured fingers while a diamond necklace encircled her long and slender neck. Her hair was expertly dressed and diamond earrings sparkled in her ears. She looked exactly what she was: a successful ex-movie star and the wife of one of the richest men in the world, from the diamond jewellery she was wearing to the cold haughty expression on her distinctly lovely face.

  Vikram said, ‘Thank you for agreeing to see me, Mrs. Lohia, in spite of your busy schedule.’

  She gave him a cold, meaningless smile that did not reach her eyes and said, ‘It is no problem at all. Tell me, how I can help you?’

  Vikram said, ‘I wanted to know something more about Richa. I need to know about her character.’

  Kiara paused to think and then said, ‘I would not normally be so frank, but as you are Rohan’s friend, I will be frank with you. Do I have your word that our discussion will remain between you and me and will not reach the press?’

  Vikram gave a flinty smile and said, ‘Rohan has been a close friend over quite a long period. If I have not talked to the press till now nor given out sound bites, you can be sure that I will not start talking to them now.’

  Kiara again gave one of her small meaningless smiles.

  ‘It is better to make these things clear right up front. Anyway, as I said, I will be frank with you. Richa was a bitch. They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but not when your older sister-in-law is constantly stealing your clothes and your style. She wanted to do everything I was doing. She was extremely jealous of me. She accused me once of having an affair with her husband. She was a frustrated woman.’