Vikram Rana Investigates: Tales of Murder and Deception in Hyderabad

by Sharmishtha Shenoy

  ‘Gaurav and Richa created the illusion of happiness and living the good life to the outside world. But there had been some internal conflicts. You must already be aware of this.’

  Rohan said, ‘Yes I believe that the relationship between bhaiya and bhabi was strained but I always thought it was only a temporary phase.’

  Vikram continued, ‘Lakshmi had been Richa’s maid for a long time. In fact, I do not know if you are aware of this, but when Richa was a child, Lakshmi was her nanny. She empathised with Richa. But I also feel that she knows something and is holding back important information. Probably she is worried about revealing family secrets.’

  The actor made a careless gesture. ‘Oh she will reveal everything. I will talk to her myself.’

  ‘Yes, I think you should assure her that she can be frank with me. I then met the governess. The governess, Juhi, as you know is young, ambitious and stunningly beautiful. Richa accused Gaurav of having an affair with Juhi.’

  The no-nonsense business man raised a hand as if to stop Vikram. ‘That is rumour. You have no right to malign my brother like that, Vikram.’

  Vikram said, ‘I am only repeating the accusation made by Richa. I am keeping an open mind. But it could be a possibility. After all, it could be true that Gaurav fell in love with her.’

  ‘But you have no real proof of this. I think that you should investigate this angle some more,’ Rohan was now playing the role of the protective brother, though Vikram did not think that he was particularly close to his older brother.

  ‘Sure Rohan, I will do so. By all accounts, the children loved Juhi and found her to be enormously caring and gentle. In fact, they were sad and crying inconsolably when they realised that she had been forced to leave by Richa.’

  Vikarm continued, ‘As per Juhi, Gaurav tried to retain Juhi but had to bow down to Richa’s wishes. Well anyway, Juhi’s is now orphan and lives with her maternal uncle, Kalyan. He is a failed Bollywood actor who is now an insurance agent. In fact, you might know of him as you have connections in the film industry.’

  Rohan shook his head in a perplexed manner. ‘No – I have never heard of him.’

  ‘Well it does not matter, I saw his picture in an old film magazine. So this information is quite correct that he tried his hand in acting. But more importantly, I somehow get the feeling that Juhi is frightened of him and is controlled by him, though I may be wrong as he appeared to be quite concerned about her well being.’

  ‘I am yet to interview the children and Gaurav himself. But I thought that I would update you with all that I have come to know about the case so far. I also need your help.’

  Rohan said, ‘What kind of help do you need from my end?’

  ‘I need to interview Gaurav and the children. I request you to help me set up an appointment with them.’

  Rohan immediately called Gaurav. Then he looked at Vikram and said, ‘Bhaiya has agreed to meet you tomorrow at 10 am in our home.’

  Vikram said, ‘Thanks Rohan. I can see that you are busy, so I will not take up any more time.’

  After leaving Rohan, Vikram met Inspector Reddy. As he walked up into the police station, he met a familiar face, an ex-colleague with whom he had solved a murder case. After chatting with him for some time, Vikram walked into Inspector Reddy’s cabin. Inspector Reddy was sitting brooding over a cup of coffee.

  Refusing his offer of coffee, Vikram said, ‘Why are you looking so glum?’

  Inspector Reddy said, ‘As you know, Lohia murder case is a high profile murder case. We are not progressing very far with the case. The press is really having a field day highlighting our inefficiency. It is creating a lot of pressure on me.’

  Vikram said, ‘I am trying my best to solve this case. I will update you as soon as I have some leads. By the way, I need information about Kalyan and Juhi. We should investigate Juhi’s background – like what work her mother used to do to support the family, and Juhi’s own financial situation. How much money she has in her bank, etc. Someone should monitor her movements for the next few weeks to understand who she meets, what does she do in her spare time. I also need to know about her new employers.’

  Inspector Gopi Reddy raised his eyebrows. ‘You ask for a lot. But let me see what can be done.’

  ‘I am extremely grateful for your support, Sir. I have one final request. I am meeting Gaurav tomorrow. Why don’t you come along?’

  Inspector Reddy readily agreed this proposal and set up an appointment with Gaurav for next day. After reminiscing for some time about their old days together on the police force, Vikram took his leave.

  8

  Gaurav Lohia and the Kids

  Gaurav Lohia received Vikram and Inspector Reddy in the library which was situated on the first floor. It was a huge traditional library with hidden reading nooks. In fact the library had been described in details in the Sweet Homes magazine along with the detailed descriptions of the drawing rooms and the dining rooms where distinguished guests from around the world were often entertained. The walls were lined with books, the furnishing was dark and sombre, but handsome, the chairs were formal, but comfortable. Looking at the library, Vikram thought that Gaurav was an avid reader. When Groucho Marx said: “I find television very educating. Every time somebody turns on the set, I go into the other room and read a book,” he might have been thinking about a dream home library like the one Vikram was seeing. Vikram avidly scanned titles in search of that distinct feeling of comfort: aesthetic, sensory-based and promising. However, he found ‘Memoirs of Casanova’ and also a volume on the Comte de Sade, and other books on mediaeval tortures like ‘The Big Book of Pain’. Looking at his taste in books, Vikram wondered what kind of man Gaurav was.

  Gaurav, who rose to receive them, was tall and good-looking. Though he received them cordially enough, there was no true emotion behind his eyes. It was like his soul was gone and he was left with cold eyes of glass in place of the warm gaze that most people exhibit. He had a beard, which was neatly trimmed, and his clothes were expensive but sombre. He was wearing gold-framed glasses, which should have looked glitzy, but somehow suited him. He was wearing a white shirt with a dark suit and blue tie. He looked very much like the posed photographs in the magazines and television interviews he gave. How could a man be so formal even in the privacy of his own home? Vikram thought in wonder. It was evident that he put in a lot of time and effort on his appearance. His movements were extremely graceful, though he had an arrogant expression on his face. He would have been very attractive, but for his haughty, slightly disdainful expression, as though he had a bad smell under his nose.

  ‘Mr Vikram Rana? Inspector Reddy? Please be seated.’ His manner was stiff and formal.

  They sat down. The room was air conditioned and extremely chilly. There was only a little light coming from one window, and the dimness aggravated the cold atmosphere.

  ‘As I understand, you wanted to question me regarding my wife’s murder.’

  He said the words ‘my wife’s murder’ in a peculiar way, as if he had difficulty in getting the words out.

  Inspector Reddy responded, ‘Yes, Sir. Please accept our condolences. We are trying whatever we can do to bring the murderer to justice. For that, we need a bit of background information. Was your marriage with Mrs Richa Lohia an arranged one?’

  Gaurav said, ‘Yes it was very much an arranged marriage. In fact, we had one face-to-face meeting, got engaged, went on a few dates together and then got married.’

  ‘So you were leading a blissful married life till she died?’ Vikram asked somewhat sardonically.

  Gaurav said, ‘I fell in love with Richa on our very first meeting. I’m a ridiculous, emotional, over-sentimental sap. I guess that’s why I told my wife I loved her on our second date. After marriage, practical day-to-day issues invaded our lives. For example, once we had Kinshuk, we shared the responsibility of watching over him. Each time I shared something with her, there would be this look she would give me. This look of absolute
love. One that was soft and so beautiful. It could be something as simple as changing Kinshuk’s diaper, or giving her a diamond necklace. It took me longer than I care to admit to understand what was happening. But eventually it became clear. Through giving, caring and sharing, I found the love I was looking for. She also returned my love by ensuring my comfort, being an excellent hostess in the mandatory parties I need to host, keeping my home beautiful and taking care of the children.

  ‘In retrospect, I’ve finally come to realize something. Something I haven’t wanted to admit for a long time, but can no longer deny. I didn’t love my wife on that second date. I didn’t love her when we got engaged. I didn’t even love her when we got married. But I came to love her with all my heart and I am heartbroken that she is dead. She was such a wonderful mother and so good with the children. I do not know how I will manage without her. I want your help to find the murderer so that he can be punished.’ There were tears in Vikram’s eyes as he spoke.

  Vikram was silent, not knowing what to say. Inspector Reddy made soothing noises and said that they were doing their best to find the murderer. He then asked if he could meet the children.

  Wiping his eyes, Gaurav rang the bell and asked the attendant to bring the children to the library.

  Kinshuk was not available but Gautam and Tia came into the library. Both of the children looked anxious and kept glancing at their father as if seeking his approval. Inspector Reddy and Vikram smiled at Gautam and Tia. Gautam was a spitting image of his father. He was tall for his age, almost five foot and eight inches. He had sharp features. Gautam also wore glasses like his father. He had a smooth face, with facial hairs yet to make an appearance.

  Inspector Reddy addressed the children. ‘Hello. Let me begin by saying that we are very sorry about your mother’s death. We are here to help. We are trying to find out how she died. If you have any information that you think will help us with the investigation, tell us now.’

  As they did not reply, Inspector Reddy spoke again. ‘You must be Gautam. How old are you and where do you study?’

  Gautam nervously cleared his voice and darted a look at his father, who gave an almost imperceptible nod. He then squeaked, ‘I am thirteen and I study at Brilliant International School.’

  His voice was breaking. One minute, Gautam’s voice sounded normal. The next minute, he could barely get through the sentence without his voice sounding like it was out of control: high one minute, low the next, then high again.

  Vikram smiled sympathetically and said, ‘I also had a voice-breaking problem when I was going through my teenage years.’

  Gautam gave him an embarrassed but grateful smile. Vikram then smiled at Tia and said, ‘You must be Tia.’

  Tia nodded her head shyly. She was wearing a pink frock. Her hair had been tied into two pony tails with matching pink ribbons. She was a very pretty little girl. But she held on to her father’s hand tightly. Her father Gaurav gently prodded, ‘Tell them your full name.’

  Tia looked at Inspector Reddy and said, ‘My name is Tia Lohia.’

  Inspector Reddy said, ‘Oh such a pretty name. And you are such a pretty little girl.’ He then looked at Gautam and said, ‘You must have been very fond of your mother.’

  Gautam looked doubtfully at his father and then burst out, ‘Our mother did not love us. She even fired our beloved governess, Juhi aunty,’ he added. Tia piped in, ‘We want Juhi aunty back.’

  Vikram was shocked. Richa’s own children felt no grief at her violent death. What kind of a mother was Richa? He looked at Inspector Reddy and could see that he also felt the same. Inspector Reddy looked at Vikram and asked if he had any more questions for the children. When he shook his head, Gaurav rang the bell and Mala escorted them out of the library.

  Once the children were out of ear shot, Inspector Reddy looked at Gaurav and asked,

  ‘Where is Kinshuk?’

  Gaurav sighed impatiently and said, ‘I have no idea where he is. He is so childish and immature and has no sense of responsibility. I told him to be available at home today but he has gone out. What to do when children grow old and they do not care for their parents?’

  Vikram said, ‘That is alright, Mr Lohia. We will get in touch with him. But why were the services of the governess discontinued?’

  Gaurav said, ‘Richa had felt that the children were getting too close to the governess. Hence she had wanted Juhi to go.’

  Vikram asked, ‘Did you also want the governess to go? What was your opinion regarding her capability?’

  Gaurav looked at Vikram and said, ‘It was up to my wife whether she wanted a governess for the children or not. I do not interfere in household matters. She said that she did not want to continue with a governess anymore as Lakshmi would be sufficient to help out with the children. So she suggested that I talk to the Suranas to find out if they were interested in keeping her as she knew that Mrs Surana was looking for a governess.’

  ‘Would you please provide us Mr Surana’s mobile number?’ Vikram asked, ‘We would like to ask his opinion about the governess.’

  Gaurav looked irritated for a moment. Then controlling himself, he smiled coldly at Vikram and asked, ‘Is my opinion about the governess not good enough? Why do you need the opinion of so many people?’

  Vikram smiled back at Gaurav, but the smile did not reach his eyes. He responded equally coldly, ‘This is a murder case. We will need to question all possible stakeholders.’

  Inspector Reddy also nodded his head in agreement. He said, ‘We need your cooperation, Sir, to solve this complex murder case. I am sure you would help us in any way possible to find your wife’s murderer.’

  Gaurav took out his cell phone and shared the Surana’s contact number with Inspector Reddy.

  So far he had been sitting in his chair with one leg crossed over the other. Now he uncrossed his legs and stood up. The meaning of this gesture was clear. He was ending the interview.

  Very suavely, he bid them farewell, touching the bell as he did so. They went out of the door. Mala was waiting in the hall.

  A few moments later, they had reached Inspector Reddy’s car. As they drove back, Inspector Reddy turned towards Vikram, ‘Did you like this man, Gaurav? In my opinion, he is arrogant and manipulative. But I am sure that his grief at his wife’s death was genuine. What do you think?’

  ‘Well, he might be projecting a lovey-dovey image now as he feels that we would otherwise suspect him of his wife’s death. The thing that I find peculiar is that the children feel the absence of Juhi more than their mother. It’s a pity that Kinshuk was not available. He is older and could have given a better picture. The maid, Lakshmi, had mentioned that Kinshuk was closest to his mother. By the way, Sir, are you monitoring the governess and her uncle?’

  Inspector Reddy nodded, ‘Yes, I have put plainclothes men to monitor their movements. I am also tracking her financial situation. The maternal uncle, Kalyan, is not as straightforward as he seems. He maybe involved in drug deals. We are investigating. I will get back to you soon. But I get this feeling that you are unfairly targeting Gaurav.’

  After reaching the police station, Inspector Reddy called up Mr Surana and sought an appointment with him.

  Mr Piyush Surana, who lived in Jubilee Hills close to the Lohia mansion, agreed to meet Inspector Reddy and Vikram next day at 9 am sharp. He said that he had an important meeting at 11 am so they must be punctual. Assuring Mr Surana that they would be on time, Inspector Reddy cut the connection. Arranging to meet Inspector Reddy directly at Piyush Surana’s house, Vikram took his leave.

  9

  Another Meeting with Juhi

  Vikram had been surfing the net trying to find something more about the Suranas when he suddenly decided that he would also grill Juhi after completing his meeting with the Suranas as he knew that she would be at work in the Surana household at that time. He wanted her to be away from Kalyan when he questioned her because he believed she would be more open away from him. Accordingly, he
called Juhi. When Juhi picked the call, he said. ‘Juhiji I am coming to the Suranas’ tomorrow. Why don’t I synch up with you once more during that time? I have a few more questions regarding Richa.’

  Juhi said, ‘Today and tomorrow I am on leave as I am not feeling well and Mrs Surana does not want her children to catch cold from me. I will join duty only day after tomorrow.’

  ‘Day after tomorrow I will be busy, but if I do get some time I will call you and fix an appointment. Bye till then.’

  Vikram went back to his computer for further research on the Suranas. But he was feeling restless. He thought that it being afternoon, it was highly probable that Kalyan would be in office and Juhi and her mami would be alone at home.

  He decided to drive down to her house to catch her unawares, hoping to get some more information from her. He parked his car near Juhi’s building in Srinagar Colony and lightly ran up the stairs to the first floor where Juhi lived. The front door was slightly open. Vikram was about to ring the bell when he heard loud voices within. Unashamedly he eavesdropped into the conversation.

  Kalyan was shouting at Juhi. ‘I have told you so many times that you must stop meeting Bittoo on the sly. He is a loafer and he will never be able to make you happy.’

  Juhi sounded petrified. She said in a soft voice, ‘Mamaji, I am not meeting Bittoo.’

  ‘Don’t lie to me! Remember, I always get to know what you are upto. I want you to focus on Gaurav. He already has a weakness for you. Cultivate it for all you are worth.’

  His voice turned gentle. ‘With the wealth of the Lohia family, imagine, you will never have to do another job. You can live like a queen.’ Then his voice hardened, ‘And listen very carefully, if you meet Bittoo again, the consequences will not be good. Now I need to go out. You be a good girl and focus on Gaurav.’

  As Kalyan walked towards the door, Vikram hurriedly moved to the garbage disposal room located close by. He kept the door slightly open. Kalyan came out of the apartment. He was looking very agitated and the veins on his forehead were standing out. Vikram could hear Juhi sobbing softly inside.