No Illusions in Xanadu

by Ruby Gupta

  Suddenly another angle occurred to him.

  What if it was all one big conspiracy?

  Who had most to gain now that the entire Rajvir clan was finished?

  Mridula, the name sprang into his mind.

  The more he thought of it, the stronger her culpability became. If the entire Rajvir clan died, then Mridula would inherit everything. First, she killed Rajvir, then Natalie, and then Chandra Prakash. Then she manoeuvred in such a way that Amar took the rap for it. And of course, it was a foregone conclusion that Pallavi would come forward to take the blame in order to save her beloved son.

  But as he thought of it, the thing did seem a bit farfetched.

  Then there was the question of why would Mridula murder Natalie? It made no sense. In fact, Natalie’s murder did not seem to make any sense at all.

  He decided to go to the film set where the murder had happened. Sometimes, recreating the scene of the crime always gave some fresh insight. Professor Shantanu strode out of the guest wing, intent on leaving Xanadu.

  Right in front he saw a silhouette.

  There was something about the silhouette that caught his eye.

  The figure disappeared into the sitting room.

  Suddenly it came to him – the shoulders of the figure stooped on one side.

  It was the stoop-shouldered man!

  Rapidly, Professor Shantanu bounded after the figure. He entered the sitting room.

  There was no one there except Dr. Singhvi. The doctor sat in one of the chairs staring absently outside the window. The professor looked at him in surprise. Where had the other person disappeared? Was there a hidden passageway out from this room as well? Knowing the way Xanadu was constructed, it was entirely possible.

  ‘Someone just entered this room. Did you see where he went?’ Shantanu asked.

  ‘Wh…? What? Who?’ Dr. Singhvi looked blank.

  ‘I just saw someone entering this room a minute ago,’ the professor said, wondering whether if he had imagined it.

  ‘No one entered this room,’ Singhvi remained blank.

  ‘Are you sure? You have been in this room all along and you saw no one entering?’ Shantanu wondered how the fellow could vanish like this in front of his very eyes.

  ‘All along?’ Singhvi looked puzzled. ‘I just entered the room.’

  ‘Oh!’ Shantanu was surprised. ‘Er…would you mind standing up?’ he spoke hesitantly.

  Dr. Singhvi looked at the professor as though he had taken leave of his senses.

  ‘Please doctor, just humour me.’

  Dr. Singhvi stood up.

  ‘Will you please turn around? Please.’

  Looking puzzled, Dr. Singhvi nevertheless turned around.

  It was the same silhouette! The right shoulder did slope but it was almost imperceptible now.

  Professor Shantanu was astounded.

  Why had he never noticed the shoulder stoop before?

  And why had no one else done so?

  Here was the real murderer!

  Goosebumps rose all over his arms and a shiver ran through his entire body.

  ‘Now would you care to tell me what is this all about?’ Dr. Singhvi said.

  ‘Tell me, doctor, you have a slight stoop in one of your shoulders?’

  ‘No – not really. Most of the time it is normal. But it becomes pronounced and visible whenever I’m stressed. It is the result of an old accident during which my shoulder got dislocated. It never did heal completely. But why do you ask?’ Dr. Singhvi looked thoroughly mystified.

  Professor Shantanu briskly related the evidence in the CCTV footage of the stoop shoulder man entering Rajvir’s study during the narrow window in which the murder had taken place. He also explained about the scar-faced history-sheeter being given the supari to murder Rajvir by a sloping-shouldered man.

  Dr. Singhvi’s face suddenly crumpled.

  ‘I am the culprit. I am the murderer. I should be in jail. Not Pallavi! Not Pallavi.’ His eyes filled with unshed tears.

  Professor Shantanu waited patiently.

  ‘I did it all for her. And yet, coward that I am, I could not come out and confess even when Pallavi was arrested,’ the doctor was barely audible.

  ‘I loved her. Loved her like I have never loved anyone in my life. And then to watch her being treated so badly by Rajvir. So badly – all these years – all these decades… It was more than I could bear…’ Singhvi’s voice was now punctuated with uneven sobs.

  ‘I had had enough! And when Rajvir told me that not only was he involved with Natalie, but she was going to have his child, my tolerance ran out. I knew I had to do something. I had to ensure that my Pallavi got the life she deserved. So – so yes, I hired that killer. I gave him that supari. And I did go inside Rajvir’s study. But when I entered Rajvir’s study, I saw that he was already dead. Happy that my plan had worked, I then left through the hidden passageway behind the bookcase.’

  Professor Shantanu could only stare at the doctor in shock. He did not know what to say.

  ‘But, but later, when the actual reality of Rajvir’s death sunk in, I, I could not take it. I was filled with remorse and a deep sadness, such as I had never felt before. I cursed myself for what I had put in action. Because, because, I loved Rajvir, I really did! In spite of everything! I never should have done it. He was my friend, he trusted me… I’ve been in such torture ever since…I never wanted him to actually die! He was my friend – my only friend… My tragedy was that I loved them both, and finally, finally I was driven to choose one!’ Singhvi began sobbing in earnest.

  Shantanu was taken aback at this unexpected and sudden emotional outburst. He had never suspected that the staid doctor had been hiding such angst within himself. ‘But why did you kill Natalie and Chandra Prakash?’ he asked after a couple of minutes.

  For a moment, the doctor looked confused. ‘I did not kill them,’ he said.

  Shantanu looked at him closely. The doctor seemed to be speaking the truth. Besides, Singhvi had no motive to do so – if his motive was just to get Pallavi free of Rajvir’s tyranny, as he had just explained.

  ‘But I am ready to accept that I killed them too – if that would get my Pallavi out of prison. The poor lady does not deserve this, not at this stage in her life, and after all that she has gone through,’ Singhvi spoke passionately.

  The doctor seemed to have uncannily echoed his own thoughts, Shantanu thought. Though the jealousy that suddenly flared within him was hard to control. He had no idea that Singhvi had been, or rather was, in love with Pallavi.

  But the moot question was whom did Pallavi love?

  ‘In that case, you are not really the culprit,’ the professor forced himself to get his mind back on the case at hand. ‘You are certainly guilty of plotting Rajvir’s murder. But the interrogation of the history-sheeter revealed that he had not committed the murder. So, I guess, that lets you off the hook. Mere planning a crime is not a crime, I guess.’

  ‘It hardly matters. With Pallavi gone, what have I to live for?’ Dr. Singhvi looked morosely outside the window.

  ‘But I’m going to convey all this to Inspector Bhogle. So that he can take necessary action if he so deems fit,’ Professor Shantanu said.

  ‘Do what you must. I don’t much care either way. I’m ready to face anything,’ Singhvi said in a dead voice.

  Later, driving towards the film set where Natalie had been found dead, Shantanu mulled over the amazing confession of Dr. Singhvi.

  At least now the vexing questions about the identity of the stoop shouldered man and about the person who had ordered the hit on Rajvir had been answered.

  But then it was hardly any comfort.

  The problem remained as it was.

  Unless, unless Singhvi decided not to rely upon the history-sheeter and took the chance to commit the murder himself seizing the opportunity that night when he entered Rajvir’s study.

  And then decided to kill Natalie to spare Pallavi the very public humiliation th
at would come once she gave birth to Rajvir’s child.

  And then decided to kill Chandra Prakash too because he was a constant reminder to Pallavi of the failure of Amar…

  Even to himself the theory sounded bizarre.

  And besides, Dr. Singhvi had been genuine. There was no way he could have been putting on an act to fool the professor, a while back.

  If that was so, he would have brazenly denied the supari bit. The fact that he did not, proved his innocence.

  So, he was back at square one actually, the professor sighed in frustration.

  The film set was deserted. It really did give a feel of an opulent but decrepit bungalow which was in the process of being renovated.

  Professor Shantanu saw a man sitting in a corner.

  ‘I’m an assistant director here. Can I help you?’ the man asked.

  ‘I don’t know. I just wanted to go over the events that lead to Natalie’s death,’ Shantanu swiftly explained about being involved in investigating the crime along with Inspector Bhogle.

  ‘But how does it matter? The killers are already behind bars now,’ the assistant director said.

  ‘I know. But just humour me,’ Shantanu requested.

  ‘All right. I have nothing else to do. Actually, now the project is shelved; so, I have no work actually,’ the assistant director smiled bleakly.

  The professor felt sorry for the chap. He was quite young really. It must really be stressful being in such an uncertain career, he thought.

  ‘See, here is the place where Natalie was probably practising her lines,’ the assistant director led Professor Shantanu towards the right side of the set.

  Shantanu already knew the details of the scene as was told to him by Inspector Bhogle.

  ‘So, Natalie was supposed to push Chandra Prakash out of the way of the falling wrought iron fixture, right?’ Shantanu asked.

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘But then why did she pull the cord?’

  ‘God knows. In fact, the director had decided that early next morning, it would be the first scene that would be shot. So, the props man left everything in readiness for the scene after checking everything personally. The next day, Chandra Prakash was to pull the cord; the fixture was supposed to slide down; Natalie was supposed to push him away; and the light fixture was supposed to stop barely inches above them,’ the assistant director spoke ruefully.

  ‘So, Chandra Prakash was supposed to pull the cord…’ Professor Shantanu’s voice trailed away.

  The assistant director nodded.

  ‘Who knew about Natalie’s habit of practising in the night?’ Shantanu asked.

  ‘Mostly everyone on the sets knew that she practised,’ the assistant director was matter-of-fact.

  ‘But everyone on the sets also knew that she was not supposed to pull the cord?’

  ‘Yes. Everyone knew about the scene in detail because there had been so many retakes, but the director had been unsatisfied,’ the assistant director confirmed.

  ‘Interesting,’ Shantanu said.

  After checking a few more things, Professor Shantanu left the sets.

  What if the light fixture was meant to fall on Chandra Prakash, the thought occurred to Shantanu as he drove towards the Police Station.

  Could that be a possibility?

  Could it be that Natalie was not supposed to be killed at all?

  In that case who had the motive, if Natalie was removed from the picture?

  He had to think fast.

  There had to be something – he had to come up with something.

  He could not let Pallavi remain in prison…

  A sudden thought occurred to him.

  Instantly, he changed direction and drove towards Xanadu.

  Rapidly Professor Shantanu entered Amar’s bedroom. As he had expected, there was an innocuous looking bottle by the bedside. Quickly, he pocketed it. He needed to get its contents tested in a lab. Immediately, he called up Inspector Bhogle and enlisted his help. The inspector though reluctant, had too much respect for the professor to refuse. He would send over a constable right away. They would have the result in an hour.

  Mridula looked out at the fast-moving traffic on the Mumbai streets, from her sixth-floor window at Xanadu. She had just spoken to her husband and children. The kids were of course too young to understand the import of what had transpired here in the last few weeks.

  Her husband though, was understandably worried about her and wanted to rush over to offer solace. But Mridula had assured him that he should not bother; she was quite capable of taking care of things.

  The only thing was she shouldn’t have lied to that insolent inspector. He probably knew by now that she had indeed flown into Mumbai on the night of her father’s murder. But so what? Lying was not a crime; she had not been under oath or anything.

  It was just that the way Bhogle had been questioning her, that had made her furious. How dare he try and treat her like a criminal or something?

  That was why she had not admitted to being at the party. She was damned if she was going to admit anything to him at all.

  Even if it was something innocuous. After all she had done nothing at all, merely withheld information…

  Anyway, it hardly mattered now.

  Mridula breathed deeply as her brain worked at top speed, planning ahead. With the way things had turned out, it seemed that finally justice was being handed down to her.

  Admittedly not divine justice; the human hand had a big role to play in this case.

  But it had all worked in her favour.

  Now everything that should have been rightly hers from the very beginning was truly hers.

  With Pallavi and Amar in prison, and likely to be there for a long time, she had the run of things at Xanadu.

  And Remanika did not really count…

  Professor Shantanu sat in his room, going over his notes. Opening a fresh page, he made a flow chart detailing the sequence of events.

  He then tried to fit in his latest theory that had flashed through his brain whilst driving back from the film sets.

  Everything seemed logical now.

  Only, only, he had to be certain.

  He could not take action without being absolutely sure.

  He made a few phone calls.

  It was mostly to his students.

  Professor Shantanu was much revered by his students – both past and present.

  They were ready to do anything for him, no questions asked.

  Two hours later, he received the information that he was waiting for.

  Meanwhile the lab results had also come in.

  It was just as he had expected.

  Everything became clear.

  Shantanu smiled widely.

  Pallavi would be free, he thought.

  But would she be free for him?

  Firmly he squashed the thought.

  His job was to do the right thing. The rest … well, the rest was destiny.

  Quickly, he made one final call. It was to Inspector Bhogle. ‘Swami Maheshananda is the murderer,’ he declared. ‘You better go to his ashram and arrest him. Before…before he gets an inkling and escapes abroad with the help of one of his foreign disciples,’ he said decisively.

  ‘Are…are you mad? Have you taken leave of your senses? The case is already closed. We have not one, but two confessions. I suggest you give up this futile attempt of yours,’ Bhogle spoke inflexibly.

  In a quiet but firm voice, Professor Shantanu swiftly explained how and why Maheshananda committed the three murders.

  At the end of it, astounded, the inspector whistled softly. This professor sure was one hell of a sleuth, he had to admit.

  Instantly Bhogle rounded up his men and left for the swami’s ashram to make the arrest.

  Chapter 19

  ‘But even after Inspector Bhogle and the entire Mumbai Police had closed the case, you persisted with your inquiry?’ Professor Dinkar Mishra was perplexed.

  ‘Yes,’ Professor Shan
tanu smiled. ‘Somehow I was not convinced that this was the final piece in the puzzle. I knew there was something that did not quite fit in with the overall picture. The police conclusion was too convenient – a bit too perfect to be true.’

  ‘Then?’

  ‘But I had nothing to go on. As a last ditch effort, I decided to recreate the scene of Natalie’s murder. On the film set, I realized that Natalie was not supposed to be murdered at all. The light fixture was supposed to fall on Chandra Prakash.’

  ‘How?’

  ‘The murderer had removed the iron hook the night before. He knew that the next morning as soon as Chandra Prakash pulled the cord, the fixture would hurtle down upon him and kill him instantly. What he had not known was that Natalie would come on the sets to practice in the night. I realized then that the murderer was an outsider, who did not know about Natalie’s habit of practising her lines before shoots.’

  ‘I see,’ Dinkar did not really see very clearly. ‘So, Natalie died in vain?’ Dinkar felt sorry for the poor girl.

  ‘Yes, Maheshananda never intended to murder her. It was pure accident.’

  ‘Gosh!’

  ‘But how did you zero in onto the swami?’ Dinkar asked.

  ‘I recalled that Pallavi had told me about Maheshananda going on the sets of Chandra Prakash to give his blessings and support. I cross-checked with the assistant director. He confirmed that the swami was present the day before on the shoot. And Maheshananda was the only outsider on the sets,’ Shantanu explained.

  ‘But this was a long shot,’ Dinkar pointed out. ‘How could you be sure?’

  ‘Exactly. So, I began at the very beginning. I removed Natalie’s murder from the equation. The objective was to kill only two people – Rajvir and Chandra Prakash. Who would want to kill them? And if it was Maheshananda, why would he want to do so?’

  ‘Yeah, what was the motive?’

  ‘I am coming to it,’ Shantanu smiled. ‘First I needed some concrete evidence to implicate Maheshananda. I was convinced that Pallavi had not committed the murders. She had confessed only to save Amar. I knew that Amar too had not committed the murders.’