CHAPTER 54: A step closer to the truth
Mallika: I am sorry Dushyant, I know I should have told you all this earlier, maybe Tia would have been alive today.
Tears flowed from her eyes…. She was living every day in guilt….
It had all began the day she had come to the hotel to attend Shivaay and Tia’s mehendi and haldi ceremony…. Mallika did not wish to be a part of Shivaay’s wedding and had avoided all the other functions…. However when Om and Dadi had personally come to Rana Mansion to invite her and Ketki insisted her to attend the wedding, she did not wish to deny them, reluctantly she had agreed to join them for the two days of the wedding…. She did not even disclose it to Siddharth or other family members….
She was walking towards the lawn where the ceremony was being done when she heard some sounds from Tia’s room…. She walked closer to the room to hear them clearly….
She recognized one voice to be Tia’s and other two belonged to a man and woman…. She did not know who they were and what they were talking about…. She decided not to intrude their privacy and was about to walk away when she stopped in her tracks as the man said the words…. “I’ll ensure Ms. Kapoor that you do not witness another rising sun in your life, you’ll definitely die and I’ll kill you myself”…. Mallika was shocked and could not react for a few moments…. She composed herself as she heard the voices became silent…. She decided to check if Tia was fine or not…. She knocked the door and after few minutes Tia opened the door…. Tia was surprised to see Mallika…. Mallika walked inside the room as Tia invited her…. Mallika looked around carefully and was confused as the room was empty, no one other than the two of them was there….
Mallika directly told Tia whatever she heard, Tia was shocked but denied agreeing to what Mallika said…. Tia also asked Mallika to stay away from her life…. The talks turned into arguments and when Tia commented on Shivaay and Mallika’s relation, Mallika could not take it anymore and walked out of the room….
After reaching her house, Mallika found that she had lost her ring, she realized that she must have lost it at the hotel, but before she could talk to the hotel management Tia was killed and the room had been sealed…. Mallika was worried if the police or someone found the ring, they would suspect her…. However no one found any ring and Mallika was relieved…. However to be completely sure she wished to look for herself and had bribed the hotel staff and come to the hotel….
Dushyant stood shocked absorbing the information he had been exposed to….
Mallika: I should have told this to Shivaay or someone, maybe Tia would have been saved that day.
Dushyant remained silent as he walked out of the room….
*****
“This is everything we have about them”
Ranbir said putting the papers in front of Prachi on the table…. She looked at him surprised…. How had he managed to gather so much information about Arjun and Anika in two days…. She also doubted if she even knew half of all these things…. She wondered what all he must have done to get all this information….
Ranbir and she had taken leave from their work for a day…. Both Shivaay and Anika were already bothered about what had happened in Oberoi Mansion that they did not think much about Ranbir and Prachi’s absence…. Shivaay and Anika were unaware of the fact that Ranbir and Prachi were working together on something…. And that something could change everything….
Prachi: This is so much, where do we start?
Ranbir: Well, we know their basic information and you have known them for years, so I don’t think we should doubt them.
Prachi: But then, why would Shivaay Sir ask you to hire an investigator, even he knows Arjun Bhai from years, still if doubted them, there must be a reason?
Ranbir: I don’t know why Bhai wants to spy them but I think we shouldn’t start with any assumptions. Let’s keep the slate clean and start from the beginning.
Prachi: Okay, I agree with you. So where do we start? I don’t think there is any point in looking at Anika’s details; she has been with us for most of the times these weeks.
Ranbir: You are right, let us start from Arjun Sir. We have his call records.
He takes a bundle of papers and Prachi looks at him surprised…. Had he brought call records from the time Arjun had started using a phone…. It looked like he had brought call records of ten people rather than one….
Prachi: You have brought call records for how many years?
Ranbir: Even I was in the same thoughts as you but when I understood I was even more shocked.
Prachi: What do you mean?
Ranbir: Matlab, these are the records of the seven contact numbers registered under Arjun Sir’s name.
Prachi looked at him…. She was more than shocked…. Seven contact numbers…. Why would Arjun need seven contact numbers…. What was he doing or planning….
Prachi: Seven contact numbers?
Ranbir: Yes, and six of them are private numbers. It was very hard to find their details but I somehow managed to find their locations.
Prachi: But if all are his numbers then locations will be same only na?
Ranbir: No, that is what surprised me. You know five of these numbers have been active in different locations. And all these numbers have been activated about four days ago.
Prachi: Will you explain in detail?
Ranbir signed her to sit while he brought a white board and a marker…. She looked at him as he wrote the points on the board….
(Below written text is what Ranbir wrote on the board – Major clues of what Arjun has been planning all this while)
Numbers registered under Arjun’s name
Number 1 – Arjun’s personal number which all people have
Number 2 – Active near Arjun’s office and Raichand Mansion
Number 3 – Active near Oberoi’s office and Raichand Mansion
Number 4 – Active near Oberoi Mansion and St. Andrews College
Number 5 – Active near Oberoi office, Oberoi Mansion and MJ Road
Number 6 – Active near Malhotra Mansion, Shastri nagar and KM Road
Number 7 – Active near Tilak Nagar and Old Bombay Road
Prachi read each and every word carefully…. Ranbir waited for her to finish reading…. After reading everything they looked at each other….
Prachi: So it means the other five numbers are used by five different people at different locations.
Ranbir: Yes and the startling fact is that the other five numbers are used to contact only number 2. They have not contacted anyone else not even each other.
Ranbir forwarded the papers to her and she read them carefully…. He was right…. Number 2 had contacted numbers 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 and vice-versa but the other numbers had not contacted anyone other than number 2 not even other numbers….
Prachi: Why do I feel that the number 3 is used by Anika, the two locations are where only she can be?
Ranbir got into thinking after what Prachi said…. She might be right…. Only Anika was the person who could be at both Oberoi Office as well as Raichand Mansion….
Ranbir: Yeah, that can be true, so one person is Anika who has been in touch with Arjun Sir.
Numbers registered under Arjun’s name
Number 1 – Arjun’s personal number which all people have
Number 2 – Active near Arjun’s office and Raichand Mansion – Arjun
Number 3 – Active near Oberoi’s office and Raichand Mansion – Anika
Number 4 – Active near Oberoi Mansion and St. Andrews College
Number 5 – Active near Oberoi office, Oberoi Mansion and MJ Road
Number 6 – Active near Malhotra Mansion, Shastri nagar and KM Road
Number 7 – Active near Tilak Nagar and Old Bombay Road
Ranbir wrote Arjun and Anika’s name in front of the two contact numbers…. They looked at each other and then back at the board…. These numbers and locations could give some important clues to what was happening…. One thing was sure; all the people using the other numbers were in contact with Arjun….
Ranbir: This number 4 is active near Oberoi Mansion and St. Andrews College, and as far as I know Rudra and Romi study here.
Prachi: So, do you think it is one of them?
Ranbir: Maybe….
Prachi: But if it was Rudra, I think Shivaay Sir would have known.
Ranbir: So do you think it is Romi?
Prachi: Not sure completely but there is a chance.
Numbers registered under Arjun’s name
Number 1 – Arjun’s personal number which all people have
Number 2 – Active near Arjun’s office and Raichand Mansion – Arjun
Number 3 – Active near Oberoi’s office and Raichand Mansion – Anika
Number 4 – Active near Oberoi Mansion and St. Andrews College – Romi
Number 5 – Active near Oberoi office, Oberoi Mansion and MJ Road
Number 6 – Active near Malhotra Mansion, Shastri nagar and KM Road
Number 7 – Active near Tilak Nagar and Old Bombay Road
They looked at the other locations…. They were tough and some of them were unknown…. They both sat back in their places thinking about the possible people related to them…. It was sure that all these people were related to the families…. Because if they were unknown or some agency…. Arjun would not have got himself and Anika involved so much…. He could not trust an outsider….
Prachi: Whoever is using these numbers is definitely trustworthy for Bhai and also people who can easily access locations like Oberoi Mansion and all.
Ranbir: Yes, you are right Prachi. Let us search what all places are near these locations and people from those known to us who can go to these locations.
Prachi: Yes, we’ll make a list and then see the possibilities.
They both sat down with papers and opened their Google maps…. Oberoi Mansion was a tricky location as many people had access to it so they thought not to think about it for the time being…. They looked around the other locations….
More than two hours had passed when they finally made a list of all the possible people whom Arjun could be in contact with….
They looked at the names and then Prachi wrote them on the board….
Numbers registered under Arjun’s name
Number 1 – Arjun’s personal number which all people have
Number 2 – Active near Arjun’s office and Raichand Mansion – Arjun
Number 3 – Active near Oberoi’s office and Raichand Mansion – Anika
Number 4 – Active near Oberoi Mansion and St. Andrews College – Romi
Number 5 – Active near Oberoi office, Oberoi Mansion and MJ Road – Riddhima
Number 6 – Active near Malhotra Mansion, Shastri nagar and KM Road – Gauri
Number 7 – Active near Tilak Nagar and Old Bombay Road – Ishana
Riddhima has her fashion house near MJ Road and only she could access both Oberoi Mansion and Oberoi office….
Gauri is working for the wedding of Malhotras and Raichands…. So she had access to Malhotra Mansion…. Ranbir knew her office is at KM Road and maybe she stays near Shastri nagar….
Ishana works for the Mumbai times that have their office at Old Bombay Road…. And from her office Prachi found out that Ishana stayed near Tilak Nagar….
It was clear that these were the people who might be using these numbers but why….
Why….
The question was still unanswered….
Prachi stood reading the words again and again…. These names…. These locations…. These people had no connection with neither Arjun or with each other…. Then why were they all in contact with Arjun…. Ranbir also stood near her reading the board…. He too was thinking about the possible reason that it was only these people who were linked to each other even after not being connected to one another….
Prachi: This is more complicated than we thought.
Ranbir: You are right but don’t worry we have reached here and maybe we’ll get ahead also.
Prachi: Now we need to verify if these people are the correct ones or not.
Ranbir: But how’ll we do that?
Prachi: We’ll trace their personal numbers which we have and then cross check with the privates ones and if the locations coincide….
Ranbir: We’ll be a step closer to the truth….
Prachi: Right.
Ranbir immediately called someone and asked him to trace the locations of the numbers…. And finally after half an hour Ranbir got the locations…. He looked at Prachi…. She looked at him and then at the information they had received…. They looked at each other in shock…. What they had thought was right…. Now the main question was to be answered…. Why they all were inter-connected to each other…. What was that reason that Arjun chose these people…. Whatever it was…. It was important….
Ranbir: Itna toh confirm ho gaya hai ki yeh sab log bahut kuch jaante hai tabhi Arjun Sir is in contact with them.
Prachi: Then we have to find out everything about them.
Ranbir: Don’t you think we should talk to Anika once before we go ahead. Maybe she’ll tell us everything.
Prachi: I have been her friend for years and if she did not tell me also, that means it is something very important and she’ll not let anyone know about it.
Ranbir: Then guess, we have to take the harder route.
Prachi: Ranbir, do you think we can tap their calls?
Prachi asked him with some doubt…. Tapping private numbers was a task indeed…. Ranbir got into thinking….
Ranbir: Well, if we have got this far. I think we should try this also, but I’ll have to talk to people and it’ll take a day or two.
Prachi: Hmm…. By the way, what will you tell Shivaay Sir when he will ask you about all this?
Ranbir: Don’t worry I’ll handle him. I know what I have to tell him.
*****
Hello everyone, I hope you all are doing well.
Here is the next chapter of the story, do share your views.
Well, well, well looks like Arjun Raichand has been busy with a lot of planning and also, has many others with him, who are helping him at every step. So, all these people are connected to Arjun and his plan in some way of the other.
So, Arjun, Anika, Romi, Ishana, Riddhima and Gauri are connected through a plan, but do they all know who Tia’s killer is, or do they have their own reasons to help Arjun?
Keep reading and smiling!!!
Take care and stay safe!!!