Coffee With Stranger

The Interrogation

The next turn was of Payal Malhotra. "May I come in sir?" She knocks the door and asked for permission to enter the cabin.

"Yes, please. Please be seated Payal. You know why we have called you here, right?"

"Yes sir I know it's about Vivan's death" she replied while fiddling the tissue box between her palms.

Gayakwad has already begun with the sympathy, which now became his routine from that point on.

"He was quiet," Payal spoke looking down at the table. Gayakwad reaches forward and places his hand on her. "A nice chap. always helpful to others in the office." Payal managed to finish her sentence. "He didn't talk much to others in the office."

"He would keep doing his work as the whole world doesn't exist for him. The only thing that mattered was what he was doing in the present moment."

"What do you think? Who could do this to him? Do you know if he ever fought with anyone?" Gayakwad asked Payal.

"Not really, as I told you he was a nice guy and didn't involve himself much with anybody. Most of the time he was on the field so he hardly talks to anyone in the office." Payal clear the air.

"Any special friend of him? Or a girlfriend?" Gayakwad probe in.

"Ya, he proposed Isha a few months back. Vivan and Isha were good friends since Isha has joined this company. They both made a good couple." Payal shrugged while saying.

"That's good to know. Was there anyone else between them?" Gayakwad throws another question to Payal.

"No one, Vivan didn't have any girlfriend earlier as far as I know him. He was not that much into girls." Payal brought her hand to the chin, let out a deep breath.

"So he ever mentioned anyone out of the ordinary? Anything to arouse suspicion?"

"Nothing at all," Payal said. But then again Isha would know more than I would. Are you seeing her after me?"

"Yes, of course!"

"Good, she can be of more help." Gayakwad nodded and asked the next question.

"Did Vivan ever have any financial problem?"

"No, of course not," Payal said.

"He was living on a rented house and has a mediocre car for which he was paying an EMI regularly. Apart from that, he didn't have any other financial liabilities." Payal elaborated.

"Why are you asking about his financial situation?" Payal asked.

"There could be a possibility that he had borrowed money from someone and not able to pay back," Gayakwad replied.

"So you think that someone had killed him for not paying off the money?" Payal asked.

"It's definitely a possibility, we have to ask ourselves these questions in a time like this," Gayakwad explains.

"I understand you are doing your job, but right now this, this.... speculation of yours, well it's just not right."

"Ok, fine. You can go now and send Isha inside." Payal went outside and in another two minutes; a girl in her twenties entered the cabin.

Her short blonde hair was crumpled to one side. Her eyes were red, evidence of tears and dismay that had pained her for the last two days. She sat on the chair. Staring at Gayakwad.

"I just got to know about you and Vivan's relationship. Are you up? To answer some questions about Vivan?" Gayakwad said.

"I closed my eyes as I heard the name of Vivan. It was like I went back in time and cherished the time I had spent with Vivan.