Lolark, Nikhil, and Ananya were well aware of the man in the picture. The news was sensational after all. Who did not know him? Every police on the earth are aware of him.
But what's shocking was — him being..alive!
"Are you seeing what am I seeing?" Lolark was shocked and if we analyze him on more clear terms, it'd be an understatement. He couldn't believe his eyes. That was something beyond his head.
"Yes," Nikhil whispered, replaying the video. Ananya recovered from the shock long ago and is now looking at both the men who are in a shocked state.
"Isn't that Sheik who was declared dead by CBI Mumbai Branch?" Lolark frowned, still in shock, looking at the video on repeat telecast as of it is a tape recorder.
He doubted his vision and wanted to confirm!
"Yes, the one who was said to be involved in human trafficking," Nikhil murmured, looking at the video, again, with keen interest. Almost a year ago, it was a worldwide case involving thousands of girls being human trafficked through Mumbai to Malaysia over the past so many years. It was a piece of sensational news in India at that time.
There were candle marches and strikes all over the country.
Sheik was said to be the right-hand man of the main boss in the underworld mafia. Sheik was a few months ago and trailed to have had suicide in jail. While some people cursed that he had such an easy death, some of them thought it was good he died.
His suicide was also a piece of national wide news at that time and now looking at him all alive and talking on the video, it shocked them to the core.
"And his other teammates and boss were still on run," Lolark passed more information, remembering the case that was closed due to mysterious reasons after his suicide before it was transferred to Delhi Branch.
Nikhil nodded in agreement, "And the case that was transferred to Delhi Branch had no use."
"Exactly! But it will be useful now. We need to re-open the case and this video is enough evidence to do that," Lolark said. He was true, though. There wouldn't be a long process to reopen the case. At least, not as long as it was would be if it was still in the hands of the Mumbai Branch lying actively even if it's closed.
"Perfect! We'll do that, " Ananya murmurs. She was about to call Ashwanth when Lolark stopped her.
"Not at the moment, Ananya. Even if you call Ashwanth sir now, he'd tell us off for meddling in a local case. He'd insist on seeing tomorrow only. Waste of time calling him," Lolark stopped her from calling Ashwanth. He was saying the fact. Ashwanth although looked helpful from out if it's anything that isn't related, exactly related to CBI, he'd never appreciate anyone involved in such cases.
"It's better you investigate by yourselves," he suggested. Nikhil nodded in agreement and Ananya had no chance but to shrug and nod in agreement too.
"What about Sameera and Varsha if every one of us will go?" she asked the oblivious question,
"The constables will be with Varsha until Sameera's parents come back. They will see to it. I've contacted their parents and her sister," Nikhil muttered, showing her the message from Sameera's sister.
"So, she's on her way. Good for us!" she sighed, releasing a huge breath and Nikhil nodded again, murmuring nonchalantly, "Yes."
Ananya checks her I-pad and the time. Why should they waste time here if constables are going to guard her? The Sooner they catch the criminals, the better it will be. "Let's get going then. We need to track where the ambulance went to."
"Yeah, let's go."
Before they walk away, Nikhil turned towards Lolark, "Lolark, thanks for the help. Go home, we have our office tomorrow. They'll take care of Varsha. You'll be late to the office otherwise."
Nikhil had suggested, and Lolark nodded in agreement, "I'll go. Let me once talk with the constable. Making sure Varsha is safe here, I'll go." After getting a nod from Nikhil, Lolark asked his next question, "Will you guys come tomorrow?"
"We'll see," he shrugged. They didn't know how much time would it take for them to track down the ambulance and check on it by going three.
It's a lot of work.
"Alright, take care and if there's anything that is needed, call me," Lolark nods. He'll be there anytime if they wanted any kind of help from him.
Nikhil nods his head. If there's any need, he'd definitely call him.
"I'll also report this incident to our head tomorrow if you guys don't come," Lolark said, gesturing towards I-pad to send him the video as well.
"Huh. That will be good," Nikhil agreed. If they are late or any toward happens, Lolark will pass the proof to CBI for reopening the case.
Ananya nodded, sending him the video already and his phone pinged bringing his attention.
"We'll be going now. Bye," they walked away, out of the hospital and into their car.
Lolark walked away toward the constables to have a talk with them and give them his number in case they need his help as well.
———————————————————
Morning,
"What the hell is this again?" Ashwanth screamed at Ananya and Nikhil who are standing in his cabin as soon as they arrived. They showed him the video of Sheik and Ashwanth was shaken to the core.
If he was really alive, it'd be another big challenge to them and the media and people wouldn't leave throwing rotten tomatoes for their either conspiracy or carelessness.
It'd surely be destructive to CBI's reputation.
"Even we are shocked, sir," Nikhil murmured and Ananya nodded her head in agreement.
"He was dead in the records," Ashwanth mumbled, taking a few huge deep breaths and pacing around the cabin, with his hands on his hair messing it up.
"Yes, sir. I agree he's dead on the records. But can we deny the video?" Ananya scrunched up her nose, her eyes held all the questions.
"He's clearly Sheik," Nikhil added, supporting Ananya. They even verified it to know if the video was fake. But it turned out to be true.
"I'll contact Mumbai Branch," Ashwanth took the video into his pen drive and called the ASP he knew. After a few minutes of conversation standing beside the window, and looking down at vehicles, he walked back to Ananya and Nikhil.
"They will contact me in a few hours. You leave about that. The girl's case can be transferred here only when our head approves the case. We need to wait for the call from Mumbai for that to happen," he explained. Only when Mumbai gives them a report on his suicide will they be able to submit the video to their director, and only then the case will be reopened. It might take a few hours to a day.
"You can leave," he dismissed them who were still standing there, and asked when they were looking at each other, "What?"
"Sir, we need an emergency leave," Nikhil opened his mouth to answer.
"We?" He raised his eyebrow.
"I mean I and Ananya," Nikhil clarified and Ananya nodded her head repeating the same dialogue — that she want an emergency leave.
"But John's case is still going on. It's at its peak. How can you take leave?" he frowned. John's case is on their head and high socialites are sitting on their heads to speed up the process.
"Sir, another team is there, isn't it? And anyway we have our leave balance left in our account," Nikhil points out, not wanting to reveal the real reason and had reasoned Ananya had an appointment with the doctor and he'd offered to accompany her. Ashwanth narrows his gaze, yet couldn't deny they had leave balances and nodded his head, "Alright!"
He continued, with his hands on the table, "Send an official mail — both of you, from your respective mail ids."
Ananya and Nikhil agreed, and thanking him, left the cabin, they were looking like school kids lying to their principal, though! They walked to their rooms to send the mail from their respective PCs. The rest of the staff is yet to come and before that, they'd leave. Lolark had come along with them and is in his cabin working.
He'd be present in the office while they go out to get things done as per their plan. The plan they made after whatever they witnessed in the night.
A night that confused them for some time and cleared the picture sometime later.
They had to act on the plan.
Afternoon,
CBI,
Except for Ananya and Nikhil who were on emergency leave, everyone else was in the investigation room including Nusrat whose day was the last in CBI.
Akash had his whole morning dedicated to John's case investigation and he found something interesting. Lolark didn't join in the field today. He was in the office working on his PC. Some other constable was there with him in the field. He informed them of the updates, "John rented a bike here and we got the bike on the way between his house and the crime scene and the details about it will be here soon."
"Any CCTV footage?" DJ further asked, nodding at the information he managed to get.
"Yes, we got them as well," he mumbles.
"But-" he was cut off by another constable who came into the room with the bike's details.
"Here are the bike details, sir," the constable came inside and passed the details after which he was dismissed with a, "Thank you, Veer!"
Akash along with Lolark analyzed the details. By looking at their faces, and could say the case is going to be more complicated. Not as easy as it's sounding to everyone.
"There's nothing in it, sir. Except that just like every time he rented the bike there," Akash shrugged, finding nothing useful
"What's there in the CCTV?" DJ probed. If there was nothing weird in the details of the bike, there must be something in CCTV. That is the only hope they have.
"At that time when it was supposed to pass the CCTV, CCTV mysteriously turned off," Akash passed information. A fact he was supposed to say but was interrupted by the constable.
"What?" DJ frowned in confusion. Is it a coincidence? Because turning off the CCTV without damaging it would need permission from the higher officials. Or there must be some highly skilled hacker. Or is it really someone with high powers? It can't be a coincidence. Na! Never. DJ concluded.
"Yes, sir," Akash etched the word, and continued, "But we don't have to worry, sir."
He took a pause after which he started again looking at the curious gazes, "We've taken CCTV recordings before and after that time period. And luckily we have got a blogger who was recording videos on the camera. He might have the recording when John's bike passed the CCTV."
"That's great but did you track him down? Who was he?" DJ was relieved. They had something at least. That might lead them to know something crucial about the case.
"Not yet, sir. We're trying our best to find him. We need some more time," Akash said, requesting. DJ was frustrated, and punches his fist on the board, "Damn! Do it fast, Akash. We're getting pressurized from everywhere."
"We'll soon, sir. Trust us," Akash nodded. Taking permission from DJ, they walked away, ready to track down the man and also know why CCTV's were off.
After a few minutes more,
Ashwanth's cabin
"Hi, Sir." Nusrat had entered his cabin after getting permission from him. It was her last day and she was supposed to bid by to everyone in the morning and go back. But she was waiting for Nikhil who hadn't come to the office since morning. Neither the team was there to ask about him. Ananya was missing. That tensed her more. Lolark was there but he was busy on the laptop.
"Hi, Nusrat. Today is your last day, isn't it?" Ashwanth looked up at Nusrat and wondered why she was still there in the office. She was supposed to give her final attendance and go back in the morning.
"Yes," Nusrat smiled a little and continued hiding her embarrassment, "And I just came to bid abye! Thank you for everything, sir."
"Pleasure is all mine, Nusrat." He just shrugged.
Nusrat hesitated a little before asking what she was here for, "Sir, Nikhil?"
"Nikhil is on Emergency leave," Ashwanth, without looking up at Nusrat, answered her checking the reports Mumbai Branch had sent him
"Ananya?" she frowned.
"She's too on Emergency leave," Ashwanth was engrossed in reports and didn't notice her expression.
She fumed yey hide it well.
"Oh, alright! Thank you once again, sir. I'll get going now," she hid the grimace at the thought of Nikhil and Ananya being together. Although that couldn't be sure. But there was a possibility and that was gnawing at her heart.
"Yeah. All the best!" Ashwanth finally looks up at her again and smiled, dismissing her after which he concentrated on the reports again.
———————————————————
"What happened?" Nikhil asked Ananya who suddenly stopped outside the hospital and came back to her senses with Nikhil's touch on her shoulder.
"Nothing. I thought I just saw someone," she dismissed her thoughts. They need to concentrate on what they are here for which is more important, "Let's go in."
They walk together inside the hospital and towards the reception. Looking at a woman engrossed in her computer, Nikhil calls out for her, tapping his palm on the desk, "Excuse me?"
"Yes?" the woman named Sarasya looks up at him, grinning wide, showing her pearl white teeth towards their customers or rather patients and their family.
"Did Sameera know she had Ovarian cancer?" Nikhil asked Varsha an important question he wanted to know.
"No," Varsha denied in her weak voice.
"Why did she take clomiphene?" Nikhil sighed asking the question. What if she had taken it since she never know she had Ovarian Cancer?
"What is that?" Varsha frowned hearing the name for the first time.
"A medicine for producing eggs," Nikhil stated, and that confused Varsha since she isn't aware of such things, "What?"
Looking at their questioning gaze, she answered, she understood they were asking if she had taken that medicine and she needs to be truthful, "She never had any kind of medicines unless she had fever or cold."
"She's a healthy woman," she added after a thought. Physically, yes, she looked healthy and had never taken any medications.
"For the past few weeks, did she have any kind of drink or food from outside or someone gave her continuously for a few days?"
"No, I don't think. We cook by ourselves or order from Swiggy if it's late," she answered the handsome man in front of her.
"Her sister?" he raised his eyebrow.
"I'm not sure," she shrugged. They both work in the same office, What if they shared their food or her sister brought something for her? They never discuss anything that deeply! She isn't sure.
Nikhil nodded at her answers and walked away with Ananya in tow, "Her cancer was non-symptomatic then."
His voice was though a mere whisper, Ananya heard him in silence and waited for him to continue as he caressed his hair messing it up a lot, "Somebody gave her knowingly!"
Ananya doubted something and put her doubt in front of him, "But who would?"
"We'll need to find out. Someone from the gang must be!" Nikhil murmured walking towards Lolark, as Ananya sat on the chair to work on her iPad.
"We need an appointment!" Nikhil said, and the receptionist was ready to ask the next questions.
They are yet to get an appointment!
To be continued..,
Let me know what you think about the update.
Why do you think they are in the hospital for an appointment?
Regards,
Poly,
26/01/2023.