"Hey, Are you back? How is uncle now?", asks Sidharth. Jay from the other side of the phone replies,"Hain yaar. Kal wapas aya.. Dad is fine now. I was thinking about coming to your house to meet aunty today. Tu kab tak ghar lautega?" Sidharth replies,"Maa is not at home. She has gone to Shirdi with her friends. She will return tomorrow. Tu aaja shyam ko. Let's sit and have few drinks.. Few friends are coming too." Jay replies,"Tera case close ho gaya right? I heard something about the killer getting caught. Phir bhi tu apni after case party nahi de raha tha, toh I was thinking what is wrong with you?" "Well I was waiting for you to return. Come home by 8.", says Sidharth and hangs up his phone.
Sidharth is in the living room with Jay and Ranne. Bhonsale joins them with his glass of whisky. Jay smiles and says,"Dada makes the best drink here. He knows the right amount of soda in the whisky." Bhonsale smiles and blushes as he puts a plate of peanuts on the table. The front door is kept open and just then Gaikward arrives with Kambli. In no time they are joined by Rajan Chauhan and Devesh. After few minutes two other policemen, Joseph Demelo and Sagar Singh also joins them.
Devesh asks taking a fried pakora from the plate,"Why suddenly a party? You know I can't drink as I still taking medicines for my wound. By the way I never thought out of everybody, our Sidharth here throws parties.." Bhonsale bringing another plate of hot pakoras to the table, says,"Sir has a tradition, after the case is solved, he holds a get together for his team and friends.. Aap dono yahan first time ayeho isiliye yeh aap ko malum nahi hai." Devesh looks at Sidharth and asks,"So the case is solved? When? Did you.." Kambli interrupts,"Ofcourse. The case is solved that's why we all are here. Sir will discuss the details of the case now. It is thrilling to hear everything again from his mouth."
Sidharth sits with Jay at one side, Ranne at the other side. Everybody else sits around him on the chairs arranged in a circle. The table on the centre has the plates of food and drinks. There is a soft smile on his face as he starts,"Hmm.. So the case begins with the central character Roshini Gupta. A charming personality with great talents. Roshini Gupta moved to Mumbai from Surat with the dreams to become an actress in the Bollywood industry. But apart from getting few small roles, she didn't get any major break. Then enters the Assistant Producer Punit. He worked for the Chandra's s*x racket. Getting fresh faces, luring them for big breaks in the movies and using them for prostitution."
Sidharth looks around the room, screening their faces, to read their expression. Taking a deep breath he says,"Roshini met the PA of Mahesh Chandra, PA Iyer and there was another person, manager of Asif Khan, the actor, Zarina. Zarina suggested to go to script writer Anubhav Kashyap, another partner of this business. He along with Punit convinced Roshini to make certain comprises and she agreed. That was her mistake. Desperation to make a name made her go to director Raj Kamal. And she fell into their trap. She was blackmailed with photographs of her intimate moments with him. She was forced to go to people including Executive Producer Kumar and Studio owner Atul Damle. Damle even got her to come down to that studio where all the above mentioned people were present. That broke her finally. She had the key to the studio from Damle. And she committed suicide the next night."
Sidharth pauses and then continues,"Before her death, she had shared her a predicament with her only friend, Govind. He was a shy, a nerd who was in love with Roshini from the first day he had met her. But for her he was just a friend for whom she cared and was protective of. Govind went to police after her death but no body listened to him." "You all know what had happened next. He found writer Sanjeev Doshi and gave him his version of the story. He changed his looks and identity to join Raj Kamal as 3AD(Assitant Director). He suggested Punit this story and the movie was finalised. He had learned the art of makeup from Makeup artist Nirmal. Then the murders started. He called each one, threatened them to expose and asked them to meet at the studio. He had the key of the studio from Roshini. There he confronted them, told their sins on their faces and then he strangulated them with the rope. Time of death, place of death and method of killing was same to Roshini's death.", Sidharth says.
He looked around again at his audience, sitting in silence. His face now serious as he continues,"We were taping Damle's phone, so he couldn't call him nor he could lure him to the studio as we were guarding his home. So he tried to kill Damle at his home. He tried to stop me by attacking me on the Muhurat day. He blackmailed Production Manager Santanu to throw the light at me. But that was just a threat not attempt to kill me, not just yet. As he had planned to kill me at the end. He came to know about Pranjal. Fearing being caught, killed her. Then knowing about Kiran, he attempted to kill him next. And as I was present at the movie set, he brainwashed Nasir to try to kill Anubhav Kashyap."
Sidharth takes a break by drinking some water. He then says,"Few points to think about. Govind was not a kind of person who would go for a kill just like that. No matter how much he loved Roshini, killing is not an easy thing to do. Second important thing, who gave him information about Pranjal and Kiran. Thirdly in the book it was mentioned that the last victim whom he wanted to kill was for himself and not for Roshini." Ranne nods his head at him and says,"This made us think about the involvement of another person. Someone who has planned everything, helping Govind but is behind some shadows."
"This was confirmed when Brijesh aka Govind was captured. He accepted that he was repeatedly called and brainwashed into killing using his feelings for Roshini and his hatred for those people responsible for her death. So Devesh you were wrong about the thing that there was no mastermind and Govind lied. I am not an amateur detective. I don't trust anybody's words but rely on my logics, gut feelings and most importantly on evidences." Devesh moves a bit on his chair, uncomfortable on hearing that. He says,"I.. didn't mean in that way. Take no offence. So you caught the mastermind then." Sidharth smiles,"None taken. Mastermind.. hmm. Not yet.. But I will soon." Except his team members, all the other people looked at him with a confused expression. Jay asks,"Tu ne abhi tak file close nahi ki toh yeh get together kyun?" Sidharth replies,"I will tell you everything. Just have little patience."
"One important part of this case was something supernatural. Funny right. Being a cop, I am saying these. But it's true. Sana as you all know, is the actress of this movie. She has abilities to sense future. She and Roshini helped us a lot. Giving warnings, leaving behind few clues and even hinting on the mastermind.", Sidharth says. Devesh asks,"Roshini helped? She is dead then how can she help? You mean her spirit. What are you saying?" Sidharth laughs a little,"Yes. It's quite impossible to believe but it's true. Anyways, coming back to the mastermind thing. Hmm.. Who it can be? Someone who knew Roshini before her death. Someone who could get inside information easily. Someone who knew technology and who had been in Pune. Roshini told me, that the mastermind was my friend or someone who knew me well. So he is someone sitting in my home right now."
Devesh stands up and says,"You have called us to catch your culprit here. Are trying to put the blame on us? I just can't believe you can do such thing." Sidharth smiles and says,"Sit down Devesh. I am not finished yet. Are you getting scared?" Devesh looks at him for a minute and then sits down. Jay asks,"Who is he Sid? Are you doubting on me? I belong to Pune, I am related to movies and I am your friend." Sidharth puts her hand on his shoulder,"I will be lying if I say I didn't doubt you. Everyone, you, Sana all were in the list. But my gut feeling was telling me I was wrong." He looks at Devesh sitting in front of him and says,"The man had met Roshini few years ago and was smitten by her. That time he was posted in Surat. You were in Surat too about 5 years ago. Right Devesh." Devesh doesn't reply anything.
Sidharth looks at him and others too. He says," Although he had met her once, he felt he is in love with her. He started keeping an eye on her. Even after he moved to other city and she moved to Mumbai, he stalked her. When Roshini killed herself, he tried to find ways to take revenge. But he couldn't afford to get himself exposed to the world. He saw Govind one day at the police station trying to convince them to open her case again. He found his pawn then. Using a virtual number, he called him. He used my name and talk him into committing the crimes. And rest you all know." "The virtual number took us to an flat in Pune. There we found a file on me and a computer used for the number.", he said.
"Devesh, you were in Surat five years ago and then you moved to Pune. You were in Pune for the past two years. You have knowledge of telecommunications and computers too, as you are a graduate in it. Did you meet Roshini? You are my friend but I know you always had that some amount of hatred for me.", Sidharth says. Devesh stands up again and says,"Yes it's true Sidharth, somewhere I feel jealous of you. You were always the best out of the lot. You got your desired posting, all the name and appreciations. But you see everyone, literally everyone felt the same for you. You aced in everything and we were all mediocre when compared to you. So it could be just anybody not just me who would love to see you go down. I was in Surat and so was 4 of our batch mates including Rajan here. And no I never met or have ever seen Roshini in my life."
Sidharth stands up and coming closer to him he looks at Rajan and says,"Rajan are you too jealous of me?" Rajan who was observing everything spoke for the first time,"No. I am not. You are my good friend. I really don't know why Devesh is talking like that." Sidharth turn towards Devesh and says,"See Rajan here is not jealous. But you are." He brings out his phone and says,"Roshini wanted her opressors to be caught and put behind bars. She never wanted them dead, that's why she tried to help. She helped us through Sana. I am not lying, here in my phone is the recording of her through a spirit box session." He plays the recording and watches his face. He recognises her voice, he can see that. A soft smile appears on his face as he looks at him.
Sidharth opens his photo gallery and shows them a photograph. It has been taken in Dr.Anand's office. A white shadow near the table moving towards perhaps the door. He zooms in the photo and there is an expression of shock. "This had been taken at Dr.Anand's office where he was conducting that session. The face in the photograph is of Roshini.", says Sidharth. "Last night I found a letter that Roshini had written before her death. Her father had found this in her belongings. It was hidden inside a small box. She had to say something to the man who is behind everything.", Sidharth adds. Rajan asks,"But these can't be a proof that can be presented in the court." Sidharth smiles,"No. It's just that he needs to hear how much Roshini hated him. He was married yet he had an obsession for her. He used to call her, threaten her, ask her to be with him. He had also sent her proposals over social media sites. Twisted mind, that's what she thinks of him."
"Twisted mind?", he whispers now. Sidharth nods and takes out a piece of paper from his pocket. Holding it he says,"Roshini cared for Govind and felt sorry that he did everything for her. She wanted the murders to stop as she never wanted Govind to suffer. And she hated him for making Govind do all that. Yes she hated him from the core of her heart." "Hate..", he whispers with his head low. He pauses and then says,"This paper contains her feelings for him. What she really wanted to tell him. I will read it aloud in front of you all. This is her own handwriting so it is hers only.. Yes her own writing." Before Sidharth could open the letter, he snatches it from his hand and opens it to read.
"N..oth..ing...n..nn..othing.. What is this? A joke?"
Who is he?? Next chapter coming in a few moments..
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Let the suspense continue..