Suicide and Murders

SUICIDE

AND

MURDERS

ANURAG SHARMA

“NOT AGAIN!” an exasperating frantic cry echoed in the room as Mahima jolted awake. Her alarm clock blinked 8:30 AM in bold, accusing digits. Panic surged through her as she realized she had overslept once again from the usual time of the college which was 9 AM. “I can’t miss the lecture today,” she muttered, throwing off her covers and springing out of bed.

She hurriedly yanked open her closet, grabbing the uniform as she pulled on her clothes. She simultaneously tried to quickly brush her tangled hair, while also preventing them from breaking.

She slides her laptop into her backpack without any semblance of order. There was no time for breakfast, she grabbed her backpack and dashed out the door to catch the last bus to her university.

“Late again?” Vandana teased her, giggling, after she reach her friend to bring her to their usual seat.

“Yeah. Yeah. Are you done?” sighing Mahima, her voice tinged with frustration, “Mom’s been leaving for work early these days. No one left to wake me up at the right time.” She quickly shifted the subject by pulled out her laptop to proudly display a masterpiece she’d spent months perfecting, “Look, this project will sure guarantee the success of my interviews to get my dream job.”

Looking around the labyrinthine of codes, squinting across Mahima’s laptop screen, trying to make sense, “Whoa, that’s…impressive…very impressive….” she finally managed, nodding slowly.

Mahima on the other hand saw right through Vandana, “You didn’t understand a thing, do you.” she sighed.

“Hey, come on. I am still learning JAVA,” defending herself, “Unlike, you who gobbled the whole Data course of one year in just six months like a hungry hippo.”

Mahima beamed proudly. Vandana’s bewildered admiration momentarily was forgotten by Mahima. With a giggle, “Thanks! It’s been a lot of late nights and coffee-fuelled coding sessions. I had prepared more projects like this.”

“There is more!?” eyes pop out of her head, “You really went insane after High school.”

With eyes down, the smile faded slightly, “Yeah. Two years ago, the moment I realized my marks weren’t enough to get me to the competition to get my dream college, my life was shattered…I felt worthless. My life felt in vain.”

A soothing hand came on Mahima’s shoulders, “Don’t feel depressed. You suffered from Appendicitis at the end of year, which destroyed your two months. That can’t be undone. It wasn’t even your fault. You don’t have to be harsh on yourself.”

Mahima’s spirit lightened up, “That’s right. So, I’m building up skills, which could fill up the gap.”

“You’ve come a long way since then. There is no doubt in my mind that you might take all the interviewer’s attention all by yourself.”

Later that day, in the canteen the girls amidst the aroma of freshly made samosas and brewed coffee, the four friends gathered around their usual table tucked away near a window. Their laughter rang out over the din of students chattering and trays clinking, drawing curious glances from nearby tables.

Mahima, her face animated with excitement, leaned forward eagerly, “Guys, I seriously need a break now. I haven’t slept properly for months.”

“How about we do…,” Vandana mumbled through a mouthful of sandwich, “…something crazy tonight.”

While Mahima scolded Vandana for not talking while eating. Vandana’s proposal caught attention of one of their friends. Shivani, as she was absentmindedly stirring her steaming cup of coffee and scrolling her phone’s screen, looked up with a mischievous glint in her eyes, “Count me in! And what if we crash Niharika’s place? It would be fun to sneak in.”

Niharika, peacefully eating her wrap, sitting next to Vandana, suddenly coughed, almost choking on the stray piece of filling. Her hand instinctively holding the ornament of her neck, an heirloom pendant.

“Hey, chill out,” Vandana hands over a water bottle to her.

Clearing her throat, “Thanks Vandana.”

“Why you hold you pendant always?”

“Just an instinct. I don’t know whenever I feel scared or anything, my hands move on their own.”

Interrupting their conversation, Shivani repeated, “What do you think about the idea?”

Instantly Niharika stood up, “This is the worst scheme ever.”

After a brief pause, Mahima nodded enthusiastically, her mind already racing with ideas, “Yeah, noodles, pizza, games, movie, dance, so much fun.”

Niharika kept refusing while her three friends ganged together to convince her with their tempting proposals related to their girl’s night out. The bell rang, the lunch time ended. Mahima took the responsibility to persuade innocent Niharika for her agreement. She kept herself glued to Niharika and muttering and planting seed of her plans all day everywhere she goes. At the end, the flowers eventually bloomed through Mahima’ diligent efforts. As the evening approached, Vandana and Shivani were waiting at the university gate. Finally, Niharika arrived with Mahima grinning like a cat that got the cream. She succeeded in convincing Niharika to allow them to her hostel and planned to meet up at the University gate within an hour.

“Alright, girls, let’s get this over with,” she said, trying to maintain a stern face, hiding her true expressions.

The hostel was a private budget-friendly PG accommodation a kilometres away from the University. It was a quaint, with a central building painted in soft pastels, featuring a serene garden courtyard, surrounded on all side by other buildings, creating a secluded oasis amid the urban landscape.

Standing in front of the giant tree in the middle of the garden, “It feels so refreshing every time here,” says Mahima as she inhales a deep breath, “I wonder why you didn’t agree to letting us come.”

“Eh- I…” Niharika hesitated.

“Oh, come on. Let’s forget and have some fun,” Shivani interrupted, and pushed the group towards the corridors.

Niharika led them to her room on the second floor. It was a cozy space with soft-peach-colored walls with posters of inspirational quotes and photos of friends and family. A small desk was cluttered with books and stationery. But despite the room’s overall elegance and order, the bed was oddly out of place. The quilt was thrown haphazardly over the mattress, and the pillows were scattered, some askew and others half-hidden beneath the disarray.

Before Shivani’s notorious tongue could give an embarrassing taunt which the world had ever heard of, Niharika moved swiftly like a flicker of light escaping through a crack in the door, she quickly restored the bed to its usual state.

Clearing her throat, “Make yourselves at home,” Niharika welcomed them once again properly.

Filled with enthusiasm, the girls immediately set to work transforming the room into party central. Shivani brought soft drinks and shakes. Vandana laid out the snacks they had brought—chips, chocolates, and a box of freshly baked cookies.

Mahima tried to set up her laptop, to stream movies and play songs. Her eyes laid upon two hard disks, while she searched for a Niharika’s portable speaker, “Oh wow, you bought another drive.”

Niharika overlooked Mahima’s curiosity and replied, “Yeah, just bought. Don’t look at them,” she gestured towards the speakers, “Here are they.”

As the night wore on, the room was filled with laughter and the sounds of friendly banter. They devoured noodles and pizza and watched their romcom and horror movies. Shivani pulled out her silly games of calling anonymously random numbers from their college, specially doing prank calls on boys. This game became spicier when Niharika pulled out her voice changer, which helped them to be incognito for the boys, so they couldn’t recognize the girls’ voices.

Mahima, usually so focused and driven, allowed herself to relax and enjoy the moment. It was a much-needed break from her relentless pursuit of excellence. Before did they know, they all fell asleep.

Next morning, the usual quiet hostel woke up by a terrifying scream that pierced through the corridors. The sound was so sudden and shrill that it jolted everyone upright.

Mahima, Vandana, Shivani exchanged alarmed glances, their previous relaxation was replaced by sheer panic and confusion.

“What was that?” Mahima whispered, her widened eyes searched the room, “Where is Niharika?”

Without thinking, Mahima jumped off the room, quickly grabbing her phone with Shivani and Vandana, “We need to find out what’s happening.”

The girls scrambled to get dressed, their movements hurried and frantic. They quickly slipped out of Niharika’s room and made their way down towards the commotion. As they reached the staircase, a door was ajar, and through the gap, they could see a Niharika sitting on the floor, her face flushed and eyes wide with terror. A few girls were sobbing quietly, while others were frozen in shock. Soon a cluster of students living in the dormitory gathered after the scream.

“What happened?” Mahima asked, pushing her way to the front of the crowd. Niharika’s knees clutching. Her trembling hands holding her pendant. Her eyes were wide and fixed on a spot in the room as if she was still seeing whatever had terrified her.

Vandana turned to her; eyes filled with horror after witnessing the dread. She gestured towards the root of the chaos. Her blood ran cold as she took in the grim reality of the sight: a girl dangled from the ceiling fan by a rope, her lifeless body swaying slightly. Each faint movement of her body seemed to punctuate the heavy silence that filled the room, amplifying the stark, chilling sense of despair.

“Wait no…Kriti!?...We need to call the authorities,” Mahima said, her voice steady despite the fear gripping her, “This is…beyond us.”

Shivani could see the pain and horror through her, she nodded and started heading towards the Warden’s office. However, she was halted by one of the girls; “The Warden was nowhere to be seen.”

Mahima took the responsibility herself, pulling out her phone to call the police and emergency services. The once lively and carefree atmosphere of the hostel was now overshadowed by an unspeakable tragedy.

As the police arrived, the atmosphere grew even more tense. Officers moved through the crowd, carefully examining the scene, and speaking with the students. The noise of the investigation and the murmurs of fear filled the corridor.

The police began their interrogation, starting with those who were closest to the scene. Niharika, Mahima, Vandana, Shivani, one of the victim’s friends; Sanjana, were among the first to be questioned. They were led to a quiet room away from the commotion, where Inspector Ashok Chakravarty with his sub-inspector Vartika Chaturvedi were sitting, for taking their statements. Ashok Chakravarty was a stoic man in his early forties, with a large stubble beard, an infamous officer for solving several criminal cases. Vartika was an elegant young lady, a newly recruited sub-inspector.

The inspector was very cautious to take every girl’s statement separately. It began with Niharika, still in shock, being comforted by the Sub-Inspector, who calmly reassured her. She finally spoke, “Me and my friend had a sleep over last night, somehow, we fell asleep. I was first to wake up, heading towards the bathroom for a refreshing shower, and then….” she grabbed her head, “I saw Kriti…hanging…she was my first friend when I came here,” she broke into tears. Her statement was concluded.

Vandana and Shivani were still confused regarding the situation. According to them, it was the scream that made them rush towards the scene.

Unlike others, Sanjana was sobbing but her broken heart was filled with anger towards someone, “It must be because of Mahima, she always takes fights with Kriti. I am sure she must have said something so cruel that she forced herself to die.”

Clueless Inspectors finally had their first suspect, Mahima Maurya. During her statement, she revealed her friendly rivalry with Kriti, and how she was cheerful and happy every time, but she was in depression for a couple of months. Mahima was one of the girls who were close with Kriti. However, she made one mistake, she spoke too much, “Sir, in my opinion, this must be a murder, not suicide.”

“How can you be so sure? Do you have a suspect in mind?” asks the sub-Inspecter in her sweet soft tone.

“I saw some unusual marks on her neck. Might be case of choking to death. The culprit could be framing it as a suicide to escape.”

Ashok interrupted her conversation, “Did you touched the body!?”

Mahima took a back from his serious tone. She hesitated, “Actually, Sir…” the chatterbox lacks words to explain herself.

The inspector saw through her, “You did touch the body.”

Eventually, out of choices, Mahima accepted.

Ashok’s patience broke, “Damn it!” he slammed his hand on the table as he stood up, “I came here just because I thought it could be another work of the serial killer, I’m after. Framing this as suicide. But here I’m, in front of a girl pretending to be Sherlock,” he muttered to himself in frustration, “Hey! Why don’t you solve the case, why the fuck I’m here.” He left the interrogation room to smoke his cigarette.

Mahima was embarrassed and ashamed of herself after the inspector left. She realized; her rash actions could have destroyed any serious evidence from the crime scene. Her eyes almost filled with tears.

“It’s alright now,” Ms. Vartika gently reassured her, “I know you are feeling guilty. But what’s done, is done. We can’t change it,” she offered her a soft drink and asked her to relax. While upset Mahima was leaving the room, Ms. Vartika called Mahima to cheer her spirit, “By the way, thanks for the help, I will consider your theory,” with a chuckle, “And don’t do this again. Okay.”

Mahima couldn’t sleep the whole night. The image of Kriti hanging from the fan replayed in her mind, haunting her every time she closed her eyes. The party, it was supposed to be a break from her sleepless nights, left with an unsettling silence.

Next Morning, the sense of unease lingered. Niharika, still recovering from the trauma, didn’t come to college with her friends. Mahima failed to concentrate properly on her daily tasks. It was so sudden that nobody was ready to face such situations. Vandana couldn’t help but be concerned about Mahima’s health.

During the lunch hours, “Hey, give it a break. Crying over and over won’t change anything,” Vandana passed Mahima a glass of chilled milk shake, “We all are in shock and grief. We can support each other through this. If you ever need to talk or just sit in silence, I’m here.”

“I don’t know. There is something bothering me ever since the interrogation,” replied Mahima, perplexed about her emotions.

With a slight chuckle, Shivani sitting in front of them, “It’s like you are the detective yourself and desperately craving for clues but never know the place to begin your investigation.”

After a brief pause, “I suppose you are right girl!” Mahima’s face lightened up, “I know what I want now. I want to know the complete truth of Kriti’s death.”

“Wait, what!?” Vandana and Shivani exclaimed, their reactions were similar as Mahima was absurdly talking about doing the investigation herself.

“I don’t think, it’s the right thing to do. It might be dangerous,” replied Vandana.

However, Shivani enthusiastically agreed with Mahima, “Count me, in.”

Vandana sighed, “You guys are either insane or idiots,” she joined their team and so as their journey to find the truth behind Kriti’s death began.

They grouped together at Mahima’s place, they gathered each set of information and details which could certainly be a clue to their interest.

“So, what do we know till now?” Shivani began their meeting.

Vandana continued, “Like Kriti’s family doesn’t live in luxury, so she works hard, give Mahima competition. She doesn’t even have a boyfriend…so no chance of post breakup depressions or whatever. But somehow her nails are always broken.”

Next was Mahima’s turn, “Let’s see. I saw some weird marks on her neck. There are chances that she was strangled to death. But door was not broken neither the window bars were destroyed….eh…” Mahima took a time to ponder, “Oh right! the Air conditioner was unusually high, considering the atmosphere.”

“What does that mean?” asks Vandana.

“Could it be intentional? It would be weird to say, but low temperature does slow down decomposition process,” proposed Mahima.

“Do you believe that Kriti didn’t died on Saturday night?”

“I am not sure. And wait! What did you say Vandana? She had broken nails” Mahima remembered a scene from a novel she read, “Broken nails also mean, she struggled before she died. Could be a fight with someone. If she died before Saturday, and died with struggling to fight someone, then…”

Continuing her words together, their heart filled with exaggeration, Mahima and Shivani concluded, “This is a murder.” However, their overelaboration of the case disappeared, they sighed together, “In the end, we can’t be sure.”

Yesterday, after the interrogation and collecting evidence, at RajaRajeshwari Nagar Police station, Inspector Ashok was in his cabin, discussing similar clues with sub-inspector Vartika. Mahima’s observations were correct.

Leaning on his chair, “I don’t think this could be a case of suicide,” says Ashok, holding the photographs of the crime scene, “What about you Vartika?”

She didn’t notice.

“Vartika!” Ashok exclaimed again, jolting her from her thoughts.

“Oh! I’m deeply sorry sir. I was just thinking about the interrogation with that girl in the hostel. I think she got potential to be a detective.”

“Do you mean her, who touched the dead body?” Instantly denying her suggestions, “Ah I see. I would call her a suspect. She was way too straight forward,” he pulled a cigarette from his pocket, “Your job is to doubt the witnesses, not praise them.”

“Actually, it could be possible sir. I read past cases, sometime the killer was the one who tries to over smart the police,” a sudden realization dawned on her, “Why are we considering this case a murder? Sir, did you somehow believe the girl’s words?”

Blowing out a cloud of smoke, with a sigh, “You really are naive,” he showed him the photographs of the crime scene, “Look, Type B ligature mark, additional to finger marks on her neck, her nails are broken with skin remnants. No suicide notes, clear cut case of perfectly planned homicide. What about forensic reports? We need to find who’s skin was it.”

“Sir! The reports will be coming on Tuesday evening.”

“What about the star of the show? The warden. It’s been two days, and no one’s got a bead on where he’s at. What was his name again? Oh right, Raghu Dayananda.”

“Our technical in charge, Raghav is trying to track the Warden. No track of signal tower. Checking every cctv footage of railway stations and bus stops. There are no cameras in shops near the hostel accommodation. Later we tried to contact his family. He had a brother named Mani Dayananda. But still no lead. According to his brother, the Raghu don’t interact much and had a recent fight.” Keeping forth her suspicions, “I believe it’s the Warden. Not to mention, the Warden, on paper, is the owner of the hostel. Yet, he works like as the caretaker of the dormitory despite living a luxurious life from his other hostel and hotel businesses.”

Ashok’s brows raised, “He is the owner? That’s rather interesting. If he never picked any train or bus, he must be in the city. Spread our informers around and pull that rat out from his burrow.”

After the top-secret conference of the young detectives, the next day after college hours, Mahima, Shivani and Vandana decided to make their way to Niharika’s hostel. It had been two days since she returned to college. She was not even answering their calls.

Around four o’clock in the evening, the three friends arrived at Niharika’s Hostel in a white sedan driven by Shivani. She parked the car just outside the gate and the girls made their way towards the entrance, chatting about their plans for motivating and supporting their dear friend Niharika.

As they approached the hostel, a masked man went out from the gate and hastily brushed past them, giving them a brief, unsettling glance. Mahima’s senses tingled with suspicion.

“That man is a thief!” a panicked voice pierced the air, “He stole something from the Warden’s office,” Niharika came yelling through the gate, pointing after the masked figure.

Without hesitation Mahima and Shivani exchanged glances with a grin on their face, “Off we go.” and sprang into action. Mahima pulled Vandana, sprinting after the thief. Niharika joined them, while Shivani rushed towards the car.

The scene caught the attention of the undercover officers appointed by Inspector Ashok. They were secretly spying upon the hostel from every corner. Informing each other, one of the officers rushed towards his bike and tailed Mahima.

Realizing he was being pursued, the masked man knocked a bike rider on his way and went way with the stole bike. But Mahima wasn’t helpless, before the man could leave their sight, Shivani entered the chase with her car, she stopped beside Mahima, the girls hopped in. Shivani speeds up, following the thief as he weaved through the traffic. The masked man twisted and turned, trying to evade capture. The adrenaline-fueled chase was both thrilling and terrifying. Shivani kept her eyes on the thief, and the undercover officer did on her.

The sun was on the horizon, the thief’s bike swayed dangerously as he sped across, reaching a railway crossing. The girls in the car were not far behind, the sound of the engine roaring as Shivani pushed the car to its limits, despite her difficulty driving at high speed in traffic and following the thief. The thief stopped on the other side of the crossing.

Focused on the thief, Shivani lost her sense of her surroundings. As Mahima glanced at the train thundering down the track, she suddenly screamed, “Stop the car!”

The crossing gates were now fully lowered. The sedan screeched to a halt, tires dragging and leaving skid marks on the asphalt.

The girls and the thief shared glance for the last time, before the massive train past with a deafening noise, its length seeming endless as it blocked their path. As the train finally passed, the gates lifted, but the masked man was nowhere in sight. He had vanished like smoke, leaving the bike lying on the ground.

“Shit! We lost him!” Shivani pounded the steering wheel in frustration.

After the thief escaped, Vinod, the undercover officer following Mahima, and the girls, informed Inspector Ashok about the theft and the chase.

“Keep an eye on them,” says Ashok before disconnecting the call.

“Sir, could this chase be a distraction?” Vartika pointed out, “The hostel’s news is still lively, spies all around. Only an idiot would try to steal something from a crime scene, until…”

Continuing her words, “Until, the thief was there to erase the clues left from our eyes.”

“Oh! I forgot,” she handed over some documents, “The Forensic reports have arrived. And there is a lead, the tissues found in the victim’s nails, the DNA matched with the DNA samples we procured from the Warden’s cabin.”

“Is there something else?”

She hesitated, gulped, “Yes. Analysis indicates that the victim was unfortunately subjected to sexual assault. The DNA profile obtained from the seminal fluid sample when cross-referenced with DNA of the Warden, the results were…Positive.”

Ashok listened but didn’t react. He replied with a node and continued looking at his documents.

Mixed with her emotions, Vartika enraged, “Sir! This suicide case is first turned out to be murder, a sexual assault. And we don’t even know where that monster could be.”

“Calm down.”

“And why don’t you feel anything!? No anger? Still No rage towards the one who heartlessly raped a little student that may not have had the opportunity to truly experience the world. And not only that she was also killed. Before coming here, I have heard a lot about you being the best officer, I always admired you, honored to work with you, but I didn’t know you were such heartless!”

“Vartika!” his voice raised, turning Vartika silent, Before Ashok could calm her down. Their eyes caught sight of Mahima.

She had come to the police station to report the theft, was standing at the cabin door, dumbstruck. As the truth dawned on her, she was numb, a chilling realization crept through her veins, unable to process the information, after she overheard Vartika and Ashok’s conversation. The tears she had held back when she first saw Kriti hanging lifeless, now burst forth, streaming down her cheeks. It was as though a wall inside her had crumbled, releasing a torrent of pent-up grief and sorrow.

With a strangled cry, she turned on her heel and bolted out of the station, her feet barely touching the ground as she ran. She pushed past officers and civilians alike, her vision blurred by the tears streaming down her face.

Holding his head, “Oh Vartika, what have you done!” with a weary sigh “I told you before, this is your first case, so you need to hold up your emotions and focus on the case. You job is to solve the case with unwavering resolve, setting aside personal emotions.”

Vartika took a moment to realize, she took a deep breath, “I’m deeply sorry sir.”

Outside the police station, Vandana was sitting back in the car, and Shivani was standing, leaning on her car, scrolling her phone screen.

“Mahima. Is your work done?” Vandana called out as she saw Mahima.

Mahima didn’t respond. Her feet pounded the pavement as she sprinted past them, her mind too clouded by the storm of emotions to register her friends’ presence. Vandana and Shivani exchanged glances, clueless about her emotions. Before they could catch up, Mahima flagged down a passing taxi. She climbed in, slamming the door shut behind her, her face still a picture of anguish. The cab sped off, merging into the evening traffic.

“Why didn’t she answer?” Vandana asked, her voice tinged with confusion and concern.

“How would I know?” Shivani replied, her eyes still fixed on the retreating taxi, her eyes narrowed, “Something happened in there. We need to find out what’s going on.”

Mahima’s behavior was completely out of character. She was usually composed, careful, especially after everything they had been through, she was the only one who remained calm and collected. But now, she had left without a word, not even acknowledging their presence.

The sun was on the horizon, the sky was painted orange and the night was emerging. Few hours have passed since Mahima left. About two kilometers from the city off Kanakapura Road, there resides the only surviving forest in the vicinity of the city, called Turahalli Forest. It’s a reserved forest, closed to visitors, yet nearby there is Tree Park for visitors, and it is famous for cycling and trekking.

Around 6 pm, in the forest, “Here you are,” said Shivani, slowing walking towards Mahima, sitting under a tree, “The park is closed you know.”

Mahima didn’t answer.

Shivani let out a sigh. She leaned down, spreading her arms to tightly hug Mahima from behind, “Time to spill it out, baby girl,” with a soft soothing tone, “I know you come here every time you are feeling down,”

with a chuckle, “Talk about me, I think this is weird, you practically leave the city over your mood swing.”

She remained silent. Shivani kept holding Mahima close to her, she grasped the depth of her feelings, she patiently waited, giving Mahima the time, she needed.

“Mahima,” Shivani whispered, gently loosening her grip, and sitting beside her, “whatever it is, you don’t have to carry it alone. Knowing you, you always overwhelm everything than it should be.”

“What?” Mahima finally stirred, her eyes fixated on the ground, “Do you think I’m some Drama queen,” her voice barely audible. “It’s not just a mood swing,” Mahima continued, her voice trembling. “It’s… everything. Everything I’ve been keeping inside, pretending it’s okay when it’s not. Kriti’s death, I thought I could handle it, “overwhelmed by past memories, “that I could just try to solve the mystery of her death, I could overcome the grief and sorrow. But now, after realizing what caused her to die. I can’t help but feel the pain she had been through before she could rest. What if the Warden had tormented her for a long time. I can’t even imagine the humiliation and helplessness.”

Tears welled up in Mahima’s eyes, and she quickly wiped them away, but they kept coming. Shivani’s hand finding Mahima’s and giving it a reassuring squeeze, “You don’t have to be so harsh on yourself. I know Kriti was close to you. You neither have to bottle up everything, nor explode. So, cheer up, girl.

Mahima finally looked up, meeting Shivani’s gaze. “I’m tired of everything, Shivani.”

“And I’m here for you,” Shivani responded without hesitation. “No matter how bad it is, I’m right here.”

For a moment, Mahima didn’t say anything. Then, slowly, she nodded, her shoulders slumping as the weight she had been carrying for so long started to release, little by little. Momentarily, she saw a familiar car down the slope. “Have I seen that car before?” she asked Shivani, “That thing shouldn’t supposed to be here.”

“Wanna check out?” They grabbed each other’s hand and carefully approached the wrecked vehicle.

Moving close to the car, they were welcomed by a pungent smell covering the vehicle. As they peaked through the open car window, their intense screams pierced the silence of the forest. Inside, on the back seat, sat a decapitated, naked body of a man.

“We need to call someone,” Shivani whispered, her voice trembling. But Mahima was frozen, her eyes locked on the gruesome scene inside the car. Something about the body, the way it was positioned, sent a chill down her spine. It wasn’t just the horror of what they were seeing— it felt like a message.

Soon after that, the police arrived, and so as Inspector Ashok and Vartika. The sky had already darkened, the rain hammered the Turahalli Forest, drumming relentlessly on the leaves and mixing with the scent of damp earth, amplifying the tension of that lingered in the air.

While the team investigated the crime scene, sweet Vartika apologized to Mahima, “I’m sorry that you have to see my outrageous behavior. It might have exaggerated everything,” she continued, “I’m new here, so I overreacted despite being a police officer.”

Watching Ms. Vartika, Mahima also extends her apologies, remembered her mistake of toughing Kriti’s dead body, she was scolded by Inspector Ashok for her rash behavior.

“Here, I have something for you,” Vartika said, handing over a card, “Take this, this a special card. If you ever get some valuable information, you can use this to skip the formalities in the office.” It was a black PVC card, with the police department insignia in the middle.

The clues and evidences gathered from the crime scene identified the body as that of the star of the show, the hostel Warden whose mysterious disappearance after Kriti’s death was unveiled here. The Warden’s death followed by countless new mysteries. The one responsible for Kriti’s death and rape, now had his own murderer.

Noting the confusion and distress, caused after the discovery of the new information, putting everyone at disarray as murder of the Warden contradicts the theory of rape. The decapitated head also challenges the idea of Murder-suicide.

Inspector Ashok observed the scene, after his hypothesis, he finally crafted a plan to continue his further investigations. He approached Mahima, “Are you two girls okay,” he began, “I understand that this is a lot to take in, and you’re both understandably shaken,” with a knowing grin, “I actually have a prime suspect in mind. And this might be rough, but the criminal is someone we know, and fortunately I meet that person already.”

A big accusation, the same statement was given by Ashok to the media. A huge risk which might lead to confusion or concern, or even anxiety to the real criminal, could even lead the real criminal to become more cautious.

In Ashok’s office, he stood before a fresh drawing board making a new dot chart. After hearing Ashok’s statement, Mahima was making her own evidence board at her home. It was as if the coincidence, their similar intellect which lead them to end up with analogous conclusions.

The Evidence board goes like, Mahima and Ashok at their separate workplaces, grabbed a roll of masking tape and began sticking the photos to the wall, one by one. While Mahima used paper cards with names written on them. First went the victims— Kriti Kumari and now Raghu Dayananda. They both placed them in a rough circle, leaving space in the center, which they knew would soon be filled with the connection between them. Next, they added the suspects, Ashok added Mahima, Niharika, Sanjana, Mani, and an empty card. While Mahima added Mani, and an empty card for someone who might be an outsider. She hesitated to add the next name, in the end, she realized that she needed to be rational, she finally added Niharika as the suspect.

“May I ask why you have added Niharika,” a similar question was asked by Vartika and Shivani.

“Niharika was the first person to find the body. She was the one who screamed. Hypothetically speaking, she could be the one responsible to her death,” says Mahima and Ashok.

Shivani was confused, “Why would you think that about your friend?”

“I don’t know,” Mahima replied, “Mr. Ashok was quite confident when he said, he proposed that the criminal is someone he interviewed before. Following that logic, the criminal might be among us, so I tried including every possible suspects.”

However, Mahima still considered Niharika out of the circle, unlike Ashok who not only added Niharika but also Mahima. His statement to the public and Mahima was a bold move. According to him, the case was a perfectly planned murder, but the discovery of the dead body of the Warden showed either the criminal was careless or multiple individuals were involved and one of them fumbled.

In the end, Ashok’s prime suspects were Mani and Mahima. His intuitions were regarded Mahima in his prime suspect list because of her excessive involvement in the case. On the other side, Mahima assumed Niharika and a blank card as hers.

Tuesday night, around 12 am mid night, Ashok was still in his office, preparing a strong cup of late-night coffee. He received a call.

“Hello, Ashok Chakravarty here,” he replied.

From the other side of the call, an old man’s voice replied, “Good evening, Inspector, I am from BMCE University, I heard a rumor that the Warden had raped the girl who committed suicide recently. I actually wanted to say…”

Without hesitation, Ashok interrupted him and yelled, “WHO THE FUCK TOLD YOU ABOUT THE RAPE!?” his tone enraged, “Listen Margot, I will solve the case no matter what! I don’t care if you are hiding the criminal or protecting your college reputation. I will sure find that criminal,” he disconnected the call.

He left the cup of coffee and yanked a cigarette from the pack in his pocket and flicked his lighter.

After a while another call arrived, with a sigh, he stubbed out the cigarette in the ashtray on the table, the last of his anger seemed to drift away with the smoke, “I am not here for you bribes,” he took the cup of his coffee.

However, the shaking voice came from the other side of the phone answered wasn’t something Ashok expected, “Is this …Mr. Ashok Chakravarty?”

“Yes?” He sipped at his coffee.

“Ahh…sir, It’s Mani…Raghu’s brother…I heard his body was found,” he gulped, “I actually know the culprit behind this.” Mani was on his way to RajaRajeshwari Nagar Police station, driving as fast as he can.

Ashok’s brows raised, putting the cup on the table, “That’s some interesting stuff you got. Come to the police station, we will take here.”

“No sir!” he was breathing heavily, “There is no time. I have to tell you something sir. I was involved in my brother’s murder.”

“Wait what,” he jumped up from his chair.

“I am coming to handover myself. I was deceived by a someone from the hostel…her name is…” The moment he spelled the name, the call filled with a scream followed by a loud, terrifying crash. The sound of the screeching tired and shattering glass filled the line, cutting through the call like a knife.

Ashok shouted into the phone, “Mani!” But there was no response, just the distant, chaotic noise of what sounded like a serious accident. Without a moment’s hesitation, he grabbed his radio and relayed the situation to dispatch his team, his voice was calm but urgent.

“This is Inspector Chakravarty. An important subject, Mani Dayananda of a case has just been involved in a serious accident. The line is dead. All units dispatch immediately. Search everywhere, the current location will be sent shortly.”

Wednesday Morning, Ananth Hospital, Kalyan Nagar, Inspector Ashok, and Vartika waited patiently for the Dr Govindarajan’s report, who was responsible for handling Mani’s case. Last night, Vartika was near the place where the accident took place, Kalkere Main Road near Banjara Layout, the car was hit by two trucks, resulting in Mani’s car swerving to the left side of the road and crashing into the side barrier.

Mani was alive, with several fractures and tissue ruptures, he survived the car crash. However, the MRI confirmed the brainstem injury. Mani was fully conscious but trapped in his own body, condition of Locked-in syndrome. It was a troublesome situation; Mani was the only one who knew the master mind behind the case, they were facing an uphill battle.

Ashok ran a hand through his hair, frustration etched on his face. “Doctor, we need his testimony. He knows who’s behind this. Is there any way we can communicate with him?”

Dr. Govindarajan nodded slowly. “There is a method, but it’s painstaking. We can use a system of blinking and eye movements. For instance, a single blink for ‘yes’ and two blinks for ‘no.’ It’s rudimentary, but it’s all we have. Also, I request you kindly give the patient necessary rest he need.”

Vartika leaned forward, her mind already racing with possibilities. “How soon can we start?”

“Before we start,” Ashok pulled out his phone, and showed him a picture of person Mani had mentioned, the main master mind. After Mani’s response, Ashok, with a knowing grinned, “So that’s how it is.”

Later, in the evening at 4 o’clock, at university gate Mahima, Vandana and Niharika, who finally returned to college after two days were waiting for Shivani to bring the car. Suddenly Mahima noticed two familiar faces on the other side of the gate.

Inspector Ashok sat on the hood of his black jeep. The evening sun’s rays reflected off his polished black sunglasses. He took a slow drag from his cigarette, the smoke curling up and blending with the warm air. Inside the jeep, Vartika sat in the driver’s seat, her fingers rhythmically tapping on the steering wheel.

Mahima and the group reached out to them to get updates about the case’s progress after his bold statement yesterday. However, things didn’t go as planned. Ashok commanded Vartika to arrest Mahima immediately and take her with them. Before Niharika and Vandana could fully grasp the gravity of the situation, Vartika had already secured Mahima’s hands and was guiding her towards the jeep. Ashok climbed back into the driver’s seat. The engine roared to life, and with a final glance at the bewildered onlookers, the jeep sped away, leaving the area in a cloud of dust.

Mahima continued resisting and questioning Inspector Ashok, but he remained silent. Mahima glanced at Ashok, his unreadable face behind his dark sunglasses, “Where are you taking me?” she demanded, trying to keep her voice steady despite the anxiety gnawing at her.

Vartika, being considerate of Mahima’s situation, she spoke, her tone firm and kind, “Relax Mahima. You’ll see soon enough. Just stay calm.”

The jeep turned to a route opposite the police station. After an hour, the jeep stopped at Ananth Hospital, Kalyan Nagar, in the northern part of the city. Mahima’s heart pounded as countless question swirled in her mind. “Could there be someone important to this case here, that Mr. Ashok wanted me to meet?” Mahima pondered, “But why me?”

Vartika guided the way inside the hospital. The trio walked through the corridors, passing doctors, nurses, and patients, all oblivious to the strange scene unfolding before them.

Finally, they reached a private room at the end of a quiet hallway. Ashok paused outside the door, taking off his sunglasses, he looked at Mahima with a strange seriousness, “Inside,” he said quietly, gesturing towards the door. “There’s someone you need to meet.”

With a mixture of apprehension and curiosity, Mahima opened the door. In the bed lay a man covered in plaster, his face pale and bruised. Mahima immediately recognized the man, “Mr. Mani?” turning at Ashok, “What happened to him?”

Ashok began, slowly approaching a chair beside the patient, “Mani Dayananda. Last night, his car collided with two trucks. You seem to know this man. Don’t you?”

“Not personally. He once had a fight with the Warden, his brother. I was hanging out in the hostel at the moment, so I know.”

“Interesting,” he exclaimed, “Coming to the business, he’s one of the people responsible for your friend Kriti’s murder.”

A jolt of surprise ran through her, yet her lips curved into a smile.

Vartika noticed Mahima’s odd expressions, “Why are you smiling?”

Clearing her throat, Mahima replied, “Maybe because one of my assumptions came true.”

Vartika was clueless. Mahima pulled out her phone, after a few taps on her screen, she showed her a picture of the drawing she had prepared regarding the case. Her expression was mix of excitement and surprise, “Sir please look, the chart resembles your evidence board.”

Ignoring Vartika’s words, with a sigh, Ashok continued, “Last night, before Mani’s car collided with a truck, he confessed something. A name as the mastermind behind the murder,” Ashok’s eyes met Mahima’s, his expression grave, “Surprisingly, the name was,” his finger gestured towards her, “Mahima Maurya”

Mahima felt the blood drain from her face. The room seemed to spin as she tried to process Inspector Ashok’s words, “Me?” she repeated, incredulous, “But I haven’t done anything…”

Before Mahima could panic, Ashok continued, “But when I showed him your photo, he said you weren’t the one.” He intentionally said the remaining part after a moment of break.

The intense confusion and tension built inside Mahima suddenly washed away, replaced by a mix of relief and frustration. Annoyed by Ashok’s behavior, “What the hell sir!”

Vartika, who had been silently observing their conversation, couldn’t help but giggle softly at Mahima’s reaction. The tension in the room lit up, if only slightly, as Ashok allowed himself a small, almost imperceptible smile.

“Mahima. I have seen you were quite interested in helping with the case,” Ashok said, his tone more relaxed, “Here’s your chance. The one behind everything is someone from the hostel, using your name.”

Mahima looked at him, her initial reactions were contended, being able to help with the investigation. This was something she had always wanted—a chance to contribute, to make a difference. But as the reality of the situation sank in, doubt began to creep into her mind.

She took a deep breath, she stood straight, her arms at sides, “Sir! I will help as much as I can. I also want to know the real villain.”

Vartika placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, “Yeah, that’s the spirit.” with a gentle and firm tone, “It sure won’t be easy, but you can do it.”

Ashok began their discussion about the case, “Now then, till now, we know there were three people involved in the crime. Mani, a boy in mid-twenties, and the main master mind, a girl from the hostel. She is using Mahima’s name, but her face is not known. We tried providing Mani photographs of all the girls in the hostel to confirm the girl’s real identity, yet no result.”

“Sir, as I remember, I overheard Ms. Vartika yesterday,” Mahima stood up, “She said Kriti was sexually assaulted. Then…the one responsible was found to have his own killer. Could it possible that the one responsible for the Warden’s death was one of his victims of harassment? Not to mention, the Warden’s head was cut off, probably rage for revenge?”

Ashok nodded in affirmation, “Yeah, I have considered this possibility. However, if we consider this, then the killer is indirectly connected with you. This is the reason I brought you here. If this may be true, then the show we put on earlier, would leave an impression on the killer that her plan was a triumph. I initially intended to explain this hypothesis, but you seem to capable enough to figure out yourself.”

Vartika proudly appreciated Mahima’s intellect. As she explained Mahima’s role, “Now, I want you to dive into your memories and try to remember any incident where you somehow created any enemy.”

Mahima frowned, deep in thought, trying to piece together any moment of her past leading to someone harboring such intense hatred towards her. But no matter how hard she tried; she couldn’t pinpoint a time when she had done something wrong to someone to the extent that they would become her nemesis.

Ashok sighed, “Sometimes, the smallest actions can have unintended consequences. It could be something you don’t even remember, but someone else does, and they’ve twisted it in their mind. Or it could be someone you wouldn’t even suspect, who’s been holding onto something for years,” suddenly his phone rang, and he walked outside.

“If the grudge was against me, then couldn’t she just have killed me?” Mahima couldn’t help but kept wondering.

“You are right,” Vartika replied, “It’s possible that the person behind this isn’t acting out of direct revenge, but rather manipulating the situation for their own gain. They might not have a personal vendetta against you but see you as a convenient scapegoat.”

Mahima nodded slowly, understanding the gravity of the situation. “I’ll keep thinking, ma’am. I’ll try to remember anything that could help.”

Momentarily, Ashok re-entered the room, his expressions were more intense, “It’s Raghav. He’s recovered some encrypted voice recordings from Mani’s phone. However, it seems the killer used a voice changer. It’s hard to recognize.”

Mahima’s heart skipped a beat, thrilled, “Voice recordings? Yeah, we could use voice recording to find out the real criminal. Oh, I have an idea, the semester farewell is coming. Some of my friends are arranging a drama. Through audition, I could gather everyone’s voice notes.”

“Could it be useful?” wondered Vartika.

Raghav was still on other side of the call, he couldn’t help but overheard them. He finally replied, “Sir, it’s possible. The original and altered voice notes can be matched with audio forensics. Voice Changers modify pitch, tone, and timbre, but certain characteristics, like formant frequencies, may still be detectable and compared. Also, some unique acoustic features, such as cadence, intonation patterns, and speech rhythm, might remain consistent.”

Upon entering the college next day, Mahima was bombarded with barrage of questions from her classmates and professors. Whispers and curious glances followed her everywhere she went. The news of the police taking her away from the college gate spread like fire in the college, and now everyone wanted to know what had happened.

“Mahima, what was that about?” one of her friends asked.

“Are you in trouble with the police?” another student probed, her eyes wide with curiosity.

However, Mahima was not affected by the hassle. Her primary focus was on solving the mystery of the two murders. She endured the weight of the stares and the murmurs. She knew this was just another layer of pressure on top of the already intense situation she was in. She couldn’t let it distract her from the task at hand.

Two days it took for Mahima to gather all the voice notes she needed. However, she lacked an external drive to hand over the voice notes to Inspector Ashok. She remembered that she had seen two storage devices in her room last time. Without wasting any time, Mahima pulled out her phone and called Niharika.

“Hey, Niharika, it’s me. Do you still have those two hard drives I saw?”

Surprisingly, Niharika’s answer made Mahima question her memory. Niharika replied, “What are you talking about? I only had one.”

She was confused. Niharika was the type of person to help her friends in need. Mahima disconnected the call.

Eventually, she had no choice but to take her laptop, and make her way to the hospital to seek Ms. Vartika’s aid.

When she reached Mani’s private room, she found Ms. Vartika already there, waiting for her. The room was quiet, Inspector Ashok had left a while ago. There was no improvement in Mani’s mental condition, he was still trapped in his Locked-in Syndrome.

“Did you bring the recordings?” Vartika asked, her tone calm and serious.

“Yes, I have them here,” Mahima replied, pulling out her laptop from her bag, “But, I don’t have any hard drive with me.”

Vartika had a reassuring smile on her face, “Don’t worry Mahima. I have brought something Raghav had given me,” handing over a black, sleek external hard drive, “Take this. We couldn’t have just taken your stuff.”

Mahima’s face shimmered with joy, “Thank you Ms. Vartika. You’re a life saver. I thought Mr. Ashok would scold me again.”

She chuckled, “I can see, he surely would have. He is strict sometimes.”

Mahima plugged in the cables, she nodded with affirmation, “I wonder how you manage him.”

“No not at all. He is the one always taking care of me. I am a bit clumsy. I joined recently; this is my first case you know.”

“Oh! wow nice.”

Within a few minutes, the data transferred, and Ms. Vartika stood up, taking the hard drive with her, “I will be back in 10 minutes.”

Mahima nodded as Vartika left the room. Alone now, the quiet of the hospital room settled around her. Mani was in a deep sleep. With nothing else to do, Mahima aimlessly started browsing through her laptop, trying to pass the time.

She connected the laptop to the TV in front of her, the large screen flickering to life once again. Scrolling through her files, she came across a folder labeled “Memories.” Without thinking, she clicked on it, and soon, old photos and videos filled the screen.

As the images played in front of her, Mahima felt a pang of nostalgia. After the school days, the photos, and videos of her two-year college times. Each memory brought a bittersweet smile to her face.

She hadn’t realized how much she missed those simpler times until now, when everything in her life had become so complicated.

One video, in particular, caught her eye. It was from a college festival a few months ago, students rejuvenate the movie culture. Mahima watched the video, her heartwarming at the sight of their youthful joy.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Mani, lying in his bed, begin to stir. His eyelids fluttered, and his fingers twitched slightly. It was a subtle reaction, but enough to catch Mahima’s attention.

Mahima’s heart skipped a beat. She remembered what Ashok had mentioned earlier—how Mani had reacted when he heard the voice recording of the killer. The thought sent a chill down her spine, “Could it be that something in the video had triggered a similar response?”

Mahima quickly paused the video, her eyes darting between the screen and Mani. His hand was shaking, trying to gesture towards a face, it was enough to make her concerned. “Was it something he recognized? A face, a voice, or perhaps a moment from the festival that had caught his attention?” thought Mahima.

Mahima leaned forward, closely following Mani’s gesture towards a masked lady in the event. She moved close to the TV to confirm Mani’s directions.

As Mahima confirmed the person told by Mani, a surge of urgency ran through her. She needed to figure out the real identity of the masked lady told by Mani, she was certain, it was the real killer.

Suddenly, Vartika walked back into the room. Mahima immediately rushed towards her, “Ma’am, its Mani, he is responding.”

Without a moment of hesitation, Vartika ran to call the doctors. Mahima never told her about the video, instead took the chance to sneak away from the hospital to embark on her way to catch the real killer herself.

Saturday afternoon, Kempegowda, with a heavy sense of anticipation, Mahima sat beside Shivani in her car, her mind racing as they waited. The plan she had put into motion was risky, but it was the only way to get evidences and get closer to the truth.

Shivani, continuously tapping on the steering wheel, glanced at Mahima, sensing the tension in Mahima’s eyes, “Are you sure about this?” she asked quietly.

Mahima nodded; her gaze fixed on all the taxis coming towards the Majestic Bus Stand, “We need to get her lower her guard. She killed the warden, cut of his head. We don’t know what she will do to us.”

A few minutes later, the person they were waiting for arrived. She stepped out of a taxi, looking every bit as composed and unassuming as she always did. Dressed in casual attire, she had an easy smile on her face.

“Look at her smiling like an idiot. How could someone act so cheerful after killing people,” taunted Shivani.

Suddenly before they could discuss their strategy, she spotted Mahima and Shivani in the car from the other side of the road, waving at Mahima.

Shivani gulped, her eyes widened, “How did she…”

Mahima’s grin tightened, her heart racing. She was trying to maintain her composure, “I don’t know. Maybe she was always like that.”

Finally, Mahima took a deep breath, and with a reassuring glance at Shivani, she unbuckled her seatbelt and stepped out of the car. The air outside felt cool against her slightly damp skin, she tried to maintain her smile as she walked toward the girl, who had stopped halfway across the street, watching her approach.

Each step felt deliberate, Mahima could feel the girl’s eyes on her, trying to reach her thoughts, to understand what was going on.

“Hey, Niharika,” Mahima greeted her with a smile, “Shall we?”

Niharika tilted her head slightly, her expressions curious yet guarded, “Isn’t she not coming?” she asked, her tone casual but laced with underlying suspicion, “I thought the three of us are going together.”

Mahima nodded, “Oh yeah, she is coming,” tried to appear as nonchalant as possible, “Let’s get in the car.”

As Mahima turned around, heading towards the car. Niharika studied her for a moment, “You seem a little…off,” Niharika observed, her eyes narrowing slightly, “Is everything alright?”

Mahima shook her head, her smile widening, “Oh no, nothing like that. Just a lot on my mind lately after Mr. Ashok took me suddenly from the college that day.”

Niharika nodded slowly, her suspicion not entirely dispelled, but she didn’t press further. “Well, if you need anything, you know where to find me.”

“Thanks, Niharika.” Mahima replied, as she opened the door.

With Niharika now back in the car, the tension remained, they set off towards their destination: Pheonix Market city. Going to the place where they had had their first hangout, the nostalgia wasn’t enough to shake off the underlying tension between Mahima and Shivani.

Mahima and Shivani sat side by side, both acutely aware that they were sharing the car with someone they knew as friend was now a criminal.

On the other side, Raghav was analyzing the voice recordings Mahima had handed over, hours of audio played in his eyes, headphones on, as he compared the voices from the drama auditions with the altered voice of the criminal. The process was tedious, but Raghav was determined to find a lead. Just as he was about to take a break, a sudden spike on the screen caught his attention.

He leaned closer. His heart was racing, as he scrutinized the voice, the algorithms ran, the patterns and frequencies matched. Then, the confirmation came—an exact match.

The criminal’s voice, distorted by the voice changer, aligned perfectly with the unaltered voice of one of the recordings. Raghav’s eyes widened in shock as the name flashed on the screen— Niharika.

Without wasting a second, the information was given to Inspector Ashok.

Before the call arrived, the doctor had given Ashok a positive report regarding Mani’s health. Recovery from locked-in syndrome is rare, but possible depending on the cause and severity of the condition. Also, voice recovery is extremely rare. Mani had a partial recovery of speech.

As Ashok entered the room, Mani who had been lying still on the bed, suddenly stirred, his eyes snapping open as soon as he saw Ashok. There was a frantic urgency in his gaze, as if the sight of the inspector had jolted him back to consciousness with a purpose.

Mani struggled to push himself up, his frail body protesting the effort, but Ashok quickly moved closer, sensing that Mani had something important to say. The monitors beeped, but he didn’t seem to care. His entire focus was on Ashok, desperation etched across his face.

Ashok leaned in, his expression serious but attentive, “Let’s see, what do you have to say?”

Mani’s lips trembled as he fought against his weakened state, his voice barely a whisper. “Save… Mahima,” each word costing him immense effort. He managed to rasp out before he fainted.

Ashok was puzzled, “What did he mean? Save Mahima from what?” he muttered to himself, “Could it be possible Mahima figured out the real killer and is with her,” he left the room while he called the doctors.

Outside the hospital gate, Ashok stood with a cigarette between his fingers, the snoke curling lazily into the warm afternoon air. His thoughts were consumed by the case, his mind racing though the possibly connections of Mani’s words.

The sound of his phone ringing cut through the quiet moment. It was Raghav.

“Sir, it’s Raghav,” he said from the other side of the call, “The one behind all, the mastermind— the one we’ve been trying to identify—matches with one of the voices in the recordings.”

“Go on”

“It’s Niharika,” Raghav said, the words landing like a hammer blow. “There’s no doubt about it. The software confirmed it—she’s the one.”

Ashok fell silent, clues flashed before his eyes. He remained calm, “Where is she? I will dispatch forces immediately.”

“Sir, I have her location, Pheonix Market city, Mahadevpura, Whitefield Main Road.”

“Anything else?”

“That girl who sent the voice recordings, Mahima, her phone signal is close to Niharika’s.”

Ashok eyes widened as he realized Mahima’s intentions. With a soft chuckle, “That idiot!” he ordered Raghav to relay a message to dispatch his team, “It’s time to end this today.”

He took a final drag from his cigarette, he pocketed his phone and turned towards his Harley, parked just a few steps away. The urgency of the situation left no room for delay. He swung a leg over his classic cruiser. He started the engine, the roar of the Harley cutting through the afternoon quiet.

The Harley leapt forward as Ashok shot out of the hospital parking lot.

In the Mall, Shivani walked a few steps ahead of Niharika and Mahima behind Niharika. Niharika, seemingly unaware of the situation, continued to chat casually. But Mahima knew she couldn’t keep up the pretense any longer.

Finally, Mahima stopped her performance in the washroom. She gathered her courage, “Niharika,” she began, her voice steady, but the tension was visible in her eyes, “there’s something I need to ask you.”

Niharika turned to her, a cunning smile on her face, “What is it, Mahima? You sound like you know something you shouldn’t.”

Mahima took a deep breath, trying to steady her nerved, “I’ve been thinking about everything that’s happened, about Kriti, about the Warden… and I can’t shake this feeling that there’s more to it than what we know. More that you know.”

Without a change of expressions, Niharika replied, “What are you trying to say?”

“Niharika, what do you think, did Kriti committed suicide or was killed. Or you did something to Kriti, didn’t you. Maybe that’s why you went to Kriti’s room after our party,” Mahima intentionally tried to provoke Niharika, and she succeeded.

Niharika lost her temper, “Common, it was the Warden who fucked that idiot Kriti.”

Mahima was startled by her heartless words, “How could you say such things like that? And how do you know Warden did such things to Kriti? Do you mean to say, you are the one who planned everything.”

Niharika’s eye narrowed, her smile turning cold, “And what if I did. What are you going to do about it, Mahima?”

Shivani stepped closer, trying to ambush from behind from the shadows. Niharika smirk deepened, “Don’t try anything foolish,” she read her sneak moves, as her hand moved towards her handbag.

“Stay back, Shivani,” Mahima urged, concerned. She knew that whatever was in that handbag wasn’t anything good.

Mahima’s eyes widened in shock, as Niharika leveled a gun at Mahima, her expressions were cold and composed, as if she had expected Mahima to one day question her. It was time to shut her down, “I knew you would figure everything out. That’s why I used your name in front of Mani,” she said, her voice low and menacing. “I thought the police would arrest you, case closed. But now, you’ve forced my hand.”

Mahima’s heart pounded in her chest, confusion and fear surging through her veins, “How did her gun passed through the metal detectors.”

“Because it was already in the mall,” Niharika smirked as she read Mahima’s thoughts through her eyes.

As the tense standoff continued, Niharika’s phone buzzed in her bag. Without lowering her gun, she carefully retrieved her phone, as her gaze flickered the screen, she reinforced her resolve.

With her cold eyes, she looked at Shivani, her voice devoid of emotions, “Shivani, go to the car. Now.” Shivani’s breath hitched, but before she could decide, Niharika continued with her chilling tone, “If you don’t, Mahima will end up with the same fate as Kriti, and it’ll be your fault. You’ll be the one who couldn’t save your best friend.”

Shivani felt the weight of the situation pressing down on her. With a final, desperate look at Mahima, she slowly nodded, her heart heavy with dread. “I’m going,”

Niharika was informed about Inspector Ashok’s advent for the mall, and his team came to arrest her. It was given by the same person who had kept the gun hidden in the mall for Niharika. She didn’t waste any moment, keeping the gun trained on Mahima, she threw her SIM card, and Shivani and Mahima’s phone to avoid tracking by the police.

The car sped down the old Madras Road, the tension inside was thick as the humid air outside. Niharika sat in the back seat, her gun still in her hand, pointed at Mahima sitting beside her, while Shivani drove the car.

As they approached an intersection, Niharika noticed a convoy of police vehicles heading towards them from the front. She ordered Shivani, “Turn left, now! Take Budigere Road.”

The sudden turn took them away from the approaching police, but Mahima knew it was only a temporary reprieve. The police were closing in, and it was only a matter of time before they caught up.

Police vehicles appeared, heavy traffic, signal jams, Shivani followed the command while Ashok followed Raghav’s.

Soom the car careening onto a winding road that led them deeper into the countryside. Fortunately, Ashok catches on to them, in Devanahalli town. Despite the close call, Niharika had managed to dodge the police at every turn, and now they were headed straight for the remote location she had likely intended all along. The roads lead them to Nandi hills, Chikkaballapur district, 60 km from the main city. The crisp air turned cooler; clouds covered the vibrant blue sky, signaling the approaching storm.

Lost in the chase, Niharika slowly forgot about her environment, that Shivani had led her to the top of the hill. The once famous tourist spot because it’s blessed with pleasant climate and serenity, now covered in chaos of the case.

As they reached a less crowded area of Nandi hills, the tension in the car had reached its breaking point. Their chase went on for more than two hours, Niharika lost her composure, her frustration grew as Ashok kept following them.

Shivani noticed Niharika’s grip on the gun wavered as her anger burst out, her hold on the pendant tightened. Suddenly, Shivani reached over and unlocked the car door on Niharika’s side. At the same time, she yanked the handbrake with all her strength, causing the car to screech to a sudden halt. The abrupt stop caught Niharika off guard, she lost her balance, her hand momentarily losing its grip on the gun.

“Mahima, now!” Shivani screamed as the car drifted.

Mahima didn’t hesitate, fueled by adrenaline, she lunged forward and kicked out with all her might, aiming at Niharika. The force of her kick sent Niharika reeling backward, her body crashing against the door, which flew open under the impact.

An unexpected turn of event, Niharika tumbled out of the car, hitting the ground hard as she was thrown onto the dirt floor, the two hours rage driving caused Shivani’s car to suddenly screech to a halt because of the overheating.

Before they could react, they heard the roar of Ashok’s Harley approaching rapidly from behind. Within moments, he was there, skidding to a stop just as Niharika, fueled by desperation, regained her footing, and took off running. Ashok quickly leaped from his bike, shouting orders to his team, who were not far behind.

The unknown path she had chosen led her further up, and soon she found herself at the edge of a precipice— the famous sunrise viewpoint of Nandi Hills.

Niharika skidded to a stop, catching her breath, realizing she had reached a dead end. She spun around, her back to the cliff, and saw Ashok, Mahima, and Shivani closing on her, with his team lead by Vartika, forming a perimeter to block any possible escape.

“There is no escape Niharika,” said Mahima.

Panting, Niharika chuckled, “How did you bastards followed me even after throwing the phones.”

Ashok remained silent.

“What? Don’t even care about a last chat?”

After a moment, Ashok finally decided to speak, “Fine. You want to know,” he gestured Mahima to give him her handbag. He searched for a while, “Look at this,” he showed them the card with the police insignia, given by Vartika to Mahima. It wasn’t a simple piece of plastic, but an ultra-thin GPS tracker. Ashok had suspected the killer was connected with Mahima.

Vinod, the undercover officer who followed the girls from the hostel on Tuesday had seen a certain hard drive which was thrown from the car. After the Warden’s dead body was examined, his fingerprints were found on the Hard drive. If this was the same Hard drive from the Warden’s office which was lost, this incident made Mahima and Niharika one of the prime suspects.

Before Mani’s accident, he admitted the criminal to be Mahima, however when Ashok showed him her picture, he clearly denied. He was about to exclude Mahima from the prime suspect list, not long after the voice note in Mani’s phone came into picture. Ashok was in a dire situation, if Mahima was the criminal, it would have been the biggest mistake to give her the work to gather the voice notes of the hostelers.

However, suddenly he realized, they have the interrogation recordings, if Mahima’s reports found out to be wrong or misleading, it would eventually make her the prime suspect once again.

Fortunate turn of events, Mahima who was suspected to be the real criminal, figured out the criminal on her own.

“Mr. Mani had recognized your unusual Mask in the cinema event video,” said Mahima.

With a sigh, Ashok continued, “So in the end, our brave or idiot Mahima, rather than speak to me, moved on herself as the GPS tracker. You threw the phones, but even Mahima didn’t know about the tracker. Now come on girl, handover yourself.”

“Stay Back!” Niharika shouted, her voice echoed against the cliff, she pulled out her gun and pointed at her own head, “I’ll shoot myself.”

Mahima tried to stop her, “Why are you doing this Niharika?”

“Shut up! You don’t even know what I have gone through.”

Mahima hesitated, lost of words. After a brief pause, “I don’t know, but that doesn’t mean you have to kill yourself. What about your mother? Won’t she be sad to see you like …”

Niharika interrupted, “I don’t care. She is already dead!”

Mahima froze in disbelief.

Niharika continued, “Kriti and I had the same fate, getting attacked by that filthy warden’s lust.”

“Niharika!” Ashok stepped in. Over his orders, Vartika brought forth the boy.

Niharika’s eyes widened, as she discovered the boy was none other than Dev. Over investigation it was found, Dev and Niharika were in a deep relationship for the last five years. He was one of the three people involved in the Warden’s murder. He was found in Mahadevpura by Ashok, he was immediately taken into custody under suspicion, later found out he was the blank card they had been searching for.

Niharika had no choice, before lowering her gun, she eventually confessed her crimes in front of everyone, “Entering the college, I had one dream in my mind—to get a good job and support my mother. As if the cruel fate, I failed to secure a room in college hostel. Travelling from one corner of the city to another every day was too much for us. And then, my late father’s friend came into picture. He had a relative who owned a private dormitory, helped me to get a place to live near the college at low price. However, I had no idea that the discount,” her cold eyes now filled with helpless tears, “would cost me my own body. It was the owner himself, acting as Warden.”

She continued, “After few months of torture, I discovered, I was not the only one. I tried to hide it from Dev, but in the end, he found out. I was hopeless, dead from inside,” Wiping away tears with the back of her hands, “He gave me hope, he wanted me to give the warden what he deserved. So, we crafted a perfect plan. The warden used to assault like a weekly routine. that fateful Saturday night, it was Kriti’s turn to be devoured by the Warden. When I entered her room, she was lying like corpse on the floor, barely breathing, worn out from the exhaustion. I decided to free her from her suffering before I kill the warden. I squeezed her neck, took out the last breath she had left, and hung her with the fan.”

“How did you convinced Mani to join you?” asked Ashok.

“That idiot. He thought he hated his brother. He thought the death of the Warden who also owned several private hostels across the city, would eventually make him the owner. What a fool! And it was that fool, who threw the Warden’s body in a car in Turahalli forest. He got scared and betrayed me. My plan was to burn the Warden’s body.”

Ashok continued Niharika’s words, “That’s why you tried to kill him too. But he survived.”

“Yeah, what an unfortunate turn of events.”

After listening everything, Vartika stood out for Mahima’s behalf, “But why did you add Mahima’s name in this. She is your friend, isn’t she?!”

Niharika took a moment of pause, with a sigh, “To tell you the truth, it was never my intention. To involve in Mahima in my plan.” her eyes meet Mahima’s, “It was her, who was getting too much involved. First calling Kriti’s death a murder, then the chase which was supposed to be distraction for the undercover officers near the hostel, and finally discovering the Warden’s body which was left by Mani.”

“How could you do this!? Isn’t she your friend, aren’t we your friends!?” furious Shivani lost her temper, “You used Mahima as a scapegoat. If I may, I am going to kill you myself,” she yelled and charged towards Niharika. However, Vartika and Mahima stopped her, before things got dangerous.

“Do you know what it feels like when someone uses your body for their lust. Your soul is shattered. You feel nothing more than an object,” replied Niharika with a cold stare.

“If that’s so then, why didn’t you reach out to the police?”

Niharika burst into laughter, almost mocking, “I am not interested in running around court for the rest of my life.” After a while, “Actually, nothing matters now. I have no interest in going to jail, ruining whatever future I might have had. I thought everything would go smoothly, that the Warden would be labeled a runaway criminal,” she gazed up in the sky turning black, “I have lost much. I am tired of this,”

Ashok felt unease after hearing Niharika’s words, he ordered his team to charge at Niharika. But before they could do anything, Niharika was driven by her deep despair and hopelessness, she pulled the trigger, the gunshot echoes through the hill. The bullet pierced through her skull; blood splattered across the fences. With a deafening thunderclap, rain began to downpour as Niharika’s body tumbled off the cliff.

***

One week later.

“NOT AGAIN!” an exasperating frantic cry once again echoed in the room as Mahima jolted awake. Her alarm clock blinked 8:30 AM in bold, accusing digits. Panic surged through her as she realized she had overslept once again.

She hurriedly yanked open her closet, grabbing the uniform as she pulled on her clothes.

She slides her laptop into her backpack without any semblance of order. There was no time for breakfast, so she grabbed her backpack and dashed out the door to catch the last bus to her university.

“Late again?” Vandana teased her, giggling, after she reached her friend to bring her to their usual seat.

“Yeah. Yeah. Are you done?” sighing Mahima, her voice tinged with frustration, “Mom isn’t home.”

“You say this every day,” she noticed a familiar Pendant on Mahima’s neck, her tone pensive, “Is that Niharika’s.”

Gently holding the pendant, Mahima replied, eyes almost filled with tears, she nodded in affirmation, “Ms. Vartika gave me this last Saturday, two days ago. She felt like I should have it. As there is no one left in Niharika’s family to claim it.”

“Won’t it make you feel miserable that the owner of the pendent almost ruined your life?”

“No,” she replied, her tone gentle and genuine. “Even though Niharika had killed a person, was a deceiver yet she was our friend. Even when a friend turns to darkness, the heart doesn’t forget the light they once were for us. Grief remains, not their crimes.”

The End