A CORPORATE SCANDAL

#5

ONE MONTH AGO:

It was late morning and the sky was grey as it was covered with the rainy clouds. Darsh stopped his car at a fuel station. He paid INR 500 in cash and got his car refueled. As he departed he spotted the cab with the same number ' 5056 ' in front of him. He accessed his mobile phone to dial Inspector Ghosh.

He followed the cab for a few miles to a passage. The driver parked his cab at a bistro's parking. He left the cab and entered inside the bistro. Darsh arrived at the spot where he found the cab at the parking. He unhook his seat belt and stepped out of his car.

He entered the bistro where the receptionist looked at him. The tables in bistro were empty except one. He spotted the driver at a corner table. He was having bread and tea as his breakfast while facing towards the back window. The driver was about to have another bite, Darsh sat before him with a cup of tea and a plate of noodles having a fork on it.

Darsh smiled at him while having some noodles.

" Have we met earlier? " The driver asked.

" Do you really think so? " Darsh replied.

" I am asking just because your face looks familiar to me. "

" Then you must be familiar to her face too. "

Darsh showed him his mobile phone which had a picture of his wife Naina. The driver got stunned and he prepared to leave the seat.

" You won't leave the seat until you won't answer my question. " Darsh told him fiercely.

" I am sorry, I have done my breakfast. I have to go now. "

The driver was about to leave the seat but Darsh attacked on the driver's dorsal with the fork. He made the driver to keep his hand on the table with the fork.

Darsh asked him, " Why did they let you out of the prison? "

The driver screamed of pain.

" Tell me cabbie. What had happened that night? " Darsh asked him.

" I will. " The driver replied in a sore voice.

THE NIGHT OF MR. JOSHI'S ANNIVERSARY:

Naina walked out of the hall where the anniversary was organised. She stepped out of the hotel to the cab which was parked at the lot. The hotel was located at a few miles away from the city near the highway. She went inside the cab and asked the driver to drop her to the house.

While driving through the highway, the driver received a phone call. He attended the call.

" Stop the car. " The caller told him.

" Sorry? Who's this? " The driver replied.

" I am on Mr. Joshi's order. Stop the car right now and don't let her know anything about our conversation. "

He looked at her from the rearview mirror. The caller hung up the call. The driver stopped the car at a roadside.

" What's wrong? " Naina asked him.

The driver replied, " The engine has gone warm. It may begin to malfunction. "

He walked outside and opened the bonnet of the cab. A light was flashed upon him. He turned around to see a car which was approaching towards him. The car stopped near to him. An assassin who was in his early forties walked out to him.

The driver gestured with his head pointing to Naina who was inside the cab. While Naina was accessing her phone the assassin opened the back door.

She went panic by looking at him.

She asked him, " Who are you? "

The assassin pointed her the gun, dragged her outside and took her to his car. He made her to sit at the back seat and tied her hands together with a duct tape and so her mouth. The assassin got a thick envelope out of his dashboard and handed over to the driver.

The assassin told him, " Fifty thousand. Don't spell about it to anyone. "

The driver nodded his head. The assassin got on his driver seat and left.

PRESENT DAY:

Family and divorce lawyer Neel Oberoi had some shower in his flat. Neel was in his early forties and used to remain alone with his only pet dog. He wore his night suit and went to the kitchen where he poured some flakes in his dog's bowl.

He served the bowl to the dog who was sitting by the table and sat on the chair with a plate of fried flattened rice. Before having the evening snacks he accessed his mobile phone in which he saw a news about the disappearance of Dheeraj Joshi.

Darsh arrived at his old house in the maxi truck. He took picked up a bag of snacks from the side seat and walked out of the truck. He entered his house ,kept the bag on an old table. He went to his washroom where he washed his face and wiped up his face with a towel. He went downstairs with the bag to the basement.

He turned on the lights where Dheeraj Joshi was sitting on wooden chair with duct tape on his mouth and tied with his hands. Mr. Joshi was asleep and seemed drained as Darsh had kept him in the basement since the night before.

He pulled a table and placed before Mr. Joshi. He kept the bag on the table and strapped out the duct tape from his mouth. Mr. Joshi coughed twice and slightly opened his eyes.

" Evening Mr. Joshi? " Darsh said.

Mr. Joshi replied faintly, " What's going on Mr. Agarwal? "

" Nothing serious. You are in the local news actually since the last night. "

Darsh untied Mr. Joshi's left hand.

He said, " I have brought you the evening snacks. You have been hungry for a whole day. "

" This isn't the way a newly employed employee behave with a general manager. "

" That's why I have brought you this. Have some please. "

Mr. Joshi had some chips from the bag. Darsh picked up a tool box which was kept by the wall. He opened the box and took out sharp pliers and a small hammer. He placed both the tools in front of him on the table.

Mr. Joshi asked in a panic, " What you are going to do with them? "

" Don't worry about that. Just have your snacks Mr. Joshi. "

" No. Your intentions doesn't sounds good to me. What you are up to? "

Darsh pushed the snacks bag away from Mr. Joshi and tied his left hand back to the chair.

He said, " Tell me about her Mr. Joshi. "

" About whom? "

Darsh looked down on the table and took a deep breath. He again looked into his eyes and punched him on his face twice.

" I am talking about Naina. She was an accountant under your supervision. "

" Why you are asking about her? "

" She was my wife. You murdered her and left her on the highway. Why? "

" I didn't kill her. She had just came to my anniversary on my invitation and then left early without telling anyone. "

Darsh pulled his collar and told him, " Something wrong had happened to her. Your company was hiding something. Even you had bribed the police to shut the case. "

" I am telling you Mr. Agarwal I have no idea about her. You would be caught by them early and got yourself killed in the same manner. "

Darsh picked up pliers and pressed his little finger of his right hand. Mr. Joshi screamed of the pain. He left his finger after a while.

Darsh asked him, " Keep your mouth shut if you want to have the pain again or open your mouth and describe me everything. "

" All I can say is that I haven't murdered her. Did you get it Mr. Agarwal? Mr. Oberoi is my lawyer. He'll make you pay for what you are doing. "

" Good luck Mr. Joshi then. "