A CORPORATE SCANDAL

#18

Akash and his landlord Satish Bhiyani had a conversation at Satish's bunglow. He used to live with his wife and six years old granddaughter. Akash and Satish were sitting adjacent to each other at the dining room.

Satish said, " I haven't talked to her since the day. She didn't ever told me about your accident. "

" Why would she? She was responsible for my accident. "

" Wasn't it an accident? "

" No. The people were hired to attack me. I was lucky enough because I was saved by a medic. "

" That's a good news. Do you need any favour from my side? "

" I have no idea where she is. I just want to get in touch with her. "

" Did you know try to contact her colleagues? "

" My phone has been damaged. I am using my older phone. "

He took out a keypad phone from his pocket.

He said, " This is temporary. Once everything becomes straight I'll buy the new one. "

Satish sighed, " A cop had came to me few days back. He was asking about you and her. "

" Inspector Ghosh? "

" That's what he called himself. Did he meet you? "

" He was found lying in my house. He was half dead. Bleeding, injured. That could be only her who almost killed him. "

" Why would she try to kill you and him? "

" She has been trying to burrow some secrets for last six months. "

" I remember, once she tried to enquire about a travel agent. I had texted her the number. "

" Do you know him? "

" I can drive you to his office tomorrow morning. "

" Sure. "

The bus arrived at a highway roadside at late night. The door got opened automatically. Darsh walked out of the bus. The bus departed. Darsh looked at the bus for a while.

He turned ahead and began to walk on a dusty path away from the highway. As he walked on he was going farther from the highway.

He walked for half a mile and spotted an old farmhouse which might have been abandoned for a decade. The farmhouse building inside a premises with the a garden and a parking garage before the building.

The lights of the rooms were turned on. Inspector Yuvraj looked at him from the upper floor. Sub Inspector Ravi walked out of the building and he gestured to Darsh to move inside the building. He moved inside and he moved his eyes everywhere to find his daughter.

There were old tables and chairs, obsolete paintings and unused wires on the wall. He went upstairs to a gallery and walked ahead. He entered a dining room. Inspector Yuvraj came to him and offered him a drink.

Darsh said, " I couldn't see her. "

" I am trying to take you away from your worries. "

" Drinks never eliminate worries. They just make you forget something for a while. "

Yuvraj chuckled, " Do you remember what you had told me over the phone? "

" Of course. I had seen lies in your eyes when I was standing before her corpse. Things remain unnoticed unless they reveal secrets. "

" Are you really an accountant? "

" Never wanted to be. "

Yuvraj sighed and laughed.

Darsh asked him aggressively, " Where is she? "

" I have no idea about your daughter Mr. Agarwal. "

Darsh pushed him back. Yuvraj fell back and dropped the glasses from his hands. Darsh picked up a steel rod from a chair and hit on his leg twice.

He yelled at him, " Where is she? "

Yuvraj chuckled and then laughed again in a mischievous manner.

" You are not going to find her ever. It is a trap Mr. Agarwal. "

Darsh went baffled and angry at the same point. He was about to hit him again but he heard a gun cocking sound. He dropped the rod from his hand. Sub Inspector Ravi was standing behind him with the gun. Yuvraj stood up staggeringly.

He took out his handkerchief and gave it to Darsh. Darsh unfolded the handkerchief and was stunned to see his wife's wedding ring which had went missing from Naina's finger after her death.

He looked at him.

" Did you? "

Yuvraj replied, " I had to. I was on an order. "

" Dheeraj Joshi. He had ordered you to kill her. What for? "

" It was not him who had ordered me. "

Darsh grabbed Yuvraj's collars.

He yelled at him again, " Tell me who is behind the killing? "

Darsh reminded about a name.

He said, " Neel Oberoi? "

Yuvraj smiled and asked, " How do you know him? "

Darsh left his collars.

He said, " Oberoi had paid you. Hadn't he? "

" You are a wise man. "

" And the assassin. He was too paid to accompany you so that whenever an eye witness opens his mouth. He would only talk about him. Like the taxi driver who had seen the assassin that night. Not you. "

ON THE NIGHT OF MR. JOSHI'S ANNIVERSARY:

The assassin stopped at a roadside of the highway near a car. Inspector Yuvraj walked out of the car and the assassin held Naina's hand and dragged her out of the van. Inspector Yuvraj cocked his gun and walked away from the road. The assassin dragged Naina off the road where he removed her duct tape from her mouth and hands.

She was crying hard and tried to scream but she was shot by Inspector Yuvraj on her head and then by the assassin on her waist. Before leaving, Yuvraj got his eyes on her wedding ring.

He said, " This looks precious. "

He removed the ring from her fingers and left.

PRESENT DAY:

Ravi told Yuvraj, " He knows things. "

Yuvraj nodded his head.

He asked Darsh, " Are you really an accountant? "

" I have practice to examine things closely. "

" It won't be anymore. "

Yuvraj left the room. Darsh looked at Ravi who was about to pull the trigger but they heard a gunshot sound which created a distraction for Ravi. Darsh held Ravi's hand and twisted his arm and snatched his gun. Before he could counter him, Darsh pulled the trigger and shot Ravi on his chest.

He walked out of the room and found Yuvraj who was lying on stairs dead after he was shot by Vikramjeet Arora who was standing besides him with a shotgun.

Arora turned to him.

He asked, " Where his Anaya? "

Darsh walked through the gallery and found a locked room at the end. Mr. Arora shoot at the lock. They entered the room where Anaya was sitting at the corner with her legs folded and facing towards the wall as she was scared. She was mumbling and crying of fear.

" Anaya? " Darsh called her.

She turned to the door and ran to him. He hugged her and he rubbed her back to make her calm. They went downstairs to leave the farmhouse.