Dark Secrets

BOOK III [ THE PRESENT]

The news was broken to Shreshtha by Sanam's father. When Sanam failed to respond to her messages or calls, even after several hours had passed since her last message, Shreshtha feared that something was badly amiss. She waited until that night and then called Sanam's father.

"I received a call from the Delhi police. They have found a charred body which they think could be Sanam", he said in a brittle voice. 

Shrestha's throat went dry. "How do they know it's her?" she asked.

"They found her Aadhar card in her bag and her telephone as well. They got my number from that. I'm already on my way to Delhi."

"Was she alone ?" Shreshtha wasn't sure whether she should ask this, but her bestie was found dead, there was no time to hide anything from anyone.

"I haven't been  told anything except that the Delhi police is waiting for me. I didn't even know that she was in Delhi . She had left the house as she normally did each morning. We had our doubts by the afternoon , but when we called , she said she was with a friend. That was the last time I spoke to her."

"Uncle, I'm sorry but I knew Sanam was travelling to Delhi today. She called me from the bus that she had taken."

"You knew about it?" Shreshtha knew she deserved the accusation in his voice. She was an accomplice in some ways.

"She told me that she was eloping to Delhi to live with her boyfriend, Vivan, because she feared that you would marry her off to an alliance of your choosing."

"She had a boyfriend?"

Shreshtha remained quiet.

"What did you say his name was?"

"Vivan."

"The police have already confirmed that the other charred body which has been found belongs to a guy called Vivan."

Even Vivan is dead? Shreshtha didn't know what else to say.

Sanam's father told her, in a defeated tone, that he would keep Shreshtha updated and hung up. Shreshtha tossed and turned all night long wondering if it was an accident. Why would they commit suicide? They were so much in love with each other. And if there was indeed a problem Sanam would have definitely told her. But that wasn't the only thing that kept her awake, it was also Sanam's second last message to her.

DO YOU KNOW WHERE YOUR BOYFRIEND IS?

This message and her death could be two unrelated events. Shreshtha wondered , since the message came hours before she was found dead, but she couldn't help but wonder- why would Sanam enquire about Yuvansh? She did message him that night , but it wasn't delivered. Memories of the time she had spent with Sanam flooded Shreshtha's thoughts. She found it hard to believe that her best friend was no more. Shreshtha rushed into the bathroom twice at night and threw up before finally tottering back to bed. She eventually fell asleep exhausted.

In the morning , she telephoned Sanam's father again and learnt that the police had declared it was a mugging gone horribly wrong. Shreshtha couldn't believe her friend's bad luck. Just when she was her happiest, death snatched her away, along with the love of her life; and for no fault of theirs.

She dialed Yuvansh.

"Sanam and her boyfriend are dead," were her first words.

"How? Who told you?"

"Her burnt body along with Vivan's was found yesterday somewhere in Delhi."

"What was she doing in Delhi suddenly?" Yuvansh asked. His voice, as always, cool and contained.