The Hidden Diary

Chapter 4 - The Key to the Mystery

After they came out of Shruthi's house, we see all five of them heading somewhere. There was a silent breeze moving across the five of them. But the silence was broken by Maya, "Brother, why didn't you tell Uncle that we found the diary?" Daniel also raised the same question, "Yeah bro, why did you hide that?" Aditya, with his calm sternness, looked at them. After a few moments, he spoke, "So what are you expecting me to do? Tell Uncle that we found her diary, giving them a sudden shock right now? You know all what they were going through. In this case, giving them hope is like playing a 50-50 game until we find out the whole truth. You all are going to remain silent regarding this with them. Understand?" All four of them felt okay with Aditya's words, so everyone agreed with him.

Aditya also asked, "Daniel, how did you know that diary could be there?" Daniel responded, "It is nothing but a hunch, bro. Shruthi is an anime-watcher and her favourite anime was Death Note. So I connected the dots." After hearing that Aditya got understanding regarding Daniel guess.

At that time, Ravi questioned, "Okay bro, but are you going to read that diary yourself or will you share it with us?" Aditya responded with a smile, "Would you leave me in one piece or what? You all came this far, so it is foolish to think that you will leave me without knowing the whole truth. We will head home first, and we will open it there." As Aditya finished speaking, Ismael added, "Ravi, try to maintain your patience." Ravi gave him a look but didn't say anything. After that, they all arrived at Aditya's home.

At home, they were all seated in a circle around the table, their hearts racing. With the diary placed on the table, they exchanged looks, and Aditya opened the diary, prompting them all to delve into its contents. "Dated 9th June, dear diary, today marked my first day of college. Filled with new hope, I stepped into my first college, finding it quite pleasant. I also made my first friend, Maya, a cheerful and supportive companion. Our professor decided to initiate an introduction session due to it being our first day—a real headache for me due to my nervousness. However, I had to confront it. With courage, I began my introduction speech, only to be interrupted by a nuisance. At that moment, a guy stood up from the crowd and came to my aid. His name was Daniel, a kind and daring individual. He assisted me in completing my speech. Afterward, I expressed my gratitude to Daniel and also forged two new friendships, Ravi and Ismael. Ravi is quite reserved, while Ismael is the opposite—an extrovert. We then proceeded to the canteen to spend some time together."

After Aditya read that, a small smile appeared on Ravi, Daniel, Maya, and Ismael's faces. Aditya then turned to the next page. After reading a few lines, he began flipping through the pages rapidly. His actions raised a question from Ravi, "Aditya bro, what are you doing?" Aditya responded, "Ravi, it's a waste of time going through each day because she wrote about most things. Look at this page I'm on now, it's about 8th January and your college events. So, I'll just go to the last page." Maya then questioned, "What if you missed something?" Aditya responded, "I'll go through it, don't worry. If I missed something, I'll catch it."

After reassuring them, Aditya went to the last page and noticed that it was only half written. He began reading, "Today, 9th September, dear diary as usual, I went to college and chilled out with my friends. I saw the kidnapper again today; those deadly eyes were giving me a stare. I should inform my parents about what happened on the night of 7th September. If I..." Aditya stopped there, and everyone became perplexed. Ismael asked, "Aditya bro, why did you stop there? Please continue reading." To which Aditya responded, "She had only written this much, and it was from that very night. She hanged herself. If you don't believe it, you can see for yourselves."

Aditya passed the diary, and the four of them went through the entry for 9th September, which was only half-written. Daniel posed his question, "She died on the night of 9th September, and a suicide note was also found, but she had only written half of it here. What could have happened?" Aditya responded, "If we want to understand what happened that night, we have to revisit the events of 7th September." Maya added, "That day, we had gone to Vardhman amusement park." Ravi followed, "Then we had to read the events of 7th September."

Ravi began reading from the diary, "Today, 7th September, dear diary, I witnessed a dreadful thing. But before I explain that, let me recount what happened earlier in the day. We visited Vardhman Park, and as usual, Maya was late. We enjoyed seeing the Seven Wonders of the World and went on many rides, creating great memories. Ismael dropped me off at the bus stop due to some work he had to attend to. While walking home, just two streets away, I encountered a shocking scene. An old man, bloodied and in distress, approached me, asking to borrow my phone. Before I could react, he disappeared from sight. I searched briefly and noticed a shadow lurking nearby. Investigating further, I witnessed a mysterious man dragging the unconscious old man and placing him inside a car trunk. His menacing gaze locked onto me, filling me with fear, and I fled from the scene."

After reading that event, we see Ismael in a state of shock. Daniel's gaze turned towards him, and he asked, "Did you leave her at the bus stop instead of her house?" Ismael, still in shock, nodded silently. Ravi responded angrily, "Didn't I tell you to drop her at home?" Ismael remained silent in response. Aditya intervened, "Ravi, leave him. Let's focus on what's in front of us."

Ravi acquiesced, saying, "Okay, Aditya bro." Aditya then instructed, "Ravi, read the events of September 8th as well." Aditya nodded and flipped to the next entry in the diary. Ravi cleared his throat and began reading aloud, "Today, September 8th, dear diary, was a day filled with paranoia. After witnessing the disturbing incident yesterday, I couldn't shake off the feeling of being followed. Every corner I turned, every shadow seemed to hide a potential threat. Maya noticed my unease and tried to comfort me, but the fear persisted. I decided to confide in her about what I saw, hoping to find some solace in sharing the burden. As I walked home, I again saw that person passing by me. My heartbeat skipped for a moment. Due to fear, I headed back home as soon as possible. I don't know what to do now."

As Ravi noted the sketch of the unknown person drawn in Shruthi's diary, he couldn't shake off the eerie feeling creeping up his spine. Showing it to Aditya, Ravi voiced his suspicion, "He could be that mysterious guy." Aditya studied the sketch intently, his brow furrowed in concentration. After a moment of silence, he nodded slowly, It's possible. This could be the person Shruthi saw on September 7th." Maya leaned in for a closer look, her eyes wide with apprehension. "But who is he?"

Daniel chimed in, his voice tinged with concern, "Maybe he's the key to understanding what happened to her. We need to find out more about this guy." Ismael, still grappling with guilt over leaving Shruthi at the bus stop, spoke up tentatively, "Do you think he's responsible for her death?" Aditya's gaze softened as he turned to Ismael, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "We can't jump to conclusions, Ismael. But it's clear that this man played a significant role in Shruthi's final days. We need to uncover his identity and his connection to her. But who could be the other person on September 7th? We need to find that also."

Ravi was eager to pursue the reopening of the case using Shruthi's diary as evidence. "Aditya bro, it will be easy now, that Shruthi's case can be reopened using this diary," he exclaimed. However, as Aditya looked at Ravi's hopeful face, his eagerness turned to disappointment. Ravi asked, "Aditya bro, will the case be reopened, right?" To which Aditya responded, "Yes, using this diary it can be reopened, but still, the case needs some concrete lead. If the mysterious man couldn't be identified, either the case will drag on for years or it will remain on the police shelf, that's also possible."

Maya then responded with anticipation, "What will we do next then?" Aditya, with a hefty breath, said, "Investigating her death unofficially is the last option." As Aditya completed his words, Ismael stood firm and said, "Then we will also join." Aditya tried to provide some reasoning, but Ismael interrupted him, saying, "Please bro, don't try to refrain us. We will help you." Aditya nodded, touched by Ismael's determination. He understood that they were all deeply invested in uncovering the truth behind Shruthi's death.

With their resolve strengthened, Aditya outlined their next steps. "We need to approach this investigation with caution," Aditya began, addressing the group. "We'll start by gathering any additional information we can about the mysterious man or the old man. We'll look for any witnesses who might have seen something on the night of September 9th. I will inform you where to come tomorrow." With these encouraging words, Ravi, Ismael, and Daniel started leaving the house.

Before leaving the house, Aditya advised Ismael, "Ismael, I know what you were thinking. Just understand that what happened was just a coincidence. We all make mistakes, but dwelling on them won't change what's already happened." Ismael nodded, his expression a mixture of gratitude and determination.