The Hidden Diary

Chapter 5 - The Investigation

The next day, the five of them gathered inside Aditya's home to discuss their next steps. Aditya began, "So yesterday after our discussion, I checked the surrounding cameras of that area. Hardly were there 4 cameras. I got visuals of a van and Shruthi, but other than that, nothing more interesting. Also, I sent the sketch work to headquarters. Hopefully, we will receive some good news soon."

After hearing this, Ismael responded, "So, what can we do next?" Aditya replied, "I've already collected some missing person cases aged 50 and above reported in the past 3 months. Around 8 missing cases were reported in Mumbai city. So, we will divide ourselves into 3 teams to reduce our workload. Ravi and Maya will form one team, Daniel and Ismael another team, and I will be the third team." Aditya then assigned the missing cases to each team.

Continuing, he said, "Okay, try to contact them either personally or by phone. Find out reasons why they went missing. We aim to complete this within 2 days and will meet again here." With their tasks assigned, each team set out to investigate the missing persons cases. They combed through records, interviewed family members, and scoured the neighbourhoods for any leads. As they delved deeper into each case, they encountered tales of heartache, desperation, and hopelessness. Despite the emotional toll, they pressed on, driven by their determination to uncover the truth. After two days of relentless effort, they reconvened at Aditya's home to share their findings.

Each team presented their discoveries, shedding light on the circumstances surrounding the disappearances. But their efforts were in vain; most of the cases involved older individuals who had suffered from mental illness, while others were related to affairs. They once again faced a dead end. They were now at their lowest point, all of them pondering what to do next.

At that time, Aditya came with his encouraging words, "Guys, I know we've hit a roadblock, but we can't let this setback discourage us. We've come too far to give up now. We need to think outside the box," Aditya continued, his voice steady and determined, "Perhaps there's a common thread among these cases that we've overlooked. We need to revisit our findings, dig deeper, and look for any connections we might have missed." His words sparked a glimmer of hope in the dim room, but Ravi, Ismael, Maya, and Daniel still wondered what to do.

Maya responded, "Brother, what's the use of cheering up? Every time we face a blockade and couldn't know what to do next. After getting the diary, I was hoping that we had some lead, but we have gone through each of the 8 missing reports. Most of them had some mental illness, one of them had affairs with neighbors leading to elope with them. The last one is not picking up the call. What will we do now?"

Aditya listened to Maya's words, understanding her frustration and the weight of their current predicament. He took a moment to gather his thoughts before responding. "Maya, I know it's disheartening, but we can't afford to lose hope," Aditya began, his voice calm but determined. "Yes, we've hit obstacles along the way, but that doesn't mean we should give up. We need to keep pushing forward, even when it seems like we're at a dead end." He turned to his friends, meeting their eyes with unwavering resolve. "We've come this far because we believe in justice for Shruthi. We owe it to her memory to continue our efforts, no matter how difficult it may seem."

Ravi nodded in agreement, his expression determined, "Aditya's right. We can't let setbacks deter us. We need to regroup, rethink our approach, and keep searching for answers." Ismael chimed in, his voice filled with determination, "We need to think outside the box, explore every possibility, and leave no stone unturned. There must be something we're missing, some clue we haven't uncovered yet." Ismael's words hit Daniel, and he recalled what they were missing.

His brain rang the bell, then looked at the missing person report of the individual they hadn't been able to contact. Reviewing the address, he called Ismael and asked, "Is there anyone we know from Trombay?" Ismael paused for a moment, then responded, "Yes, our classmate Salim." Daniel then suggested, "Ask him if he knows about the person in this missing poster," passing the missing poster to Ismael.