Mumbai Noir

6

The incessant drone of the ceiling fan in Patil's office did little to alleviate the oppressive heat of the Bombay afternoon. Sweat beaded on my forehead as we pored over the possibility of the kidnapper. Ayushi Kapoor's disappearance hung heavy in the air, a weight pressing down on my chest with each passing hour.

"The Sharmas are the obvious angle, Ragu," Patil rumbled, his voice thick with frustration. "The family feud is no secret, and this could be their twisted way of getting back at the Kapoors."

"Agreed," I said.

"The rich and powerful have ways of making alibis disappear faster than a kulfi on a hot day."

We needed a new angle, a lead that wasn't tainted by the decades-old animosity between the Kapoors and the Sharmas. Deciding to start at the beginning, we headed to Ayushi's school, a sprawling red-bricked building. We were hoping to glean any insight into her disappearance from her classmates and friends. With each step, my mind raced with possibilities, each more troubling than the last.

The principal, a stern woman with spectacles perched precariously on her nose, ushered us into her office. After a brief explanation of the situation, her face crumpled with worry.  "Ayushi was a bright student, a well-behaved girl," she said, her voice laced with despair. "I can't imagine who would want to harm her."

Next on our list were Ayushi's classmates. We spoke to a group of giggling girls clustered around a fountain, their carefree laughter a stark contrast to the grim reality of the situation.  They described Ayushi as a quiet but friendly girl, passionate about acting and always eager to please. However, none of them offered any concrete leads.

Disappointment gnawed at me.  Just as we were about to leave, a girl named Sara approached hesitantly, a nervous flutter in her eyes.  She was a stark contrast to the rest of the group, her clothes worn and her gaze shy. There was something in her demeanour, a flicker of unease that piqued my curiosity. We ushered her to a quiet corner and gently coaxed her to speak.  At first, she was hesitant, her voice barely a whisper. But with a little encouragement, a confession tumbled out.

"I saw her," Sara blurted out, her eyes wide with apprehension. "The day before she disappeared, I saw Ayushi in the old science lab with a boy. They were… close."

This was new. My eyebrows shot up. "A boy? Did you recognize him?"

Sara shook her head, her lower lip trembling. "No, I… I didn't get a good look at him. It was kind of dark, and I didn't want to interrupt them. But Ayushi, she looked… different. Happy, but also scared, like she was keeping a secret."

Patil leaned forward, his gruff voice laced with urgency. "Did you tell anyone about this? Your parents, a teacher?"

Sara's eyes welled up with tears. "No, I… I was scared. What if they got in trouble? Ayushi was nice to me, even though everyone else…" she trailed off, her voice thick with emotion.

The weight of her words settled in my gut. Here was a shy girl, ostracized by her peers, who had stumbled upon something potentially crucial. But the fear in her eyes also raised red flags. Could Ayushi's "secret" be linked to her disappearance?

"Can you tell us anything else about the boy Ayushi was with?" I asked gently, my tone soft and reassuring.

The girl hesitated, her eyes darting nervously around the room. "I don't know much," she admitted reluctantly. "But Ayushi seemed upset when I found them. She wouldn't say why."

Leaving the school, a new line of inquiry unfolded before us. Who was this boy Sara saw with Ayushi? Was he a classmate, someone from outside the school, or perhaps even a teacher preying on a vulnerable student?

Back at the station, we delved into Ayushi's school records, scrutinizing the list of male students.  We cross-checked names with registered visitors and staff members, searching for any unfamiliar faces. Hours melted away in a blur of paperwork and phone calls, but no clear leads emerged.

Frustration clawed at me.  As the sun began its descent, casting long shadows across Patil's office.

"What if the boy wasn't someone she knew?" I mused, running a hand through my hair.

Patil grunted, leaning back in his chair. "Explain yourself, Ragu."

"What if that boy just came to threaten the girl? And told no one should know about it, so she hid it from Sara,"

"It can be a possibility, so we got a lead, we need to find this boy," Patil said and sighed

"Can we get tea now?" I said.