Satsangi - (A Search For Truth)

CHAPTER 18

We heard the doorbell ring. "I’ll get it," Anusha said, rising from her seat. She opened the door to find Rehaan standing there, a file clutched in his left hand. She stepped aside to let him in, and he walked in with a serious expression, settling down on the sofa.

“Can you call Manasa and Divya to the living room?” Rehaan asked Anusha, his voice calm but with a certain urgency underlying it.

Anusha called out loudly, "Guys, come down!"

Moments later, Manasa and I descended the stairs and joined them, taking a seat on the sofa opposite Rehaan, sensing that something important was about to be discussed.

"I’ve gone through the investigation and the post-mortem reports," Rehaan began, his gaze moving between us, "and I found some discrepancies in the latter." He paused, his brow furrowed. "So, I met with the pathologist to get some clarification. When I showed him the underlined section of the report, he admitted it was a mistake."

Rehaan leaned forward slightly, recounting the conversation he had. "I told him, ‘Sir, it's clearly stated that this is a case of murder, not suicide, yet you’ve concluded it as suicide in the final report. Not only that, but the signature on the report appears to be forged.’ I pointed this out to him."

He rubbed his hands over his face, the weight of the situation clearly taking a toll. “At first, the pathologist seemed reluctant, but after some pressure, he opened up. ‘Sir, we initially thought it was a suicide because of the strangulation marks on the neck,’ he told me. ‘But when we opened the stomach, we found evidence of poisoning. Unfortunately, we couldn’t determine the exact poison.’”

Rehaan sighed, his frustration evident. "I asked him, ‘Then why did you change the report?’ And that’s when he admitted something shocking."

Rehaan's voice dropped as he recounted the pathologist’s confession. “‘I was threatened,’ he said, looking defeated. ‘They warned me that if I didn’t record Srinivastav’s death as a suicide, my family would be in danger. I had no choice. I’m sorry, but I can’t testify. My family’s lives are at stake.’”

Rehaan’s expression hardened. ‘I can help you, and we can provide safety for your family,’ I told him. But he shook his head. 'No, Rehaan, you don’t understand. These people are dangerous. They’re watching my every move, and even my family is under surveillance.’ He refused to take the risk."

Rehaan sat back, his voice quieter now, but no less determined. “So, while we can’t officially reopen the case without a testimony, we now know this wasn’t a suicide. It was a well-planned murder.”

As Rehaan finished speaking, a sudden thought struck me. I quickly ran to my dad’s room and retrieved the mysterious leaf we had found there. When I returned, I handed it to Rehaan.

"Check this leaf for any trace of the poison found in my dad’s body," I said urgently.

Rehaan raised an eyebrow, clearly puzzled by my request. “What’s this?” he asked, examining the leaf.

"We discovered it in my dad’s room, and it’s poisonous," I explained.

His expression darkened with understanding, and he nodded. "I’ll get this checked by tomorrow."

Rehaan stood, straightening his jacket, his demeanor shifting back to the professional. "Alright, I’ll take my leave now," he said.

As the door closed behind him, the room fell into a tense silence. We all knew the investigation had just taken a dangerous turn.

After a few hours, I received a call from Rehaan. I answered the phone with my fingers crossed, hoping for good news.

“Listen, I have something important,” he said, urgency in his tone. “The leaf we found in your dad's room matches the poison we found in his body. This gives us solid evidence to reopen the case.”

I sighed, my heart heavy with mixed emotions. “Rehaan, we can’t do that right now. The pathologist isn’t ready to give his statement. Without his testimony, we can’t prove in court that my father was poisoned. They’ll definitely ask how we know he was poisoned.”

“Then what do you suggest we do? Should we just sit still while we know the truth?” he replied, frustration evident in his voice.

I paused, gathering my thoughts. “We need to convince the pathologist to speak up. His statement is crucial.”

He scoffed, skepticism dripping from his words. “And how do you propose we do that? The guy’s already scared out of his mind.”

I chose to overlook his sarcasm and continued, fueled by my resolve. “If we can track down those who threatened the pathologist and his family, it could turn everything around. Once he feels secure, he’s more likely to testify. Plus, it would give us a clue about who’s truly responsible for my father's death.”

Rehaan sighed, considering my words. “You might be right, but this isn’t going to be easy. We’ll need a plan, and we need to act fast.”

“I know,” I replied, my mind racing with possibilities. “We can’t let fear dictate our actions. Let’s find out who threatened him. We need to protect him and get him to talk.”

“Alright,” he said, sounding more resolute. “Let’s regroup and come up with a strategy to  get to the bottom of this.”

As we ended the call, a sense of urgency washed over me. I was determined to uncover the truth, no matter the risks involved.