Midnight Mist

Who's going out first?

Characters:

Ashutosh Sharma: A businessman currently out of town

Shilpa Sharma: Wife of Ashutosh Sharma

Santosh Sharma (Sunny): Son of Ashutosh Sharma

Sachin Sharma: Elder son of Ashutosh Sharma

Gagan Gaitonde: IPS Officer

Raju: Santosh’s friend

Nitin: Santosh’s friend

Tushar: Santosh’s friend

Akash: Santosh’s friend
---------------------------------------------------------

It is around 7 p.m., and the night has already draped its dark, quiet blanket over the empty road as Sunny and his friends pile into his car. They have just finished their final exams, and with a newfound sense of freedom, they are in high spirits despite the late hour. The road stretches out ahead of them, empty and dark, surrounded by the faint outlines of fields and scattered trees. The dim glow of the car’s headlights cuts through the night as they drive along, illuminating patches of the narrow, winding road.

As they chat, joking about the long day and teasing each other, Sunny’s car moves steadily toward the city. Their voices fill the quiet as they laugh and poke fun at Akash, suggesting that his hunger is more about missing his girlfriend than craving food. Akash tries to laugh it off, his patience waning as he becomes the target of everyone’s jokes.

Just as the laughter begins to settle, Sunny suddenly announces that he needs to stop, urging them to find a place for a break. They spot a small, dimly lit shop up ahead and decide to pull over. They park near the small shop, and all the friends get out, each one joking about who will go first.

Tushar says, "Alright, who’s going out first?"

Nitin responds sarcastically, "Can’t you go alone?"

"I never said I couldn’t…" Tushar retorts.

Nitin smirks, "If you need help, just let me know. I’ll unchain the door, and Raju will hold it open while you launch."

"Shut up, man!" Tushar says with a laugh. “Sunny, go ahead—where did Sunny go?”

Meanwhile, Sunny has already gone straight to the empty, barren field behind the shop. "The ground’s wet... but it didn’t rain," Sunny says to himself.

Tushar rushes after him and tries to scare him, creeping up from behind, but Sunny shrugs him off, unbothered.

After their brief stop, they all return to the car. Tushar hands Sunny his earbuds.

Sunny says, "Just take it, man. I never thought you’d mess with my stuff."

Tushar shrugs, "Dude, I saw you left it lying around; I just picked it up."

Sunny wipes the earbuds clean with Tushar’s handkerchief. They then drive to a restaurant, grab some food, and head home.

The next day, as school lets out, students spill onto the grounds, chattering and laughing. The atmosphere quickly changes as a police jeep pulls up, capturing everyone’s attention. Gagan Gaitonde, the IPS officer, arrives to investigate a mysterious incident that took place the previous night in the field near the school. “Hmm… check these footprints. Looks like there were two people,” Gagan says.

Spotting a nearby shopkeeper, Gagan approaches him to ask questions.

"Yes, sir? What would you like?" the shopkeeper asks.

"Give me a pack of mints… and hand me the lighter," Gagan replies.

"Just a minute, sir," the shopkeeper says, gathering the items.

"How late do you keep your shop open?" Gagan asks.

"Till around 10 p.m., sir. Business is good lately. People buy more the more I stock. And I always have cigarettes in stock," the shopkeeper replies.

"Good. Hurry up," Gagan says.

Handing him the mints, the shopkeeper asks, "Sir, did something happen around here?"

"A murder…" Gagan responds.

"What? Whose murder? Who did it? How? When? Where?" the shopkeeper asks in a panic.

"If there are any other question words you know, go ahead and use them," Gagan replies dryly.

"Sorry, sir," the shopkeeper says.

Gagan continues, "We don’t know the victim yet. But we do know the murderer; we just don’t have enough evidence to prove it."

The shopkeeper hesitates. "He must be a professional, sir. If you can tell me about the murderer, maybe I can help. After all, I’m always here."

"Of course I can tell you," Gagan replies, narrowing his eyes. "You know him very well. He’s always here."

"Who, sir?" the shopkeeper asks, a nervous laugh escaping him.

"You, who else?" Gagan answers.

"What are you saying, sir? How can I be the murderer?" the shopkeeper stammers, stunned.

"Just now, you told me that you’re always here," Gagan points out.

"Sir, I swear I don’t know anything. I’ve never harmed a soul," the shopkeeper insists, his face pale.

Gagan raises an eyebrow. "If that’s so, then why do you keep selling cigarettes?"

Despite the shopkeeper’s nervous attempts to explain his long hours and innocent routines, Gagan scrutinizes him further, leaving no stone unturned.

As he continues questioning, Gagan begins piecing together information based on the shopkeeper’s account. Though it’s still early in the investigation, Gagan’s sharp instincts tell him that more will soon be uncovered.