Friends & Foes

Confession

I asked a police officer about the matter. He told me that Kamal was found with the body, in his home. Apparently, the door was kept open and the neighbours saw the body and called the police.

The police rushed to the crime scene as soon as they can. They found the body and Kamal near it. They tried to investigate him, but Kamal stood like a statue. He hasn't spoken a word since. They arrested him as the prime suspect.

I asked the officer if I could meet him. He agreed.

I saw Kamal in the cell, behind bars, sitting alone in the corner. He was traumatized. "Kamal" I called him. He didn't answer. The officer opened the cell and let me go in.

"I know you might don't want to see me. I haven't been in my best version. Even I don't want to see myself in the mirror." I spoke to deaf ears. "I don't know how I can explain myself. I loved her" He glared at me. It was the first time her responded to me. It assured me he was listening to me, at least.

"I know it is hard to believe, since I was the one who killed her. I guessed you must have figured it out." I whispered.

"I loved her from the first day I saw her. But then, you two got together. Seeing you two together, knowing that she won't love me back the way I did, killed me."

"At first, I tried hard to accept the reality and move on. I really wanted to get over her." I murmured.

"But my obsession with her stood strong, even grew eventually. I was living a frustrated life, I hated everything. I even hate you somewhere deep. You knew I had a crush on her, yet you decided to hit on the only girl I like." I was remembering all my frustration and the core of my hatred.

"You were my friend, but then you turned into a foe." The truth was exposed.

I came to surrender myself, but then I had a sudden change of heart. Remembering all the things made me mad and heated.

"I told her about my feelings but she rejected me. I was hurt more than before. Maybe it was my ego that offended." I muttered.

"And that day you two got intimate and physical, knowing I was in the same room. She didn't even have the courtesy. It felt like she wanted to hurt me intentionally." I continued.

"I gave myself in to become the monster that killed her." I sighed.

Kamal heard every word of it, but his face was cold. He looked at the floor all the time. I left him alone. On my way out, I thought of surrendering myself, but I was coward. I sneaked out the police station, as fast as I can.

Kamal was bailed out in a day; her mother managed a good lawyer for the case.

The investigation started, the police searched the crime scene. There were clues which indicated, I was present at the crime scene. They even investigated me, but I managed to dodge the bullet. I lied that I left early, leaving Kamal and Tejal together.

The post mortem report suggested that she was raped maybe before or after death.

The police inquired about Kamal in college. The image of Kamal was not quite pleasant. He was seen as a Casanova –smooth talker among the girls. He apparently had no male friends, except for me. Some of the students and teachers regarded him as arrogant.

This all worked out to conclude him that he was a boy with lust, which indirectly supported the theory that he might have raped Tejal.

I kept cursing myself, but never gain the guts to expose the truth. After few days, the court hearing was scheduled. I attended the session. I decided to confess in the court, but before I could do so Kamal spoke. "I would like to say something." It was the first time since Tejal's death that he spoke.

I thought that he is going to spill everything. It was in that moment that I realised, I still don't want to be arrested. I don't want to throw my life away.

"Tejal was my girlfriend. I liked her very much. But she didn't want to get physical and intimate. That day, she was looking beautiful as always. My eyes filled up with lust. I tried to check my luck." He muttered.

"I grabbed her, and started kissing her and take to next level, but she refused. I thought that I can conquer what is rightfully mine. She struggled very much but I was drowned in lust to think of anything. I raped her and in the process I killed her."

I was shocked to hear those words. I couldn't understand why he surrendered even though he was innocent. Everything was so confusing.

"I, Kamal Shetty, in my conscious state confess that I raped and murder Tejal Ramani. I will accept any punishment the judiciary will decide." He added.