Friendship Tales ✔

Part Two

Part Two

The next day, the team arrived at the laboratory to meet Dr. Salunkhe again. As they entered, they found the doctor missing, while Tarika was busy at her desk. Daya and Pankaj approached her with a smile.

"Good morning, Tarika. Where's Dr. Salunkhe?" Daya asked.

"I don't know. He was here a few minutes ago, but he went outside after receiving a call. He should be back soon," Tarika replied, focusing on her work.

Daya and Pankaj waited for Salunkhe. While waiting, Daya moved around the laboratory. His gaze suddenly fell on something unusual near Salunkhe's desk. He picked it up. "A horseshoe? What's this doing here? The other day, he was jumping around and singing 'Jingle Bells,' especially stressing on the words 'one horse.' Do horses have any connection with the case?" He wondered aloud.

"Sir, is this a horseshoe? What are you doing with it?" Pankaj asked, examining the object carefully.

"Pankaj, I'm not doing anything. I just found it here. I wonder what it's doing here. Maybe Salunkhe Sir is planning some horseback riding for Abhijit's wedding," Daya laughed, remembering the previous day's conversation.

"Sir, you're teasing Abhijit Sir too! Do you know how to ride a horse, by the way?" Pankaj asked seriously.

"I used to, but I'm out of practice now. It's been years," Daya replied. As he spoke, he heard Salunkhe's footsteps. He quickly placed the horseshoe back on the table and turned toward the door just as Salunkhe entered.

"Good morning, boss. How's your day?" Salunkhe asked Daya.

"It hasn't been great. We haven't made much progress on the case," Daya informed him.

"I might have some useful information for you today," Salunkhe said, fetching some papers. "Look at these. These are the post-mortem reports. They reveal that Solanki didn't die from the knife wound but from this." He showed a used razor blade to Daya. "The murderer used a razor blade with pulverized poison on it. The poison caused a cardiac arrest, leading to Solanki's death. The knife wound was only a drama to mislead the investigation."

"What a complex plan! But why use a razor first and then pretend it is a knife wound?" Daya asked, puzzled.

"Perhaps the murderer had a reason. I found fingerprints on the razor, one of which could belong to the murderer. I'll need to compare these with the samples you collected from Solanki's house. Meanwhile, you should continue gathering information about Solanki's family, friends, and enemies." Salunkhe advised.

Daya and Pankaj nodded, understanding the significance of the new information. They left the laboratory, ready to dig deeper into Solanki's background and relationships, determined to uncover the truth behind his murder.

A few hours passed with the officers trying to gather information about the family members at their bureau when Solanki's daughter, Sayani, rushed in urgently. "Sir, please save my brother! Somebody has kidnapped him, and today they demanded one crore rupees," Sayani pleaded, panting as she stopped in front of Abhijit.

"Who kidnapped your brother, and how?" Abhijit asked while Purvi helped her sit down on a chair.

"Rohan was going to school when he got kidnapped a few days ago. The kidnappers were demanding some money, but today, they asked for such a huge amount. Sir, I had to hide from my family to come and meet you," she explained, visibly distressed.

"Rohan! Your brother's name was Samar, right? And why didn't your family inform us about the kidnapping earlier?" Daya questioned her.

"No, I have a younger brother too. He is my uncle's son and studies in the fifth grade. My family was afraid to tell you because the kidnappers threatened to kill him if we approached the police. I couldn't bear it anymore, so I had to inform you secretly," Sayani said, her anxiety evident in her eyes.