Where Ever You Go I Am There

Part 4

Aisha turned to him curiously when he spoke up, "kuch toh choot raha hai.......koyi na koyi missing link hai jo hum dekh nahi paa rahe hai!"

Aisha left soon after a small discussion about the same......In a few minutes, Arjun's phone beeped with Kishore's message about a mail he had sent with the information on Nirmal's past and present......

Within a small span of time, the duo seemed to have put together a lot of crucial information about Nirmal which could provide the necessary link and directly point to the killer....

By the time Arjun scrolled to the last line of the details, Kishore and Sakshi came in with the detailed report file in his hand.....

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A few hours before.....as Sakshi and Kishore drove along....

Kishore sensed that Sakshi was brimming with questions for him and glanced to her side, "kya hua cindrella? You look confused"

Sakshi rolled her eyes for the new name he gave to her.....her lips muttered "cindrella?" wondering what he was up to.....He replied confusing her again in his words, "yup cindrella....you know her story, right?"

The remaining words was only in his thoughts and didn't reach her ears, "jo dikhthi hai woh hai nahi...aur jo hai woh dikhtha nahi"

Sakshi looked at him bewildered at his confusing random talks....she spoke up, "haan....You confuse me totally Kishore...."

She indeed was confused at Kishore's attention on her and also some of his double meaning talks.....he replied, "Relax....main aisa hi hoom.........Tum wahaan office mein betae betae bore ho rahi thi......And they say idle brains are devil's workshop.....so...."

His words trailed off when he felt her stare on him and he grinned at her replying, "Matlab log aisa kehte hai....Angelic face aur devilish dimaag...not a very healthy and safe combo, you know?"

Sakshi couldn't get head or tail of what he meant but then a strange fear of how deep does this guy know about her rose from within her.....An unknown fear of being guilty gripped her in those moments!

He snapped her thoughts by a casual remark, "You are an investigative journalist....right Sakshi?"

Sakshi gathered up and nodded, "haan".....She couldn't afford to succumb to such fears now....She was half into the well and had to cross it successfully....

Kishore instantly replied, "bas isiliye socha ke tumaare links ke through Nirmal ke history ke andhar gus sakthe hai.....I have my sources too but phir socha ke tumhe kuch kaam doom...."

Sakshi was already messaging someone and then dialed a number....not waiting for Kishore's instructions, she was into the job already.....She spoke to someone on the phone, "haan....wahi producer Nirmal Kumar....usske past life ke baare mein info chahiye.....haaan haan sab kuch....ok....I will wait for ur mail...bye"

She cuts the call and voiced, "kaam hogaya....in 20 minutes sab details mil jaayegi....."

Kishore voiced in appreciation, "Perfect"

Sakshi was all pepped up and thrilled about the case now...Perhaps she was missing all this from the time she entered ETF...She hated to accept but the truth was that her real skills were totally ignored when on a case but now Kishore seemed to know what she was capable of and was exploring it...she eagerly enquired, "Whats next?"

Kishore chuckled at her excitement and voiced, "tum bathao...What should we do next?"

Sakshi replied, "Actually, Nirmal Kumar ke present life bhi koyi mystery se kam nahi....page 3 pe ya koyi bhi article pe usske life ke charche nahi hote teh....ek nazar se dekho toh bohat saaf slate dikta hai...patha nahi kisko usse itni nafrat thi..."

Kishore: jo dikhta hai woh humesha sacch nahi hota Sakshi.....aisa hi kuch kehte hai na tumaare ACP Rawte saab....

Sakshi looked at him amused at his reference while he continued, "Arjun is 100 percent right....Atleast iss Nirmal ke case mein toh aisa hi hai.....Nirmal isn't that clean Sakshi...usske past bohat...."

Kishore stopped his words as if not wanting to reveal more about it to her at that moment...But Sakshi already sensed that Kishore knew much more than what he voiced out and she probed, "How do you know all that? Don't tell me that you have already done your research on him and you are just testing my work!"

As if to evade her questions and switch the topic, he voiced, "Usske ghar se kuch information mil saktha hai...lets go there"

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Meanwhile, Chotu and Aisha follow their leads and reach the area where Sonia stayed....it wasn't a respectable place as expected.....They question many people there....

As Aisha had predicted, none of them say anything against Sonia........One particular woman who appeared in her mid 30s and looked a little mentally unstable attracted their attention....Her disheveled form, messed up hair showed that she wasn't in her right senses.

She was sitting on the verandah of her little house.....A plate with untouched food lay beside her....She seemed to have heard their questioning and was laughing out loud at the news about Nirmal's death....She was visibly happy that he was dead......She shouted out laughing, "Uss raakshas ko marrna hi tha....Maha kaali ne aakir usse maar daala....."

She started laughing again. Aisha walked to her and sat beside her despite the warning of people around that she could be violent at times..........Aisha patted on her shoulders snapping her out of the laugh......She turned to Aisha's side who looked at her with kindness and sympathy in her eyes.....something undid inside the lady and her laugh just faded....

The joy on her face vanished and tears flowed down her eyes as if a dam of emotions broke down....perhaps Aisha's kind look on her did something to her....It appeared as if it had been years since someone actually came near and sat by her side with no fear but just out of sympathy, concern and kindness....All around were scared of her....

The sight of tears melted away the strong cop inside Aisha Kapoor......now it was just the woman in Aisha who wrapped her arm around the other woman whose pathetic sight literally brought tears to her as well.....Aisha didn't say anything but just allowed her to cry....

Silence seemed to be the best medium to console her.....There was some deep pain inside the woman which had been suppressed within her for so long.....Today, it was all pouring out as tears.....Perhaps Nirmal's death and Aisha's presence had opened her up!

Chotu stood at a distance watching the sight...He knew that he had to give them their space....as they say, a woman understands another woman's heart and her plight better! So he left them to themselves and proceeded to question the man who owned the road side tea stall....

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By late afternoon, all were back at ETF and sat down to discuss their findings.....

Arjun knew that Kishore and Sakshi went to Nirmal's home and their report were right before him.....As per their report, Nirmal started his career as a makeup guy and had also worked for some agency which supplied extra artists for films and other shows. He wasn't married but his past suggested link ups with many women....

And in his present life, everything was kept under wraps....From the first look, as Sakshi had said, he looked reformed and seemed to have given up his dirty ways but the reality was something else....It was all dark and still dirty deep under!

Shree spoke up first giving the call records and Nirmal's financial statements, "usske call records se patha chala ke Sonia ko ek saal se jaantha tha....aur occasionally usse bulaatha bhi tha...."

Sakshi spoke up next, "Usske ghar se koyi khaas information nahi mila....usske wife ya close family nahi hai....He was all to himself.....sirf ek servant hai jo ghar ke kaam kartha hai"

Aisha and Chotu entered the conference room just then.....Aisha spoke up snapping her short, "Nirmal ki wife hai.....Main abi abi usse milkar aa rahi hoom...."

She placed an old faded photo which looked like a wedding photo on the table before taking her seat...and yes the man in it was Nirmal and the bride was the same one whom Aisha met a little while back.....

[To be continued]