Day 2
"Can you identify who it is?" Tushar asks.
I squeeze my eyes into tiny slits to get a clearer picture of whoever it is. It's a non descript man, wearing a checked shirt and a trousers. There's a tattoo on his right wrist which seems familiar. Is it him? But how? And why are police showing me his picture? Has he filed a police complaint against me? If so, police will suspect me even more! What exactly is going on??
"Why are you asking this?" I ask.
"Do you know him?" Mukta asks.
I think it's a bargain. I tell them some. They tell me some.
"Yes," I say, "but first tell me why you have this snap? How is this connected to Navya's disappearance?" I ask slightly agitated now.
Mukta sighs.
"Navya has been receiving threatening messages since past few weeks..."
"What do you mean by threatening messages?" I ask, a chill running down my spine. Is it the same person who has sent me this letter? Why?
Tushar hands me a transcript of some messages.
I read them, even as I can feel the blood inside my veins boiling with anger.
"Who the hell is it? And why were they threatening my wife?" I ask, my temper slowly escalating.
Mukta and Tushar are closely observing me. Do they think I have sent these?
"They were sent from a number, which has been registered in your name," Tushar says, handing me a chit which bears that number.
"What?" I ask. I don't know what to think. Each day is bringing new shocks for me. What all has Navya been keeping from me? Do I know her at all? And I used to think only I have secrets!
Then I see the irony in my question. Navya can ask the same. Does she know me at all?
"I have never purchased a card with this number. Are you sure it's in my name?" I ask.
"Yes. So we checked the shop from where this sim-card was purchased. We asked them to check the customer list in seven days preceding the time from which the card has been activated. They found who had purchased the card. They had your name, address, pan card and aadhar card Xerox, everything. We showed him your photo but he couldn't be sure if you had come or not. So we asked him to check the CCTV footage of that day. All other persons have tallied with their names. This is the only unnamed person, who we are assuming purchased the card in your name," Tushar says, handing me another photo. It is also a CCTV snapshot of what looks like an open parking area. A man is seen standing behind one of the cars. I again try to see clearly. The car looks like mine. Is this the parking lot of the police station? Has he been following me?
"Is he the same guy?" Tushar asks.
"Yes, he is. It is the watchman from the bank I work. Ramcharan," I say, unable to understand what exactly he has been doing.
Mukta quickly dials someone and instructs them to find out the details of Ramcharan, and bring him to the police station.
"Do you think he had something to do with Navya's disappearance?" I ask. My stomach is tightening into a knot which I don't think is going to disengage anytime soon.
"Possible. But there has to be some reason. Which you are going to tell us," Mukta says, and the gaze with which she holds me makes me falter.
I had never expected those two things getting mixed up. This is my worst nightmare!
"I had him sacked last month," I say.
"Why?" Tushar questions.
"For stealth. He had stolen 50000 bucks," I say, trying to avoid eye contact with Mukta.
"How did you find out?" Mukta asks.
"We checked the CCTV. And found him taking the money," I say.
"Is this amount of cash easily accessible to watchmen in banks? And as a watchman who regularly works there, isn't he aware of locations of CCTV?" Mukta asks.
I have no answer to these questions. No one questioned this way when we sacked him for the theft.
"Okay. We will arrest him and question him," Tushar says.
"Do you have any idea about this number?" He asks me, handing another piece of paper. A landline number is scribbled on it. The STD code seems to be of Gujarat.
"No. Whose is it?" I ask. I don't know what to expect. Every new update is like a shock to me and I have stopped feeling surprised anymore.
"It's the number of a public booth in Ahmedabad from where Navya has received phone calls twice in the last month," Mukta says.
I shake my head. "I have absolutely no idea," I say, which is completely true.
One more exchange of glance. This is becoming annoying now.
"Am I still the suspect?" I ask, exasperated.
"You will remain a suspect in the eyes of the law till Navya is found," Mukta says matter-of-factly, not falling for my emotional blackmail.
I sigh. I am feeling so exhausted my brain is screaming for some peace.
Navya, where are you!
The phone rings, almost startling me. It's Mukta's.
"Yes Romee," she says into the phone.
I watch her as she listens intently to whatever this Romee is telling her. I hope it is urgent enough for them to leave now because I have no energy left to deal with them anymore. I need some sleep.
As if on cue, Tushar and Mukta suddenly get up.
"Ok. Thank you for your time. We will get back when we have any more news," Mukta says.
I just nod listlessly, and see them to the door, more to ensure that they are really going than as manners.
As I retire in my bedroom, I pick up the photoframe from the night stand. It's a close up of me and Navya, taken while on a vacation to Shimla. We both laughing carelessly in the backdrop of snow laden mountains. I can still remember the chill in the air, the red noses and the warm beer. What an amazing time it was! I long to go back into those carefree days. And live my life all over with better choices!
****
Mukta and Tushar hurried back to the police station. It was almost a quarter past eleven at night.
Romee was waiting for them. He had the transcripts of whatever he wanted to show them, ready on display on the laptop.
"What are these?" Mukta asked.
"Navya's Facebook chats with Mayank. All of these chats were deleted. I had to recover them by hacking into the software," Romee said.
"And who the hell is Mayank?" Tushar asked.
"Mayank Gill. Husband of Niyati Gill, Navya's colleague from the school".
Mukta and Tushar looked at each other. Niyati was separated from her husband. And Navya had been by her side. So what was she chatting with Mayank about?
They joined heads together to read the chats. It took them fifteen minutes to read the entire exchange and by the end of it, Mukta felt as if her head was spinning.
Before her disappearance, Navya had told Niyati that she needed to tell her something important. So was it this?
"What do you make of it?" Tushar asked.
"That Mayank could very well be our prime suspect!" She exclaimed. They had never reached him in their investigation till now.
"Now we will have to check where he was the night that Navya disappeared."
"Do you think what Navya is accusing him of is true?" Tushar asked.
"She says she has evidence. I don't know what kind of evidence she has though!" Mukta replied.
"How far people can go to exploit the system! So the new guy that Niyati is dating, is actually a pawn planted by Mayank, to tarnish her character in the court, and get their daughter's custody! What a well thought over plan! The question is, how Navya got to know about this."
"Shall we check on Mr Mayank then?" Tushar asked.
"Yes. We must," Mukta said.
"A quick dinner before that?" Tushar asked.
Mukta looked at him. Was she making him work too many hours?
"Have you told your wife?" She asked.
"I am single. What about you? Informed your husband?"
"No. It's okay. Let's grab a quick dinner and move ahead," she said. She was not yet ready to reveal that she was divorced.