Jaideep decided that it was not appropriate to say anything more against Sujaan at the moment. He felt that both of them were right—that until they had solid evidence against Sujaan, it would not be wise to openly accuse him.
So, when the police arrived to take their statements, they provided a detailed account of the attack but did not mention Sujaan's name.
When the police asked Jaideep how he managed to arrive at the right moment to help, he stated that he had reached the airport a little late, by which time the two women had already left in a taxi. He had seen them get into the taxi and had followed behind on his motorcycle.
The rest of their statements were identical.
Shefali also showed her gun license.
After taking their statements, the police left, taking the taxi with them.
"What do you think? Should we call Sujaan?" Shefali asked after the police had left. "Let's see what he has to say."
"Do you have his phone number?" Sharda asked.
"Jaideep must have it."
"It's at home. I don't remember it exactly, but we can find it in the directory."
They looked up Sujaan's phone number in the directory and called him.
Upon hearing Shefali's introduction, he responded, "Oh, Shefali ji, I was on my way to pick you up from the airport, but my car broke down on the way. By the time I got there, you had already left. I just got back. By the way, where are you calling from?"
"From a hotel."
"Why a hotel?" Sujaan's voice came from the other side. "I had your ancestral mansion fully prepared for your stay."
"But how was I supposed to know that?"
"Give me your hotel address. I'll be there right away."
Shefali gave him the address and put the receiver down.
"Sujaan is coming."
"Why did you call him right away?" Sharda said. "You just arrived from a long journey and are exhausted. You could have rested for a while first."
"He insisted on coming, so I didn't feel it was right to refuse. Besides, I wanted to see this man for myself. If you want, you can go to the other room and rest."
"You'll stay awake, and I'll…?"
"Don't be silly, Sharu. How many times do I have to tell you to think of yourself as my friend, not my maid? Go and get some rest."
Shefali gently but firmly sent Sharda to the other room to rest.
Then, until Sujaan arrived, she talked with Jaideep, asking him questions about himself.
Jaideep told her that he had completed his B.A. final year this year. He was passionate about cricket and judo-karate. While searching for a job, he spent most of his free time practicing at these two clubs.
"So, you're looking for a job?" Shefali said, thinking seriously.
"Yes, but in today's world, finding a job isn't easy."
"If you get one, will you take it?"
"If it's suitable, then of course I will."
"Until you find a proper job, why not work as my bodyguard?"
"What?"
"Yes," Shefali sighed. "After what happened today, if Sujaan was really behind the attack, I need protection from any other potential dangers. Why don't you take up that role?"
"Well… but…"
"Salary: two thousand rupees per month?"
"I accept."
Shefali smiled slightly.
As they continued talking, Sujaan arrived. By then, daylight had already begun to spread outside.
After introducing themselves, Shefali said, "It looks like some goons knew that your car had broken down."
"What do you mean?" Sujaan was startled.
"When Sharda and I were coming from the airport in a taxi, some goons attacked us, thinking we were just two defenseless women."
"What!"
"Had you been with us, perhaps they wouldn't have dared. Even the taxi driver was in on it."
"Were you hurt?"
"No," Shefali replied. "Mr. Jaideep arrived just in time to help us."
"How did you get there all of a sudden?" Sujaan asked Jaideep.
"I was on my way to my club when I heard their screams and stopped."
"Which club opens at four or five in the morning?" Sujaan asked, narrowing his eyes at Jaideep.
"I wasn't talking about the kind of club you're thinking of. I was referring to my judo-karate club."
"Oh." Sujaan then turned to Shefali. "It's becoming impossible for respectable women to step out of their homes safely. Thank God those goons didn't harm you. But why did you choose to stay at a hotel? I had your mansion fully furnished and ready for you."
"Since we were already at the hotel, we thought we'd rest here for a while," Shefali said. "We'll move to the mansion in the evening."
"Then why not organize a grand reception at the mansion tonight?" Sujaan suggested. "It'll be a great way to celebrate your return after so many years and introduce you to the city's prominent people."
"That's not a bad idea," Shefali agreed. "But can such arrangements be made in such a short time?"
"Don't worry about that. I'll take care of everything."
"Alright, you make the arrangements. Oh, by the way, when I left here, I was studying at a school…"
"I know—Dayavati Public School."
"There was a teacher there, Mrs. Bhasin. She was a wonderful woman. She loved me so much that even after all these years in America, I never forgot her."
"Do you want to meet her?"
"I was thinking it would be nice to invite Mrs. Bhasin to the evening party."
"No problem. I'll make sure she's there. Do you want to invite anyone else?"
"After all these years, most of my memories have faded. Only Mrs. Bhasin remains in my thoughts. Just invite her."
"That's perfectly fine."
"There's one more thing I wanted to talk to you about."
"Go ahead."
"According to the will, I'll officially inherit the entire estate in a few months. Now that I'm back, I'd like to review all the accounts."
"Everything is transparent like glass," Sujaan chuckled. "But I'll have all the documents prepared and presented to you soon."
"Make sure you prepare them quickly."
"Don't worry," Sujaan said, standing up. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a lot to do—party arrangements and invitations to send out."
Sujaan left.
A little while later, Jaideep also got ready to leave, but before he left, Shefali asked him to return to the hotel in the evening.