Part 10
Mini woke up in the morning and found Neil looking at her lovingly as he caressed her hair. Mini remembered last night. Their fight, then love making and she finally focused on the thought from last night that Neil tricked her into accepting his decision. She become upset and started to move out of bed. Neil tried to hold her hand but she jerked it away. âStill angry from me cheese cake. I thought I took care of your anger last night.â Neil smirked. âYa, I know how you fooled me.â Mini commented.
Neil smiled, âCome on, forget about it now.â Neil requested. âI am not upset because you made me accept your decision Neil. I am upset because you are still taking it all lightly. I asked you not to break my trust this time but you donât care about anything. You again started coming late, taking decisions on your own..... Soon you will adopt your old habits.â Mini said as she hung her head in disappointment. âMini, last night there were unavoidable circumstancesâŚI couldnâtâŚ.â Neil tried to explain but Mini gestured him to stop as she wore her clothes. âI donât want to hear your explanation Neil. I have enough experience to know that they all are just excuses. I just want you to remember that I have given you second chance. Treat it with respect donât just blow it off in the air.â Mini warned him and left the room. While Neil sat there alone feeling hurt that she wont even understand his genuine problems let alone appreciate the efforts he made to live upto her expectations.
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âSir, there is a good news. Finally the forensic reports have come. You were right. There was some kind of substance used to induce heart failure which couldnât be detected in normal post mortem procedure.â Mickey informed Neil. âYe hui na baat. Aisa kya use kiya tha killer ne zara hum bhi batao.â Hanuman Singh came inside asked feeling ecstatic over the news as it was very vital for their case.
âThere is plant called âaconitum napellusâ or as we call it purple poison or wolfsbane in popular culture.The very tiny particles of this plant was found in all victims vital organs in detail toxicology reports. Once mixed in the blood it works as a slow poison affecting victimâs heart and nervous system making it looks like they are having heart failure and it is impossible to find it in the post mortem.âMickey informed.
âThatâs why they all died after exactly one day. Killer must have given them this poison on the day of their appointment and they died after one day around same time.â Hanuman singh concluded. âExactly sir.â Mickey nodded. âBut as far as I know this plant is not native to our country. Where did the killer got that plant?â Neil asked.âYes sir, this plant is mainly found in central Asia and Europe. Ancient Romans and central Asians once used this poison as a method of execution in their country.â Mickey gave another information.
âSo, you are saying that killer ordered this plant from abroad?" Neil asked. "Not necessarily, I know one place where such plants and herbs are kept in our city. Killer could have got it from there.â Hanuman Singh said. âWhere?â Neil asked. âThere is a state botanical lab in Patiala. All types of herbs and plants are kept there for researchers. I know as I once visited that lab as Aryaâs school had organized a informative visit there for the children.â Hanuman answered.
âSo what are we waiting for lets go and check.â Neil said and stood up. Then he remembered something and stopped in his track. âF**k! it all makes sense now.â Neil exclaimed. âWhat are you talking about?â Mickey asked. âThat Mr. Sarab Malhotra, he is famous botanist right? He must have excess to this lab. Who would know plants and their properties better than a botanist. His address was mentioned as Bobby Bhatiaâs address.â Neil replied. âHis bunglow located in the outskirts of city near the dumping ground.â Mickey added further.
âYes, I think we got our killer. We are going to that botanical lab to gather more evidences against him and you meet us at his bunglow with the search warrant.â Hanuman said and went away with Neil. They arrived at the lab and found that they do kept stocks of âaconitum napellusâ as its important for medicinal uses too. But they know it could be dangerous so they issue it to the researches only after producing their ID cards from the university. Neil and Hanuman checked their records and found recently the poison was issued to Mr. Sarab Malhotra. They seized the records as the evidence and went to his bunglow where Mickey was already waiting for them.
They rang the door bell and Mr.Malhotra opened the door. âPolice, need to search your house in case of serial killings.â Neil answered as Mr. Malhotra asked them the reason why they visited him. Without even giving him chance to react the policemen entered his house and started searching his house thoroughly while Mr. Malhotra kept looking at hem bewildered. âSir, look what we have found. One officer came running to them holding one file. Neil opened the file and found the details of victims in it like their timetable, their appointment dates, their photos etc. Another officer came in their direction from the garden and showed Neil the garden scisors. The marks of dried blood can still be seen on it. Neil wore the gloves and hold it in his hand. He smiled as he was right in his prediction about cutting weapon.
Neil gestured Hanuman and he pulled Sarab Malhotra with a jerk and tried to put handcuffs on his hands, âYou are under arrest Sarab Malhotra.â Hanuman singh said. âBut what I have done?â Sarab Malhotra asked as his face become pale in tension. âYou are asking what have you done after killing 5 innocent people?â Hanuman sing asked as he slapped him hard. âI have not done anything. I am innocent.â Sarab Malhotra pleaded as policemen dragged him to the police van. âHar mujrim pakde jane ke baad yahi bolta hai ki wo begunaah haiâŚ.police ke dande padenge to sab uglega tu.â Hanuman Singh laughed as he pushed him in the police van. Neil sighed in relief as finally he caught the killer.
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Neil had again come late at home. He found Mini waiting for him in the garden with sleeping Arya in her arms. âMini, why are you sitting here?â Neil asked as he tried to take Arya in his arms but Mini stopped him. She showed him a drawing which she was holding in her other hand. Neil saw it, it was a beautiful drawing of a family made by Arya where she has so meticulously drawn him in a police uniform and written âpapaâ under it and herself and Mini holding his hands as one happy family.
âToday was her drawing competition in the school and she told me that you had promised her that you will be visiting her school during lunch time to see her drawing.â Mini said as she felt anger rising inside her with every word. âF**k! I am so sorry, I completely forgot about it.â Neil closed his eyes as he remembered her promise to Arya. Once that forensic report had come he had forgot about everything and become busy. âShe was waiting for you Neil. She didnât even have her lunch thinking you will come any moment. When you didnât show up she brought her drawing to home and since then waiting for you âŚwhen you will come home and when she will show you this. And you just broke her heart. Like you used to hurt me everytime now you started hurting her.â Mini accused him. âMini, at least gave him chance to explain.â Hanuman Singh tried to interfere to save the situation. âYou stay out of it dad please.â Mini requested.
Neil followed Mini to Aryaâs room where she put her to sleep. âMini, listen to meâŚ.â Neil tried to say something but Mini didnât listen to him as she jerked away his hand. Neil followed her into her room. He managed to block the door before she could have closed it. âListen me for onceâŚ..â Neil again tried to say something in defense. âNo Neil, you listen to me. This is what I always feared. I can bear your ignorance, apathy⌠because I am habitual to it now but I didnât want this for my daughterâŚ.and its happening right in front of my eyes. She cried herself to sleep todayâŚall because of you.â Mini shouted.
âI am sorry for thatâŚ.I really amâŚbut just let me explainâŚ.weâŚwe caught the killer today Mini thatâs why I couldnât make it on time. This case is overâŚfinally overâŚ.now no more busy schedules.â Neil finally managed to say. For once Mini kept looking at him without replying anything as his words finally sunk in. âThe case is overâŚ..means now you wont be coming lateâŚyouâŚâ She asked doubtfully. âNo, it wont happen again. Just legal formalities leftâŚ.we are working on itâŚ.confession of the killer and then filing of chargesheet. It will take some 10 days or so, then we will be together as one family.â Neil replied as he pulled Mini into a hug.
Though Mini was still angry but she couldnât stop herself from hugging him back. Have you given your resignation?â Neil asked after few minutes. Mini looked at him nervously and shook her head in no. âWhy Mini âŚâ Neil asked then stopped as he looked into her eyes. The doubt was clearly visible in them. âYou started rethinking about your decisionâŚright?â Neil asked feeling his heart broke at the thought of it. Mini just bow down her head unable to look him in the eyes. âWhy she didnât trust me enough? Why she didnât try to understand me?â he asked more to himself than to her. She has again put him to test. âI love youâŚyou know that right?â Neil asked not knowing what else to say. âI love you tooâŚ..butâŚ.â Mini couldnât complete and left from the room to make tea for him.
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Neil held the press conference next day to inform the press about the arrest of Sarab Malhotra. He told them everything about the evidences and how they reached him. âSir, has he confessed? What was the motive behind the murders?â one reporter asked. âWe still donât have his confession but we have solid proof against him. He will confess soon as we have asked for his remand from the court. We are trying to connect dots and find out the motive of killings but such serial killers are generally have very twisted way of thinking.â Neil replied. He answered some more question before excusing himself as his mind again started thinking about Bobby Bhatia. âWhat happened?â Hanuman Singh asked. âWhat about Bobby Bhatia? He still doesnât fit in all this.â Neil asked. âSarab Malhotra must have used fake name and identity to hide himself.â Hanuman answered. âBut he seemed a young man and Sarab is old, besides this that receptionist Preet at Dr. Mehraâs clinic has identified Bobby by photo.â Neil asked again. âThen maybe he is some accomplice of this Sarab or simply someone he used to distract us .â Hanuman Singh said. âMay be you are right.â Neil agreed but kept thinking about it. Though they have caught killer but he was feeling that he is missing out something.
to be continued.....
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