𝐁𝐞𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐕𝐞𝐢𝐥 𝐎𝐟 𝐋𝐢𝐞𝐬
"𝐈𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐬, 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐭𝐡 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐬."

Avani's eyes scanned the Gupta family's luxurious living room, taking in the subtle signs of turmoil beneath the polished surface. Priya Gupta, Rajiv's wife, sat rigidly on the couch, her hands clutching a tissue.

"Avani, I need to know what happened," Priya pleaded, her voice barely above a whisper. "The police aren't telling me anything."

Avani's expression softened. "I'll do everything I can, Priya. But I need to ask you some questions." Rohan, Avani's colleague, nodded encouragement as he scribbled notes on his pad. "Did Rajiv mention anything unusual lately?" Avani asked.

Priya hesitated. "He was acting strange...distracted. Kept getting mysterious calls." Avani's interest piqued. "Mysterious calls? Did he say who from?" Priya shook her head. "No, but he seemed...afraid." Avani jotted down a mental note: Investigate Rajiv's phone records.

Next, Avani turned her attention to Rohan. "Have you spoken to Inspector Aarav?" Rohan nodded. "He's willing to share information, but cautiously. This case has high-profile implications."

Avani's mind whirled. Who could be behind Rajiv's murder? A business rival? A personal enemy?

As they continued questioning Priya, Avani's phone buzzed with an incoming text from an unknown number:

"Be careful, Avani Khurana. You're playing with fire."

Avani's grip on her phone tightened. Who was this? A warning or a threat?

After wrapping up the meeting with Priya, Avani and Rohan stepped outside, Mumbai's humid air enveloping them.

"What's your gut telling you?" Rohan asked. Avani's eyes narrowed. "Rajiv's murder is more complex than we think. Let's dig deeper."

Their investigation began with a visit to Rajiv's office, where they discovered a cryptic note on his desk:
"Meet me at the Taj at midnight. -S"

Avani's thoughts swirled. Who was S?
Avani's eyes narrowed as she stared at the note. "This is strange," she murmured. In an era of instant messaging and encrypted emails, why would someone resort to a handwritten note?

The old-fashioned approach seemed almost... deliberate. "Do they not want people to find out?" Avani wondered. Her thoughts swirled with questions:
Who wrote this?, What's the purpose of the meeting? and why the secrecy?. She folded the note, her eyes scanning the room as if searching for answers.

As they left the office, Avani couldn't shake off the feeling that she was being watched. The unknown text still lingered in her mind.

Little did she know, her every move was indeed being monitored - by a pair of piercing dark brown eyes, hidden in the shadows.

Avani's determination drove her to unravel the mystery surrounding Rajiv's cryptic note. The Taj hotel, an iconic Mumbai landmark, was their next destination.

---✧---

They arrived at the Taj, Avani's eyes scanned the opulent lobby. Crystal chandeliers refracted light, casting a kaleidoscope of colors across the marble floor.

Rohan nodded toward the reception desk. "Let's start with the hotel staff. Maybe someone remembers Rajiv's meeting."

Avani approached the desk, her confidence unwavering. " Hlo am Avani Khurana and this is Rohan Mehta. We are lawyers. We're investigating a possible connection between a guest and a recent murder. This is Rajiv Gupta". She asked while showing them a photo of Rajiv Gupta. "We have to see if he have visited here at February 14. Can we speak to anyone who worked the night shift on February 14th?"

The receptionist's expression turned sympathetic. "Of course, ma'am. Let me check." A few minutes later, a hesitant staff member, appeared.

"Hello I am Avani Khurana and this Rohan Metha. We are lawyers so you were the one who was working the night shift at February 14?".

" Am Rohit. Yes I was the one" Rohit said. She nods "okay Rohit have you seen this man that night?." She asked while showing him Rajiv's photo. Rohit shakes his head as no while looking down. "You sure Rohit? Try to remember everything happened that day." Rohit looks around nervously.

Avani's instincts kicked in. She looked at him suspiciously. "Tell me, Rohit, what's troubling you?"

Rohit glanced around nervously. "I...I saw Mr. Gupta arguing with someone. A tall, well-dressed man." Rohan's eyes locked onto Avani's. She nods.

"Can you describe the man?" Avani asked. Rohit nodded. "He had piercing brown eyes...and a distinctive watch. Gold, with a strange symbol etched onto it." Avani's mind whirled. A unique watch could be their breakthrough.

Just then, Avani's phone buzzed with an incoming text from Inspector Aarav:

"Meet me at the police station. We've found evidence linking Rajiv's murder to a high-profile businessman."

Avani's thoughts swirled. Could this be the killer?

As they left the Taj, Avani couldn't shake off the feeling that they were closing in on a dangerous truth.

*The Police Station*

Inspector Aarav greeted Avani and Rohan with a somber expression.

"Our forensic team found a fingerprint on Rajiv's study window," Aarav explained. "It matches Siddharth Singhania, a prominent businessman. But we can't say he is the killer because there was a party, Rajiv Gupta's birthday party at night there will so many people who visited him and his study at that night."

Avani's eyes widened. Siddharth Singhania - the name echoed in her mind.

Rohan scribbled notes furiously. "What's Siddharth Singhania's connection to Rajiv?"

Aarav leaned in. " Siddharth Singhania is Rajiv's business partner. Siddharth Singhania's alibi for the murder night is shaky."

Avani's determination intensified. "We'll investigate this Siddharth Singhania."

Little did she know, Siddharth Singhania's influence extended far beyond the business world.

*At the same time another place in Mumbai*

A person was standing at their office window, gazed out at Mumbai's glittering skyline. Their phone buzzed with an incoming call.

"The police are closing in," a gravelly voice warned.

The person's expression remained calm. "I'll handle it."

As the sun dipped into the Arabian Sea, casting Mumbai in a golden glow, Avani and Rohan prepared for their next move.

Their investigation had only scratched the surface of a sinister plot.

---✧---

Avani sat intently in the office room, her eyes fixed on the CCTV footage playing on the screen in front of her. Rohan stood beside her, his arms crossed, equally engrossed.

The grainy video displayed the chaotic scene of Rajiv's birthday party. The hall was packed with people, their faces blurred as they mingled and laughed. Avani's gaze scanned the screen, searching for any anomalies.

"Zoom in on the study room," Avani instructed Rohan, her voice low and focused.

Rohan nodded and manipulated the controls. The footage zoomed in on the study room door.

Avani's eyes narrowed. "Look, Rajiv enters the study room in a hurry."

The timestamp read 9:47 PM. Rajiv's usually composed demeanor was replaced by a frantic pace as he disappeared into the study. "Interesting," Avani murmured.

A few minutes passed, and a servant entered the frame, meticulously mopping the floor outside the study room." Look Siddharth enters," Rohan pointed out. He walked into the study room at 10:04 PM.

But then, the video froze. "Again" Avani asked, frustration creeping into her voice. Rohan checked the controls. "It looks like the CCTV inside the study room wasn't working."

Rohan's eyes remained fixed on the frozen CCTV footage. "What happened inside that study room? And why was the CCTV conveniently disabled?" he asked, his tone laced with skepticism.

Avani's eyebrows shot up. "Conveniently?" Rohan's expression mirrored Avani's skepticism. Avani leaned back in her chair, eyes still locked on the screen. "Play the rest of the footage. See if anyone else enters or exits."

Avani's gaze met Rohan's, her expression equally puzzled. "Let's check the other cameras," she suggested, her voice steady and focused.

Together, they began scanning the remaining CCTV footage, meticulously covering every angle of the Gupta mansion."Nothing suspicious here," Rohan muttered, fast-forwarding through hours of uneventful footage from the garden cameras.

Avani nodded, her eyes scanning the kitchen and hallway feeds. "Same here. Just servants and family members going about their evening."
They reviewed footage from the main gate, the servant quarters, and even the parking area. But every frame seemed innocuous.

"This is frustrating," Rohan exclaimed, rubbing his tired eyes. "No signs of forced entry or exit. No suspicious individuals lurking around." Avani leaned back, steepling her fingers.

Rohan rubbed his chin, eyes fixed on the screen. "This isn't giving us much. We only have footage of Rajiv and Siddharth Singhania entering, but no idea what went down inside. The fingerprint's our sole lead, but it's circumstantial, hardly enough to build a case."

Rohan's brow furrowed. "You think it was an inside job? Like someone else's was behind this...not Siddharth" Avani's expression remained neutral. "I'm not ruling out any possibilities. Yet." As they continued analyzing the footage, the silence between them grew, punctuated only by the soft hum of the computer.

Suddenly, Avani's eyes snapped back to the screen. "Wait. Go back to the outside study room footage."Rohan swiftly rewound the tape. "What am I looking for?" he asked.

Avani's finger traced the screen. "That servant...the one mopping the floor outside the study room. What's his name?" Rohan checked the servant's ID tag."Kishore." "Get me Kishore's statement," Avani instructed. "I want to know what he saw that night."

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

Hi dear Homosapiens, 💗

   How's the 2nd chapter? Tell me ur thoughts.

Pls do vote and comment. 💕