Part 27

Arnav and Aman were standing, couldn't come out of the shock. Aman checked his pulse and it was NIL.

Aman: He is dead, sir...

Blood and death are not new for them. They had seen many deaths... accidents... blood pools... but Akilesh's death created a grief in them. He is a killer... criminal... still, they felt bad for him.

People gathered before Akilesh's house.

Aman: What next, sir?

Arnav: Lock the door.

Aman locked the door. Arnav sat on the chair, closing his eyes. He gasped getting clear about what he is going to do.

Arnav: Don't talk anything about this case until I give a statement to the press. Then...

Aman(cutting him): I will maintain what you say, sir.

Arnav nodded yes. He dialed the commissioner.

Arnav: Sir, Akilesh is dead.... He killed himself.

Commi(shockingly): You mean, he is a suicide squad?

Arnav: Kind of, sir...

Commi: Ok finishing the formalities, come to the office.

Arnav: Yes, sir.

Dropping the call, Arnav called the ambulance and also the forensic department. The ambulance took Akilesh's body to the post-mortem.

Arnav and Aman touched nothing in Akilesh house. People gossiped as they wished.

"I can't believe Akilesh could be the killer"

"I suspected him from the beginning. His behavior was always suspicious."

"After her wife died he became mad"

"We can't trust anyone in the world"

"I think he would have had extramarital affair, that's why he killed his wife and did put blame on her"

For all the above comments, Arnav and Aman's reaction was nothing. These are not new for them though. "Tongue" has no nerve. It could rotate depends upon the people who are having it in their mouth.

They left the government quarters towards the government hospital to get Akilesh's post mortem report.

Finishing all the formalities, Arnav submitted the report to the commissioner.

Leading TV channels smelled the matter and started flashing NEWS on their channels. The reporters surrounded the commissioner office to get the exact story from the ACP Arnav.

Aman came inside the commissioner's cabin and conveyed the message.

Aman: Sir, press reporters are here for your interview.

Arnav looked at the commissioner. He nodded his head in the permitting manner. The trio came out. In no time, reporters extended the mikes towards Arnav and started shooting questions.

Arnav: You will get all the answers if you ask one by one.

Reporter1: How did you find Akilesh?

Arnav: We have been digging all the information about all the men and women who are related to this case. Akhilesh got the permission to go to Ghaziabad to attend his friend's marriage. But he didn't go. Locking the house from outside he stayed at home. We got the message through our spy and checked. The information was right. We found Akilesh inside the locked house. our doubt got strengthened.

Repor: Why did he stay at home, telling lie?

Arnav: to make himself up... to insert the chip in his body... he stayed.

Repor: Why did he kill people?

Arnav: He was a protestant of extramarital affair. So he killed people who had such a relationship.

Report: Do you think, a single man could do that alone?

Arnav: No... he was not alone...

Inspector Aman looked at him, suppressing his shock.

Arnav: It's a huge network.

Report: How do you know?

Arnav: Akilesh himself stated it.

Report: What he said?

Arnav: He had given two messages for people. For common people, he asked to spend time with family, especially, with wife. So that unwanted messes will be avoided.

The next message is for those who are having extramarital affairs- "You can't stop US. Our people are there in all over India, watching lusty people. No one could get missed from our eyes"

Report: Means... are they a team?

Arnav: It seems so... but no one has to get scared. Our department will trap all the killers soon.

Report: Did you get any evidence from Akilesh's house?

Arnav: I wonder... there is nothing in his laptop which we got from his house.

Report: What about the "PRIVATE NUMBER" sir?

Arnav: When the chip blasted, the mobile phone also got blasted as he kept it in his shirt pocket.

He said helplessly.

Report: Why couldn't you trap his phone signal?

Arnav: Because it was a satellite phone... none could hack or track it.

Report: It seems, they are strong in the technical side...

Arnav: Exactly...

Repor: If it is so, how could you get the whole team...?

Arnav: Likewise we got Akilesh...

Repor: Akilesh was so close to you thus it was possible for you but how about others? You don't even know how many of them were hiding?

Arnav: I agree, we are standing in front of the biggest challenge. I have an idea. But people should cooperate with us to get succeeded.

Report: What's that sir?

Arnav: If anyone gets such threatening calls from the team, please tell us and help us to find them.

Report: What if the killer team kills them?

Report 2: What if they reveal their affair in open?

Arnav: Yeah... though it's risk... though it will happen... we have no other way to trap them. People should understand that.

Commissioner: I think it's enough of now. Thank you.

Arnav: Thank you.

Arnav looked at Aman who didn't even show any change on his face.

Commissioner: Arnav... you and your men can take two days leave.

Aman(seriously): How could we sir, when we have a lot of work to find the killer team?

Arnav(very seriously): Aman is right sir. Loads of work is waiting, sir.

Commi: I really proud of you guys.

Aman: It's our duty sir. ACP sir already planned our schedule, sir.

Comm: Really?

He asked while Arnav raised his eyebrows.

Aman: We are starting from the beginning, sir.

Commi(sighing): Go ahead.

Saluting the commissioner, they got inside the jeep. Aman started the engine. Once they out of the commissioner office...

Aman: I'm sorry sir, I interfered.

Arnav: But you didn't make it hard. Why did you say that we are starting from the begging?

Aman: However you will quit from the case soon as we know there is nothing to be investigated.

Arnav: Yes, I will hand over the case to someone. They will close the case not finding anything.

Aman: Yeah... we can't be free all the time.

Arnav: leave me at my house... let me take shower first.

Aman: Yes sir... (hesitatingly) sir.... can I ask you something?

Arnav: Sure...

Aman: Why not we message to those who are in the PRIVATE NUMBER contact list?

Arnav chuckled.

Aman: I know to keep people in the fear you lied to the reporters. To make them believe, we have to do it, sir. Though the killer is dead we should keep him alive sir. It's just like a stick in the teacher's hand. We are not going to hit but the stick will do the role for sure, sir.

Arnav took the phone out. He sent the message.

"Just one of us dead but WE are here you watch you people"

Arnav: Done.

They reached Arnav's flat. Arnav was about to get down,

Aman: Sir, you don't have to come to the office tomorrow. Spend with your family, sir.

Arnav: As per the killer's advice?

They chuckled softly.

Aman: He was not wrong sir.

Arnav nodded yes and left. He knocked on the door. Khushi opened the door and stood aside.

Khushi: Go and take bath first.

Arnav: Then what else I'm going to do?

He strode to the washroom. Khushi mopped the floor before Arnav came from the shower. When Arnav came from the shower, he felt wetness on the floor.

Arnav: Sorry, because of me, your work doubled.

Khushi: No issues...

Arnav: Did you watch the news?

Khushi: It's still running...

That's when Arnav saw the TV was being muted.

Khushi: So, the case is not over?

Arnav nodded yes.

Khushi: From where will you going to start?

Arnav closed her mouth by his palm.

Arnav: Let me get relaxed. I don't want to think anything as of now.

Khushi nodded yes.

Arnav(removing his palm): He asked me to Conway his regards to you.

Khushi(surprisingly): Really he said that?

Arnav: yup.... He had all the details about us. You know he was happy about our marriage.

Khushi: I think he is not totally wrong.

Arnav: Everyone has their own reasons... not everyone accepts it.

Khushi: but what he said was not wrong. he just asked to spend time with family....

Arnav: yeah...when will we go to pick Pooja?

Khushi: Yeah... aunty called me and asked to come at 5 o'clock.

Arnav: Ok fine... we can sleep until four... Come...

Clutching her hand, he dragged her to the room.

To be continued......