The Nights
Chapter 3: The Murderer
Day 3 -- The Third Night
The day was yet to end, after the brutal murder came to light at dawn when some joggers graced the football ground. The murder was a big deal for most kids: the first murder in campus and it was bloody bloody!. There were parents in campus, in such large numbers for the first time since last convocation. Some even took away their child home. It was a "Murder" and understandably, everybody was in great amount of stress. Especially in the circumstances in which the death occurred and followed by the little or no evidence that police had found thus far.
K woke up from deep sleep and looks at the wall clock: 7.10 PM. He was still trying to recall what he had seen in the last two days. Trying to relate J's behavior during these two days. Earlier he wanted to talk to police regarding what he had seen in the last two days, but C stopped him from leaving the place.
Before K went to bed at 2 PM.
K: "I will go talk to the police. This might be of help to them."
C: "You are not going anywhere, mind you."
K: "What? They haven't found a single major clue since morning. I might be holding one, who knows ?"
C: "If you are the 'showstopper', then so be it. But all I care is your mental peace now."
K: "Hmm... but.."
C: "Listen. We are not discussing this. You need some rest first, just go sleep."
K kept wondering but agreed to C and tried to relax. Few moments later, he was in deep sleep already. He was damn tired, exhausted mentally.
It was 7.45 PM now as K walked down towards the police who were still roaming through the campus trying to find some evidence. After nearly 12 hrs since their arrival at the crime scene they are yet to add 'circumstantial evidence' to the First Information Report (FIR). As of now they haven't even been able to confirm if the football ground was itself the crime scene. They found no evidence there, no disturbance, no fingerprints, no footprints, etc.. They practically found nothing worth mentioning since morning. They are still searching for potential crime scenes throughout the campus.
"7.45 PM" He said to himself. Yesterday it was at this time that the two girls came to the coffee corner.
"Oh, where are the girls ? I didn't see them around the body this morning."
"Did they really have something to do with this murder? Were they involved? One of them, may be?" He repeated to himself. But somebody heard him murmuring.
Sub-Inspector Rawat was a well disciplined man. One among those rare breed that were born just to be a police officer. Strong, well built, with a straight face and a cunning smile were traits perhaps he was proud of.
Rawat: "Hello son, do you mind talking to me for a while?"
K: "Well, actually...."
Rawat: "No, it is okay if you don't want to talk to me today. You already look very tired. Something seems to be bugging you." Rawat thought he had just found his first breakthrough in the entire day and he tried to use words carefully and managed a smile too.
K: "No, Actually I wanted to talk to you myself."
Rawat was pleasantly surprised. He was getting someone to talk to voluntarily. The whole day he spoke to students who were either not willing to talk or those who weren't calm enough to talk to.
K: "I have tried to talk to you since morning. But I wasn't mentally prepared. A murder is a huge thing you see."
Rawat: "Good. It is okay. Any help will be wonderful. You might be aware that we haven't found any major clue since morning." Rawat was reading K's mind as this was going to be important. He was assessing K's credibility, as that was the most important thing in this otherwise evidence-less case.
K: "Yes. Which is why I came to you now. It shouldn't be too late."
Rawat: "Good. Thank you. So, shall we start ?". Rawat was all smiles here and he wasn't so good at it, it was visible now. He still tried his best.
K: "Can we go over to the coffee corner? I would like to have a tea while I introduce you to what I know." K didn't return the favor. He didn't even notice Rawat smiling at all, he was seriously thinking all the while, trying to connect the dots he had in hand.
Rawat: "hmm... okay, lets go." In a surprised tone. He was now wondering what the new found pandora's box might contain. "Who in the world would want to have a tea to describe a crime situation", he thought. K needed it badly, though.
As both of them walked towards the coffee corner both got to know more about each other. SI Rawat was the topper of his batch a gold medalist. He was known to be someone who could read what was coming, he usually finished cases before the clues team arrived. Not today!
K walks towards the coffee corner and gets a couple of Tea and gets around the table where Rawat already rested.
K: "Sir, here is your tea. You must be tired too!"
Rawat: "Oh yeah, thanks. Yes, I am tired after a long time. This is a very different case. Students involved, I am not allowed to tamper young minds. We will crack this anyway."
K: "Yeah, you will. I hope."
silence.
K: "So actually the story begins here from what I know...." And he narrates whatever he has seen and observed during the last two days. Rawat almost jumped of his seat a couple of times during the narration. He was getting vital clues here from someone who volunteered. Nobody ever mentioned these girls' names so far.
Rawat: "Where are they?" He asked.
K: "Precisely my question sir. I haven't seen them since morning. They could be mourning J's demise, but I can't confirm this from anybody from the girls hostel either. I thought you should know about this."
Rawat: "Okay, so go on... This was day before yesterday, right ?"
K: "Yeah, and yesterday at about this time at this same place...." He continued with what happened just yesterday.
The coffee corner owner seenu seemed to be in a hurry, he needed to go home and was waiting to see if these guys would take another tea or not. He knew noone else would come to take anything. Half the campus was still in shock including his wife whom he sent back home as soon as he heard of the news. He comes over to the table and interrupts.
Seenu: "Sir, I am closing now. If you might need something later on, I can stay back".
Rawat: "Its okay man. Thank you. Would you like to have something else K?". Addressing both Seenu and K.
K: "No, thanks. It is better you leave seenu, your wife must be worried back at home. Take care of her.", He managed a smile this time.
Seenu left to home a bit hurriedly. He was indeed worried about his wife.
K: "So P called J (the victim) on his mobile asking him to come over here. She was in a complainant mood as I told you before. ..." And he went on.
35 minutes passed now since Seenu left and it was getting around 10 PM.
A young constable Raja was seen running towards the table.
Raja: "eh huh... Sir, why is your mobile switched off.... We were worried!"
Rawat: "Oh, is it ? I didn't notice. I might have..."
Raja: "It is okay sir. There is another update ..."
Rawat: "What is it ?"
Raja: "Sir, actually...." He looks at K.
Rawat: "It is okay. He is the one helping us out. You can talk about anything related to this case."
Raja: "Sir. Two more bodies have been recovered from an unfinished building this evening. A couple went near the building to talk privately and found the bodies. Both of them are now unconscious and just now we sent them to the hospital. We have been looking for you for an hour now!"
Rawat: "Oh my god. What is happening here today!"
K: "Holy.........". Leaning back on to the chair. He was suspecting something now.
Rawat: "You relax K. I will deal with this. Give your number to Raja and I will get back to you tomorrow morning. Lot needs to be done now." Just when he thought he has some lead he found new complexity involved.
K: "Yes, tomorrow morning if we both are available." He wasn't joking.
Rawat: "Bye K. See you tomorrow". He wasn't in a mood to comprehend what K implied.
K gave his details to Raja and left to lab. He wasn't in mood of having dinner.
Day 4 - Dawn
8.23 AM -- The next morning.
Security guards of the campus were running in from all points in the campus towards the main gate. Some senior students had already gathered at a location nearer to the gate; they all looked puzzled. Most of these students were joggers from the campus who were practicing for the upcoming Half-Marathon later this year. A couple of girls were there too, who were crying and couldn't be consoled at the happenings in the campus during the last 2 days.
Day 5 - Dawn
The next day a bunch of boys at the boys hostel were in the TV room carefully reading the following news item.
Five new Bodies Recovered: Hyderabad yet to Recover.
Reported by Raman Srinivasan.
Hyderabad, India.In an unexpected turn to the murder case in the Gachibowli area, which had puzzled the best policemen in the state, has now shocked the city with the latest twist. Five new bodies were recovered while no suspects have been framed and the 'clues team' is still clueless. Among the deceased are Sub-Inspector Rawat, constable Raju, two girls P & M and a senior student K. The only notable piece that could be found in the last 2 days was a paper from Raju's notes where K's details were noted. The girl's bodies were recovered last night at approximately 9 PM by a young couple in the campus. Another couple who found the bodies of the SI, the constable and student Mr K are still recovering from shock at the Appolo Hospitals and are reported to be safe. But their statements are yet to be recorded.
"No suspects have been found and the rumors on the reported notes from Raju's pocket is true. The notes were on the contact details of K, a senior student who is also among the dead. It is difficult to say if K was the murderer of the earlier crime. He is said to have met SI Rawat last evening regarding some information he has, after which both of them went missing till Rawat reappeared at the second crime scene along with Raja.", the Police sources said. "We are in a difficult situation. Both the phones (of Rawat and Mr K) were switched-off since last evening so we do not have many clues from that angle.", police sources informed. "Nobody saw any of these people since last evening. And even these girls have not met anybody since the night before the first crime, so we hardly have some information about them. We are trying to locate what is common among all these students.", the officer said.
Nothing has been confirmed, and nothing can be unless the police has new leads in the story. In this one of a kind scenario that has never been recorded earlier in India, 6 people have been killed in less than 48 hours within a university campus. With policemen being among the victims, Cyberabad Police has a tough nut to crack. No motives, No suspects and No evidence have been recorded with the police. Senior officials are now investigating the case as the case now involves policeman among the deceased. 25 policemen have been deputed at the institution that already boasts of a very tight security provided by G4S securities. The otherwise vibrant campus of IIIT-H has now turned to an eerie silence. Most students are still to get out of the shock that these three incidents created. Police are unwilling to let parents take their children home, as they are wary of suspect(s) or evidence being lost. Cyberabad Police is hopeful of finding some lead soon though they already lost their best man and with him all the evidence he gathered.
The Times Group and the entire media hopes that the institution and its students would get out of this trauma that they have had to bear for now. And soon, we hope we would get to see the institution's name in the news for all the good they have been doing.
================= The END =================
Update: This chapter is the third and final chapter of the short story 'The Nights'. It is followed by an 'Epilogue' to the story.
