Complicated… why was everything get complicated? Sanskar held his head tightly and staring his wife for a long time .
“It’s better if we are admitting her in hospital, ASP sir. She is in shock and needs some rest. Might be she remembered the murder scenario.”Lakshya Sharma advised.
“No, I will take care of her.”Sudden declination from Sanskar made lines in Annapurna’s forehead.
“Ok, I will give her medications. She will be sleeping all over the night. Make sure she takes proper rest and avoid questions regarding the incident for a time being.Take her to hospital tomorrow.”Lakshya Sharma instructed in a very clear tone with strictness. Sanskar just nodded then Lakshya Sharma left.
“Why my heart bothers me a lot regarding her well being. Why?”Lakshya Sharma banged his hand on his car steering wheel. His emotions, he couldn’t understand. His heart couldn’t understand why he so much concerned towards a patient. The traces of pain in her face.why was he getting pain by seeing her face? Why did he want to beat her husband for not taking care of her?
He drove his car towards his house. He parked his car roughly then threw the key once he entered the room.
“This is not you,Laksh…”He said to himself by seeing his reflection in mirror.He stroked his hair roughly then held his head. He entered into bathroom, opened the shower and let himself lost in the water.
Aditya was checking every nook and corners of the city for Sakthi . He cursed himself for letting his anger overpower him. Though he was anger for the words Shakti used, he was bound on a promise and trying to understand a mental state of innocent who spent his teen in prison.
“Please help my family to get out of the mess I created. I can’t explain you. I am trying to resolve by myself. But, if anything happened to me, please don’t let my family affect by that.”That was the last letter he got from his friend.
“Where are you, Sakthi?”Aditya thought.
Meanwhile, in a slum area of Kolkata, Shakti was lying on a floor and put his head on his motherly figure’s head.
“maa… it’s paining a lot.”Shakti curled himself to get his body near to her.
“It will be cured,Sakthi. Now, Mumma is with you. I won’t let anyone hurt my sakthi”She said by caressing his hair. Seeing him pained her a lot. The damage happened to her son alike in the jail. How much pained him to lie against his brother? After that how much pain he went through for lying? She even knew mitigating those damage was not an easy task. His happy face flashed in her eyes. How happy he was to meet his brother and to share his happiness? A long string of tear droplets left her eyes.
Shakti nodded then started to sleep in the same position.
“I won’t let you burn in this pain”She promised.
***
She was looking at the darkness which surrounded her. How much she wanted to break this, how much she tried to get out this, She couldn’t succeed in that.
“Why can’t I break this?”She wanted to scream.
“Why am I not hearing Papa’s voice these days?” A question rose in her mind. That voice was the only companion in this darkness.
“How are you sleeping peacefully,Ragini?”She heard a voice.
“Could you remember a girl who met you in a dark rainy night?”The voice asked further.
She drowned into the memory.
(Flashback starts)
“Why did Laksh want to meet me in this place?”Ragini asked herself.
Being bored by waiting for her boyfriend, she started to walk keeping herself nearby her scooty. A cold breeze made her hug herself. Suddenly, A girl collided with her. Ragini helped the girl to stand while the girl’s eyes were moving around in fear.
“Do you need any help?”Ragini asked concernedly.
“My name is Kavya . Please give this to Lakshya in Savitridevi Medical college and hospital.”She said in a hurried tone ,shoved a pendrive and her mobile in Ragini’s hand and pushed Ragini in the bush suddenly and run away .
“is she mad?”Ragini thought by removing dust from her clothes. and walked near to her scooty while Kavya’s phone was ringed with a name “Laksh”. She looked at the call suspiciously.
“what if it was spam”A thought made her switch off the phone and raised her hand to throw it away. A hesitation suddenly stopped her.
“Ragini…”Her boyfriend’s voice made her turn. She slid down her handbag zip , kept the pendrive and the mobile in her handbag subconsciously and stared her boyfriend with anger.
“Sorry…”Her boyfriend held his ears cutely while she slapped on his shoulders with a smile.
“Why did you want me to come here,Laksh?”Ragini asked by entwining her fingers with his.
“To be with my lady alone, to speak freely without any disturbance.”Her boyfriend said with a smile.
“Is it?”She arched her eyebrow while he pulled her towards him and put his hand on her shoulders.
“It is.”He said with a smile.
(Flashback ends)
“Because of you, she didn’t get justice for her death. All because of you…” A voice taunted her.
“No…”Ragini wanted to scream while her hands felt trembling sensation.
Ragini heard running step sound suddenly and felt a touching sensation at her hand.
“Ragini…”A worried voice hit her ears by breaking the walls of darkness. She slowly opened her eyes and looked at a person whose eyes were expressing love for her.
“laksh…”The person,Lakshya Sharma looked at her happily with tear trembling eyes.
“I love you…”The words from her mouth created a storm of happiness in his mind and made him root in his place. The words for which he was yearning… for which love he remained as unmarried even after successful in his professional life.
“Ragini… Ragini”Without giving any heed to his voice, she slipped into darkness again.
“These words were not for you,Laksh. you know you are not that Laksh whom she loves.”His mind yelled at him but he threw it aside and placed her head on his chest. A sudden realization made him lay her on bed properly while he stepped away from her quickly.
He was indeed happy that she opened her eyes. She would be normal soon. She would remember everything all those painful memories including her love.
“Would you remember me also?”Laksh asked her from far.
“Please don’t remember about me and all the memories which I gave you.”He mouthed then left the ward with hardened face. . His hobbies couldn’t give any peace even the shower. He came to get peace. He felt relaxed whenever Ragini was around.He could figure that as because of his love for ragini but He couldn’t term his overprotective feelings towards Swara
“why did I become a mess?”Laksh thought while sitting on his chair.
“Just avoid both of them for few days.”His mind instructed him to run away for which he obliged without a second thought.
At morning,
Around 8’O clock,
Swara woke up and saw Sanskar who was sleeping by hugging her tightly. She turned carefully in her embrace while Sanskar tightened his grip. She let her finger play on her husband’s face.
“When I tell you truth, will you forgive me?”Swara thought while her grip on him increased subconsciously. Then, she slowly detached her from him to get ready.
After an hour, Laksh Sharma saw himself infront of Maheshwari mansion. He kicked in air then sighed in frustration.
Everyone was sitting on dining table while Swara and Annapurna were arranging food in the table.
“Annu maa, Doctor sir came to check Swara.”Swarna announced about his arrival. Annapurna went to hall to invite for breakfast. Refusing to hear his answers, she dragged him to the dining hall to have breakfast with everyone.
“We don’t know how to thank you for your helping us,Doctor”Annapurna thanked Laksh .
“Just take care of my patients properly so they won’t meet me regularly, aunty. But seems like, uncle doesn’t care about his diabetes.”he pointed durgaprasad who is having sweets , with a smile .
“Doctor, just for your information I and sweets can’t be separated.”Durgaprasad said then had a gulabjamun.
“Then forget about reducing tablets in your life,Uncle. And, Don’t complain to me like a child that you are taking lot of tablets. Aunty, give me the details of uncle’s diabetics doctor. Some more tablets needs to be added in uncle’s list.”Laksh said by remembering Durgaprasad’s stay at hospital.
“Do that first,Doctor. He doesn’t consider my advice.”Annapurna complained like a normal wife while Durgaprasad laughed hardly.
Swara smiled by hearing the conversation while Sanskar pinched himself by witnessing his father’s laugh . The happy environment in breakfast was rare in his house even he thought with Ragini’s disappearance, everything was over.
“Thank you very much,Doctor.”Sanskar thanked finally when Laksh finished his check up on Durgaprasad and Swara.
“It’s my duty,Mr.Maheshwari.”Laksh said hiding his emotions.
“And I recommend to take Mrs.Maheshwari for a counseling. It may help her to feel better.”Laksh said then left.
“He is a very good doctor,Annu. The way he treats his patients with care, that’s rare nowadays.”Durgaprasad certified.
“Maa, I am going to meet my friend.”Swara said. Sanskar stared her with questions. He wanted to answers but hesitated to ask by pointing her condition.
“I doesn’t want you to remember bad memories,Swara. But, I want to know what you are doing. Who is that Laksh that message stated ?”Sanskar thought.
“why doesn’t Shekar picking up my calls?”Durgaprasad sighed loudly as his friend didn’t answer his calls.
“It’s time to let him know the truth.”Sanskar thought while Annapurna switched on the TV.
“Papa, I want to tell you something important.”Sanskar started with a hesitation.
“How can I reveal?”Sanskar thought.
“Ex-commissioner Ramprasad Kashyap murder case. A case which created a lot of shock waves all around the nation as it was told that his own son Lakshya Kashyap killed him and his wife for his unwanted obsession on Ragini Sengupta who was also murdered on the same day with the help of his cousin,Sakthi . But we got shocking news . Mrs.Swara Maheswari,Friend of Lakshya Kashyap and Miss. Uttara Narayani filed a petition to reopen the case. For back to back updates, stay tuned with TRUST TV,we tell truth to world.” The anchor reported then played the advertisement.
“Janu…”Sanskar murmured once again.
“Maa… I am going to get swara.”Sanskar muttered and left without waiting for reply.
In the court,
The hearing was already started .
“The verdict was already declared by the court. There were no loop holes in this case. It’s unnecessary to reopen this case, your honor.”Public prosecutor stated his side.
“There were loop holes,Public prosecutor. To prove that, I want the chief investigation officer ACP Vineet Sinha in the witness box”Defence Lawyer Uttara said.
“Vineet Sinha…Vineet Sinha…Vineet Sinha…”Dawaly called three times then ACP Vineet Sinha stood in the witness box.
“Mr.Sinha, correct my statements if I am wrong.”Uttara said.
“Mr.Ramprasad kashyap and his family except his brother decided to pay a visit to his son,Lakshya as a surprise gift for his birthday June 1,2011. When they visited him, they have witnessed that his son murdered Ragini Sengupta in his rented house. To save himself, he killed his family and his cousin brother helped him to cover it as accident. But in guilt while lighting the house, he killed himself. Isn’t the summary of the report which you submitted?”Uttara asked.
“Yes…”ACP Vineet Sinha accepted.
“In initial days of this case, there was no clue which points Laksh as a culprit. Then, how suddenly you decided Laksh was the culprit?”Uttara asked.
“During the investigation, we got Laksh’s diary. He was written about his one sided love for Ragini Sengupta and how she rejected him. And, Ragini sengupta went missing on the same day of Ramprasad Kashyap’s murder.”ACP Vineet Sinha added.
“ok, how did you identify ragini’s body there?”uttara asked.
“The bodies were so destroyed so much also the building .Thats made very hard to identify. We identified her body by the ornaments, Ragini used to wear daily and her half burnt college ID card.”Vineet Sinha added.
“Can you tell me when did you get Laksh’s diary? I mean the exact date”Uttara asked.
“I object your honor.Defense Lawyer ‘s question is irrelevant to case.Just with aim to confuse.”Prosecution objected.
“No,Your honor.The date is very important to this case.”Uttara said.
“Objection overrule.Defense lawyer can continue her questions.”Judge granted the permission.
“I don’t remember…”Vineet Sinha stated.
“According to case report, They got the diary on June 3 , 2 days after the murder. And the first hearing of the case was on June 7.”Uttara stated and switched on the screen.
“Your honor, this was Laksh’s diary photo. It was published on June 6 in a news paper and June 5 in a news channel.Police didn’t arranged for any news reporter meeting until the first hearing. I wonder how media accessed evidence which was in police possession. Is it the security for a important evidence that much low,Mr.Sinha?”Uttara questioned.
Vineet tried to answer while Uttara interrupted him.
“Literally , you are magician sir. You got a diary without a single burnt mark from an badly burnt house. Could you please teach me that trick?”Uttara asked by pointing the photo in screen.
“I objection your honor. Defence Lawyer is insulting a government officer”Prosecutor objected.
“Wait, ACP Sir… Let me finish. Your honor, this is experts report regarding explosions. Laksh’s rented house was newly built house. To get destroyed by a fire accident, the fire should either long for a day or need heavy explosives. June 3,2011, A heavy storm attacked Kolkata even the fire got in control before the fire service arrived. Then, how could the house demolish? Report says that Laksh used single LPG cylinder to explode his house. But in reality, it’s not sufficient,ACP sir. I would be very happy to get answer from you .”Uttara stated.
“Vo..Vo..”Vineet Sinha stammered.
“Is it kich kich in your throat?”Uttara asked with a smirk.
The people in the court laughed then judge ordered to maintain silent.
“No Prosecutor. I am trying to prove my point. If police possessed evidence can be accessible, How much time it will take to tamper? Investigation officer doesn’t even note the explosion level properly. Just based on assumptions, the verdict was given. And the way this case had taken in the past, I suspect it was all planned.” Uttara stated angrily then submitted a file on court.
“What was your monthly salary, ACP sir? Nearly 70 K”Uttara asked.
“Yes…”Vineet Sinha said.
“Ok, Thanks for answering atleast for one question ACP sir”Uttara said with a serious thanking tone . Vineet gritted his teeth by observing sarcasm in her voice.
“Then , how could you buy a villa which nearly cost 1 crore on your son name in a single payment ? that too just after 3 months of this case closed. Seems like you or anyone in your family doesn’t hold any business or ancestral properties. Can you please tell your source?”Uttara asked.
Vineet Sinha wiped the sweat on his forehead.
“Your honor, these are the properties Mr.Sinha recently bought on his name and his relative names.”Uttara submitted her file and judge revised it once .
“Mr.Sinha, do you have any evidence to justify?”Judge asked.
“I need time your honor.”ACP said.
“Prosecutor , do you want ask anything from witness?”Judge asked. Prosecutor nodded no then sighed.
“I want to question the forensic head,Dilip Mishra who investigated on this case.”Uttara asked.
“Permission Granted.”Judge granted the permission and then Dilip mishra came to witness stand.
“Mr.Dilip Mishra, I wanted to know one thing. I heard that one LPG couldn’t create that much burnt on bodies in a short time. Could you please tell the court about the possibilities?”Uttara asked.
“Yes, with a single LPG , it’s not possible to create that much damage.”Dilip mishra made his stand clear.
“But, Damage has been made. is there not any other possibility?”Prosecutor interrupted.
“There is a possibility. If we use butane along with chlorine triflouride, then this level of damage in shorter time is possible. And, I have found the traces of these substances.”Dilip Mishra added.
“These substances needs licenses to buy. How could a college student get those, Prosecutor sir?”Uttara asked.
“He already decided to kill Ragini. He himself wrote in the diary.Then, won’t he arrange it to cover his crime?”Prosecutor asked.
“So, you are accepting that there are loop holes in government.”Uttara asked.
“No..no…”Prosecutor was taken aback which made the court laugh again.
“Your honor, I need your permission to bring my next witness, Mrs.Sujata RamPrasad Kashyap.”Uttara stated which shocked the whole court.
“Who?”Prosecutor mouthed in shock while a lady in veil limped towards the witness stand then Uttara helped her to reach with less difficulties .
The whole court stared her. She stood in the witness stand and removed her veil slowly.
Her half burnt face was shown to everyone.
“Mrs.Ramprasad Kashyap, whom thought as murdered six years back, appeared in court to claim her son’s innocence in court.” The news anchor reported with the same shock.
In Hospital,
Lakshya Sharma was checking all his patients then stopped before ragini’s ward.
“How much I try to restrict myself to not meet you, How much I want to go away from you that much I want to be near you, Ragini. In all the hospitals, why did you admit in this hospital?”Laksh thought and distracted by hearing sound from Ragini’s ward.
“Ragini…”He entered into the ward just to see Ragini who was removing the glucose drip abruptly. Being scared that might hurt her, he ran towards her and held her hands tightly.
“Let me remove ragini.”He said hurriedly then removed her drips carefully. He turned then looked at her eyes which was staring him with tears.
“Ragini…”He murmured then she took a step forward. He subconsciously stepped back but Ragini hugged him tightly
Ragini hugged him more tightly. Not able to restrict himself, he hugged her back.
“Is she in any shock?”Laksh thought.
“Ragini, you are safe…”Lakshya Sharma rubbed her shoulders.
She parted away after few minutes and stumbled. Laksh made her lay on bed.
“Let me call ,Mr.Maheshwari. He would be very happy.”Laksh stated while she held his hand.
He took his hand back by seeing love in her eyes for him. She looked hurt by her actions.
“How many years I have been hospitalized?”Ragini asked.
“Nearly Six years…”Laksh answered while taking his mobile out. She seemed to be hurt more the way he answered.
“Did you marry anyone in these years?”Ragini asked by staring opposite walls. A jerk went though Laksh’s body because of the question she asked.
“I am not that much close to you, Ragini. Is she really well or doesn’t anything happened to her mental state?”Laksh thought.
“No ragini. Look at me.”Laksh said while she hugged him by collecting all her energy.
“If I did anything wrong, please forgive me Laksh. Don’t be like this to me. I love you,Laksh”She broke down in tears.
“I love you,Ragini…”The words left his mouth before he realize.
“Rago…”Aditya’s voice parted them.
“Bhaiyu…”She addressed Aditya by opening her hands with teary eyes and smile.By seeing his sister in conscious, he ran towards her then sat beside her.
“Rago…”He cried literally held her hands by keeping on his eyes. After he composed himself, he looked at Lakshya Sharma by remembering their confession.
“Bhai… Didn’t I say before I love a person? He is laksh… My Laksh.”Ragini introduced with a cute blush . Aditya smiled to Laksh by suppressing his shock.
Laksh shocked at her confession. Complicated … even the word was not enough to describe his life. While his own memories conflicted with her confession, all he could do was losing his consciousness.