CHAPTER 3
768 Words
14 July 2021
The house felt unnaturally quiet.
Anhita had not slept the entire night. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw Raghav's face beneath the white sheet, surrounded by strangers whose whispers seemed louder than their condolences.
The clock in the living room struck eight.
She stood in the kitchen, absent-mindedly stirring a cup of coffee that had already gone cold. The silence pressed against her from every corner of the house. His medicine box still lay on the dining table. His reading glasses rested beside yesterday's newspaper. Nothing had moved, yet everything had changed.
She forced herself to get ready. The refrigerator was almost empty, and she needed groceries, whether she had the strength or not.
Just as she picked up her handbag, the doorbell rang.
The sharp sound echoed through the house.
She opened the door.
A man in his early forties stood outside, dressed in plain clothes with an identification card in his hand.
"Mrs. Anhita Malhotra?"
"Yes."
"I'm Inspector Raman from the Crime Branch."
Her fingers tightened around the edge of the door.
"There are a few developments regarding your husband's death. May I come in?"
Confused, she stepped aside without saying a word.
Inspector Raman entered slowly, his eyes briefly scanning the living room before taking a seat.
"I'm afraid I have some difficult news."
Anhita remained standing.
"The post-mortem report was completed this morning. It indicates that Mr. Raghav Malhotra did not die of natural causes."
She stared at him.
"What do you mean?"
"There are traces of a slow-acting poison in his body."
For a moment, she forgot how to breathe.
"What?"
Her voice barely escaped her lips.
"No... that's not possible."
She shook her head repeatedly.
"There must be some mistake."
Inspector Raman didn't interrupt.
"He hadn't left this house in the last fifteen days. He was too weak to even walk properly. I was with him almost all the time. I gave him his medicines, cooked his meals... I took care of everything."
Her voice broke.
"How could someone poison him?"
"We're trying to find that answer," Raman said calmly. "And to do that, I need your cooperation."
He opened a notebook.
"I understand this is a painful time, but I need you to answer my questions as honestly as you can."
Anhita nodded weakly.
"Go ahead."
Raman uncapped his pen.
"When did you first notice his health getting worse?"
"Almost six months ago. He became tired very easily. He kept losing weight."
"Was he under treatment?"
"Yes. We consulted several doctors. They changed his medicines many times, but nobody could explain why he wasn't improving."
"Who prepared his meals?"
"I did."
"Did anyone else ever cook for him?"
"Sometimes our house help prepared lunch, but I usually made his breakfast, dinner, and his evening tea."
"Who gave him his medicines?"
"I did."
"Did he ever take them by himself?"
"Only occasionally."
"Did anyone visit him regularly during these last few weeks?"
Anhita hesitated.
"Our relatives came once or twice. His office colleagues visited a few times. That's all."
"Anyone else?"
She looked away for a second before answering.
"No."
Raman noticed the hesitation but didn't comment.
"Did your husband have any enemies?"
"I... I don't know."
"What about business disputes?"
"He never discussed his work with me."
"How was your relationship with your husband?"
The question lingered between them.
Anhita remained silent.
"Mrs. Malhotra?"
"We had... problems."
"What kind of problems?"
"Like many married couples."
"Did the two of you argue often?"
"Sometimes."
"Did either of you ever threaten the other?"
"No."
"Did your husband have any habits I should know about? Drinking? Gambling? Affairs?"
Anhita lowered her eyes.
After several seconds, she answered quietly.
"...He was seeing someone else."
Inspector Raman looked up.
"How long had you known?"
"For almost a year."
"Did you confront him?"
"Yes."
"And what happened?"
"He denied it at first."
She paused.
"Then he stopped denying it."
The room fell silent.
Raman closed his notebook for a moment.
"I'm sorry for asking these questions today. But right now, everyone who had regular access to Mr. Raghav Malhotra—including family members—is part of our investigation."
Anhita looked at him in disbelief.
"Are you saying... you suspect me?"
"I'm saying that until we know how the poison entered his body, we cannot rule anyone out."
For the first time since Raghav's death, fear settled inside her more heavily than grief.
Someone had poisoned her husband.
And according to the police, the person who had the easiest opportunity to do it was the woman who had never left his side.
- Writer
