THE POISON WAS PATIENT

CHAPTER 7

16 July 2021 — Outside Anhita's House

The morning was unnaturally quiet.

Inspector Raman stepped out of the house, his mind still occupied with everything Anhita had told him. As he walked toward his vehicle, his eyes landed on a man carefully wiping the windows of a black sedan.

The driver.

Something about his nervous body language made Raman stop.

He watched him in silence for a few long seconds before raising a finger, signaling him to come over.

The driver froze for a moment. Then, with hesitant steps, he approached.

"Your name is Rama, right?" Raman asked.

"Y-Yes, sir."

Raman studied his face without saying another word. The silence itself felt like an interrogation. Sweat slowly gathered on Rama's forehead.

Finally, Raman spoke.

"Do you know if your sahib had any enemies?"

Rama blinked. His lips parted, but no words came out.

"I..." he stammered.

Raman's voice remained calm, yet firm.

"Speak. If you know something, now is the time."

The driver swallowed hard.

"I don't know, sir."

Raman didn't look convinced.

"What about family disputes? Business rivalries? Anything that could explain why someone would want Mr. Malhotra dead?"

Rama lowered his eyes.

"Sir... we're only drivers. Sahib never shared such things with us."

He paused.

His fingers tightened around the cloth in his hand.

Raman noticed the hesitation immediately.

"You're hiding something," he said quietly. "Don't be afraid. Whatever you know, tell me."

Rama took a deep breath.

"There... was a serious dispute between Malhotra sir and his family."

Raman's expression didn't change, but every word now had his full attention.

"They never accepted his love marriage. Madam came from a poor family, and they believed she wasn't worthy of him. After the marriage... they cut all business ties with him."

Rama continued, his voice trembling.

"When sir started rebuilding his business on his own and became successful again... his family couldn't tolerate it. They tried to ruin his business several times."

He looked around before lowering his voice.

"And... they even tried to attack him."

Raman's eyes narrowed.

"Attack him?"

"Yes, sir. More than once. But every time, madam and the bodyguards managed to protect him."

Rama hesitated again.

"There was one incident... at a hotel."

Raman leaned slightly forward.

"What happened?"

"A man kept following sahib throughout the evening. He watched every movement... as if he was waiting for the right moment. I begged sahib to file a police complaint."

"And?"

"He refused."

"No reason?"

"He simply said, 'Leave it.'"

Silence.

The words hung heavily in the air.

Raman's mind raced.

If Mr. Malhotra knew someone was after him... why had he chosen to remain silent?

After a few moments, Raman asked another question.

"While Mr. Malhotra was ill... did anyone from his family come to visit him?"

Rama answered without hesitation.

"No, sir. Not a single person."

Raman stood motionless.

Anhita had never mentioned any of this.

Not the family dispute.

Not the business rivalry.

Not the attacks.

Was she deliberately hiding these details...

Or did she believe they had nothing to do with her husband's death?

The answer remained buried somewhere beneath layers of silence.

Raman looked once more at the mansion before walking toward his jeep.

With every new clue, the mystery surrounding Raghav Malhotra's death was becoming darker.

And for the first time...

Inspector Raman began to wonder if the poison had been planned long before the night it was finally given.