The arranged murder?️

chapter 20

How can we find out anything if I can’t interrogate them? Chit-chat

won’t get us anywhere' I said.

‘What to do? Aditya chachu is family. They see me as their son-in-law. I

can't make them feel uncomfortable by asking too many questions' Saurabh

said.

We were in the reception of Kotak Mahindra Bank’s New Delhi main

branch on Barakhamba Road.

‘Neeraj Arora' I said to the receptionist for the third time. She had told

us to wait for a moment twenty minutes ago.

I turned back to Saurabh.

‘At some point the questions need to get a bit tough.’

‘With this Neeraj creep, please be tough. I hate him' Saurabh said.

‘Why?’

‘He was with Prerna.’

‘But well before you.’

‘Doesn’t matter.’

A tall and milky white man emerged from behind the reception.

‘You are here to see me?' He smiled in an overfriendly way as he

walked up to us.

Saurabh grunted.

‘Are you ...?’ Neeraj stopped smiling as he tried to place Saurabh. ‘Are

you... sorry, I am confused.’

‘Yes, I’m Saurabh. We never met but you must have seen my pictures.’

‘You were Prerna’s fiance' Neeraj said.

‘Can we talk?’ I said.

‘About?’ Neeraj said.

‘Let’s step out' I said.

We headed to the Starbucks right outside the bank. Neeraj sat opposite

me on an enormous sofa. His staff identity card hung around his neck from

a lanyard. His gaze swung from Saurabh, who was ordering coffee for us, to

me.

‘Sorry, why did you want to meet me?’ Neeraj said.

‘To have a chat about Prerna' I said.

Neeraj stiffened. His grey eyes now almost black, he spoke with long

pauses between his words.

‘What about Prerna? What happened to her ... it was terrible. Terrible?Saurabh returned from the counter with three cups of coffee and a plate

loaded with muffins, cinnamon rolls and croissants. Did we really need to

do a semibuffet every time we investigated someone?

Saurabh took a seat next to me.

‘Saurabh, I wanted to express my condolences. Totally unexpected?

Neeraj said.

Saurabh had a muffin in his hand. He paused from taking a bite and

stared at Neeraj.

‘Someone killed her? he said, ‘plain and simple’.

Neeraj swallowed at the word ‘killed’.

‘The papers said she fell down. An accident?

Saurabh and I didn’t respond.

‘Why are you guys looking at me like that?’ Neeraj said.

‘When did you last speak to her?’ Saurabh said.

Neeraj glanced at his wristwatch and stood up to leave.

‘I don’t have time for this. I’m expecting some customers?

‘Do you want the police to come to your office and do the interrogation

instead?’ I said.

Neeraj took a deep breath.

‘I broke off with Prerna two years ago. What would I know?’

‘You treated her so badly? Saurabh said.

‘I didn’t mean to? Neeraj said, and tilted his head to avoid eye contact.

‘We were both too young. Anyway, how does it matter?’

‘Why did you guys break up?’ I said.

‘I was young. She wanted commitment. I couldn’t give it?

‘Is that it?’ Saurabh said. ‘Don’t lie, you selfish asshole?

‘Saurabh? I said.

‘Fine. I felt I could do better. All my friends said I look far better than

her. I told her to lose weight?

‘You dumped her because you thought she was not hot enough!’

Saurabh said.

Neeraj kept his cup down, eyes darting here and there.

Saurabh continued, ‘Do you know she went into depression? She quit

her job. She lost her confidence?

‘Yes, but did she tell you how many times I apologised for it? I told you,

we were young. I got carried away. My friends were all bringing theirsuper-skinny girlfriends in short skirts to clubs. I felt I also wanted that. I

was wrong.’

‘Sick you are.’

‘I told you I was wrong. I told Prerna I was wrong. I wanted to get back.

Get married. I still did.’

‘What do you mean ‘‘still did”?’ I said.

‘Nothing,’ Neeraj said.

‘I have some questions, answer truthfully,’ I said.

‘Sure.’

Saurabh chomped hard on his second muffin like it was an apple, taking

out his frustration on the helpless food.

‘How often did you speak to Prerna in the last year?’ I said.

‘Not much. I would send a message on chat every week. Mostly, she

ignored me.’

‘You sent messages after you knew she was with me?’ Saurabh said, his

big cheeks now pink like a baby’s bottom.

‘Yes,’ Neeraj said.

‘You ass...’ Saurabh stood up to strike him.

‘You said be truthful,' Neeraj said, cowering in his seat. I pulled

Saurabh back.

‘Calm down, Golu. Focus on what we came for.’

‘I came for this too. I always wanted to beat the s**t out of this guy,’

Saurabh said. He lifted a fork and pointed it at Neeraj.

‘Cutlery down, Golu,’ I said.

Neeraj continued.

‘I wanted to get back with her. Saurabh came into the picture. But it was

an arranged marriage.’

‘So people in arranged marriages don’t have feelings?’ Saurabh said.

‘Shh, Saurabh. Neeraj, did you guys actually speak? Did you meet her?’

‘We spoke on the phone the few times she picked up. I met her twice

this year.’

‘This year? You f*****g met her this year?’ Saurabh said. When

Saurabh uses the F word, you know all bets could be off soon. I knew how

to calm him down. I slid the cinnamon roll towards him. When stressed,

offer sugar.

‘Try this. Really good,’ I said. Saurabh looked at me in surprise, but

took the plate anyway.‘When did you last meet her, Neeraj?’ I said.

‘I waited outside her Eato office in Noida. I begged her to talk to me

when she left work. I told her to forgive me. I had been shallow and

insensitive. Prerna had rare qualities. Smart, hard-working, caring, kind and

fun. She was a dream partner?

‘You f*****g realised she is going to be rich with Eato. That’s the only

reason you wanted her back. Isn’t it? You light-eyed, extra-thin asshole,’

Saurabh said.

‘No. I missed her. I loved her.’

Something snapped in Saurabh at these words. Completely out of

character, he leaned forward and grabbed Neeraj’s throat. Neeraj’s eyes

popped wide as Saurabh choked him.

‘I am going to kill this bastard.’

‘Please, please, leave me,’ Neeraj said. Customers and Starbucks staff

turned to look at us. Of course, in Delhi nobody gives a damn about such

small fights. Until blood is spilled, people remain cool and sip their lattes.

‘Stop, Golu,’ I said and yanked Saurabh’s hand away from Neeraj’s

delicate neck.

We are here to get information. Remove jealous fiance cap, wear the

detective hat, I wanted to tell him.

‘Neeraj, when was the last time you had any contact with her?’

‘We chatted the day she died,’ Neeraj said.

Saurabh and I sat up.

‘About what exactly?’ I said.

‘I told her, it’s Karva Chauth and the only person I can imagine as my

wife is you. Saurabh don’t hit me, please?

‘He won’t,’ I said, clasping Saurabh’s hand tight. ‘Saurabh, did Prerna

ever mention this? Neeraj trying to get back with her?’

‘No. She did say he keeps apologising. Nothing more?

‘What time did you chat with her?’ I said.

Neeraj took out his phone from his pocket. He scrolled through his

chats.

‘Around six in the evening?

‘Can I see the chats?’ I said.

‘I wanted to formally propose marriage to her. Karva Chauth seemed

like an auspicious day,’ Neeraj said, handing me his phone.

Saurabh looked at the screen in my hand from the comer of his eye.I scrolled up to the chats on 17 October, at 6.05 p.m.

Neeraj: Please P, meet me for five minutes.

Prerna: No N. I can’t. Family at home. It’s Karva Chauth.

Neeraj: But you are not married yet. Why are you celebrating it?

Prerna: I can’t meet.

Neeraj: There’s still time. We actually loved each other.

Prerna: Past tense. Am sure you have plenty of those mini-skirt girls

now.

Neeraj: I don’t want that. Please. Five minutes.

Prerna: Can’t. And sorry, am busy. Have to go.

Neeraj: I just want to give you something. I am outside.

Prerna: Outside?

Neeraj: I mean in the A Block park of New Friends Colony. Right

outside your house. I can see your bungalow.

Prerna: Are you stalking me??

Neeraj: No, I came here so it is easy for you. I am sitting on the comer

bench.

Prema: You are wasting your time. Go home.

Neeraj: Please P.

Ten minutes later, at 6.20 p.m.

Neeraj: Are you there?

Twenty minutes later, at 6.40 p.m.

Neeraj: I tried calling thrice. Please pick up. I saw the blue ticks. You

have seen the messages.

One hour later, at 7.47 p.m.

Neeraj: I am leaving. All I wanted was five minutes.

The last message remained unread. I returned the phone to Neeraj.

‘So you were there? Near her house when she died,’ I said.

‘Yeah. But I never met her. May I leave now? I have shown you

everything.’

I nodded. Neeraj stood up to leave.

‘Do you know what your being next to her house at that time means?’

Saurabh said.

‘What?’ Neeraj said.

Saurabh grabbed his collar with both hands.

‘That you are a f*****g suspect. And I am on to you' Saurabh said, his

pink cheeks now an apple red.