‘I am intrigued,’ said Meera, as they drove to Bandra Police Station, where Aditya operated from on most days.
‘About what?’
‘First, such a huge house and no domestic help. I didn’t see a single maid, cook or security guard. I will ask Rohit about that tomorrow.’ She made a note in a small, black diary.
‘Good point.’ Aditya nodded his approval.
‘Secondly, if Rohit is so scared of being attacked, why doesn’t he keep the knives, scissors and other sharp objects hidden?’
‘Yes, I thought of that too.’
‘And?’
‘You know, Meera, when someone really wants to harm you, a weapon is not needed. How many things can Rohit hide? Tanvi seems like a strong woman, and her husband has a frail physique. She could strangle him, push him down the stairs or bang his head against the wall ... you get the point?’
‘Hmm ... he must be terrified ... no wonder he is unable to sleep. I feel sorry for him. Aditya, is there a way we can help him?’
‘Well, we should,’ said Aditya. I don’t want to die! Aditya shivered as he stepped out of the door, the cold wind sending shivers down his spine. Wait, don’t do that, he screamed. Pushing the lid down on the memory, he continued, ‘It seems he has no one else to turn to; that’s why he called us. Also, being in the thick of things, he evidently cannot think clearly. So we have to see how best to equip him to help himself; or maybe there’s another way that we haven’t figured out yet.’ Meera nodded in agreement. It was 4 p.m. when they reached Bandra Police Station. As they walked in, the respect that Aditya commanded from his team was palpable in the demeanour of his subordinates. Once they were seated in his cabin, Aditya said, ‘I am famished; let’s have lunch.’
Meera finished her lunch quickly and stepped out of the cabin for a few minutes. When she returned, Aditya was still eating.
‘I just spoke to Rohit to ask him about the domestic help situation,’ said Meera. ‘He said there’s a maid who comes in daily to clean up. He manages the cooking himself; he likes to cook, he says, and it keeps him occupied. As for a security guard, he said he doesn’t need one as there’s nothing valuable in the house.’
She took her diary out and struck off the item from her ‘to-do’ list. Aditya smiled.
‘So, what do you think we should do next?’ asked Aditya, curious to know how her mind worked while on a case.
‘Visit Tanvi’s psychiatrist and the Bakshi Pharma office,’ she said promptly.
‘Good. I will pick you up tomorrow. Where do you live?’
‘Parel Police Colony.’
‘9 a.m. sharp.’
Meera smiled and took her leave. Aditya saw her out to a patrol car. He was impressed by the investigative acumen she had displayed. She would rise to the top one day, he thought. She is also very pretty, he could not help thinking.