Shabhana's POV

"I am sorry, fir se bolenge aap please (I am sorry will you please repeat yourself)" I told Sitara as I struggled to stay awake.

"Mere boyfriend kabhi bhi kisi bhi police investigation ka part nehi tha aur usne kabhi bhi court main testify nehi kiya hai (My boyfriend was never part of any police investigation nor has he ever testified in court)" Sitara said.

"Okay aap jaa sakthi hai thak you hamare saat corporate karne ke liye (Okay you may go thank you for cooperating with us)" I said as she stood up and left.

"Agala kaun hai list main? (Who is next in the list?)" I asked Sahil.

"Shabhana are you okay?" Sahil asked.

"Mujeh kya hua hai teek hi toh hoo main (What happened to me I am fine)"

"Subeh se chaar cup coffee pee chuki ho, you are clearly sleep-deprived aur chot si choti cheezon ko lekar falthoo main stress le rahi ho (You have drank four cups of coffee since morning you are clearly sleep-deprived and you are taking stress over the smallest of things)"

"Main bas case ko lekar todi si stressed hoon (I am just a bit stressed out about the case)" I said.

"Relax okay, it's just a case"

Only if Sahil's words were true, I thought as the ominous phone call kept on playing in my head.

"Julie ki threats ko tumne seriously nehi liya, lekin main Julie nehi hoo main bewajah threats nehi dethi toh agar tum firse iss case ki peeche gayi toh pachthaoge (You didn't take Julie's threats seriously but I am not Julie I don't give threats for no reason so if you go behind this case again you will regret it)"

"Who is next?" I asked again.

***

"Toh aapke wife ki murderer ki kehna yeh hai ki aapne ek criminal case jeetha tha uski girlfriend Sara ki against aur uski rapist ko sazaa milne se bachaya (So according to your wife's murderer you won a criminal case against his girlfriend Sara and let her rapist walk out free)"

I said to Maanav.

"Nehi yeh joot hai, main criminal lawyer nehi hoo main hamesha victims ke liye ladtha hoon, lekin uss cliet ka naam kyat ha? (No that's a lie, I am not a criminal lawyer I always fight for the victims but what was the name of that client?)"

"Naveen"

"Naveen mera nehi meri wife ka client tha and yes usne ek rape case se usse bachaya tha par uss ladki ka naam Sara nehi tha (Naveen was not my client he was my wife's client, and yes she did save him from a rape case but that girls name was not Sara)"

"Fir kya ha? (Then what was it?)"

"Abb yaad nehi par Sara nehi tha (I don't remember it now but it was not Sara)"

"Sahil...."

"I am on it" He said and walked out.

"Kya iss case ki wajah se uski mauth hui? Maine kaha tha usse Naveen sahi aadmi nehi lag raha tha uska case mat lo par woh nehi maani.....main usse mana hi nehi paya (Did she die because of this case? I had told her Naveen didn't seem like a nice guy, don't take his case but she didn't agree and I couldn't convince her)" Maanav said and broke down into tears.

"I am so sorry for your loss" I said.

***

"Virean town main nehi hai madam par uski aur Ishita ke parents aane ke liye maan gaye hai (Virean is not in town madam, but his and Ishita's parents have agreed to come)" My assistant said.

"Okay fine unko aane ke liye bolo (Okay fine ask them to come)"

"Ye lo, Naveen ka file Sana ki office se le aaya main (Here you go Naveen's file I got it from Sana's office)" Sahil said coming in.

"Ladki ki naam check kiya? (Did you check the girl's name?)"

"Maanav was right, yeh Sara ka case nehi hai kyuki Julie ka case hai (Maanav was right this is not Sara's case because this is julie's case)"

"Kya? Toh jo story Nazneen ne hameh sunayi thi Julie ki baarein main who sach hai? (What? So the story Nazneen told us about Julie was true?)"

"Ithna simple nehi hai Shabhana, Naveen ne Julie ka rape kiya tha lekin woh uska boyfriend nehi tha jaise Nazneen ne kaha tha iss files ke hisab se woh dono pehali baar ussi raat ko mile the uss din koi party chal raha tha wahan aur Naveen uss waqt Kritika ko date kar raha tha aur woh bhi uske saat party main hi thi (it's not that simple Naveen raped Julie but he wasn't her boyfriend as Nazneen claimed according to these files they met for the first time that night there was some party going on there also at that time Naveen was dating Kritika who was also with him at the party)"

"Agar Julie wahan pe kisi ko nehi janthi thi toh woh uss party main kar kya rahi thi? (If Julie didn't know anyone there what was she doing at the party?)"

"Patha nehi aur yeh files bhi kuch clear nehi hai, main ek kaam kartha hoo Julie ka case files doond nikaltha hoo shayad usse kuch patha chal jaaye (Don't know, and these files are not even that clear, I will do one thing I will search Julies case files maybe we will find something in there)"

"Teek hai (Okay)"

***

"Hamara beta kabhi bhi kisis bhi medical documents forge nehi karega, caahe badle main woh kitne bhi paise offer kare, aur aise rape cases ke liye tests toh woh kartha hi nehi hai (Our son would never forge any medical documents no matter how much money they offer and he don't even do any testing for rape cases)" Virean's dad said in a firm voice.

"Main aapko offened nehi karna caahthi thi sir, main sirf apni duty kar rahi hoo please agar aapke paas aisa koi bhi information ho jo humeh help kar sakthe hai toh please humeh batha dijiye (I didn't mean to offend you sir, I am just doing my duty, if you have any form of information that could help us plese tell us)" I said.

"Patha nehi aapki kaam aaygega ya nehi par ek baat hai, Virean ki ghar chodkar jaane ke baat hum dono Ishitha ki parent's se milne gaye the shayad aapko yaad hoga humne pichli baar aapko bathaya tha ki who log Virean aur Ishitha ke risthe ke khilaf the aur poore ek saal baat mane unke shaadi ke liye par jab hum unse milne gaye toh woh kehne lage ki Virean unneh hamesha se pasand tha aur aise kuch hua hi nehi (I don't know if it will be helpful or not but after Virean left home we went to meet Ishitha's parents I don't know if you remember or not the last time we met we told you that Ishitha's parents were against Virean and Ishitha's relationship they only agreed to their wedding after a whole year but when we met them they told us that they always liked Virean and no such thing ever happened)"

"Ye baat suspicious toh hai (This thing is a bit suspicious)" Sahil said.

"Ishitha ki death ki baat Virean achanak hi ghar chodkar chala gaya humeh teek se patha bhi nehi hai woh kahan pe hai, aaj kal phone pe bhi teek se baat nehi hothi ajeeb sa daar lag raha hai (After Ishitha's death he suddenly left home, we don't even know clearly where he is and these days we don't even talk on the phone that much I am getting worried)"

"Aap fikar mat keejiye hum investigation kar rahe hai (Don't worry we are investigating it)"

***

"Toh aap log yeh keh rahe hai ki aapko kabhi bhi Virean aur Ishitha ki riste se koi problem nehi tha? (So you are telling me you never had a problem with Virean and Ishitha's relationship?)"

I asked Ishitha's parents.

"Ji madam in fact Ishitha ne unke relationship ke bare main bhi humeh ek saal baat hi bathaya tha (Yes madam, in fact Ishitha only told us about their relationship after one year)" Ishitha's dad said.

"Aur humeh kyu Virean se koi bhi problem hoga? Who doctor hai, well behaved hai, acche khandaan se hai (And why would we ever have any problem with Virean? He is a doctor, he is well behaved, and he is from a good family)" Ishita's mom said.

"Teek hai aap log jaa sakthe hai (Okay you guys can go)"

I said and held my head in frustration.

"Samaj nehi aa raha hi ki hum yeh case solve kar rahe hai ya aur complicate kar rahe hai (I don't understand weather we are solving this case or complicating it even more)" Sahil said.

"Mujse nehi hoga yeh aur, I need a break (I can't do this anymore I need a break)"

"Shabhana tum do din ka sick leave le lo main yahan pe sab kuch sambaal loonga (Shabhana you take two days of sick leave I will handle everything here)" Sahil said holding my hand.

"Thank you" I said and smiled.

***

"Karan.........Tumne dinner toh nehi banaya na? Main tumhari favorite restaurant se khana laayi hoo, Karan.......yeh door fir lock karna bhool gaya tum? Kithni baar kahan hai door lock kiya karo (Karan..........You didn't cook dinner right? I bought dinner from your favorite restaurant; Karan..............you again forgot to lock the door? How many times have I told you to keep the door locked)"

I said as I walked into my house, what I saw next shocked me to the core I froze in my place as I saw my husband on the kitchen floor bleeding with a knife stuck to his abdomen, the bags in my hands fell to the floor.

"KARANNNNNN......."