The July sky appeared cleared with the sun shining above heads after the hefty pouring all night. The atmosphere felt humid outside.

Faruqui followed the navigation throughout the city of Nasik, wherever he went. He had promised Priyanka to visit the pitiful Kajal, and he even considered the point of meeting her. She was the closely connected link to Krishant's existence, and Miss Tambe had already confirmed that Krishant had a traumatic childhood. Kajal would confirm more suspicion of Faruqui about the last Sanghvi.

The Jamnabai Mental Institute was located as the last unit of Jamnabai Hospital, situated at the feet of the city. The central thick black iron gate was wide open for any living beings on the planet, excluding exceptions. It covered all the sixty five acres of the land with Indo-Saracenic architecture as its concrete, with the touch of modernization to the insides and extensions. Faruqui had to drive fifteen minutes more through the complex to reach the unit. The simple structure left no impression of any dangerous occupation conducted inside, but the security camera capturing each corner of the division forewarned every visitor.

Faruqui had visited many of the Asylums before, and had worked with and for the notorious psychotics. He just had to keep his mind open and heart shut as an environment such as this could easily affect any layperson.

The atmosphere in the reception area was the exact opposite of the humidity outside, and Faruqui felt glad for it.

"I had an appointment with Mrs. Kamala Jadhav." He informed the tall receptionist. She quickly smacked her fingers on the push button of the telephone before eyeing the detective in front of her.

"Yes, Mr. Faruqui," she asked him to wait as she rang the manager to inform her about his arrival.

The short, fat and, unfriendly woman approached them. Her brown skin looked dehydrated from the lack of skincare, with short-straight hair and an angular nose, standing at 4"11 in her end-forties - Faruqui had to crane his neck all the way down. "Kamala Jadhav." She said with an unpleasant expression as she glanced up at him through rim-glasses "I am the manager of this unit."

"Jamal Faruqui." She blatantly rejected his hand shake.

"How am I help you, Mr. Faruqui?" She said after settling in her cabin. Before Jordan could respond, she said, "I know we talked on the phone about you wanting to meet Ms Sawant. But I am sorry that you've to wait as of right now, she's in the group session." She ended with a sugarcoated smile.

"No problem," Faruqui responded promptly, much to her dismay.

"But..it might even take two hours."

"Will it?"

"Yes. I mean group sessions don't last that long, but we've to look out for our patients. She would be needing her rest after that. And that would be so inconvenient for you, right?" She avoided his gaze. She was too blunt with her lying, with no shame of looking desperate to get rid of Faruqui as soon as possible.

Persistence was his second name, "No problem at all, Mrs. Jadhav. I am here to meet Ms. Sawant. I am willing to wait. You don't have to worry about me."

"Alright." She said with disappointment. "You can wait in the waiting room."

"Thank you." She actually expected him to leave as if she had not welcomed him happily over the phone. "In the meantime, I have some questions for you."

Faruqui leaned forward, and so did she.

"Sure, Mr. Faruqui."

Krishant's Puppet.... Faruqui amusingly thought. He was ready with his notepad.

"Can you please provide me details on Ms. Sawant's therapist? I have some questions for them too."

"Umh.." Kamala hesitated, "She's not in any individual therapy." she pushed back her hair.

"May I know the reason?" she sighs.

"She doesn't possess cooperative nature - one of the reasons I wanted you to avoid meeting with her. We had tried and failed, and we're still working for her cooperation."

"And who saw her?"

"Solanki. Unfortunately, he's on leave today." Or you make him leave for today?

"That's alright." Faruqui nodded. "Can I see Ms. Sawant's file?"

"No, sir. Even if you're a detective, you don't have the special permission." She smirks even when she tries not to and mockingly whispers, "Rules."

"Very well, then."

"Anything else I could help you with?"

"Please tell me about Ms. Sawant's illness."

"She's diagnosed with PTSD, showing delusional effect. Stage 3." she states, "Her sister died four months ago. She killed herself. But Kajal thinks her ex-boyfriend killed her. That's a delusion."

"Krishant Sanghvi, you mean?"

"Yes. If Mr Sanghvi really had murdered her, then why is he still taking care of his late ex-girlfriend's sister?"

"How do you know that?"

"What? Who do you think pays for her treatment?" she shrugs.

"Mr. Sanghvi, I suppose." He sinks the information.

"He's such a gentleman," She started plastering with a dreamy indication.

Sanghvi has trained his puppets well.

Faruqui nodded before sighing, "Please show me the way to the waiting room, Mrs. Jadhav."

___

The head of the nurses showed up after two hours of extended waiting. He said his name was Deva. He appeared to be the exact opposite of Mrs. Jadhav: Welcoming.

"I assumed it is not your duty to show visitors their way? I am just curious." Faruqui said after getting into the elevator.

"Yeah, It is not. But I don't mind." The tall boy grinned, and his eyes sparkled.

"Mrs. Jadhav asked you to?" Deva nodded.

"And because I am supposed to take care of Sawant madam too." Faruqui could detect his southern accent.

"Special care?"

"We wouldn't call it special care, but something like that."

They got off on the third level before proceeding through the ward entrance.

The security guard frisked Faruqui's jacket before surveilling him with the metal detector, and lastly, he had to walk through the magnetometer before he was declared cleared to proceed.

The head nurse chuckled at the annoyed expressions of the visitor. "I don't remember security getting this intimidating." Faruqui joked.

After passing several corridors, Deva stopped in front of a closed door, protected by a biometric lock. "She's in there. Go ahead."

Faruqui went inside the plain-looking but well-furnished and spacious room. He immediately spotted a woman waiting on the wooden chair in the middle of the room.

"You'll be joining us?" Faruqui asked Matthew, who entered after him.

"Well, I am supposed to."

"No, no, no. It's okay. You can leave us alone."

"But I am instructed to stay. I am sorry."

"Trust me. I know laws better than anyone here and enforceability of my rights too. I can handle it from here. Thanks." The younger boy hesitated.

"I don't want to intrude either," He eyed Kajal, "But she could be handful certain times. And she's lower on her dose too, today."

"Just wait outside, please."

Deva dithered but obliged.

Faruqui noticed Kajal was looking straight ahead with clouded eyes and no facial expressions as he sat across her. Her dark brown hair was messily braided, which stomped to her hips. Faruqui had seen the picture of a beautiful reporter Kajal Sawant before, and he was surprised to see only the hints of hues of her beauty that reflected palely before him. Her forest light brown eyes seemed foggy and unfocused, while her dried lips had lost the blood from them. He also noticed a few cuts drown at the side of her neck.

Faruqui was immediately furious, but he had to work with it. Kajal, was highly sedated for his liking, and he doubted if she'd be able to answer him anything. She looked tired as she slumped back onto the chair.

"Hi, Kajal. I am Jamal Faruqui." He started with a smile and no response in return. "I know you cannot answer me in this state of yours. It's like they're only feeding you anti-psychotics."

Again, no response.

"I came here to meet you on behalf of... Priyanka." Kajal's eyes twitched. "Yes. She asked me to come and meet you. You know remember her from Krishant's house, right?" Faruqui watched her trembling hands as if she was encouraged to speak, but the medicines wouldn't let her. "She's living with him right now. You remember Krishant, right? Monica?"

Kajal was obviously dying to talk right now, but she could only move slightly of her body, and her eyes enlarged. "Will you tell me more about him, please? I want to know about him and so does Priyanka. We both are a team, I and Priyanka, I mean. She's been living with him for four weeks now, and she's suspecting that he's lying to her about Monica's death."

Kajal was shaking from head to toe now.

"She said you came to meet him and accused him of killing Monica? Do you really think he killed Monica? Why?" Faruqui continued, "If what you say is true, then Priyanka is in danger, so please help us. You escape from here?"

After minutes of no response, "Just try to indicate yes or no, okay?" He begins. "Do you know Krishant Sanghvi through Monica only?" She twitched her eyes again, "Have you ever met any of the Krishant's family members other than Ruby before?" No movement, "Have you met Ruby before?" Her lips slightly drew upwards. "Did you know the exact last location of Monica's before she committed suicide? Did you know who was with her last?"

The questions ended in only the next fifteen minutes, surprising Faruqui himself. He couldn't believe he had no more questions for Kajal about some other person. He sat in silence, admiring the view of the garden through the window, while Kajal watched him with stupified glossy eyes. Her circumstances hurled him.

"Kajal, you don't have any medical history, which should keep you here." His dark eyes brimmed with pity, "How did Krishant manage to do this to you?" He questioned himself. He heard Kajal gasp as she tried to speak. "You know I have never met him, but I could still point out things that are not normal about him. Miss Tambe, his formal housemaid, said he has a traumatic past. I believe her." He sighs before noticing the time on his watch, "I don't know if Monica really killed herself, but I will find the truth. That's what I do, I mean. I am a PI. I help people find the truth. Priyanka is a friend of mine, and she was worried about you. I think I should get going it's almost time. And all I want to say is that take care of yourself because I think we'll meet soon, outside. I have a feeling." He beams before standing up. Walking a few steps to the door, he hears a clang from the table behind.

Kajal settles straight onto her chair before thudding a brown leather book onto the table. Faruqui instantly helps her form onto the chair as she gets titled from the efforts she made. "Careful!"

He grabs the book before opening the first page, 'Monica's Diary' it read. "You want me to have this?"

"Pri..." Kajal manages to rasp out, enough for Faruqui to understand.

"Priya?" She slightly nods. "You want me to give this to Priyanka?" He didn't question any further, knowing Kajal would only struggle to answer. He almost smiled in triumph as he looked at the brown binder. At least this visit was not worthless; he achieved something: a reward and a motivate.

A diary could be the heart of a person, and Faruqui had the heart of Monica. He would make good use of it.

With a final farewell and a promise of her freedom, Faruqui returned to the world of silent suffering.

_________