The Confusion Killed

By Umara Shaikh

An aggressive splash of water right on the face and Mr Mittal woke up startled but barely conscious. With his half-opened eyes he could figure out that there were a lot of people surrounding him in the luxurious hall of his magnificent mansion. 

He tries to get up from the couch but last night's hangover cost him his energy and senses. Mr Hansraj, the best friend of Mr Mittal, was trying to break-through the barricade to reach him but he was blocked by the officers. 

Mr Mitansh Mittal was a wealthy industrialist living with his beloved wife Mrs Suchitra Mittal. They were a happy couple but had no children of their own. Considering this as God's plan they started an orphanage as the sole providers. Mr. Hansraj Bakshi was not only the bosom friend of Mr Mittal but also his business partner. He lost his wife in a car accident a few years back. He loved his son with all his heart and every now and then he plans a foreign trip so that he could meet his son without disturbing his study schedule. 

Today was a bad day, maybe the worst start. The Mittal Mansion was filled with police officers, forensic experts and media. Along with the drops of water there were spots of blood on Mr Mittal’s plain white shirt. The floor seemed like a pool of blood around the dead body of 

Mrs Mittal and the pistol was tightly clutched in Mr Mittal’s right hand. 

“Let me in!” shouted Mr Bakshi pushing aside the constables, “my friend needs me!” saying this he entered the crime scene. He helped Mitansh get up, bringing him to a better position. 

“Tell him to hand over the gun, it is the prime evidence!” said the officer in charge. 

Mr Bakshi was about to grab the gun when the inspector shouted, “Do not touch the weapon with bare hands otherwise you have to face the consequences!”

An officer from the forensic team carefully took the pistol from Mr Mittal’s hand. 

The senior officer ordered one of the constables to take Mr Mittal to the police station. Mr Bakshi called the best lawyer in the city and went to inform him the situation and then headed towards the police station. 

After two hours, Mr. Mittal got back to senses, enough to talk properly. Due to it being a high profile case, police wasn't able to touch Mr. Mittal or show any kind of violence. The best lawyer in the town, Mr. Bakshi and his son, who just landed and was experiencing a jet lag were present. Though being completely tired from the journey, Avinash insisted on staying as he respected and treated Mitansh as his own father. 

“My head, it hurts so badly! Why was there so much commotion in the morning? Is everything ok?” enquired Mr Mittal. “Umm…everyth…everything is….ff..fine. Umm..it.. it's just tha…that……..” 

“Come on, speak up! What's bothering you so much? Is your son, Avinash, fine?” 

“He is fine but Mrs.Mittal……” 

“Suchi…she again complained about me? Childish Suchi! Wait I will just give her a call”, said Mr Mittal searching for his phone which was already seized by the police. 

“For god's sake Mitansh, can you not recall what happened yesterday night!?" said Hansraj angrily, "Suchitra is not with us anymore! 

Mr Mittal was taken aback. He could not process the information he just heard. With his eyes filled with tears and his body shivering with grief he said, “What happened to her? Till last night she was perfectly fine….” 

Before Hansraj could answer the question, the head constable ordered, “We have given enough time, now stop this drama!”

While the walls of the station were witnessing this situation, the inspector in charge was having a word with the forensic expert. “Two bullets were shot, estimated time of death is between 11pm-2am, no signs of torture. The bullets match the pistol on which the fingerprints of only Mr Mittal are found. The blood samples collected from the shirt matches Mrs.Mittal's blood samples. The test reports of Mr Mittal show that he had a decent percentage of alcohol in his blood last night.”, informed the forensic expert along with other details. 

The inspector said, “Then this is an open and shut case! I will complete the formalities and record the statements.” The constables entered with Mr Mittal followed by Hansraj. Anyone who got a glimpse of Mr Mittal’s face can easily tell that he was filled with sorrow. 

“Sir, we have recorded the statements of the servants who first saw the body and informed us. Also the CCTV footage of the entrances and exits confirms that no one entered the house except for Mr. and Mrs. Mittal.” 

“Why did you kill your wife?”, asked the inspector. 

“I did not, even if I am extremely drunk still I can't even scratch her!”, replied Mr Mittal sobbing. 

“Every evidence is against you, either accept your crime or we have other ways to take out the truth.”, said the inspector angrily. “You cannot talk to him this way, our lawyer will deal with you.”, said Mr.Bakshi. 

“What will the lawyer do in this, sign these papers!”, saying this he handed over the pen to Mr Mittal. 

“Is she really gone?”asked Mr Mittal, still not able to digest the fact, so much in grief that the pen fell from his trembling left hand. ''Lucky people survive two bullets, aunt Suchi wasn't one!'', replied Avinash trying to console Mr. Mittal. 

As soon as he finished saying this, the officer walked towards him and gave him a tight slap.

“How dare you slap me!” 

“Why did you kill his wife?” 

This question spread pin drop silence in the station. Every eye was staring at Mr.Bakshi, who looked puzzled as well as afraid. “Are you out of your senses? I was on my flight yesterday at midnight. How can I be present at two places?” 

“The forensic expert told me that initially they thought only one bullet was shot on the forehead but later on they came to know that bullets were shot on the same spot twice but how do you know this? How come you are aware that she was killed around midnight? Mr Mittal is left-handed but the fingerprints on the pistol are of his right hand! A left-handed person cannot shoot two bullets at the centre of someone's head with their right hand especially when he was drunk! Why do you appear tense right now?”, questioned the police officer after slapping him again. 

Mr Mittal gave a hopeless look to him and started crying even more, tears continuously rolling down from his face, “What did she do to you?” 

“It's not about her, I wanted to take revenge from you!” “Me!? Why?” 

“Yes, remember a few years back you went on a business trip cum vacation- you, my father, my mom Tara and me. On the way back, my father wasn't feeling well so he laid on the backseat and I sat with him, you were driving and my mom was sitting beside you!” “Yes, why are you bringing that right now?” 

“Before the turn, when we met with an accident you untied my mom's seat belt and she wasn't able to survive the injury. I cannot forget that scenario, you killed my mom!” 

“What! All these years you were in this dilemma that I killed Tara! It was not what it seemed….” 

“Of course you killed her!”, interrupted Avinash. 

“Listen to me, she was feeling uncomfortable with the seatbelt on and wanted to remove it for a while. I told her not to remove the belt but she requested, so I was helping her remove it. But before I could

remove the belt, I lost control of the car. The car smashed the pole but your mom was dead before that. The reports showed that she died because of choking. It was not the seat belt nor the accident that took her life but her own necklace. Son, you closed your eyes when I lost control and you thought I killed her!?” 

After hearing this Mr.Bakshi again recalled the complete incident and told Avinash that she had a mark on her neck! 

Lack of communication and misunderstanding killed an innocent person. 

“Now speak up”, said the inspector, “how did you manage to execute this?” 

“While on call with my father I understood that uncle Mitansh will come home late from a party which is at Hotel Sunshine and I had my tickets booked for a day later. I thought this to be the perfect time to take revenge. I immediately booked a flight and went to the hotel and swiped his glass of whiskey with spirytus. I knew he was not a habitual drinker and won't be able to handle the intoxication. Then I came to the mansion and called aunt Suchi on the landline. I told her to open the emergency door as I wanted to surprise uncle Mitansh and my father. This entrance was known by a few close family members and was not under CCTV surveillance. I waited for uncle Mitansh to arrive. Aunt Suchi offered a cup of coffee, I insisted on making it and added a sleep pill in her cup. Uncle Mitansh came and collapsed on the sofa barely conscious. Then I shot aunty Suchi and went to the airport and stayed there till morning. It just slipped my mind that uncle Mitansh was left-handed and I kept the gun in his right hand.” 

“What have you done!?”, said uncle Mitansh angrily and slapped Avinash, “take him away before I kill him.” 

The inspector recorded the statements and arrested Avinash.

By Umara Shaikh