Stranger Than Murder

Delhi

India

She made her way to the entrance as a watchman opened the security gate. A sudden ray of sunlight hit her as she involuntarily looked up, which blinded her for some milli-seconds. She blinked and looked around. Some inspectors are guarding the place while some are having their snacks and tea.

Everyone stopped to have a look at her. She felt uncomfortable and slowed down her pace.

"Why did you slow down, Madam?" The inspector who was accompanying her asked.

"Nothing," she shrugged. For her friend, she's here and nothing can stop her. So, she paced along the Inspector and as they did, soon they stood in front of a small cellular in the police station.

The inspector took out the security keys and opened the lock letting her enter.

"Remember, Madam. Not more than 10 minutes." He gestured his hand. She nodded her head silently.

"I'll stand here at the threshold. Exact ten minutes and I'll be in," he told her standing at the entrance.

"Okay." She nodded her head.

She turned to look at her friend who hadn't even flinched. But she had to flinch at the horrible smell the room contained.

How can this thing even sit in such a place?

Lifeless.

When you're lifeless, you can sense nothing. How can you? When you're called as a Murderer!

She slowly went near the silhouette. She lent a supporting hand. She wanted to know the truth. She can't believe her friend did that. She can never. Still, she has some questions that need answers.

Only then she can save a life. Not one, but two! Two lives are dependent on the answers.

"What did you do?" A whisper travelled through the silence and it perfectly did its work as it reached the silhouette.

"I don't know anything."

There was a long pause for 5 whole minutes. Nothing more was questioned and nothing more was answered. A sense of tranquility passed between both of them. A haze it was. Peaceful yet not. Silence spoke the words that went unheard.

"Don't you trust me?" she asked with nothing glistening in her eyes. Tranquility be damned as her eyes said nothing, did nothing. They were peaceful yet weren't. They were calm yet weren't.

"I do, but circumstances aren't letting me," she reasoned.

"I have nothing to say except that I don't know anything," she repeated her words.

"How is that possible? Tell me what happened and only this can help us bail you out," she pleaded.

"Let me be. No need for any bail," she answered. Her eyes were hollow screaming nothing but emptiness.

"But-"

"Time's up, Ms. Advani," the Inspector's loud voice shook them.

"Sir, please! A minute more, I'm talking to her," Sameera pleaded the Inspector.

"No, Madam. We've given you enough time, it's time for you to get out. She's a criminal and a visitor cannot meet her for more than a limited minute, you have to get out," Inspector Abhishek replied to her politely.

Tears rolled down her cheeks. She, ignoring the inspector, turned towards her friend who sat lifeless.

"Katherine, please, tell me the truth, what did you exactly do? Why-" she was cut off by Katherine.

"Leave, Sameera!" her hazels didn't allow a single tear to roll down while her voice sounded dry.

Nothing is the most powerful feeling, after all.

Sameera reluctantly left her friend, in tears. And Katherine was so lost in a whole different world that she wasn't able to notice when Sameera left and when the cellular was locked.

Flashback

"Ms. Gupta, you're under arrest for the attempt of Murder," Inspector Abhishek's voice boomed over the members present there.

"Katherine? Murder?" Zeba who was just beside Katherine whispered.

"This isn't true," Kavya Roy whispered.

While everyone is busy defending Katherine, the girl herself is too busy in her own world to acknowledge anything happening around her.

"Our Katherine, she can't, it's impossible," Shravan Singh Roy shook his head, denying the accusations the inspector threw at their Katherine.

"We've circumstantial proof, Mr. Roy," Inspector Abhishek said with all his patience. In his career, he has seen many people who tried to defend the criminal just because they are their family. He happened to see vice-versa too. He's here to do his job, that is it.

"They're not enough to inflict such a crime upon her," Shravan Singh Roy said.

"Yet they are enough to warrant an arrest, Mr. Roy," his voice was stern.

"Inspector Maithili, please arrest Ms. Katherine Gupta," Abhishek ordered one of the team members to arrest the accused.

While he snatched the arrest warrant papers that were now passed to Shravan Singh Roy.

"I hope you've seen the papers, already," with that being said, Abhishek went away following Maithili who now has handcuffed Katherine Gupta.

Zeba and Kavya were behind her pleading.

"Look, Inspector. Our Katherine, sh..she can't ever do that. Someone must be framing her," Zeba cried.

"Whatever it is, Ms. Roy. We've proof. We've got an arrest warrant. We're just doing our duty. If you have any problem, get a lawyer, bail her out or just wait for the court hearing session," Inspector Maithili answered, glaring at them dragging Katherine like a rag.