The Girl in Room 105 by Bhagat Chetan

Author:Bhagat, Chetan [Bhagat, Chetan]
Language: eng
Format: azw3, mobi, epub, pdf
Published: 2018-10-08T18:30:00+00:00

‘What makes you think you can investigate my daughter’s murder?’ Safdar said. His voice thundered through his giant porch. Saurabh and I had gone to visit him on a Sunday morning. I told him the story so far, until the point where we found Laxman and Saxena innocent.

‘All this garbage about her PhD guide. What was the need for you to fish around?’

‘Aren’t you shocked, uncle? That her guide harassed her. Aren’t you angry?’ I said.

‘I am angry with you. You won’t leave my daughter alone even when she is dead.’

‘I just want to find out who killed her.’

‘Who are you? The police? Her family? Who?’

I kept quiet.

‘You and Zara had no rishta,’ Safdar said through gritted teeth. ‘Now get out of my house. And my dead daughter’s life.’

Safdar stood up, a signal for us to leave.

‘Uncle, don’t be agitated. It will only make things worse,’ Saurabh spoke for the first time, his voice steady.

‘Worse?’ Safdar said. ‘What can get worse? I have already lost my daughter.’

‘What could be worse, uncle, is people talking about an honour-killing angle here,’ Saurabh said plainly. Cute how he still called him uncle, all respectful even when accusing him of murder.

‘What?’ Safdar said, blinking. ‘What is wrong with your dimaag? Who is this mental friend of yours?’

‘He’s my best friend. And he’s not mental. He’s quite smart. Please sit down,’ I said.

Saurabh smiled. Safdar sat down again.

‘Uncle, why did you say no to Zara’s autopsy?’ I said.

‘What? And let all those haramis cut up my little girl’s body? Do you even know what they do during an autopsy?’ Safdar said.

‘They find out what happened,’ I said.

‘What do they find out? More masala for the news channels?’

Saurabh and I didn’t respond. ‘Did you see when she died how they feasted on the news. Nobody cared about Zara or her family’s feelings. What else did you want? For them to discuss if she was raped or not?’

‘She wasn’t raped,’ I said. ‘Nothing like that happened. I saw the body first.’

‘What if some lunatic TV anchor made it up? Do you know what the family goes through?’

If Safdar was hiding something, he was doing a good job of it.

‘Uncle, I am only asking this because the question may come up. Where were you that night?’ I said.

Safdar looked at me and spoke after a pause.

‘At home. Preparing for her birthday party.’

‘You have witnesses?’ Saurabh said.

‘The entire staff of the farmhouse.’

‘They are your staff. On your payroll.’

‘Ask anyone. Separately. They will all tell you the same thing. Wait a minute, are you actually accusing me?’

‘Some people might. Honour killings do happen,’ I said.

‘What nonsense,’ he scoffed.

‘I didn’t see you distraught or in tears. At the funeral. Or any other time.’

‘I am not an emotionally expressive person in public. My little girl…her room is still there, just as she left it. I step in and I cry alone. Don’t you dare say I don’t feel pain.’

‘Maybe you do. But if—’

‘What “if-if” you are doing? I didn’t do anything. I am not the kind of a person who can hurt anyone, forget killing my only daughter.

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