31. THE CULPRITS!

Asha:- Arjun, we can’t go inside just like that. She is a criminal. What if she had some weapon and attacked us. Wait here for 5 minutes. I called the police and they must be on the way. 

Hearing about the police, the fear of being caught increases in the hearts of Avantika, Prakash, and Innaya. Although at that time Innaya was just a kid, still she is a part of their games. 

Soon they all are ready to go inside. Arjun pressed the bell and after 2 to 3 minutes a lady around her mid-50s opened the gate. Seeing the police and so many people around, the lady got surprised for a moment but soon she gathered herself and asked. 

The lady:- yes, How can I help you? 

The inspector:- we are here to get some answers which only you can give. 

The lady nods with a frown but her frowns are replaced by frightened seeing Avantika and Prakash with the police. Within seconds she understands everything and tries to run away but the lady officer caught her on time. And by seeing her moves the Dixit’s get confirmation about her involvement in Nandini’s disappearance. 

While here, Why would the lady forget about the couple who is giving her 2 lakhs every month? Yes, Avantika is filling her pockets with 2 lakh rupees every month.  

Arjun runs inside to search for his sister. He searched for his sister in every room but didn’t find a single glance of his sister. He becomes frustrated and yells at the lady making her more scared.

Arjun:- where is my sister? Answer me…. Damn it!

Asha holds him and tries to calm him down. 

Asha:- Arjun, relax baby………. We will find Nandini one day. 

Arjun:- ( crying hysterically ) When?……… When will we find her?…….. When? 

Asha:- get a grip on yourself, Arjun. We have lots of questions to ask the lady. 

Arjun becomes stable when Asha’s words sink into his mind. 

The inspector:- Why were you trying to run away? 

The lady:- ( stammering ) why would…. I….. try…..? 

The lady officer:- really?…. 

The lady officer slaps her hard across her cheek making her stumbled and frightened. 

The lady officer:- now, will you tell the truth, or do you need some more massages? And start with your name. 

The lady shakes her head negatively and moves back to save herself from one more slap. Whereas the condition of Avantika and Prakash are getting worse. 

The lady:- my name is Swati. I have been working as a nurse in the lifeline hospital for the last 25 years.  

Saying this she stops in mid and looks at the lady officer who shows her eyes making her sacred once again. 

The lady officer:- did you know them? ( pointing towards the Dixit’s ) 

Swati nods reluctantly and the lady officer asks the next question. 

The lady officer:- where is their daughter? 

This question not only shakes Swati but Avantika as well as Prakash too. All the three culprits share an eye lock.

Getting no response, the officer shook Swati to bring her back. 

Swati:- umm… I don’t know….. 

The lady officer again slaps her, making her cry. 

The lady officer:- I want every detail of that day. 

Swati nodded while palming her cheek and closed her eyes. 

Swati:- What are you saying, Madamji? I can’t do this. 

Avantika:- ( with her killer smirk ) not when I offer you 5 lakh? 

Swati:- mam, you are saying to kidnap the baby. 

Avantika:- look you don’t have to keep this girl with yourself. Just throw her anywhere in any dustbin or in any other orphanage. She belongs to that place. 

Swati:- no mam, I can’t do this. I can’t play with this innocent soul and I won’t let you do that also.  

Saying this she walks to go out from the washroom where she comes to get ready for the surgery. Avantika stops her while taking advantage of her situation. 

Avantika:- I heard you were asking for a loan for your mother’s heart surgery. Trust me, I will provide you with the amount which you want plus 2 lakh rupees every month if you do what I ask you to do. 

Hearing her, Swati thinks and reluctantly agrees to do the same only for her mother. 

Swati:- ( to the lady officer while crying ) I know madam, I committed a crime but I did that for my mother. She was my only family. 

Asha:- ( angrily ) you destroyed an innocent life for money. How could you?………..  Because of you, a girl is deprived of her family’s love, a brother is struggling to get his sister back. Why did you do that?

Swati:- ( crying on her deeds ) At that time, I required money. 

The lady officer:- continue your story. I want to know, what did you do to the girl? 

Swati:- trust me, madam, I don’t know, where was the girl?………. After the operation, I declared her fake death news but before that, I could take the baby with me……

After the operation, Swati comes out of the OT, and as per plan, she declares the baby dead. Giving no heads to the family’s cries she walks inside the OT again keeping a stone on her heart. 

When she enters inside, she sees a lady who is present inside the OT. 

Swati:- What are you trying to do? And how can you enter inside without anyone’s permission? 

Lady:- mujhe pata hai ki tum log kya karna chahte ho. Maine tumhara Saara plan sun liya tha lekin mai tumhe aisa nahi karne dungi. Mai ……. Mai sabko sach bata dugi. { I know what you are up to. I heard your plan and I won’t let anyone succeed in it. I …….. I will tell everyone about you guys. }

Swati gulped hearing her and the fear took over her brain. But soon Avantika and Prakash entered inside from the emergency door, making the two scared. 

Lady:- ( seeing Avantika and Prakash ) mujhe…… mujhe pata hai ki tum log Dixit’s ke paise ke piche ho isiliye toh tum log itna niche gir gaye ho. Par mai apni NANDINI bitiya ko kuch nahi hone dugi. { I …….. I …… know you guys are behind Dixit’s money that’s why you are ready to stoop so low. But I won’t let anything happen to my NANDINI baby. }

Avantika:- oh…. So you think that you will fail our plan. 

Lady:- ( confidently ) mai tumhara asli chehra sab ko dikha dugi. { I will show your real face to everyone. }

Prakash:- ( walking towards her ) first, try to go from here without getting hurt. 

Saying this he picked up the glass flower base from the corner and smashed it on her head making it bleed. 

Lady:- ah….. ( palming her head to stop the blood ) 

Avantika:- ( to Swati pointing at the little Nandini ) go and pick up that little piece of shit and throw her somewhere. 

Swati nods but before she could go near the sleeping baby, the lady pushed her back with all her strength and with all her will abstract their way with the help of a bed. Then, she picks up the little Nandini and runs away like manic from the emergency door. 

Avantika:- ( yelling at Swati ) what are you looking at? Go and catch the stupid lady. 

Prakash:- ( angrily ) ah…….. 

Arjun:- ( desperately ) Who was that lady? 

No one said anything. 

The lady officer:- ( in a high pitch tone ) Who took the baby with herself?  

Swati:- I….. I don’t know. 

The inspector:- and who gave you money to do this? 

Swati didn’t say anything and kept looking at the floor while crying hard. 

The lady officer:- she will not say anything, let’s take her into our custody. When we will give her our special treatment then she will say everything without any stop. 

Saying this they pull her to make her sacred so that she would spit out the name of the real culprits. 

Swati:- ( pleading ) no…. please! please……. Don’t take me anywhere. I will…….. I will say. 

The inspector nods and the whole Dixit family focuses on her whereas Avantika and Prakash are planning to run away. 

Without using any words, Swati points towards Avantika and Prakash making their breath hitch. 

Divya:- ( angrily ) what are you saying? Do you even know who they are? 

The rest were hell shocked to say anything. 

Swati:- I am telling the truth, mam. ( pointing Avantika ) She is the one who blackmailed me with my mother’s name and she is the one who sends me the money every month to shut my mouth. 

Innaya:- you blo*dy fool! How can you blame my mother for the sin you did?

Kiran:- Avantu, what was she saying? 

Avantika:- mummy Ji, can’t you trust me? 

Swati:- ( to the officer ) mam, see ( showing them her phone ) here is the proof. 

Saying this she passed her phone to the officer showing her digital bank transactions which showcases that every month the lumpsum amount of 2 lakhs were deposited in her account by Prakash. 

Every member of the family is stunned and speechless. Manish angrily marched towards Avantika and slapped her hard across her cheek, making her shocked. 

To be continued…