Chapter 4:
He stopped laughing and looked at them once again.
Abhi: Are you sure nothing is wrong?
Everyone nodded so he walked away. The three of them released their breath which they had been holding unaware of it.
They all took a deep breath and relaxed a bit.
Daya: That was close.
Tarika and Rajat nodded at the same time.
Tarika and Rajat: Sure was!
Daya looked at the two of them.
Daya: DUDE I SWEAR YOU GUYS COULD BE TWINS AT THE WAY YOU TALK AND REACT LIKE THIS!
Tarika and Rajat looked at each other and smiled.
Rajat: Yup she's my sis…
Tarika: and he's my bro.
Daya looked at them with a confused expression and shook his head. Rajat and Tarika burst out laughing and Daya joined in.
Rajat: by the way she looks like you too. You're both tall and strong.
Tarika and Daya smiled.
Daya: ok so shall we get back to work.
They all went back to looking for clues around the area and Tarika told ACP her name and everything else leaving out the Abhijeet parts. In the end they find an expensive wrist watch which was engraved very beautifully and had a bit of blood on the inside.
ACP: Yeh khooni ka hoga. It probably fell of when they had a fight and Mancy must have grabbed his hand and pulled it off and scratched him.
Abhi: Mancy?
ACP: haan the girls name was Mancy. She went to the same college with Tarika.
Abhi: MANCY MANCY? I've heard that name somewhere.
Tarika's eyes went wide and looked over to Daya.
Daya (interrupting): yes there was a case a long time back and a girl involved was named Mancy.
ACP: Really I don't remember?
Tarika made a 'mar gay' look and Daya quickly spoke again.
Daya: achha probably forgot.
ACP: haan probably.
Daya breathed a sigh of relief and Tarika relaxed.
Abhi: Oh so that's what you guys were talking about in that corner.
Tarika & Daya: huh? Oh um yea…
They looked at each other.
Rajat (smirking): who are the twins now?
They started laughing again and Abhijeet and ACP looked at them with weird expressions when ACP's phone interrupted them.
ACP: Hello?
ACP: haan Salunkhe?
ACP: ACHHA? Theek hai we're coming.
ACP (putting his phone away): Chalo Salunkhe called us to his temporary lab.
Everyone smiled and followed him to the quallis.
They stopped outside and decided to figure out what to do since Vivasha had taken a quallis and there was not enough room in one for all nine of them.
ACP: ummm what do we do now?
Daya looked over to Abhijeet and Tarika and thought that they needed time alone so spoke up.
Daya: Sir how about Abhijeet and Tarika stay here and look for more clues and we can quickly go and see what Salunkhe has to say?
ACP sir looked over at Abhijeet and Tarika and agreed that they did need some time alone.
ACP: theek hai Abhijeet Tarika?
ABHIRIKA: yes Sir?
ACP: you two stay here and we'll be back.
Tarika glared at Daya and he smirked and went and sat in the car.
Abhirika: Yes Sir.
They all left and Tarika went over to look for more clues and Abhijeet followed her.
Abhi (softly): Tarika?
Tarika (without turning around): Hmm?
Abhi (again): Tarika?
Tarika (turning a bit): What is it Abhijeet.
She didn't mean for it to come out so harshly but it did and he looked hurt.
Abhi (mumbling): Never mind sorry…
She got up and turned around.
Tarika: Abhijeet I'm sorry I didn't mean to be rude it's just that I umm… never mind what were you saying?
Abhi: It's fine, Tarika just please tell me what's wrong I can't take it anymore…
Tarika: Abhijeet please not now…
Abhi: …but Tarika…
Tarika: Abhijeet…
Abhi: ok ok relax.
She smiled and went back to looking for clues.
Abhijeet went beside her and they searched together, then both of them saw something shining in the grass and both leaned over to grab it. Their hands brushed each other's. Abhijeet's giant hand covered her tiny delicate one. She blushed and pulled it out from under his.
He looked at her eyes and Tarika's somehow found his gaze and both stared at each other.
They both got up slowly still looking at each other. Abhijeet took a step closer to her and moved his face towards her they were inches apart when Tarika broke out of her train of thoughts and looked at how close they were. Abhijeet just stared at her moving closer to her. She leaned back and he kept coming closer until she gently touched him.
Tarika: Abhijeet?
He broke out of his trance.
Abhi (blushing and looking here and there): Sorry.
Tarika: it's ok.
He turned back to the object and picked it up to find that it was actually another watch exactly like the first one with the same engraving in it.
Tarika: Abhijeet this looks like exactly the same watch that we found earlier.
Abhi: Yea and the blood on the same spot too.
They looked at each other with puzzled expressions and Abhijeet put it in the evidence bag.
They look around again and this time they again spot something shiny but in two different places. Both go over and pick up the two other objects which turn out to be the exact same watches too, with the engraving and blood.
Abhi: Hain? Yeh kya ho rahai?
They put those watches in the two different bags and then Abhijeet calls ACP sir.
THE REST OF THE TEAM:
ACP (walking in): Haan Salunkhe kya pata chala?
Salunkhe: Haan aao boss.
Vivek and Tasha were standing in a corner watching Salunkhe very carefully and helping wherever they could.
Salunkhe: Boss this girl died from poisoning.
ACP: accha so it was poisoning?
Salunkhe: Haan.
Sachin: Sir what's the name of this poison?
Salunkhe: Strychnine.
Freddy: Stry… kya?
Salunkhe: St-ry-ch-nine.
ACP: oh so this Strychnine poison killed her?
Salunkhe: Haan aur it was injected into her body very sneakily and also she had breathed it in.
ACP: How does this poison look like?
Salunkhe: This poison is White, odorless, bitter crystalline powder. It comes from a plant called Strychnos nux vomica. This plant is usually found in India, Sri Lanka, and East Indies and also in Australia.
ACP: Accha so this means that people here can very easily find the plant.
Salunkhe: Not exactly.
ACP: kya matlab?
Salunkhe: Matlab yeh ki anyone who has this plant must have a license for it or they could go to jail so that means that it will most likely be found in a nursery of some sort.
ACP: accha theek hai. Sachin, Kajal find out how many nurseries are there and then tell me.
Sachin, Kajal: Yes sir.
Salunkhe: Aur haan people now use this poison to kill rats but before it used to be used by many people to cure small illnesses but that soon became illegal. Now a days people use it as a drug by mixing it in LCD, Cocain, and Heroin but very rarely people do this.
Sachin: Sir…
ACP: haan?
Sachin: Sir there are about 30 nurseries here in Shimla.
ACP: ok you, Kajal, Vivek, and Tasha go and see all these nurseries and ask them if they still have the plants or if they have sold them off, if they have then go to all the houses and check and ask them where the plant is and why they have it.
Sachin: Yes sir.
Salunkhe: And Sachin?
Sachin: Yes sir?
Salunkhe: This plant once the poison has been extracted the plant becomes dry and useless so check the plants to see if they are healthy or not. I will SMS you the difference between them.
Sachin: Ok sir.
The four of them left and the rest turned back to Salunkhe.
Daya: Sir how does this poison work?
Salunkhe: The extent of poisoning caused by strychnine depends on the amount and route of strychnine exposure. In this case the poison was inhaled and injected so she got twice as much a normal person would need in order to die within a few hours. This poison prevents he proper operation of the chemical that controls nerve signals to the muscles this cause the muscles throughout the body have severe, painful spasms. Even though the person's consciousness or thinking are not affected at first (except that the person is very excitable and in pain), eventually the muscles tire and the person can't breathe. This is what caused her death first her lungs failed and then a few moments after that her brain failed.
Musi: Sir what was the time of death?
Salunkhe: TOD was 2:00 am the night before yesterdays.
ACP: Salunkhe here is the watch we found with blood on it. (handing it over) Can you tell us who's blood it is or what blood group the person is?
Salunkhe: Yes give me some time.
ACP: ok. In that case I'll call Abhijeet and see if they found anything and tell them about the poison.
Just as he took out his phone it started to ring.
ACP: Haha look at this it is Abhijeet.
ACP: Hello Abhijeet you will live a long time.
Abhi: Why sir?
ACP: I was just about to call you…
Abhi: Oh. Sir how did that girl Mancy die?
ACP: poisoning. The poison's name is Strychnine.
Tarika frowned when she heard the name.
Abhi: Oh I see. Anyways sir something really strange just happened.
ACP: Strange?
Abhi: Haan sir.
ACP turned the speaker on and turned to face everyone.
ACP: What happened Abhijeet?
Abhi: Sir we found three more wristwatches that look exactly the same as the first one with the same engraving and the blood on the same spot.
ACP: KYA?
Everyone seemed as shocked as Abhijeet and Tarika had been maybe even a little more#
A/N: I hope you guys liked this chapter and I know I'm updating after a looong time so sorry about that I'm getting really busy these days but I will try and update tomorrow if I can and I hope to read some more stories and updates since I'm feeling very low these days I also need encouragement and your reviews help a lot.