Chapter 3: The Interrogation

The jeep roared down the narrow roads as Pranav and Thameem made their way toward Neha’s house. The night felt eerily quiet after what they had just witnessed—a blood-stained shirt, a chain, and now the heavy weight of a potential murder on their minds. The road stretched on, with nothing but the dim streetlights flickering sporadically, casting long shadows on the walls of homes that lined the road. Thameem drove in silence, his mind running over every possibility.

They arrived at Neha’s house, a modest but well-kept villa tucked away just a few kilometers from the beach where Anjali was last seen. Pranav got out of the jeep, adjusting his shirt as he walked up the driveway. Thameem was beside him, already looking uneasy.

The door opened before they could knock—Neha’s father, Mr. Suresh, stood in the doorway, his brow furrowed with concern. “Officers, please come in. Neha’s very shaken by all of this, but she’s ready to talk.”

Pranav stepped inside, his eyes scanning the living room. Neha sat on the sofa, her hands trembling as she sipped water from a glass. She looked pale, her eyes swollen from what appeared to be hours of crying. Mrs. Suresh stood beside her daughter, a protective arm draped over her shoulders.

Pranav crouched down in front of Neha, keeping his voice calm and steady. “Neha, I know this is hard for you, but we need you to tell us everything. We’re trying to help Anjali, and you’re the last person who was with her.”

Neha nodded slowly, blinking back tears. “We… we were at the beach together. Around 5:30, we decided to head home. We both had our cycles, so we rode back separately. She went toward her house, and I came straight back here.”

Pranav leaned in a little closer. “Are you sure about that? You didn’t see anyone following her? You didn’t notice anything strange?”

Neha shook her head, her voice breaking. “No, nothing. We were just talking about school, and then we said goodbye. That’s all.”

Thameem, standing beside Pranav, gave him a quick glance. He wasn’t convinced. Pranav, sensing his colleague’s skepticism, kept his expression neutral but firm.

“Neha, I want you to be extra cautious,” Pranav said, standing up and signaling that they were done. “We’ll be checking a few things, but you stay safe, okay?”

Mr & Mrs Suresh nodded in unison, both parents looking visibly shaken. Pranav thanked them, and the two officers stepped out of the house.

As soon as they were outside, Thameem spoke up. “Sir, I don’t know… something doesn’t feel right about that. Her story seems a bit too clean. No fear, no confusion. It’s like she rehearsed it.”

Pranav sighed, his eyes scanning the empty street. “Thameem, she’s 16. Kids freeze up in situations like these. Let’s not waste time suspecting someone who’s probably just scared. What we need now are cold, hard facts.”

Thameem looked unconvinced but nodded nonetheless. “I’ll get the CCTV footage from the junctions. Let’s see if that backs up her story.”

As they started heading back toward the beach, Pranav felt a gnawing sensation in his gut. Something was off, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on it yet. He leaned back in his seat, his mind racing through different possibilities. Was Neha telling the truth? Or was she hiding something?

When they reached the beach, Pranav signaled Thameem to stop the car. “I’m going to walk for a bit. I need to see the path Anjali would’ve taken.”

Thameem watched as Pranav got out of the jeep and started walking down the lane, carefully observing everything around him. The beach was dark and deserted, with only the sound of the waves crashing in the distance. The air was thick with humidity, making it harder to breathe.

Pranav’s eyes flicked from the road to the bushes along the path. His gut told him that something had happened here. As he walked further, a faint glimmer of red caught his attention. He crouched down, his breath hitching as he saw blood smeared across a leaf.

“Thameem!” Pranav called, his voice sharp.

Thameem rushed over, immediately noticing the blood. “What the hell…?”

Pranav pulled on his gloves, carefully plucking the blood-stained leaf from the plant. “This could be from Anjali. We need to send this to forensics—have it compared with the blood from the chain and shirt.”

Thameem nodded, taking the evidence from Pranav. As they stood there, trying to piece together what had happened, the barking of stray dogs echoed from down the road. The sound was insistent, unnerving.

Pranav’s eyes narrowed. “Let’s check that out.”

They walked toward the barking, their senses on high alert. The noise was coming from a large garbage dump near the end of the lane. Pranav approached cautiously, the stench of rotting waste growing stronger with each step. But there was something else, something far more sinister mingling with the smell of garbage—the unmistakable stench of death.

Pranav stopped short, staring at the pile of refuse. His heart pounded in his chest as he slowly lifted the edge of a torn plastic sheet.

There, hidden under layers of trash and debris, was a body. A small, lifeless figure, curled up and covered in filth. The blood-stained blue top confirmed it before anything else. Anjali.

Thameem gasped, his face draining of color. “Oh God… it’s her.”

Pranav stood frozen, staring at the lifeless form of the girl he had promised to find. He felt a wave of guilt crash over him—he was too late.

Anjali’s dreams, her future, all snuffed out and discarded like trash. Pranav’s hands trembled as he pulled himself together. This wasn’t just a murder; it was cold-blooded cruelty.

“We need to secure this area,” Pranav said, his voice hoarse with emotion. “And call the forensics team. This is no longer a missing persons case—this is murder.”

As they waited for the team to arrive, Pranav’s mind raced. Who could have done this? And why?

The darkness that surrounded Anjali’s death felt suffocating. But one thing was clear: the hunt for her killer had just begun.