The Hidden Diary Chapter 6 - Unmasking the Killer

  After a half-hour journey, they reached Dharavi. There, they asked some local people for directions and eventually arrived at Arvind Patil’s office. Taking a seat in the nearby restaurant, Ravi spoke up, “Okay, guys, we're here. The office is open now. One of us should go inside and find this David.” Daniel asked, “But how?”

 Ravi then started explaining, “It's simple. Two of us will go into the office and ask what documents are required for an income certificate. In the meantime, look for the person; we'll have just a few seconds. One will try to extend the conversation for 30 seconds while the other looks for him.” Without a second thought, Maya and Ismael volunteered.

  So Maya and Ismael went to execute the plan. On their way, they decided that Maya would escalate the time and Ismael would find the person. They both entered Arvind Patil’s office; tension was evident on each of their faces, but their steady determination paved their way. As soon as they entered the office, Maya began executing her part of the plan. She engaged one of the people in the office about the income certificate, while Ismael started looking for David.

 He started scanning each person inside the office. After a minute, they returned to the restaurant. Daniel asked them, “Guys, did you find him?” Ismael and Maya were silent for a moment, and then Maya said, “Nope, Ismael tried but we couldn't find David.” Faced with another setback, they all began to think about what to do next. That moment, Ravi said, “Let's just wait a bit longer. We will find him.”

  They waited for more than 2 hours in the restaurant, hoping to find him, but just like passing clouds, time was also slipping away. They couldn’t see David anywhere nearby. After 2 long hours, night was about to engulf the day. Seeing that it was about 6 o'clock, Ravi said, “Guys, it is getting late. Let's come back tomorrow.” To which Maya responded, “Ravi, let's wait for another hour.” In reply, Ravi said, “Maya, we'll come tomorrow, don't worry. Besides, Aditya bro only told you to go home earlier.”

  Daniel responded, “Ravi, you and Maya go home. Ismael and I will wait here for some more time.” Ravi was about to say something, but Ismael interrupted, “Ravi, you both go home. We will handle this.” Ravi realized it would be a waste of time to argue with them, so he agreed. Both Ravi and Maya headed home, while Ismael and Daniel stayed at the restaurant.

  As they watched the party office, a man about 6 feet tall entered. Their eyes widened for a moment, as the man resembled David. Daniel, in shock, exclaimed, “Ismael, that man!” Ismael was equally shocked. He responded, “Let's take a closer look.” They both left the restaurant.

  They both acted as if they were waiting for someone, but in reality, they were waiting for that person to leave the office. Eventually, the person exited the office, confirming to them that it was indeed David. They quickly relayed the message to Ravi and began following him, resembling a pair of wolves patiently waiting for the opportune moment to strike their prey. However, they were uncertain about what the outcome would be.

  For 10 minutes, he led them through the streets of Dharavi until they reached a warehouse just outside the area. They both stopped there and waited for Ravi and Maya to catch up. After a few minutes, Ravi and Maya arrived. Ravi questioned, “Where did you go?” Ismael replied, “Inside, haven't come out.” Ravi nodded and suggested, “Let's go in then.”

  As they entered the warehouse quietly, their eyes scanned the dimly lit interior, searching for any sign of David. However, the vast space seemed empty, with only shadows dancing in the corners. Ismael whispered to Daniel, “He must be here somewhere. Keep an eye out.”

  They searched every corner, finding only dust, steel pipes, a chair, and some broken tables. They noticed a second door besides the entrance and concluded that he could have escaped through it. At that moment, they heard footsteps. They all hid in the warehouse.

  As they hid, David entered through the second door and was about to leave the warehouse through the first door. Seeing David, Ismael asked in sign language, “Ravi, should we grab him now? If not, he will slip away.” David was reaching for the entrance door. Ravi responded in sign language, “Okay, count from 1 to 5.”

  With a silent nod, Ravi began counting off on his fingers, signaling their coordinated move. “1... 2...” He was interrupted. As he counted, David said, “Do you guys have a plan, or just going to continue hiding in your spots?” At that moment, they realized it was a trap. He had lured them into his den.

  They all emerged from their hiding places. David, with a wicked smile, said, “You're all quite impressive. I never thought someone would uncover my crimes.” Daniel spoke loudly, “Why did you kill Shruthi? What did you do to Krishna Uncle?” David again gave a devilish smile and replied, “You young lads are quite curious, aren't you? Trying to ask questions, blah blah. But you don’t know one thing—I lured you here just to give you a warning. Don’t interfere any further in this case; inform the cop also. Otherwise, you will face a hefty price.”

  They four realized that talking was a waste of time. Ismael moved forward and attempted some punches, but David evaded each one effortlessly. Despite Ismael's best efforts, he couldn't land a hit. David swiftly grabbed Ismael's hands and folded them behind him. Once more, he warned, “Don’t intervene, or you will face a hefty price.” After delivering the warning, he kicked Ismael.

  Without wasting any time, Ravi attempted to punch him. However, David swiftly stopped him and began bending his arms. Daniel intervened and landed a punch on David's face, causing him to flinch momentarily. Daniel then tried to land some kicks, but David blocked the attacks and countered with a punch to Daniel’s stomach followed by a kick.

  At that moment, he aimed the gun at the three of them. Despite outnumbering him, they couldn’t match his physical strength. Weak and tired, they found themselves at the mercy of the gun. Just as David was about to pull the trigger, he noticed something.

  He turns with the gun pointed, but at that moment, Maya slams David’s wrist with a steel pipe. The gun slips from his grip, falling to the ground. Without hesitation, she strikes David's head, causing him to collapse.

  Water splashes on David's face, waking him up. He finds himself sitting in a chair, his hands and legs tied. In front of him are the four of them, sporting some minor bruises. Ismael lands a punch at David and demands, “Now tell me, what is your connection between you and Arvind Patil? Why did you kill Shruthi? What did you do with Activist Krishna?” David doesn't respond to any of the questions.

  Daniel, Ismael, Ravi, and Maya were trying to retrieve answers from him by  physically assaulting him, but he remained as stoic as a stone. This went on for 20 minutes, during which time David was soaked in blood. There were blood stains on each of their hands, yet David continued to look at them with vengeful eyes. Just then, Aditya arrived at the warehouse.

  He fumed at them, "Are you all mad or what? Didn't I tell you all not to intervene in this case?" Ravi tried to explain, but Aditya interrupted him, "What fucking explanation are you going to give? Maya, didn't I tell you to go home?" Daniel interjected, "Bro, we came here by ourselves. We found out about David." Aditya looked at David for a moment. After that, he said, "Fine, but what will you tell your parents if something happens to one of you?"

  The four of them didn’t say anything and bowed their heads in acknowledgment. Aditya noticed their demeanor and said, "Fine, whatever happened has happened. You all head home without wasting any time. Also, message me as soon as you all reach home. I will take it from here." They all nodded in agreement and were about to leave the warehouse when Aditya asked, "Before you all go, hand over the gun to me." Ismael, who had David's gun until now, handed it over to Aditya. Then, they all left the warehouse.

  Aditya took a chair and sat in front of David. Aditya remained unfazed, his expression stern, “Your games are over. Now, it’s time for you to start talking. Why did you kill Shruthi? What's your connection to Arvind Patil? And what did you do to Activist Krishna?” David chuckled, a twisted grin spreading across his face. “Oh, you want answers, do you? Well, let me tell you something. Whatever you try, you won't get any answers.”

  Aditya paused for a moment, realizing how difficult it was to retrieve answers from David. Without uttering a word, he left the place and went to call his mentor, an ex-cop. He explained everything, and his mentor responded, “Aditya, what about the inspector who was investigating Shruthi’s case?” Aditya replied, “My guess is that he is also linked with Arvind Patil.” His mentor then suggested, “Play psychological warfare then.”

  His mentor provided some instructions to him, and Aditya agreed to follow them. He entered the warehouse and found David attempting to escape from the tied rope. Aditya smiled at him and said, “Trying to make your escape, huh? Don’t try too hard. We already received orders to take you out.” David responded, “What will happen if Arvind bhai finds out?” Aditya replied, “The orders come from Arvind Patil only.”

 This shocked David, and he attempted to deny it, saying, “No, this can’t be true.” Aditya then showed David a recorded call purportedly from Arvind Patil, ordering David's elimination to conceal evidence. This revelation deeply affected David, unaware that it was all orchestrated by Aditya's mentor. Aditya had created a morphed voice call of Arvind using AI, aiming to erode David's trust in him.

  For added assurance, Aditya added, “If you don’t believe me, try calling him yourself.” However, this was also fabricated. Aditya hoped that David would trust him and refrain from attempting to uncover the truth. As David reached for the phone, Aditya's heartbeat raced faster. Ultimately, Aditya emerged victorious in the psycho warfare

  David shouted in anger, “How could that bloody bastard say this? I have done so much for him. It’s all just for that one day when he saved me. And now, he wants me to die for his own purposes. I will slash him today itself.” Aditya took a seat and said, “See, you have options now. Become an informant for the crimes involving Arvind Patil. Don’t worry, I'll try to reduce your prison sentence.” After thinking for a moment, David agreed. Aditya then asked him, “Now, tell me what you did with Activist Krishna and Shruthi.”

  David took a deep breath and began to speak, “Arvind Patil and Activist Krishna were involved in land issues. Arvind tried to compensate Krishna, but Krishna stood for justice. He was planning a major protest where he would present significant evidence regarding a deal between a private company and Arvind. So, Arvind asked me to kill him without leaving any traces. I kidnapped Krishna on the evening of September 7th. My plan was to kill him outside Mumbai. However, during the journey, he managed to escape from the van. That's when the girl saw him. She became a clear witness. I killed Arvind Patil on September 7th and killed the girl on September 9th, executing a perfect plan. I had everything planned meticulously except for the diary part. That's what messed up the whole plan.”

  The following day, the case proceeded in court. Besides MLA Arvind Patil, many prominent names emerged. Several attempts were made to tamper with evidence, and David even faced life-threatening situations. However, thanks to Aditya's cunning strategy and the collected evidence, the court couldn't overlook the truth. David's testimony as an approver played a crucial role in unraveling the intricate web of corruption and crime surrounding Arvind Patil and his associates.

  Activist Krishna's bravery in standing up against injustice was honored, and the sacrifices made by Shruthi didn't go in vain. After three months, the verdict was announced. There was a sense of closure for the victims' families and a glimmer of hope for a better, more just future. David, now repentant for his actions, was sentenced to a reduced prison term for his cooperation in bringing down the kingpins of corruption. Aditya received accolades for his exemplary work in uncovering the truth and ensuring that no one was above the law. His mentor, the ex-cop, watched proudly as his protégé stood tall against corruption and emerged victorious.

  After a few days of the verdict, we find Ravi, Daniel, Ismael, and Maya standing near Shruthi's grave. They stand in solemn silence, each lost in their own thoughts as they pay their respects to Shruthi. The air is heavy with grief and a sense of injustice, but also with determination to ensure that her sacrifice was not in vain.

  As they stood there, a gentle breeze rustled through the trees, carrying with it a sense of peace and serenity. Ravi broke the silence, his voice quiet but resolute. “We did it, guys. We brought justice for Shruthi.” Everyone agreed. With a silent nod of agreement, they each placed a flower on Shruthi's grave, a small but meaningful gesture of remembrance and solidarity. Then, hand in hand, they walked away from the grave, knowing that their fight for justice had made a difference, and that Shruthi's memory would live on in their hearts forever.