SHORT STORIES FRIDAYS (69)

THE SCIENTIST WHO TURNED INTO A MONSTER ( PART 7)

Shafeeq and Ajmal had just managed to end the call and were about to step out when the police made their way in. Inspector Shashank and his men arrested both Shafeeq and Ajmal. They confiscated the gadgets from them.

During interrogation, Inspector Shashank probed them, ” Do you confess to killing Dr. Harshwardhan and wiping out his entire family? There’s no use denying your involvement in the heinous crime because we have proof of your crime. Now, don’t waste my time and start talking. Don’t force me to use my baton.” Shafeeq and Ajmal preferred dying rather than ratting out their boss, Ahmed. Just then, Ajmal thought of using Harsh’s idea and said, ” Sir, you need not tell us twice. We are ready to confess to our crimes. Both of us are working for….. ” There was a pause as Shafeeq glared at Ajmal, indicating him to shut up. Ajmal ignored his warning and said, ” Our boss is none other than the great scientist, Dr. Sunny Sharma.”
Shafeeq grinned at him as Ajmal winked back.

Inspector Shashank Khare had high regards for Sunny as he had always contributed a generous part of his income for social welfare programs. He lost his temper and yelled, “What rubbish! It looks like you are both under the influence of alcohol and spewing out nonsense. ” Shafeeq said, “If you don’t believe me, then why don’t you check his bank account? He is working for a terrorist group and planning to launch a bomb blast in New Delhi. He is inventing strange gadgets which rips apart the human bodies and sends their mutilated corpses to an unknown dimension. In fact, Dr. Harshwardhan owed him money after losing heavily in gambling for quite a long time. Sunny threatened him to ruin him and his family if he didn’t pay back within a week. He hired us to do the dirty deed for him and paid us quite a huge sum. He taught us how to operate his gadgets. And here we are! “

Inspector Shashank found it hard to believe their fabricated story. He contacted one of his trusted men to check whether there was any discrepancy in his bank account. Shashank had a huge shock awaiting him as the two terrorists’ claim turned out to be true. There was a huge fund transfer that was traced back to an anonymous source. A few hours later, there was a Flash news that declared a bomb blast near Connaught Place in New Delhi, killing at least 50 people.

It was simply too much for Shashank. His hero turned out to be a traitor. How could anyone betray his own motherland? He was furious. The next day, The Police Department in Mumbai convened a meeting and they got the search warrant to raid his lab and house. They called his assistant, Lavanya, who claimed that the scientist was innocent as he was in Nainital for the past one week and couldn’t have committed such a heinous crime. The lab was perfectly clean. They didn’t have enough evidence that could link Sunny to the crime. Shashank was frustrated. He got the details of Sunny’s residence in Nainital.

He immediately left for Nainital with a few trusted men to conduct an inquiry.

Meanwhile, Ahmed had learned of the arrest of his accomplices and was proud that they had implemented Harsh’s suggestion. He had listened to their interrogation as they had bugs planted on their bodies. Immediately, he had called one of his gang members in Delhi. They had kidnapped and murdered an army cadet and sent their own recruit in his place. Mohsin, a twenty year old, misguided youth was an IT expert, who cracked the secret code and entered easily. It was he who had contacted his friend to plant the bomb in the busy market area.

Sunny was having his breakfast by the poolside table when he noticed Inspector Shashank and Sub Inspector Govind marching towards him. He smiled and extended his hand to greet them. He said, ” Good morning, Inspector! What can I do for you?” The Inspector brought out the handcuffs and said, “‘I am sorry, Dr. Sunny Sharma. You are under arrest for being the mastermind behind thebgruesome murders of Dr. Harshwardhan and his family. The assassins, Shafeeq, and Ajmal have named you as their boss. Your bank account shows an unexplained money transfer to the tune of 1 crore rupees. What do you have to say in your defense? “

Dr. Sunny was shocked beyond words. He couldn’t believe that his best buddy and his family died because of him. He looked petrified and then snapped out of reverie. He said, ” Look, there’s been a huge misunderstanding. First of all, I don’t know any Shafeeq Or Ajmal. They are probably trying to frame me for a crime that they had committed. ” He then told them that three people had always stalked him and how they had forcefully snatched those gadgets from him. He had successfully thwarted their attempts to plant a bomb in Mumbai and had no other option but to send them to the black hole. Shafeeq and Ajmal might be the members of the same group, planning to avenge the death of their comrades. He had indeed met his friend Dr. Harshwardhan before leaving for Nainital and entrusted his gadgets to him. After that, he had no idea as to the incidents that took place after his departure from Mumbai.

Shashank wanted to believe him but his duty as an officer demanded the proof of his innocence. Right now, things were looking very bleak for Sunny as the circumstantial evidence pointed him as the criminal. Inspector Shashank said, ” Sir, I have been your great admirer and wish to believe you. Can you give us any evidence to prove your innocence? “

Sunny was silent for a while and then he suddenly smiled. He said, ” Yes, I can prove what actually happened. When you arrested those fellows, you must have recovered my gadgets from them. Do you have it with you? ” Shashank nodded and answered, ” Yes. ‘we were going to show it you, had you denied your involvement in the whole affair! ” He took out the pendant and the remote. He asked them to follow him to his room.

He connected the pendant to his laptop and rewound the time of recording. Shashank, Govind, and Sunny watched the tale of horror unfold. Sunny couldn’t believe his own eyes. Harsh had broken his trust and ended up losing his life. Sunny knew that he was taking a big risk by leaving his gadgets with Harsh. He had modified it with an inbuilt miniature camera to record everything.

Watch out for the next episode for more thrill and adventure.

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