Poision shop Part -2

The day had been grueling for Vikram and Meena. Together, they had spent hours interrogating shop owners and restaurant workers in the surrounding neighborhood. None of the neighboring establishments had anything to say against Arjun, nor were they willing to step up in his defense. It was as though the entire neighborhood had chosen to distance itself from the chaos, leaving the investigation frustratingly stagnant.

As the sun set, casting a warm orange glow across the city, Vikram and Meena found themselves standing outside Saffron Bites, the once-bustling restaurant now sealed off and quiet. Vikram sighed, rubbing his tired eyes.

"Nothing," he muttered. "No one knows anything. It's like we're hitting a dead end."

Meena, who had been standing beside him, leaned against the railing, her face thoughtful. "I was hoping at least one of them would have something to say. Arjun's been in this business for years. You'd think someone would vouch for him."

Vikram nodded, agreeing silently. "It's strange. Either no one wants to get involved, or there's more going on here than we realize."

Meena glanced at him. "If we keep digging, something will come up. We'll get to the truth."

As Vikram prepared to head back to the station for the night, Meena cleared her throat, a slight hesitation in her voice. "Vikram," she began, "can I have your number? In case I find anything related to the case tonight, I can reach you."

Vikram turned, raising an eyebrow. He hadn't expected that, but there was no harm in it. "Of course," he said, pulling out a pen and scribbling his number on a scrap of paper. He handed it to her with a nod. "Let me know if you find anything, no matter how small."

Meena smiled, taking the note. "Will do. Hopefully, tomorrow brings us better luck."

---

The next morning came earlier than Vikram had anticipated.

At 4 o'clock, his phone rang, jolting him out of sleep. His hand reached for the phone on instinct, his mind still groggy. The name flashing on the screen was Murthy.

"Murthy?" Vikram's voice was thick with sleep. "What's going on?"

"Get to the station, now," Murthy's voice was sharp, urgent. "One of the workers at Saffron Bites finally opened his mouth. He's ready to tell us the truth."

Vikram's pulse quickened as he sat up, his fatigue dissolving in an instant. "I'll be there in fifteen."

---

When Vikram arrived at the station, the tension in the air was palpable. In the interrogation room, a man sat nervously at the table, fidgeting with his hands. His clothes were wrinkled, and sweat beaded on his forehead. He was one of the kitchen staff from Saffron Bites, a worker Vikram vaguely remembered from the day of the incident.

Murthy was pacing in front of him, his face a mix of anger and impatience. The moment Vikram stepped into the room, Murthy pointed at the man. "He's ready to talk."

The man's eyes flickered to Vikram, fear evident in his expression. Vikram took a seat across from him, his voice calm but firm. "What's your name?"

"R-Ramesh," the man stammered, glancing nervously between Murthy and Vikram.

"All right, Ramesh," Vikram said, leaning forward. "You said you have something to tell us about what happened at the restaurant. Start from the beginning."

Ramesh swallowed hard, his fingers twitching. "I… I didn't want to do it. I swear, I didn't know what I was getting into. Arjun sir is a good man. He's honest, hard-working—he wouldn't hurt anyone."

Vikram's gaze remained steady. "Then why did you do it?"

Ramesh lowered his head, his voice trembling. "It was money. Someone… an unknown person, they contacted me a few weeks ago. Offered me a lot of money. More than I've ever seen in my life. They said if I helped them with something, they'd give me enough to leave this job, maybe even open my own place."

Murthy, who had been standing quietly until now, suddenly slammed his hand on the table, causing Ramesh to flinch. "And what did they ask you to do, Ramesh?" Murthy's voice was filled with barely restrained anger.

"They asked me to… to put something in the food," Ramesh admitted, his voice cracking. "I thought it was just a spice, or something harmless. I didn't know it was poison. I swear, I didn't know!"

Murthy's eyes blazed with fury. "So, you thought this 'unknown person' was asking you to sprinkle some harmless spice in the food, and they were willing to pay you a fortune for it? You're either stupid or a liar!" Murthy stepped closer, his voice lowering dangerously. "What did you think would happen when you agreed to do something so shady?"

Ramesh's eyes filled with tears. "I didn't think… I just needed the money. I didn't know they wanted to hurt Arjun sir, I swear!"

Murthy's patience snapped. His hand shot out, slapping Ramesh hard across the face. The sound echoed in the small room, and Ramesh gasped, clutching his cheek in shock.

"You idiot!" Murthy roared. "What did you expect that unknown caller to give you? Beer? Wine? Of course, he wanted to harm Arjun, and you just walked right into it!"

Ramesh cowered, nodding rapidly, tears streaming down his face. "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! Please believe me, I didn't know it was poison! I would never have done it if I knew!"

Vikram, though calmer than Murthy, felt a surge of frustration. The man had been lured by money, and now Arjun's life was falling apart because of his greed. But more importantly, the person who orchestrated this was still out there—some shadowy figure who had hired Ramesh to destroy Arjun's reputation.

Vikram leaned forward, his voice steady but cold. "Do you have any idea who this person is, Ramesh? Did they give you a name? A phone number?"

Ramesh shook his head, his hands trembling. "No… no, it was all done through anonymous messages. I never met them. They just left the money for me in an envelope at a specific location. I didn't ask any questions."

Vikram exchanged a look with Murthy, both of them knowing this wasn't over. They had confirmed what they suspected—Arjun was innocent. But the real criminal was still at large, hiding in the shadows, pulling the strings.

Murthy let out a frustrated sigh, rubbing his temples. "We know Arjun didn't do it. But we need to find the mastermind behind this. That damn unknown caller."

Vikram nodded, standing up and looking down at Ramesh. "You're going to help us, Ramesh. We're going to trace every message, every payment, and every connection you have with this person. You're not walking away from this, but if you help us find the one behind this, it might save Arjun—and your own neck."

Ramesh nodded weakly, his face pale and filled with regret.

As they left the interrogation room, Murthy glanced at Vikram, his expression grim but determined. "We're not done yet. Arjun's innocent, but we still have a long way to go. That caller—whoever they are—they're out there, and we're going to find them."

### **The Real Culprit**

Vikram arrived at the precinct early that morning, eager to pursue the next steps in the restaurant poisoning case. After the confession from Ramesh, it was clear that Arjun had been framed, but finding the unknown mastermind was proving to be a challenge. As he reviewed the case notes, a knock on his door interrupted his thoughts.

"Come in," Vikram called.

The door opened, revealing a young officer in a crisp uniform. He had a square jawline, sharp eyes, and the air of someone ready to make an impression.

"Officer Vikram Mehra?" the newcomer asked.

"That's me," Vikram said, extending his hand. "You must be the officer sent by Murthy."

"Yes, sir," the officer said with a firm shake. "Alok Pawar. I've been assigned to assist you in the investigation."

Vikram studied the new officer for a moment, then nodded. "Good to have you on board, Alok. We have a complicated case on our hands."

Alok's expression turned serious. "I've read the reports. Framing an innocent man for a crime like this is serious. We'll get to the bottom of it."

---

Together, Vikram and Alok headed back to the neighborhood where the poisoning had taken place. The streets were bustling with the usual activity, but Vikram noticed the subtle tension in the air. They walked past Saffron Bites, the once-thriving restaurant now sealed and lifeless. Arjun stood outside the doors, his eyes filled with worry as he saw the two officers approach.

"Sir," Arjun said, his voice laced with desperation, "I'm begging you. I need to reopen my shop. I swear I've done nothing wrong. This is my only livelihood. I can't survive like this."

Vikram looked at the man, his heart heavy. He understood Arjun's plight, but until the real culprit was found, his hands were tied. "I'm sorry, Arjun," Vikram said gently, "but the investigation isn't over. We can't let you reopen the restaurant until we've found out who's behind this."

Arjun's shoulders slumped in defeat. "How long will this take, sir? My family depends on this shop…"

Vikram couldn't give him a clear answer. "We're working as fast as we can. I promise, once the truth comes out, you'll be cleared."

Arjun nodded, though the pain in his eyes was evident. He turned and walked away, his steps slow and defeated.

As he left, Alok turned to Vikram, shaking his head. "That man's barely holding on. He has nothing besides this shop. I've seen situations like this before—people like him, they don't have many options."

Vikram sighed. "I know. But we can't let him reopen until the real culprit is found. It's out of our control for now."

Alok nodded but seemed deep in thought as they continued down the street. The shops nearby were thriving. People were bustling in and out of them, especially now that Saffron Bites had been shut down. It didn't go unnoticed by either of them.

"Look at that," Alok said, nodding toward the nearby restaurants. "Business is booming for these places ever since Arjun's shop was closed. Doesn't that seem a little… convenient?"

Vikram glanced around, watching the neighboring restaurants buzzing with customers. "You think one of them could be behind this?"

"It's possible," Alok replied, lowering his voice. "When one business fails, others often benefit. If one of these shop owners saw Arjun as competition, they might have framed him to get ahead. It's not the first time something like this has happened."

Vikram considered Alok's words carefully. It was a theory, but they couldn't jump to conclusions without proof. "We can't make any assumptions until we have evidence," Vikram cautioned. "But it's worth looking into."

Just then, Meena walked out of a nearby restaurant, a satisfied look on her face. She waved to Vikram and Alok, approaching them with a smile.

"Hey, Vikram, Alok," she greeted. "I just had dinner at one of the places down the street. You two should try it—it's really good! The food here is some of the best I've had in this area."

Vikram's mind clicked into gear at her comment, and an idea struck him like a lightning bolt. "Meena, what did you say? The food was really good?"

Meena nodded, confused by his sudden intensity. "Yes, why?"

Vikram turned to Alok, his eyes sharp. "What if someone's using a special ingredient in their food to attract more customers? What if the same poison used in the incident was being introduced slowly, in small amounts, to enhance flavors, or make people crave the food without realizing it?"

Alok raised an eyebrow, catching on. "You think one of these restaurants could be using small doses of poison regularly, but only gave too much to the group of friends by mistake?"

"It's possible," Vikram said, nodding. "If someone's lacing the food with just enough poison to keep people coming back, they might have slipped up when they poisoned the young men. We need to check all the restaurants' food samples."

"That what I said earlier.." he sighed.

Meena's eyes widened. "You think one of these restaurants is doing that? How do we get the samples without raising suspicion?"

Vikram's mind was racing. "Alok, we need to go undercover. You'll visit every shop in plain clothes, order food, and collect samples. Bring them back to Meena. She'll send them to the lab for testing. We need to find traces of poison, even if it's in small amounts."

Alok nodded, already on board with the plan. "I'll go now. Let's see what we can find."

---

Over the next few hours, Alok moved through the area, visiting every restaurant, blending in with the crowds, and carefully collecting samples. By the time the sun had set, he had a variety of dishes packed and ready to go.

At the station, Meena carefully took the samples and prepared them for lab testing. "I'll get these to the lab first thing in the morning," she said, her tone serious. "If there's poison in any of them, we'll know soon enough."

Vikram nodded, his mind focused on the next steps. "Good. Once we have the results, we'll finally know if one of these shops is behind the poisoning."

---

The next morning, the lab results came in. Meena entered the station with the report in hand, her expression grave. "Vikram, we found traces of the same poison in one of the samples. It's from a restaurant two blocks down from Saffron Bites."

Vikram took the report, his heart racing. "Who owns that restaurant?"

Meena flipped through her notes. "It's owned by a man named Rakesh Patel. He's been running the place for about five years. His business has boomed ever since Arjun's shop was closed."

Alok shook his head in disbelief. "So it was Rakesh all along. He's been poisoning his customers in small doses to boost his business."

Vikram's jaw tightened. "He made a mistake by poisoning those young men too much. We need to bring him in."

---

Later that day, Vikram and Alok stood outside Rakesh's restaurant, watching as people enjoyed their meals, unaware of the poison hidden within. Vikram felt a surge of anger at the thought of innocent people being harmed for profit.

"It's time," Vikram said. "Let's end this."

Together, they entered the restaurant, ready to confront Rakesh. The truth was about to come out, and the real culprit behind the poisoning would finally face justice.