3: The Night at the Pub

A FEW HOURS BEFORE RAGHUPATHI'S DEATH

The pub throbbed with the city's financial elite. A kaleidoscope of light washed over the crowd, painting fleeting colors on eager faces. Some young patrons sampled the extensive liquor selection, while others indulged in lines of illicit white powder.

Karthik and Rishi sat at the bar, drinks in hand.

"Karthik," Rishi began, "I need to ask you something."

Karthik chuckled. "Since when the formalities? After Siri, you're the closest person to me. You can ask me anything, anytime."

"I need some cash."

"How much?"

"Ten lakhs."

"Pick it up tomorrow morning at the house."

Without hesitation, Karthik agreed to his friend's request.

"Don't you want to know what I need it for?"

"Like I said, I trust you. Do whatever you want with it."

"Thanks, buddy! Cheers!" Rishi's face lit up.

They clinked glasses and downed their drinks.

Just then, Siri entered the pub. The entrance was to the right of the bar. Her crimson dress turned every head in the room. She walked directly to her boyfriend.

"Hi, guys!"

She kissed Karthik on the cheek and hugged Rishi.

"Where's everyone else?" Siri asked.

Rishi gestured toward the dance floor. The rest of their group was moving to the DJ's music.

"Karthik, come on! Let's dance," Siri said, pulling him toward the crowd. Rishi stayed at the bar, enjoying his drink.

Karthik and Siri joined the other couples on the dance floor. Strobe lights flashed, illuminating their close embrace. They moved in sync, their hands clasped, lost in each other's eyes.

After a while, Karthik led Siri to a quieter corner. He put his arm around her waist, pulled her close, and kissed her deeply. Siri responded, melting into his embrace.

Their romantic moment was interrupted by Sam, a mutual friend, who stumbled upon them, beer in hand.

"Oops! Sorry," Sam mumbled.

Karthik broke the kiss, and Siri blushed.

"Carry on! Carry on!" Sam said with a smirk, before wandering off.

Siri and Karthik exchanged grins.

"They're really going at it," Sam slurred to his inebriated friends.

They grunted in response.

"For a year now, I've been telling Karthik to talk to his dad about Siri," Rishi said. "That idiot has no guts. He's a firebrand in front of us, but a scared little boy when he's around his father."

"Looks to me like Karthik will use Siri and then dump her," Varun added.

Karthik, who had overheard the conversation from a few feet away, reacted instantly. He grabbed a beer bottle and hurled it at Varun's head. Varun crumpled to the floor, blood flowing from the gash.

The pub went silent. All eyes turned toward the enraged Karthik. He glared at Varun, ready to strike again, but Rishi and Sam intervened, pulling him back.

"Karthik, please, ignore him," Rishi pleaded, trying to restrain his friend. "He didn't mean it. He's drunk."

"I don't care if he's drunk or not," Karthik retorted. "He was talking about Siri." He looked at her. "Do you believe him?"

"No!" Siri replied, her voice trembling.

Karthik stared at her, his anger mixed with hurt. Siri looked frightened.

"I'm going to talk to my dad right now and tell him about us," Karthik declared.

Siri shook her head, a silent plea for him to reconsider.

"I have to, my love," he insisted. "I have to show these bastards how much I love you."

Siri hugged him tightly. "Not now, Karthik. I know how much you love me. You don't have to prove anything to anyone."

Karthik gently disengaged from the hug, his expression unconvinced. He turned and stormed out of the pub. As he left, he snatched an open packet of white powder from a stranger and inhaled it.

Siri ran after him, calling his name. But he ignored her and drove off alone.

Siri flagged down a taxi parked outside the pub, the driver waiting for a fare. She instructed him to follow Karthik's car.

BACK TO THE PRESENT

The SI reviewed the CCTV footage from the pub, piecing together the events of that night.

"Sir," the constable said, "it's clear from the footage that they both lied to us."

"No," the SI corrected him. "They didn't lie. They just didn't tell us the whole truth."

He considered the possibilities. "Siri, who took a taxi, might have intercepted Karthik and taken him home. Or, Karthik, still furious, could have gone to his father and killed him after Raghupathi refused to give his blessing to their relationship. Or, perhaps Siri and Karthik were in it together."

"Sir," the constable admitted, "your theories are a bit hard to follow."

"These are just possibilities, Chari," the SI explained. "We're the police. We have to explore every angle. To get closer to the truth, we need the postmortem report, the taxi driver's details, and, most importantly, the call logs for Raghupathi, Karthik, and Siri."

"Yes, sir. I'll get on it right away," the constable assured him.