ANAMIKA : ANONYMOUS- PART 2

[After reading my post "Anonymous", some readers felt that a sequel to it would really appeal. But, I personally felt that it was just right the way it was. Later, I thought, why not? I had never written a sequel before to any of my stories. I always struggle to end it, and just end it. So, this is my first attempt at writing a sequel. Hope it's all right!]


"Anamika murdered"..

"He was found dead by...."

"Sumit's relatives, refuse to.."

"... the police have nothing to give us, yet. Jeyant Mishra, with camera man ..."

Patil was exhausted. He swtiched off the television. He had never handled such a bizarre case before! His meeting with the commissioner that morning had been pathetic.

".. murder weapon is a Chef's knife. A carbon steel one. The damages are more for the tang had become loose just as the knife.."

"We don't want u'r theory Patil. We want- Who"?

"We are working on it.."

Patil opened his eyes. He saw the file marked "ANAMIKA" right on top. He reached for it.

Sumit had been quite a successful lawyer, well liked by his colleagues and clients, married, no children, he had been living alone, though, for the past three years.

Patil encircled the word "alone" and wrote "?" over it. He read on.

Since one week before his murder, Sumit had attended nearly four official parties. During one such party, he had drunk heavily and had to be escorted back home by some colleague.

An alchoholic writer? Patil chuckled. He imagined the media's reactions over it!

The pages were full of names of his clients, their addresses.. Patil shut the file.

He knew two facts about the murder. one. The murderer wasn't a proffessional. Two. There had been a very strong reason behind it. Patil had reasons to believe these two facts. The murder was not perfect. The tang of the knife had come off the handle. The murderer had left the blade behind.

Secondly, the murderer had tried to leave behind a message. Over Sumit's corpse, a page from a very old diary had been intentionally placed. The writing over it, read the name "ANAMIKA". Also, the knife had been plunged with such force into Sumit, only a man who has been saturated with anger could have done it.

The telephone rang. He had been expecting this call. He listened attentively. His eyes shrunk and bulged as he listened. He put the receiver down.

Sumit's ancestral home. Wasn't very big, but he certainly had a big family. Patil spoke to the widow, first.

Sumit and his wife had been living together only for about a year. Sumit was alchoholic and almost constantly abused his wife. So, her in-laws brought her back to their ancestral home. No one in his family had ever tried contacting him since then. Next, Patil spoke to Sumit's father.

Commissioner was shocked. "Are you sure, Patil"?

"Sir, Sumit's father claims that as a young man, Sumit was never remotely interested in writing. Infact, he was never very good in any of his subjects. Some of his friends from college too, share the same view about him, as his father.Next, the hand writing on the page from the diary and that of Sumit's do not match. The writing on the diary is a few years old.

I tried contacting "The Messiah". The editor says, that Sumit came to his office a few days back and showed him the diary- saying that it was a collection of his works. Which was when, he also gave the editor, his next story in person, which was again from the diary..

I inquired the watchman of Sumit's building about the visitors he met that day. He showed me the register he maintains with the visitors' names on it. And I found this"..

Patil spread open the register. One of its recent entries read- ANAMIKA..

"And this writing, matches with the one on the diary". Finished Patil.

".. So he was a fraud, then! He was never the writer"!

"I am not sure about that, yet. But I ask you, not to reveal this to anyone until we find the person behind all this.. "

".. Patil, you may leave".

Patil was exhausted. He was also, frustrated. He had one chance. But now, he lost it. There was no hope.

".. the lawyer, is after all, not Anamika, announced the Commissioner, today.."

"... shocking truth. Let's hear what the fans here have got to say on this.."

"... they call it a betrayal of their trust. With camera man.."

Joy switched off the television. He looked at the diary he was holding. He turned its pages; his words, his thoughts. A few pages left blank towards the end- he took a pen and wrote:

"The few pages of Anamika"...

(To be continued..)