The Unopened Drawer

Gray daylight partially closed curtains se room mein aa raha hai. Bedside lamp jal rahi hai. Ek aadmi ki laash bed ke paas covered sheet ke neeche hai.

INSPECTOR SALIM (46), trench coat, tired eyes, gloves aur case file ke saath, room ko measure karta hua andar aata hai.

INSPECTOR NITIN (40), rolled-up sleeves, restless, flashlight aur evidence bag ke saath, already room ko scan kar raha hai.

KRITI (37), controlled aur elegant, coffee mug pakde doorway ke paas khadi hai. Uska expression guarded hai.

Body kab discover hui?

Subah ke around seven. Main coffee le rahi thi.

Aur aapne seedha police ko call kiya?

Haan. Kya mujhe pehle body se permission leni thi?

Nitin irritated. Salim ek nazar us par daalta hai.

Room mein koi cheez hilayi nahi gayi?

Maine kuch touch nahi kiya.

Nitin flashlight se bedside table scan karta hai. Uski beam ek drawer par rukti hai.

Ye drawer kyun unopened hai?

Bedside table ka neeche wala drawer bilkul band hai. Dust line saaf dikh rahi hai.

Kyunki wo band tha.

Sab drawer band hote hain. Khulte bhi hain.

Interesting observation, Inspector.

Salim drawer ko observe karta hai.

Dust pattern alag hai.

Matlab kisi ne haath lagaya hai.

Ya kisi ne kabhi use khola hi nahi.

Aapka room hai. Aapne nahi khola?

Maine bola na, maine touch nahi kiya.

Itna perfect answer suspicious lagta hai.

Salim file kholta hai.

Dead man ka naam?

Arjun Mehra.

Aur aapka usse kya relation tha?

Koi personal relation nahi.

Phir woh aapke bedroom mein kya kar raha tha?

Shayad galat room mein tha.

Salim Kriti ko dekhta hai, phir body ki taraf.

Arjun yahan kisi se milne aaya tha.

Aur aap woh kisi ho sakti hain.

Ya aap dono bas mujhe convenient suspect bana rahe ho.

Convenient? Dead body aapke room mein hai.

Aur coffee mere haath mein hai. Kya woh bhi motive hai?

Salim suppresses a faint smirk.

Aapka tone controlled hai. Lekin aap nervous nahi lag rahi.

Main panic mein ugly lagti hoon.

Very funny.

Thank you.

Salim bedside table ke paas jhukta hai.

Ye drawer aapne kabhi khola hi nahi?

Nahi.

Kyun?

Kriti coffee mug ko dheere se rotate karti hai.

Kyunki kuch cheezein band hi achchi lagti hain.

Nitin evidence bag uthata hai.

Aap humse game khel rahi hain.

Nahi. Aap log mere ghar mein game khel rahe ho.

Salim door ki taraf ek nazar daalta hai, phir wapas drawer par.

Arjun blackmailer tha.

Kriti ki aankhon mein ek micro-flinch.

Bingo.

Har dead aadmi blackmailer nahi hota.

Nahi. Lekin Arjun ke paas kisi ko pressure karne ka reason tha.

Aur aap usi kisi ho.

Main uski target nahi thi.

Toh kaun tha?

Kriti ek beat leti hai.

Mere husband.

Silence.

Aapke husband?

Mar chuke hain.

Arjun unhe blackmail kar raha tha?

Woh sochta tha.

Sochta tha?

Usne galat person ko press kiya.

Nitin drawer ki taraf badhta hai.

Bas. Ab kholte hain.

Salim uska haath rok deta hai.

Ek minute.

Salim drawer ke dust line ko finger se indicate karta hai.

Ye drawer recently nahi khula. Lekin room mein koi aur cheez bhi hai jo miss ho rahi hai.

Kya?

The letters.

Kriti ka face still.

Kaunse letters?

Salim drawer ki handle par nazar tikata hai.

Jo aapne nahi dekhe.

Nitin drawer kholta hai. Inside: a bundle of LETTERS, some sealed, some torn, tied with an old ribbon. Nitin flashlight beam andar daalta hai.

Oh...

Salim ek envelope uthata hai. Sender name faded, but handwriting consistent.

Arjun ki wife ke letters.

Kriti ki grip coffee mug par tight hoti hai.

Wife?

Salim letters ko palat kar ek line padhta hai.

“Tum jis aurat ko blackmail kar rahe ho, woh main nahi hoon.”

Nitin confused.

Toh Arjun kisey blackmail kar raha tha?

Wrong person.

Salim Kriti ki taraf dekhta hai.

Aapki wife nahi. Aapke husband ki wife.

Kriti closes her eyes for a fraction.

Arjun ko lagta tha woh mere husband ki secret life pakad raha hai.

But uski real trail uski apni marriage tak ja rahi thi.

Matlab uski wife ne letters bheje?

Haan. Warning letters. Begging letters. Last chance letters.

Main unhe kabhi kholna nahi chahti thi.

Salim nods, case file shut karta hai.

Kyunki drawer evidence nahi tha.

Memory tha.

Kriti looks at the drawer, then at the body.

Main bas itna jaanti hoon...

Arjun ne wrong person ko blackmail kiya.

Aur kisi ne uski saza de di.

Ya uski greed ne.

A beat. Room mein sirf lamp ka hum aur curtains ki halki movement.

Salim evidence bag Nitin ko deta hai.

Pack the letters.

Nitin nods, ab subdued.

Kriti apni coffee mug ko bed ke side table par rakh deti hai.

Kya ab bhi lagta hai maine kuch chhupaya?

Salim uski taraf dekhta hai, measured.

Nahi.

Aapne bas woh cheez band rakhi jo pehle hi toot chuki thi.

Salim turns to go. Nitin follows, evidence bag in hand.

The unopened drawer remains open now, empty of mystery, full of truth.