Chapter I  The Investigation November 23, 2022 8.00 p.m Breaking news, the TV channel blared.  A well dressed presenter began the news in a firm voice. 'The Udaipur Police have apprehended the suspected killer in the infamous 'Super Glue' case. He will be presented in court tomorrow. The Police are seeking a three-day remand.' The camera zoomed in on the Superintendent of Police-Udaipur, who said, "This is one of the quickest cases closed by the Udaipur Police. The entire credit for this investigation goes to Inspector Ajay Chauhan and his team. They have withheld their reputation as the best crime investigation team in Rajasthan."  The camera zoomed back to the presenter in the studio. She continued, 'The suspect was taken into custody three days after the bodies of a couple were found in a clearing in the Kelabavadi forest area. Inspector Ajay Chauhan and his team questioned more than 200 people before zeroing in on the suspected killer. More on this story as and when we get updates. Stay tuned for the latest news in Udaipur.' *** November 23, 2022 6.00 p.m "Let's get the bastard," Inspector Ajay Chauhan addressed his team. "Yes, Sir." They said in unison. Arjun Mewada, his deputy, and few others jumped into the waiting jeep, which sped away till it reached the Ichchapoorna Seshnaag Mandir. The Inspector alighted as the vehicle slowed down and rushed towards a shop with a board that said, 'Tantra and Mantra.'  Inside, a man dressed in saffron robes was seated on an ornate chair and was in deep discussion with a few others who were listening to him in rapt attention. "Mangal is seated in an inauspicious position. The groom will die. But I have a solution."  He was interrupted when the Inspector and his team barged in. "Baba Mahakaal?"  "Ji," the man replied without looking up, still engrossed in the charts he was reading. "Time to visit your mother-in-law. Will you co-operate with us, or should I drag you all the way?" "Chalo, Niklo Sab." The gathering dispersed when they realized that the Police meant business.  "Kya hua Sahibji?" "You are under arrest for the murder of Mrs. Usha Agarwal and Mr. Ravi Meena. You have the right to an attorney and remain silent." "But, but...," the man protested.  "We have evidence, CC TV footage, semen samples. You thought you would get away with this dastardly act?" "I haven't done anything, Sahebji. You have got the wrong man." "Your denial won't change the truth. The most crucial evidence is staring back at me." "Hand over your rudraksha mala and step aside." "Arjun, can you count the number of beads on this mala? I bet it is 107." *** November 23, 2022 Office of Inspector Ajay Chauhan. 12.00 p.m "So, Mrs. Ravi Meena, I need you to tell me those things about your husband that you have not already shared with us. Did you notice any change in his behavior in the last few days? Was something different from his usual demeanor? Does anything come to your mind? At this point, these small things can make a huge difference. So please think." "Sir, I don't have anything to say. In fact, the last few days were so blissful. My husband had become caring and sensitive to my needs. He used to get flowers for me every evening. The spark in our relationship was back. I had started falling in love with him all over again. I don't know who did this to him and why?" "And why do you think there was a change in his behavior?" "I don't know, Sir. Maybe because he got a raise? Why would one question good behavior, Sir? We were happy and content. Shayad isliye nazar lag gayi." "Ok. Thank you for coming here at short notice, Mrs. Ravi." "Please find the murderer, Sir. Jai Baba Mahakaal," said Mrs. Ravi with folded hands and tears brimming her eyes. She seems too docile to be involved in this murder. Yet, I must do what I must do.  "Arjun, please see Mrs. Ravi out and send Mr. Agarwal in," said the Inspector. Track her movements, he signaled to Arjun. *** "Mr. Agarwal, do you have anything to share? Anything at all?" "What can I say, Sir? Our married life had just started looking up. Not that Usha complained, but I could see the sadness in her eyes. I loved her deeply, and wanted her to be happy. After trying all medicines and totkas, we visited Baba Mahakaal. He had an instant solution. I had to pay a hefty sum, but Usha was happy. Finally, I could satisfy my wife in bed. Jai Baba Mahakaal." "What did you just say?" "Kya, Sir, are you making fun of me? I had an erectile dysfunction problem." "No, not that. Who solved your problem?" "Baba Mahakaal. He cured me completely. Our sexual life improved tremendously." "Here, can you please write down his address and phone number on this note pad?" "Sure, Sir. Here you go." "You may leave now; we shall inform you of the developments, if any."  Inspector Ajay ushered Mr. Agarwal out of his office and called for Arjun. "Arjun, we have a lead. These families visit some Baba Mahakaal at this address. Pull out the CC TV footage from outside his shop. My gut feeling is that Mr. Ravi Meena and Mrs. Usha Agarwal were with the Baba before they left for Kelabavadi. *** "You are right, Sir. We checked the CC TV footage for the last month. Mrs. Usha Agarwal and Mr. Ravi Meena visited the Baba on the same days and time. Most importantly, the trio left the shop together at 1.30 p.m. on the day of murder. And the Baba returned to his shop alone at 4.00 p.m." "I rechecked the footage near the forest area. Mrs. Usha and Mr. Ravi are clearly visible, seated in a car. When I zoomed in on the footage, I could see another person in the rear seat. Here, have a look, Sir." "Well done, Arjun. We have our man." *** November 23, 2022 Office of Inspector Ajay Chauhan 10.00 a.m Inspector Ajay Chauhan stood tall at six feet, facing a white board with scribblings of critical information. He addressed his team. "Mrs. Usha Agarwal - aged 30, home maker.  Mr. Ravi Meena - aged 32, teacher. Both belonged to different parts of the city. There is no visible connection between the two.  We have checked their call records. Nothing suspicious in them. They both were clean, no criminal records of any sort. They were of docile temperament, so they had no enemies who might be hiding from us.  So, what is that one thing they had in common? We have missed a critical clue - something that is staring at us, yet inconspicuous enough to have not caught our attention." Inspector Ajay Chauhan twirled his mustache, a signal that he was in deep thought. His handsome, chiseled face appeared calm, whereas his mind was racing, trying to connect the dots in front of him.  After a few minutes, he addressed his deputy, "Arjun, get me the bag of evidences and let's go through them again." "Sir, we have the victim's clothes, the woman's mangalsutra, an empty wallet, and a single rudraksha bead. The victim's cell phones are not here, meaning the murderer has it. He must have destroyed the sim cards. We are unable to connect with the numbers." "Hmmm. We can track the IMIE number only when the phones are in use. What about the CCTV footage?" "We have scanned them all. We have questioned everyone in the vicinity of the crime scene half an hour before and after the crime. All of them are clear. Surprisingly none of them saw or heard anything suspicious." "What about the victim's families?" "We have already questioned them, Sir. They do not suspect anyone. In fact, they were in denial when informed of the condition of the bodies." "Hmmm. Arjun, call the husband of Mrs. Usha and the wife of Mr. Ravi to the police station for questioning. I will question them both again." November 22, 2022 Office of Inspector Ajay Chauhan. "So, what do we have till now?" questioned Inspector Ajay Chauhan.  Arjun Mewada replied, "Sir, the postmortem report just arrived.  Date of death - November 17, 2022  Time of death - between 3.00 and 3.30 p.m. Cause of death -  Mr. Ravi's skull was crushed with some sharp object, maybe a stone.   Mrs. Usha died of suffocation. The victims were sexually active. Semen samples found on Mrs. Usha's body belong to Mr. Ravi.  Semen samples found in Mrs. Usha's mouth belong to some unidentified person. There is another interesting observation - the bodies had traces of super glue on them." "Super glue? Something like feviquick?" "Yes, Sir." "That explains the peeled skin. The victims must have tried to separate themselves. Someone wanted them to die painfully." November 21, 2022 Office of Inspector Ajay Chauhan. "Sir, the victims are Mr. Rahul Meena and Mrs. Usha Agarwal. Their families identified them despite the condition of the bodies, based on their clothes and other paraphernalia found at the crime site. We received calls in response to our fax to the various police stations in Udaipur. Both these people were reported missing by their families three days ago. We had called the families for identification." "Excellent. Question the families and do a background check on the victims." November 20, 2022 Kelabavadi Forest area. "Arjun, did the forensic team gather any evidence?" Inspector Ajay Chauhan questioned his deputy. "Not yet, Sir. They are still combing the area." "Did you question the informant?" "Yes, Sir. He is a truck driver. He was passing this way, and he stopped for a leak. He found some clothes near the bushes closer to the road. His curiosity brought him here. And when he saw the bodies, he called us. "Hmmm. Talk to the owner of the truck. Verify with him the pick up and drop location of the goods. Till then, the truck driver remains a suspect." "What do you think about this murder, Arjun?" "Sir, this looks like a case of honor killing." "And why do you think so?" "Sir, look at these bodies - not a piece of cloth on them. They were brutally assaulted and left to bleed to death. It's very typical in these areas." "Maybe you are right, maybe not. Look at this, Arjun. The skin on both the bodies has peeled off in many places. Whatever caused this must have been painful." Chapter II The Crime and the Criminal November 17, 2022 Kelabavadi Forest area. They fell in love with this place as soon as they set foot here - the verdant trees, the cool breeze, the small but perfect clearing. And to top it all, autumn had made this place look vibrant.  Like I had promised them, the clearing in the forest area was perfect for the union. Ravi and Usha did not waste any time. I expected them to be wild, desperate, and aggressive, but they surprised me by being gentle. One by one, they discarded their raiments. Soon their bodies were entwined, and moans encompassed the clearing.  The scene unfolding before me was magical, yet my member was flaccid.  Only revenge will give me a high today. I quickly pulled out the bottle of super glue and doused the pair in it. The moans transformed to shrieks and then to screams. As they tried to pull themselves apart, their skin peeled, revealing shades of red.  Oh! How much it excited me to see them suffer. I was as hard as a rock, and when I jerked, I was ecstatic.  While they struggled to get the glue off, I poured more over their genitals. They screamed, I laughed.  "Louder, scream louder. No one will hear you. This place is isolated. You are doomed. Now, I will take a video and send it to your families. What did you think? I would spare you for threatening to expose me?" I screamed.  Then the unexpected happened. Ravi tore himself away from Usha and pounced on me. That man had some strength; he pushed me to the ground, almost strangulated me. I found a stone; I picked it up and smashed his skull open. That was the end of him. Usha looked on in horror. Usha, my Usha, was bleeding.  What have I done? In my madness for revenge, I have hurt my love.  I couldn't see her in pain. I rushed to comfort her. And what did she do? Instead of allowing me to touch her, she pushed me away.  That was it. If she couldn't be mine, she could belong to no one else.  I pinned her to the ground and stuffed my member in her mouth, down her throat. We both found our release at the same instant. With every thrust while I drowned in ecstasy, her life slipped away. I had to ensure I didn't leave any evidence of my presence. I located the stone with which I smashed Ravi's head and put it in my bag. I picked up their phones, emptied Ravi's wallet, and slipped away quietly.  As I approached the road, I looked back one last time. The clearing was as quiet as ever; trees continued to sway gently to the zephyr, and leaves continued to pirouette their way to the ground.  My secret shall remain secure in this clearing. In all probability, the bodies will rot here. Even if someone finds them, it will pass off as a case of honor killing. I never communicated with them on the phone. I ensured they switched off their phones long before they visited my shop. So their call records will not lead to me. I will destroy their sim cards and dump them somewhere along the way. Their phones will lie in my trunk as a souvenir. This is a perfect murder.   As I turned to leave, my Rudraksha Mala got stuck in one of the branches, and the beads came loose. I quickly gathered them and left. *** November 15, 2022 Tantra Mantra "Usha, I am in love with you," I declare my love to her. She responds with anger.  My docile Usha can get angry. This is a revelation.  It only makes me want her more. "Do not rush. Think it over. Your husband is anyway unable to satisfy you. He is managing on the medicines I provide him. I will give you a better life. In this profession, I meet many couples who desire children. I have slept with many women, given them satisfaction and blessed them with children. They come back for more because I have a long and hard member. I promise you will beg for more." Did her face cringe in disgust? I have offered bliss to a deprived woman. She will be mine soon. Imagine my shock when she returns with that school teacher, Ravi. He is strong and well built, but he is no match to me. I am handsome with a mane of thick curly hair, deep brown eyes and strong, chiseled body. Yet, she choses him over me? I would have forgiven her for that, but she did the unthinkable. She threatened me.  "I will expose you, you piece of shit," she said. Piece of shit? Now, that's harsh. And that was not all. She wanted me to find a place where they could fornicate." "You are playing with fire," I wanted to say, but she was a woman on a mission.  My practice of a decade was in jeopardy because of my foolishness. I had exposed myself to a woman who loved another. I had to think of a way out.  I switched on the radio to distract myself. The song 'Fevicol se' played in the background. I knew how I would seek revenge. *** Author’s note: This story is a work of fiction inspired by an article in India today. The timelines, names of characters, the course of events are all a work of fiction, only the place is retained for authenticity. You may read more about the case here. https://www.indiatoday.in/india/rajasthan/story/tantrik-asks-couple-to-have-sex-in-front-of-him-pours-feviquick-kills-them-2300487-2022-11-22   Penmancy gets a small share of every purchase you make through these links, and every little helps us continue bringing you the reads you love!