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Bangalore ke ek posh gated society — Lakeview Mist. Sunday ka din tha. Society ki paanch close-knit housewives ne weekend morning ke group call ka plan banaya tha. Mandir jaate-jaate sab ne ek doosre ko Zoom par join karliya, shaant music ke background mein life ke chhote-shaate updates chal rahe the.
Room 706 ki Mrs. Sheetal Suri ne thoda late join kiya. Uska kehna tha, “Tum log jaao mandir, mujhe thoda kaam hai. Main ghar pe se hi call join kar rahi hoon.” Sabne dekha, uska video background wahi ghar ke living room ka tha — ek heavy velvet curtain ke samne.
Call khatam hui. Mandir se lautne ke baad sab ladies apartment ke niche milke gossip karne lagi. Tabhi police siren ne halla macha diya. Tower ke flat 706 se ek maid chillaate hue bhagi: “Madam… Madam mar gayi hain! Khoon ho gaya!!”
Police aayi. Voh Sheetal Suri ka laash dekhkar hairaan thi — unke sir pe kisi ne tajaa hammer se vaar kiya tha. Ghar ka darwaza andar se band tha. Koi tod-phod nahi thi. Aur murder hua tha Zoom call ke dauran hi — forensic time of death 10:47 AM.
Inspector Hebbar ko case confusing laga. Jab sab ladies mandir mein thi aur Sheetal Zoom pe alive thi, toh phir us waqt murder kaise hua?
Investigation mein ek aur shocking cheez pata chali — Zoom call ka recorded footage. Sheetal poore call mein sirf occasionally haan-mein-haan milati rahi. Kabhi-kabhi toh bilkul chup thi. Jab inspector ne video closely dekha, toh ek odd cheez pakdi — uske saamne ka curtain kabhi hilta hi nahi tha, aur Sheetal ki posture bhi static thi. Kya voh live thi ya pre-recorded?
Mrs. Garima Saxena, call ki host, ne bataaya ki Sheetal ne call join karne se pehle message kiya tha: “Kaam karte-karte join kar rahi hoon. Thoda distraction hoga.”
Technician ne Zoom logs observe kiya — aur sach saamne aaya. Sheetal ne webcam se broadcast nahi kiya tha. Usne ek recorded video dikhaya tha jisme voh bas baithi thi. Pre-recorded footage. Par kyu?
Sab ladies shock mein thi. Tab Inspector Hebbar ne ek aur cheez raise ki: “Sheetal ke husband, Aditya Suri, Dubai mein hain. Lekin Sheetal ke personal bank account mein last week ek lakh rupaye ka transfer hua tha kisi Meera Bhattacharya ke naam se.”
Meera Bhattacharya — society ki ek aur resident. Aur surprisingly, Sheetal aur Meera kisi waqt college best friends thi, jab tak ek ladke — Partha — ke chakkar mein dosti toot gayi.
Partha ab Meera ka ex-husband tha — unka recent divorce uss waqt finalize hua jab Sheetal ne court mein kuch affidavit diya tha Meera ke against. Shayad Sheetal ne talaaq mein Meera ke character ko questionable bataya tha?
Investigation aage badha. Police ne Sheetal ke flat ke andar ek bluetooth speaker recover kiya, jisme mandir wali bhakti music chal rahi thi — wohi background music Zoom call ke dauran chalta raha.
Phir aaya final punch.
Building CCTV ke according, ek delivery boy ne 10:30 AM pe Sheetal ke flat mein food deliver kiya. Vo andar gaya, par bahar nahi dikha. Jab uss boy ko track karke pakda gaya, toh investigation mein naye clue mile.
Delivery boy asal mein Meera ka bhai nikla — Vikrant Bhattacharya. Usne accept kiya ki Sheetal ne uss din use ghar aane diya tha under pretext of some patch-up. Par andar ghuste hi dono mein bahas hui, aur gusse mein usne uske sir pe vaar kar diya. Jab voh samjha ki Sheetal marr gayi, toh woh confuse ho gaya — par suddenly usne dekha ki Zoom call chal rahi thi, par Sheetal ki video pre-recorded thi. Usne turant door band kiya, aur bina kisi ko pata chalay curtain ke peeche se window ke through chhupke bhaag gaya.
Vikrant ke confess ke baad, police ne Meera se bhi poochtaach ki. Meera ne deny kiya ki usne kabhi murder plan kiya. “Maine paise diye the sirf sheetal se baat karne ke liye. Mujhe kya pata tha mera bhai impulsive ho jaayega.”
Court mein Vikrant ko prison sentence mila. Par mystery ka sabse dark hissa Meera ka moral ambiguity tha jiska saboot kabhi nahi mila.
Zoom footage, pre-recorded video, dosti ke chhupay raaz, aur ek vigilante bhai — sab mila ke itna tangled web bana diya ki sach samajhna mushkil tha. Har chehra screen pe tha. Par asli dramey curtain ke peeche ho rahe the.
Aur sach hamesha record nahi hota.
