Mihir sat in deep thought. *"It's a good thing I didn't go to the police with all this. They might have beaten me and made me a suspect,"* he muttered to himself.
With renewed determination, Mihir dived back into his investigation. But despite his efforts, he could only glance through half of the evidence report. He didn't even realize that the very clue he was searching for — the mistake that could unravel the entire case — was hidden right there in plain sight. Yet, he couldn't see it. Not yet.
He would have to try harder. Only then could this tangled mystery be solved.
Just then, a loud knock echoed through his home.
**Knock. Knock. Knock.**
Mihir froze. *"Who could it be at this hour?"* he thought. He didn't talk much to the neighbors, and they hardly paid him any attention.
A wave of questions filled his mind.
*Who could it be now? Should I open the door? What if it's just a kid trying to bother me?*
He hesitated, slowly approaching the door. But just as he reached out to open it, the knocking stopped. He sighed, slightly annoyed. *"I knew it — probably someone trying to mess with me."*
But as soon as he turned around to go back inside, the knocking resumed — this time louder and more urgent. He was just about to swing the door open and shout when he saw who it was.
Standing there were his mistress and her daughter, Mayra, from the house where he worked.
Surprised, Mihir quickly composed himself and smiled. "You both are here?"
Mayra stepped forward and replied with a soft smile, "Brother, you weren't feeling well, so we came to see you. Did I do something wrong by coming here?"
Mihir chuckled lightly. "No, no. Nothing like that. Please, come inside."
He felt a little embarrassed — he didn't even have tea or snacks to offer, let alone a proper meal. The lady noticed his discomfort and gently said, "Don't worry. I brought food with me. Come, let's eat together."
They all sat down, sharing food and conversation. The atmosphere turned warm.
Mayra looked at him curiously. "Brother, didn't you say you were going somewhere this week? What happened?"
Mihir smiled. "Right. So, tell me — when should we go?"
Her mother suggested, "Let's go on Sunday." There were still two days left until then, and they made their plan. After finishing their meal, the two women left to do some shopping.
Once they were gone, Mihir felt a heavy wave of exhaustion. As he lay down on the bed, his mind again drifted to the case — so many questions, so few answers. He didn't even realize when he slipped into a deep sleep.
Hours passed. He woke up, eyes still half closed, whispering to himself, *"How could I fall asleep in the middle of this investigation?"*
Shaking off the grogginess, Mihir got up, freshened himself, and made his way to the secret room where he had collected all his findings about the bank robbery. He uncovered a new piece of evidence — something vital, something he had missed before.
*"I should take this to the police,"* he thought. *"But no... something doesn't feel right."*
He had a gut feeling — either the police were in league with the criminal, or they were deliberately hiding something.
*"Something is definitely wrong here."*
He thought about the man who had died — supposedly from a heart attack. But Mihir didn't believe that story. *"If I want to know the truth, I'll have to go to that man's house and find more clues… without anyone knowing."*
But how? How would he even find the address of the deceased?
He couldn't ask just anyone. That would draw attention. And going to the police was out of the question.
Mihir paced, muttering to himself, "Think, Mihir. Think."
So many questions. So few answers.
First, he needed to find out where the postmortem had been conducted.
Second, he had to determine whether the police were lying… or if the victim's family was being forced into silence.
Third, he might need the initial medical report — or to meet the doctor who saw the victim first.
This case was growing more complicated with each passing day. And now, those who were once supposed to help him might actually be part of the crime.
He could no longer trust anyone.
He would have to do this alone.
Suddenly, a surge of energy rose within him. He stood tall and declared to himself, "No matter what happens, I *will* solve this case. No matter how dangerous it gets, I won't give up."
But what Mihir didn't know… was that someone was already watching his every move — silently, carefully, waiting.
**And now, the question remained: Who was going to stand between Mihir and the truth?**