Broken Strings...

Chapter 1.

"Adheer..." the name kept echoing in Veer's mind as he sat by his desk and worked on a file. Adheer's voice had revealed a lot about him in just uttering that single name. His anguish, unhappiness, desperation were easily noted in his voice and quickly picked up by Veer. The more Veer thought about Adheer, the more curious he grew about his case. He was sure that a soldier won't murder a person without a reason and if there was a reason, why doesn't any of the constable or other officers know about it! He had a feeling that Adheer was innocent and that his case had many dark unheard truth. The effects of these thoughts were so heavy that Veer wasn't able to concentrate. The urge to know more and more about Adheer was growing at such a fast rate that it indeed surprised Veer himself. He finally got up from his chair and went to the constable who had escorted him through the jail. Seeing Veer approaching, the constable immediately stood up and lifted his right hand into a salute.

"Vikash?" Veer addressed him, reading his name from the name plate pinned to his uniform.

"Yes, Sir."

"When was the prisoner no. 482 brought here? You were here when he was put behind the bars?"

"No. 482... Oh, Sir wo jo pagal ke tarah hota hai (oh, the prisoner who behaves like a retard)? When I was transferred here, he was already there. He wasn't any better, then also. I had also tried to find out about him. Wo hai hi aisa ki usko dekh ke lagta hai wo nirdosh hai (He is like that, seeing whom makes you feel that he is innocent). The only thing that I was told or I had found out with much difficulty was that he used to be a famous soldier and he was jailed for brutally killing someone. His case had gone through many stages and the final judgement of life imprisonment was given some four years before. By the time I came to this station, he had already completed two years of his imprisonment. I remember, one day the person who used to take food to the prisoners was on leave. So, a lady constable had taken his food to his. The way he had reacted, Sir! He simply didn't leave her hand, kept calling out a girl's name and saying that he didn't intend to kill her husband. The horrible way-"

"What did you say? He was taking a girl's name? Which name?" Veer asked cutting Vikash mid-sentence.

"Sir, I don't remember the name. This incident had occurred one year before. He sometimes mutters that girl's name in his sleep," Vikash replied.

"Didn't anyone try to find out who that girl was?"

"No, sir. Even if they would have found the girl what would have been the use of that? He is already imprisoned for life and his case is closed."

"Hmm..." was what Veer was able to say. He was lost in his own thoughts. He was so close to know something important about Adheer when that door got closed. Only if he could have known the girl's name! He, somehow, became sure that the girl had a deep connection with the case. "Anything else that you happen to know about him?"

"Nahi, sirji. Jitna pata tha, bol diya apko (No, sir. I already told you whatever I knew)," the constable replied.

"Does anyone else here know anything else?"

"No, sir. I don't think so. Most of the people here are either younger than me or have come to this police station after me. Pata nahi, sir, us kaidi me aisa kya hai ki mereko bhi uske upar daya ata hai (I don't know what that person has in him. I also feel sympathised for him)," the constable replied.
Veer very well knew why everyone had sympathy for Adheer. Anyone who must have looked carefully into Adheer's eyes would have been compelled to believe that he was innocent.

Veer knew he had extracted enough from Vikash. As he was walking away from the constable, Vikash called out, "Sirji. If you are actually that eager to know, you may rather check his file."

Veer felt dumb for not thinking about this till then. If he gets to read Adheer's file, he would come to know everything he wants. "Where are the files? Can I see them now?"
"Actually, sir, the person who maintains the record room and all the files is on a leave...", Vikash replied, "He will be back after two days. Then only can you see the files."
The two days wait seemed like two years for Veer. His curiosity was killing him from inside. Having nothing else in hand, he decided to patiently wait for those two days to read Adheer's file...

A/N:
So, the second update is here. Interesting chapters are on the way.
Keep reading, voting and commenting.
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