12 THE THIRD VICTIM

17TH JAN, 2017; 2.25 P.M.

Dhruv's accusations on Shiv made him realize that it wasn't just the killer of his son who was responsible, his ignorance or maybe his bad parenting or he himself was also accountable. Shiv might have proved Dhruv's theory wrong but does that mean he was innocent in any way? Just because Shiv had a set of logics and arguments for his defense doesn't mean he was not the killer. The circle of suspicion was growing with everything Dhruv had on his hands. No matter what, Dhruv was still the master of the game. A dramatic talk between the duo might have had its effect on Shiv but not on Dhruv! He was still cold and well, savage as always.

Dhruv: So are we going to talk about our third victim? Or are you going to be a cry baby and mourn your dead mistake!...OOPS!.... I mean you're dead SON.

Rathod: No matter what, you can't give up on being an asshole, can you?

Dhruv: EXCUSE ME!... It's called humor!

Rathod: Making fun of dead isn't really humor Killer!

Dhruv: Well dark humor then?

Rathod: No point in arguing with you! So shall we continue?

Dhruv: PLEASE! I can't handle you being a pain in my ass all the time, can I?

Rathod(with his hand on his forehead): God, what have I gotten myself into!

Dhruv: God has no part in it, this one's completely on me. He is probably busy thinking how to destroy one more life. To be honest I believe I am far more merciful than him at least.

Rathod: So, God is also a killer? Seems like we have one more suspect. What do you say Dhruv?!

Dhruv: Ahhh SARCASM! I like that! Well I could give you one more theory on it how it can be him but let's save that for some other day. For now, let's just go with Shreyash Nayak, date of death 10th January.

Rathod: Date of Death? Well that's the first one. But yeah sure, let's talk about Shreyash Nayak!

Dhruv: So, tell me! What do you know?

Rathod: Shreyash's body was found in the school basement. Cause of death was poisoning. Apparently Cyanide! But before we continue I just want to ask you, I mean apple seeds? Like seriously! Who uses apple seeds to make poison?

Dhruv: WHAT! Don't look at me like that! Apple seeds were the most effective way. Because getting poison from anywhere could have been very risky, you guys could have easily traced me. So I did a little research, found out cyanide can be used as poison. Did a little more research and guess what! Apple seeds contain a certain amount of cyanide in them, looked up the exact amount of seeds required to make the poison. And BOOM! I have my homemade poison ready to use! And well, I can assure you the quality of the damn thing. Who am I kidding, of Course you know! The proof was lying in front of you a few days ago. (Chuckles)

Rathod: Ha ha ha very funny! Anyway where did you get this information from? I mean apple seeds containing poison and all?

Dhruv: Internet! It's the tool to everything nowadays officer, it gives out information like prostitute gives out sex. Difference being it's your data you are using instead of money.

Rathod: Ok that was a very vivid picture you gave out for the internet. I have to say, I haven't seen anyone use the internet as efficiently as you have for killing someone.

Dhruv: I will take that as a compliment. But please! Can we continue with the important thing, that's enough compliments for the day already.

Rathod: Yeah sure! So as I said the victim was found in the basement of his school or should I say YOUR SCHOOL? And he wasn't really found until police went searching for him. The kid was supposed to be at home till 3.30 but as he didn't show up till 8 P.M. His parents were panicked, they called him, all his possible friends, even called the school but as they found no sign of him, they decided to take help from police. After we received a complaint we did not waste a minute more, I mean we knew two kids his age were killed already. We had to fasten it up! So luckily his phone was still ON; we traced it. It showed his location at his school, I took a search party out there, searched the whole school until we found his body in the basement. Same killing pattern as the other two victims; tortured with ahh… well tortured and killed later. Made it to seem as suicide, again like other two, I mean first victim via hanging, second by falling of a building and now third with poisoning. All of which is a way or other to commit suicide, and this was the time I felt as if the killer was trying to send a message, to be honest I never figured out what!..

Dhruv: Wait there! I told you to tell me everything! So why do you think the part of how he was tortured wasn't necessary; you completely omitted it.

Rathod: Well aren't you the one who killed him? So don't you know how he was tortured, huh?

Dhruv: Are you trying to play some stupid mind games with me detective?

Rathod: No mind games! I want to know how much of your claims of being this killer is true. Tell me! I am all ears!

Dhruv: Do you really think I am that stupid Officer? I know this isn't about me proving my claims or anything, it's your discomfort. You are not able to tell what you saw. What were you, disgusted, terrified, scared? Felt like vomiting? WHAT WAS IT?!!

Rathod: ALL OF IT! How could you do that to someone?!! I have seen people getting tortured but what you did with that kid was MONSTROSITY!! You didn't just torture him; you destroyed literally everything in him. Even if he was left alive, he would have been dead in no time.

Dhruv: See!! Giving him poison was an act of kindness.

Rathod: Maybe it was! But can't take my eyes off the evil you were with him.

Dhruv: EXPECT NO LESS FROM THE DEVIL HIMSELF!! You know what! Let's do this! I will tell you how I tortured him.

Rathod: Not really interested!

Dhruv: You brought this on yourself. Now listen!

Rathod: I said I don't want to!

Dhruv: Choices aren't really a privilege you own officer. So! Shall we start! Why am I even asking, of course we can! So as always, my interaction started with a fist fight. He gave up a good fight you know. But yet I was able to knock him off in a while. Dragged him down the stairs with my hands, the funny part being no one heard any sound. See our school basement was made for the purpose of dance practice and all, so it was pretty big with a lot of pillars in it, it looks something like a parking lot in a building!..

Rathod: I know all of this; I have been there many times now and know all the details. I really don't want to know any of this!

Dhruv: I don't care! You will listen! So as I was saying, there are many pillars so I tied him up to one! I don't know how hard the knock out was, I mean I dragged him down to the basement and tied him to a pillar and motherfucker still was unconscious. I had to wake him up! What's better than pain, to wake someone up from their unrealistic dreams officer? Removed the pincer I brought with me, removed his nail. And this was the first time I struggled with removing nails. I mean it was so tight! I tried pulling it as always but it didn't come out, so I used more strength, say what! His skin also came out with his nail! Man that was crazy!! He did wake from his dream but with the loudest scream I ever heard. I mean I stuffed his mouth with his pants; I stuffed it up till his throat, but still! I could hear him. You can imagine how loud it could have been if his face wasn't stuffed.

Rathod: THAT'S ENOUGH! It's enough what you said, we don't have to go any further!

Dhruv: NO NO NO! We haven't yet reached the important parts yet! So after that, I pulled all his nails ONE BY ONE! With the other two it was just two or three nails, but Shreyash was very special for me. So I removed all of them, even the ones in his legs, and blood was everywhere. I… I mean.. I mean EVERYWHERE! Then I went with his hair. Hairs weren't really that hard! Hold it, pull it! Hold it, pull it! Till I was over, he was nearly bald! His head was still covered, but blood this time! But.. but he was my third blow, I HAD TO TRY EVERYTHING! The pins I used last time, yeah I used them. This time brought more, as it did wonders last time. Instead of just poking him, I STABBED HIM WITH THEM! Ahh.. in this stomach, and… his legs, his thighs, his arms, even HIS FACE!! I even inserted it in his eyes! And.. and a person crying after losing his eyes is a scene worth watching. I mean you don't understand.... is it tears getting mixed with blood or is it just blood gushing out, IT'S A FUCKING FREAK SHOW!! It was all blood everywhere. I don't remember inserting something in his dick but if I had you might have found out! (Chuckles) and from inserting, I remembered! The best thing was….

Rathod: PLEASE STOP!! ISN'T THIS ENOUGH?!!

Dhruv: NO NO NO! IT ISN'T! Not until I finish.... So I was saying, I brought this iron rode with me which had a really sharp edge. Wanna know where it went, huh?! I inserted it up his butthole! And I am PRETTY sure it damaged his..

Rathod: His inner parts!

Dhruv: OH you read my mind now?

Rathod: How many times did you do that, huh?! You literally tore apart his intestines. His inners were completely damaged; he could have barely survived after your monstrous torture!

Dhruv: Oh that's why there was so much blood! I thought it was his period! (Laughs)

Rathod: How could you laugh on that?! You nearly killed him with your torture! You completely shattered his legs..

Dhruv: MAN! I was supposed to talk about it! Yeah I used the same iron rod to break his legs. He was completely exhausted that he barely reacted! That's why I thought it was enough. Gave him poison and all the fun was over in a little time. I am still wondering, after literally tearing him apart from inside, how would poison feel like?

Rathod: Believe me, if I gave you up to his parents, they can help you understand that pain!

Dhruv: OH! Seems like DADDY RATHOD AWAKENS!

Rathod: I really don't understand you! You have been so calm here most of the time while talking about it and so violent during the crime, as if two completely different people. What did you get after all of this?!

Dhruv: Satisfaction!... Every drop of blood that came out of those bastards just gave my pain its relief! Seeing them,... trying their best to escape out of their misery, trying to cry out loud so that the world, the people could listen to their call for help, while I take care that none of it happens.... The fear in their eyes,…THEY WERE SCARED OF ME!!! They shivered in terror and that's the first time I felt what Goosebumps really are!.. I MADE THEM SUFFER! And when that happened, they showed their true colors... I SAW THEM BEG FOR LIFE!!... But you know what was different with Shreyash?! I wanted him to beg for death. Even hell might have gone easy on him then I did. The limits I crossed just to get it out of him are familiar to you, aren't they Officer?!.. I won't lie officer.. When I removed that pant I stuffed in his mouth, he did not cry for a moment. He just asked me a favor! "Dhruv,…if you wanna kill me, please do it now! I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE!!!" He was more than ready when I gave him that poison. In fact he drank all of it at once, that's how desperate he was! His death or anyone's death wasn't the satisfaction I was talking about. IT WAS THEIR HELPLESSNESS! Making them stand in a position by someone else, suffering for their little mistakes, and knowing the fact that whatever they do, nothing's gonna change!

Rathod: So it was just a great metaphor?... You suffered for your mistakes and they did for theirs, but the difference being their punishment and suffering was far worse than yours.... I guess I have your motive now.

Dhruv: It isn't that simple Officer! There are many more twists left for this game.... I guess you deserve a little time to process after this. Take a break! We can continue later.

Dhruv was right! Shiv kept himself very calm in the interrogation room but he was disturbed. He never expected anything as such! He saw no remorse in Dhruv's face while he said those things, the thought of him being a psychopath crossed Shiv's mind several times, but the fact that Dhruv wasn't careless with his actions and words didn't let him believe that. Everything he did was very well planned, systematic in execution, leaving literally no evidence at the crime scene just showed the sheer brilliance the 17yr old possessed. After stepping outside the interrogation room, Shiv tried to understand Dhruv's game, he knew that the game was the ultimate key to all mysteries. As Shiv stood there lost in his thoughts, Vijay called him from his cabin,

Patil: SIR!...SIR!..RATHOD SAHEB! ARE YOU LISTENING? RATHOD SAHEB!

Shiv finally hears the call,

Rathod: OH! Sorry! I was thinking about something! What is it Vijay?

Patil: Sir, can you come here in my cabin please? I think you should listen to this!

Rathod: Listen to what Vijay?

Patil: It's the girl! This girl has something very important regarding Dhruv and the murders.

Rathod: What is that?

Patil: She is possibly the eye witness we were looking for!

Rathod: WHAT THE FUCK!