61 Chapter 61

The mystery had intensified with someone attempting to kill Sneha. This doesn't make sense! He went back to his whiteboard.

"Sir, that family is here again." His thoughts were again interrupted by the 'That Family'! He got annoyed.

"Ask them to sit. I am busy."

"Yes sir."

"Who attacked Sneha? The only person with a motive here is Stella. She would have done it to get rid of Sneha. But she is no longer in the equation. She is dead."

Another half an hour passed with Abdul racking his brains for a solution. He read the forensic report again.

"Sir, please may I come in?"

Abdul looked up, surprised by a female voice. It was the mother of the missing girl.

"Please sir. Help us find our daughter. We have been waiting since morning to meet you."

She started crying again.

Just to stop them from creating a scene and to get rid of away with them, Abdul called them in.

"I think you should check with your relatives. It is possible that she has married without your consent and has run away with her husband. She must be hiding at one of your relatives' places."

Abdul wasn't convinced that a girl of her age would vanish into thin air!

"Sir what are you saying? I have talked to all my relatives, and she is not with any of them," replied the father, surprised over this man's non-compliance. "Please listen to us. If you feel that we are beating around the bush and not making sense, we will leave. But hear us for the last time," he pleaded.

"Okay, shoot!" Abdul couldn't see any exit!

"Sir, you already know that my daughter is a software engineer and that she is working for a start-up here. But the thing you don't know is that she is also suffering from bipolar disorder. We had been extra cautious to keep her safe and she is on medication to reduce her anxiety. She was a normal child in her elementary school and high school until her early 20s, when the first episode of manic symptoms showed. She became extremely anxious, her energy levels were abnormally high, she didn't want to sleep, and was irritable all the time. The episode lasted for a week. We took her to the doctor who advised medication for her. Things went well until Shonali decided to change her place of work. She thought that a change would do the trick. We opposed her decision, but it was impossible to persuade her not to do this. Both my wife and I have been visiting her regularly to make sure that she is taking all her medication and that she is in good health. Then, when we came here last week, we found her missing. Even her roommates didn't know her whereabouts. And that is why we are so bothered. She is a beautiful girl. We are concerned and we are thinking of everything bad that could happen to our girl. Do you think she would have married or gone with her friends to Goa without telling us?"

Abdul didn't bat an eyelid while he was listening to the story. He threw the forensic report that he was viewing to the other side of the table where the mother was sitting.

The mother gave a cursory glance at the document and didn't bother much about it until she saw the photo that was attached to it. The victim, who appeared to be a woman, had had her head crushed beyond recognition. She shivered. The victim was milky white just like her daughter. She experienced goose bumps. Her body stiffened.