DISCLAIMER: This is a work of fiction. All characters and events are imaginary. Any resemblance to real incidents is purely coincidental.
Narration:
Prologue: The First Fall (2006)
The old house in the quiet neighborhood had seen better days. Vikram’s mother, a sprightly widow in her late 60s, was known for her sharp mind and careful steps. Until that day.
Niharika, the dutiful daughter-in-law and lab technician, had just returned from a brief stay with Vikram in another state. The maids swore they heard nothing—just a thud. By the time help arrived, the old woman was on the floor, her hip shattered. The doctors called it a tragic accident. "Elderly bones are fragile," they said.
Vikram, ever the devoted son, arranged for round-the-clock care. But his mother never walked again. The property papers, even swifter—transferred smoothly to Niharika’s name believing her sweet words to be a guardian to the now handicapped mother-in-law of hers.
Act Two: The Second Fall (2008)
Two years later, history repeated itself in the same neighborhood. Darius’s mother, another widow with a comfortable fortune, took a "terrible tumble" from her bed while her son was at work. Only Samaira, her daughter-in-law, and their young daughter were home.
The little girl’s frantic call to Darius was the first anyone heard of it. "Grandma fell," she sobbed. By the time Darius rushed back, his mother was unconscious. The doctors murmured about "complications." She never left her bed again.
The funeral was arranged before the neighbors could process what happened. The paperwork? Handled with bureaucratic ease. Samaira’s name now graced every deed, every title.
The Patterns:
- The Falls: Both widows met identical fates—sudden, immobilizing accidents when their sons were absent.
The Transfers: Assets moved seamlessly to the daughters-in-law. No disputes. No delays.
The Silence: Vikram and Darius, once vocal men, now spoke in hushed tones. Niharika and Samaira, however, grew louder—dominating local matters, silencing whispers with sharp glares.
The Oddities:
Samaira, not Darius, rode the family bike.
Niharika, the lab technician, had a keen understanding of chemicals.
Both sisters shared a talent for navigating legal loopholes.
The Unanswered Questions:
Why did both women fall only when their sons were away?
Why were the funerals so hurried?
Why did the husbands, once assertive, now seem like ghosts in their own homes?
The Neighborhood Whispers:
"They say the sisters learned from each other’s mistakes. Niharika’s mother-in-law lingered too long—so Samaira made sure hers didn’t."
Epilogue: The Perfect Crime?
On paper, it was flawless. No bodies. No evidence. Just two "unfortunate accidents" and a trail of paperwork.
But in the shadows, the neighbors still talk. And in the silence of the two husbands, the truth screams louder than any confession.
Reader’s Puzzle:
Could this really be coincidence? Or did the sisters perfect the art of the invisible crime?
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