The police officer blamed me asking why I did not make a sudden attempt to save the dying person by cutting the rope. I explained everything in detail to them to prove my innocence in the matter. The officer suddenly questioned Julie to verify my answers. She had explained everything as per my version only. In the meantime, my wife also intervened to prove my point. But the angry-looking officer told my wife “You are very innocent and you don’t know anything about your husband’s foul play”. He also told my wife that they had already received an official complaint from the diseased Pinto sometime back that his wife was having illegal affairs with his neighbour (pointing to me) and he wanted to commit suicide because of this. The officer further wanted to confiscate my passport. I told them that my passport was not available with me as it remained with my sponsor employer as that was the practice those days. 

I told him to wait the next day if they wanted to verify my passport, and he agreed. By that time they had questioned Julie to know how she knew the owner of the apartment. She had honestly disclosed my involvement and help as a common friend. We never knew that they were cooking up a story out of those facts. Their interpretation was that Julie was my girlfriend and I wanted to get her close by so that I could meet her frequently to maintain our relationship. Hence I helped her to get the apartment opposite mine. Seeing the faulty direction in which the case was proceeding, I decided to call my Arab sponsor from the royal family with good influence. In fact, I didn’t wish to disturb him at that odd hours. When I called him and explained the entire issue, he wanted to speak with the officer in charge. My Sponsor who was a very influential Arab and a UAE nation, spoke with the officer about me and my character.  Then the officer told him that there was nothing to worry about as it was one of their methods of finding out if any conspiracy was involved in the suicide of Pinto. They also assured my sponsor that they very well knew about my very innocence in this case and they would free me immediately. 

Accordingly, they sent me free telling me that I should attend to their office whenever they call me for any further interrogation as an eye witness who saw the dead body and who informed the case. Needless to say for me and my wife, it was a nightmare that we never wish to experience again, especially in a foreign country. 

The next day after the duel completed all the legal formalities, Pinto was buried in Dubai according to their religious rituals. During a later discussion between Julie and my wife regarding what prompted Pinto to commit suicide, Julie told my wife with tears in her eyes “It was all my mistake only, sister”. After a few glasses of drinks, Pinto wanted to make love with me. At that time I was watching my favourite movie so I told him to wait for some time for the film to get completed. Since he was fully drunk and out of his senses, he got disgusted and soon thought of committing suicide by handing to teach me a lesson. I never knew it would end up like this. 

After a few weeks, Julie vacated her apartment and moved to some paying guest accommodation with her know family in Deira. We also ceased further contact with her.

To be continued soon...