Life with Natasha Singh was not a bed of roses. Vinay Kapoor, 36, till December last a director in Coca-Cola India, was a flamboyant bachelor who lived the five-star life in a grand suite with a private terrace at Delhi's Hyatt Regency. His relationship with Natasha blossomed in early 2001, and by May2001 they were more than friends. It was a relationship that led to two attacks on Kapoor, the first allegedly by Natasha's enraged estranged husband Jagat at a party in the Bristol Hotel. On the second occasion Kapoor was waylaid and beaten unconscious by unknown assailants after he had dropping Natasha home. His employers, frowning on the controversy, packed Kapoor off to London, from where he spoke to Special Correspondent
Sayantan Chakravarty.

Q. Did Natasha call or SMS you just before she died?
A. No she didn't. In fact we had chosen to go our own ways in December last.

Q. Why was that?
A. It was too much of a pain, carrying on a relationship that just was getting dangerous.

Q. Dangerous because of the assaults?
A. Well, yes. First the one at Bristol, then the one after I dropped her off. I don't think it was worth all the trouble, all the anxiety. In fact, when Natasha came to see me at the Apollo Hospital as I lay there with fractured legs, I told her that "our affair had to end at this very point".

Q. Did she agree?
A. Yes she did. We haven't been in touch since I moved to London in December.

Q. Is it easy to brush aside a serious affair overnight?
A. No, it isn't. It wasn't easy.

Q. Do you suspect foul play in her death?
A. I cannot comment on that. I am as dismayed and shocked as everybody else.

Q. Were you contemplating marriage at any point?
A. Never gave it a thought.

Q. How did you become friends?
A. Our relationship grew at a time when Natasha was going through a bad phase. I was a friend who helped her along, and we got close to one another.

Q. Do you remember her as a lively person?
A. (Reluctantly) She was, yes, lively.

Q. Were you relieved that the relationship was over?
A. Well, I paid a heavy price for it all and the way things were going wasn't acceptable to me at all.

Identity Parade

Jagat Singh: Natasha's politician ex-husband. Was questioned about the marriage and how it had deteriorated, his assault on Vinay Kapoor and custody battle for the children.

Sonia Verma: NDTV newsreader, friend since kindergarten. Fellow student at St Stephen's, she was questioned about Natasha's student life, friendships and recent behaviour.

Vishal Chawla: Natasha's friend, fashion boutique owner. Seen constantly with Natasha for the past six weeks, he was a suspect initially and was asked about his movements.

Vinay Kapoor: Ex-boyfriend, Coca-Cola executive now based in London. Police called him in London to ask him about his affair with Natasha and Jagat's alleged assault on him.

Deborah Malik: Close friend. Asked about the first SMS message that set the alarm bells ringing. Malik rushed to Natasha's house but arrived 10 minutes after she had left for the Hyatt.

Andy Sehgal: Friend of Jagat. His call to Natasha at 1.15 a.m. was the last she received on her phone, though he didn't get to speak to Natasha. Was asked why he had called her.