NEW DELHI: It was supposed to be the trip of a lifetime. With a rented scooter, a borrowed smartwatch, and the kind of wide-eyed excitement the newlyweds carry, Raja and Sonam Raghuvanshi set off from Indore to the lush, rain-drenched trails of Meghalaya.On May 22, the couple reached Mawlakhiyat village and began the steep 3,000-step trek to Nongriat – home to the famed living root bridges. They spent the night there, surrounded by clouds and forest silence. The next morning, they checked out of their homestay and vanished.What followed was a slow unraveling of a horror no one had imagined.Their scooter was discovered abandoned on May 24, near a café on the Shillong-Sohra road. Then came days of agonising silence until Raja’s decomposed body was found deep inside a gorge near Weisawdong Falls.“There is no doubt it was a murder,” said East Khasi Hills SP Vivek Syiem. “We have recovered a dao. It was new and used for this very purpose.”The body was identified by a tattoo on his hand — “Raja and a lady” — and the waterproof smartwatch he had borrowed from his brother. His wallet, gold jewellery, and four mobile phones were gone.A raincoat, possibly belonging to the couple, was later recovered in Mawkma village, just a few kilometres away.Police are still trying to piece together what happened. “Whether the motive was robbery, vendetta or personal enmity, we need to look for more evidence before drawing any conclusions,” SP Syiem added.The search for Sonam continues with drones, sniffer dogs, NDRF teams and mountaineers combing the thick wilderness. But relentless rain has slowed progress.For Raja’s family, the grief is compounded by frustration. His brother Vipin, who has been aiding in the search, said authorities ignored early pleas to explore the very area where the body was eventually found. He also alleged that misleading information may be hampering the investigation.Adding to the chilling puzzle is a voice recording Raja’s mother received from Sonam on May 23 — the last known contact. In it, Sonam can be heard short of breath, telling her mother-in-law she was trekking to a waterfall and refusing to break her religious fast. The call ended suddenly. That was the last time anyone heard from her.The family has refused to cremate Raja’s body in Shillong. They are bringing him back to Indore so his parents can say goodbye.Their demand is clear: a CBI probe and Army assistance. For now, all they have are questions, empty silence – and a borrowed watch that told the time, but not the end.