Eye On You

by Kanchana Banerjee

  “I’m sorry. I wish I could say something. Offer some help but I just don’t know what to say, Myra. I’ve never worked in a company like yours. Never held a job of such importance. For me, it’s baked goodies, cakes, quiches and coffee.” He smiles at me. I offer him a weak smile. Another time, another day I would have scoffed at the thought of such an ambition-less life. I would have said, what’s the point of living if you aren’t chasing an impossible target.

  But now…I don’t know. I don’t know what I want, what I should do…I know nothing.

  My phone rings and he stands up.

  “It’s your best friend, Hridi calling.” Suraj has already gotten up and he is about to push the chair back.

  “How do you know?”

  “I can see her name on the screen.”

  “No. I mean, how do you know she’s my best friend.”

  “I’ve seen the two of you here. You often speak with her while at the cafe. And you have a loud animated voice, Myra.” He laughs and then suddenly falls silent as though pondering on what he wants to say. He leans towards me and continues.

  “Don’t let this change who you are, Myra. You are amazing. Strong, brave…fearless. Please always be like this. Don’t let anything or anyone change you. Take your time to decide about Arjun. Just give it a lot of time.” Having said it, he gives me a grin, picks up the plate and empty plastic cup before I can protest, and walks away.

  I chat with Hridi for a bit. She sounds tired and so am I. We hang up soon. I walk towards the counter.

  “Suraj, will you walk me to my car?” I’m ready to go home and hate myself for feeling weak and but the thought of walking in the now completely dark basement with most cars gone; is not something I feel prepared to face.

  “Of course, I will. Just give me 5 minutes to shut down the shop.”

  As we walk down the empty corridor, towards the elevator, I ask him. “How do you know my boyfriend’s name is Arjun?”

  “Huh? You told me. Right now…when you were telling me about everything that happened.”

  “I did? Don’t remember.” I shake my head. “I’m becoming such a muddle head. Can’t hear Subodh call me out. Lose focus when a conversation is going on and can’t remember anything.”

  “You need to get home and sleep, Myra. You need rest.” Suraj walks alongside me as I walk towards my car.

  Chapter 15. Dipti

  “Don’t talk technical with me,” Dipti said as she sat with Dipesh Soni, the new recruit who headed the cyber cell opened by Haryana police. He had messaged her saying that he had finished examining Anahita’s phone. Dipti and Sonali met him at his office.

  The number of cybercrime cases had been surging and the police department realized they needed technical brains to nab these techie goons.

  “The phone has been hacked. There’s a virus inside which has given the hacker complete access and control over the phone.” Dipti narrowed her eyes as she focused on what Dipesh was telling her.

  “Explain it to me.”

  “The hacker inserted a virus in her phone. It can be very easily done by a call. Someone asks to borrow the phone for a quick call. The call is made to a certain number and the virus finds the path in. Another route the hackers often use, is sending a text message which the user of the phone unwittingly clicks on.” He paused to see if Dipti was following what he had explained. She nodded and made a low grunting sound. His past experience with her had taught him that the low grunt meant, carry on. I’m with you so far.

  “Once inside the phone, the hacker is able to see the pictures, messages, emails. Basically, do anything and everything with the phone. Transfer money. Anything.”

  “Can the hacker post pictures …say on Instagram and other social media channels?” Dipti bent forward with her elbow resting on the table. Anahita had repeatedly said she’d deleted her selfie but it got posted on Insta on its own. Someone wanted the police to find the picture.

  “Yes, hackers can do that. They can do anything once they are inside the phone.”

  “Okay, now what about the laptop? Anahita complained that her webcam on the laptop kept getting switched on by itself. How did that happen?”

  Dipesh continued, masking his boredom with the question. It hadn’t taken him and his team long to understand that the cops had very basic knowledge and understanding of what a hacker could do.

  “Like most people, Anahita must have linked her phone with the laptop via Bluetooth to transfer files or pics. The virus went from the phone to the laptop and then the hacker switched on the webcam to look at her.” He understood the shock on Dipti’s face but this was really the easiest and basic route perverts resorted to when they want to play peeping tom with a woman they fancy.

  “Hmm.” Dipti sat back deep in thought and then continued. “So, you think Anahita must have given her phone to someone unknown or maybe lost it for a while before finding it again?”

  “Most likely she gave the phone to someone to make a call. Most people never hand over their phone to a stranger, but these hacker cells operate in such fancy up-market places and have such suave and well-dressed men and women requesting to make a call…you would never suspect. Sometimes kids.”

  “I need to talk to Anahita.” Dipti started dialling the number and then realized that her phone was lying on her table.

  “Sonali!” the yell was enough to make the young girl come in running. “You had taken an alternate number from Anahita. Call her right now.” Sonali looked very pleased with herself. She had taken the alternate number, landline number and address of the very upset and hassled Anahita as she’d walked out of Dipti’s room sans her mobile.

  “Anahita, tell me, did you lose the phone and then find it again? Did you give the phone to someone to make a call…someone you don’t know? There’s a virus in your phone.” Dipti didn’t bother with an introduction or niceties.

  “Huh? I…can’t remember…” Anahita fumbled with words which made Dipti angrier. “I most certainly didn’t lose the phone and then get it back again.”

  “Think Anahita, it’s very important. Did you hand over the phone to someone to make a call? Think harder.” After what was only 10 seconds but seemed like a very long time to the impatient Dipti, Anahita replied. “Yes, I was at Galleria market about 2 weeks ago. Two kids, you know poor kids, like lower-middle-class kids but neatly dressed, came up to me and asked if they could make a call. They were waiting for their father and their phone was broken.” Dipti clenched her jaw hard while Anahita spoke.

  ‘Lower middle class, poor kids. Not everyone is lucky like you to be born wrapped in leather jackets and tiny skirts.’ Dipti wanted desperately to snap but there was a more important matter at hand.

  “So, you gave your phone to two kids. They made a call and then handed the phone back. Right?” Dipti was looking at Dipesh as she repeated what Anahita said. He nodded.

  She hung up abruptly and stared at the young guy again.

  “Yes, the virus could have got in through the call the kids made. No one would suspect them of being attached to a hacking gang. Two innocent kids requesting to make a call is likely to evoke sympathy in anyone. The hackers recruit such kids, pay the poor ones few hundred bucks.”

  “Just one phone call, virus in and the hacker gets complete control.” Dipti sat back shaking her head.

  “Once hackers get inside a phone they can do anything. People have smart homes nowadays. The front door, CCTV, robotic vacuum cleaners, ACs, lights…everything is now through an app. The hacker can open your main door and enter the house while you sleep. Forget funds transfer. That’s a given. Our phones have all vital information about our work, our lives, contacts…everything. Someone can enter your home using the phone. You are at their mercy. They can destroy you if they want to.”

  Dipti and Sonali left soon; both were silent in the jeep, their minds buzzing with all the information from Dipesh. Dipti reversed the jeep out of the compound, drove through the narrow road and entered the main roa
d. A woman in a gleaming red Volvo pulled up alongside as they stood waiting for the red light to change. She took a selfie in the car and then unzipped her jacket and took another selfie, chuckling to herself. Dipti kept looking at her.

  All these women are constantly clicking pictures of themselves. Trying to look sexy. Undo few buttons. Unzip the jacket. Show their cleavage and pout. If a fucker gets into their phone…he can see everything they have in the album.

  Sonali cleared her throat and spoke up for the first time since morning.

  “Madam, may I say something?” Sonali said the words many times in her head before uttering them. She had witnessed Dipti’s ire when junior constables spoke out of turn.

  “Bolo.”

  “A hacker got into Anahita’s phone and posted the picture of Arjun. But Arjun wasn’t there so he morphed Arjun’s picture in the selfie and posted it. He wanted us to suspect Arjun. So this hacker and the rapist is the same person, madam. It’s not one of her friends…I mean one of her friends didn’t rape, Myra. It’s a hacker. She was having an open-door party that night. Everyone was drunk. Anyone could have walked in.” Dipti looked at the younger woman and thought to herself.

  ‘Duracell bunny has a brain. I’ve been thinking the same.’

  Dipti kept silent for a while and then spoke as the lights turned green and she revved the car ahead. “That delivery guy…ghanaa chatak hai. Not a bewakoof. He got into the condo grounds undetected and then to the staircase. This means he must be coming to the complex often. He knows his way around.”

  “Madam, I think the delivery guy, the hacker, and the rapist are the same person,” Sonali said, encouraged by the fact that she hadn’t been yelled at.

  At the HUDA cross-section, Dipti halted the jeep at the red light, though the cop on duty saluted and waved his hand which meant she could pass through, she stood waiting. She was in no hurry. And she did that only when her mother-in-law was in the car. To impress and inform her that she wasn’t a nobody. It usually worked. The ever-complaining matriarch stopped with the snide remarks for few days and told her friends how her bahurani had whizzed through the red light with other cops saluting her as she sped away.

  “But how did he enter the complex undetected and roam around without arousing any suspicion?” Dipti tapped her fingers on the wheel.

  “Madam, these food and courier delivery guys come into every building all day and even at night. They come right up to the front door. They know every inch of the building, madam. It is a big security problem, if you ask me.” Sonali added.

  “So, he plants the bra in Arjun’s sock drawer. Then he posts the selfie taken by Anahita on Instagram because he knows we are looking at that. I see the picture and grab Arjun for questioning but Arjun gets away because he has the perfect alibi.”

  “How did he get into Myra’s house that night? Did he enter during the party? That’s a big risk. Or did he wait till the party was over and then enter? But then how did he enter her house?” Dipti’s brows creased with a frown as she thought harder.

  “Madam. Myra…she has a smart door. It is operated by an app. I noticed when we went the first day.”

  Dipti swerved the car to the left and jammed the brake hard, Sonali broke her fall by grabbing the dashboard on time. She spun around to see what had caused her boss to apply the brake so hard. There wasn’t any car in their path.

  Dipti sat with her jaws gnashing and gritting her teeth, her fingers gripped the steering wheel hard, her brown knuckles showing a hint of white. Her eyes narrowed and her jaw clenched as she stared ahead. The weak sunlight which had been struggling since morning to find its way through the dense smog, suddenly shone brightly as though the smog had decided to dissipate.

  Chapter 16. Myra

  Archie starts whining and wagging his tail before the bell rings.

  “It’s Hridi. I’ll open the door.” I call out so that Malti doesn’t need to leave the kitchen. She is making quinoa flatbread pizza with corn, mushroom and tiny dollops of cheese. I have 2 bottles of Cabernet for the evening. The reversible AC in the den has warmed the room just right; Gurgaon is experiencing an uncharacteristic cold winter. The houses here unlike those in Europe or the US, aren’t built to be comfortable in severe winter. Malti has taken out a few woollen throws and shawls for added comfort. I’m looking forward to a relaxed evening with Hridi. I just want to try and take a step towards normalcy. If that’s even possible. I’ve been unable to sleep in my bedroom. I use the guest room now. The dark basement still makes me sweaty in spite of it being a very cold December.

  Archie is wagging his tail furiously, pouncing on the door as though he is going to open it. Silly boy! I bodily pull him back and open the door to my best friend who looks like she’s been not having a good day.

  “Let’s have a drink first, shall we?

  “Yes, My. I’m just…so…so…” Hridi looks like she is ready to explode.

  “Don’t talk. Just make yourself comfy. I’ll get the glasses and the nibbles.”

  It’s the combined effect of the wine and Archie who has placed his muzzle on her lap, softly whining; a request to pet him and tickle his jowl. There are really very few things in life that can’t be handled with a glass of good wine and the presence of a warm furry body curled up near you.

  “Do you want to talk about it?” I settle down on a large cushion, propped up against the sofa and sip my wine. I’ve got bowls of roasted peanuts and some makhana to see us through till the flatbread pizza is ready.

  “Later. You go first, My. You messaged that Dip-shit called you and asked you to meet her at the police station. What’s that about?” Archie’s eyes almost shut in sheer ecstasy as Hridi continues to tickle and pet him while she talks.

  “I have no idea what they want now. I’m fed up with these nincompoop cops! Bloody idiots. I told her I have a busy morning tomorrow and will drop in during lunch.”

  “Have you spoken with Arjun, My?” I look away. I’m not ready to talk to him or talk about him yet. “My, he didn’t do it. You know that now.”

  “Yes, I do.” I swirl the wine in the glass, a pool of dark red. I don’t know which is better – to suspect him of raping me or knowing that he was with his married girlfriend while she was getting an abortion.

  I change the topic. “Did you read what Ana posted on the WA group?” We are 15 of us and we call the group F&F - Fit & Fabulous; exchanging tips on food, fitness and fashion. Ana has been posting nonstop since yesterday.

  “I didn’t read all the messages. There has been so much chatter. It’s difficult to keep up.” Hridi usually is quiet in the group; it’s I who introduced her to the others. I wanted my new best friend to be part of the gang. While she actively participates in the parties, drinking jaunts but even after 2 years, Hridi shows the restraint a new entrant displays. I thought she’ll get over it but hasn’t.

  “Her phone got hacked and someone has been switching on the camera in the laptop to play peeping tom while she changed her clothes.”

  “OMG!!” Hridi’s jaws drop. “How did I miss all of it? Poor thing and such a disgusting thing to happen. Gawd!! I often step out of the bath wrapped in a towel and then get dressed in the bedroom.”

  “Yes. True for all of us. The bathroom is freezing in winter and suffocating in summer. In the bedroom, it’s more comfortable to change while the heater or AC is on. I do it too. All the time.”

  “It’s really shocking, the kind of things men do.” The room is sufficiently warm but the very thought of some creepy weirdo watching us while we go about our life is a scary thought and makes us shiver. Thankfully, Malti arrives with the platter of flatbread pizza and a bowl of salad. We forget all about Ana, the creepy hacker, and the hell that has descended on her. The flatbread pizza is almost professional, in fact, better than any I’ve had. Malti really outdoes herself with every new recipe that she learns and tries. Hridi is also looking relaxed. Archie lies obediently near our feet, his nose twitching, hopeful eyes darting from me to
Hridi, hopeful of getting a tiny piece.

  “We need a refill.” I get up, take Hridi’s glass and walk out to do the needful.

  “Archie! No eating anything while I’m gone. Hri, don’t give him pieces from your plate.” Archie lets out a sigh, his ears twitch as his eyes look soulful enough to melt even the coldest heart. I know Hridi will feed him from her plate. I’m not too strict with him; love him too much to do that. It seems unbelievable that she isn’t a dog person. She told me so when I got Archie home after rescuing him from being left tied to the light pole. But she warmed up to him in no time and now spoils him silly.

  When I return, Hridi isn’t in the room. She has stepped out to the balcony, leaving the door ajar. The musty metallic smell of the polluted air has crept in; the one that everyone tries so hard to keep away. I can see her outside, gesticulating with her free hand, jabbing her finger in the air. She is really angry with someone.

  “Hridi aunty is blowing her lid at someone, Archie.” I ruffle his head and offer him a piece of the flatbread that Hridi has left on the plate. It has gone cold. As I shut the door, I hear her speaking.

  “Stop fooling around. Okay? This is not what we agreed. Just stick to the bloody plan. Stop with the idiotic stuff you’re doing. Just do the job.” She is back in the room soon.

  “What was that about, Hri?”

  “Arey, don’t ask. There’s been a rodent infestation in the office. They have chewed through lots of files, AC wires, connection wires in the conference room and stuff. I’d told the pest control guy to handle it. They haven’t done it yet. Nothing gets done till you follow up 1000 times and finally scream at the person. People just don’t have any work ethic at all.” She takes the refilled glass and takes a swig from it. She’s really worked up about it. About a blotched-up pest control?! Really? I’ve often wondered why a woman of her intelligence is content being just an admin manager in a small company?