by UD Yasha
I realized I was grinning.
‘I was just heading out to speak to Manohar’s friends. You can come with me if you want. I’m leaving in twenty minutes.’
‘Great, have you had breakfast?’
‘I was just about to make some sandwiches.’
‘Don't, I'll get us something to eat. I just got up as well. Do you still like a double cappuccino?'
‘More than most people.’
‘Sweet, I’ll see you soon,’ he said and hung up.
‘Why are you grinning so much?’ Radha said as she came down the stairs, rubbing her eyes.
I became self-conscious and tried to keep a straight face. Turns out, I was not even close to successful.
‘What’s the matter, sister?’ Radha said again and crossed to the kitchen to drink her morning bliss—a warm cup of water with lemon and turmeric. She had been forcing me to have it as well.
‘Before anything else, drink this,’ Radha said, passing a glass to me.
It felt warm when I held it. I pinched my nose and downed it.
‘Now tell me,’ Radha said. ‘Why are you grinning so much despite having the lemon and turmeric water?’
I shook my head and made a face.
Radha said, ‘You know the more silent you become, the more obvious it gets, right?’
‘What are you talking about?’
‘It’s Atharva, isn’t it? Is he coming?’
‘How in the world did you know that?’
‘You’re forgetting that we’re sisters. I would’ve reacted exactly the same if my first boyfriend showed up the way Atharva did—with even more dashing looks and an endearing personality.’
‘Don't say that in front of him,' I said, fully knowing that Radha was capable of embarrassing me in most situations, however harmless they may seem. This one was tailor made for a classic Radha facepalm.
‘Look who’s saying that,’ Radha said. ‘I got my eyes on you. I’ll have my revenge.’
She was referring to how I spoke to Rahul when they had first started going out. I was working on maa's case when a clue related to biology came up. Rahul was the only biologist I knew. So, according to me, it was only obvious that I call him at three in the morning, introduce myself as his two-week long girlfriend's sister and then ask him to come over right away so I could show him a piece of evidence.
‘You wait for it,’ Radha said and started laughing.
‘Don't forget there are murders and a kidnapping to solve,' I yelled and ran upstairs just as she feigned coming towards me to poke me, a game both of us played since as far as we could remember.
I took a quick shower and spent at least five extra minutes to pick clothes. It was good and refreshing to think of something other than the case, albeit for a short time. What was I even thinking would happen between Atharva and me? I allowed my thoughts to wander. It had been more than three years since I had had a romantic relationship with anyone. Only once in that period had I been attracted to someone. His name was Vivaan Deshpande and we had met about four months back when I was investigating the case in which we got maa back. Even then, I had brushed away all thoughts that would take my mind off that case. Since then, I had thought about calling him a few times but had not gone through with it. Even now, I felt I could not afford to think about anything else apart from finding Rucha. I needed to put all my energy into it to not make a mistake that would put her in further danger.
I chuckled looking at myself in the mirror as I realized I had two imaginary potential dates in less than four months. I was quite a player in my own thoughts. Way to go, Siya.
The CCTV feed in my room came to life. I saw Atharva entering the house. I checked myself out in the mirror once. I laughed at myself, realizing I was not sure how this was done anymore.
Chapter Nineteen
It was eight thirty-five by the time Atharva and I left to meet Shaunak Manohar’s friend. He insisted on taking the wheel and I was glad to let him navigate through the morning madness on the streets of Pune.
We drove for the most part in silence because both of us were eating. Atharva had picked up samosas and kachoris for us along with two double cappuccinos. The sun was strong on Atharva’s face. His hair was wavy and it glinted brown in the sunlight. He was wearing a checkered shirt and had folded his sleeves to reveal a muscular forearm. I caught myself thinking about him again, and I forced myself to get back to the case.
As Atharva made the turn to the school, I said, ‘Manohar’s best friend is a man named Vijay Krishnan. He teaches mathematics at Ad Astra International School. He's not in the country right now. We are meeting another friend of his. Her name is Madhura Patil. She teaches English at the school.’
‘What does Manohar teach?’ Rathod said.
‘Physics, chemistry and biology.'
‘How long has he been teaching at the school?’
‘I don’t know about that. But Sheila told me he has been friends with Vijay and Madhura for the past ten years, so I am guessing the same amount of time.’
Ad Astra International was unlike any other school I had visited. Even from afar, I could make out it was massive. The road leading up to it was wide with lush green trees on either side. I was pretty sure I had not seen that shade of green in Pune anywhere else. We were stopped at the main gate and only let in once it was confirmed that we had an appointment with someone at the school.
We were asked to park near the entrance. A solar-powered golf cart picked us up from the parking lot. Its driver knew where we were supposed to go.
From what I could make out, the campus was divided into four different parts. One was dedicated to sports. The signage told me the school had cricket, football, hockey, kabaddi and athletics fields. Apart from that, it also had an Olympic size swimming pool, badminton, tennis and squash courts and skating rinks. The second part was the Science wing. Different departments had been named after various Nobel Laureates. The third part was reserved for Arts of various kinds. I was asked to come to the fourth part of the school—one that had classrooms and admin offices.
I was in awe of what I was seeing. Teaching here would be an extraordinary experience. It made me think harder as to what drove Manohar to lie, and perhaps even kill. He seemed to have a great family and the perfect job.
The golf cart dropped us in front of the beautifully designed admin building. It had a large arc at the front that rested on pillars. Each of them was carved intricately with books and faces of renowned personalities. I wondered if kids coming to this school ever pretended to have a fever so they could miss school for a day.
We walked on a pebbled path set amid a manicured lawn. As we reached the admin building’s patio, a lady waved at us.
‘Siya Rajput?’ she said and after seeing me nod, she walked towards us. ‘I’m Madhura Patil,’ she said.
We shook hands. I introduced Atharva as my associate.
‘Please come with me,’ she said and beckoned us to follow her.
We entered the building and took the first right. ‘Sheila told me what happened. I don't believe it for one second,' Madhura said as we stepped into her office, which was a spectacle of its own. It had very little furniture. Just a desk, three chairs and a bookshelf. But all of it was white and went fluidly with the wooden flooring. To add to it, an entire side of the office opened into a garden, flooding the entire space with sunlight.
Madhura beckoned us to sit. She pressed a button on the intercom on her desk and called for coffee.
‘I’m here to help you in whatever way I can,’ Madhura said. Her bubbly demeanour from before had vanished.
‘That’s good. He needs your help. The evidence is against him.’
‘I don’t understand how. He is the most humble and kind person I know. Anyone you speak to will say the same.’
‘Did he ever mention anyone named Daksh or Malini Sinha to you?’
‘Not that I can remember.’
‘Did he get along with Sheila?’
‘We
shared our problems. I’m still unmarried. So, my problems are spicier,’ she said and laughed at her own quip. ‘They were like any couple. They had their moments of angst, but they loved each other deeply. You should see them fight. It is hilarious, and even they’d see the funny side of it after they were done. They are great together though.’
‘Did you notice anything strange about him in the recent past?’
‘No, he was like himself. He was goofy and kind. That’s why I said what Sheila told me was unbelievable. He worked very hard. We have a running joke amongst teachers that he himself would never get full marks in his tests because he researched so much while framing the questions,’ Madhura said and paused. ‘Wait, what do you mean by recent past?’
‘The past few weeks, maybe months.’
‘I don’t know about months, but he took the entire last week off.’
I leaned forward. He had been telling Sheila that he was going to work. ‘You didn’t think of telling us that first?’ I said.
‘I didn't know it was a big deal. Teachers need a vacation too. The kids are off enjoying their summer holidays, so the volume of work is comparatively less. A lot of teachers take holidays this time of the year, especially because the new academic year at the school begins in fifteen days.’
‘Since when did he stop coming in?’ Atharva asked.
‘Probably since last Monday.’
‘You can check with the admin in charge. I'll introduce you to her.'
‘Do you know why he hasn’t been coming?’
‘I don’t know to be honest.’
‘Can you also show us Manohar’s office?’ I said.
‘I’ll have to ask the school principal first. Manohar has a set of keys. The principal has the other,’ Madhura said and got up. ‘Come with me. I’ll try to get you what you want if it’s going to help Shaunak.’
We followed her outside and went to the third and the topmost floor of the admin building.
‘Wait for a second here,' Madhura said, and then walked off to a lady sitting at the reception. She returned a minute later with a piece of paper in her hand. ‘This is Shaunak Manohar's attendance for the past six months. The system is pretty reliable as each teacher has to punch in their entry and exit using their fingerprints.'
‘Thanks for this,’ I said as she handed me the paper.
‘Let’s go to the principal’s office,’ she said and again set off walking fast one way, leaving us scrambling to not lose her.
I glanced at Manohar's attendance sheet. Madhura was right. He was punctual and never missed work. At least for the most part of it. He took his first holiday in six months five weeks back—just when the school term had ended. Since then, he had taken a total of sixteen holidays, including the last full week. What had happened five weeks back?
I texted Sheila, asking her about the last time Manohar had taken leave from work. Would she know or had Manohar lied to her about it as well?
We waited outside the principal’s office while Madhura was inside. This time, she returned in a few minutes. Her face had turned white.
‘I’m sorry. He isn’t ready to hand over the keys to me. You’ll have to convince him,’ she said and then leaned closer to me. She whispered the next words. ‘He said he doesn’t want to see you, but I suggest you go in anyway. He can be a pain.’ She walked away from us before saying, ‘I’ll see you back at my office once you’re done.’
Atharva and I exchanged looks, both of us wondered what was happening. Madhura was an interesting personality.
‘Let’s go in,’ Atharva said, nudging his head towards the principal’s office.
‘You should lead the way. You are much more experienced than me in seeing an angry principal,' I said, grinning.
The principal was a man named Kailash Puri. He was in his late fifties and had a receding hairline. He looked up from his desk and pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose when we entered. He squinted his eyes to get a better look at us.
‘I’m advocate Siya Rajput,’ I said. ‘I wanted to ask you a few questions about one of your employees, Shaunak Manohar. I’m defending him against charges of murder and kidnapping.’
‘I don’t have anything to say. Didn’t Ms. Madhura Patil tell you?’
‘We might have missed her,’ I said. ‘This is important. If you have two minutes, please?’
‘I’m well within my rights to not answer your questions. If you will, please don’t bother me. Close the door on your way out.’
‘Can you let us have a look in his office? We might find something useful in it.’
‘Do you have a search warrant?’
Atharva stepped forward. ‘My eight-year-old niece is missing. She has a respiratory problem. She could die if we don't find her soon. There could be something in Mr. Manohar's office that might help us in that regard.'
‘I don’t like your tone.’
‘You also wouldn't like what I have in mind then. I know several journalists who would kill for stories like these. Especially when men in privileged positions like yours act rough. Do you want to continue as the principal of this school? If—'
‘Is that a threat?’
‘It is. Imagine what the school’s parents would think when they get to know a murderer and a child kidnapper taught their kids. It would destroy the school. The Board of the school will start looking for answers. To avoid a repeat show, they would first fire you.’
Kailash narrowed his eyes. He whipped off his specs and wiped them with his handkerchief. His nostrils flared. His balding head was beaded with sweat. He did not break his eye contact with Atharva as he got up, unlocked a drawer in his desk and pulled out a key.
‘I know which battles to pick,’ he said, his voice raging with anger. ‘I’ll show you Manohar’s office.’
Chapter Twenty
Manohar's office was on the ground floor and the layout was similar to that of Madhura's workspace, but that's where the similarities ended. Manohar's was more personalized. I saw at least three photo frames of his family—one with Sheila and two with all four of them. The office also had more bookshelves and an additional small desk.
‘If you don’t mind me asking, what is Shaunak Manohar’s monthly salary?’ I said.
Kailash scoffed and shook his head. But he knew Atharva had a leash around his head. I wondered if Atharva had faked having friends in the media. Even if he did, they would perhaps be more keen on breaking a story about a defence deal or a border skirmish as opposed to a school principal hiring a murder suspect.
‘He earns a lakh and a half rupees per month. That does not include bonuses.’
That was a lot of money. I was surprised for a beat before I realized Ad Astra was a school for the rich. This teaching gig kept getting better.
‘How would you describe him?’
‘He was sincere and got along well with students. We didn’t have any complaints against him. In fact, parents and students always praised him at open house meetings.’
‘Do you know if anyone had access to his office?’
‘While he was gone?’
‘That, and also generally.’
‘Not while he was gone. When he was here, the cleaning staff would come and go in his presence.’
‘Alright, thanks for your time. If you don’t mind, can we have a look around alone?’ I said.
I could almost hear the abuse he was hurling our way in his mind. But his hands were tied. ‘Sure,' he said in a deadpan voice and left.
‘That was good,’ I said to Atharva, pulling out gloves from my tote bag and handing them to him. I put them on as well.
We were not sure what we were looking for. The key in such situations was to not have any bias while going through various objects. I started off with the bookshelf to the right of the desk, and Atharva with the one on the left. I looked for a deviation from normal. A book that seemed out of place, or that appeared newer. Most of the books were on science. There were some on leadership. A glance to Atharva's p
art of the bookshelf told me it had some science fiction and autobiographies. Manohar had pasted a post-it note on the bookshelf that had the names of the books he wanted to read next. I skimmed through it and realized Manohar read fast and read a lot. For the upcoming week, he was going to read eight books, all of which were over three hundred pages.
I plucked out the post-it note to inspect it closely. The date in the top left corner of the note was not of the ongoing week, but a date six weeks back. 10th April 2019. It was the same week in which the school term ended and Manohar started taking holidays. Was it just a coincidence? Or had something triggered the deviation from the norm?
I remembered something else that Sheila had told me. Their daughter Kalindi had started feeling scared around the same time. I checked my phone to see if Sheila had responded to my question. There was one unread message. She had replied.
No, he did not take leave from work. As a matter of fact, he never missed work unless it was for an important reason. Why are you asking?
So, Manohar had not told his wife about the holidays he had taken from school. He also had not taken the holiday to take care of his daughter when she had a fever. Sheila would have known about it otherwise. I made a mental note to check his daughter’s medical records as she had fallen sick at the same time as all the abnormal events had started happening. Was he consulting with Malini Sinha somehow? But why would he go back again to her if he believed her treatment had caused his wife’s miscarriage?
I texted Madhura Patil to join us in Manohar’s office.
‘Found anything useful?’ I said, turning to Atharva.
Atharva shook his head. He was almost done looking through the bookshelf.
‘Let’s search his desk and the cabinet where he used to keep exam papers,’ I said.
