The Cryptic Clue

by Jisha Rajesh

  “Ms Sharma, I have found traces of sand in your balcony,” Varun said as he returned to the parlor and spoke to Ayana, who was sitting shell shocked on the couch, “It was sticking to the shoes of the intruder. Is there any such place around that has such soil?”

  Ayana’s terror-stricken eyes fixed themselves on Varun for a while but then she turned her face away and shook her head. Varun nodded and sat down on the sofa opposite to her as a frown took form on his forehead.

  “Yes, Officer,” a little light kindled up in her dazed eyes, “there is an open ground behind our building. The residents of our society used to dump discarded metallic and plastic things over there. The ground is nothing but a long stretch of loose sand.”

  “Well then,” Varun said as he jumped to his feet, “I must examine it right now. It may lead us to the culprit.”

  “No please,” Ayana stood up and blocked his way, “please don’t go.”

  “I will be back soon,” Varun was taken aback as his eyes fell on her deadly pale face, “I will ask the watchman to keep an eye on your apartment on my way. He is gone now and you are safe.”

  “No, Varun,” Ayana burst out crying as she threw her hands around him. “Please don’t leave me alone. Everyone whom I have loved has left me and made me perish alone in this hell of a life.”

  The softness of her body pressed against his and the warmth of her tears drenched his shoulder, melting the tundra of hatred he had for feminine charms and he felt his heart throbbing again. His fingers slowly touched her chin and raised it as he looked straight into her eyes. He had been deliberately avoiding looking into her eyes as the mysterious vibes emerging out of them gave rise to an enigmatic turbulence within him. He felt some wild fancies arising within him whenever she was around, which he had kept evading all his life. He watched blood returning to her hitherto pale face as their eyes riveted themselves to each other. He made her sit on the sofa and sat by her side keeping his eyes locked on hers.

  “Let me make some coffee for us,” he said as he saw her ease a bit.

  “I am also coming with you,” Ayana said as she sprang up from the sofa, “I am not going to sit here alone.”

  “Of course, you are,” Varun smiled, “otherwise who will tip me about the hideouts of coffee powder and sugar?”

  Ayana smiled a little but then her lips shivered and her smile vanished. She walked past him silently and led his way to the kitchen. Once they stepped inside the kitchen, Ayana took charge and filled the kettle with water.

  “Give it to me,” Varun said as he pulled on the handle of the kettle.

  “But, Officer,” Ayana protested and tried to pull the kettle back.

  “Varun”

  “You are my guest,” Ayana said with downcast eyes as her face flooded with blood, “Varun.”

  “That’s okay,” Varun said as he placed the kettle on the stove and turned on the knob of the burner, “Let me impress you with my skills.”

  “Do you like to cook?” A little light twinkled in Ayana’s eyes.

  “We used to,” Varun said as he piled a spoon with coffee powder, “when I was studying in a boarding school in Ooty.”

  Venky’s face flashed in front of his eyes and the burden of guilt and remorse troubled him. He fell silent as he fixed his gaze on the bubbling brew. Ayana quizzically watched the grim expression on his face. She felt an urge to ask him what it was but then found it right to withhold her curiosity for the time being.

  “The coffee is ready I guess,” Ayana said as she saw the brew vanishing into vapors while he kept staring out of the window, lost in a world of his own.

  Her words brought him back and he hurriedly took the kettle off the stove.

  “Ouch!” he shouted as he burnt his fingers owing to his hasty act.

  Ayana ran forward and took his hand in hers. She turned on the tap and pushed his fingers below the flow of cold water.

  “Are you feeling better now?” She looked straight into his eyes while her hands caressed his injured fingers tenderly.

  “Much better,” he said as he returned the soft look in her eyes.

  Ayana abruptly took her eyes off of him and pulled her hand away.

  “How much sugar do you need?” she asked as she poured the coffee into two mugs.

  “Two spoons please.” Varun kept his gaze fixed upon her as he yearned for the soft look in hers.

  Ayana smiled as she threw a furtive glance at him from the corner of her eyes. She handed him his mug of coffee, carefully avoiding his beseeching eyes, and walked into the parlor. Varun followed her and they seated themselves by each other’s side on the sofa. They silently sipped from their cups as Varun watched her beautiful face darken as though something eerie was haunting her.

  “It’s my birthday tomorrow, Varun,” Ayana said as if she has read his mind, “I lost my Mom the day I was born.”

  “Our loved ones never leave us, Ayana,” Varun’s heart went out to her as he saw her abysmal eyes gleaming with tears. “They are always with us.”

  “My Dad used to say so,” Ayana said as a silent tear slid down her cheek. “He took to play the role of both my parents and never let me feel the void that the loss of my Mom made in our life. He taught me to accept life as it comes to you and go on with its flow. But a fortnight before my twentieth birthday, I lost him too.”

  Ayana burst out into tears as she thought of her father who was the world to her.

  “His soul must be watching you from somewhere, Ayana,” Varun said as he placed a hand on hers, “he too misses you as much as you do. And your tears are only adding to his burdens.”

  Ayana gulped her sorrow down as Varun’s words soothed her.

  “Then Shanaya Ma’am walked into my life and I felt relieved from the curse of loneliness.” Ayana turned her tear-filled eyes to Varun and flashed a rueful smile. “A month before my twenty-fifth birthday, I have lost her as well. We made so many plans for my birthday. But now, I have nobody to celebrate my birthday with.”

  Ayana couldn’t control her agony as the gash that Shanaya’s sudden and shocking death made on her soul was still fresh. She buried her face in her hands and wept inconsolably.

  “You have me, Ayana,” Varun said as he parted her hands and cupped her face.

  As if to prove his words, he raised her chin and pressed his lips on hers. He kissed her luscious lips passionately for what seemed like forever. Ayana was shocked at first as she found her lips pressed to a man’s. But then the ardor of his passion took over her senses and she started losing herself to the intoxication of his love. Her eyes drooped down and she lost touch with the world around her. The only thing she could perceive now was the electrifying touch of his lips that teased her, challenged her, healed her and ignited the fire of desires within her. She kissed him back fervently as the tantalizing sensation of his lips on hers quenched her thirst for the love she had been craving for all these years.

  It felt like almost an eternity after which they could reign over the heat of their passion and let go of each other. They drifted apart slowly and were absolutely breathless as they looked into each other’s eyes. But as soon as they caught their breath, the inebriation of passion took over them once again and they drew each other tightly in their arms. After a while, Varun’s hands slowed down on her and he looked into her eyes again. He saw her eyes gleaming with the light of love in them. He pressed her to him in a tight embrace and caressed her back reassuringly. She tightened the grip of her arms around him craving to arrest him forever in them.

  “I love you, Ayana,” he whispered into her ears as he realized that he could no longer keep the truth concealed. The confession made him feel light and he merrily ran his hands through her soft, silky hair.

  “I love you too, Varun.” Ayana looked into his eyes as she wanted to feel the warmth of his ebony hued eyes. “I’ve been in love with you right from the moment I met you.”

  She didn’t hesitate even for a second to pour out the secret that she had been
keeping from him all the time.

  Varun was so overwhelmed that he seized her by her waist and captured her lips again in a passionate kiss. As they became breathless again, he slowly let her go and looked at her gorgeous face cupped in between his palms. Now she was neither the ghastly pale Ayana he had seen when he entered her apartment a little ago nor was she the despondent girl he had seen at Shanaya’s house and thereafter in their meetings. She was something else now–an epitome of enthralling youth and bewitching beauty. She touched his forehead playfully with a finger and then slid it down on his nose and then on his lips.

  “Ouch!” she screamed as he bit her finger, “don’t be savage.”

  “I am famished,” he said as he came close and glued his smoky eyes on her.

  He picked her up and took her to the bedroom. She gasped on being suddenly lifted into the air but then burst out giggling in his arms. He put her down on the bed and jumped over her. He slid a finger along the contours of her face and then pulled it down her neck. But then he became possessed by a deep feeling of guilt.

  ‘Isn’t it a bit too early?’ The thought filled him with remorse and promptly made him take his hands off her. ‘Won’t she think I am taking advantage of her loneliness?’

  Being propelled by that terrible feeling, he pulled himself away from her. He stood up from the bed and was about to walk out as she tugged on his hand and pulled him over her.

  ‘She too wants me to be with her tonight as much as I do.’ A light twinkled in his eyes as the thought crossed his mind.

  “Who is the better one, me or you?” Her challenging eyes almost ripped through his perplexed ones.

  “Wh…what?” he stammered as he tried to process her query in his mind.

  “Naïve boy!” she smiled at his dazed face and kissed him with a fierce passion that rushed up through her veins as she gathered him in her arms.

  He quickly pulled his shirt off as an acceptance of her challenge as soon as he deciphered the meaning of her words. Her lips parted widely in a gasp as she finally caught the explicit view of his breathtakingly charming musculature that had been sneaking at her from within the shield of his uniform.

  “It’s your turn now,” he whispered in her ear as he pounced over her on the bed.

  She was so lost in the spell cast by him that her senses became hazy and she kept staring at him in a drugged stupor. He smiled and unveiled the splendid sculpture pressed beneath him inch-by-inch. As they felt the warmth of each other’s body, they became consumed by the roaring flames of passion and the love sick couple competed with each other in relishing the charms of their counterpart. They ended up panting in each other’s arms as their passion found fulfillment. Ayana nervously looked into his eyes to check whether the love she had seen in his eyes was still burning bright or had waned out. He turned to her with an intense affection and kissed her forehead. She crawled within the secure embrace of his strong arms and caressed his chest.

  “I think I should start going to office again,” she smiled as she pressed her head against his chest, “I feel much better now.”

  “Hmm.” He nodded as his face darkened all of a sudden.

  “What happened, Varun?” Ayana asked anxiously as a terrifying thought made its nest in her mind—had she offended him in some way?

  “Do you know,” he said as he lowered his head on hers, “I haven’t talked with my father since several years.”

  “Why?” she asked as she sensed agony in his voice while running her hand over his chest lovingly as to console him.

  “He wanted me to join our family business,” Varun let out a dolorous sigh as his heart ached under the burden of the tormenting memories from his past, “but I wanted to become an IAS Officer so that I could fulfill someone’s wish on his behalf. Someone, who was so precious to me and whom I have always missed very badly.”

  “You fought with your own father to fulfill someone else’s wish?” She raised her head and turned her perplexed eyes to him. “And that too on his behalf! What does all this mean, Varun?”

  He flashed an agonized smile and pressed her again to his chest as he bared the age-old wounds that fate had lashed upon his soul. After he had narrated the story of Venky and Natasha at length, he lowered his eyes to look at her. She was sleeping like a baby clinging to his chest. He smiled and slowly laid her down on the bed. He drew a blanket over them and turned on his side to face her. He slipped his arm over her waist and after one affectionate glance at her gorgeous face, he closed his eyes.

  Chapter – 5. Ambushed

  Varun was in a hurry to call it a day as it was Ayana’s birthday and he wanted to make the day special for her. Initially, he had thought of a candlelight dinner in some extravagant restaurant but then changed his mind when he realized that Ayana won’t agree to it. She had decided to abstain from all celebrations till Shanaya’s murderer was brought to the book. As Varun still wanted to make the day memorable for her in spite of her repulsion towards the celebrations, he hit upon the idea of a surprise bash. He hurriedly winded up his work and left the office. He had to be ready with the surprise before she returned home after work. She was expected to take some more time than usual at her office as she was attending to her duties after a long hiatus. He smiled as turned the key of his car and drove it out of the Police Headquarters as he set out for one of the biggest days of his life. He halted at a traffic signal and made use of the time to make a mental list of things he needed to buy while waiting for the lights to turn green.

  He halted at a bakery and ordered for a large three-tier cake to be delivered at Ayana’s place by 8 in the evening. Then he made his way to a Chinese restaurant that he hated but was Ayana’s favorite and placed a home delivery order for her favorite dishes. Along with that, he visited a Gujarati Restaurant and got a few delicacies packed as he didn’t want to starve either. He was absolutely sure that he will never be able to get those enormous coils of noodles and stinking soup down his throat no matter how deeply he loved the girl. The next step in his plan of action was to hunt the shops for candles, colored papers, ribbons and balloons as he was aware how crazy girls are over such petty, idiotic things. He almost saw the diamond ring in his mind that he was planning to gift Ayana even as he turned his car towards a jewellery showroom. After he was done with the shopping, he ran a check on his shopping list to ensure he hadn’t missed out on anything. Finally, he flipped open the box of the ring and looked lovingly at the exuberantly sparkling gem. He patted himself in a self-congratulatory gesture and sped towards Ayana’s apartment.

  ‘If everything works as per the plan,’ he thought brimming with joy, ‘the surprise party is definitely going to sweep her off her feet and make her fall in love with me all over again.’

  * *

  Varun opened the door of Ayana’s apartment with his key and switched on the lights of the parlor that was painted in the shade of dark twilight. It was chilling cold inside. He placed his shopping bags on the couch and plugged in the room heater. He thawed out his frozen hands over it and felt relived as heat swept in his shivering body.

  “It’s already 6.30,” he muttered hesitantly dragging himself away from the warmth of the heater, “which means that I have only an hour or so in hand to carry out the preparations before she arrives.”

  Without wasting a second, he sprang into action. He blew the balloons and tied them to the ceiling fan. He decorated the walls with numerous ribbons and colored papers. Then he lighted the beautiful candles and placed them everywhere in the parlor. He switched the lights off and was exultant to see the outcome of his creativity. The whole parlor glowed with a beautiful golden-red hue as the tiny flames of the candles danced exuberantly. The light from the candles fell on the glistening ribbons and filled the parlor with a rainbow of colors. Varun’s eyes twinkled with pride as he converted the plain parlor into a place with the perfect ambience for a romantic night.

  He glanced at the clock again and felt relieved as there was still some time left. The l
ast thing in his schedule was a quick shower and then to change into a fresh set of cloths he had brought along. Just as he was about to move towards the washroom, he heard the sound of footsteps behind him. He turned his head to a side and from the corner of his eyes, he noticed a gigantic figure clad in black standing behind him. Within a fraction of a second, his hand was on his gun but before he could pull it out and aim it at the intruder, he was hit from behind. Varun ducked down as he had already anticipated the attack and the blow missed his head. But despite his timely act of self defense, Varun couldn’t still dodge the blow completely and it hit him on the shoulder. He fell on his stomach and his gun slipped from his hands to some dark corner of the parlor. He rolled over his back immediately to see a man towering over him. Varun’s eyes quickly slid through his tall and sturdy frame. He was clad in a long jacket that extended up to his calves. The hood of the jacket was drawn midway over his face that was partly shielded by a mask. He was holding a heavy metal rod in his hand that he had used to hit Varun.

  He raised the rod to strike again and Varun rolled away on the floor to avoid it. The intruder was armed and Varun had lost his weapon somewhere. His eyes frantically scanned the parlor for a weapon to defend himself. His eyes fell on the statue of an angel standing by a corner of the parlor holding a rod with a star in his hands. He jumped to his feet and pulled the rod out of the statue’s hand. But before he could strike, the vigilant intruder attacked him again. The rod fell from his hand and landed on the red hot coils of the room heater. Varun fell on his back on the floor and the intruder pounced upon him within the blink of an eye. He pressed the rod he was holding in his hand on Varun’s throat and tried to strangle him. Varun held the rod tightly in his hand pushed it away with all his might. But it was not as easy as Varun had thought. The man pushed it back again on his throat with an inhumane strength. The rod began to choke him and he coughed. The villain’s eyes sparkled with a diabolical twinkle of triumph as he realized that his opponent was on the verge of losing.