Not someone.
Something .
She screamed.
Chapter Thirteen
Yet Another Mystery
Arjun’s House
New Delhi
A strange and terrifying creature floated a few feet away from Maya. Its skin looked dull and desiccated and appeared to be rough, lined with seemingly dried up folds and ridges. There appeared to be very little muscle under the skin of the limbs, which were thin and atrophied. The whole being of the creature seemed to shimmer like black smoke on a still day with no breeze. It appeared to be solid yet shapeless at the same time, with a well-defined head atop a long neck, dark eyes sunk into its face, and a thin trunk from which a distended belly extruded.
Out of the corner of her eye, Maya saw a second creature of similar appearance approach her from the other side.
Both creatures stopped and hovered in mid-air, staring at her with lifeless, black, sunken eyes.
She screamed again.
Someone, or something, clattered down the stairs that led to the upper floor. The creatures were momentarily distracted.
Maya didn’t have a minute to lose. Flinging open the front door, she dashed out of the house and sprinted down the street, in the direction from which she had come.
She didn’t know what she had just seen in Arjun’s house; or even if it had been a hallucination.
One thing was for sure. Arjun and his family were not in the house.
But something else was.
The Upadhyay House
New Delhi
SP Kapoor inspected the sitting room, treading carefully. The forensics team was busy at work and he didn’t want to get in their way.
The man whom he had assigned to spy on Upadhyay had not been exaggerating.
This was, indeed, a bloodbath.
What could have happened?
Ajit had reported that the visitor had seemed to be unarmed when he entered and when he left his hands were empty, and there wasn’t a spot of blood on him. If the mysterious visitor was the murderer, which was the most logical assumption, then where was the murder weapon?
And why was Upadhyay murdered in such a gruesome manner? This could not have been a simple burglary gone wrong. This seemed to be a murder born out of hate. There had to be a story behind it.
Just a few hours ago, the schoolmaster had been in his office, talking to him. And now. . . . Kapoor looked around and shuddered. This was not a sight for a weak stomach.
He stepped outside the house. There was nothing he could do inside until the forensics team had finished. One thing had suggested itself to him, though, when he had inspected the study.
There were three books missing from one of the shelves that lined three walls of the study.
Two books were found on the study table, presumably removed from the shelf. When his men had tried to see if the books fit the gap in the shelf they had realized that another book was possibly missing.
Kapoor didn’t know if this was important to the case or not. All he knew was that the book seemed to be the only object missing from the house. He could not shake off the feeling that it had something to do with the murder. But what could it be?
His thoughts were interrupted by the forensic specialist assigned to the case, who joined him outside the house. ‘Did you find the murder weapon, Suresh?’ Kapoor enquired.
The forensic specialist looked at him. ‘You know, that’s the strange part about the case. This is just my first impression, but I’m pretty sure I am correct. We’ll know more once we examine the body and I am sure that the autopsy will give us some more information, but . . .’ he paused, ‘this is going to sound silly . . . .’
‘Go on.’ Kapoor was getting used to strange facts popping up in this case.
‘Well, it is just that the body was ripped apart rather than hacked. It doesn’t appear to me that any weapon was used for this. My examination of the tissue scattered . . .’
Kapoor held up his hand, knowing where Suresh was going with his narrative. ‘Spare me the gory details.’ He pondered this new angle. ‘No man is strong enough to tear another into pieces.’
Suresh nodded. ‘I don’t know what to make of it. This . . . It just isn’t physically possible. But it did happen.’
‘Thanks, Suresh.’ A thrill coursed through Kapoor. More questions. No answers. This case was getting more interesting by the day.
His phone rang. It was Constable Harish, the man shadowing Virendra Singh.
‘Yes?’ Kapoor was eager for news.
Sir, they have just pulled over to the side of the expressway and stopped. I can’t be sure, but I think Virendra Singh is on the phone. This is the first stop they have made after the brief stop in Noida. They’ve been going at a pretty good speed until now.’
‘Stick with them. He is even more important to this case now. The only surviving link. Keep us informed whenever you make a stop. We will connect you to the local police. You may need backup. Be careful. This could turn dangerous. If Virendra Singh and his family are attacked, you must call for backup and help them. I don’t want to lose another key link in this case. Am I clear?’
‘Yes, sir. Got it.’
Kapoor put his phone in his pocket. His brow furrowed.
Someone had killed Trivedi. Before his death, Trivedi had spoken to Upadhyay. Now he, too, was dead. Murdered.
And both men had died mysteriously.
With no witnesses.
His thoughts turned to the dead man’s daughter. There was no news of her yet.
Where was she?
Chapter Fourteen
Hidden in Plain Sight
The Metro Station
New Delhi
Maya burst into the metro station, panting from having run all the way from Arjun’s house.
She had fled without any thought to where she would go. But, as she ran, it was almost like her feet guided her back to the metro station. It was a good choice, full of people as it was. She felt safe here. At least she was not alone.
The short run back had seemed very long. At every step, she had kept imagining that she could hear footsteps pursuing her, hunting her down. The vision of those eerie creatures kept popping up in her head, chasing her down the street.
But nothing had happened and she had reached the station, safe, if out of breath.
She didn’t have money to buy a ticket and, in any case, she had nowhere to go. Making her way to a corner where she could speak privately, without losing the comfort of being among people, she called Arjun again.
Where was he? Was he safe? What had happened to his uncle and mother? Why were there strange creatures in their house?
Her head spun.
This time, the call connected.
‘Maya!’ Arjun almost shouted.
Just the sound of his voice was so comforting that Maya broke down and sobbed her heart out into the phone. The trauma she had undergone, and the sheer relief of knowing that Arjun was safe was too much for her. Until now, somehow, she had managed to keep her fear, anxiety and panic suppressed. The dam finally burst now and she couldn’t hold herself back.
‘Hey, it’s okay,’ Arjun, under the impression that she was breaking down because of his sudden departure, tried to comfort her. In fact, he felt a little teary himself. ‘We’ll still see each other. I don’t know where we are going, but it isn’t too far away, I’m sure. And anyway, there’s WhatsApp and Snapchat!’
‘Where are you, AJ?’ Maya pulled herself together. Something he had said had struck her. ‘I don’t understand . . . Where are you going?’
‘You mean you didn’t know?’ she heard the surprise in Arjun’s voice. ‘I thought your Dad would have told you by now.’
Maya felt a pang of grief at the mention of her father. But the well within her had run dry now and there was just a numb sensation of pain and loss. No more tears.
‘Dad . . .’ she hesitated, unable to say the words. ‘I think Dad is dead.’ Her voice shook, despite her attempt to control
herself.
‘What?’ The shock in Arjun’s voice was palpable. Neither of them spoke for a while. Maya knew he was struggling for words.
‘Someone came to see him,’ she spoke tremulously, breaking the awkward silence. ‘His name was Shukra. I think he killed Dad.’ A dry sob escaped her as she said the words.
‘Shukra?’ Arjun echoed her. He was still at a loss for words.
‘Arjun, give me the phone,’ Maya heard Virendra’s voice.
‘Maya’s dad . . . he has been killed,’ she heard Arjun say as he probably passed the phone to his uncle.
Virendra came on the line immediately. Maya could sense the tension in his tone, the undercurrent of shock at hearing about the murder of his old friend. And a hint of anger.
‘Tell me what happened, Maya. I want to know the details. Leave nothing out.’
Maya told him everything she had seen and heard after she had heard the raised voices and stepped out of her room.
‘And you clearly heard your father call him Shukra?’ Virendra asked.
‘Yes, uncle. And Shukra called Dad Dhruv. I don’t know why.’
There was a moment of silence.
Maya spoke first. She wanted to tell Virendra about her experience at his house too. Her voice shook as she recalled the sudden chill in the air and the foul stench that had accompanied the appearance of the creatures she had seen there.
Surprisingly Virendra didn’t react much. Neither did he show any disbelief at their house being occupied by seemingly unearthly beings.
‘Do you still have the amulet that your father gave you?’ he enquired, instead.
‘Y . . . Yes, I do. I’m wearing it.’ Maya was puzzled. How did Virendra know about the amulet? She was sure she hadn’t mentioned it to him. And why was he asking about it? Wasn’t he worried about what was happening at his house? Or about what had happened to her father?
‘Good. Come what may, don’t take it off. It is the only reason you are still alive.’ There was no further word of explanation. ‘Where are you now?’
‘I’m at the metro station near our house.’
‘Stay put. You were right to go there. It is the safest place for you right now. They won’t attack you in the midst of so many people. And, whatever you do, don’t even think about going back home.’
Maya wondered how Virendra sounded so sure or how he seemed to know so much. She wanted to ask him who ‘they’ were and why ‘they’ would attack her at all. But she knew that no explanation would be forthcoming. And, after all, her father had implied that Virendra would know what to do. She could trust him.
‘You will come for me?’ Maya’s hopes rose.
‘No.’ Her heart sank at his reply. ‘We’re too far and we still have a long way to go. It’ll take too much time. I am going to call someone who will come for you. Don’t worry, he will find you. Just stay put.’
‘But . . . how will I recognize him?’ Maya wondered. She was worried. Who was this new person Virendra was alluding to?
‘He will be wearing an amulet identical to yours. Ask him to show it to you. Don’t worry. Shukra and his gang will never wear that amulet. Trust me.’
Maya did trust Virendra. He was her father’s closest friend.
‘Be strong, child. You will be safe soon.’ Virendra disconnected the call.
Maya stood there, hugging herself and wondering when her rescuer would come.
More importantly, what would happen next?
Chapter Fifteen
Kapoor Investigates
Arjun’s House
New Delhi
SP Kapoor looked around the sitting room. They had arrived here a short while ago, to find the house in darkness and the curtains drawn tightly shut, with the front door open.
A quick search revealed that the house was empty. It seemed that, in their haste to flee the city, Virendra and his family had not even bothered to lock the house. It was a clear indication that they had no intention of returning.
Kapoor hadn’t expected anything else. After all, he knew that Virendra Singh had driven away a couple of hours ago, along with his sister and nephew. He was now on his way to Agra. Kapoor was getting regular updates on his whereabouts.
He didn’t really know what he had been hoping to find in this house. Maybe some clue to the mystery. Something, anything that might demonstrate the link between Virendra and the two murders that Kapoor was now investigating.
A theory had begun to form in his mind. The two men, Upadhyay and Singh, had come to Delhi from Allahabad. So had Trivedi. They had an interconnected past. What if they had all been involved in something there? Perhaps they had all come to Delhi to escape it. And these murders. . . . Maybe it was just their past catching up with them. If that were the case, Virendra Singh would be the next target.
From what the constable had told him, Upadhyay had seemed to know the mysterious stranger who had called on him and who was, at the moment, their prime suspect. That pointed to a possible link between the three men and the stranger.
This would explain why Singh had packed up and left after finding out the details of Trivedi’s murder. He had known he was in danger. But then, why hadn’t Upadhyay also fled?
Instead, he had welcomed the stranger into his house. That didn’t make sense. If Singh had been scared enough to leave town immediately, then surely Upadhyay should also have been a worried man.
There had to be missing pieces. Until he figured them out nothing would make sense.
He sniffed the air. ‘Can you smell something?’ he asked one of his men.
The constable also sniffed and screwed up his nose. ‘There is a smell sir. Very faint, but it is there.’
Kapoor nodded, relieved. He had thought that his mind was playing tricks on him. With all the mysterious happenings, he couldn’t be sure. Was the smell important? He didn’t think so and dismissed it from his mind.
Virendra Singh’s words from that morning kept playing in his head.
It sounds like a case involving the supernatural.
Had that man really believed his own words or was he trying to mislead the investigation? Kapoor compressed his lips with determination. He was going to find out. It was just a matter of time before Singh would reveal his hand. And Kapoor would be there when that happened.
The Agra-Gwalior highway
‘What happened?’ Arjun couldn’t hold it in any more. ‘Is she okay? What happened to Maya’s dad? I want to talk to her.’
After Virendra had finished speaking to Maya, he had resumed the drive at a much higher speed. It was as if he was now in an even greater hurry to reach their destination.
Arjun was upset. He had been so stunned by Maya’s words that he hadn’t known how to react or what to say. It seemed scarcely believable that Naresh uncle was dead, killed by this Shukra dude. He had been in such a daze that he barely heard the conversation between Virendra and Maya.
Now that he had just about recovered, he wanted to speak to Maya. He wanted to be there for her, to console her and comfort her. Where would she go? What would she do?
‘It won’t help to talk to her at this moment,’ Virendra replied. ‘She is still in a state of shock and needs time to recover. You can speak to her all you want once we reach.’
‘But she needs someone to look after her,’ Arjun protested. ‘Shouldn’t we go back for her?’
‘We’re not going back to Delhi,’ Virendra said, firmly. ‘There is a reason we left and that reason has not changed. In fact, things have just gotten worse.’
‘So you know this guy Shukra?’ Arjun guessed. ‘Is he the reason we left Delhi?’
Pramila turned around in her seat and gave him a reassuring look. ‘Arjun, just give us some time. There is a good reason for everything that we are doing. I promise you that you will be told everything in due course.’
‘But Maya?’ Arjun persisted. ‘She can’t be left alone! If we’re not going back for her, what is she going to do? Where will she go? She has no one else
in Delhi who she can go to!’
‘I’ve taken care of that.’ Virendra’s tone was sharp. Hadn’t the boy been listening? He sighed. Arjun was already in a tizzy with their sudden departure, which must have been accentuated by the news from Maya. His tone softened. ‘I’ve asked a friend to pick her up and take her to his house. He’s a reliable guy. His wife and he will take good care of Maya. Don’t worry about her. She’ll be fine.’
Arjun wasn’t satisfied, but he knew his uncle. There was no way he would sway from a course of action once he had set his mind to it. There was nothing Arjun could do but accept things as they were and hope for the best. He sulkily settled down in the backseat of the car and gazed out of the window. The familiar feeling of being stifled surged within him. It was almost as if he lived in a gilded prison. Protected but unable to either assert himself or leave.
Not that he had an unhappy life. But he wished he had more independence now that he was fifteen years old. Children younger than him had more freedom. Whereas in his family, neither Pramila nor Virendra seemed to realize that he was practically a grown up!
Virendra sighed inwardly as he drove. He realized how Arjun was feeling. And he wished that things could be different.
For now, though, Arjun’s feelings were not uppermost in his mind.
He thought of his friend. Upadhyay and Virendra had discussed at length the circumstances behind Trivedi’s murder and everything had pointed to one possibility.
Upadhyay’s death had only proved one thing. They had been right in their conclusions.
How long could he keep the danger at bay?
Chapter Sixteen
The Rescuer Arrives
The Metro Station
New Delhi
Maya looked at her watch and shivered. It wasn’t really cold — winter was still a few months away and the evening was pleasant. But she had been waiting here all alone for over half an hour now and she wondered when her rescuer would turn up.
She tried to reassure herself that it would take time for someone to respond to Virendra’s call and make his way to the metro station. She had no way of knowing from which part of Delhi he would come. If the man was travelling from a distance, it would take quite some time to navigate the traffic on the city’s roads before he got here.
Son of Bhrigu Page 5
