by UD Yasha
Maa knew about Kunal Shastri and my failure to catch him. I had told her about it in her first month back home. I would not have rushed in telling her about it had it not been for her psychiatrist Dr. Pande who wanted us to share with her all the major events that had happened since her disappearance—both the good and the bad—sixteen years back. He had told us it was important for her to know everything.
‘She seemed to take it well,’ Radha said. ‘She said she was okay, but just needed to speak with you.’
I had no idea how that conversation would go. I got up to leave. ‘Thanks for staying up, you two,’ I said. ‘You should get some sleep. It’s going to be a long day tomorrow.’
Radha crossed to me and massaged my shoulders for a beat. ‘Do you want me to come with you?’
I shook my head. ‘Thank you, but I need to do this alone,’ I said and walked upstairs to maa’s room.
The door was already open. My heart thudded in my ears as I walked into her room. She was sleeping soundly, her body rising and falling ever so gently with each breath. I did not want to be the reason to set back her recovery. She had surprised all doctors with her progress. However, there was still a long way to go. We had been asked to speak normally to her, but her psychiatrist had warned us to keep her away from fresh incidents that involved violent crimes or human cruelty as they could trigger memories suppressed in her subconscious. Despite that, her psychiatrist had insisted that I tell her about dad’s disappearance and Kunal Shastri’s case as according to him they were big parts of who we are as people.
Dad not being with us had hit her the hardest. She had become strangely silent for a week after Radha and I had told her about it. She came to terms with it slowly. She had even asked me once if I had exhausted all options to look for him.
This new case was less personal. But it also posed a direct danger to me if Manohar was not the killer. That would make maa even more concerned about me. I was also worried about how she would take all of this. She had experienced the worst of human behaviour on a daily basis. Would me taking up this case affect her recovery? I could not afford to let that happen. No way. Not for anything in this world.
I tapped her shoulder once, and said, ‘Maa, I'm home.'
She woke up with a start and then took my hand from her shoulder and squeezed it gently. ‘Hi beta,’ she said and smiled.
‘You don’t have to—’
‘Worry, I know. I just wanted to tell you that you need to live your life without thinking about how it'll affect me. You always put others' interests above yours. You've done that since your father and I were gone. While this is hard for me—knowing that my child is out there, surrounded by the nastiest men and women in the world—I know you are a strong woman. I've told you how proud I am of you many times before and I mean it.'
‘I don’t want to hurt you in any way. That’s why I thought of not taking this case.’
‘I know and I understand. But always remember, being brave is not about staying indoors. It's about taking on the world. Accepting the challenges and moving forward. You're the last person who needs to be told this as you embody exactly what I am trying to say.'
I felt tears forming in my eyes. Holding them back was going to be hard. I tried to blink them away but I could not hold them in and they streamed down my cheeks. Maa put a hand on my face and wiped them away.
‘You don’t have to protect me,’ she said. ‘I feel wonderful knowing my children and now Shama and Rahul stand for admirable values. By protecting me, you’re not living fully. You’re not giving the world the best gift you can offer and that is your grit and undying quest for justice. There will still be times when I will wake up from a nightmare or not do the simplest thing because it reminds me of something bad. However, that doesn’t mean I would stop doing everything. There’s a certain grace in embracing uncertainty. That’s what makes life special. You told me this yourself when you decided to take on the case that eventually freed me. I’ll be okay no matter what because I am surrounded by my loved ones. They make even the bad days worth living. That’s why you don’t have to worry about me.’
Maa hugged me. She was tearing up as well. She patted my back and said, ‘Enough of being sentimental now. Please go and rest. I’m sure you’ve a lot of work to do tomorrow.’
We let go of our embrace after a spell. Maa slept almost immediately. I lay down next to her. I could not sleep and kept thinking about the case. Manohar looked guilty from all angles, but something did not sit right with him being the killer and kidnapper. I felt I needed to answer three big questions.
First, what was Manohar protecting his wife from by lying to her?
Second, where had Manohar been the previous night?
Third, why was Manohar not willing to tell me the truth?
I kept thinking of various scenarios to see if something clicked in my mind. I wanted to know more about Manohar. What kind of person he was, what made him tick and what values he stood for. I knew I would get a better idea after speaking to his colleagues and friends tomorrow.
With that thought, I closed my eyes. To my surprise, I fell asleep right away. In hindsight, I should not have been surprised, as that night my biggest fears—of maa relapsing and of me being haunted by my mistake—seemed to be far away. I did not realize then just how wrong I was.
At that exact moment, not so far away, the young girl was sobbing. She did not bother to wipe her tears away. They were coming down no matter what she did. Why isn’t mom coming to get me?
She looked around.
Only one small yellow light burnt in the room. The last she remembered, the room had been completely dark. She had not seen anyone come in and turn it on. She tried to remember how long she had been there. She could not quite place the events in her head. Now that she thought about it, she realized she had not seen anyone for a long time.
Who got me here?
She got up, remembering that she had been bound. She had been hurt the last time she had tried to get up. She moved her legs slowly with caution.
She was surprised. She could move them freely. Her shackles had been unchained. Am I free to go?
She got up and looked around. Her eyes got used to the darkness. She started making out faint outlines of the objects in the room. She walked around, feeling it all with her hands. There was not much. Just a couple of armchairs, a table, one massive bookshelf. The room itself was almost the size of her own bedroom at home. She crossed to the small light, hoping she would be able to carry it with her around the room. But when she reached it, she realized it was just a night lamp, plugged into a socket. That reminded her of her mother once again.
She could sense her memory was returning…
She remembered eating something. She tried to recall when it was. Probably not long ago. Who had given the food to me? Her head began aching again.
Why can’t I remember anything?
Then the face came back to her. The scar, red and raw, staring back at her. But it was not that man who had given her the food. Who had given me the food? And why was I remembering the face of the man with the scar? Who was he?
Her body began shaking once again and her palms became sweaty. She did not remember who he was, but she knew she was afraid of him.
Then it came to her. Someone else had given her the food. She did not remember the face of that person. Nor the voice. But she remembered the food she had—daal, rice and kheer; all of her favourite items.
A stinging pain pierced her neck. She pressed the spot with her finger and felt a slight bump.
Before she realized anything, the world around her faded away…
Chapter Eighteen
Everyone was sleeping when I woke up at eight o’clock the next morning. I felt fresh, despite getting just a little less than five hours of sleep. Shadow was sitting next to me, waiting for me to get up when I opened my eyes. I patted him with some extra love because he usually woke me up by licking my face and ears. But today he had waited. We went do
wnstairs together. He kept hovering around me while I made coffee for everyone. He somehow understood my work face and body language.
He followed me out as I took my cup to the garage. Sheila Manohar had sent me the contact details of her husband’s closest friends. Both of them taught at Ad Astra International School like Manohar.
Ad Astra was not far from where we lived in Baner. A twenty-minute drive if I left in the next half an hour. It was a Tuesday, so the school would be open. I called one of them, a lady named Madhura Patil to ask if she would be at the school that day. She was already there, so I decided to go to the school to meet her. She also told me that Manohar’s other friend, a man named Vijay Krishnan, was travelling abroad.
My stomach let out a low growl. I went to the kitchen to make breakfast. That's when my phone started buzzing in my shorts. I pulled it out and found myself smiling when I saw who was calling me.
‘Good morning,’ Atharva said. ‘I hope I didn’t wake you.’
‘You didn’t. I’ve never felt fresher with just five hours of sleep. How’s Malini holding up?’
‘She couldn’t sleep for the longest time yesterday after you left. Her head was hurting and her blood pressure had also shot up. She took medicine for both along with a sleeping pill that knocked her out. She’s a mess but what else can you expect,’ Atharva said and paused. ‘I called for something else. I wanted to know if I can help you with anything.’
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 had played as far back as I 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 that 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 man in a solar-powered golf cart picked us up from the parking lot. He 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 co
uld 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 calmed down. 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?’
