by UD Yasha
‘I have one last question,’ I said.
Coutinho beckoned me to go on.
‘Who called me six months back and claimed to have information on dad?’
‘It was your father,’ Coutinho said. ‘He called to tell you everything but then stopped on hearing your voice, thinking it was too dangerous. His initial plan was to investigate the Viper with you.’
‘He could’ve just told me,’ I said as the tears flowed down my cheeks.
‘Siya, he stayed away from all of you for almost seventeen long years. He told me how hard it was, but that he would do it all over again if it meant keeping all of you safe. Above all, he didn’t come to you because he told me he knew how good you were. He was afraid that what you found would rattle Motilal and he would become aggressive. All he cared about was his family.’
I buried my face in my hands. I couldn’t believe I had spoken to dad and that we were so close to being with him.
We thanked Coutinho once again and stepped out, as Rathod offered to drop me home.
‘How’s Dr. Sonia doing?’ I asked Rathod once we were in his car.
‘I just saw her yesterday. She’s out of danger and stable. I’m glad.’
‘What are your plans while serving out the suspension?’ I said, stepping out of the car.
‘I’m looking forward to spending some time with my parents. It’s probably a blessing in disguise. I’m going with them to Tirupati to visit the Balaji temple over there.’
I hugged him and said, ‘‘It will be great if you can come for dad’s memorial.’
‘Yeah, I’ll see you around for it,’ he said, pulling out of the hug.
Shadow came out barking as I opened the door. I found it odd because he was usually a quiet dog. I stroked his head but he still did not stop. He ran out into the garden. I followed him as he took me to the small backyard. He went to the corner. I thought he wanted to defecate but then he came running back to me.
I got even more confused when he ran back to the corner. What was he doing?
I walked up to the spot from which he was returning. Even though it was past noon, I broke into a cold sweat when I saw an envelope on the ground.
I picked it up. I realized it wasn’t an envelope but a paper that had been folded twice. It felt heavy so I opened it.
It was addressed to me.
Dear Siya! Here’s a small gift for your upcoming birthday.
There was a small plastic bag under it. I could see its contents.
I froze when I realized what it had and who had sent it. There was only one person.
Kishore Zakkal.
The plastic bag had a pair of earrings that I had given to Zakkal a year ago to get a clue from him about maa. I had snuck them into the jail in my underwear to turn him on. And now he had sent them back to me.
Goosebumps crept up all over my body as I turned around, sensing that Zakkal was watching me.
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Author’s Note
First of all, thank you for picking up this book and reading it. I’m still amazed that readers, who I don’t know personally, show this much faith in me. I hope I have repaid it by writing a story that you enjoyed. I will continue to write many more books for all of you.
The Bones Are Calling was especially hard to write for two reasons. Firstly, a lot of things were going haywire in my personal life. Everything is good now. There’s no need to worry. I have already learnt a lot about myself through difficult times and I am so grateful to have my loved ones in my life. None of this would have been possible without them. The second reason this book was challenging was because of the story itself. Being the third book in the series, I wanted to stay fresh and dazzle my readers in a way they didn’t expect. I am happy with the way it has panned out. I hope you loved reading it as much as I loved writing it.
As is the case with all the books in the Siya Rajput series, all science, technology and places mentioned in the book are real. I can’t wait to bring you the next book in the series. Before that, I will be releasing two new books in a different series altogether. The first of the two is a book I am deeply excited about. I’ll tell you all more about it closer to its launch date.
Please take care. I will see you next time. I’m sending lots of positive energy towards you. Have a great day and happy reading!
Acknowledgments
Writing this book would not have been possible without the support of my family. My parents, ajji and sister. A big thank you. I am always amazed by their positive energy. It keeps me going and means the world to me.
I will always be grateful for all the help that Charulatha Dasappa, Neeharika Shembekar and Priti mami. They are my team of superwomen whose edits made this book possible, just like the ones before this. It’s very comforting to know that my well-wishers do their best in making this book the best version of itself.
About the Author
Born in Pune, UD Yasha graduated from Symbiosis International University with an undergraduate degree in Economics and a minor in International Relations. He lives with his family in Pune, India.
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References (Where Are They Now)
I am no expert in criminal psychology. I got my knowledge from the places listed below and random spurts of reading.
1. www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3169359/How-spot-serial-killer-Criminologists-reveal-five-key-traits-common-notorious-murderers.html
2. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/wicked-deeds/201804/serial-homicide-power-and-control
3. Mind Hunter: Inside the FBI's Elite Serial Crime Unit by John E. Douglas and Mark Olshaker
Acknowledgements (Where Are They Now)
Writing is a solitary activity but it’s never possible to do it by yourself for it takes a full family to write a book. My family has several members, all of whom play an irreplaceable role. I’m thanking those who were directly involved in the making of this story, for if I thank them all for everything they have done, I would have to write a full-length book.
I thank my parents. All the good I am is because of you. Thanks to you two and ajji for bearing with my constant requests to keep the volume of conversations low in the house while I write.
This book would not have been possible without Priti Deshpande. She suggested the title, gave feedback, proofread the book on a very tight schedule and provided me with the confidence to write this story. Not to forget, she also cancelled her dentist's appointment (ouch!) to help me meet my publishing deadline. Thank you for everything, mami.
Thank you to Neeharika Shembekar Gawande for going through each and every word in this novel and making sure it is error free. Not only did she clean up the manuscript, but also pointed out inconsistencies in the plot. This book would not have been possible without Neha maushi as well. I’ll always be extremely grateful for all your assistance.
I want to also thank Dori Barrett, an amazing reader, for going through the book and proof-reading it. Dori, I’m deeply touched by the effort you put in. It has certainly made the book much better.
References (Finding Her)
I am no expert in dark web or criminal proceedings and psychology. I got my knowledge from the places listed below and random spurts of reading:
1) Most Deadly Poisons: https://www.forbes.com/sites/samlemonick/2017/03/16/the-queen-of-poisons-strikes-in-san-francisco/#751614012de1
2) More on Most Deadly Poi
sons: https://www.wired.com/2006/08/the-best-deadly-poisons-ingested-or-inhaled/
3) What Happens on the Dark Web: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-intersect/wp/2015/09/02/in-search-of-the-darkest-most-disturbing-content-on-the-internet/?utm_term=.f6084a9dda37
4) Dark Web Interesting Stuff: https://www.csoonline.com/article/3249765/what-is-the-dark-web-how-to-access-it-and-what-youll-find.html
5) WiFi used as GPS: https://www.lifewire.com/wifi-positioning-system-1683343
Acknowledgements (Finding Her)
Writing is anything but a solitary activity. I have so many people to thank for making this book happen.
First, a huge thanks to my mother. She is my absolute rock. No matter how much I praise her, it will never be enough. She is a gem and I owe everything good I do to her. I am glad that a part of her name is on this book’s cover. I could not have chosen a better pen name. Thanks for everything, maa.
Second, this book was edited by three fantastic women—all of whom had their own unique way of going about the job. Charulatha Dasappa, Neeharika Shembekar and Priti Deshpande, you made this book shine. Thank you, for not only editing it but also providing me the encouragement at crucial junctures and listening to me speak for hours about different points in the plot. I am not exaggerating when I say that this book would not have been possible without the three of you.
A huge thanks to my beta readers as well. Your feedback was invaluable.
When He Finds You (The Siya Rajput Crime Thrillers Book 4)
The Complete Siya Rajput Crime Thrillers
Books 1-4
UD Yasha
Copyright © 2021 by UD Yasha & Udayan Adhye
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Cover copyright © 2021 by UD Yasha & Udayan Adhye
For tai and Sourabh,
you two are goals in every possible way.
Thank you.
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
About the Author
Chapter One
Kishore Zakkal sat up on his bed and smiled at the woman sleeping next to him, admiring her beauty while wondering how much he would enjoy strangling her. He had thought about it after she fell asleep every night for the past two years.
Yet, somehow, he had controlled the urge. If anyone else would have been privy to the extent of his desire to wrap his fingers around her neck, they would have probably driven themselves mad. The sheer endurance had been staggering, even according to Zakkal himself.
But that’s what this has been all about.
Zakkal had always set high standards for himself, and so far, he had been consistently raising the bar. It was as if his gaze had pierced through the cool night air, because the woman opened her eyes.
She flashed him a wide smile.
She looks so gorgeous despite just having woken up.
Zakkal sent a hand through her soft and curly black hair, letting it linger just above her neck before stroking her hair again. His fingers tingled and he felt heat emanate from his face.
I’m so close.
Zakkal gulped hard. He mentally counted to three. The tension in his mind thawed.
‘I thought I heard you get up,’ the woman said and started looking for the watch next to their bed. ‘I have packed some breakfast for you in case you don’t get a chance to eat while you’re working tomorrow.’
That’s what Zakkal loved most about her—how much she cared about him. He also found it amusing that she called what he did work. Of course, she had no idea why he was going out.
‘Of course, dear. Thank you,’ Zakkal said, leaning forward and kissing her forehead.
‘Be back soon,’ the woman said with a raspy voice and then pulled her duvet to cover her naked body.
Zakkal started for the door. He turned around to catch her staring at him with a grin that lit up his world. He smiled back, still wonderstruck at how beautiful she was.
Zakkal gave her a firm nod of his head as he battled the urge once again. He had been getting good at it as the days had rolled by. Of course, he had found solace elsewhere. There was no way he would have been able to not cave into the temptation otherwise. Pulling into a thin sweater, he smiled to himself, wondering what would have happened if he had not.
He shook his head as if he was telling himself that nothing was impossible for him. He had gone five years without killing anyone while he was in prison. The desire to see women whimpering, pleading and afraid just seconds before they thought he would kill them had kept him up every night. Of course, killing them right there at that moment was not his intention. Never. But they didn't know that.
Why do women always jump to conclusions?
A cool breeze lashed against his face as he drove at a meagre thirty kilometres per hour on the empty roads of Pune City. Sunrise was still a while away.
The urge to not kill his lover, the woman he had been living with for the past two years, could only be controlled in two ways. The first one included what Zakkal had done for most of his life—kill another human being instead. He picked targets whom no one would miss. Most of the time, it had been women.
But the first person Zakkal had killed was his father. His nails clawed into the hard plastic of his car’s steering wheel as he raged when he thought about his old man.
He counted to three once again and let the anger glide over him.
But something strange had happened to him after escaping from Yerwada Jail. Zakkal had quickly realized that the act of killing only went so far when it came to quenching his thirst. He was surprised when it had first happened. Why did I not feel completely happy when I had abducted a woman and then killed her slowly?
Ultimately, he had figured out the reason—Naina Rajput and her daughters, Siya and Radha, were his greatest desires. Very little mattered to him apart from them. He had fancied Naina Rajput the most for all these years. As he thought about her, the years for which he had held her captive flashed in his mind. Those were the glory days. But then he was caught by Siya, and his time with Naina had run out.
Zakkal had never thought he would see Naina again. After all, he had instructed his protegee, Ranjit Kadam, to kill all the women he had abducted. But he had somehow kept Naina Rajput and some other women alive for five long years when he was in prison. Something else had also changed during that entire time. Siya had visited him in Chamber Number Twelve of Yerwada Jail, looking for clues to find her mother. In the midst of it all, Zakkal had taken a liking for Siya. Zakkal could not help but
notice that Siya looked exactly like her mother when he had first abducted her.
And that had gotten him thinking about what if…what if he could tell Siya himself of how breathtakingly beautiful she was. Now, that was all he could think about, even when he stalked, abducted and killed other women.
They were just practice gigs for his most important show.
Given how much Siya, her mother and her sister meant to Zakkal, he had realized, almost by accident, that the best way to control the urge to kill his lover was by watching the Rajput ladies.
And that night, his urge had grown into a fulminating fire-spitting monster that was hard to tame. Realizing how his body shivered, Zakkal knew there was only one way to pacify the beast inside him.
Zakkal hung left from the main road and veered into the parking lot of a residential building. A sticker on his windshield had let him enter it without the security guards stopping him. For them, he was one of their own. The one to be protected; not one from whom anyone needed protection. The wheels turned to a stop once Zakkal was in his designated parking spot. He stepped out of his car and pulled a cap over his head.
