07: Punarvasu: Return of the light
When she walks out of her room, Payal sees Khushi and her
new cop friends. They have been waiting on her for four days. There is panic
behind the ACP's eyes. The younger inspector looks stuck between manic hatred
and colossal disappointment. Khushi is curious. Garima and Shashi linger in the
background.
"Your two victims did
cross path." She places sheets of paper on the dining table. Salad platter
rumbles when disturbed. "I cannot say if
it was intentional or pre-planned. I looked at their bank activity - credit card,
debit card, online shopping, taxi booking, grocery shopping, ATM - everything.
The patterns are different. Except that they both watched plays at a drama
theater that's away by at least an hour from where they lived."
"They would be part of
a large population that enjoys drama," Arnav notes.
Payal shrugs. "I am
not making judgments. I am showing you patterns of intentions. They booked cab
from their apartments. There is no booking for their way back home. They
probably hailed a cab from nearby stand."
"That would be one
reason." Arnav mused.
"There is another?"
Satya asks, weary.
"Maybe they got
together." Khushi answers instead.
"That's stretching a
bit," Payal notes. Satya throws her a thumbs-up sign.
"Wouldn't it be safe
for two middle aged people who are single to rely on a taxi service than
hailing a taxi on the street? The show would have ended around, say, nine in
the evening and they lived at least an hour away from the venue. In this city
that's quite dangerous, isn't it? Especially these two who have carefully
isolated their lives." Arnav puts up his argument.
"Or someone dropped
them home. Or they took a risk and hailed a cab. Or they stayed with a friend.
Anything could have happened." Payal refutes.
"Sure it can. But what
are the odds?" Arnav asks.
"It's-"
"I was being
hypothetical." Arnav interjects. Payal laughs. "Thanks
for your help Payal. It really means a lot." Arnav says gratefully. Payal
pinks at his honest appraisal.
Khushi walks the cops out. "You think the two victims knew each other, don't you?" She asks.
"There are no records Mr.
Chandra or Mrs. Inder in immigration. No one by those names entered the country
in last five years." Arnav tells Khushi. "I am pushing my bosses to give me permission to check biometric data in
their embassy."
"What's troubling you?"
Khushi asks a moment later. Satya excuses himself and walks towards the car.
"I feel like I have
seen this woman before. I don't know where and when but Mrs. Inder stands out
in my memory." Arnav looks exhausted.
"Did you ask your
sister?" Khushi looks worried.
Arnav shakes his head. "Neither
Anjali nor Shyam, her husband, have any memory of Mrs. Inder." Lines on his
face crack like terracotta lines. She wants to reach out smoothen the lines and
fix a curl around his lips. She fists her fingers and urges them to stay put. It
won't be just awkward; it will be humiliating.
He leans across the door on the threshold and looks suddenly
burnt out. "It's been long three years."
He whispers when she looks at him worriedly. Her worried senses have tangibility that
evokes reactions from him.
"Lunch tomorrow?"
She blurts.
The surprise look on his face smooths the worry lines. She takes
it as a small victory.
"Can't wait." He
replies.
She stands for a moment longer and watches him, them, drive
away.
Only when she gets to privacy of her bedroom, she collapses
and allows herself to freak out. "Where
the f**k have I seen Mrs. Inder before?"
Its been a long day. Like Iron Man says - Eugene O' Neil long. [If you get the literary reference, RESPOND IMMEDIATELY!] Thanks for your comments and kindness you guys have shown me past week.
Cheers!
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