The Astral Alibi (17 page)

Finally he found his voice. “I don’t know what to say…. That’s a most serious accusation….”

“On the sixteenth of July,” she said quietly, “the Sun entered the zodiac sign Cancer, where originally Mars is in conjunction with Rahu, in Janavi’s natal chart. This planetary position will last till the sixteenth of August. During this period, Janavi may have made her plan to eliminate her husband. On the fifth of September, Saturn will also enter Cancer, and remain in conjunction with Mars and Rahu and aspect the seventh house. Which means that Janavi must set her plan into motion anytime
after
the fifth of September. Besides, in Dinesh’s horoscope, Venus, the planet signifying ‘woman,’ is in conjunction with Neptune in the twelfth house, hinting at the danger he may be exposed to due to the dramatic and weird behaviour of the woman in his life.” Sonia paused as she allowed the astrological significance of this to sink in. Then she said:

“Charan Dasji, you gave me one half of the story and I gave you the other half—the other half of the picture
based
on their horoscopes. I could be wrong, since I don’t claim that I can predict anything a hundred percent. And it’s most certainly
not
an accusation. However, I fear it’s a very real possibility. I thought it my responsibility to lay out the pros and cons of these very interesting characters before you. You can believe it or not. The choice is yours.”

The train lurched and slowed down. Suddenly the rain eased and Sonia turned to look out of the window. Dusk had fallen and a white curtain of mist streamed in through the window.

“Oh, it’s Lonavala Station! I’m getting off for a few minutes. I need to stretch my legs,” she said.

Sonia rose gracefully and headed towards the door. Charan Das stared after the detective speechlessly. He frowned. His brain began ticking.

Sonia stepped off onto the platform and stretched her arms. She felt good. Almost light-headed, detached, and, in a way, relieved. As if she had passed a test. She had responded to the voice of her gut instinct; she had answered the call of duty.

The platform was nearly empty. Cool mist swirled through the station and she hugged her jacket. Insects and mosquitoes buzzed around the tube lights of the tall station lamps. A
chaiwala
was peering hopefully through the windows of the stopped train, offering hot cups of
chai.
Sonia accepted the thermacol cup and paid him. She sipped the tea contentedly, glancing out at the fading peaks of the mountains far away.

“Excuse me,” a rough voice grated behind her.

Sonia turned to find herself facing a medium-height, pleasant-looking stranger. The young man wore a crisp sky-blue shirt and off-white trousers. Silver-tinted square-rimmed spectacles revealed light grey eyes which stared back at her with a searing intensity.

“I couldn’t help overhearing your conversation with that gentleman in the train,” the man remarked with a sudden fierceness.

“Oh! I’m afraid that wasn’t…” Sonia began, a little alarmed.

“All that you said…you meant it, didn’t you?” His eyes bore into her.

Sonia nodded slowly. “It’s what I deduced from the horoscopes. But I don’t know if it’s true. I mean, it was speculation….”

“
Of
course it’s true! Every single word you spoke was correct! I know it now. I’ve wondered all my life. About my parents. Why my mother sent me to boarding school…”

Sonia gasped.

“Yes, I’m Sunil, Janavi and Dinesh’s son!” the young man rasped. “And that last bit…about the hill station…My dad called me last week and told me he feared for his life. He spoke about this trip Mom was planning for him and he begged me to return to India and
save
his life! You know, I scoffed at him. I told him Mom loved him dearly and that he was hallucinating! But he wouldn’t listen. I had never heard him more unreasonable, so disturbed! I couldn’t visit India just now and I told him so. This isn’t the right time of the year and I’d just changed my job. I really couldn’t afford to take leave, for a silly, paranoid whim. But then Mom also insisted. She said I ought to meet with Dad. It would be good for both of us she said! So finally, I persuaded my new Boss and he relented. I’m on my way to Pune to visit my parents right now. I’ve been puzzled with Dad’s accusations. But after overhearing your discussion with that other gentleman, everything has suddenly become crystal clear! Now I know why Mom insisted that I come back to India to meet Dad! Because it will be our last time together!”

Tears glittered in Sunil’s grey eyes. Sonia wanted to reach out to him and offer words of comfort. But she knew that nothing she would say could relieve the pain of reality. Life had a heuristic way of teaching things. It was Sunil’s turn to learn and to discover the hard truths for himself.

“But I can’t believe it. I can’t believe that her thoughts would run in such a hideous direction!” Horror twisted on the young man’s face. “Planning to kill Dad, my own father! I always doted on my mother, thought she was the world’s greatest mom. It’s impossible to admit that she could be the world’s worst Mom!”

Sonia’s heart felt heavy. She took a deep breath and in a steady voice said, “Sunil, I think you must remember something. I know that the worst could’ve happened. But it hasn’t. Which means that your mother is
not
a criminal. You must try and understand what she may have gone through in life. All her hopes dashed, her career in medicine gone, a husband who probably tortured her mentally, till she wanted to die herself! She surely faced a lot for her to contemplate such extremes. And your father must share a lot of the blame, too. He drove her to desperation.”

“What are you saying?” Sunil stared at her with incredulity.

“All I’m saying is this: Don’t judge your mother too harshly, especially since you’ve had the good fortune of listening to both sides of the story. I repeat—she is
not
a criminal—not yet. It’s now up to you to stop her from doing anything ruinous. To handle her delicately, so that she retraces her steps from whatever rash path she was on the brink of following. Treat her with sympathy, like an erring human, not a criminal beyond redemption.”

Sunil blinked behind his spectacles. Tears now streamed freely down his cheeks. He nodded and said, in a voice thick with feeling, “Thank you, Soniaji. Thank you, not only for saving my dad but also for releasing my mom from herself. Thank you for rescuing both of them!”

Sonia held out her hand and took his in a clasp. “All I can say is, best of luck.”

She watched him climb back into the train, his shoulders drooping and his hand brushing away the tears of grim realisation. Every sense of detachment that she had experienced earlier vanished in a trice. She was involved to the hilt now. Committed and responsible for whatever transpired in Sunil’s life. What a strange coincidence that he should be in the same
bogey
as her. It was almost as if destiny had planned it deliberately, throwing all the relevant characters together as if in a play or a film. Sudden guilt speared through her. Had she done the right thing?

Deep sympathy for Sunil weighed heavily on her heart. Feeling completely upset, she crushed the empty thermacol cup and threw it into the dustbin.

As if answering her agonised doubts, a voice spoke behind her. “Well done, Sonia!”

Sonia whirled around. She stared at the tall figure standing before her.

“Varun!” Sonia whispered. “What in heavens are you doing here?”

Draped in a long buff-coloured overcoat, Varun Thakur smiled warmly at her, revealing his perfect teeth. Blue-green eyes held her honey gaze as he said in a deep voice, “I’ve been sitting right behind you and I heard every word of your interaction. You are amazing, do you know that? You’re terrific. You just saved that boy’s father from certain fate.”

Sonia’s heart was thumping. Varun Thakur—The Owl—was right before her. It was as if her earlier thoughts of him had conjured him out of the blue. Tall, handsome, with thick brown hair ruffled with the wind, he seemed to have materialised out of nowhere! She
must
be dreaming!

She finally found her voice. “Varun, why didn’t you tell me you were on the train?”

“Because I didn’t wish to interrupt one of the most eye-opening analyses of horoscopes and people I’ve ever had the good fortune to hear. Not to mention the fact that my presence would have interrupted a larger cause. That of revealing the double standards of behaviour and unmasking the societal facades of people!”

The whistle hooted, indicating the departure of the train.

“The train’s leaving,” she remarked, unnecessarily.

“Go on. I’m not taking it.”

The
Deccan Queen
began moving but Sonia remained rooted to the spot, feeling hypnotised by the affectionate gleam of blue-green eyes.

“Why are you here?” she asked.

“Personal business. Had a burning desire to meet with you!” He grinned. “You better hurry if you want to catch that train!”

He nudged her slightly and she jerked, as if out of a trance. She turned quickly, matched her steps with the moving train, and jumped in through the open door. Once inside, she leaned over for a glimpse of The Owl.

Varun Thakur stood on the platform, staring at her. “I’m proud of you, Sonia,” he called. “Keep it up.” His deep voice rang with sincerity.

The train picked up speed, chugging rhythmically out of the station. Varun remained on the empty platform. Despite the fast-increasing distance between them, the warmth of his gaze reached and cocooned her heart. Mist swirled around him, forming a luminescent aura. He lifted a hand and waved, and then the mist enveloped him in a cool embrace and he vanished from her sight.

5

The Horoscope Trap

The narrow road—part tar, part mud—curved, crested, and dipped in an uneven and unpredictable manner. But that didn’t prevent the two cars from speeding, racing. Pankaj drove more carefully, since Tina, his young daughter, was in the car with him. The child was jumping for joy, shouting loudly, “Faster, Daddy, faster! Mummy can’t win!” Pankaj smiled indulgently at her, but did not dare speed up. Besides, his wife, Anju, was safely behind them. But at that very moment Anju flashed by, waving and blowing flying kisses. Her bright purple scarf fluttered in the wind.

“Faster, Daddy! Mummy’s gone ahead!” Tina yelled.

Pankaj saw Anju’s car swish up the rise, round the corner at breakneck speed, and tear down the slope. And suddenly the sound of the crash rent the air.

“Anju!” he gasped.

“Mummy!” Tina’s young voice held pure terror.

With a heart bursting with pain, Pankaj jerked awake. His face was bathed in perspiration. He lay in bed, frozen in time. Eleven months. He was caught in a time warp. The eleven longest months of his life. The incident branded on his brain like a permanent scar. But it was better this time. At least he had not dreamt the images of the car hurtling over the cliff, bursting into flames. Perhaps he was beginning to heal? Yes, perhaps he was, thanks to Sheetal…

The pristine beach wound like a pearl ribbon along the grey-blue, white-topped sea. The waves peaked in foamy surf, as if some giant was playing with soap bubbles. Clustered Pine and Fir trees led to hilly mounds. At the foot of two sand dunes, a rickety bridge joined two shallow inlets of the sea. A little away from the bridge stood a beautiful two-storied house. A rock-cut wall surrounded a sandy, Coconut tree–lined garden. Seven stone steps led up to a grand porch, resting under teakwood pillars and a sloping red-tiled roof.

Five-year-old Tina lay on her stomach on the wooden swing, drawing cartoons on paper. Her pink dress was soiled and her drawing material was scattered all over the garden. Sheetal—her governess—rested against a jute armchair. Attired in a light printed blue cotton Salwar Kameez, she watched the child with a fond expression. What a pretty girl Tina was, Sheetal thought. And so intelligent. The child understood every word spoken to her. Not only was she mature for her age, but she asked curious questions and ruminated over each answer, taking her time accepting it. Perhaps that was best. The girl would surely have loads more questions when she grew up. And someone had to answer them to her satisfaction.

Pankaj stood at the bedroom window which overlooked the garden. He watched the two most important women in his life, and a pleased smile played upon his lips. What could be a better omen than this? His daughter getting along so well with Sheetal! The battle for the custody of Tina and the accusations flung at him by Anju’s parents had left a very bitter taste in his mouth. The fact that he had won the case had helped to dim the pain. But it was Sheetal who had finally erased that blinding hurt and changed the entire course of his life. Sheetal with her bright smile and sensitive nature…

Now was the time to pop the crucial question, he decided. But he hesitated nevertheless. And he knew why. Sheetal’s obsession with her longtime college friend Jeetu worried him. She never stopped talking about him. She took advice from him on every single issue. What if she told him, Pankaj, that she needed to consult Jeetu before committing to him? A shard of jealousy ripped through him, taking him by surprise. My God! He was jealous of the guy! Which was not a good sign at all! Pankaj shook his head. No, it was now or never. With sudden resolution, he turned from the window and, opening the door, clattered down the stairs towards the garden.

Sheetal glanced up in surprise at Pankaj’s abrupt appearance.

“Hello! I thought you had already left for work,” she told him.

Pankaj shrugged and sat down beside her. Much to his annoyance, she looked a little uncomfortable.

“What are those?” He indicated some picture postcards in her lap.

“Oh, I found these in the village general store, placed on the bottom shelf. Aren’t they absolutely lovely? They give a perfect image of the Konkan seaside life! Jeetu has never been to the sea. He has never even
seen
the sea! Can you imagine that? So educated, so worldly-wise. And he hasn’t seen the sea! So I thought I’d buy these for him and give them to him whenever I meet him again. Or perhaps I shall post them. After
all
that he has done for me, supporting me through thick and thin, this is the least I can do,” she replied, with a pleased smile, studying the picture cards critically.

Jeetu again! What was wrong with this woman? Pankaj wondered in infuriation. Here he was, showing every inclination of interest towards her, and all she could think of was Jeetu! Blast that fellow. With an uncharacteristic display of impatience and anger, he snatched the cards from her lap and flung them aside.

“Sheetal, I’m in love with you. Marry me! Will you marry me?”

For a heart-stopping moment, she stared at him in an unfathomable manner. Then she asked haltingly, “Do you…really…mean that?”

“Of course I do! Can’t you see how crazy I am about you? You must marry me!” Pankaj clasped her hands between his.

“Oh Pankaj, I can’t believe this! I love you, too!” She seemed amazed and breathless.

“So you will…?”

“Oh yes, I will!” A look of relief flashed across her face, as she glanced at Tina. “I was worried about her.”

“I know. But Tina won’t mind. She adores you! And even if she didn’t, I want to marry you!”

“That’s not what I meant. But never mind! When shall we get married?”

“You mean you don’t need to consult your good friend Jeetu about it?” he mocked.

Sheetal blushed. “That’s not funny. And anyway, Jeetu would certainly approve,” she replied primly.

“Not before he tears off
my
hair in frustration because I asked you first!” Pankaj laughed.

Sheetal looked shocked. “Jeetu is just a good friend. There’s not a romantic bone in his body!”

“That is most reassuring! Come on, let’s make plans. I want to get married tomorrow!”

Unnoticed by them, a figure was observing them minutely from within the house. Ganesh Pandit, Pankaj’s secretary, looked satisfied. Things were shaping up exactly as he thought they would!

Sonia sat at her wooden table, a sheet of paper laid out before her. The rude words, printed in a beautiful font, on a laser printout, were ominous.
“Cut the Astrology trash!”
Who could’ve sent her this note? And why? Perhaps the “why” could be answered. Someone who obviously disapproved of her investigative techniques; someone narrow-minded, closed to the possibilities of the world, of sciences which went back over ages! Perhaps a policeman who felt she was making a mockery of something as serious as crime?

A soft knock on the door preceded the arrival of Inspector Divekar.

“Hello,
beti
!”

“Think of the devil!” Sonia grinned.

“Lucky me!” the Inspector laughed and pulled out a chair. “What’s happening?”

Sonia pushed the slip of paper to him. “I thought it could be the act of a policeman.”

Inspector Divekar studied the note. “You could be right,” he conceded, frowning. “When did you get this?”

“Last month. There was another one before that. I’ve got it here somewhere.” She rummaged through her drawer and withdrew the first note she had received.

“ ‘Get lost with your Astrology!’ ”
Divekar read aloud. “I don’t like the arrogant tone in these notes.”

“I know what you mean.” Sonia nodded.

“What are you going to do?”

“I’m not sure whether I should take them seriously. It just could be someone trying to infuriate me.”

“Or it could be someone with more serious intentions,” Inspector Divekar warned. “Look at it this way, you’re getting popular and successful—two surefire signs of making more enemies.”

“This person seems to be more like a critic than a lunatic or an enemy. And criticism for me is like the sea. And I am the ship in the sea of criticism. You not only need the sea to keep a ship afloat, but you also need high tide to move it forward. So the more criticism, the more buoyant and progressive my ship is. My philosophy is, never let the sea or the criticism enter the ship, or it will sink!”

“Oh yes, it’s good to philosophise occasionally. But not when the criticism could take harmful or life-threatening forms!”

“Do you really think this person could be dangerous?”

“You never know. And that’s why I think it’s time for you to be armed.”

“Armed!” Sonia sounded genuinely surprised. “Uncle, I’m a peace-loving, God-fearing, animal-loving human being!”

“Who also happens to be a detective! So if you want to protect your peace-loving soul, you’d better start acting now!”

“Wow!” Jatin exclaimed. He had overheard the last bit of the conversation and his eyes were gleaming. “Do you mean a gun?”

“Pistol. I’ll get you a licence and teach you how to use it in an emergency,” Inspector Divekar told Sonia forcefully.

“Uncle, you’re beginning to scare me. How in heavens can I carry a pistol in my handbag?”

“You’ll learn if you really love yourself!” The Inspector chuckled and rose. “I must get going. But I’ll contact you soon.”

“I can’t believe it!” Jatin exclaimed as the door closed behind the Inspector’s back. His expression was incredulous. “You’re actually going to be a
real
detective!”

“Jatin, I
am
a
real
detective. Pistol or no pistol!” Sonia retorted crossly. “Now get back to work.”

“Er…actually, Boss, Naina is here. I was wondering if I could take a long lunch break?”

“Sure! Go enjoy yourself.” Sonia smiled, hiding her relief. It would be good to have the office all to herself. Jatin could be quite overpowering at times!

“Thank you, Boss, I’ll make it up to you!” Jatin flashed out of the room, leaving her to wonder what he meant by that!

After a moment, Sonia leaned back in her chair and let her thoughts loose. Automatically they turned to that evening in Lonavala. When she had run into Varun. Involuntarily her heart raced and with a start she realised that she had enjoyed that brief and surprise encounter with The Owl. And, to her great dismay, she was looking forward to meeting with him again!
No,
she thought wildly.
I can’t allow a few charming words to get under my skin! The Owl is a criminal! I cannot be attracted to a criminal, however handsome,
she reprimanded herself severely. She hadn’t mentioned the rendezvous to anyone, not even Mohnish. Especially not Mohnish.

Sonia stared out of the window at the sleepy afternoon. A light drizzle was beginning to fall. The traffic had eased and a few pedestrians were strolling under colourful umbrellas. The umbrellas reminded her of the
rakhis—
colourful sparkling designs of paper, sponge, and crafts to be adorned on the wrist—a symbol of protection.
Raksha Bandhan—
the festival when a sister tied a
rakhi
on her brother’s wrist, eliciting a promise of protection from him—was round the corner and glittering displays of
rakhis
festooned the shops.
Sarang,
Sonia thought. A wave of loneliness swamped her and she closed her eyes to shut it out.

Devika popped her head in. “Hello! Busy?”

Sonia hastily pasted a welcoming smile on her lips. “Not exactly. Come along in.”

“Actually, I’m on my way to Mumbai. Thought I’d let you know, just so you can keep an eye open for our ‘ghost’!” Devika smiled, revealing her crooked teeth.

“Very unlikely that he may return. But I’ll keep a lookout all the same.”

The phone rang just then and Sonia lifted the receiver.

“Stellar Investigations.”

“Hello, I’d like to speak to Miss Sonia Samarth.” The voice was cultured and deep.

“Speaking.” Sonia’s attention was immediately drawn to the caller’s formal tone. Devika waved to her, indicating that she was leaving, and exited.

“This is Pankaj Naik. I want to consult you regarding an important matter.”

“Why don’t you come over to my office?”

“Well, I’m calling from Kelshi, which is along the coastline. About four hours from Pune. And I was wondering if you could come down, instead.”

“If you could tell me what this is all about…”

“It’s my antiques. Some of my antiques are missing. I found one missing a few months ago and I decided that probably I had misplaced it. But when another one vanished yesterday, I began to get worried. I have a feeling they were stolen. And believe me, they are priceless. If you could come down…”

“Do you think someone in your house is responsible for it?”

“I don’t know. Actually, we are a very small family. I remarried recently and Sheetal and I live with our daughter, Tina. The only other person who frequents our house is my secretary, Ganesh Pandit, and two local maids. But, Miss Samarth, I’d feel a lot better if you could come over and take a look at the house and the room and—”

“All right, I will. I’ll come over this Saturday. We will drive down early morning.”

“And you can stay for lunch,” he added courteously.

“Oh, that won’t be necessary.”

“I insist! Of course you must stay for lunch. See you on Saturday, then. Thanks a lot, and goodbye!” He hung up.

Sonia replaced the receiver with a thoughtful shrug.
Kelshi.
Quite a long distance to go at the beckoning of a mere phone call. But Pankaj sounded sincere, and if she took up the case, she would have to examine the house from which the antiques were being stolen. Well, she certainly had good news for Jatin when he returned from his date!

“You know what you’re doing, I hope,” Jatin remarked, his hands on the steering wheel of the van.

“Of course I do!” Sonia replied patiently.

“Agreeing to come all this way on the basis of a phone invitation! I never heard of anything more impulsive and unprofessional! No appointment, no prior meeting, no advance, no money consultation—I’m simply horrified!”