The Astral Alibi (8 page)

“Mr. Parmeet Sahay, you are under arrest for cold-bloodedly abetting the suicide of your wife and leaving her to die!” Shinde rasped.

At the same time, the room opposite the street was illuminated and Renuka stood in the window.

Jatin poured out hot cups of
chai
and handed them to Renuka and Sonia. Nidhi was cuddled on her mistress’s lap.

“But, Boss, you said that Parmeet was innocent!”

“I didn’t say he was innocent!” Sonia corrected. “I said that
Vidya
did not want him to be involved in her plan.
She
was loyal to her husband and wanted to keep him blemishless!”

“But then, what exactly happened? Are you saying that it wasn’t Kartik following Vidya?” There was a confused look on Jatin’s face as he drew out a chair and settled down opposite his Boss.

“Kartik
was
following Vidya to ensure her safety, but he wasn’t aware that both he and Vidya were being followed by Parmeet. Parmeet had always suspected that his wife was involved with someone before marriage and he wasn’t convinced that it was completely over between them. Perhaps because he found the college photograph of Vidya and Kartik in her cupboard. And he grew more suspicious when Kartik began calling Vidya. That was when he decided to do a little bit of his own investigating. He followed his wife around whenever he could. He’d stay away from his night shifts, and from his own vacant flat across the street, he often checked out her activities. Sometimes it was intentional spying and sometimes plain voyeurism!”

“But how did you know all this?” Renuka asked.

“It was Vidya’s horoscope which gave me the lead. In her horoscope, Moon, the planet which controls the mind, had been negatively influenced by Harshal and Neptune. Moreover they all co-existed in the eighth house, which is the house of death. I realised that this was indeed a horoscope of suicide, not murder. But there were references in Vidya’s diary which were confusing. For example, Kartik told us that Vidya was aware that he was following her. She had even asked him to stop following her around. But in her diary, in the last entry, which was written
after
her meeting with Kartik, she once again mentioned being followed. Which meant that it wasn’t Kartik she was hinting at this time. She also mentioned a glint of glass from across the street. I immediately thought of the apartment in the opposite building. Kartik had admitted that he had been following her, but he never mentioned that he had been observing her from an apartment. Besides, Kartik had a perfect alibi. He was at the Mula Retreat with friends when Vidya was on the verge of committing suicide. I even saw him there. Which meant that someone other than Kartik was keeping tabs on her.

“In Vidya’s horoscope, Sun—the planet of the spouse—was in conjunction with Saturn in the sixth house, clearly revealing that her husband would be useless for her in terms of companionship. Absolutely no marital happiness. Next, I checked out Parmeet’s horoscope. He had Scorpio as an ascendant with Neptune in the first house, which made him an irresponsible, detached, and eccentric character. Also, Libra in the twelfth house had Sun, Mercury, Venus, Moon, and Harshal in conjunction, which indicated him to be an innately suspicious person. Mars as well as Saturn aspected the same house. It was obvious that not only would his wife die in dramatic conditions, but that he would be provoked into a criminal situation and be punished for it. I wondered where all this reading was going to lead. Could Parmeet be in any way connected with Vidya’s death?

“We checked the list of apartment owners and when I discovered that Parmeet owned the vacant flat opposite Vidya’s bedroom, I realised that it must be he who was following Vidya around. Vidya had mentioned Parmeet’s bird-watching hobby. I put two and two together and searched the house for binoculars, but didn’t find them. Which seemed really odd. If Parmeet bird-watched regularly, where were his binoculars? Were they being used for something else and therefore were not in the house at all? It was then that I knew what exactly had happened. While Vidya sat writing in her diary, minutes before she died, she was convinced that someone was watching her. If her instincts were right, then that someone had also witnessed
how
Vidya had died. The idea clung like glue to my mind. I decided to check out if Parmeet had reported for night shift at work at nine o’clock. I was told that he arrived a little after midnight. So where was he all this time? If he was keeping close watch on his wife, then he must have seen something to do with her death. Perhaps
even seen
her commit suicide. Which sat perfectly well with my reading of his horoscope.

“I deduced that Parmeet had watched Vidya drop the sleeping pills in the milk. He knew exactly what she was doing. But he did nothing to stop her. He slipped off to work without alerting anyone and then arrived on his own doorstep early the next morning, pretending to be stunned by his wife’s death. This, of course, was all conjecture on my part. I had no proof. But I realised that we could have a leg to stand on if I could catch him red-handed with the binoculars, since everything hinged upon the binoculars. We were lucky that he went back to the room, and seeing Renuka across the street, he raised the binoculars one last time to his eyes. That helped us prove that Parmeet coldheartedly observed and abetted his wife’s suicide, and that is a grave crime indeed!”

“It was a good idea to use me as a substitute for poor Vidya,” Renuka acceded.

Jatin sighed. “But why did he want her dead?”

“I don’t believe that he deliberately planned her death. Perhaps not at first, at least. Matters just took their own course. Any normal person’s instinct would have been to rush home and stop his wife from drinking that glass of milk, or at least call the doctor after she did so. But Parmeet was careless and irresponsible. He had no particular love for Vidya. She was simply the woman he had married. Also, he was convinced that his wife was still involved with her ex-boyfriend and that enraged him. He conveniently ascribed her unbalanced state of mind and her desire to end her life to her affair. Also, the constant hassles with his parents, the dowry demands, and the tension at home—I believe that he was kind of glad it was all resolving, without any one of them lifting a finger. He had no idea that he’d lifted a whole hand in assisting her to die!”

Renuka shuddered. “What a ruthless thing to do! And to think that Vidya trusted him and loved him and wanted to keep him from being implicated in her plan! He couldn’t have betrayed her in a more horrible manner!”

“Yes, poor Vidya!” Sonia agreed, with feeling.

“But why didn’t Parmeet try to save his mother? He knew that Vidya’s death was not murder.”

“Firstly, I think, because he was entirely unaware that Vidya had planned such a clever ruse to trap his mother. He was confused, because he’d seen her commit suicide with his own eyes. The bottle in his mother’s cupboard confused not only us but him, too. Then when he had finally figured out his wife’s ingenious scheme, there lay the risk of exposing his own hideous behaviour. He would have had to reveal that not only had he seen her suicide and heartlessly done absolutely nothing to stop it, but he had deliberately hidden the fact! It was his mother’s neck against his neck. And probably he didn’t really expect it to come to an arrest. Perhaps he thought he could stop the whole accusation process at some point,” Sonia analysed.

“I’m glad at least one of them is going to face serious charges,” Renuka remarked bitterly. Then she looked a little abashed. “Sonia, I really need to apologise! I’ve been insufferably rude to you. You must think me to be—”

“Renuka, don’t apologise. I understand. You were devastated by your friend’s death and you suspected that I was deliberately letting the Sahays off the hook. At that point, I couldn’t reveal my suspicions to you. Not without proof.”

The other girl shrugged, but added with a smile, “Thank you, Sonia. Thank you for finding a way to see justice done.”

“I just feel sorry for Vidya. What an unpleasant, irreversible mess of a beautiful life,” the detective sighed.

The March evening was hot as Sonia approached a bench in Sambhaji Park. Families strolled around the sprawling park, eating
bhel
and
ragda
patties. Kartik sat waiting for her, a photograph clutched in his hand. Sonia took the seat beside him. As usual he was dressed in a
khadi
kurta and jeans, his hand clutching a sling bag beside him on the wooden, red-painted bench.

“You knew, didn’t you?” he asked, without preamble.

Sonia nodded. “It was there in the diary. That she was tired of taking the medicine. And also in her horoscope. That she would suffer from a terminal disease.” Sun and Saturn in the sixth house, which was the house of disease; Jupiter rendered weak in Virgo; Lord of the sixth house, Mercury, trapped between Saturn in the sixth house and Mars in the eighth house; Lord of the first house, Mars, in the eighth house, the house of death, in conjunction with Moon and with Saturn aspecting it—all extremely damaging planetary positions, leading to disease and death. Sonia recalled the numbness and deep sympathy she’d felt when she first realised the truth of Vidya’s failing health.

“I spoke to the Doctor at the clinic where she underwent her regular treatment. She did not have long to live,” she told Kartik.

Tears glittered in his eyes. “So she found a way out. Suicide was the answer to all her problems. That’s why she told me not to look back, no matter what happened. She wasn’t going to sway from her plan.”

“Perhaps it was for the best,” Sonia consoled. “Perhaps the pain was too much for her. But she proved that she still possessed that fighting spirit you knew in her. Did you do as I told you to do?”

Kartik nodded. He turned the photo frame in his hand and removed the cardboard back. A piece of paper slipped out. Without a word, he handed it to Sonia.

With a sudden thudding of the heart, she opened the single fold. Vidya was speaking to them from the dead.

Dear Kartik,

I’ve always cared for you. But life must go on. So must you. Don’t grieve for me. I told you, life is not always only about living…. This note is to say that I will soon be at peace. My in-laws have not murdered me, as I planned it to look. My intention was only to teach them a lesson—in harassment. And hope that they will never harass anybody ever again!

Vidya.

Sonia stared at the note, her eyes moist. Vidya had never intended to harm anybody in a long-lasting manner. Sun and Jupiter in her horoscope had helped Vidya keep her conscience awake. It was Sonia’s belief in the horoscope that had made her realise that the girl must’ve left a suicide note. An emergency note, in case matters got out of hand. And there was only one place where it could’ve been hidden. In the photograph which Vidya had returned to Kartik.

“Can I keep this note?” he asked softly.

“I’m afraid not. It is evidence and will have to be handed over to the police. I’m sorry.”

“I understand.” He shrugged. “But will this mean that the three Sahays…?”

“No. Mr. and Mrs. Sahay have been arrested. For harassment. That is proved beyond doubt. And Parmeet is in grave trouble for abetting suicide, which he has admitted. Their crimes still stand,” she remarked grimly.

“Thank God!”

Sonia rose and stared down at Kartik.

“Pain is life. Remember, without pain and death, life would have no meaning,” she told him. Then she took his hand in a firm handshake. “Goodbye, Kartik. Remember what Vidya said. Think of the happy times you spent with her, because it’s the only way to live. Transposing bitter experiences into happy memories.”

“I’ll try,” Kartik whispered.

As Sonia made her way through the tree-lined path to her van, for some strange, inexplicable reason, she thought of Sarang. Her little brother. Lost and gone forever. Mohnish’s words rang in her mind.
“It’s the only way to live. Transposing bitter experiences into happy memories…”

3

Anything for Love

“Are you sure?” Sonia asked, keeping aside the newspaper she was reading.

“Positive. I was in late, taking stock of the new material which was going to arrive from Mumbai. Due to some problem on the Express Highway, the van arrived well after midnight,” Devika replied. “I was alone, waiting for the delivery, when I distinctly heard a noise outside. At first I thought it was Nidhi, but then I saw something white flash past my window. I couldn’t let it pass as my imagination, so I went to the window—just in time to see a bloated figure in stark white turn the corner of the wall to your office! It was definitely someone moving around. Of course, I didn’t dare pursue the search!”

“What do you mean ‘a bloated figure’?”

“It was just a flash and a lot of white, like a white plastic bag or balloon filled with air. Only there was a person inside it, for sure. That’s what I wanted to ask you. Does this place by any chance have a reputation of being haunted?” Devika asked, with a grin.

Sonia returned the smile. “Not that I know of. But this
is
a very old building, you can make that out from the architecture. More than a hundred years old, at the least. So there could be ghost stories attached to it. I didn’t think of asking when I rented it!”

“Neither did I, though of course, my agent found this place for me.” Devika finished off her cup of
chai
and rose. “Anyway, I thought you should know that there was a prowler here last night. Could be a petty thief, of course, or maybe someone looking for a shortcut to the main road.”

“Thanks for telling me.”

“I’ve been thinking.” Devika frowned. “Have you thought of keeping a night watchman for the office?”

“I’ve never felt the least bit of necessity for a watchman. But you sound quite concerned. Do you really think this figure in white was more than a passing shortcut finder?” Sonia raised a questioning eyebrow.

Devika shrugged. “Yeah, I guess I’m being unnecessarily paranoid. It’s just that I’ve got a lot of valuables in the boutique—designer jewellery, clothes, semi-precious stones. But on the other hand, would a petty thief understand the value of designer jewellery?”

“He probably wouldn’t. Unless he thinks that it’s all real?” Involuntarily the image of The Owl flashed through Sonia’s mind. At least there was no danger of him being tempted to visit the boutique. A connoisseur in diamonds like him could smell fake jewellery planets and oceans away!

“Quite true. Anyway, let’s hope it doesn’t happen again. I better get back to the boutique. Thanks for the lovely tea, and see you later!” Devika sailed out of the door and Sonia smiled.

The designer always seemed to be in such a tearing hurry. Though of late she had made it a habit of dropping in for a morning cup of
chai,
before the stream of buyers crowded her shop. Devika was doing well and she was very pleased with the turnout of enthusiastic
Punekars.

Sonia turned her attention to the newspaper, which she had put aside when Devika had burst into the office. Her eyes ran over the detailed account of the Sahay case—journalist Mohnish at work. And Sonia was pleased that Mohnish had featured their first case of the year in glowing words. Perhaps he’d realised, just as she had, that Stellar Investigations could do with some positive publicity. Apart from narrating the Sahay case accurately, he’d also added his own comments on how poison—the oldest weapon of death—was still a favourite in suicides and murders. As Sonia folded the newspaper, she conceded that she shared his concern. Easy accessibility, in a variety of forms, had lured even the common man into the world of crime and this was definitely a disturbing prospect.

She had called up Mohnish and thanked him for the well-written article. But in typical Mohnish style, he had brushed off her acknowledgement, saying that he had merely done his duty by reporting an important case.

Sonia glanced at the wall clock. Eleven! And Jatin still hadn’t arrived. Strange. He was usually here first thing in the morning to open the office. It was totally unlike him to be absent without notice. She frowned, wondering what could’ve kept him, when the phone rang.

“Hello, Sonia.”

“Dad!” Sonia exclaimed in surprise. Her father rarely called her at the office. “Is everything all right?”

Mr. Samarth laughed, amused at her concern. “Everything’s absolutely fine! How are things with you?”

“Not bad. Nidhi has had her meal and is taking a nap and Jatin hasn’t arrived yet.”

“Is it a busy day?”

“Quite unlikely. I’ve nothing on hand—I mean, no urgent case knocking on my door at least,” Sonia replied, a little regretfully. “Why?”

“I want you to do me a favour. I’ve got two passes for a special show for invitees of a play called
Premasaathi Kahihi—
Anything for Love. A friend of mine, Ravi Pujar, has financed the play. Ravi’s into promoting Marathi theatre, specially in Pune. He says he feels privileged to be a part of the long theatre culture of the city.”

“I’ve heard of the play. It is directed by my college friend Karan Mujumdar. He was my senior in Fergusson College,” Sonia replied. She hadn’t uttered Karan’s name in years. In fact, she hadn’t even thought of him in ages!

“You know him? Good. You know I’m not too fond of plays and your Mother isn’t interested, either. I was wondering if you could attend the show? As a representative of the Samarth family?”

“What time is it?”

“Six this evening. You could take Jatin along or your new friend, Devika. Or better still, how about Mohnish?” her Father suggested.

Sonia grinned. Her Dad wasn’t being too subtle. “Don’t seem to have much of a choice, do I?”

“I’d appreciate it if you could go. I don’t want to disappoint my friend Ravi and I’m sure Mohnish would enjoy the change….”

“Dad, I didn’t say I’m asking Mohnish to go with me,” Sonia reminded lightly, but there was a smile on her lips.

“Then I guess what I’m saying is—Ask him! Take him to a play, and go for dinner. Then enjoy a summer night walk, chat to your heart’s content, and have a comfortable and wonderful time together. I promise, your Mother and I won’t ask you what time you returned home.”

Sonia laughed. “Dad, you’re too good to be true!”

“Then you’ll invite Mohnish for the play?”

“I’ll ask him if he’s free,” Sonia conceded.

“Good. Since I’m going to be out the whole day I’ll keep the tickets ready at home. Enjoy yourself, dear!”

Sonia was still smiling as she replaced the receiver. Her Father was actually matchmaking! Which meant that her parents liked Mohnish. That pleased her. Though she wasn’t ready for matchmaking, of course. Mohnish was a decent guy and she found his company refreshing, and at times positively invigorating, but there were sides to him. Something that she’d seen in his horoscope when she had checked it last year. Some mystery. And an angle which she wished to explore, sooner or later. Until that time, she wasn’t ready to consider a serious relationship with him. But that didn’t mean that she couldn’t enjoy a healthy friendship with him. Her Father was right. She would invite Mohnish. If only in reciprocation for the wonderful article he’d written.

She moved to the box window where Nidhi was cuddled on the colourful pillows. Despite the May heat, the cat was comfortable, occasionally licking herself to maintain her body temperature. Sonia wished she had such a cooling-down technique. Smiling at the idea, she plumped up the cushions and caressed Nidhi’s silky fur. The cat responded with a purr of appreciation.

The door opened and Jatin strode in. He was beaming, sporting a brand-new leather jacket, over a new yellow T-shirt.

“Hello, Boss!”

“Jatin! Where’ve you been!”

“Boss, the most wonderful thing in the world has happened to me!”

Sonia eyed his new clothes. “You mean your leather jacket? On a hot May day?”

“Doesn’t it look great on me? Naina seems to think so.”

“Naina?”
Sonia turned from Nidhi to focus completely on her assistant. Jatin was flushed, and grinning from ear to ear. Something was definitely wrong!

“Boss, I’m in
love
! I’ve found the most perfect girl in the world!”

Jatin in love? The concept was incredibly new and awe-inspiring. Not to mention the umpteen possibilities and doors that Jatin’s being in love opened! And which sent shudders down her back.

But Jatin scarcely noticed the response—bordering on horror, over the contemplation of events to come—that his declaration had evoked. “Boss, she’s an angel. Lovely from head to toe. So charming and sweet to talk to. I can’t take my eyes off her!”

“Where did you meet this girl?” Sonia asked, careful not to disclose her inner sentiments.

“Naina—her name’s Naina, short for Sunaina. Isn’t that beautiful? And just like her name, her eyes are beautiful. I met her at Frenzy. Remember that disco club you and Mohnish so unsuitably went to for a date last year?”

Sonia winced.

“My friends and I have been partying at the disco regularly and I met Naina there by chance. It was love at first sight!” Jatin declared, happiness radiating from his face, as he drew out a chair and settled down in it.

“Pomegranate-red cheeks, hair the colour of Kokam, and skin like a peeled banana?” Sonia asked, in an incredulous tone.

“All that and more! She’s gorgeous…” Jatin gushed, a dreamy look in his eyes. “And we hit it off like tabla and dagga!”

Sonia smiled faintly.
Tabla and dagga—
the famous Indian pair of small drums! What
next
?

“And does she reciprocate your feelings?” she asked carefully.

“I haven’t asked her yet, Boss. These things have to be handled with care. I don’t wish to scare her off,” Jatin remarked patiently. “But of course, I can
feel
it. I’m positive she reciprocates my feelings for her. She’s always adjusting her hair when I’m around. And she told me I look handsome in this jacket! These are sure signs of her interest in me! By the way, what do
you
think of the jacket?”

Sonia hated being caught in a trap like that. Handsome? She thought the jacket, which must have cost Jatin his whole month’s salary, looked roguish. But she didn’t dare put her thoughts in words. Jatin already thought Sonia to be jaded and an old maid. Her opinion of his clothes would be put on a back shelf now that a certain Naina was freely ladling out praise.

“I like you just as well, in whatever you wear, Jatin,” she replied non-committally. “Now, how about some work?”

“Work? Boss, I’m
in love
! Doesn’t that mean anything to you?” her assistant exclaimed, as if that excused everything. Then he grinned sympathetically. “It’s okay. I don’t really expect you to understand!”

Quite unaware that he’d just said something outrageous, Jatin sailed out of the room, whistling merrily. Sonia shook her head in exasperation. Now she would
have to
invite Mohnish for the play and have a good time. If only to prove her love-struck assistant wrong!

“What are you saying?” Anup almost shouted into the phone. “Are you saying you don’t love me?”

“I’m sorry, but that’s true. I’m actually in love with someone else…” Jaya began.

“In love with someone else?” Anup repeated stupidly. Jaya’s voice sounded husky, a little different, but it quickened his heartbeat nevertheless.

“Yes and—”

“Is it Karan?”

“I’m not going to tell you who it is. All I can disclose is that I’m…pregnant. I have to marry him!” Jaya uttered the words softly.

“You’re…? I don’t believe you! Till last week, you were declaring your undying love to me!”

“I know. But I can’t carry on this charade anymore, Anup. To be honest with you, I needed the publicity. You, such a successful theatre personality, and me, an upcoming starlet. And it certainly helped. I’m almost as famous as you now. But that also means that I don’t need you anymore. I have to think of my child now.”

“How can you say such things!” Anup exclaimed, horrified. “All those secret meetings, everything we said to each other…”

“Meant a lot to me. At the time. But we cannot marry and live together until death do us part!” She laughed softly, sexily.

Fury boiled inside him. “I was going to leave my wife for you!”

“Now you don’t have to. And I hope that Deepa never knows about this brief interlude. I’m willing to keep quiet—for a price, of course.”

“A price? Are you blackmailing me?” he asked, incredulous.

Jaya laughed softly into the receiver. “Such an ugly word
—blackmail.
I prefer to call it a gift. A parting gift, for all the pleasures we shared!”

“You’re crazy!” he exploded.

“I hope not. I mean, I would be if I simply close this issue without something to remember you by,” she agreed. “And I even dare hope that we’ll continue to be friends. At least till today’s show’s over. I know, this moment you’re so angry, you wish you could pour real poison into the glass for the last scene of our show. I’m right, aren’t I? I can understand your anger. I would perhaps feel the same. But one day you’ll thank me for this.”

“I’m never going to thank you for anything!”

“Then, let’s at least pretend to be friends till the show’s over. Specially during lunch this afternoon, which your darling wife has arranged for all of us. We don’t want her to suspect anything at all, do we? Especially as it’s all over now! After the show, I’ll tell you how much your parting gift is going to cost you. Then you go your way and I go mine. Goodbye, Anup.”

The phone clicked shut.

Anup stared at the receiver. He couldn’t believe what she’d just said to him. As if all they’d shared didn’t matter at all. In love with someone else? The other man had to be Karan, their Director! A knife of jealousy twisted in Anup’s heart. How could she talk so coldly to him? And
pregnant
?

Suddenly Anup stumbled towards a chair and sank into it. My God! She’d been treating him like some fool. Using him for fun, while all along she’d cared only for the publicity. And he’d cheated on his wife. Dear darling Deepa. So patient, so loving. Deepa had given up her flourishing acting career to get married to him and to look after their home. And he’d betrayed her, for that…that tramp of an actress Jaya! He had ignored his guilt and even the admonishments of that mystery woman who warned him about Jaya. He had never believed the stories that the mystery woman, who claimed to know Jaya very well, had narrated to him. He had
chosen
not to believe her, because he was consummately in love with Jaya! And look where it had landed him. Blackmail! The tramp actually had the gall to demand money from him! Oh God, what would happen if Deepa found out?