murder at the farmhouse. We all saw her.
“What about the locket? Only Shalini could have had access to it. Now, for God’s sake, go in and get a confession from her. I can’t stand her being in the house.”
“Shalini is a suspect,” I admitted controlling my own anger. “But unless I prove her guilty, I look at all the people present in the farmhouse on the day of the murder, with equal suspicion.”
He closed his fists and leaned towards me threateningly. “If the murderer was at the farmhouse that day, it
has
to be Shalini. It would be crazy to even suggest that someone else committed the murder.”
His eyes sparkled ferociously. “Crazy! You understand? I know my family better than you do. So prove Shalini guilty and make my task easier, like I have made yours. Then take your fee and leave. No need to get carried away.”
Headaches always made me impatient. I snapped.
“Well then, old man, you don’t need me. You need to hire a truth fairy. It would be easy for her. She will just wave her magic wand over Shalini’s head and … Poof! … you have your confession. After that, you can hire the angel of death to execute her. You can hang her from the stout mango tree I saw in your garden. That can become the Kapoor Tree of Justice.”
I got up and walked purposefully towards the door. I had just opened the door to make my exit when there was a cry for help.
“Please stop! Please!”
I turned around and raised my eyebrows. He smiled.
“I am sorry. I guess it was wrong of me to impose my version on you. Please continue your investigation in a manner you find suitable. Just let me reiterate what I believe, and then I will not repeat it. Okay?”
I nodded and he continued, “I am one hundred per cent sure that we will see eye to eye on the identity of the murderer before the end of the day. You are a smart man. I am sure you will be able to think of the right way to make her confess. I have full faith in you.
“Let me assure you, you will spend very little time with Shalini. I know my sons and their wives, Vishal. They are my flesh and blood. They cannot be murderers. The only person who had a motive was Shalini. That is all I wanted to say.”
He smiled, and made a gesture of zipping his lips. I was still standing at the door. I had almost stepped out, when I turned back and told him, “You are right, sir. Everyone has a motive. Sometimes it so subtle that the person cannot see it himself.”
“Everyone has a motive? Nonsense! What about my motive?”
“You may have a motive for wishing to believe that Shalini may be the murderer. If she is innocent, and the murderer is someone else, you would have failed as a father again. And as you said, the guilt can be unbearable. I will see you around.”
I left the distraught father staring into infinity, and went in for my long overdue chat with Shalini.
I walked across the living room, and towards the kitchen. My heartbeat doubled as I caught a whiff of her fragrance. I realised I had been hoping to see her since the moment I had entered the house.
“Hi, Vishal.”
I turned around slowly. Aditi was wearing a short red terrycloth bathrobe. Her feet were bare on the cold marble floor, and her hair was wet. She looked as though she had just got out of the shower. Her long, sculpted legs were visible below the robe, which ended about three inches above her knees. The curves of her breasts were perceptible through the robe. She was wearing nothing underneath. Her breasts heaved softly as she started walking towards me.
“I just had to see you! I heard about your eye,” she said in a concerned voice.
Her expression was serious, but her eyes were laughing, daring me to resist her.
I grinned. “A good thing you came too. That’s a sight for a sore eye.”
I knew she must have planned her entry. She lifted my sunglasses and observed my eye. I felt her breath on my face. She was as tall as I was, five nine, making her tall for a woman.She was lithe,
“What about the locket? Only Shalini could have had access to it. Now, for God’s sake, go in and get a confession from her. I can’t stand her being in the house.”
“Shalini is a suspect,” I admitted controlling my own anger. “But unless I prove her guilty, I look at all the people present in the farmhouse on the day of the murder, with equal suspicion.”
He closed his fists and leaned towards me threateningly. “If the murderer was at the farmhouse that day, it
has
to be Shalini. It would be crazy to even suggest that someone else committed the murder.”
His eyes sparkled ferociously. “Crazy! You understand? I know my family better than you do. So prove Shalini guilty and make my task easier, like I have made yours. Then take your fee and leave. No need to get carried away.”
Headaches always made me impatient. I snapped.
“Well then, old man, you don’t need me. You need to hire a truth fairy. It would be easy for her. She will just wave her magic wand over Shalini’s head and … Poof! … you have your confession. After that, you can hire the angel of death to execute her. You can hang her from the stout mango tree I saw in your garden. That can become the Kapoor Tree of Justice.”
I got up and walked purposefully towards the door. I had just opened the door to make my exit when there was a cry for help.
“Please stop! Please!”
I turned around and raised my eyebrows. He smiled.
“I am sorry. I guess it was wrong of me to impose my version on you. Please continue your investigation in a manner you find suitable. Just let me reiterate what I believe, and then I will not repeat it. Okay?”
I nodded and he continued, “I am one hundred per cent sure that we will see eye to eye on the identity of the murderer before the end of the day. You are a smart man. I am sure you will be able to think of the right way to make her confess. I have full faith in you.
“Let me assure you, you will spend very little time with Shalini. I know my sons and their wives, Vishal. They are my flesh and blood. They cannot be murderers. The only person who had a motive was Shalini. That is all I wanted to say.”
He smiled, and made a gesture of zipping his lips. I was still standing at the door. I had almost stepped out, when I turned back and told him, “You are right, sir. Everyone has a motive. Sometimes it so subtle that the person cannot see it himself.”
“Everyone has a motive? Nonsense! What about my motive?”
“You may have a motive for wishing to believe that Shalini may be the murderer. If she is innocent, and the murderer is someone else, you would have failed as a father again. And as you said, the guilt can be unbearable. I will see you around.”
I left the distraught father staring into infinity, and went in for my long overdue chat with Shalini.
I walked across the living room, and towards the kitchen. My heartbeat doubled as I caught a whiff of her fragrance. I realised I had been hoping to see her since the moment I had entered the house.
“Hi, Vishal.”
I turned around slowly. Aditi was wearing a short red terrycloth bathrobe. Her feet were bare on the cold marble floor, and her hair was wet. She looked as though she had just got out of the shower. Her long, sculpted legs were visible below the robe, which ended about three inches above her knees. The curves of her breasts were perceptible through the robe. She was wearing nothing underneath. Her breasts heaved softly as she started walking towards me.
“I just had to see you! I heard about your eye,” she said in a concerned voice.
Her expression was serious, but her eyes were laughing, daring me to resist her.
I grinned. “A good thing you came too. That’s a sight for a sore eye.”
I knew she must have planned her entry. She lifted my sunglasses and observed my eye. I felt her breath on my face. She was as tall as I was, five nine, making her tall for a woman.She was lithe,
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