Authors: Manjiri Prabhu
Ganesh Pandit, Pankaj’s Secretary, joined them in the dining room. He was a short, stout, middle-aged man with square-rimmed spectacles. Sonia noticed that his hands trembled.
“I’ve specially made Konkani food. Do you eat fish?” Sheetal indicated the food served on big green banana leaves.
“I’m afraid I don’t,” Sonia replied in an apologetic tone.
Jatin smiled. “I do.”
“Good, because Kelshi has some excellent sea fish. There’s curry and fried fish here. And for you,” Sheetal turned to Sonia, “there’s
bhakri
and
jackfruit bhaji,
to be followed by rice and
pithi,
which is a curry of gram paste called
Kulith,
and, of course, our famous
Solkadi—
a soup of coconut milk,
Kokam,
and garlic!”
“Sounds wonderful! It’s really good of you to go to so much trouble….”
“It’s our pleasure! But I do hope you enjoy the meal,” Pankaj told Sonia.
“This is getting to be more like a holiday than a duty call.” The detective shook her head, glancing at Jatin from the corner of her eye. But her Assistant had already begun devouring the delicious fish.
Over the meal, Sonia made small talk with Ganesh Pandit. The secretary seemed reticent and a little reluctant to talk. But Pankaj was in a cheerful mood and Sheetal blushed and responded to her new husband’s chatter with good humour. And Tina joined in the laughter, understanding little but the fact that her parents were having a good time.
After the meal, Pankaj asked Sonia and Jatin to go ahead to the study. He and the others would follow in a few moments.
“Boss, what do you think?” Jatin asked in a low voice, once they were alone in the room.
“Good hospitality,” Sonia commented.
“That’s not what I mean, Boss, you know that.”
“But that’s all I’m going to talk about,” Sonia returned with a wink.
Jatin was a little taken aback. Sometimes he just couldn’t fathom his Boss’s psychedelic thought patterns!
The door opened and Ganesh Pandit barged in. His hasty step and the furtive glance he threw over his shoulder alerted Sonia at once.
“Miss Samarth, how do you like Kelshi?” he asked.
“It’s charming,” Sonia replied, but her tone was wary. Surely Ganesh Pandit wasn’t interested in expounding on the beauty of Kelshi.
“You haven’t seen the Mahalaxmi Temple yet. Laxmi is the goddess of wealth. And the temple is old and you must take
darshan
of the goddess. They say each and every wish prayed in her temple comes true!”
“Is that right? We sure can do with some money, right, Jatin?”
“Of course!”
“When you leave this house, I’ll accompany you to the temple. It would be my great pleasure to show you the temple.” The Secretary’s eyes bored into her.
“I’m sure Jatin and I would love to see the place.”
“Which place is that?” Pankaj asked, as he entered, glancing curiously from Sonia to Ganesh Pandit.
“Mahalaxmi Temple,” Ganesh offered, sounding nervous.
“Oh yes, Kelshi’s a great tourist place. Not that we have many tourists here, mercifully. Fortunately for us, this village is still a hidden treasure. But Ganesh is right. A visit to our temple is a must.”
“Will you look at my photos?” Tina asked shyly.
Surprised, Sonia took the photo album from the little girl. “Sure. Why don’t you sit beside me and tell me who is who?” She patted the seat on the sofa beside her and Tina happily joined her. Ganesh slipped out of the room unobtrusively.
Pankaj glanced at the photos in his daughter’s small hands. “Where did you find this album, Tina? I think it’s an old one.”
“In Mama’s cupboard,” the child replied.
“Don’t worry, I’ll quickly go through them, then you can show me the horoscopes.” Sonia smiled at the girl.
She chatted with Tina as she flicked through the photos, commenting casually on them and expressing interest. Pankaj watched indulgently till they had finished.
“Now run upstairs and read, Tina. I want you to complete that storybook today,” he told her.
“Okay, Daddy!”
As she ran out of the room, Sonia said, “She’s a lovely child.”
“Yes, I’m very proud of her. And I’m glad that we’ve found Sheetal to add to our love and closeness. Would you like to see the horoscopes now?”
Sonia nodded, and he handed her three booklets and a piece of paper. Pankaj, Sheetal, Ganesh Pandit—and Jeetu’s horoscope, drawn on the plain paper with his name
Jeetu Veer
in neat handwriting on the top of the sheet.
“And what about Tina?” Sonia asked.
“Tina’s horoscope? What does that child have to do with the antiques?” Sheetal asked as she entered the room.
“Nothing as far as I know. But there’s always a possibility of a lurking clue in any horoscope….” Soniashrugged.
“I don’t know…” Sheetal hedged.
“It’s okay, darling.” Pankaj glanced at his wife. Turning to Sonia, he said, “Sheetal is a little too protective of Tina. I don’t see any harm in showing you Tina’s horoscope.”
“Good. By the way, what does Jeetu do?” This time, Sonia looked at Sheetal for an answer.
“He works. What was the name of his firm…?” She frowned in concentration. “Yes, I remember. It’s Chinar Computers. He’s a Systems Analyst.”
“In Pune?”
“Yes, Jeetu thinks Pune is the centre of the IT boom in India. But he travels all round the world. He’s very ambitious, you know.” Sheetal smiled.
Pankaj was staring at his wife, his face impassive. But a muscle twitched in his cheek.
“I guess his horoscope will tell us that anyway,” Sonia said pleasantly.
For a while silence reigned, as Sonia flicked through each horoscope. Pankaj—Libra as the zodiac sign, with Gemini in the ascendant. That’s where his good looks came from…. Sheetal—Sagittarius as the zodiac sign as well as ascendant. Intelligent, smart, and courageous…Jeetu—Aquarius as the zodiac, with Scorpio in the ascendant; Saturn, Harshal, and the Sun in Scorpio…Sonia paused, frowning. The wall clock ticked loudly and the sea waves lashed outside. The rain threatened to beat down any moment.
Pankaj watched the detective, a mixture of curiosity and wonder on his face. Sheetal glanced down at her hand, studying it minutely.
Jatin’s eyes flicked from one face to the other and then to his Boss, whose one finger was twirling a lock of hair. Her foot tapped. He smiled. Music was playing in her mind and her foot was involuntarily keeping beat—his Boss’s way of dealing with her Inspiration formula, in the absence of actual blaring music!
At length, Sonia glanced up and Jatin saw the gleam in her eyes. He experienced a delightful tingle of satisfaction. His Boss had stumbled onto something, he was positive of it!
But to his surprise, she quickly camouflaged the look of triumph and said, “I’d like to take these horoscopes back to my office. I need to consult some almanacs. Do you think you could part with these for a while?”
Pankaj looked visibly disappointed. “Oh, I see…. Yes, of course you can take them.”
“And as soon as I’ve finished, I’ll give you a call,” Sonia promised. “And now I think we should take our leave.”
“All right.” Pankaj continued to look disappointed.
“Don’t worry, Mr. Naik. I’ve already seen as much as I need to. It’s enough to give me a lead. And I promise you, you’ll find your antiques.” She smiled confidently.
“Do you really think so?” Sheetal asked. “We’ve been so worried. I mean, apart from the fact that the statues are valuable, it doesn’t feel good that there’s a thief around us. Or that someone can carry something out of the house without our knowledge.”
“Absolutely,” Sonia assured her. “Thank you so much for your hospitality, both of you.” She spied Pankaj’s secretary in the background. “Mr. Pandit, you promised to show us the Mahalaxmi Temple. Are you coming with us?”
“Actually, I have my scooter. I’ll follow you there,” the secretary answered.
The goodbyes were said and Jatin and Sonia made their way out of the house. At the bridge, they turned. Pankaj and Sheetal still stood at the door. Tina had joined them. The little girl waved. Sonia waved back and then she and Jatin stepped onto the rickety bridge.
“It’s been two days since Sonia Samarth took the horoscopes,” Sheetal remarked.
“Hmm…” her husband grunted, preoccupied.
Pankaj and Sheetal were relaxing in a clump of trees, lying on their backs. Pankaj’s hand was flung over his eyes. Sheetal was gazing up at the sky. Tina sat beside them, playing with the sand. Rays of the sun filtered through the tall Pines. The shimmering vastness of the sea turned the waves into copper flames. The sun sank deeper over the rust-gold water.
Sheetal turned on her side to face Pankaj. “Aren’t you concerned?”
“About what?”
“I mean, you believe in this horoscope business of hers, you invited her here to find out who stole the antiques, and she seemed like a nice person. But what about the antiques? Why hasn’t she reported anything at all as yet on them?”
“She will. She seemed pretty confident. We just need to be patient,” Pankaj mumbled. He straightened suddenly. “Oh! By the way, I clean forgot! Guess who I met today in Pune?”
“Someone I know?”
“The only person you know! Jeetu!”
“Jeetu!” Sheetal turned astonished eyes on her husband. “Are you sure? I mean, you’ve never met him….”
“I knew him the moment I set my eyes on him. And besides,
he
seemed to recognise
me
at once.”
“Where…where did you meet him?”
“At the racecourse.”
“Then that’s impossible. Jeetu doesn’t bet.”
“He was there with a friend. And why do I get the impression that you seem uneasy with the fact that I met him?” Pankaj shot his wife a curious glance. “Is something the matter?”
“No, of course not!” But Sheetal had turned red.
“Anyway, we got chatting, mostly about you, and guess what, I’ve asked him for dinner tomorrow!”
Sheetal stared at him in disbelief. “And he…accepted?”
“He was delighted. Said that you’d never invited him and he was simply waiting for the chance to see your home,” Pankaj reported, keenly observing the changing expressions on his wife’s face. “What’s the matter? I hope I did the right thing by calling him here. I mean, he
is
your good friend, isn’t he? And to be frank, he dropped such broad hints that I had no choice but to issue an invitation! I really couldn’t be rude. Not to such a good friend of yours!”
The sea had now turned silver, and the sun was just a golden curve over the horizon. In seconds, it slipped into the waters, vanishing from sight.
“At the least, it will be an interesting evening.” Sheetal grinned suddenly and Pankaj studied her flushed face with a curious glint in his eyes. She looked absolutely beautiful, with her long hair drawn up in a ponytail high above her head and her spotless complexion glowing with good health.
The weather changed and fat drops of rain began pelting down.
“Come on, Tina, pack up! Let’s run back to the house!” Pankaj commanded.
The three Naiks hastily gathered up their blanket and dashed towards the house. Within seconds, the beautiful evening had turned into a dark thunderstorm.
“Everything’s ready for the evening meal,” Sheetal informed her husband.
“Already?”
Pankaj, who was busy settling accounts at his study table, glanced up at her. She looked radiant in a white cotton Salwar Kameez.
“Yes, I didn’t want any last-minute hassles. And now I’m going for a walk with Tina. Is there anything you need?”
“No. I plan to finish these right away. Ganesh Pandit hasn’t turned up in two days. There’s no message from him, either.”
“Why don’t you replace him?”
“I know, sometimes I really do feel I ought to sack him, but he’s been with me for a year now and I’ve never had any reason to complain about him before. Besides, who else will come all the way to Kelshi? Anyway, you go have your walk, but be back in time to receive Jeetu,” he reminded lightly.
Sheetal touched his face tenderly. “You don’t need to feel jealous of him, honey. I love you and always will!”
Pankaj chuckled. “I’ll remember that!”
He watched her leave the room and was aware of the strong emotion of love in his heart. He really did love her!
An hour later, he glanced up from his accounts, to the wall clock, and frowned. Pankaj rose and gazed out of the window. The sea was faintly visible through the slanting rain. Sheetal ought to have been back ages ago, he thought. Worry began to gnaw at him. Where was she? Had she and Tina stopped somewhere and got caught in the rain? No, she wouldn’t waste time when there was a guest for dinner. Perhaps they were just huddled under some tree in the rain. He’d just go and fetch them.
Ignoring a shiver of anxiety, he pulled on his shoes and swung on a rain jacket. Carrying a torch and an umbrella, he trudged out into the dark. Half an hour later, he had not found either Sheetal or his daughter. He walked the whole stretch of the beach, struggling against the wind and rain, calling out to them till his voice had gone hoarse.
The village! They must’ve gone to the village, he thought desperately. Sheetal probably required some ingredient for dinner and had got caught in the rain! Oh, why had he mentioned the dratted Jeetu! Sheetal would probably leave no stone unturned to cook up the perfect dinner for her good friend! Dusk had fallen and his torchlight was like a beacon, penetrating a narrow path through the pelting downpour. Crossing the wooden bridge, his feet slipping dangerously over the uneven logs, he ran as fast as the rain permitted to his car. For a moment, relief swept over him. She hadn’t taken the car! On the other hand, it meant they were out there somewhere on foot, perhaps drenched and cold. Poor Tina must be terrified in the dark. He had to stop thinking of the worst! He turned the key in the ignition. He knew that he was incapable of thinking
at all
at the moment. All he knew was that he had to find them!
Minutes later he was at the tiny village square, which looked as inhabited as a ghost town! The shops were shuttered and the people were in their houses, as the driving rain and wind rattled wooden doors. The canals were overflowing, and for a long moment Pankaj stared in dismay at the bleak, dark landscape, his heart sinking into his boots. There was not a soul around! No one to answer his inquiries about his wife and daughter. Then a logical thought forced itself through the haze of confusion. If Sheetal was really stuck somewhere in the village, she would try to reach a phone to call him. His mobile hadn’t rung. That meant that his wife had no access to a phone. Which surely could mean that she wasn’t here in town. And which meant…Sudden bloodcurdling images flooded his brain. His heart began pounding madly.