Varun smiled. “I like your confidence. And you've most certainly relieved my mind. Thank you so much.” He rose to leave.
Nidhi meowed loudly at that moment, stretching herself lazily, and Varun turned in surprise.
“A cat!” he exclaimed.
“Yes, she lives here.” Sonia moved towards Nidhi and fondled her lovingly.
“I love cats,” Varun said.
“Oh really? You can touch her, she's quite gentle.”
Varun stroked the cat, who instantly arched, rubbing herself against him and allowing herself to be petted.
“She's healthy and well cared for. The collar suits her. Did you put it on her?”
“No, she came with it. Someone evidently pamperd her once upon a time. She simply arrived one evening and stayed. I call her Nidhi.”
“It's obvious that you love her a lot.” Varun turned appreciative eyes on her, and Sonia blushed.
“I like animals,” she told him.
“Good, I like animals, too. By the way, do you think you can drop by my office tomorrow, to discuss the rest of the requests I made?” he asked, with a twinkle in his sea-green eyes.
Sonia laughed. “You mean the Chief Guest, game, and matchmaking affair!”
“That's right. We can talk over lunch.”
Sonia hesitated for a fraction before she accepted.
He scribbled an address on a sheet of paper. “Half past noon?”
“I'll be there,” she promised. “And I hope you have some good news for me by then.”
“I'm sure of that. And, oh, I almost forgot to give you this!” He extracted a cheque from his pocket and handed it to her.
Sonia glanced at the amount and her jaw dropped. “But this is . . . !”
“It means I value what you did for me, by going against your principles and your gut instinct. The least I can do is pay for what I think it's worth.”
“But . . .”
“Until tomorrow, then?” He pressed her hand in a warm clasp and was gone.
Sonia stood beside Nidhi, patting her absently. Her gaze dropped once more to the cheque in hand. What an enigmatic man! Intriguing! There seemed to be two strong forces working at odds in him. Positive and negative. It was these same alternating forces which seemed to simultaneously attract and repel her. He'd effortlessly managed to work around her arguments, and cajoled her into dealing with his problem. Had she trod on her own toes, in overriding her misgivings and reservations? Only time would tell.
M.G.Road was alive on Christmas Eve. Windows displayed elaborate decorations of Christmas trees, flowing with crepe paper, stars, and angels. The whole street was lit like daylight and the crowds jostled merrily. With every passing moment, the holiday mood seemed to spike, in the beautiful winter night.
Sonia pushed her way through the people and out of the store. She had just finished buying her last gift and was pleased with herself. For a few minutes, she strolled on the pavement, watching the activity around her a little wistfully. The rippling enjoyment of the crowds was a sure sign that religion was never a bar for Indians to enjoy festivities. In fact, they needed the slightest excuse for merry-making with friends and family. Alone, but in the midst of hundreds of people, Sonia couldn't help feeling slightly isolated. If only her parents didn't have to attend a business emergency out of town. . . . But she was being silly. They would be back the next afternoon.
A huge Santa arrived in a cart with wooden reindeers, and the youngsters screamed. He jangled a large bell and threw sweets from his big red bag. The children jumped around in glee, trying to collect the sweets. Sonia thrust through the shouting youngsters and caught a few toffees in her hand. She waved to the smiling Santa, who waved back. It cheered her enormously. The wave of loneliness waned.
She was just about to climb into her van when her cell phone rang.
“Boss!” Jatin sounded breathless. “I'm afraid someone's broken into our office.”
“What!” Sonia could barely hear over the din. “How do you know?”
“I was passing by and saw the light on. At first, I thought you were working on something. But I found the door forced open and the lights on!”
“I'll be there right away,” Sonia informed him.
Her mind was racing as the van slowly edged out of the busy M.G.Road. What would anyone want in her office? She carried no case papers, nothing that was so secretive that it merited a theft. Perhaps it was a minor thief looking for petty cash. But she hardly kept more than a few hundred rupees in the office safe. Once off of the busy street, her van roared into action and she was zipping past the night vehicles at record speed.
Jatin was in the outer office, going through papers and files.
“Anything missing?” she demanded as she strode into the room.
“Absolutely nothing!” Jatin sounded bewildered.
“The cash?”
“All intact.”
Sonia sighed. “Thank God. The office seems in pretty good shape. For a minute I imagined it in its worst possible state.” Then she walked into the inner office and stopped short. “Where's Nidhi?”
Jatin shrugged. “May have gone out for a walk.”
“Nidhi!” Sonia called out. “Spss . . .”
“Boss, she'll return,” Jatin said patiently.
“I don't think so.” Sonia's voice trembled. “Look!”
Some of the balls from the Christmas tree were crushed. And there were drops of blood on the tiled floor.
“My God, what's happened!” Jatin exclaimed.
What exactly had transpired here? Had Nidhi attacked the intruder and had he injured her? Was the poor creature hurt? And, most importantly, where was she? Sonia sank into a chair, her legs giving way.
Let Nidhi be okay, God, let her be safe,
she prayed. Jatin thrust a glass under her nose and she accepted it gratefully.
“I'm sure she's fine, Boss. Even if she's a little hurt, she'll nurse herself. She'll be back here in no time to demand her share of the milk.”
“I hope to God that you're right. We wait until tomorrow. If she doesn't turn up, I'm going to launch a massive hunt for her.”
“Right,” he agreed. “Though I still fail to understand what the thief wanted in this office.”
“Maybe he thought he'd find some meaty documents. Anyway, I'm glad nothing's gone and I hope Nidhi returns during the night and that she's safe and sound.”
“She'll be all right, don't you worry.”
“We should report the break-in. Do you think you could handle that?”
“I'll file a report at the Police Station on my way back home. Don't worry, I'll manage everything. Should I lock up now?”
Sonia nodded. She felt confused, worried, and disoriented. Suddenly, life seemed to be playing tricks with her. And she didn't like the way matters seemed to be slipping out of her hand and out of her control.
Jatin had his mobike, so Sonia bid him good night and slowly drove homewards. Where was Nidhi? If only she knew for sure that the little cat was safe. The Church loomed on her left and instinctively she braked. A glance at her watch revealed that there was still time before people arrived for the midnight service.
She parked the van by the road and headed into the Church. Her steps echoed inside the monument, which was lit up with hundreds of candles. Sonia made her way to the first pew and knelt down. For a moment, she stared up at the illuminated statue of Jesus Christ, a tear gathering in the corner of her eye. Then clasping her hands together, she bent her head. And prayed, with her whole heart and soul, for Nidhi—for the wonderful, special cat, who was now an inseparable part of her life. The red-yellow glow of the candles; the deep tranquilizing silence; the aura of reverence emanating from every nook and cranny of the graceful stone structure; and the magic of Christmas Eve filled Sonia with peace. She raised her head and her eyes were shining, her faith restored. Nothing could happen to Nidhi!
With a lighter step and a more relaxed frame of mind, she climbed into her van. The moon shone in a crescent as she drove past the shopping complex which held Mohnish's flower shop. And then she spotted him. Just outside his shop, in deep conversation with another man. Mohnish, at this hour? Astonished, Sonia drove on. She parked the vehicle along the pavement, under a tree. Twisting in her seat, she observed the two men intently. They talked for a while, then went inside the shop. Sonia glanced at her watch. It was a quarter past eleven. Suddenly she recalled Mohnish's envelope. What had it said?
Midnight. The Owl.
A grim determination swept over her. Something was very wrong here. Mohnish was surely up to something. The Owl. What did he have to do with the Owl? She remembered the times when he'd passed on tidbits on the International Crook. He'd been most curious as to her operative methods and had asked more than once if she could hunt down the Owl with the aid of a horoscope. Now, in hindsight, she found his questions too demanding and inquisitive. How was Mohnish connected with the Crook? Well, it was time to zero in on the answers.
Half an hour passed. The traffic had thinned and Sonia grew cold. How long could she sit waiting for them to come out? With sudden resolve, she stepped out of the van and locked it up.
Darkness hung over the Flower Shop, shrouding any hint of activity or life. She approached the door cautiously and peeped through the glass. Silence. Not a mouse stirred inside. But she had distinctly seen the two men entering the shop, she thought. Was there another exit? Had Mohnish left by another door?
There was no point hanging around here in the middle of the night. It would be wiser to confront him tomorrow, she decided.
That night, Sonia found it extremely difficult to fall asleep. The recent happenings were rife in her mind. So much had happened in a day. Sleep seemed to evade her. Finally, around dawn, she dozed fitfully, only to be disturbed by the cell phone again. She awoke startled and lifted the phone, straining her eyes to figure out the number.
“Hello?” she asked in a groggy voice.
“Sonia, sorry to wake you up this early, but I need to meet with you,” a familiar deep voice said.
“Varun!” She was wide awake at once.
“Glad you recognized me. Look, I'm going jogging up Hanuman Tekdi—the hill behind your office—and then I'm flying to Mumbai to catch a flight to New York. But I must meet with you before I leave. Do you think you can join me on the hill?”
“Now?” Sonia asked incredulously. “It's five-thirty in the morning!”
“I know. You can make it, right?” His tone was almost a command.
“Really, Varun, you're an odd man! Imagine asking someone out at this ungodly hour! What's so urgent?”
“I'll explain, at the top of the hill, in half an hour.” The phone went dead.
Sonia muttered under her breath. This was the strangest rendezvous she'd ever had. She felt groggy and unslept and totally misfit for any adventure. But, nevertheless, she slipped out of bed and splashed cold water on her face. She dragged on jeans and a warm white sweater. Serve Varun right if she looked messy and tired.
It was a beautiful dawn. A pink glow was staining the sky and the breeze was nippy and fresh. Sonia breathed in deeply as she parked her van at the foot of the hill and began her ascent. All she needed after a sleepless night was rigorous morning exercise. Thanks to Varun. What in heavens could the guy want at this hour?
It took her twenty minutes to climb up the hill. She passed early walkers, mostly senior citizens, appropriately dressed to keep the morning chill at bay. Youngsters in their tracksuits, jogging for fitness, and children, along with their grandparents. Pune city sprawled as far as the eye could see all around her, the lights winking like tiny stars in the fast-dawning light. She reached the top and stopped for breath. She felt alive and tingling with good health.
A figure in a cream tracksuit approached her. Even if the orange of dawn hadn't revealed those classic features to her, Sonia would have recognized that tall athletic physique and spring of energy in his step.
“Good morning!” she greeted.
“Merry Christmas! Glad you could make it.” Varun's face lit up with a charming smile. “Should we sit on that rock there?”
She followed him to a rocky ledge which overlooked the whole of Pune and squatted down beside him. The saffron ball of sun was creeping up along the horizon. Cool breeze riffled through her hair, caressing her perspiring cheeks. She couldn't really believe that she was having this early-morning date with Varun, a guy whose existence until yesterday was as foreign to her as an unknown planet.
“Okay, I'm all ears,” she prompted.
Varun turned to her and smiled. “Impatient. I can understand. It's rather unusual to call someone up Hanuman Tekdi, right? But since I had to cancel this afternoon's appointment due to some urgent work, and there was no way I could depart without one last meeting, I had no option but to invite you here.”
“Does that mean that you've found your diamonds?”
“Yes, I've found them. And exactly in the direction you mentioned. Sonia, perhaps you're not aware, but you have an art, a rare gift. I've known Astrologers who make unforgivable predictions, gross mistakes, with not even the remotest chance of the predictions ever coming true. But you're different. Not only do you know your work, but you also possess a strong instinct which you pay heed to. And that is a good combination. Instinct is the genesis of any true feeling. And you feel for people, for your profession, and for Astrology. That is what makes you so unique and so precious. I marvel at your steadfast singular devotion to your cause. Frankly, it kind of kindles a similar reciprocating glow in my heart and weaves a spell around me. You can make a difference to the world, Sonia.”