“I see no reason to disagree.” Mr. Tupay shrugged but Sonia intercepted the worried glance he flashed at his wife.
Gaurav was observing Sonia with frank curiosity from his seat on the sofa. Sonia unfolded Revati's horoscope and studied it carefully. The others waited. Revati leaned eagerly over her shoulder, trying to see what Sonia could see. Her childlike excitement was refreshing. Finally, Sonia looked up at her and smiled.
“You're in love and plan to get married soon, don't you? I mean, this year—January to December—before Jupiter changes from your seventh house.”
Revati's pretty face glowed. “Yes! Gaurav and I are getting married! Could you really read that in my horoscope?”
“Yes, but I also see a problem. I don't wish to discourage you, but it's not going to be smooth sailing. And I don't mean your married life. I mean your
getting married.
I can see a lot of drama . . . publicity. . . .”
Revati glanced at her parents. Then she said, “You're absolutely right, Miss Samarth. Inspector Divekar could explain everything. You see, there has been a problem, a very serious one.”
“Really? Can you tell me about it?” Sonia asked.
“I'll tell you.” The deep voice spoke for the first time. It was Gaurav. “Revati and I have been seeing each other for the past eight months. We are in love and we told our families about it. Fortunately, there is no reason for anyone to object, so we decided to get engaged. But out of the blue, Revati began receiving anonymous letters. Crude and threatening letters telling her to break off her relationship with me! At first, we thought it was some kind of a joke, but as the frequency of the letters increased, we realized that this was not to be treated lightly. It was more than some detrimental mind's crude idea of fun!”
“That is when they contacted me. Ritesh here is an old friend of mine,” Inspector Divekar explained to Sonia. “We are working on it, but it's been difficult to trace the source of these letters. Look at this latest one.”
He extracted a sheet of paper from his pocket and showed it to Sonia. It was a message composed of letters cut from a newspaper. The message was brief and clear.
CHUCK HIM BEFORE THE TENTH OR FACE THE CONSEQUENCE
.
“But today is the tenth!” Sonia exclaimed.
“And tomorrow is our engagement!” Revati said gloomily.
“I see . . .” Sonia remarked. The grave and tense atmosphere in the house now became a platform of understanding for her. What she'd sensed was a cringing anxiety against a nameless and faceless threat.
“I'm so scared. I keep feeling something dreadful is going to happen to-night.” Revati shivered. Lightning flashed through the room and crashed far away. But the sound made her jump. “Someone just walked over my grave! Literally, look at these goose bumps!” She indicated the prickled skin of her arm.
“Revati, enough!” Mrs. Tupay snapped. “We're all here. Nothing is going to happen to you. Right, Inspector Divekar?”
“Absolutely. You have no need to worry,” the Inspector confirmed in a reassuring voice.
Sonia glanced at Revati and said with a smile, “If it's any comfort to you, your horoscope shows that this matter will be sorted out eventually and you will get married soon.”
“It certainly is,” Gaurav affirmed. “I don't like this business one bit. I shall certainly be relieved when we get engaged tomorrow. It's a small ceremony. No guests, no pomp. Just family.”
Sonia took up the next booklets, the horoscopes belonging to Mr. and Mrs. Tupay. She easily reeled off the combinations of the stars and what they implied. They were an obviously devoted couple and both were very impressed with the way she predicted some important incidents from their past.
“But Mrs. Tupay. You have this habit . . . a restless nature, which never leaves you in peace. You worry a lot and this may sound obvious, but at the moment something is weighing heavily on your mind.”
Medha Tupay nodded. “You're absolutely right. I am basically a nervous-natured woman and I feel responsible for all the matters in my house. I am fidgety and often discontented but there's always a good reason for it. Take this business of these awful letters. One can't help worrying about something so serious. And then, there's Sushil.”
“Sushil?” Sonia's gaze shifted involuntarily to the still figure in the corner. Sushil was sitting upright, with a napkin on his lap, staring into space. The coffee mug rested on the table.
“It's okay,” Medha Tupay said. “He doesn't understand.”
“Who is he?” Sonia asked.
“A family member now. I guess there's no harm in telling you, since half the world already knows about it. Sushil is actually an orphan someone left at our door, an absolutely brand-new baby abandoned in our care. I didn't have the heart to turn him over to some orphanage, so I handed him to Kaki, our housekeeper. She's like a family member, too, and she gladly took charge of the little baby. He grew up with Revati—a healthy, intelligent boy—and being about the same age, both were inseparable friends. He had a good education and lacked for nothing. But somehow bad luck seemed to have followed him after all these years.”
“What happened?” Jatin asked curiously.
“About six months ago Sushil had an accident. He crashed straight into a car on the street when it halted abruptly, and he was thrown off his scooter. It wasn't very serious, but he knocked his head. A stranger brought him home. What was really remarkable was the manner in which Sushil, who was babbling strangely, clung to this old man like an unreasonable child. He refused to allow the man to depart. It was most embarrassing and ultimately we had no choice but to request the man to hang on for a while. Fortunately for us, he was looking for a job, so we offered him the gardener's post. Only then did Sushil relax. But ever since then, he has kept to his room. He has to be led to the dining room for his meals or for a breath of fresh air. Kaki looks after him. But he recognizes no one, talks to no one. The whole affair is really tragic!”
Kaki spoke up. “I really hate to see him like this, behaving so strangely, almost like an insane person, unaware of any one of us. . . .”
“Is he violent?” Sonia asked.
“Oh no! In fact, he's like a small child, lost in his dreams and fantasies. He's quite harmless, but it really is sad. I was going to ask you if you could read his horoscope and tell me if he will ever get well. You see, he's like a son to me, I'm so worried about him!” Kaki sighed.
“You have his horoscope?” Sonia could not hide her surprise.
“Yes. His birth details and certificate were tucked in the shawl he was wrapped in.”
“How extraordinary!” Sonia murmured reflectively. “Well, of course I shall! I'd very much like to take a look at his horoscope.”
Kaki hastened away to fetch the horoscope. Sonia glanced at Sushil. He sat like a statue through all the talk, his expression wooden, like a face set in a coin. What did he think of? What did he see? Sonia wondered. The thunder crashed and her heart jumped. Sushil's shoulders shook for a fraction of a second. Then his figure froze again.
“Why don't you read Pradnya Aunty's horoscope in the meanwhile?” Revati suggested. “Until Kaki hunts out Sushil's horoscope? I'd love to know if
she
will ever marry!” Revati enthused, spontaneously hugging her aunt. She seemed a very loving young girl.
Pradnya Joshi blushed, embarrassed. “You're crumpling my cotton sari, dear. And at my age I should devote my life to God, not to any earthly human being!” she remarked dryly, patting Revati's cheek affectionately.
Sonia smiled at the bantering and took up the older woman's booklet. She opened it and stared at it a long time. Kaki returned with Sushil's horoscope and Sonia accepted it absentmindedly. Her eyes didn't leave the marked rectangle in her hand. When she did glance up, she found Pradnya Joshi's eyes fixed on hers. The woman's light smile had been replaced by an anxious gleam.
“Miss Joshi . . . I would rather like to speak to you in private.” Sonia matched her gaze.
“Why?” Revati exclaimed tactlessly.
“Why? . . .” Pradnya's question was a mere whisper.
“Because I may speak too much and I don't know if I
ought
to!” Sonia answered gravely.
Sudden fear flashed across Pradnya's face, so fleetingly that Sonia almost thought she'd imagined it. Then tranquillity stole over her entire body and Pradnya seemed to relax. Reconciled, Sonia guessed.
“Go ahead and say what you ought to. I guess I'm ready for it,” Pradnya replied, her voice controlled. She rearranged the pleats of her sari and settled against the sofa.
Mr. and Mrs. Tupay exchanged surprised glances. Inspector Divekar leaned forward, curiosity written all over his face. Revati looked hard at her aunt, but Pradnya ignored her. The figure in the corner stirred, the empty coffee mug turned in restless hands. The rain pattered on the windowpane like a steady pelting of stones.
“If that's what you wish.” Sonia drew in a deep breath. She felt as if she were treading on hidden land mines. “Your Venus and Mars together in the first house indicate an artistic personality. You are a lover of arts but you are also an incurable romantic. A minute ago, you said that you never married. I suppose it's true in the official sense of the word. But something happened long ago: You were in love once, but it didn't work out, did it? In fact, Harshal or Uranus in the fifth house with Rahu indicate that it could have culminated into marriage but I think—no, I can
see
—that he tricked you! Am I right?”
The hall was hushed. Only the crackling of the rain outside intruded on the loaded silence. All eyes were focused on Pradnya, awaiting her reaction to Sonia's words. Looking steadily at Sonia, she replied, without flinching, “Yes, you're absolutely right, Miss Samarth!”
“Pradnya!” her sister exclaimed. “What are you saying?”
Pradnya turned to face the impact of her sister's shocked expression. “You were in the last year of college then,” she said dispassionately. “I guess I was lonely. No parents to talk to, you at college . . . and he came into my life, when I needed a friend badly. We fell in love. He was a frequent visitor at our home and we decided to get married. But the night before, he vanished, along with all my jewels! I couldn't believe it. He'd always claimed that he was ambitious and wanted to be a rich man one day, but I never thought it would be with my money! He was nothing but a handsome thief!”
“But why didn't you tell us? Why didn't you tell
me
?” Mrs. Tupay looked hurt.
“You were engaged to be married. I didn't wish to create complications,” Pradnya explained briefly.
“But, Aunty, to live all these years without marriage . . . in memory of a man who deceived you—” Revati was shocked.
“It wasn't in memory of him!” Pradnya broke in harshly. “It was in distrust of all men! He turned out to be a rascal, going to jail several times and later even hounding me for more money!”
“You mean you met this man again?” Mr. Tupay was astonished.
“Several times. The last time I met him was some months ago. After that day, I haven't set eyes on him. Today I came down from Mumbai for Revati's engagement, so . . .”
A window crashed open behind Sonia, and Pradnya turned a startled face towards it. Pradnya's attention was riveted to the open window, and all color had drained from her face. Seeing her reaction, Sonia instantly whipped around, but empty space met her eyes. The glass pane shivered and groaned against the pitch darkness. When she turned around, Pradnya's pale face was composed and set in its normal mask. Her gaze rested on her manicured hands, subjecting them to a minute examination.
“But Pradnya, no marriage! Don't you regret it all?” her sister insisted.
“No, the only thing I miss in life is a child. I always wanted one, but I guess fate had other plans.” Pradnya sighed.
“Yes, you always loved children and you paid special attention to them. You took them for outings—It must be difficult not to have a kid when you love kids and always wanted one so much,” Medha remarked meditatively.
“And that's why—”
Sonia cleared her throat eloquently. “Excuse me, but I haven't quite finished yet.” She took a breath, then, without economizing on her words, she continued. “I can see things in this horoscope, Miss Joshi, subjects which perhaps you would not wish me to discuss as evening chatter. Facts which you may want to hold back from the others. Believe me, I derive no pleasure in raking up the past and making your secrets public. You may stop me at once. If you wish to close the subject, please do so now.”
An avalanche of emotions broke loose on Pradnya's face. Sonia watched her in immense fascination. Pradnya's hands trembled as she covered her face, wrestling with guilt for a moment. Then she drew them away, steadily. The dredges of conscience proved powerful enough to force this moment of truth. Pradnya knew what Sonia had to say and she had decided not to turn her back on the truth.
“It's inevitable, isn't it?” she replied. “Perhaps Providence sent you here today, Miss Samarth, to unravel the truth that I never had the nerve to admit, even to myself. This is my chance to bury the past once and for all, and I intend to take it. You will be my spokesperson!”
Everyone in the room stared at them, intrigued at the enigmatic communication between the two women. Inspector Divekar frowned. Sonia's entire attention remained on her confessor. She held the older woman's gaze and there was something bordering on admiration in her eyes.