Joining the Dots

My desk had turned from slightly messy to completely mess up, with notes and books piled up everywhere. I also read a few of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's works, believing that some of Sherlock Holmes' skills and tactics might get transferred onto me in that process. Though I was convinced that Meghali was off the radar, it wasn't easy to convey Priya. Hence I decided not to do something immediately. As such, back at home, I would try to solve the puzzle with Priya, and I would meet Meghali outside to continue our search further, for she knew my past better than Priya.

I went to the central mall that day, with Meghali joining me in. I needed some fresh air and wanted to hear from her too if she had found anything substantial. Though I wouldn't say I liked visiting the city much, thanks to the endless honking of the vehicles plying and the pollution, I considered it best to meet Meghali on the other side of Jalukbari so that by no means I bump into Priya. As it wasn't the festive season, there were not many people, and moreover, it was peak afternoon when we entered.

"Does Priya know you have been meeting me lately?" were the very first words Meghali began with.

"That's not why we are meeting here today, I suppose."

"That's not the answer to my question!"

"I'll inform her once the right time comes. You needn't worry about that!"

"So she doesn't know? You really shouldn't hide your daily activities from your fiancee!" she tried to tease me.

"I'll keep that in mind, but we need to focus more on our suspects instead of pulling each other's leg!"

"I was only trying to ease you out, you know? You have been stressed out recently. Take a look at this!" she handed me two printouts with a bunch of names in them. Some of them were circled in red, some underlined, and a few of them unmarked!

"What is your basis for the distinction of the names?"

"Oh ya, I was about to tell you that. The names underlined are probable suspects, and the ones encircled fits in more than one criteria to be the culprit."

"As in?"

"Their physical locations during each of your encounters. Next up, locations of their cellphones to check if they were actually in town or outside. It was then followed by cross-examining of statements with their colleagues or known ones."

I was amazed at the brilliance of this girl, "Wow! This is so detailed. I could have never managed to gather so much!"

"If you mean to thank me, then you should know that this is the least I could have done for you!"

"Thanks. But tell me, how did you manage all this information?"

"Well, I got contacts everywhere. Some excellent leads I got and built on them!"

I nodded and resumed going through the names and the notes jotted underneath them.

"Cut Martin out."

"Why? He's one the main names in my list!"

"But not on mine! I did a check on him, and he neither owns a car nor qualified to be a shooter- he's just a businessman."

"What about Tim then? He's second on my list."

"Tim? How did you find out about him?" I was baffled as Tim is not someone Meghali would have known about, for he was my senior from work.

"Contacts, as I said. You broke his marriage, which might have evoked him into doing something like this!"

"Maybe that can be a reason. But if it were, then I have no regrets for my actions as Scarlett is like a sister to me, and I couldn't tolerate that he was cheating on her. So, I had to intervene."

"Cool, let's move on to the next name now."

"Is there any name related to you?"

"How many times will I say that I'm not involved!"

"I didn't mean that."

"Then? What did you mean?"

"I mean to say that you were my girlfriend back in our school days, and you were like the school crush too. So, is there anyone who still despise me because I took you away from their grasp?"

"That was so clever of you, the way you put it up!"

"I know, right." I made a teasing face.

"Yes, there were some names in my list initially. However, I visited each of them to check their current relationship status, and each of them has a well-settled life. So, I don't see any point in them being involved in all of these as it would require them coming out of their cosy homes and indulge in tiresome work."

"It narrows down our search then."

"Sure it does, but still, it's a long list. I kept almost everyone with whom you had had any discrepancies, no matter how minute the circumstance was! Can't take any risks, you know."

"You sure Prince and Manoj are not involved?"

"Are you out of your mind?"

"Well, now that you're back in my life, they sure do share a mutual bond!"

"Oh, hello? Don't forget that I wasn't there when you almost blew yourself up on Valentine's Day!"

"Point to be noted! You're indeed clean then!"

"Can you be a little less unpleasant, please? You want me to help you or not?"

"Sorry, sorry. Let's continue."

As we walked around the mall, discussing the probable suspects and ranking them up, I bumped into someone and almost fell. When I looked up to meet the person, it was a familiar face.

"Arjun, it's so nice to see you," he hugged me.

"Reyansh? What a surprise! How have you been?"

"I'm good. I was planning to meet you actually but never got the chance."

"Sorry about that."

"It's okay," he paused as he finally realised Meghali was with me, "you two are back again?"

"I wish we were!" I knew Meghali would say that.

"No, we are not," I clarified, "it's just a casual meet."

"With a bunch of notes on your hands?" he pointed to the sheets I was holding in my hand.

"Oh, it's a long story."

"We do have time for that,"

Before I could begin, a girl came in, "So here you are! I was looking for you at the store."

"And you are?" I asked her.

"I'm Shiuli, Reyansh's girlfriend."

"Mun, he's Arjun, one of my closest buddies from high school. And she's Meghali," Reyansh introduced both of us to her.

"Oh, you're Arjun? I have heard a lot about you," she remarked.

"Ya, that would be me." I giggled.

"Girlfriend?" she then questioned Meghali.

"No," Meghali shook her head, "not now. Used to be!"

Once both the girls got along and started talking, I whispered to Reyansh, "Shiuli? The same Shiuli you mentioned to us back in school days?"

"Yes indeed, that's her!"

"I thought it was a one-sided love from her end."

"Or so I thought too. But once I passed out from high school, I realised that my feelings for her were inveterate too. I mean, I always suppressed them. Even during the times, I would tell you and Raj that she didn't mean anything to me, she was everything for me, and all I ever longed for was to meet her again and again."

"You did deceive us all then, I would say."

He nodded, "Leave that. We are getting engaged soon. And I hope that you'll not fail to attend the party."

"Wow!" I was amazed how people get changed in Love and was glad that I was not the only one, "I will, of course, attend. But how did this happen? I mean, you argued with Manish that you'd never marry, let alone have a girlfriend for that matter!"

"I guess I was naive then. You do need a girl to fit the missing puzzle of your life, and Shiuli was my central piece."

"So Reyansh turned Romeo?"

"You can say so!"

"What are you guys gossiping about?" Meghali thumped me on the back.

"Nothing much." I shrugged.

She continued, "Shiuli suggested we have coffee together. I couldn't resist the offer. I hope you don't mind me agreeing on your behalf!"

"It's alright." I was meeting Reyansh after a long time, and the conversation had just begun.

Out of the few things I enjoy in life, spending time with friends and recollecting memories from the past is one of them.

We ordered a large-sized pizza along with mojitos. Pizza was yet another thing I started having recently due to the constant efforts of Priya to get rid of my nausea associated with the smell of cheese.

"Both of you should come to our engagement party, I insist." Shiuli put up her invitation.

I smiled, "I think Meghali will come too, but I would need to come with Priya instead."

"Priya?" Shiuli's surprise was evident as it was the first time I mentioned her name.

"Yes, my girlfriend."

"Oh ya, that's right. I almost forgot that you are not a couple; sorry about that."

"It's alright." I tried to calm out the tension.

"So you had any plans for the day?" Shiuli questioned us.

"Nothing much. Didn't arrive here long before we met you!" Meghali answered.

"What about you both? How did you spend the day?" I questioned back.

"First, we went shopping, then went bowling and then watched a movie and..." Shiuli answered the query but was cut out by Reyansh.

He began, "Oh, by the mention of the movie, I remembered that you're about to tell some story to me, Arjun!"

"It's not that important." I looked at Meghali, who signalled to me that it's okay to inform them.

"Okay, so hold your seats and fasten your seatbelts, for you are about to hear a story you had never heard before." I tried to create some suspense.

After I was done narrating to them the strange happenings with my life, they were silent for some time.

"Thank god you're safe." Shiuli broke the silence.

"Indeed you're. Luck doesn't favour one so many times!" Reyansh plunged in his view too.

"Anyone whose name comes to your mind?" I asked Reyansh.

"I can't think of anyone but Vikram," he replied after a thought.

"Vikram? Our senior from the hostel?"

"Yup, the same guy!"

"I don't think that was enough of a motive to make him try to kill me!" I told Reyansh.

"Well, you never know. Don't you read news about people killing each other for even a puff of a cigarette, and that was more than just a puff!"

It made me think hard, "That was only a thousand bucks."

"You're missing my point here. It was not the money, but his reputation which you took toll of! And that is one good motive for hostility."