The Girl in Room 105 (Bhagat Chetan)

["Army show us a gun if we allow them to stay. What are we to do? I have little children.\u2019 \u2018Do you hate India too?\u2019 Inspector Saraf said, as if Ahmed would own up if he did. \u2018No, sahib. I make my living from Indian tourists. Why would I hate them?\u2019 \u2018What did this man do in the last few days?\u2019 Saraf said, pointing to Sikander. \u2018He would go out every day for a few hours. Sometimes, he would meet young boys in the lobby.\u2019 \u2018Recruiting new terrorists?\u2019 \u2018I don\u2019t know, sahib.\u2019 \u2018Did you find anything in the room?\u2019 \u2018We didn\u2019t touch anything,\u2019 Ahmed said. \u2018You can check whatever you want.\u2019 \u2018Keshav? Are you there?\u2019 Inspector Saraf said, snapping his fingers in front of my eyes. He had already said my name three times before I paid attention. My eyes went back to Sikander\u2019s mangled face. The same face I had spoken to yesterday. \u2018Sorry, inspector, what is it?\u2019 \u2018The prime suspect you wanted me to arrest is dead.\u2019 \u2018Ye\u2026ah,\u2019 I said, unable to speak in a coherent manner. I saw Saurabh\u2019s face contort. He ran to the bathroom. I heard him vomit. \u2018Call an ambulance. Remove the body,\u2019 Inspector Saraf said to one of the constables. He turned to another one. \u2018And check the room for any suicide notes.\u2019 I sat down on the study chair in the room. Saurabh\u2019s puking sounds were making me feel nauseous too. One of the constables lifted the pillows on the bed to check underneath. He also opened the desk drawers. \u2018If people leave the room, I can search better,\u2019 the constable said. Saurabh and I sat on a sofa in the lobby, both of us unable to talk. Inspector Saraf sat across from us and spoke to someone on the phone. Half an hour later, the constable who was searching the room came downstairs. He had an","envelope in his hand. \u2018Found this in his pocket,\u2019 he said. \u2018It says, \u201cFor Hashim bhai. Please give it to any of my brothers at Tehreek. They will come looking for me\u201d.\u2019 Inspector Saraf opened the envelope. He found a sheet of paper inside. It only had a handwritten web address on it. www.Bit.ly\/AlvidaTehreek \u2018What\u2019s this?\u2019 Inspector Saraf said. \u2018It\u2019s an abbreviated web link. Let\u2019s check,\u2019 Saurabh said, finally finding his voice. Saurabh typed in the web address on the desktop computer at the hotel. The page redirected to a private YouTube video, which showed Sikander sitting in the same room where we had found him dead. He mumbled some prayers and then spoke into the camera. \u2018Hashim bhai, maafi. I let you down. Some people are after me. They will hand me over to the police for a crime I never did. Of murdering my own aapa. Allah kasam, Zara aapa was like my second mother. I didn\u2019t do anything. \u2018If the police catch me, they will torture me until I tell them more, not just about aapa, but also about Tehreek\u2019s activities and mission, I just cannot let myself be in that situation. I would rather give up my life than put you all in danger. I am happy to sacrifice myself for the greater good, as you taught us. \u2018I feel sad I won\u2019t be there to see the smile on your face when Kashmir finally becomes free. I love you, Hashim bhai, and the Tehreek family. Please take care of my Ammi. I know you will. \u2018Zara aapa, I will see you in jannat soon. With you gone, one less reason to be on earth for me. \u2018For the rest, Khuda Hafiz.\u2019 Sikander mumbled another prayer. A few seconds later, he pulled out a gun. He placed the nozzle in his mouth. My eyes scrunched and my face stiffened in anticipation of what would happen next. However, he simply waved and the video paused. Of course, he had to stop recording, upload the video and create the link before he shot himself. \u2018Wow,\u2019 Saurabh said, his mouth open, after the video ended. \u2018Suicide notes have become hi-tech,\u2019 Inspector Saraf said.","One hour later, the constables and the hotel staff had loaded Sikander\u2019s body into an ambulance in the parking lot. \u2018Take him to the morgue. Keep it quiet. Just inform his mother,\u2019 Inspector Saraf said. He turned to speak to Ahmed once the ambulance left the hotel compound. \u2018He was a rat who died. Nothing to investigate here. Clean up your hotel, and inform us if anyone like him ever comes to stay here.\u2019 \u2018I will, sahib. Thank you, sahib. Allah khair.\u2019 Ahmed melted back into the hotel. The two constables who came with Saraf got into the jeep. Only Saraf, Saurabh and I remained in the parking lot. \u2018Doesn\u2019t look like he killed his stepsister,\u2019 Saraf said, stroking his chin. I nodded. \u2018They never lie at the end,\u2019 Saraf said, getting into the police jeep. He stuck his head out of the window. \u2018May I say one thing?\u2019 Saraf said. \u2018Sure, sir,\u2019 I said. \u2018Investigation is not everyone\u2019s cup of tea. One should stick to what one is capable of.\u2019 \u2018Say something, bhai,\u2019 Saurabh said. \u2018You haven\u2019t spoken all day.\u2019 \u2018Did you check the flights back or not?\u2019 I said. The bus taking us back from Pahalgam to Srinagar spiralled down the hilly roads. I closed my eyes. The view of Kashmir\u2019s blue skies and snow- capped mountains meant nothing to me anymore. I wanted to go home. \u2018Six flights to Delhi every day. Getting back is not an issue,\u2019 Saurabh said. We became quiet again. I knew I sucked as an engineer and teacher. I now realised I sucked as a detective too. Maybe this was really why Zara left me. She saw the perennial loser in me. I couldn\u2019t deliver to her earlier. Now, I couldn\u2019t even deliver on one promise I had made to her\u2014to find her killer.","\u2018What are you thinking, bhai?\u2019 Saurabh said after half an hour. \u2018That I hope Chandan Classes still has a job for us.\u2019 I tossed my sweaters into the suitcase. \u2018Did you buy the tickets?\u2019 I said. \u2018I am packed.\u2019 \u2018Internet is not working. Neither on Nizam bhai\u2019s SIM nor the Wi-Fi.\u2019 \u2018Fine, we will buy them at the airport,\u2019 I said. I noticed Saurabh\u2019s clothes still hanging in his closet. \u2018What is this?\u2019 I said. \u2018I told you to pack.\u2019 Saurabh came to stand in front of me. In his white sweater, he looked like a polar bear. Polar bear placed his paws on my shoulders. \u2018First Zara. Then Sikander. It is scary. But to run away like this?\u2019 he said. \u2018I am not scared. I am leaving because I don\u2019t think I am capable of doing this. Or anything in life, really.\u2019 \u2018Nonsense. We had a setback. It doesn\u2019t mean we quit.\u2019 I shrugged. \u2018Anyway, there\u2019s nothing left for us to do here.\u2019 \u2018Why? We still haven\u2019t found the killer.\u2019 I walked away from him and sat on the bed. I spoke without looking at him. \u2018We can\u2019t. We are not smart enough.\u2019 Saurabh came and sat next to me. \u2018We came so close,\u2019 he said, his voice soft. \u2018No, we did not. We were miserably wrong. And Sikander died because of me.\u2019 \u2018What?\u2019 Saurabh said, his mouth open. \u2018I pushed him and threatened to report him. That is why he killed himself. Even though he didn\u2019t kill Zara.\u2019 \u2018He was a terrorist. A rat, that\u2019s what Inspector Saraf said.\u2019 \u2018He was Zara\u2019s brother. Would she have ever forgiven me for this? And his mother, waiting at home for him\u2026\u2019 Saurabh placed his hand on mine. \u2018I really thought Sikander did it. I thought I had the evidence. Our theory added up,\u2019 I said to myself.","\u2018I had zero doubt too.\u2019 \u2018I wanted to do this right, Golu. And not just for Zara. For once I wanted to win. I never ever fucking win.\u2019 I kicked my suitcase in disgust. The cover of the unzipped strolley flew open. The upper flap of the suitcase had the packet with the contents of Zara\u2019s safe. \u2018All this,\u2019 I said, pointing to it. \u2018Just nonsense. Who did we think we were? Some desi Holmes and Watson jodi? A loser like me can\u2019t get a coding job at a body shop. How can I solve a complex murder case?\u2019 \u2018Stop calling yourself a loser, bhai. You are not.\u2019 \u2018Have you ever seen me achieve anything remarkable?\u2019 \u2018You made it to IIT.\u2019 \u2018A fluke. Evaluation mistakes happen. A computer error.\u2019 \u2018Stop it, bhai.\u2019 \u2018We killed an innocent man.\u2019 \u2018A terrorist is dead. We did the country a favour.\u2019 I looked at Saurabh. He shrugged. \u2018Bastard would have only taught more people how to kill.\u2019 \u2018Anyway, what is there for us to do now?\u2019 I sighed. \u2018Let\u2019s go back to the basics. Look at Zara\u2019s digital footprints. We didn\u2019t check her Instagram posts properly.\u2019 \u2018There\u2019s nothing there. Her Instagram is like that of any other twenty- something girl.\u2019 \u2018Let\u2019s go through it again, based on what we know now. Also, we got lost in the big stuff in the safe, like the cocaine and the bullet. What about the rest of the items?\u2019 \u2018Like what?\u2019 \u2018These pregnancy kits,\u2019 Saurabh said, opening the packet that held the safe\u2019s contents. \u2018That bastard Raghu and Zara must have been fucking without protection. What else?\u2019 Saurabh looked at me sternly. \u2018Bhai, control yourself. She\u2019s dead now. And you loved her.\u2019 \u2018Sorry,\u2019 I mumbled. \u2018I am stressed.\u2019 \u2018And what about these earrings?\u2019 Saurabh said. \u2018We never considered them so far. They look expensive.\u2019","I held the earrings in my palm. Each of the gold earrings had a dangling pendant the size of a ten-rupee coin. The pendants had an inlay of diamonds and precious stones. Sunlight fell through the window of the houseboat\u2019s room, making the gems glisten. Nizam knocked on our door. \u2018Janaab, may I disturb?\u2019 \u2018Huh?\u2019 I said looking up. \u2018Sure, Nizam bhai,\u2019 Saurabh said, quickly placing a pillow on the pregnancy kits. \u2018Just wanted to say the internet is working again. Government shut it down after stone-pelting yesterday. It is back now,\u2019 Nizam said. \u2018What? More stone-pelting?\u2019 I said. \u2018Don\u2019t ask, janaab. We are sick and tired. People were only protesting because two innocent boys were picked up by the Indian Army last week. News like this reduces tourist flow. I suffer,\u2019 Nizam said. \u2018I can understand,\u2019 I said. \u2018Anyway, glad the internet is back.\u2019 Nizam noticed the earrings in my hand. \u2018Mashallah,\u2019 Nizam said. \u2018What beautiful jhumkis. You are taking them for bhabhi?\u2019 \u2018Bhabhi is dead,\u2019 I almost said, but tried to smile instead. \u2018These are typically Kashmiri, right?\u2019 \u2018Definitely, hundred per cent Kashmiri,\u2019 Nizam said and extended his hand. \u2018May I?\u2019 Nizam sat on the bed next to me and took the earrings in his hands. He lifted them close to his eyes. \u2018Very fine work. Must be really expensive. Only in Kashmir will you get something like this.\u2019 \u2018They belong to a friend,\u2019 Saurabh said. \u2018We wanted to get another pair like this. Any idea where?\u2019 \u2018These days jewellers all over India will copy any design for you,\u2019 Nizam said. \u2018But if you want them to be truly authentic like these ones, they should come from one of the top shops in Srinagar.\u2019 \u2018Which ones?\u2019 Saurabh said. \u2018I can give you a list of local jewellers,\u2019 Nizam said, \u2018and tell them Nizam from Shelter Houseboats sent you. They will help and serve you better.\u2019","\u2018Thanks,\u2019 I said. \u2018So what happened at the protest?\u2019 Saurabh said, changing topics to take Nizam\u2019s attention away from the earrings. \u2018The Army retaliated, which they say they did in self-defence. Like always, they fired back with those nasty pellet guns. Some kids were hit in the ears. They may go deaf. Only made things worse. People are now even more upset with the Army. The Army cuts internet. The cycle continues.\u2019 Nizam sounded resigned. \u2018Ya khuda, when will this ever end?\u2019 \u2018What\u2019s for dinner tonight?\u2019 I said, invoking my no-politics rule before it became too late. But Nizam wouldn\u2019t stop. \u2018How does the rest of India live in peace? Why can\u2019t we find a way too, Keshav bhai?\u2019 \u2018We can, we can\u2026 By the way, will you give us the list of jewellery shops by tomorrow?\u2019 \u2018Oh,\u2019 Nizam said, surprised at my switching to a mundane topic. After all, we did seem awfully close to solving the Kashmir problem, which experts and world leaders hadn\u2019t been able to for the last seventy years. \u2018I will give it you by dinner. Actually, I better go check things in the kitchen. We are making our special biryani tonight.\u2019 Nizam returned the earrings to me and left the room. Saurabh looked at me and smiled. \u2018What?\u2019 I said. \u2018The internet is back. Should I book the next flight out?\u2019 \u2018Wait.\u2019 \u2018Why?\u2019 \u2018I think we should visit some jewellery shops.\u2019 \u2018Why?\u2019 Saurabh said, with a sly smile. \u2018Maybe to buy a pair of earrings for my bhabhi,\u2019 I said and winked at Saurabh. \u2018Tinder bhabhi, you mean?\u2019 Both of us laughed for the first time that day.","Chapter 23 \u2018We can make this for you, no problem. And yeah, we know Nizam bhai. A lot of customers come from his houseboats.\u2019 \u2018Yes, he sent us. Anyway, I know you can make them. But did you make these particular set of earrings?\u2019 I said. We had come to Akhoon Jewellers at Syed Hamir Pora, our fourth shop since we had started on our hunt that morning. \u2018Sir, we will make better than this. How much did you buy these for?\u2019 the salesperson said. \u2018You did not make these, right?\u2019 Saurabh said and turned to leave. \u2018Stay, sir,\u2019 he said. He signalled to one of the shop-boys, who served us two cups of hot kahwah and a plate of dates. \u2018Be our guest, janaab. You don\u2019t have to buy anything,\u2019 the salesperson said. \u2018Can you tell us if these were made in Srinagar?\u2019 I said. The salesperson held one of the earrings. \u2018Definitely. Wherever it is made, the kaarigar is Kashmiri. The detail on the design tells me.\u2019 An elderly man in a skullcap and white kurta, presumably the owner of Akhoon Jewellers, got up from his chair in a corner of the shop and shuffled up to us. \u2018Show me,\u2019 the owner said. He brought the earrings close to his face, narrowing his eyes. He took out a magnifying glass from his pocket. \u2018No, not ours. But it is from this area. I know kaarigars who make this,\u2019 he said after examining the earrings. \u2018Thank you,\u2019 I said. \u2018Give us a chance. We will make you better ones,\u2019 he said. \u2018His wife wants us to go to the same place,\u2019 I pointed to Saurabh. Saurabh smiled shyly. In his puffy red sweater, he did look like a henpecked","husband. \u2018Oh, up to you,\u2019 the owner said, a tinge of disappointment in his voice. \u2018Uncle, can you help us find who made it?\u2019 I said. \u2018It\u2019s expensive, so must be a top jewellery shop. Is there a shop mark?\u2019 he turned to his salesperson. \u2018Get the microscope.\u2019 The salesperson went to the back of the shop. \u2018How much would something like this cost?\u2019 I said to the owner. \u2018Three, maybe four lakh rupees,\u2019 the owner said. \u2018I am Hafiz, by the way.\u2019 We shook hands. The salesperson returned with a compound microscope. Hafiz placed an earring under the microscope and looked into the viewfinder, moving the earring up and down. He shook his head. \u2018Give me the other one,\u2019 Hafiz said. He placed the second earring under the lens. \u2018Many jewellers put their mark, such as their initials, on expensive items,\u2019 Hafiz said, one eye peeping into the viewfinder. \u2018There it is. SJ.\u2019 \u2018What is SJ?\u2019 Saurabh said. Hafiz returned the earrings to us. \u2018Let\u2019s see. SJ could be Sona Jewellers, which my friend owns. There\u2019s S. Khem Singh Jewellers opposite Hanuman Mandir. There\u2019s Salaam Jewellers on Hari Singh High Street,\u2019 Hafiz said. \u2018These are the shops with SJ initials that I can think of.\u2019 Saurabh took out the list of jewellers Nizam had given us from his pocket. \u2018There\u2019s more. Shabnam Jewellers at Lal Chowk. Showkat Jewellers on the Srinagar\u2013Ladakh highway,\u2019 he said, going down the list. \u2018Good luck in your search. If you can\u2019t find the same shop, we are always here,\u2019 Hafiz said and smiled. \u2018No, this is not made here at Sona Jewellers,\u2019 the shop owner said the moment he picked up the earrings. \u2018Not from our shop,\u2019 said the salesgirl in a hijab at Shabnam Jewellers. Four other shops with the initials SJ turned us down that day.","\u2018Three more SJs left,\u2019 Saurabh said. We ate rusk and drank kahwah at a roadside teashop as we took a break between our shop visits. \u2018Well, last few tries. Otherwise, time to book a flight back to Delhi, I guess,\u2019 I said, dipping my rusk in the kahwah. \u2018We just wanted to know if your shop made these earrings,\u2019 I said, passing them to the owner of Showkat Jewellers. He sat cross-legged behind the counter. The brightly lit shop dazzled with all the jewellery on the walls. \u2018These?\u2019 the shopkeeper said, taking the earrings in his hands. He ran a finger on top of them. \u2018Yes, of course,\u2019 the shopkeeper said and laughed. \u2018This is Showkat Jewellers\u2019 finest work.\u2019 Hearing the word \u2018yes\u2019 after four days, I almost collapsed on the spot. The shopkeeper looked startled by my obvious relief. \u2018What happened?\u2019 He put out a hand. \u2018I am Showkat.\u2019 I shook his hand. \u2018I can\u2019t tell you how happy we are to meet you.\u2019 Showkat laughed. \u2018The pleasure is mine, actually. You want more jewellery? You have come to the right place.\u2019 He gave us what was our sixth cup of kahwah of the day. He held the earrings up against the light. \u2018Look at the work. Exquisite,\u2019 Showkat said. \u2018Who did you make these for?\u2019 I said. Showkat looked at me, surprised. \u2018I don\u2019t understand. They don\u2019t belong to you?\u2019 \u2018They belonged to a friend. She is no more,\u2019 I said. Showkat touched the tips of his earlobes with his right hand and mumbled a prayer. \u2018I am sorry to hear. What happened to her?\u2019 Saurabh and I looked at each other. \u2018Accident,\u2019 Saurabh said. \u2018Ya khuda. What can I do for you?\u2019 \u2018Her parents found the earrings in her room. But they didn\u2019t recognise","them. We happened to be visiting Srinagar. They told us to check who might have given them to her,\u2019 I said. \u2018You know parents,\u2019 Saurabh said, though I am not sure what it meant. I guess the moment you say, \u2018you know parents\u2019, you are allowed to drop some logic. Showkat looked at us with some hesitation. \u2018The parents are quite disturbed by their daughter\u2019s death, as you can imagine. We just want to do our bit to help them,\u2019 I said. \u2018But looks like we found a good shop, bhai. For our family needs also, we have a good jeweller now,\u2019 Saurabh said to me. That seemed to convince the shop-owner. He nodded and picked up a microscope from a shelf above his seat. He examined the earrings again. \u2018Definitely ours. Has the shop mark,\u2019 he said, head bent over the microscope. \u2018That\u2019s how we came here. SJ,\u2019 I said. Showkat kept the microscope aside. \u2018Yes, but I don\u2019t remember selling them. Could be one of my two sons. Or my nephew, the main salesperson.\u2019 \u2018Do you mind asking them?\u2019 I said. \u2018They just stepped out for some bank work. Should be back soon. You can wait here.\u2019 We waited at Showkat Jewellers for over two hours, before a Fortuner arrived outside the shop. Three men in their twenties, each with a French beard, stepped out of the vehicle. \u2018So late?\u2019 Showkat pointed at his watch. \u2018Army had closed the roads. Full checking. Chaos and traffic jams all over,\u2019 one of the men said. \u2018Screw the Indian Army,\u2019 said another man. \u2018Talk with some tameez. We have guests,\u2019 Showkat said, pointing to us. \u2018Hi, I am Mohsin, Showkat chacha\u2019s nephew,\u2019 said the man who had just cursed the Indian Army. \u2018Sorry, I didn\u2019t mean to\u2026\u2019 \u2018It\u2019s okay. I am Keshav. This is Saurabh.\u2019 \u2018I am Ali, and this is my brother Salim,\u2019 said one of the other men. \u2018They are my sons,\u2019 Showkat said and smiled. Showkat asked them about our earrings. They passed the earrings to each other one by one. \u2018I don\u2019t remember selling this,\u2019 Ali said.","\u2018Me neither,\u2019 Mohsin said. \u2018Show me,\u2019 Salim said. He took the earrings. \u2018When was this purchased?\u2019 he said. \u2018Sometime in the last few years maybe,\u2019 I said. \u2018It looks antique, but it is not. A good replica of an old Kashmiri design,\u2019 Mohsin said. \u2018Oh yes, I remember now.\u2019 \u2018Remember what?\u2019 Saurabh and I both spoke at the same time. Everyone looked at us, surprised by our excitement. \u2018Arrey, that man, he looked fauji. All tall and fit and kadak. He said he wanted to recreate his dadi\u2019s earrings,\u2019 Mohsin said. \u2018I remember you discussing it,\u2019 Ali said, \u2018but can\u2019t recollect the customer.\u2019 \u2018I do,\u2019 Mohsin said. \u2018He paid cash. Give me the cash sales book.\u2019 Ali opened a drawer under the cash counter. He took out a carbon copy- lined notebook. It had pink and white pages filled with handwritten scribbles. He passed it to Mohsin. \u2018This must have cost above three lakh rupees. Let me see all high-value sales in my handwriting,\u2019 Mohsin said. He started flipping through the sheets of the notebook in a furious manner. He finished one notebook. Ali passed him another one. Five minutes later, Mohsin paused and tapped his finger on a particular page. \u2018One year ago, see,\u2019 Mohsin said, and held up the notebook for Showkat to look at. The open page had an outline of the design of the same earrings. \u2018Correct,\u2019 Showkat said. \u2018Yes, see. Rs 3,80,000. Diamond, sapphire, kundan, 22 karat gold. Rs 2,00,000 advance. Delivery after a week, 28 May 2017. Paid balance. All cash.\u2019 I looked at Showkat, somewhat confused. \u2018Someone bought them in May last year?\u2019 \u2018Yes,\u2019 Mohsin said. \u2018Who?\u2019 Mohsin looked at his notebook again. He shook his head. \u2018He didn\u2019t leave a name,\u2019 he said. \u2018Any contact details?\u2019 I said. \u2018No. He just gave an advance for the earrings. We gave him a temporary receipt. Later, he came again to pay the balance and collect the earrings.\u2019","\u2018You sell such expensive items without knowing the customer\u2019s name?\u2019 Saurabh said. \u2018In our business, we have all kinds of customers. Some become our family friends. Others want to stay discreet. We respect that,\u2019 Showkat said, tugging at his white beard. \u2018Do you remember what he looked like?\u2019 I said to Mohsin. \u2018I do. Handsome man. He looked Kashmiri. Fair. Six feet tall at least. I told you, he looked fauji,\u2019 Mohsin said. \u2018Did he come in uniform?\u2019 Saurabh said. \u2018No. Just the gait. Faujis have an andaz,\u2019 Mohsin said. \u2018In fact, yes, I think he came in a military green vehicle the second time.\u2019 Saurabh looked around the shop. He noticed cameras on the ceiling. \u2018Showkat bhai, will you have CCTV footage from May last year?\u2019 Saurabh said. \u2018No,\u2019 Salim said. \u2018CCTV back-up only remains for two months. Why? Is everything okay?\u2019 \u2018Yes, of course,\u2019 Saurabh said and stood up. \u2018Nothing of concern. I just thought if we could see the person\u2026\u2019 \u2018I am sorry. The hard drive deletes anything older than sixty days,\u2019 Salim said. \u2018Thank you so much,\u2019 I said. I folded my hands. Saurabh and I stood up to leave. \u2018If you ever want to sell these back to us,\u2019 Showkat said, \u2018we can give you a good price.\u2019 The flimsy wooden bed of the houseboat creaked as Saurabh turned on his side. It was close to midnight. I placed my laptop on my stomach as I surfed random websites. \u2018Earrings worth Rs 3,80,000,\u2019 Saurabh said. \u2018Who gives such a gift?\u2019 \u2018Parents,\u2019 I said. \u2018But they didn\u2019t.\u2019 \u2018Or a lover,\u2019 Saurabh said. \u2018Raghu?\u2019 I said. \u2018I can check with him.\u2019 \u2018Yes, but Mohsin said, fair, six feet tall and fit. Nothing like Raghu.\u2019 \u2018He even said handsome. That\u2019s definitely not Raghu,\u2019 I said.","\u2018Sikander?\u2019 Saurabh said. \u2018Nobody gives their sister earrings this costly. Also, Sikander was skinny and short. Not what Mohsin described.\u2019 \u2018Maybe Sikander sent someone. Or hell, Raghu is rich, he could have sent someone.\u2019 \u2018I can check with Raghu easily,\u2019 I said. I took out my phone and sent him a \u2018Hi\u2019 on WhatsApp. \u2018Hey, Keshav, long time. What\u2019s up?\u2019 he replied within a minute. \u2018Just wanted to check something with you.\u2019 \u2018Sure,\u2019 Raghu said. \u2018Where are you?\u2019 \u2018I am in San Francisco. Just landed.\u2019 \u2018Wow. That\u2019s far.\u2019 \u2018Yeah. I literally came down for like one investor meeting.\u2019 \u2018Oh. What time is it there?\u2019 He replied after five minutes. \u2018Noon.\u2019 \u2018Sorry, you seem busy.\u2019 \u2018It\u2019s okay. I can chat a bit. My meeting hasn\u2019t started yet.\u2019 \u2018Do you recall giving any expensive gifts to Zara?\u2019 \u2018Not really. She never liked expensive things. I did give her an iPhone though.\u2019 \u2018When?\u2019 \u2018On her last birthday. Why, what\u2019s up? Working on the case?\u2019 \u2018A little bit. Not much. So no jewellery?\u2019 I said. \u2018No, never. I only gave her tech stuff. Bluetooth speakers. Headphones. That sort of thing.\u2019 \u2018Thanks,\u2019 I typed back. Loser, I thought. \u2018Why? What happened?\u2019 he said. \u2018How do I respond?\u2019 I turned to Saurabh. \u2018Tell him her parents asked about the earrings,\u2019 Saurabh said. \u2018They would have just called him directly,\u2019 I said. \u2018Wait, I have an idea.\u2019 I WhatsApped Raghu again. \u2018Her hostel friend Sanam Razdan called me. She said Zara had kept a pair of earrings with her. Which she received as a gift.\u2019 \u2018Oh, really?\u2019 Raghu said.","\u2018Yeah,\u2019 I texted back, unsure if Raghu believed me. \u2018I didn\u2019t give them. Maybe another girlfriend?\u2019 \u2018They seem expensive. More than three lakh rupees.\u2019 I took a picture of the earrings and sent it to him. He replied after two minutes. \u2018These are elaborate. Can\u2019t be just a friend.\u2019 \u2018Exactly.\u2019 \u2018Maybe her parents? Or a relative?\u2019 \u2018Maybe,\u2019 I said. \u2018I will give them to her parents.\u2019 \u2018Can you? Please?\u2019 Raghu replied. \u2018Of course. Thanks, anyway. When are you back?\u2019 \u2018I fly back later this afternoon. It\u2019s so hectic at work back home right now.\u2019 \u2018Didn\u2019t you just land?\u2019 \u2018Yeah. I only came for six hours. Have to get back. We have a new product launch tomorrow.\u2019 \u2018Wow. Crazy trip! Going to the US from India for a few hours.\u2019 \u2018I am used to it. Do such trips all the time. Anyway, I better get ready for my meeting.\u2019 \u2018Sure, take care.\u2019 \u2018Hey, Keshav,\u2019 Raghu sent a message after a few seconds. \u2018Yeah?\u2019 \u2018Thank you. I know I have judged you harshly before. But thank you. For whatever you tried to do or are doing to help.\u2019 \u2018I haven\u2019t done anything. I have failed so far, actually.\u2019 \u2018You are still trying. To be frank, I am still scared. My parents too are paranoid and keep constant tabs on me. But you are not afraid. Thanks.\u2019 \u2018No issues. I judged you badly, too. You are a nice guy.\u2019 \u2018Thanks, buddy. Cheers.\u2019 I didn\u2019t know how to respond. I sent back two smileys in response. \u2018Are you going to send him a hug and a kiss too?\u2019 Saurabh said, when he saw my message. \u2018What?\u2019 I said, keeping my phone away. \u2018What is this? Lovefest between the exes?\u2019 \u2018Are you getting possessive? About me talking to Raghu?\u2019 \u2018What nonsense.\u2019","\u2018You are. My Golu baby, I love you man.\u2019 \u2018Shut up. Come to the point. If not Raghu, who gave Zara the earrings?\u2019 I scratched my head. \u2018I don\u2019t know,\u2019 I said. \u2018What do we do now?\u2019 \u2018You think Saxena gave them to her?\u2019 \u2018Are you kidding? No IIT prof is romantic enough or rich enough to afford these,\u2019 I said. \u2018So who?\u2019 \u2018We have to figure out who was in Zara\u2019s life. In any way.\u2019 I opened Instagram on my phone and gave it to Saurabh. \u2018What?\u2019 Saurabh said. \u2018You said we should go through her social media again. Let\u2019s do that.\u2019 \u2018Look for someone tall and fit like a fauji?\u2019 \u2018Yes, sir.\u2019 I saluted Saurabh. \u2018Fair and handsome too.\u2019 \u2018Who is more handsome than you, Keshav bhai? Right?\u2019 Saurabh said and grinned. \u2018Very funny. Focus. Let\u2019s go through the posts,\u2019 I said. Saurabh opened Zara\u2019s posts one at a time. \u2018Okay, the last post just before she died is a picture of Raghu in the Hyderabad hospital.\u2019 \u2018Read the caption,\u2019 I said. \u2018Birthdays are no fun when your #bae is injured far away. Miss you, my Raghu,\u2019 Saurabh said. I shook my head. \u2018Actually, let\u2019s look at Zara\u2019s posts from the start. Right when she joined Instagram. Otherwise, it won\u2019t make sense,\u2019 I said. Saurabh selected the first picture from Zara\u2019s account. \u2018Okay,\u2019 Saurabh said. \u2018First post on the day she opened her account, 12 September 2013.\u2019 \u2018We were together then. Is it our picture?\u2019 \u2018It is a picture of Ruby,\u2019 Saurabh said, \u2018her dog.\u2019 \u2018Oh. Next one, please,\u2019 I said. \u2018A month later, a picture of her blog on Kashmir.\u2019 \u2018What\u2019s the blog title?\u2019 \u2018Why we can never give up on peace in Kashmir. We will have to open the blog in a new tab though. Should I?\u2019 Saurabh said.","I shook my head. \u2018Next post,\u2019 I said. \u2018Another month later. A picture of her hostel room. The caption is \u201cThe Girl in room 105. #myspace #myworld\u201d.\u2019 \u2018Oh, yes, I remember. She had come back from Alwar, stressed.\u2019 \u2018Then on 1 January 2014. It is picture of a quote. \u201cWhen you lose something, don\u2019t think of it as a loss. Accept it as a gift that gets you on the path you were meant to travel on\u201d,\u2019 Saurabh said. \u2018Of course. We broke up the night before, remember? On New Year\u2019s Eve.\u2019 \u2018The next post is in April 2014. It is a picture of her at a conference. Comment is \u201cAmazed and inspired at the Global Artificial Intelligence Conference\u201d.\u2019 \u2018That\u2019s where she met the bastard Raghu, I know.\u2019 \u2018I thought you liked the bastard now and send him smileys,\u2019 Saurabh said. \u2018Shut up. What\u2019s after this?\u2019 \u2018The next month, a picture of her and Raghu. At another conference.\u2019 \u2018What does the caption say?\u2019 \u2018\u201cMy good friend Raghu. Started his own AI company after IIT. Fortunate to be in the same college as such inspiring people\u201d.\u2019 \u2018Good friend, my ass,\u2019 I said. \u2018Bhai, it is impressive. He started his own AI company.\u2019 I kicked Saurabh\u2019s fat butt with my foot. \u2018Ouch, that hurt. Okay, the next post is a picture of two pairs of feet. On a beach. The hashtag says #journeytogether.\u2019 \u2018Which means this is when they started doing it. Yeah, those are Zara\u2019s and Raghu\u2019s feet, probably just after sex.\u2019 \u2018Bhai, focus, we are trying to find something.\u2019 \u2018Sorry,\u2019 I said. I let out a huge breath. \u2018This is tough. Go on.\u2019 \u2018Nothing for a while. Then pictures from the Jaipur Litfest.\u2019 \u2018She always liked to go there. Even we went once.\u2019 \u2018Next post is on 9 Feb 2015.\u2019 \u2018Her birthday.\u2019 \u2018Yeah. Says, \u201cBirthday Special. Super busy #bae plans surprise trip to Goa\u201d. Smileys, kiss emojis, hug emojis, too many exclamation marks.\u2019","\u2018Fools in love. Keep going.\u2019 \u2018The next few posts are from a family holiday in Kerala. Then a blog on the handicrafts of Kashmir. After that, pictures from another literature festival. The Bangalore Literature Festival.\u2019 \u2018Then?\u2019 I said. \u2018Okay, see this\u20149 Feb 2016. A picture of a gift hamper. Chocolates, wine, cookies, Bluetooth headphones. Says, \u201c#bae surprises and spoils me again\u201d. Bhai, why does she call Raghu bae?\u2019 \u2018Bae is what some people call their lover.\u2019 \u2018Bae? Sounds rude, no?\u2019 \u2018Only in Hindi. Leave that, what\u2019s next?\u2019 \u201815 August 2016. Another Kashmir blog picture. Independence Day special report from an Army camp in Kashmir.\u2019 \u2018Wait. Open the actual blog in a new tab.\u2019 Saurabh clicked on a blog titled \u2018Zara\u2019s Valley Musings\u2019. It had a background picture of snow-capped mountains. The blog described Zara\u2019s visit to an Army camp in Baramulla district in Kashmir. She had interviewed various servicemen with the local Army commander\u2019s permission. The servicemen spoke about their daily routine and their special projects, such as rescue work and keeping the Valley safe. One of the soldiers said, \u2018The job is tough. But the insults and hostility from the locals, that\u2019s the hardest part.\u2019 The blog also had a few pictures from the camp. These included a tent with the backdrop of a spectacular sunset, one of the soldiers having tea, and another of an Army officer in uniform. The officer wore Ray-Ban sunglasses and stood proudly next to an Indian flag. \u2018Nice blog,\u2019 Saurabh said. \u2018Yeah,\u2019 I said and paused. I tapped at the officer\u2019s picture. \u2018Saurabh, who is that?\u2019 \u2018Who?\u2019 \u2018This dude, Ray-Ban and all. He is tall, isn\u2019t he?\u2019 \u2018Yes, of course. Oh, is he Mr Fair and Handsome?\u2019 \u2018He looks familiar. I have seen him before,\u2019 I said. \u2018You sure?\u2019 Saurabh said. \u2018Yes. A hundred per cent,\u2019 I said. \u2018With Zara?\u2019","\u2018No\u2026 Yes, I saw him at Zara\u2019s funeral. Remember when Safdar uncle insulted me? This guy was standing next to Zara\u2019s father. Uncle thanked him for leaving duty and coming all the way for the funeral.\u2019 I thought hard. \u2018Faiz. His name is Faiz.\u2019 \u2018You heard his name before?\u2019 \u2018Yes, Zara mentioned him once. He\u2019s Captain Faiz Khan, Zara\u2019s senior from school. They are family friends.\u2019 Saurabh zoomed in on the Army officer\u2019s picture. \u2018Could he have bought them?\u2019 \u2018Showkat Jewellers can confirm it.\u2019 Saurabh took a screenshot of the Army officer\u2019s picture on my phone. He then went back to Zara\u2019s Instagram. \u2018After the blog there are pictures from the Karachi Literature Festival,\u2019 he said. \u2018We already saw those,\u2019 I said. \u2018Nothing after that until her birthday on 9 February 2017. A picture of an iPhone 7 plus.\u2019 \u2018The one Raghu said he gave her,\u2019 I said. Saurabh zoomed in on the picture. \u2018What are you doing?\u2019 \u2018Nice phone. Trying to see how many GB of storage.\u2019 \u2018Seriously? Focus, Golu.\u2019 \u2018Sorry. Okay, the next one is 3 April 2017. A photo of a sunrise, taken from the window of a houseboat. The hashtag is #goingwiththeflow.\u2019 \u2018Strange. After that?\u2019 \u2018She has posted nothing for six months after that. Finally, in November 2017, she has a picture of a quote, \u201cSome memories last forever.\u201d\u2019 \u2018Zara and her love for quotes,\u2019 I said, and sighed, as her smiling face flashed in my mind, making me miss her again. I composed myself. \u2018After that?\u2019 \u2018It\u2019s New Year\u2019s Eve, 2017. She\u2019s wearing a black sari. Oh, this is the time you called her from Chandan\u2019s terrace. Remember that night\u2019s drama?\u2019 \u2018I do, unfortunately. Go on,\u2019 I said. \u2018Nothing. After that is her final post. The picture of Raghu\u2019s plaster cast.\u2019 Saurabh returned my phone and yawned.","\u2018It\u2019s two in the morning.\u2019 \u2018We have to check with Showkat about the earrings.\u2019 \u2018Let\u2019s hit the bed, Sherlock janaab. We\u2019ll do it when we wake up.\u2019 \u2018It\u2019s him,\u2019 I said. I kept the phone on the dining table so Saurabh could see. \u2018The Army officer in the blog? What\u2019s his name?\u2019 \u2018Faiz. He bought the earrings. See my chat with Mohsin. I had sent him Faiz\u2019s picture on WhatsApp.\u2019 Saurabh looked at my phone. Mohsin had replied, \u2018Definitely him.\u2019 \u2018Wow. Why is Zara\u2019s senior from school buying her such pricey earrings?\u2019 Saurabh said. \u2018Also, why doesn\u2019t her fianc\u00e9 have any idea about it?\u2019 I said. Saurabh and I looked at each other, confused about what do next. \u2018Let\u2019s try and meet Faiz,\u2019 I said. \u2018How?\u2019 Saurabh said. \u2018I will check with Safdar uncle. He will have his contacts,\u2019 I said.","Chapter 24 \u2018I can drive you up to the camp gate. However, I have to park half a kilometre away. Army rules,\u2019 the taxi driver said. The journey from Srinagar to Baramulla had taken us two hours. We stepped out of the hired white Innova at the Baramulla Army Camp entrance. Captain Faiz, in olive-green uniform and dark Ray-Ban aviators, waited for us at the gate. \u2018Welcome, Keshav,\u2019 he said. He seemed taller than I remembered him from the funeral, maybe because of his army boots. He had epaulettes and several commendation badges pinned on his shirt pocket. We shook hands, or rather he crushed my hand in his. \u2018He\u2019s your friend who wanted to see an Army camp?\u2019 Faiz said, looking at Saurabh. I nodded and introduced Saurabh. I had taken Faiz\u2019s number from Safdar and asked him to arrange a meeting. I mentioned Saurabh as an Indian Army fan, who wanted to see some Army facilities during his vacation in Kashmir. Faiz took us to the visitors\u2019 lounge tent, located a few steps away from the camp entrance. Inside the tent, we sat on cane chairs, arranged in a semi- circle around a coffee-table. A Kashmiri rug covered the muddy floor. \u2018This is our humble abode,\u2019 Faiz said. \u2018From here we try to keep our country safe.\u2019 \u2018Thank you for that. As Keshav must have told you, I am a big admirer of the Army,\u2019 Saurabh said. \u2018We are honoured.\u2019 Faiz bowed a little. A jawan came in with a tray of raisins, almonds and kahwah. \u2018Please don\u2019t do all this. We are already imposing on you,\u2019 I said. \u2018Not at all. It gets boring here. Nice to have some civilian visitors.\u2019 I had to move the topic to Zara, so, sipping my kahwah, I said casually, \u2018This is the same place that Zara wrote a blog about?\u2019","\u2018Yeah,\u2019 Faiz said. \u2018God bless her soul. What a bright and positive person she was.\u2019 \u2018You went to school with her?\u2019 I said. \u2018I was her senior. The Lones are family friends.\u2019 \u2018I saw you at the funeral. We never spoke, but you were with Zara\u2019s father when I came to speak to him.\u2019 \u2018Yeah, I remember you. Such a tragic day,\u2019 Faiz said. I tried to sense fakeness in his voice, but couldn\u2019t. His sunglasses hid his eyes, making it more difficult to figure him out. I took another sip of my kahwah. I rubbed my right cheek\u2014our pre- decided cue\u2014and Saurabh took the signal and excused himself to go to the toilet. \u2018You know Zara and I used to date, right?\u2019 I said, after Saurabh left. \u2018Yes,\u2019 Faiz said. \u2018We weren\u2019t really in touch at that time.\u2019 \u2018When did you last meet her?\u2019 I said, my tone as non-interrogative as possible. \u2018Oh, I don\u2019t even remember. Over a year ago, at her house in Delhi perhaps.\u2019 \u2018You didn\u2019t talk to her after that? Just heard about her death?\u2019 \u2018Maybe a catch-up call here and there. Nothing major. Why?\u2019 I shook my head. \u2018I am still in shock. Just wondering what happened,\u2019 I said. \u2018The watchman, right? Awful. What kind of security is this?\u2019 \u2018Yeah. It\u2019s terrible.\u2019 \u2018The security of women has become a big issue.\u2019 I nodded. I felt the earrings poke my thigh from inside the pocket of my trousers. Saurabh returned from the bathroom. I switched topics. \u2018Doesn\u2019t it get lonely here, captain?\u2019 I said. \u2018It does. We aren\u2019t allowed to keep our families here.\u2019 \u2018Where\u2019s your family?\u2019 Saurabh said. \u2018My wife and kids are in Dubai right now. My brother-in-law lives there.\u2019 \u2018Oh,\u2019 I said and sat up straight. Saurabh and I exchanged a glance. \u2018What?\u2019 Faiz said. \u2018You look too young to be married,\u2019 Saurabh said.","Faiz smiled. \u2018Thank you. I am thirty-one. I have twin boys, three years old.\u2019 \u2018I could not have guessed either,\u2019 I said. \u2018The Army keeps you fit.\u2019 \u2018So your wife lives in Dubai?\u2019 I said. \u2018No, she is only there with her brother for six months. After that formal school starts for the twins. Actually, the Army has given us a home in Delhi. That\u2019s where we live.\u2019 \u2018That\u2019s nice. The Army takes care of its people,\u2019 I said. \u2018Yeah, it is a small flat in Arjun Vihar. But we have the ground floor with a small garden, which is great for the little ones.\u2019 \u2018A garden is a luxury in Delhi,\u2019 Saurabh said. \u2018It is just a small green patch. However, there\u2019s a large community of families from the Armed forces around, which helps a lot. Salma gets to meet many ladies and they complain about their absentee husbands.\u2019 Faiz laughed. \u2018You visit Delhi often?\u2019 I said. \u2018I go whenever duty allows, which isn\u2019t much,\u2019 Faiz said. \u2018You must miss them a lot,\u2019 Saurabh said, grabbing a large handful of almonds from the plate on the coffee table. \u2018I miss them every day,\u2019 Faiz said and sighed. \u2018Every moment.\u2019 He removed his sunglasses. His light grey eyes looked sad. He took out his mobile phone and showed us a picture of his family. His wife and two little boys stood next to the Burj Khalifa, one of the tallest buildings in the world. Each boy had an ice cream cone in his hand. \u2018It\u2019s tough being in the Army,\u2019 I said. \u2018Yeah,\u2019 Faiz said. \u2018It is hard. But anything for my desh.\u2019 \u2018You are so inspiring,\u2019 Saurabh said, finishing the last almond in his left hand while using his right to pick up a fistful of raisins. I tried to give Saurabh a dirty look for picking up so much food, but he ignored me. \u2018Thank you. It\u2019s just love for desh,\u2019 Faiz said. \u2018We should leave. We have disturbed you enough,\u2019 I said. All of us stood up. \u2018No disturbance at all,\u2019 Faiz said. \u2018Always nice to have visitors. Especially those who value our work. Before you go, let me show you the parts of the camp that civilians are allowed into.\u2019 We took a walk around the soldiers\u2019 tents and a firing range. After the","tour, Faiz saw us out to the camp gate. He and I walked together as Saurabh went a few steps ahead of us. \u2018I don\u2019t have the latest news\u2014what is happening with Zara\u2019s case?\u2019 Faiz said to me. \u2018Same. Laxman is in custody. Trial yet to start,\u2019 I said. \u2018It is him, right?\u2019 Faiz said. \u2018They haven\u2019t found any other suspects. So, looks like it is Laxman,\u2019 I said. I put my hands in my pocket. My fingers touched the earrings. \u2018Bastard, I hope they give him the death penalty,\u2019 Faiz said. \u2018Did Zara ever mention anything else?\u2019 I said. The captain stiffened. For the first time in our conversation I saw discomfort. However, he recovered in seconds. \u2018Mention anything else, as in?\u2019 he said. \u2018Like, did she tell you she had any enemies? Or felt any danger?\u2019 \u2018Not at all,\u2019 Faiz said, his voice calm. \u2018She was normal. Excited about life. Why?\u2019 \u2018Nothing. Like I said, I am still in shock.\u2019 \u2018So am I. But these watchmen, I am telling you. They come from villages and are an uneducated lot. Private security guards are no Army jawans.\u2019 \u2018Of course,\u2019 I said. We reached the camp gate. The driver had arrived with the car by then and Saurabh was already sitting in it. \u2018Did you know Sikander well?\u2019 I said to Faiz. He put his sunglasses on again. \u2018Her stepbrother? No. Zara and I became friends only after she moved to Delhi.\u2019 \u2018She loved him a lot,\u2019 I said. Faiz shrugged. \u2018She was a loving person. Did not deserve this end. Anyway, I think your driver is waiting.\u2019 \u2018Why don\u2019t you just sit on the coals and get cooked?\u2019 I said. We had come to Shikara restaurant, a short walk from our houseboat. The restaurant had outdoor seating on jute charpoys. Every bed had an angeethi, or a portable","heater, next to it. The temperature had dropped to three degrees Celsius. Saurabh sat inches away from the smouldering coals. He did not respond. Only his teeth chattered. \u2018Let\u2019s go back to the houseboat,\u2019 I said. \u2018Their dinner is fine.\u2019 \u2018No, I am okay. I heard the wazwan here is amazing,\u2019 Saurabh said, blowing on his hands. The waiter saw Saurabh\u2019s dismal state and brought us two blankets. We wrapped one each around ourselves. Ten minutes later, Saurabh had thawed enough to talk. \u2018Something seemed odd about the captain,\u2019 he said. \u2018I agree. Maybe it is because he did not mention the earrings. Otherwise, a family man, well-mannered, hospitable, polite. All nice,\u2019 I said. \u2018Whenever someone is so nice, it is usually fishy.\u2019 The waiter arrived with our food. Saurabh forgot about our conversation for the next ten minutes as he focused on ripping apart sheermal and cleaning out plates of rogan josh, meth maaz and safed kokur. Wazwan is the ultimate formal banquet in Kashmir. Elaborate wazwan meals can have up to three dozen dishes, most of them slow-cooked overnight and served communal style. \u2018Do you want to hear my theory?\u2019 I said. Saurabh burped in response. I took it as a yes. \u2018He liked Zara,\u2019 I said. \u2018Romantically?\u2019 \u2018Yes. Zara visits Kashmir. Meets Faiz. She does a blog on the Army.\u2019 \u2018Fine,\u2019 Saurabh said. \u2018Then, one scenario is Faiz had a crush on Zara, but Zara wasn\u2019t interested.\u2019 \u2018More likely is that she liked him back. They had an affair,\u2019 Saurabh said. \u2018What? How? She was with Raghu. Faiz is married.\u2019 \u2018As if love, or rather lust, cares about such things. Faiz is a good-looking man, bhai.\u2019 \u2018Zara had an affair? With a married man?\u2019 I said. Raw pain shot through me. I thought she hadn\u2019t come back to me because she was happy with Raghu. But she did have space for another man in her life after all\u2014just not me.","\u2018Yes, because I think just a crush cannot create murderous passion. An affair can.\u2019 I didn\u2019t respond, as I was still digesting the possibility that Zara could have cheated on Raghu. \u2018Keshav, what happened?\u2019 Saurabh shook my leg. \u2018Huh? Nothing. Where were we?\u2019 \u2018Zara had an affair with Captain Faiz. I am quite sure of this.\u2019 \u2018So, during the affair Faiz gave her the earrings?\u2019 \u2018Exactly, before things went bad.\u2019 \u2018How?\u2019 \u2018Maybe Zara wanted more and threatened to tell his wife.\u2019 \u2018No. Zara had Raghu. They had gotten engaged recently.\u2019 \u2018Fair point. So maybe Zara wanted to end it, but Faiz didn\u2019t,\u2019 Saurabh said, his hands hovering dangerously close to the angeethi coals again. \u2018Zara has an affair, regrets her lapse of judgment, and goes back to Raghu. Captain can\u2019t take it. Gets jealous.\u2019 \u2018Yeah. He sits in his Army camp, sad, lonely and angry,\u2019 Saurabh said. \u2018And that\u2019s when he decides to kill her.\u2019 \u2018Phirni, sahib? People kill for the phirni here,\u2019 the waiter said, as he arrived with dessert. \u2018Theory is fine. How do we prove Faiz did it?\u2019 I said. We were eating breakfast at the houseboat dining table. Saurabh took six slices of toast on his plate and buttered them lovingly, one at a time. \u2018We have the earrings,\u2019 Saurabh said. \u2018When did it become a crime to give gifts to someone? We need proper evidence. Accusing a serving Army officer is not a joke. Rana won\u2019t even touch this until we get him solid proof.\u2019 \u2018What do we do, bhai?\u2019 Saurabh said. After applying butter, he proceeded to apply jam on each of his toasts. \u2018Can you stop eating so much? What did you weigh last time? Ninety- six kilos?\u2019 \u2018Ninety-five-and-a-half. Anyway, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. One should eat it well,\u2019 Saurabh said, and took a bite of his toast.","\u2018Golu, you eat every meal too well.\u2019 \u2018And you hardly eat,\u2019 Saurabh said, taking a bite big enough to finish off half the toast. \u2018I have a plan. It may help us get real evidence. Promise you won\u2019t say no.\u2019 \u2018Okay, what is it?\u2019 Saurabh said, as he picked up another toast. \u2018We need to go back to Delhi first,\u2019 I said. \u2018And you need to stop eating more toast.\u2019 \u2018It\u2019s a mad plan. I will never be a part of it,\u2019 Saurabh said. We fastened our seatbelts. The flight to Delhi began to taxi on the Srinagar Airport runway. \u2018It is not so crazy. We can do this. Frankly, it is the only way we can get the job done, of getting the evidence,\u2019 I said. \u2018Speaking of jobs, we may not have one when we arrive,\u2019 Saurabh said. We had extended our vacation to three weeks. \u2018You emailed Chandan about my stomach infection?\u2019 I said. \u2018I did. He wanted to see a medical report from a local doctor. I\u2019ll make one on a fake letterhead. Take the logo of a Srinagar clinic. Write some gibberish. What will Chandan know?\u2019 \u2018That\u2019s all he asked for? To extend our leave by one week?\u2019 \u2018He also wanted a picture of you in the hospital bed.\u2019 \u2018Who is he? Our hostel warden?\u2019 The airhostess served us sandwiches. I looked out of the window. Clouds hugged the Himalayan peaks beneath us. From this height, the valley below seemed peaceful. Of course, from here, you couldn\u2019t see human beings, the cause for most troubles on the planet. \u2018What do we do about the hospital picture?\u2019 \u2018I will say I forgot to take it. Or my phone fell into the Jhelum. Or the hospital did not allow pictures. Who cares?\u2019 \u2018You are right. Screw Chandan.\u2019 \u2018Yeah, screw him,\u2019 Saurabh said, showing his middle finger. A flight attendant noticed him. \u2018Sorry, ma\u2019am,\u2019 Saurabh said and folded his finger. He turned to me. \u2018The idea of sitting in Chandan Classes all day after this adventure","makes me want to puke.\u2019 \u2018The adventure has not ended. We still have to go to the captain\u2019s house and get that evidence.\u2019 \u2018You want to raid a fauji\u2019s home and get shot?\u2019 \u2018It is an empty home. Arjun Vihar is like any other apartment colony in Delhi. It is not some general\u2019s residence with fifty security guards.\u2019 \u2018How will we get in? Break a window?\u2019 \u2018We have to do a recce and see.\u2019 \u2018There will be some security.\u2019 \u2018Just at the main gate. Like campus.\u2019 \u2018If we get caught, we get arrested. We lose our jobs. Nobody ever hires us again.\u2019 \u2018You are right. Huge downside. Stupid idea. Leave it,\u2019 I said. I looked out of the plane window again. The view below had turned into flat, dry and brown land. I closed my eyes. Half an hour later, Saurabh woke me up. \u2018Can you borrow a power drill from the mechanical engineering department at IIT? Will your juniors on campus help you?\u2019 \u2018Yeah, why?\u2019 \u2018I can use that to drill through the lock.\u2019 \u2018What happened to\u2014\u201cif we get caught nobody will ever give us a job later\u201d?\u2019 \u2018Well, nobody is giving us a job even now.\u2019","Chapter 25 Spit was Chandan\u2019s weapon of choice; he was like a fireman with an out-of- control fire extinguisher that day. His emotions ranged between hopping mad to completely deranged. \u2018Two weeks. In the middle of the peak months. I allowed you. I did,\u2019 Chandan said, with blended gutkha and saliva landing everywhere within a four-feet radius of his mouth. \u2018I fell sick, sir. Gastroenteritis,\u2019 I said. Saurabh and I had Googled \u2018stomach infections\u2019 a few minutes ago. \u2018What is that?\u2019 Chandan said, chewing his paan extra-hard. \u2018Gastroenteritis, also known as infectious diarrhoea, is inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract that involves the stomach and small intestine,\u2019 I said, repeating the first line verbatim from the Wikipedia page. Chandan looked at me, his mouth twisted in disgust. \u2018Symptoms may include diarrhoea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. Fever, lack of energy, and dehydration may also occur,\u2019 Saurabh said, finishing the Wikipedia description. \u2018You teach JEE or medical?\u2019 Chandan said. \u2018JEE, sir,\u2019 I said. \u2018So why are you talking like medical?\u2019 \u2018Pardon me?\u2019 I said. \u2018Three weeks you disappear. I am going to cut from your salary.\u2019 Did that mean the idiot was not going to fire us? Fine, I could live with a pay-cut. \u2018Of course, sir,\u2019 I said. I coughed twice. When you fake sickness, you have to cough. \u2018I don\u2019t care about your threats. My wife is going to leave me anyway, let me tell you.\u2019 \u2018Sorry to hear that, sir,\u2019 Saurabh said.","\u2018Yes, she said I am impossible to live with. I don\u2019t care. She can go.\u2019 \u2018Her loss entirely, of course,\u2019 I said. \u2018What?\u2019 \u2018Nothing, sir.\u2019 \u2018I hope you will take extra classes for the time you were absent.\u2019 \u2018We will, sir. We just need a few more days off,\u2019 I said. \u2018More days?\u2019 Chandan said, his volume so loud the classes outside could hear him. \u2018Medical tests, sir,\u2019 Saurabh said. \u2018He has recovered, but we need to do some tests.\u2019 \u2018You have to go back to Srinagar?\u2019 Chandan screamed. \u2018No, sir,\u2019 I said. \u2018In Delhi only. Only for a couple of days.\u2019 \u2018So, you go. Why does Manish have to go?\u2019 \u2018My name is Saurabh, sir,\u2019 Saurabh said. Chandan looked at him with suspicion. \u2018Is it?\u2019 \u2018Yes, sir. Anyway, I will go to help him around the hospital.\u2019 \u2018I am still weak, sir,\u2019 I said. I coughed five times. Chandan pushed his swivel chair back, as if a few inches further from me would make him escape my germs. \u2018Collared sports T-shirts and white cotton shorts. That\u2019s what Army officers wear in the evening,\u2019 Saurabh said. We stood on the road, across from the guard post at the Arjun Vihar entrance. We had scanned the entire outside perimeter of Arjun Vihar, the Army colony with twenty apartment towers located near Dhaula Kuan. We observed the security checkpost at the main gate for a couple of hours. In the evening, there was a heavy flow of pedestrians in and out of the colony. If people looked like residents, the security guards let them in without any special checks. If any officers in evening sports attire walked in with confidence, the guards did not so much as even look at them. Women and children moved in and out without any trouble. Only those men who looked somewhat lost or not fauji enough were stopped and questioned at the security gate.","\u2018Let\u2019s come back with the right clothes,\u2019 I said. Three days later, Saurabh and I arrived at the Arjun Vihar main gate again. We came from different directions, but at the exact same time in the evening. Both of us wore the same attire as other officers, a collared white T-shirt and white shorts. \u2018Good evening, sir, good to see you,\u2019 I said. We had decided that since Saurabh was fatter, he had to be my senior. \u2018What timing, young man, good to see you,\u2019 Saurabh pronounced rather strangely, in what he thought was a colonial British accent, and patted my back hard, somewhat overdoing the Army commander bit. \u2018I just finished my evening walk, sir,\u2019 I said. \u2018Come, young man, come home for a drink,\u2019 Saurabh said. I think we overdid the drama. The guard barely noticed us anyway. We went inside Arjun Vihar and walked to the central garden quadrangle. The residential towers encircled this public garden. \u2018How do we find Faiz\u2019s place?\u2019 Saurabh said. \u2018He mentioned ground floor,\u2019 I said. \u2018There are so many ground floor flats.\u2019 \u2018Twenty towers. Two ground floor flats in each tower. It is one of the forty apartments.\u2019 \u2018It will take so long to check each one. We should just ask someone,\u2019 Saurabh said. \u2018Avoidable,\u2019 I said. \u2018Let\u2019s take a walk. Read as many nameplates as we can.\u2019 We walked along the edge of the central quadrangle. We ignored homes that had lights on. It meant people stayed there, and Faiz had told us his family was in Dubai. \u2018Major Yadav. Not this one,\u2019 I said. \u2018Captain Ahluwalia. Not this one either,\u2019 Saurabh said. Fifteen minutes later, we passed a ground floor home in tower eight. It had no lights switched on inside. It did not have a nameplate either. However, it had a circular sign with Arabic calligraphy. \u2018I know what it means. God is great. Zara had a pendant like that,\u2019 I","said. \u2018So it is a Muslim person\u2019s house,\u2019 Saurabh said. I looked around and saw that no one was near us. We went close to the apartment entrance. I peeped into the garden. I saw a somewhat old and neglected double stroller. \u2018How old did he say his twins were?\u2019 I said. \u2018Three years old. Oh, that\u2019s a double stroller. Meant for little twins.\u2019 \u2018This is the place. Let\u2019s leave. We\u2019ll come back again next Sunday, the day of the T20 finals,\u2019 I said. \u2018When does the match start?\u2019 \u2018Eight o\u2019clock.\u2019 We had entered Arjun Vihar again using the same method, with Saurabh and me meeting at the gate in sports attire. This time we had brought a backpack with us. As we still had time before the match began, we climbed up the ten storeys of tower eight and waited near the terrace landing area. We had decided to enter Faiz\u2019s house at the time of the T20 World Cup Finals, when every family in Arjun Vihar would be busy watching TV. \u2018One more hour,\u2019 I said. Saurabh played a game on his phone. \u2018I am on level three hundred in Candy Crush,\u2019 he said. \u2018Candy Crush? Why? No more Tinder?\u2019 I said. \u2018Screw Tinder,\u2019 Saurabh said, sliding his finger on the phone as he tried to eliminate all jellies. \u2018Didn\u2019t you get a Tinder match last week?\u2019 \u2018Turned out to be a transvestite.\u2019 \u2018What?\u2019 \u2018He said I have boobs, dick and a heart. Wanna meet?\u2019 I burst out laughing. \u2018Two out of three isn\u2019t bad,\u2019 I said. \u2018You could have adjusted.\u2019 \u2018Shh. Be quiet. You want the faujis to come and clobber us?\u2019 Saurabh said, eyes still on his phone screen. An hour later, it was time.","\u2018Careful,\u2019 I whispered. Saurabh parted the hedge so we could get into Faiz\u2019s garden. We tiptoed over the lawn. The match had begun, and the colony looked desolate. I looked around and at the apartments above me. In the darkness, I couldn\u2019t see anyone. Saurabh sat on the grass and opened his backpack. He took out the power drill, a battery pack and three towels. He inserted the battery pack in the drill and switched on the power. The loud whirring noise from the drill made both of us jump. \u2018Damn,\u2019 I whispered. \u2018This is too noisy.\u2019 \u2018Wait,\u2019 Saurabh said. He switched off the power drill and wrapped the three towels around it. We walked up to the front door, which faced the garden, and I switched on my phone\u2019s flashlight to check the lock. \u2018Can you do this?\u2019 I said. \u2018It is a doorknob lock.\u2019 Saurabh said, \u2018Yeah. But once I open this, the lock will need to be replaced. He will know someone broke in, whenever he comes.\u2019 \u2018As long as he doesn\u2019t know who broke in,\u2019 I said. \u2018And, he won\u2019t be coming anytime soon.\u2019 Saurabh used a thin drill bit attachment on the power drill and pressed against the keyhole. \u2018Ready?\u2019 he said. I nodded. He switched on the drill. It whirred into action. \u2018It\u2019s still noisy,\u2019 I said. The towels weren\u2019t helping much. \u2018Shh. Just a few seconds. Wait, I felt one lock pin go.\u2019 Saurabh switched to a thicker drill bit. He continued to drill. \u2018Stop, Golu. Too loud.\u2019 \u2018Relax,\u2019 Saurabh said, full attention on the towel-wrapped machine. \u2018Done. All six pins gone.\u2019 \u2018What?\u2019 I whispered. He placed the drill back in the backpack. I held the doorknob in the darkness. The drilling had made the metal warm. I turned it to the right. The door opened. \u2018Welcome home, honey,\u2019 Saurabh said.","We stepped into a dark room. Saurabh and I flashed our phone lights around. I saw some paintings of war scenes and a sofa in the drawing room, but it was too dark to see much else. \u2018What to do now?\u2019 Saurabh said. \u2018Nothing. Find a bed and sleep. We can only search in the morning. We can\u2019t switch on the lights.\u2019 \u2018Are you sure we can\u2019t search using our phone torches\u2026 Oww!\u2019 Saurabh screamed in pain as I heard a loud thud. \u2018What happened?\u2019 \u2018I hit a table,\u2019 Saurabh said. He hobbled and sat down on the sofa. \u2018Bedroom, Golu. We do nothing until morning.\u2019 Saurabh was snoring next to me. My 5 a.m. phone alarm continued to ring. I sat up on the bed and saw twilight outside. Scared someone would find us, I had not slept a wink all night. I saw a study table with a desktop computer in the bedroom. It had a framed picture of Faiz\u2019s family. We were in the right house. \u2018Rise and shine, Golu.\u2019 Over the next three hours we learnt a lot about the Khan household. They ate two brands of breakfast cereal, Chocos and plain cornflakes. They had two crates of Milkmaid condensed milk on the upper shelves of their kitchen. They used Cinthol toilet soaps for themselves, and Johnson\u2019s baby soap for the twins. One of the two bedrooms in the house was a kids\u2019 room. It had two cribs and two closets. We checked the closets. One of them contained clothes. The other had toys kept in steel boxes. Saurabh pulled out one of them. \u2018So heavy,\u2019 Saurabh said. \u2018What\u2019s inside?\u2019 I said. Saurabh took a peep inside. \u2018Spiderman, with a broken leg. Superman with a moustache drawn on it. Works as evidence?\u2019 \u2018Let\u2019s check the master bedroom,\u2019 I said.","\u2018This is locked,\u2019 I said, standing next to Faiz\u2019s large bedroom closet. \u2018As if we haven\u2019t broken locks before,\u2019 Saurabh said. Saurabh took out a flat-head screwdriver from the backpack and inserted it between the closet doors. A few hard twists and the door snapped open. \u2018You are getting good at this,\u2019 I said. \u2018Alternative career. Maybe I should mention this skill set in LinkedIn.\u2019 I moved forward to open Faiz\u2019s closet. Trrring. The ringing of the doorbell made us both jump. We checked the time. It was 8:30. \u2018Who is it?\u2019 Saurabh whispered. \u2018The hell do I know,\u2019 I whispered back. \u2018We are fucked.\u2019 The bell rang again. \u2018Let\u2019s see who it is,\u2019 I said. We tip-toed out of the bedroom and came to the living room. We walked to the main door, Saurabh two steps behind me. The bell rang again. \u2018Bhai,\u2019 Saurabh said, his voice filled with fear. \u2018Shh,\u2019 I said. I looked into the peephole. \u2018Who is it?\u2019 Saurabh mouthed. I kept a finger on my lips. A minute later, the person at the door left. \u2018He\u2019s going to the opposite house,\u2019 I said, my eye still at the peephole. The person rang the bell of the opposite house. \u2018What is he going to tell them?\u2019 Saurabh said. The door of the apartment opposite opened. A maid was standing there, holding a bundle of clothes. She gave it to the person ringing the bell. The person took the clothes and left. I removed my eye from the peephole and stood up straight. \u2018It was the dhobi. Came to collect clothes for ironing,\u2019 I said and smiled. \u2018He\u2019s ironed my heart flat. I think it will explode.\u2019 \u2018Let\u2019s go back to the bedroom.\u2019 I headed to Faiz\u2019s closet and opened it. One side had his wife\u2019s clothes. I rifled through them, but found nothing of relevance. The other side had","Faiz\u2019s army uniforms and civilian clothes. In the bottom shelves were multiple pairs of heavy, black boots. I took out the shoes and kept them on the bedroom floor. \u2018What are you doing?\u2019 Saurabh said. \u2018Checking the lower shelves,\u2019 I said. Stuffed in the back, behind where the shoes had been, I found a sports bag. I dragged it out and opened it. It had two dozen tennis balls inside. I ran my hands through the bag. I touched something cold and rectangular. I pulled it out. \u2018Wow,\u2019 Saurabh said out loud. I was holding a hundred-gram gold biscuit in my hand. \u2018Is this real?\u2019 I said. \u2018Yes, bhai. Are there more?\u2019 I turned the bag upside down. The tennis balls bounced and rolled across the room. Nine more biscuits fell out. \u2018This is one kilo of gold,\u2019 I said. \u2018Worth what? Thirty lakh rupees.\u2019 \u2018Army guys are paid that well?\u2019 Saurabh said. \u2018No, Golu. This is screwed up,\u2019 I said. The gold glittered in the early morning light. \u2018Did you say the box of toys felt heavy?\u2019 I said. \u2018Yeah. Why?\u2019 We ran across to the children\u2019s room. Under the Spiderman, Superman and other figurines, we found twenty more biscuits, neatly arranged at the bottom. Of course, the biscuits were not Parle-G. \u2018Everything for desh,\u2019 I said. \u2018This is messed up. Is he possibly doing wrong things?\u2019 Saurabh said. \u2018He\u2019s possibly a fucking murderer. Golu, let\u2019s check his computer.\u2019 As Saurabh switched on Faiz\u2019s PC, I noticed the four drawers of the study table. \u2018We need to check these too,\u2019 I said. \u2018He has a machine from the 1800s. Taking forever to boot up,\u2019 Saurabh said, eyes on the computer monitor. \u2018I am going to hack this old horse good.\u2019 I rummaged through the drawers. The bottom three had nothing apart","from stationery and other household items like measuring tapes and charging cables. The top drawer was locked. \u2018This needs a key,\u2019 I said. \u2018Key?\u2019 Saurabh smiled cockily. \u2018What\u2019s that?\u2019 He pointed at the drill. Two minutes later, the top drawer was open. \u2018Medicines here. A bit of cash,\u2019 I said, fingering the contents. \u2018And these are \u2026 wow \u2026 so many pregnancy kits.\u2019 \u2018What?\u2019 Saurabh said. I took out three packets of Prega News. Saurabh took one from me and opened it. It had a plastic strip with a clear rectangular window in the middle. \u2018What exactly do you do with this?\u2019 Saurabh said. \u2018You pee on it.\u2019 \u2018Faiz does?\u2019 \u2018Are you stupid, Golu? The woman does. If two lines appear, it means she is pregnant.\u2019 \u2018This could belong to Faiz\u2019s wife,\u2019 Saurabh said, pointing to the family picture. \u2018Maybe they want a third child?\u2019 I examined the Prega News box. On one side, it had a small white sticker. The sticker had a barcode and text that had \u2018PregKit. INR 50\u2019 printed on it. \u2018Golu, you have pictures from Zara\u2019s safe?\u2019 \u2018Yeah, I do,\u2019 Saurabh said, typing on the computer keyboard. \u2018By the way, this idiot doesn\u2019t even have a password on his computer. No hacking required. What a let-down.\u2019 \u2018You could get in?\u2019 \u2018Here you go. This is the desktop,\u2019 Saurabh said, slapping his hand on the computer mouse. \u2018But can you show me the pictures from the safe first.\u2019 Saurabh passed me his phone. I opened the pictures of the pregnancy kits in Zara\u2019s safe. I zoomed in. \u2018This is the same chemist tag as the kits here,\u2019 I said. Saurabh compared the picture with the Prega News packet. \u2018Oh, yes.\u2019 \u2018They were bought at the same place,\u2019 I said. \u2018Faiz bought many of them. Gave some to Zara. The affair is confirmed.","Earrings explained too.\u2019 \u2018Zara was pregnant? With Faiz\u2019s child?\u2019 I said. Shell-shocked, I sat on the bed, staring at the ceiling above me. \u2018Likely. But what happened? Did he make her abort? Was she pregnant when she died?\u2019 I covered both my ears with my hands. \u2018Are you okay, bhai?\u2019 \u2018This is fucked up. I never imagined Zara could do this. Idiot me, thinking she\u2019s some perfect soul of this universe while she goes and fucking\u2026\u2019 \u2018Shh. It happens, bhai.\u2019 \u2018She told me, \u201cI am happy with Raghu. Leave me alone\u201d. I thought that is why she wasn\u2019t coming back.\u2019 I stood up. I lifted Faiz\u2019s family picture and smashed it on the wall in front of me. The glass frame shattered in hundreds of pieces. \u2018Bhai, control yourself. If people hear us, we are dead.\u2019 \u2018I\u2019m already dead. Let\u2019s leave.\u2019 \u2018Can I at least finish checking his computer?\u2019 Saurabh said. \u2018Whatever,\u2019 I said. \u2018Meanwhile, pack up the biscuits. Let\u2019s take anything that could help as evidence to nail this guy.\u2019 \u2018Fine,\u2019 I said. I worked on autopilot as I transferred the gold biscuits into the backpack. I don\u2019t know what upset me more, Faiz killing Zara, or Faiz making her pregnant. \u2018Nothing here on the computer. I only have the captain\u2019s browser history.\u2019 \u2018We need evidence, Saurabh. I don\u2019t want the police saying we don\u2019t have enough.\u2019 \u2018He likes porn. Pornhub features a lot. I like that one too. He likes them white and young.\u2019 \u2018Shut up and tell me something useful.\u2019 \u2018Calm down, bhai. So he Google-searched \u201cbest divorce lawyers in Delhi\u201d.\u2019 \u2018Clearly, the perfect Khan family isn\u2019t perfect,\u2019 I said. Saurabh continued to talk as he scrolled through the history. \u2018Usual","online shopping sites, and damn, many searches and clicks on abortion clinics in Delhi.\u2019 \u2018What?\u2019 \u2018Yeah. In December 2017. Two months before Zara\u2019s death. The idiot never deletes his browser history.\u2019 \u2018Let\u2019s take his computer too.\u2019 \u2018No need. I took the browser history on my pen drive,\u2019 Saurabh said, showing me a memory stick. \u2018Good. Anything else?\u2019 \u2018I found some pictures on the computer. Backup from a phone,\u2019 Saurabh said. Saurabh opened a library of photos. Most were pictures of the Baramulla camp in Kashmir. In many, Faiz posed with his Army colleagues. Thirty pictures later, we saw a selfie of Faiz and Zara. They stood in a houseboat, probably in Srinagar, his arm around her. They stared at the camera like lovers who had just woken up from a nap. The next picture showed a sunset, taken from a houseboat window. \u2018Need more evidence?\u2019 Saurabh said, clapping his hands. \u2018This sunset picture is the same one Zara posted on Insta,\u2019 I said. \u2018Fine then, we take the pictures too,\u2019 Saurabh said. He plugged in the pen drive into Faiz\u2019s computer and sucked out everything. Once done, Saurabh shut the computer down. \u2018Let\u2019s go,\u2019 I said. \u2018We have classes to take.\u2019 \u2018Wait, just one more thing, bhai.\u2019 \u2018What?\u2019 \u2018You think I can eat some of their Chocos before we leave?\u2019","Chapter 26 Chandan met us at the entrance of Chandan Classes. Saurabh and I had reached late and missed half of our first class. \u2018Pneumonia today?\u2019 he said, his eyes bulging. \u2018No, sir,\u2019 I said. \u2018The alarm didn\u2019t ring. Both of us overslept.\u2019 \u2018What about the students waiting in class?\u2019 \u2018Sorry, sir. We\u2019ll fix a remedial session,\u2019 Saurabh said. Chandan looked ready to explode. \u2018Should we commit a murder too?\u2019 Saurabh said, as we ran past Chandan. \u2018I am hoping the gutkha will do the job before us,\u2019 I said. Later in the day, Saurabh and I met in an empty staffroom for a few minutes between classes. \u2018Bhai, let\u2019s give everything we found at Faiz\u2019s house to Rana soon. I don\u2019t want to keep it at home,\u2019 Saurabh said. \u2018We will go this evening,\u2019 I said. My phone buzzed. I looked around to ensure Chandan wasn\u2019t lurking around. \u2018Oh no! Saurabh, see\u2026\u2019 On my phone screen was flashing: \u2018Capt. Faiz\u2019. \u2018What the\u2026\u2019 Saurabh said. My hand trembled. \u2018What do I do?\u2019 I said. \u2018Did he find out about us breaking into his house?\u2019 Saurabh said. The phone continued to vibrate in my hands. \u2018How do I know?\u2019 I said. \u2018Pick it up. Act normal,\u2019 Saurabh said. \u2018Good afternoon, Captain Faiz,\u2019 I said as I took the call. Saurabh kept his ear close to the phone so he could listen as well.","\u2018Good afternoon, Keshav. What\u2019s up? How is the capital treating you?\u2019 Faiz said, his voice cheerful. \u2018Fine, sir. I am at work. Delhi\u2019s too hot. I miss Srinagar.\u2019 \u2018Oh, you must be busy. I won\u2019t take much of your time. I called because I remembered something.\u2019 \u2018What, sir?\u2019 \u2018I gave these really special Kashmiri earrings to Zara.\u2019 Saurabh and I looked at each other, surprised. \u2018Oh,\u2019 I said. \u2018Special, as in?\u2019 \u2018They are traditional Kashmiri earrings. They cost a few lakhs. Zara said she would pay for them, of course.\u2019 \u2018She paid you?\u2019 \u2018I told her to pay me when she completes her PhD and starts working. She did give me fifty thousand though. The rest I said I would take when she has a proper job.\u2019 \u2018Oh,\u2019 I said. \u2018Yeah. She had always wanted these traditional earrings from an authentic Srinagar jeweller. I offered to help.\u2019 \u2018Sure. Thanks for calling and telling me. Don\u2019t think it is important, but still, thanks.\u2019 \u2018Cool. Anyway, keep in touch. Say hi to your friend Saurabh too.\u2019 \u2018Sure.\u2019 \u2018Bye then. Jai Hind.\u2019 The call ended. I looked at Saurabh. He said, \u2018See, how clever he is.\u2019 \u2018Must have figured we had come to investigate. Or that we might find the earrings,\u2019 I said. \u2018Yeah, so better give an explanation beforehand.\u2019 We sat in silence for a few seconds. \u2018You think he could buy Rana?\u2019 Saurabh said. \u2018What?\u2019 I said. \u2018We give all the evidence to Rana. Faiz calls him, promises more gold biscuits from wherever he gets them. Rana agrees to keep Laxman in, which he prefers anyway.\u2019 \u2018You think Rana can be bought?\u2019 Saurabh looked at me like I had asked him if petrol could catch fire. \u2018Fine,\u2019 I said. \u2018Let\u2019s not go to Rana yet.\u2019","\u2018We can\u2019t take that chance,\u2019 Saurabh said. I walked up and down the staffroom as I thought of what to do next. \u2018We need to confront Faiz in Delhi, in front of others. So he can neither bribe anyone nor escape,\u2019 I said. \u2018How?\u2019 \u2018I have an idea,\u2019 I said. \u2018What is it?\u2019 \u2018Let\u2019s discuss at home,\u2019 I said and checked the time. \u2018I have to teach differential equations right now.\u2019 \u2018Sure. By the way, bhai,\u2019 Saurabh said and paused. \u2018What?\u2019 I said. \u2018Just an idea, so be open minded. Should we sell one of the gold biscuits and buy a new air-conditioner for the house?\u2019 Safdar, deep in thought, stroked his beard. Saurabh and I sat with him in his tastefully decorated drawing room. We had just told him about the events in Srinagar. \u2018Sikander is dead? Really?\u2019 he said, a hand still on his freshly dyed beard. \u2018Yeah,\u2019 I said. Safdar spread his palms out and said a prayer. \u2018Ya Allah,\u2019 Safdar said. \u2018Both Farzana and I have lost our children at the same time.\u2019 Saurabh and I kept quiet. \u2018That boy never followed the right path. I used to tell Zara so many times. How is Farzana doing?\u2019 Safdar said. \u2018We are not sure. She\u2019s still in Srinagar,\u2019 I said. \u2018He might have been a terrorist, but Farzana\u2019s pain won\u2019t be any less.\u2019 \u2018Of course,\u2019 I said. \u2018So, Sikander didn\u2019t have anything to do with Zara\u2019s murder?\u2019 Safdar said. \u2018No,\u2019 I said. \u2018As I told you, it is Faiz.\u2019 Safdar shook his head. \u2018Captain Faiz? Faiz\u2019s father Abdul Khan and I have known each other for fifteen years. They are close family friends.\u2019","\u2018That\u2019s how he managed to get close to Zara. But later, when Zara realised her lapse of judgment, Faiz couldn\u2019t take it,\u2019 I said. \u2018Faiz is married. He has kids, who I treat as my grandkids.\u2019 \u2018We broke into his house in Delhi, to get the evidence,\u2019 Saurabh said. \u2018We have pictures of them in a houseboat. Pregnancy kits from the same shop.\u2019 \u2018Enough,\u2019 Safdar barked. Restlessly he stood up and walked across the room to his bookshelves. His back to us, he spoke again. \u2018That qaatil! I treated him like a son,\u2019 Safdar said, his words throbbing with anger. \u2018We attended his wedding. How could he touch my little girl?\u2019 Saurabh and I didn\u2019t know what to say. \u2018He\u2019s a fauji and doing this? What makes him any different from those terrorists?\u2019 \u2018We will get him punished, uncle,\u2019 Saurabh said. \u2018Will it bring my daughter back?\u2019 said Safdar in a broken voice. A tear rolled down his cheek. He came back to sit with us again and buried his face in his hands. \u2018No, uncle, Zara won\u2019t come back,\u2019 I said. \u2018But her soul may find peace if her killer is punished. Right now he roams free, as a decorated officer.\u2019 Safdar removed his hands from his face. \u2018What do you want me to do?\u2019 \u2018Organise a prayer meet at your house. Call everyone who was close to Zara,\u2019 I said. \u2018Why a prayer meet?\u2019 \u2018If we give the evidence to Rana now, we are afraid he could sell out. We want to confront Faiz in front of others, and then call the police,\u2019 Saurabh said. \u2018How do we do that?\u2019 \u2018After the prayer meet, invite some of us to stay for dinner. Get us in a room with Faiz,\u2019 I said. \u2018What do we do then?\u2019 Safdar said. \u2018We confront him over dinner,\u2019 Saurabh said. \u2018And then the police can come and serve him dessert,\u2019 I said.","\u2018Scared?\u2019 Saurabh said, looking up from his phone. Saurabh and I were sitting on my bed. I was typing out a probability test paper on my laptop, which I had to conduct in class next week. I folded the laptop screen shut. \u2018No. Just anxious.\u2019 We had five days left for the prayer meet. Safdar had sent a sombre white invitation card. I picked it up from the bedside table. It will soon be a hundred days since she left us. But we miss her every day, every moment. As someone important in our daughter Zara Lone\u2019s life, we invite you to a hundredth-day prayer meet at our residence: 238, Westend Greens On 20 May 2018, 5:00 p.m. Warm regards, Zainab and Safdar Lone \u2018Faiz will buy it? Is there even something like a hundredth-day prayer meet?\u2019 I said. \u2018There are no rules for grieving. It\u2019s from her parents. Reads genuine. It\u2019s fine,\u2019 Saurabh said and went back to his phone. He was reading an article titled, \u2018How to hack Tinder for better matches\u2019. \u2018You really think you can hack the matching algorithm on Tinder?\u2019 \u2018What if I could? Imagine. Every girl, no matter if she swiped left or right, would match with me.\u2019 \u2018And when they see your real picture, won\u2019t they figure out they swiped left on you earlier?\u2019 \u2018They may reconsider me, too. You have to get them into the shop and display the goods. Maybe they will buy.\u2019 \u2018You are the goods?\u2019 I said and laughed. \u2018When I get a hot babe in my arms, then you laugh. Okay?\u2019 \u2018I am teasing you,\u2019 I said and pulled both of Saurabh\u2019s cheeks. \u2018You are the best goods any girl can get.\u2019 \u2018Yeah, yeah, make fun of me. I also know I won\u2019t get any girl. Tinder or otherwise.\u2019 \u2018What nonsense.\u2019 \u2018Thank God for arranged marriages in India. If not Tinder, my parents","will find someone. Indian parents have been the original left and right swipers for their kids for centuries.\u2019 I laughed. \u2018Anyway, you heard the news about Mr Richie Rich? Did you call him, by the way?\u2019 Saurabh was referring to Raghu. I had seen the news pop up on my Facebook feed: the world\u2019s biggest artificial intelligence firm had invested in Raghu\u2019s company. They had valued Raghu\u2019s company at three hundred million dollars. \u2018Richie Rich owns half, while his investors own the rest, so he\u2019s worth a hundred and fifty million dollars. That is a thousand crores in rupees,\u2019 Saurabh said. \u2018Fuck me,\u2019 I said. \u2018Yeah. Thousand crores. FYI, he\u2019s our age. Twenty-seven.\u2019 \u2018We are from the same college, same batch. He and I even dated the same girl. He\u2019s worth so much and I have nothing. Can I be a bigger loser?\u2019 \u2018Bhai, if he invests the thousand crores at ten per cent interest, he makes another hundred crores a year.\u2019 \u2018Thanks, Saurabh. That makes me feel better.\u2019 \u2018And that hundred crores interest alone can be invested again to make another ten. And that ten can be invested too,\u2019 Saurabh said. \u2018Will you stop it?\u2019 \u2018Bhai, we make less than the interest on the interest on the interest of what he already has.\u2019 \u2018Thanks for comforting me, Golu.\u2019 \u2018Are you going to call him? You said we need to tell him about Faiz.\u2019 \u2018I have to congratulate him on his company\u2019s latest valuation too?\u2019 \u2018Screw that. You have to call to tell him it is important for all of us to be there at the prayer meet. You know this. You said you will call him last week.\u2019 I took out my phone. \u2018Yeah but, how do I say it all?\u2019 I said. \u2018That his fianc\u00e9e had an affair, her other lover made her pregnant, etc.\u2019 \u2018I thought you wanted revenge. He took Zara from you. Tell him she was never really his.\u2019 I shook my head.","\u2018Doesn\u2019t feel right. That desire to hurt him has gone.\u2019 \u2018Okay, spare him the details. Tell him we found the killer. Ask him to show up at the prayer meet. We will share the rest there.\u2019 \u2018He\u2019ll ask who, of course.\u2019 \u2018Tell him it is Faiz, then. For God\u2019s sake, are you going to call or should I?\u2019 Saurabh tried to snatch my phone. I pulled my hand away. I put the phone on speaker mode and called Raghu. \u2018Hey, Keshav. Long time,\u2019 Raghu said. \u2018Hi, Raghu, are you in India?\u2019 \u2018Yeah, I am in office. What\u2019s up?\u2019 I checked the time. It was 10:30 p.m. \u2018Working so late?\u2019 \u2018Have to. I have a new investor. We are merging some groups. So, bit of an insane month.\u2019 Damn, should I congratulate him now, I wondered. I decided not to; I would stick to the agenda. \u2018We will see each other at the prayer meet, I guess,\u2019 I said. \u2018I am trying to come. Just that all these new investors are on my head. Oh wait, her dad invited you as well?\u2019 Raghu said, surprised. He was right to be surprised. Safdar hated me. I had no business being there. \u2018Yes. It\u2019s part of a plan. Raghu, we cracked the case.\u2019 \u2018You did?\u2019 \u2018Yes, we found the killer.\u2019 \u2018How? I mean who?\u2019 \u2018You have heard of Captain Faiz?\u2019 \u2018Yeah, the Army officer. Solid guy. Zara\u2019s family friend. He helped you?\u2019 \u2018No, Raghu. Captain Faiz did it. He is the killer.\u2019 \u2018What?\u2019 Raghu said and went silent. \u2018Raghu?\u2019 I said, thinking the line had got cut. \u2018I am here,\u2019 he said, his voice unclear. \u2018Are you sure? Faiz?\u2019 \u2018Yes.\u2019 \u2018Why?\u2019 \u2018He liked her,\u2019 I said. \u2018What?\u2019","\u2018They had an affair.\u2019 \u2018What are you saying? He is married. He has kids!\u2019 \u2018I know. They still got involved.\u2019 I tried to be as gentle as possible, using softer words like \u2018involved\u2019. But I guess any man in Raghu\u2019s situation would only hear it as \u2018someone else fucked your girlfriend\u2019. \u2018Raghu?\u2019 I said, when I heard nothing for a while. \u2018You there?\u2019 \u2018You have evidence?\u2019 \u2018Solid evidence.\u2019 \u2018Fucking bastard.\u2019 I think a comet must have crossed over Earth. It was the first time I had heard Raghu swear. \u2018Don\u2019t go to the stupid police,\u2019 Raghu said. \u2018I called Rana a few days ago.\u2019 \u2018You did?\u2019 \u2018To check on the case. I call him every now and then. However, he seemed to be happy pursuing the watchman theory and keeping Laxman in.\u2019 \u2018Yes. It suits him.\u2019 \u2018Rana will botch it up. And Faiz is in the Army. He will manage to slime out.\u2019 \u2018Thank you, that\u2019s exactly what I thought. Hence, the prayer meet,\u2019 I said. Even though I didn\u2019t like to admit it, I felt good that someone as smart as Raghu was thinking along the same lines as me. \u2018Does he have any idea you know?\u2019 Raghu said. \u2018No.\u2019 \u2018Good. Now I will definitely come for the prayer meet. On the 20th, no?\u2019 \u2018Yeah.\u2019 \u2018I will be there for sure.\u2019 \u2018I will see you then,\u2019 I said and then took a deep breath. \u2018Also, Raghu.\u2019 \u2018Yeah?\u2019 \u2018Congrats. I read the news about the new investor and the latest valuation.\u2019 \u2018Oh, that. Thanks,\u2019 Raghu said. \u2018Anyway, see you in five days,\u2019 I said.","\u2018Sure. Keshav?\u2019 \u2018Yes.\u2019 \u2018Thank you.\u2019 \u2018Welcome, Raghu.\u2019 \u2018I don\u2019t know how I will ever repay you.\u2019 Saurabh gestured that he wanted to speak to me. \u2018One second, Raghu.\u2019 I muted the phone. \u2018What?\u2019 I said to Saurabh. \u2018Of course he can repay us. He\u2019s worth a thousand crores. Maybe he can give us\u2014\u2019 Saurabh said. \u2018Shut up,\u2019 I said and unmuted the phone. \u2018Yes, Raghu. Sorry, you were saying something.\u2019 \u2018Nothing. Just that I can never repay you. And I hope they hang him. Or lock him up for life.\u2019 \u2018They will,\u2019 I said. \u2018I miss her every minute,\u2019 Raghu said. Okay, I do not need to hear this, I wanted to say, but didn\u2019t. \u2018I had told her, let\u2019s leave India. Leave this mess behind. I just\u2026\u2019 Raghu said and completely broke down. I could hear him sob. \u2018I understand how you feel, Raghu.\u2019 Damn, was it my duty to console guys who dated my ex? He wasn\u2019t done yet. \u2018I wanted to give her everything. All these achievements and congratulations. They mean nothing. Life is quite incomplete without her.\u2019 \u2018He can give us the money if it means nothing to him,\u2019 Saurabh whispered in my ear. I kicked Saurabh\u2019s behind to make him shut up. I had to remain sombre when talking to a person who was in tears. \u2018It\u2019s nothing. All this money. Pointless,\u2019 Raghu was saying. I realised Raghu could afford a shrink if he needed a shoulder to cry on. It did not have to be me. \u2018I can imagine. Raghu, I have someone at the door. I will see you in Delhi?\u2019 \u2018Yes, sure. Sorry to take your time. Thank you so, so much again.\u2019 I ended the call and threw a pillow at Saurabh\u2019s head. \u2018Fucker, is this a time to joke?\u2019 I said.","Saurabh laughed. \u2018You handled it well.\u2019 \u2018Did I?\u2019 \u2018Yes. You told him and yet didn\u2019t rub it in,\u2019 Saurabh said and lay down on the bed. I kept my phone and laptop aside. \u2018Golu, go to your room and sleep,\u2019 I said. \u2018Too lazy to move, bhai. Goodnight,\u2019 Saurabh said and switched off the bedside lamp. I lay in bed, my eyes still open. I could hear nothing but Saurabh\u2019s mild snores and the rhythmic whirr of the fan above me. I reflected on my conversation with Raghu. Had I really grown up? I didn\u2019t feel jealous of his success. Nor did I enjoy seeing him hurt about his fianc\u00e9e\u2019s affair. I didn\u2019t make any taunts or jibes. He seemed to be in so much pain that a thousand crores meant nothing to him. He said he found life quite incomplete without her\u2026 My last phone conversation with Raghu resonated in my head as I continued to stare at the ceiling fan go round and round and round above me. Half an hour later, I switched on the bedside lamp. \u2018What happened?\u2019 Saurabh said in a sleepy voice. \u2018I can\u2019t sleep. I need to go somewhere,\u2019 I said. \u2018Huh?\u2019 Saurabh said, rubbing his eyes. \u2018You want to come on a trip?\u2019 \u2018What?\u2019 Saurabh said groggily. \u2018Let\u2019s get away until the prayer meet. It will help us deal with the anxiety.\u2019 \u2018What? Where? What about classes?\u2019 \u2018I don\u2019t care.\u2019 \u2018I can\u2019t travel, bhai. I am way behind on my course schedule. Chandan won\u2019t just fire me, he will kill me.\u2019 \u2018Fine. I am going away for a few days,\u2019 I said. I jumped out of bed and switched on the lights. I opened my cupboard and pulled out a suitcase to pack my clothes. \u2018Where?\u2019 Saurabh said, sitting up on the bed and scratching his head. \u2018I will tell you later. You sleep now. And take care of Chandan for me, please.\u2019","Prologue continued On board IndiGo flight 6E766 HYD\u2013DEL \u2018That is some story,\u2019 I said. Keshav grinned. \u2018Glad you found it interesting.\u2019 \u2018But you are a dude, Keshav. You actually went to Srinagar and did all this?\u2019 \u2018Yeah, Saurabh came with me, and that helped a lot. But not bad for two mediocre coaching-class faculty types, I guess,\u2019 Keshav said. \u2018It is incredible. What happened next? You went to the prayer meet?\u2019 \u2018It\u2019s tomorrow. I mean today, as it is past midnight already.\u2019 \u2018What? You just said you told Saurabh you were leaving the city for a break.\u2019 \u2018That was four days ago. I did go for my break. I am returning home now.\u2019 I checked the date and time on my watch. It was 1:05 a.m. on May 20th. \u2018Oh. Where did you go?\u2019 I said. \u2018Several places. To calm my mind. Clear doubts. Figure things out.\u2019 I took a guess since the flight was heading back from Telangana. \u2018Tirupati, or something?\u2019 I said. Keshav smiled. \u2018I went wherever I had to,\u2019 he said. I understood he didn\u2019t want to tell me more. \u2018Ladies and gentlemen, we will soon begin our descent into Delhi,\u2019 the flight attendant announced. \u2018Please fasten your seatbelts.\u2019 The aircraft descended and we could see Delhi\u2019s smog-covered nightlights. Within minutes, the plane landed with a mild thud and taxied to a halt."]