Sonia took in this information silently, her brain doing swift calculations. She closed her eyes and the horoscopes came into sharp focus, as clearly as if she had drawn them out on a paper and was holding them before her that very moment. Interesting, very interesting indeed!
The vision of a person removing his baggage from an overhead compartment intruded on her mind. Another person sitting directly below instinctively raises a helping hand. This instinct arises more out of the fear of the bag falling on him than out of any real spirit of offering help.
Sonia found the image intriguing.
She faced Charan Das with a fresh resolve. “Since you know the family so well, can I ask you some questions?” she asked.
“Sure!” he replied readily. “But the facts floor you, don’t they?”
“They certainly do - all I’m trying to do now is confirm a few details. Did Dinesh Ranade have his first surgery in 1998?”
Charan Das looked a little thoughtful. “That’s correct.”
“And the second surgery in 2000 and the third in 2003?”
“Absolutely correct! What exactly are you trying to do here?” he asked curiously.
“I’m trying to confirm whether the horoscopes are right. That’s always the first thing to do. Verify if the horoscope is indeed rightly charted, and that it belongs to the same person, by tallying some of the incidents in his past with his natal chart.”
“That’s right"
“And Janavi… Rahu and Mars in her ascendant, the Sun - the planet of the second house, which is the house of family - is in conjunction with Saturn, an enemy, aspected by Mars and Rahu. Did Janavi come from a lower-middle-class family?”
The Astrologer nodded. “Her parents were not really well- off. It was only on her insistence that they entered her into a medical college. They really couldn’t afford the exorbitant fees”
“And Dinesh came from a rich family?”
“The Ranades are famous for their family history, culture, and money. Even though Dinesh didn’t really add to it money- wise, Janavi made up for it with her catering business.”
Sonia nodded. She glanced out of the window. The rain had increased in intensity and only a white-slated curtain was visible now. Her face remained impassive, but a tussle was waging inside her mind. Should she or shouldn’t she? What if she was wrong? To be honest, it was none of her business. No, that wasn’t entirely right. As an Investigator, even an abnormal glimmering attracted her attention. Surely she was bound to justice by her moral instincts? Sonia had learnt the hard way that the paramount thing in life was life itself. Now she swept away her doubts brutally and turned to Charan Das with a gleam in her eyes. A gleam which Jatin would’ve recognised at once. But unfortunately for Charan Das, the astrologer barely grasped the meaning when Sonia smiled, a little crookedly, at him.
“You narrated to me the success story of a woman who ignored the dictates of her natal chart since she disbelieved in the science of Astrology. A couple, who you’ve known for several years and whose lives have unfolded before your eyes in the exact opposite direction as their horoscopes predicted. Is that right?”
“Perfectly. Though I earn my bread and butter from Astrology, Janavi’s resolute convictions have kind of restored my faith in the power of mankind. Man can control his own destiny, if he steadfastly applies his mind to it.”
“A very promising thought, of course,” Sonia conceded. “Now, let’s just agree on what the horoscopes predict. The Lord of the fifth house, the house of education, is in debilitated Cancer with Rahu, aspected by Saturn - Janavi’s horoscope reveals that her education would be turbulent. Whereas Sun, Saturn, and Ketu in her seventh house indicate that she would marry someone lower in class - I mean quality-wise - and that she would have to make several compromises in life. Mars and Rahu aspecting the seventh house reveal that her marriage would be a disaster, even leading to a divorce. So far, are we on one plane?”
“Absolutely.” Charan Das looked a little confused. What was this girl trying to accomplish?
“There are also several behavioural disturbances indicated in her horoscope. Rahu and Mars in the ascendant indicate violent bouts of temper, conniving - Has Janavi ever displayed this side of her nature?”
“Violent? Never!” Charan Das seemed surprised. Then he faltered and Sonia eagerly leaned forward. She felt her heart thumping.
“Just once, now that I remember, was she a trifle violent,” Charan Das admitted. “A cat kept repeatedly stealing the milk from her kitchen. She tried ways of driving it away, but without success. Then one day she deliberately placed the milk near the window and told us that she had dealt with the matter. A day later that cat was found on her terrace, dead. Of course, I’ve no idea if the animal’s death was mere coincidence or if Janavi had a role in it.”
Sonia stared at his sober, plump face. She could read the sudden uncertainty unravelling on his features, like a spool of tape.
“Now, let’s talk about Dinesh,” she said. “You mentioned that he was a Professor of Economics. At which college?”
“Fergusson College.”
“And was he good?”
“I guess so!” Charan Das shrugged.
“Sun, Rahu, Mercury, and Saturn in the first house of his horoscope indicate him to be a dominating person, lazy, insensitive, and unsuccessful in his career ventures.”
The Astrologer nodded. “Dinesh gave up his professorship very early in life and changed several jobs. But, to be honest, his inability to keep a job was more a matter of luck than capability. Though he’s been lucky in his choice of wife. Janavi made up for all the lacunae in his life.”
“The exalted Moon in Taurus in the seventh house
