Jatin looked up from the Computer and grinned. “I heard you”
“And also to share with you a discovery I have made!” Mohnish added, and was pleased to see the quickened interest on Sonia’s face. She looked extremely appealing in the red shawl, her face flushed and rosy with the warmth of the heater.
“Breaking news!” Her liquid brown eyes glinted.
“Absolutely. Tell me, when did you first receive a threatening note?”
Sonia frowned. “I think it was in May.”
“And when did Devika see ‘the ghost’ for the first time?”
“In May.”
“Right. And when did the second note appear?”
“July,” Jatin spoke up, shutting down his Computer. “I remember Boss was to attend a wedding in Mumbai and that same day there was a report in the newspaper about the ghost being spotted around our office.”
“I’m surprised at your wonderful memory.”
“I’m not. I introduced Naina to Boss that day,” Jatin replied, dolefully.
“And the third note appeared around the end of October. Devika found it tucked into the nameplate!” Sonia exclaimed.
“And I saw the ghost with my own eyes the night before,” Jatin declared.
“See what I mean? The notes always seem to be linked with the appearance of your ghost!” Mohnish raised an eyebrow.
“Of course! Why didn’t I make the connection?” Sonia seemed amazed.
“Because, Boss, you never took the notes seriously enough to apply your mind categorically to them,” her assistant reprimanded as he handed out cups of chai.
“Yes, I guess you’re right,” Sonia admitted. “But that was very smart of you.” She smiled at Mohnish.
“Thank you, ma’am. Although, I haven’t finished yet.” Mohnish took a long satisfied sip from his cup. “The gap between each note and the visits of the ghost to the office has been approximately a month to two months. Which means that his scheduled visit to deliver another threatening note ought to be around this time.”
Sonia nodded. “I’d love to catch hold of this guy and find out what he has against us.”
“Exactly what I had in mind. I have a plan. Beginning tomorrow, we take turns and stay on guard here during night. Sooner or later, he’ll prowl around and then we can nab him!”
“Excellent idea! I’ll take the first turn tomorrow night,” Jatin enthused.
“And Nidhi and I’ll take the next,” Sonia added.
“I think we’ll do it together,” Mohnish suggested, mildly.
“Why? I’m perfectly capable of taking on a make believe ghost.” Sonia turned a stern eye on him.
“Absolutely! But I’m not!” Mohnish replied gravely.
“I don’t believe you”
“Let me admit it: I’m sacred of the dark! I can’t sit alone for two minutes before the palpitations begin”
Sonia scrutinised his face. “You’re not making this up?”
Mohnish shook his head, his expression serious.
“All right.” Sonia shrugged. “We’ll keep watch together.”
“Good, that’s resolved!” Jatin sounded relieved. He was aware that the slightest suggestion of incapacity would not have gone down well with his Boss.
He rubbed his hands gleefully. “I can’t wait to give that ghost a rap on his bottom with my hockey stick.”
“It may happen sooner than you think.” Mohnish rose. “That’s settled, then. I’ve got to go. See you later!”
Sonia stared at the email. After Mohnish had left, she and Jatin had a delicious early lunch of Pav Bhaji. Now, well satiated, she was checking her email. She was not in the least surprised when she read the Owl’s one liner.
“Sonia, I need to meet with you!”
Brief, and yet it sent the blood in her veins zinging! Varun Thakur had sent two mails last week, each with the same note of urgency, but she had ignored them completely. She didn’t wish to be enmeshed in a web of attraction she had no power to extract herself from. Because she had finally come to terms with the fact that she was far from indifferent to Varun. The Owl drifted in and out of her life like a welcome breeze on a hot day. Her brief encounter with him at Lonavala Station had only proved that she was in grave danger of falling for an international crook. And that would certainly be her worst crime. If she had an iota of sense - and she claimed she had oodles of sense - she would steer clear of the remotest shadow of The Owl. Sever all ties with him. And that was exactly what she had in mind.
She hit the reply icon and quickly wrote an answer. Brief and concise.
“I don’t wish to see you. Consider yourself lucky that I have as yet not revealed your emails to the Police!”
She read and reread the response several times. Then, satisfied that the message conveyed her feelings well, she dispatched it and returned to her surfing.
Jatin was in front of the TV, watching the One Day International Cricket match being played in Chennai. He yelled in joy as someone hit a sixer, and smiled gleefully as the crowd cheered wildly in the stadium. Like all cricket lovers, he was as involved with the match as if he were playing it himself. Sonia was glad that he was gradually getting over the Naina experience. He had the resilience of youth on his side, and very soon Naina would be a hazy memory, Sonia was positive of it. On an impulse, she shut down the Computer and joined him.
“Boss, did you see that hit? It was superb! India just needs fifty runs to win from thirty-five balls! This is going to get more and more exciting!”
For the next half hour, the atmosphere in the office was electric. Despite her lukewarm interest in the game of cricket, Sonia found herself catching her breath every time the batsman hit the ball, and clapping hard with Jatin as the score rose. Finally, with two balls to go and five runs to make, their eyes were glued to the TV set, as millions of eyes all over India would be. The captain of the opposite team rearranged the players on the field and the baller took his own time, rubbing the ball against his trousers,
