“It’s been such an eventful year, what with the ghost - who is still mysteriously in the shadows - our many cases, and now The Owl. Certainly not satisfactory in the least.” Sonia was thinking aloud. “So much backlog, so much still to do…”
“At least, I’m relieved, you’ve finally accepted Varun Thakur as The Owl. That’s an achievement in itself. Seeing the indisputable truth in its face,” Mohnish remarked.
Sonia turned a thoughtful eye on him. He had finished his Upma and was leaning against the wall, his legs stretched out comfortably before him.
She frowned. “Do I sound like I finally believe he is the noted international crook?”
“I certainly hope you do. Look, Nidhi is safe, and today’s Christmas. Why don’t we begin our celebrations?” Mohnish suggested, trying to change the mood.
“I’m going for the first present!” Jatin announced.
Nidhi meowed in agreement, jumping down from the window seat and rubbing herself against her Mistress’s legs. Sonia scooped her up, holding her to her cheek. To think that she had feared losing her beloved cat! The Owl, her chief adversary, would pay for every iota of his arrogance, and for every moment of anxiety he had thrust upon her. He had thoroughly disrupted the sense of accomplishment she had experience after meeting Asit. Now all her efforts were tarnished with Varuns tainted brush of crime. He may have his own warped justification for his actions, but her point of view was diametrically opposed to his. He was callous, brazenly mentioning her brother, trying to use him to emotionally blackmail her. There was no other explanation. The Owl was a shameless prankster! And to think that she had ever found herself drawn to him. Her attraction to him was an aberration, to be amended without delay. She firmly thrust the memory of the mesmerising, glittering gaze of blue eyes from her mind and concentrated on Nidhi.
“I’m so glad you are safe,” she murmured, caressing the little cat’s silky fur. “But remember that the next time someone tries to kidnap you, even if it is your former owner, scratch his face till he screams! Varun Thakur has been using both of us; you do understand, don’t you? And he needs to be taught a lesson!”
Nidhi turned her emerald green eyes on Sonia and blinked.
“That means now we both have a score to settle!”
Nidhi purred, signing a pact of war with Sonia, and sealing her eternal bond of love and loyalty.
Acknowledgements
With heartfelt gratefulness, I would like to thank Kate Miciak, Frances Collin and Scott Eyman. You were the first.
Thank you Kanishka Gupta for introducing me to the super Jaico Publishing House.
Tons of gratitude to the entire editorial team of Jaico Books - Akash Shah, Sandhya Iyer, Lakshmi Krishnan, Savita Rao, Nita Satikuwar, Dhaivat Chhaya and Swapnil Sakpal - thank you for treating Stellar Signs as special.
Thanks to Dr Vikas Kashalkar for sharing his knowledge on the Gwalior Gharana.
Eternal gratitude, to my mother Shobha Prabhu, for her invaluable research on Astrology and horoscopes.
Thanks to my sisters Purnima and Sonia and brother Rajeev.
Special thanks to my husband Bipinchandra Chaugule, I sincerely appreciate the fact that all of you are always there for me.
And finally, my blessings to my darling Rambha, my ‘official’ cat and my muse for this series - you will always be remembered…
About Manjiri Prabhu
Manjiri Prabhu holds a Doctorate in Communication Science and is an independent film-maker for Television and a Writer. She has directed more than 200 children TV programmes and more than 50 short fiction and travel films. Her unpublished psychological thriller novel was adapted into a Hindi feature film by NFDC, titled Kuchh Dil Ne Kaha. Her thesis, converted into a book, titled Roles: Reel and Real, has become a rare reference book for students of Hindi cinema. Prabhu has been acknowledged as a pioneer in India among women writers of mystery fiction, and she has a diverse global fan following. She is also the first female mystery Author to be published outside India.
Labelled ‘Desi Agatha Christie, she has published 8 books till date, two of which have been published by Bantam/ Dell USA. The Cosmic Clues was chosen a killer book by the Independent Mystery Booksellers Association of America. This book has been optioned to be made into a movie, besides being honored as Notable Fiction in the Kiriyama Prize. The Cavansite Conspiracy is a romance thriller and was awarded Best Mystery Fiction 2012 by the BTB Indian Literary Awards.
Dr Manjiri Prabhu is the Co-Founder and Festival Director of the Pune International Literary Festival.
PRAISE FOR MANJIRI PRABHU
‘Prabhu’s style is clear and accessible, a delightful combination of Agatha Christie and Dorothy Sayers’
India Today
‘Blended with mysticism and suspense and a faint shade of social message, Manjiri forms her narratives in such a way that it caters to the appetite of readers from all age-groups’
Pune Mirror
‘Prabhu’s breathless tone propels and charms, and the depiction of contemporary Indian culture keeps even mundane scenes interesting’
Publishers Weekly
