G.R.BOSS

Ch - 9 A Clue

After his meeting with the publisher, Watson looked very happy and was already in an outing mood. But after getting back home, my feeling of uncertainty had peaked. It was not that text on the shield, but Prof. Balamurugan was on top of my mind. I did not feel like sharing this with Watson. However, I felt bad that I was suppressing his excitement by cancelling the outing.Without informing anything to Watson, I went for a walk in the park beside our apartment. It was dusky outdoor light. Many kids played football together. Some played badminton. Their parents spoke to each other as they felt proud whenever their kids won any round of badminton.So much of an emotional struggle these parents have to go through, I thought. Those kids, parents, and the cool breeze touching my face eased my confusion and made me generous enough to start thinking again.Given the fact that the case had come to some kind of conclusion, I allowed myself to come out of the aura of the Korean text. I just had to find out why that text was on the glass frame in Swamynathan's villa.

A little twisted thought that I had to sort out was to zero-down the probability that Prof. Balamurugan had any association with this case. I had to clear this doubt. It was my emotional burden.Above all he was my teacher and a person whom I admired and was inspired by. Also, I had sent Harsha to jail with all the proof intact. I had to find out if I had left any loop-hole somewhere.I knew the doubt I had was very harsh regarding a person of that stature. And it felt a little fuzzy to doubt a person only based on that text. But I was in need of an answer for that question. Immediately. And obviously, the answer that I was expecting was a NO. I have called one of my friends in the administrative department over the mobile to ask whether he could find out where Prof. Balamurugan was on the day of Kishore's death. He agreed to that.As per his knowledge, every department administration maintains an official calendar of all the professors of its department on a daily basis. Information related to conferences, meetings, or a regular teaching day would be recorded in that calendar.Information to a very detailed level of a calendar that specifies his little meetings on an hourly basis is not recorded anywhere though. But that available information was enough that it could give information of the place where the person was during that day. My friend had promised to call me the next morning and give the information. I arrived back home and decided to sleep straight away. I avoided talking to Watson because I did not want to ruin his excitement of our outing, at least forthat night.The next morning, I got a call from my friend at about 10 AM. I took the call and his answer relieved my mental unrest.As per him, Prof. Balamurugan was outside the city in some other university and was a part of the panel that had conducted interviews for Ph.D. aspirants in the Department of Physics.From my past experience, I know the Ph.D. interviews go on till 8 PM and would continue for about four or five days.I have decided to rule out the possibility of Prof. Balamurugan having any association with Kishore's death. I felt happy. The relief was not full, since there was a question that still needed to be answered. 

"Why was that text present on the glass frame?" I could not believe this was a matter of just coincidence. I thought it was there for a purpose, unknown at this point of time.Yet again, another moment in this case where I was about to take a guess and move ahead. I didn't inform Watson about this either. Looking at me, I think Watson guessed that the outing was postponed. To clear his doubts, I told him the same. But the thoughts regarding the text never left me alone.If this text was put intentionally by someone linked to this case, then this was a clue. I was the only one who knew, though, because I was the only one who knew Prof. Balamurugan among the people who are associated with this case.So, it meant that the person, whoever it was, knew that I had met with Prof. Balamurugan. The person was aware that I might go to his home where Prof. Balamurugan kept all his awards.It was a hunch that I made. But it seemed to be a proper one. At this point of time, I could ask the Swamynathan family or Harsha about the text. But the idea that I was the only one who knew about it, was holding me back in my subconscious.Another very disturbing thought that was going on in my mind was wondering if Harsha was innocent. He did not confess his guilt. I had to figure this out quickly.I had only one option to move further.