THUD-ALL : A Balderdash Burphy Story

Chapter Twenty-Four

"Saraswati," Pramila threw her hands up and wailed aloud at the sight of Sara leaning against the parapet wall. She ran, tripped, somersaulted and landed next to her daughter. "I am so relieved you are safe. What happened dear?"

"I don't know, ma. I was walking down the stairs when something hit me. A crowd gathered, but no one cared to help. I then fainted. When I woke up, an elderly man gave me some soda and said he had called the law enforcement department."

"Haragopal," Burphy said as he, Kiran and Chowkilal made an entrance.

"No, Kiran," Sara said, confused. "And when did you join the law enforcement department?"

"One, it is the Law Enforcement Office and two, I did not mention this guy," Burphy said, sticking his thumb into Kiran's chest. "I was talking about the old man who helped you. He called and informed that you were here."

"But who could've hit you, Saraswati? The complex is so crowded, no one would dare clobber someone unless he or she doesn't mind getting," Kiran was baffled. Burphy and Chowkilal looked around for clues.

"I don't know, Kiran. Something hit me. And the back of my head feels like a tyre now," Sara said running her hand over the spot where something had hit her. Pramila parted the dense strands of hair on Sara's head and found a hemispherical swelling, with thread-like marks hidden deep inside.

"What the hell is this? What kind of a medieval mace was used to hit my daughter?" she wailed.

"Don't worry auntie," Kiran stepped in to investigate. "Hmm," he said after taking a careful look and started looking for an object that had seams running along its surface.

"Look there, Kiran," Burphy pointed to an open window by the staircase, not far from where Sara was seated. The two walked towards the window, looked around and found something. Their lit-up eyes met at the same time, and the two nodded in agreement.

"Alright! We are good. Nothing serious. At least not as serious as we had initially feared," Burphy declared as the two walked back after a brief exchange of thoughts. "Please take Sara to your hospital, Doctor Kich. And come and meet me in the morning."

"But officer, what hit Sara?" Pramila said. "And what is the guarantee she won't be hurt again? I won't leave the place without knowing what hit my daughter."

"Why don't you book a taxi and I'll let Kiran tell you all about it while we wait?" Burphy suggested and walked over to the window without waiting for her to respond.

"Alright," Kiran coughed gently, "the window there. Do you see it? It has remained open all day going by how much dust has gathered on the sills. When Sara walked past it, this thing struck her and left the tread-like marks that you saw."

"Thanks Kiran. I'll take it from here. Everyone, do you want to know what hit Sara?" Burphy said. "Yes," came the chorus as everyone turned in his direction.

"Trivia time. The object that hit Sara, let's call it 'The Object'. It is round, rugged and is capable of injuring someone badly when it crashes into their head. What is it?" Burphy gave them the contemptuous, 'answer children,' look.

Kich, Pramila and Sara looked at each other.

"Strawberry?" Sara tried to act cute even when in trauma. "No, silly. A strawberry isn't round. It must be a coconut?" Kich said. Burphy looked on, unimpressed. "Mace?" Pramila was in no mood to say anything but mace.

"Madam," Burphy said concealing his irritation, "if someone hurled a mace at Sara, it would be here for everyone to see. But it isn't. And if it were a strawberry, Sara, its father would've called me and not yours."

"Oh No!" Pramila grew worried again. Are you suggesting, sir, that we still don't know what hit Sara?"

"No, madam. I know. Kiran knows and so does Chowkilal. Cleopatra always knows. But the rest of you don't. Alright. Law enforcement, investigation and forensics aren't for everyone as I can see. I will give you another clue. Now, will you all please come here?" he positioned himself near 'The Object' and beckoned them in his direction. When they arrived, he pointed outside the window.

"A cricket ground," Doctor Kich, Sara and Pramila said in unison. "And the floodlights are on," Kiran added before pointing to the cricket ball that lay by the window, safely tucked away from the eyes of the casual onlooker. "That hit Saraswati."

And with that, the final pieces of the puzzle fell in place and the mystery had been solved. Everyone heaved a sigh of relief.