Twelve
22nd March 2003
8:15 A.M.
Rays of sunlight forced him to open his eyes. He saw Catherine staring right at him, with a bewitching look on her face. She was already awake, and her eyes demanded lust. Akash lay bare-chested, comfortable in a fluffy blanket. It was 1 A.M when he mutely climbed up the tree and jumped inside her window, which like always, was open. She was working on the case and had gasped at Akash's sudden appearance. Before she could complain or react, he pushed her towards the wall and his lips were on hers. They hadn't pleased each other in a whole month, and that desperation showed on Catherine's face. One night was not going to be enough.
Akash stretched his arms and let out a long yawn; he chose to ignore her. Before he could stand up, she jumped on his thighs and sat upright on him, seeking attention. Both of them stared at each other for a long time. A few seconds went by and they could no longer resist, advancing towards each other like wild beasts. She scratched him roughly on his chest while he bit her cruelly on her neck. He longed for her jaggedness and she missed his sweet fragrance. She tried to leave various marks of territory on his body to sway him against the bloody SHO, but he resisted and grasped her long blonde hair in his hands.
********************
8.40 A.M.
They were both exhausted and laid in each other's arms, half-naked.
His eyes were on the study table, where Catherine worked. 'Don't overwork yourself, you'll get tired.' He said to her. 'I made a mistake and I have to deal with it.'
'Maybe your source wasn't trustworthy.' He said.
'It was someone we both know. I can't reveal his name, but I'm ready to make an exception for you.' She said, kissing him on his cheek.
'Giving me intel right away now, are we?' He asked sarcastically, and she nodded.
'Well, that would make you a good friend, but it would make me an even better detective if I got it out of you.' And they both chuckled.
'And how exactly are you going to do that?' she asked, taunting.
'By warning you to brace yourself for round two.' He announced, and jumped on her, she laughed and surrendered herself to him.
There was a sudden buzz on Akash's phone.
'Paul.' He said, sighing with frustration. There came a hurried voice from the other side. Akash looked shocked.
'I understand. I'll be there shortly.' He said and ended the call. Before she could ask anything, he started dressing.
'Any emergency?' she asked and he nodded. She hesitated for a moment and then finally asked him,
'Syna. What's exactly going on between you two?' she paused. 'I mean you're a lot with her lately.'
'It's none of your business, Cat. I just want to end this case and find the culprit.'
'But I don't like her, and you stick with her nowadays.' She complained.
'Look, Cat, you and me, we don't love each other. You said it yourself, remember? So it's none of your business about who I stick with or don't.' He yelled. Catherine was taken aback by his sudden aggressiveness.
'No open windows for you anymore, leave my house.'
*******************
'Those two points are definitely why they joined him, but they make no sense at all.' Dexter shrieked.
'Last attempt of pure love which was followed by none, and also banned.' Akash read the letter numerous times.
'It says he bided his time until their execution, which means these two points are the reasons why Abort Hazer and Rahul Arora joined him. We just have to break the code or the metaphor or whatever the hell it is.' Syna said.
'How are the great "Aryabhata" and "John Wallis" even connected with their reasons?'
'Maybe it was for poetic effect, or maybe it's a code. Read carefully, it says "A professor's theory"' Akash explained.
"From Aryabhata's zero to John Wallis's infinity,
a professor's theory was never given any continuity."
'You mean one of them was a professor? This is rubbish.'
'Trust me, we both spent the entire night trying to figure out this code, and we still have nothing.'
'You should have informed me about this letter yesterday.' Akash shook his head.
'I assumed you might have received this letter' Syna asked.
'Nope, after your call, I checked my post-box as well as the doorstep, there was nothing.'
They stared at the last stanza.
Failure gave them what success couldn't.
I offered them what justice wouldn't.
Biding my time till their execution,
the Known-Unknown finally returns!
'This para looks easy.' Syna said. 'The first line suggests that both of his accomplices achieved something great, not through success but failure?'
'And they also seem to have sought justice? Justice is offered by law.' Akash deduced. 'But seems like the law couldn't give them the justice they longed for, so The Stalker somehow handed it to them?'
'And that's why they both joined him?' All three of them fired questions at each other.
'What troubles me is those last two lines.' Syna pointed. '"Biding my time till their execution, the Known-Unknown finally returns"' Syna read out.
'The subtle art of leaving no trace behind.' Dexter said. 'After all, one of his partners was executed just a few days back and the last one remaining will be executed tomorrow.'
"The last attempt of Pure love through a ruthless ritual,
unstopped by everyone and followed by none,
although debarred, justice was never done."
'Pure love through a ruthless ritual? Debarred, that means banned or not practiced anymore.' Syna read aloud.
'Also, "unstopped by everyone" that means there were people who were aware of this ritual and meant to stop it, but they didn't?' Akash guessed. He rolled his neck annoyingly.
'And, "followed by none"? a ritual that's ruthless and signifies 'pure love'?'
'Wait. Wait. Hold on a second.' Dexter interrupted, both pairs of eyes glanced at him, expectant.
'Pure love.' He repeated. 'I've seen that word just recently, that bloody word makes sense to me.'
'How?' Akash and Syna asked in unison.
Dexter smiled and ran out of the cabin. Akash and Syna looked at each other and shrugged. Dexter hurriedly entered with a newspaper in his hand. He placed it on the desk and asked them to read it.
'What? It's just an article on Rahul Arora's execution. I've read it already.' Syna argued.
'Read the article again, with a lot more caution this time.' Dexter said, smiling. Akash and Syna read the article, there was a blurry picture of Rahul Arora in chains, escorted by few guards, the article read,
The Known-Unknown's Accomplice, Rahul Arora, hanged yesterday in TiharJail, Delhi.
Rahul Arora, one of the accomplices of The Stalker was hanged to death yesterday at Tihar Jail, Delhi. Rahul Arora was an active participant in two mass murders and is alleged to have a hand in at least seven single killings. Authorities still argue over the credibility of his name. Even in his final hour, there was no confession or statement made by Rahul Arora which would help reveal the identity of the serial killer. Journalists and media report that the guilty was happy to take a stand and die. His face was devoid of any guilt. His final words were, 'Pure love never dies'. He was hanged at 12:00 p.m, and died around 12:02 p.m. What everyone awaits now is the death of the second accomplice, Abort Hazer, which is scheduled on 23rd March.
'Of course! His final words. "Pure love never dies".' Akash repeated and Syna gasped. They looked at Dexter with shocked faces.
'That means, the first reason belongs to Rahul Arora. It's the reason why he joined him?' Syna asked, gripping her hair tightly, awestruck. Akash and Dexter nodded.
'But I don't know what's pure love which was carried by a ruthless ritual, followed by none and banned legally.'
'Ruthless ritual.' Akash repeated. 'Why do I feel the term is something vague?'
They spent another thirty minutes circling Syna's cabin. A few constables kept barging in, but Syna instructed them to confer with Mr. Khatri for the moment. They wondered, 'what was the detective doing in her cabin?'
'We need to figure this out soon.' Syna broke the silence. 'The case is getting complex, and soon it will be passed on to the DSP or worse, some ACP.'
'We need some time Syna. It's not a nursery rhyme, where our brains would light a fire and break the code-'
'That's it.' Akash shrieked with excitement. 'That's what? What do you mean?'
'Fire! Light a fire, the answer's fire!' Syna and Dexter made no signs of understanding. Akash smiled.
'Pure love through a ruthless ritual which is followed by none and debarred, that's Sati.' Both of them were shocked, they stood there completely speechless. Akash's claim did make sense.
'Sati? How's pure love connected to Sati?' Dexter wondered.
'It is connected to Sati directly.' Syna explained, her eyes on the article. 'In ancient times, Sati was performed by widows to prove to the world that their love was "pure" and that they were devoted to their husbands. These widows were shunned by society, leaving them no choice but to commit the act.'
'Exactly.' Akash exclaimed. 'It was a ritual where widows sacrificed their own lives by burning to death on their husbands' pyres. But even though it was banned, many families from the rural and backward classes still continued to carry it out and forced the others to do so, too. While some widows willingly jumped into the pyre, the others who didn't were forced to do so by the onlookers.'
'That explains the part, "unstopped by everyone, followed by none."' Syna said in a low tone.
There was a cloud of silence, again. It made them sick to their stomachs and arose in them feelings of pity and empathy for the deceased women.
'But logically, how does that prove pure love-?'
'It doesn't. Just another superstition, though it's still unknown as to how the practice spread throughout India. Some historians argue that Jauhar was mistaken as Sati, making the practice widespread, until it was finally abolished in the year 1829.' Akash explained.
'Who would have thought that such a mere superstition would transform into a horrific ritual?' Syna asked, completely shaken. Akash placed a hand on her shoulder, with empathy.
'But how is Rahul Arora connected to Sati? As far as I remember, he was alive before his execution, so his wife would have never performed this ritual.' Dexter said.
**************************
The human race's impatience is similar to nature's forces of lightning and sound. It moves forward with great speed, destroying things, realizing the sound of it, too late after the damage is done
~The Stalker.