Part 5 The NAME...!
"Yaaru Chinna Andha ponnu? Edhukku aval unkitta vambu panikkitu irundha? (Who is she, Chotte? Why was she messing with you?"
Ratna always spoke to Arnav in Tamil as she wanted her son to be a scholar in her mother tongue.
"She newly joined in our class..." he replied in Tamil. Arnav spoke to his mother in Tamil and with Arvind accordingly.
Cutting him,
"In your class? But you are in the second year"
"That's why she is behind me asking for the first-year notes"
"Oh... you could have helped her... she is just asking for notes..."
Arnav was silent.
"She said she is behind you for the notes. She won't disturb you if you give it to her, right?"
Arnav said nothing.
"Is not she looking cute?"
Arnav looked at her wondering.
"Are not you angry with her for lying that I'm her boyfriend?" he asked.
"No, because I don't think her intention is wrong"
Arnav said nothing because he knew her intention was not wrong.
"By the way, don't you guys have classes today?"
"Our founder passed away. So, they declared leave"
"Oh..."
"Did you come alone?"
"No, Dad dropped me in the temple. After that, I went to the market and purchased fruits and vegetables"
"Mmm"
They got into the bus and reached Downhill. Getting down from the bus, they walked Half a kilometer. Opening a big Iron Gate, Ratna and Arnav again walked crossing a beautiful rose garden. There was a beautiful WOODHOUSE with glass windows. That was their house. He went to his room and Ratna went to the kitchen to do her work.
After a while,
Arnav heard the calling bell sound and went to open the door. He slightly slid the curtain and saw who came. He put the curtain again swiftly, seeing the person. Making himself up, he opened the door. A policeman was standing. Amanullah was written on his name tag.
"May I meet Mr. Arnav Singh Raizada? The policeman asked.
Arnav looked at him sharply without answering.
"If you don't stop glaring at me like this, I will put you behind bars" the policeman warned.
Ratna who came there saw the man and smiled.
"Aman beta... how are you? Why are you waiting there? Come in..."
"Look at your son, Mom. He has not even welcomed me" Aman said.
"Don't you know him?"
"Yeah, I know him... that's why I'm planning to arrest him and put him in jail until he speaks with me freely"
"Then, he would be in jail forever" Ratna laughed.
Aman entered laughingly. Arnav followed him.
"How are you, Mom?" Aman asked.
"I'm fine. It seems you got posting...! Looking dashing in the uniform,"
"Not more than Dad. He looks majestic in uniform. he is my inspiration. Only because of him, I wanted to become a police officer. And, look at your son. He doesn't need a police uniform to look dashing. This guy would steal anyone's heart by his EYES" Aman said and Arnav could not resist from thinking about Khushi who said 'your eyes are beautiful!'
"What about you're posting?"
"I got posting in this area... the first case I got is, the FULLMOONDAY murder"
The mother and the son looked at each other.
"Arvindji said, a wild animal must have killed the man," Ratna said.
"But, the post-mortem report could not conclude WHICH animal killed him. It's a suspicious murder. The Department thinks it might have been done by someone who used some sharp instrument as animal nails"
"Do you think it's possible?"
"Anything is possible nowadays, Mom" Aman said.
Ratna was silent. Aman had lunch with them and left. Arnav again went to his room and locked the door. Ratna sighed helplessly.
On the other side,
Khushi was nervous like hell. She didn't know what Arnav's mother thought of her. Arnav was already a cynic and was not giving heed to her blabbers. She made the condition difficult by messing with his mother. She had no choice other than to forget about his notes. She supposed.
Evening
Khushi saw Arvind coming to the SP bungalow. She rushed to him before he met Shashi.
"Uncle, please help me..." she pleaded.
Arvind felt bad for her. He thought she was talking about the notes.
"I have not gone home yet, beta. I will ask Arnav for the notes this evening"
"I'm not talking about notes, uncle" she bit her nail.
"Then?"
"Today I messed with your wife..." She said making a miserable face.
"With my wife?" Arvind was confused.
"Yes, I don't know she is your wife... I spoke too much to her... it was not intentional, uncle. Please tell her I'm really sorry about it"
"What happened beta?"
"I will tell you but you should promise me that you won't get angry with me"
"Why would I get angry with you?"
"You will..."
"Ok, I promise... I won't get angry with you. Tell me..."
Khushi told him what happened. Arvind controlled his laughter.
"I spoke like that only for fun to get Arnav's friendship but I didn't know she is his mother. Don't know what she thinks of me"
"I will talk to her..." he said smilingly.
"Will you?"
"Yup"
"Will she forgive me?"
"Surely"
"Thank God..."
Arvind walked in to meet Shashi. Khushi sighed in relief
RM
Arvind came home late.
"I'm hungry... get the dinner to the table," he said.
Ratna pulled him aside, making him to jerk.
"What?"
"Shhh..." she said looking here and there.
"What?" he whispered.
"Do you know what happened today?" Ratna asked.
"What?"
"A girl was blocking Chotte's way," She said in a low tone.
"And she said he was her boyfriend... right?" he asked smiling.
Ratna looked at him stunningly.
"I know you are a policeman but I don't know you are so sharp to know everything happening around the town," Ratna said widening her eyes.
Arvind smiled.
"Nothing is like that. The girl herself told me" he said.
"Which girl?"
"The one who blocked Chotte's way"
"How do you know her?" she asked surprisingly.
"She is SP's daughter"
"Is it?" she was amazed.
"Yes, and Chotte knows that. They are studying in the same class"
"She asked him for his last year's notes"
"Yeah, she requested me too" he sighed.
"But, he had no intention to give it to her I suppose," Ratna said.
"She told me"
Arnav who came there stopped hearing them talking about him and his notes.
"Ask her what notes it is. I will get it from his room. You give it to her. Poor girl. At first, she spoke with attitude and started talking cutely after knowing who I was. I think she is a nice girl"
"Yes, she talks too much but nice girl...!"
"Shall we help her by giving her the notes?"
"No, we should not give her notes without Chotte's knowledge. He will get upset. If he does not want to do something, we should not force him. He may have some reason..."
"What reason does he have? Don't we know him? When did he get close to others?"
"If he is like that, we should not go against him. He is important to us more than anyone no matter what." Arvind said.
"You said she is SP's daughter. What if SP gets upset with you?" Ratna asked worriedly.
"What can I do if Chotte doesn't like to help her? We can't force him to do something he didn't want. Leave it... let him do what he wants"
"Mmm... Aman came today"
Arvind was silent. It seemed he knew about Aman's posting.
"He got posting in this area"
"I know... he intentionally asked this area and took the case as a challenge because no one was ready to take the case"
"Why?"
"It's because there is no clue to get the murderer. The department is blank. They don't know from where to start."
"Then how Aman got courage?"
"Youngblood..."
"Mmm"
"You don't worry about it... it's not easy to connect dots"
Ratna nodded yes.
"Mmm... will you be at home tomorrow?"
"No... I have to go to the office and will come home for lunch"
"Tomorrow is Sunday" Ratna sighed.
"There are no Sundays in a police officer's life"
She went to bring dinner to the table. Arnav silently moved away.
SP Bungalow
Khushi was a little relieved after meeting Arvind. She crossed to the next room and saw a cardboard box being kept there. The box contained pooja things. She had not arranged them in the pooja room yet. She was nervous from the time she met Arnav's mother. So, she didn't feel like doing anything even after having much time. But now, after meeting Arvind, she felt relieved. So, she started arranging the things.
She kept Devi Maiya Idol and arranged the metal lamps and plates. Finally, she took a wooden box out of the cardboard box. Her grandmother always kept it in Devi Maiya's feet, keeping turmeric and vermillion on it. So, she too thought of continuing the same. When she extended her hand to keep it at DM's feet, the box slipped from her hand and a folded white paper fell from the box. Khushi took it frowning. What the paper was about? Why did her grandmother keep it in her prayers? She opened it and was stunned to see a name written on the paper with turmeric, ARNAV.
To be continued...