The Astral Alibi Read online

“No, nothing’s spoilt, don’t worry,” Devika interrupted good-naturedly. “Nidhi’s been quite a good cat actually, considering how I’ve disrupted your peace. This is Renuka Gunaji, by the way. Renuka and I were discussing something and Nidhi chose that very moment to introduce herself. She jumped up and sat on Renuka’s lap and refused to leave!”

  “Oh goodness,” Sonia said faintly. “I’m really sorry. She never does that to strangers. She’s awfully pampered, actually, but I’ve never seen her sit on somebody’s lap like that.”

  “Don’t worry.” Renuka brushed off Sonia’s concern. A tall hefty girl in a blue-and-yellow-striped cotton Salwar Kameez, she seemed to be studying Sonia with a curious glint in her eyes. “I like cats, though she startled me, the way she jumped onto my lap.” A frown creased her forehead. “Actually, I’m quite glad we have met. I was sharing a very serious problem with Devika and we were just discussing whether I should approach you. I was in two minds because, you see, I didn’t know if I had the right to reveal someone else’s problems. But the moment your cat sat on my lap and I stroked her silky fur, my doubt dissolved and my mind was instantly made up.”

  Sonia stared at Renuka in surprise, then quickly glanced down at Nidhi. The cat raised her head, blinked innocently, then purred throatily. A feeling of amazement filled Sonia’s heart. Darling Nidhi!

  “Can we talk?” Renuka asked.

  “Right now?” Sonia hesitated. It was a little late. And she had no idea if Jatin had left. He was always full of criticism for the way she accepted clients without appointments. But on the other hand, she couldn’t afford to turn her back on a much-needed case. Never mind Jatin and his advice about appointments and creating impressions. Even he would agree that getting a case deserved top priority at the moment. And, most important, she couldn’t fail Nidhi, who had worked very hard to tip the scales in her favour!

  Sonia said brightly, “Okay, let’s go in and talk.”

  “Good. I’ll leave you two and return to my shop. See you later, Sonia,” Devika remarked.

  Sonia flashed her a smile and led the other woman into her office. From the corner of her eye, she noticed Renuka pause to read the nameplate and experienced an immense sense of pride. She swung the door open and to her surprise found Jatin still at the computer. He glanced up as they entered and within seconds he had grasped the situation. His eyes gleamed in anticipation.

  “Chai, Boss?” he asked hopefully. Chai was their code word for business.

  “That will be nice, Jatin, and you can join us, if you are not in a big hurry to leave,” Sonia told him.

  “Right, Boss!”

  Sonia deposited Nidhi onto her cushioned windowsill and the cat immediately began licking her golden fur. With an unconscious smile, the detective turned to Renuka, gesturing her to sit.

  “Yes, should we begin, Miss Gunaji?” she asked politely.

  Renuka nodded, then took a deep breath. Jatin entered with a pad and pen and drew a chair next to his Boss.

  “You can call me Renuka,” the older woman began. “First of all, let me tell you that I’m not supposed to be here. And I’m not even sure that you can help me. But when I was at Devika’s boutique, I saw your nameplate and I was tempted. Besides, Devika spoke extremely highly of you.”

  At this point Sonia couldn’t resist flashing Jatin a look, to gauge his reaction. But her Assistant seemed to have mastered professionalism faster than her. His face was impassive.

  “I thought there’s no harm speaking to you because it couldn’t get worse, could it? Already too much harm has been done and I simply didn’t know how to deal with this situation.”

  “Renuka, could you please explain what you mean?” Sonia prompted firmly.

  “It’s about this very good friend of mine. Her name’s Vidya. A very sweet, soft-spoken, wonderful girl who has never hurt a living soul in her whole life. And that perhaps is the real reason for her misery!”

  A mild tap on the door was followed by the chaiwala from the hotel next door. He handed out steaming cups of tea. Renuka accepted hers absently. Sonia took a sip and relaxed against her chair. It was now completely dark outside and the moon was streaming in through the big windows.

  “Vidya and I studied together in BM College of Commerce,” Renuka continued. “We both were really keen to do Chartered Accountancy and we even studied together till the intermediate exams. But then quite suddenly, Vidya’s father took ill and he wished to see her married. Vidya comes from a very conservative family and she had already consumed a lot of time on her studies, which according to them was a waste, since she had to ultimately marry and settle down. Vidya had no choice but to give up her CA and marry the boy of her father’s choice. Parmeet Sahay was an Engineer and a good match. Life was smooth for a while, until Parmeet’s parents began making demands on Vidya.”

  “Demands?” Sonia frowned.

  “Dowry demands. They began with small items like a Tape Recorder, then a TV, and then they asked for a car! A car! Can you believe it? In this age, when demanding or accepting dowry is completely illegal! My blood boils when I think of it!” Renuka exclaimed.

  “It’s a crime,” Sonia agreed. “But not an unusual crime. It’s happening in the best of households. What did Vidya do?”

  “She hasn’t given in to these unreasonable demands. But that’s where her problems really took firm hold. Her in-laws began harassing her. Screaming and shouting at her for petty mistakes, insulting her in public, calling her names, and threatening to send her back home if she didn’t concede and get them the car they demanded.”

  “Goodness!” Sonia couldn’t suppress her rearing anger.

  “Vidya confided in me that she was going nuts. I told her she had to talk it out with her husband, but she said that Parmeet was helpless against his domineering parents. I was horrified to hear that. If your husband is not in your corner, marriage becomes bondage. A suffering. And I told her so—I told her to leave Parmeet. What was the point continuing a relationship which was based entirely on mercenary gains? But she refused to listen to me. She believes that marriage is for keeps and that she must endure the harassment for the rest of her life! She really does believe in this age-old Indian thought that a daughter was given away and married into a family for life or death.”

  “But that’s absurd!” Sonia exclaimed.

  “I know. I was annoyed and impatient with her. I can’t imagine in which age she’s living.”

  “Obviously in the same age that most young Indian girls live in—caught in the trappings of tradition and culture, and a transition period fraught with the process of finding their own identity,” Sonia murmured. “Did she speak to her parents about this matter?”

  Renuka nodded. “They are at a loss what to do. They’re angry at the pressure on their daughter, but at the same time they don’t wish to do anything to worsen life for Vidya. Not to mention that they, of course, cannot afford a car! And that brings me to the crux of the problem. Two days ago, Vidya had a huge argument with her mother-in-law, Mrs. Sahay. The argument got so heated that Mrs. Sahay pushed Vidya hard against the wall. Vidya hit her head very badly and fainted. The next day she had this great big lump on her head. And that’s when I really began to get worried. Things were beginning to get out of hand. Vidya’s in-laws were now getting desperate and physical. It was only a push, but what would follow next? To put it quite simply, I began worrying for her life. And that’s why I am here. I’m concerned. I have this gut feeling that Vidya could be in danger. After all, bride-burning cases because of unrequited dowry demands are not entirely extinct in our country!”

  Renuka stopped to catch her breath. Her face was flushed and her eyes flashed in anger and concern. Sonia could not only sense her fury but could also relate with an indignant resentment of her own.

  These things happened in certain parts of India. Dowry deaths reared their ugly head occasionally, like a disease, gripping the society with tentacles which spread deep into the psyche. A young girl getting in
to an arranged marriage, with absolutely no inkling of the nightmare that was to come. First the claim that there was no harm in the girl’s parents helping their daughter in setting up her own house. Only the “setting up” included not bare necessities but unreasonable demands which ran into hundreds of thousands of rupees, which the majority of the parents couldn’t afford. Greedy in-laws only needed an excuse to fleece their daughters-in-law. But to keep their daughter happy, the bride’s parents senselessly run up heavy debts to meet such demands. Then, when their son is ready for marriage, they look out for a match who will refund all the money they had invested in their daughter’s marriage. It was a vicious cycle which could only be broken by courageous and self-respecting youngsters. Which indeed had been broken in the majority of cases! Unfortunately, Vidya did not seem to fall in that category.

  The tragedy of the whole business seemed to be Vidya, with her misplaced sense of loyalty. Sonia experienced a burning need to do something drastic but knew that there was very little in her power.

  “What do you want me to do?” she asked. “As far as I can see, this is really a case of harassment. And for the police. Why don’t you ask Vidya to lodge a complaint against her in-laws?”

  “And bear further wrath of her in-laws? I’m sure Vidya would rather suffer than drag the family name through the mud,” Renuka stated emphatically.

  Sonia shrugged. “I don’t see how I can help.”

  Renuka leaned forward eagerly. “Yes, you can. You can talk to her in-laws and Parmeet. You can explain to them how illegal this whole business is!”

  “You think they don’t know? You think they are unaware of the consequences? I think not. I think they are a pompous lot, too sure of the power they hold over Vidya. Such people are the worst of the lot. They feel they can get away with anything!”

  “Exactly!”

  “But we can’t fight Vidya’s fight for her,” Sonia argued. “She has to break through their cockiness, to stand up for her rights and show them her mettle.”

  “Which she won’t. And even if she does, she won’t stand a chance if the three of them gang up against her and bundle her into the kitchen or the bathroom and set fire to her! Because that is what could happen!” Renuka looked panicky.

  Sonia placed a soothing hand on her arm. “Don’t. Don’t think of the worst. Things may not be as bad as they seem. Besides, if Vidya sensed any danger, she surely wouldn’t continue to live there, would she?”

  “No, I guess not. I mean, I hope not,” Renuka replied reluctantly.

  There was a little pause, as Sonia’s mind dwelled on what she had just heard.

  “Okay, I’ll do it,” she said at length. “I will talk to Vidya’s in-laws and to her husband. But I don’t guarantee any results. If simple talk could change people and their attitudes overnight, this world would be a wonderful place to live in!”

  “Oh, thank you! If I didn’t feel so desperate, I wouldn’t be here. You realise that, don’t you?”

  Sonia nodded. Renuka’s love for Vidya and her sense of responsibility for her friend was refreshing.

  “But first I must talk to Vidya. I must meet with her and unearth what’s really running through her mind,” Sonia insisted.

  “All right.” Renuka agreed instantly. “I’m going to Mumbai for some urgent work tomorrow, which is a Sunday, but the day after I’ll talk to Vidya and we’ll set up a time. I’ll call you up first thing on Monday.” She rose and held out her hand. “Thank you, Miss Samarth. Just opening my heart to you has relieved me of a great burden!”

  Sonia shook her hand, feeling an odd affinity for this woman who was going out of her way to help a friend. “I’ll wait for your call.”

  As Renuka exited, Jatin glanced at his Boss.

  “No case?” he queried.

  Sonia shook her head. “Thankfully, no! I’d hate to see Vidya or anyone a victim of dowry. This is a social responsibility! Sometimes there are more important things in life than theft and murder!”

  “Right, Boss,” Jatin murmured in agreement. “Should we go home?”

  The Sunday morning sun bathed the park in gold.

  He saw her walk towards him and his heartbeat quickened. What luck that she had actually agreed to see him! Was she at last beginning to see light? But as she approached, the grim expression on her face snubbed all hope. No, this was certainly not a patch-up visit.

  He waited till she was close.

  She smiled. “Hello!”

  “Hi! I’m so glad you came.”

  She nodded and they sat down on the park bench. Telltale worry lines were etched deeply on her young face. Dark circles stood out starkly against her pale skin and the look in her eyes made his stomach twist in knots.

  “Listen,” he began urgently. “You simply must listen to me. Get out of that place. They don’t care for you, none of them. They will crush the life out of you! Nothing is more important in life than love. And you know that I love you like mad. I’ll keep you happy. I’ll—”

  She looked at him and the intense sadness in her eyes silenced him. “It’s too late,” she said. “I’m married. And I shall stay married.”

  “But—”

  “No, don’t say anything at all. I’m not here to talk about my marriage.”

  “Why are you here, then?” he asked bitterly.

  She smiled faintly. “I’m here because I’m worried about you. You need to get on with your life. Find a girl, settle down. Do anything, but stay away from me. You have to forget me!”

  “I shall never forget you!” he cried harshly. “And you’re a fool to stay on with a husband and a family who are harassing you! It’s not worth it!”

  “Don’t worry about me, I can handle them. But I want you to move on. Move on and never turn back, regardless of what happens to me!”

  He gazed at her anxiously. “Are you sure that you’re not in any kind of danger?”

  She stared back at him. A brooding stare. And for a moment he feared she wasn’t going to answer him. Then she said slowly, almost to herself, “There’s more to life than living….”

  A chill ran down his spine. She seemed so reconciled to her fate, as if she knew that her in-laws had planned something. “What do…? Look here—”

  Her smile deepened and for a moment she almost looked like her old self. “Relax. I have full control over my life. And if I sensed any danger at all, do you think I would hang on there?”

  She opened her handbag, withdrew a small photo frame, and handed it to him.

  “This is my last memory of you and I am returning it to you.”

  He glanced down at the youthful, carefree, smiling faces of the two of them. Arms around each other’s shoulders, they were both laughing, without the slightest concern about the future.

  She rose abruptly. “And stop following me around. It’s no use. I shall never see you again. Goodbye.”

  He stared helplessly after her, his heart feeling as if it were being ripped out of his body. He couldn’t just let her walk away and out of his life forever. She loved him and she belonged to him. And that truth was engraved like a tattoo on his heart.

  “Wow! You look great! Stand up, will you, let me take a good look at your dress!”

  Sonia blushed. “It’s no big deal!” But she rose and turned around so that Devika could admire the simply cut, red silk Salwar Kameez with its delicate gold lining around the boatneck and the cap sleeves. “Satisfied?”

  “It’s lovely! And you look beautiful today,” Devika gushed.

  “She ought to, it’s her birthday!” Jatin contributed.

  “Really! Happy Birthday!” Devika gave Sonia a warm hug. Then her eyes settled with a look of admiration on the detective’s wrist. “And that’s a lovely bracelet.” She touched the stones with her fingertip.

  “Given to her by Mohnish as a Christmas present,” Jatin supplied.

  Devika raised an eyebrow. “Interesting. But what are you doing sitting in the office today, on a Sunday, with boring tax ac
counts work? It’s your birthday! Go out, have fun!”

  “Later this evening. She’s going out with Mohnish,” Jatin offered again.

  “Jatin!” Sonia exclaimed. “I didn’t appoint you to speak on my behalf.”

  “Sorry, Boss. I just thought that since you go out on dates so rarely, I’d spare you the embarrassment of admitting—” Jatin broke off as he saw the expression on his Boss’s face. Within seconds, he had vanished from the room.

  “Is he always this naïve and outspoken?” Devika asked, amused.

  Sonia grinned ruefully. “I’m afraid he is!”

  “Well, good luck to you, then! And have a great day, and a super evening with Mohnish!” Devika winked.

  “Hey, it’s not what you think!”

  “And what do I think?” Devika countered, with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. She was casually dressed in jeans and a pink, sleeveless top, perfect for the hot summer. Her bob was as sleek and shiny as ever, totally incongruous with her overlapping set of teeth.

  “You know…Mohnish and I are good friends, that’s all.” Sonia shrugged.

  “I’ve heard that line a zillion times before. Can’t you be more creative?” Devika teased.

  “You’ve got to believe me!” Sonia insisted.

  “Okay, I believe you. But I hope that doesn’t stop you from having some real fun,” Devika remarked. Her expression was almost matronly.

  Sometimes she surprised Sonia with her maturity. Sonia grinned. “No, it won’t, though I still don’t like your insinuations.”

  “Good, so you know exactly what I mean!” Devika called out over her shoulder as she walked out of the office.

  Sonia sighed. She glanced down at the stone bracelet which rested delicately on her wrist. It sparkled as she played with it. The day had begun well, with her parents wishing her a great birthday with an exceptional gift—single diamond ear tops, which matched the bracelet well. Then Jatin had presented a lovely bouquet of pink roses and Nidhi had brought her a mouse! She felt very special and loved. And less guilty, somehow. For years, celebrating her birthday had been an ordeal, always accompanied by a searing guilt. She knew it wasn’t her fault. What had happened long ago. But she couldn’t help it….