— CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO —

Close Encounter

 

It was early evening. Nikki quickened her pace towards the distant mosque. When she reached nearer she found that there was a residential colony beyond the mosque. She crossed the mosque and entered the colony. It was run down, with small, shabby houses, open drains, roadside stalls and a lot of people moving around. Nikki looked completely out of place. She quickly crossed the colony and re-emerged on another road. She turned back to look at the colony. She felt that something in the area was familiar to her. She asked a passer-by, ‘What is this colony called?’

‘Tooku Vela Colony.’

Suddenly, the whole thing became clear to Nikki. She had come to this place four years back to meet Satish the photographer! Thinking of Satish it struck her that maybe the drawing was sent by him. The more she thought about it, the more convinced she became. She asked a man, ‘Where is Tooku Vela street?’ The man pointed towards a dirty lane. As soon as she entered the street she could recognise it. House number 44 was at the end of the lane.

At that time of the evening the lane was more or less deserted. She reached the green door and knocked. A man opened the door. He was bare bodied except for a lungi tied around his waist. He looked at Nikki and quickly withdrew. From behind the door he said, ‘Yes, what do you want?’

‘I have come to meet Satish, the photographer.’

The man said, ‘He is not here…how do you know Satish?’

‘I had come here four years ago to check about a photograph of my friend who had been killed by someone,’ said Nikki.

‘You said four years back?’ asked the man.

‘Yes, she was killed in Sangalina Hills.’

‘What was the name of that girl?’ asked the man.

‘Her name was Jyoti. She was my best friend.’

The man looked a bit nervous. He said, ‘I think Satish may return soon. His room is locked. I am going out. You could wait in my room.’

Nikki was in two minds, ‘I will come tomorrow. I hope he will be here then.’

The man persisted politely, ‘Don’t worry, Satish will be back anytime.’

Nikki reluctantly followed him. As soon as she was near the door of the room the man pushed her in and closed the door from outside. Nikki heard the door being locked. Shocked at the turn of events, she banged the door. She could not understand the man’s behaviour and feared that something was seriously amiss. She banged on the door, shouting, ‘Hey, what are you doing! Open the door! Open the door!’

Nikki heard the front door slam shut.

She felt like a fool, she turned around and switched on the light. The room was in shambles. There was only a bed on which several clothes were scattered. There was a tap and some used utensils in the sink. A stove was lying in one corner. The shelf was lined with bottles of liquor. Bottles were also stacked under the bed. Nikki thought that the man must be a bootlegger. At the far end of the room there was a window. Nikki opened it and saw another lane. She started banging the window and shouted, ‘Help! Help!’

Hearing the noise, several people gathered near the window. Among them was an elderly woman. She asked, ‘Who are you and what are you doing here?’

Nikki replied, ‘I had come to meet Satish, the photographer. He is not here. This man has forcibly locked me in his room.’

The woman said, ‘He is a rogue. You should not have come at this time of the evening to meet Satish. Wait, we will try to get you out.’

Several people came to the quadrangle through the front door. Nikki heard someone hitting the door lock.

The lock soon gave way and the door opened. Nikki saw that the whole quadrangle was full of people, men, women and children. They were all looking at her as if she belonged to another world. Nikki spotted the old woman and went to her. She said, ‘I am really grateful to you for getting me out of this room.’

The woman asked, ‘Where do you live?’

‘In Somabad city’.

‘How will you go there at this time of the night?’

‘If only I could get a cycle rickshaw up to the old town, from there I can find my way.’ The woman turned to a young boy who was standing nearby, ‘Aslam, run and find a cycle rickshaw.’ She then comforted Nikki, ‘Come with me, I will give you a glass of water.’

Nikki was very disturbed by the unexpected behaviour of the man. Why did he ask me to wait in his room and then lock me in? This was a narrow one, she thought. She had to be more careful. But for the timely help of the neighbours she would have been stuck in that stinking room for the rest of the night.

Nikki reached her hostel late that night. The next morning she rang up ACP Rajan and said, ‘Can I come this afternoon to your office?’

‘What is this about?’ asked ACP Rajan.

‘I’ve found some information which I wish to share with you.’

‘Come when you finish your classes.’

Nikki showed the drawing to ACP Rajan and narrated her experience to him. She said emphatically, ‘I am sure this drawing was made by Satish. If you interrogate him, something may come out.’ The ACP noted the address and said, ‘From what you say, this man Satish works in the evenings and should be available at his home in the morning. We’ll nab him tomorrow.’

Nikki thanked him and left.