A/N - Here is the new Poster of the Book. Kindly rate it guys! Tell me how is it? 

Also, don't forget to play the music on top to get the exact feel of the plot. 

Chapter 3
Detective Kaizan

~ ~ ~

Her little joke made me nervous. I tried to not make any further eye contacts for she had something magical about her eyes, a strange temptation, and an unfulfilled desire, that I sensed. 

Located on a lonely corner of the city, the 'Owlet' cafe, the place where I met this strange lady, seemed so familiar. The chocolate shake or the coffee that I had tasted was not new to my tongue. It felt like a Deja Vu moment. 

The cafe was certainly vintage, a huge circular dome on top covered under the shades of an old Rosewood tree. It never attracted much crowd but the silent bookwormish type people. Most of them would drown in their books or in their lovers' eyes and would care nothing about the outside world. The cafe, however, certainly had an artistic touch to it, which attracted me.

Art was something that always captivated me. I began writing stories and essays during college, but I knew I had to improve a lot. Stories aren't your guests but you have to go and grab them. The desire of creating stories made me investigative.  

I recall when I was dating a North Eastern Girl, Cherry, in my college days, we used to come to a book cafe. The manager of the cafe, Mr. Yuri, had lots of contacts with the writer fraternity, so he would invite one on every weekend. 

We never missed those sessions and luckily one day we met a Taiwanese writer who shed light on the motive behind the writing. He quoted and I noted in my diary. 

'Writing is all about remembrance. A sense of magic so deeply woven from what you have felt and experienced in life. Allow the fragments of your life, of events you see through the window of your eyes, allow them a fair chance and dip them in the ink of your pen.'

My life didn't have many exciting incidents and stories never found my doors. I would sit blankly staring at my typewriter like an owl in the dark, writing nothing but some dense poetry. 

I knew a great story once but now it's all gone. Strangely, the incident happened in my past and right before my eyes, and yet I can't recollect it. I was so small and navie and powerless.

"I don't understand!" I said, "Why, all of a sudden, these gruesome murders are of any interest to you." We were standing on the corner of the cafe, avoiding judgemental glances of passersby.

"Because I am scared!" She spoke without much expressions on her face, making it difficult for me to decipher her behavior. 

"Scared of?"

"Of the monsters that are hiding everywhere in this fucked up city!"

She was looking straight into my eyes, sipping the meaning of my life a drop per second, and I could do no more than wink silently. 

I agreed and so I nodded and so she smiled. We were now some kind of partners. Now, I felt I could open myself up in front of her. 

No, I was not going naked, folks. 

I was just bringing my case study in her knowledge. I took out a package from my bag and handed it over to her. She carefully examined it and with every detail she read, her eyes danced with amazement. 

They were the newspaper cuttings of the incident, some notes, and photos. The victim's faces, however, were never shown on media because, in reality, no one knew who these men were. There was no evidence to prove their identities. But I'd done some homework. I made a list of people who went missing in the past couple of days. 

35 missing people, in just one week. This is Delhi. Random crimes happen every day. How many can one investigate? Of those missing people, seven were mere kids. I knew it only meant human trafficking and I had some plans to investigate that. I knew how fucked up situations can get when the greed of men comes into play. There were Six friends missing too. Although, I doubt they were missing. According to my little research, they were on a visit to Amritsar but my instincts say that it was just a bluff they played.

"This is just marvelous, Ayush," she exclaimed with joy, "Don't tell me you did it all by yourself?"

"I actually wanted to write something about it so I thought gaining some information won't harm my ass, so I kinda did."

"How can we know more about those who died?"

"They are in police custody!" I said blankly realizing how wrong my statement was, "I mean their bodies are in custody! Unless we have some detective -"

"Detective?" She grabbed my hands, "Are you a detective?"

"No, I am not a detective!" I said trying to calm her down, "-but I know one for sure!"

"I think we should take his help"

"He won't like it!" I said coldly, "I met him last summer and we both got indulged in a fight and-"

"What's his name?" She snatched the phone from my hands and shouted. 

"You don't have to call him!" I tried but alas, "He is Kaizan!"

"Detective Kaizan-" She searched among my contacts and hit the dial button without even asking me, "-now talk to him!"

It was uncomfortable but we got really lucky. Kaizan was taking up this case because local police were just too dumb to understand that this was not just a regular crime but had deeper layers. The very fact that the murders happened near the Red Fort gives it undeniable angles. Involvement of terrorists, fraud, robbery, or drug war. It could be anything. 

We talked for a while, me and Kaizan, and I convinced him that I wanted to assist him in the case. I'm not entirely sure if he liked it or not, but anyway, he invited me to his office. 

"So at what time shall we meet, Mr. Ayush?"

"I need to ask you something!"

"No, I won't be dating you if this all goes well!"

"I wasn't asking you out for a date!"

"Oh Sorry! I miscalculated!"

"But why not?"

"I don't believe in dates but-"

"Adventures!"

"Ah! You stole my word!" She smiled, "Impressive!"

"I can read minds, you know!"

"Shut up, Now!"

"You are thinking about Ice creams, am I right? Just admit it and I'll-"

"Yes! I love ice creams, I would love to have one now-"

"Not now, but tomorrow! Is it okay for you to come to the office directly at Lodhi Road?"

"To meet Kaizan?"

"Yes, evening, sharp 5, at CGO Complex, Lodhi Road, CBI office!"

"Done!"

We conversed for a few more minutes and then waved goodbye to each other. It was a good conversation and I really liked spending time with her. Yet, I found her behavior rather odd and unrealistic. She didn't tell me her name or her sudden interest in Red fort trials. Whatever it was, in my mind, it was the beginning of something so beautiful and personal. 

I won't lie to myself but I have fallen for her. Saying it at this stage would be an unforgivable crime but feelings aren't those birds I could tame for long. They fly when they want to fly. All I can do is to watch them go high in the sky. 

I came back home with all the fruits and groceries my old Amma asked. She passed a humble smile at me and we ate some grapes together. The rest of the evening, we spent sitting on the balcony, playing her old faulty Murphy Radio, and listening to some really classic old songs. 

'सुहाना सफ़र और ये मौसम हंसीं , हमें डर है हम खो न जाएं कहीं!'

(A wonderful journey and beautiful weather,
I may lose myself in some unknown place I fear) [Translation]

The song played along and we saw a flock of birds flying south of the city, and we stared them as long as they didn't fade before our eyes. Then we ordered some south Indian food and ate while she told me about her late husband. 

I listened to her tale carefully without much interruption. I never missed home or my parents or my past. She was now my world, the way she took care of me made me feel very attached to her. 

I kissed her goodnight on the head and closed her door. She needed some sleep and I needed more insights. I switched on the TV expecting something related to the case, but they were showing some arrest of a godman. It didn't interest me. 

I was getting bored so I went into the kitchen and searched for some food. While returning to the hall with chocolate cake, my eyes stopped at the locked room. Oh! I have noticed the room a thousand times before, but something was different. It just appeared so strange. Amma's apartment had three bedrooms, one for me, one for her and this one, which was always locked. 

The old lady never told me what's inside the room and I never cared. I had my own room which was quite spacious. I had all sorts of books neatly placed in my book stack. 

I wanted to write something so I began with a story, similar to mine. A date with a mystery girl. A girl in the cafe. I was so excited about the next date. I really hoped to see her the next day. The mystery girl. I couldn't stop thinking about her. I could imagine her lips and her rare smile, and the untold stories in her eyes.  

I tried random scribblings for an hour but nothing solid came to my mind so I picked up Stephin King's It to get some inspiration. King, in my view, is probably the best writers of our times. I really liked the way things happened in his novels. For some unknown reasons, they felt so real. 

I don't remember when did I sleep. But I did. It was a lonely night. I could still hear the hootings of owls and strange distant squealing sounds. 

I woke up early in the morning, and I noticed my head was heavy. It was a mild headache but noticeable. Mysterious things, as it seemed, had become a part of my daily routine. Don't believe but my hands had the smell of cigarettes. I am not kidding. I didn't smoke any cigarette last night. It was just strange. 

Maybe someone else is using my hands to smoke pipes. 

I thought and smiled at my foolishness. I went to work with a heavy heart. I was counting minutes as I couldn't wait to see her again. I was waiting for the exciting evening and the way things would turn. 

We would be spending an adventurous evening. I have to be extra smart and cautious and not try to blow things out of cover. I can't afford to sound foolish or it will destroy my chances of future dating. Should I gift her some flowers?

Stupid Idea, Ayush! 

I felt stupid again! We were going to meet Detective Kaizan and would probably work on a murder mystery and all I could think of gifting her was a pair of red fucking roses. 

~~~

It was evening and I was at CBI, Delhi. I was waiting for Det. Kaizan in the guest room. My mystery girl didn't show up and there was no possible way for me to contact her. I never asked for her number. I don't know her name, her identity and I am in love with her. Wow.

I adjusted my tie for the 16th time. Clock tickings sounded like time bombs. My mouth dried up like Sahara sands. I really wanted to see her face again. 

Wait. Maybe she forgot again! I have to go to the Owlet Cafe! She must be waiting there. 

'Hello, Sir, are you Aa..um..Aayush?' The girl in the black suit called my name. I couldn't speak so I nodded nervously. 

'Come on! Kaizan sir is waiting for you in his car! Where is the girl? I am told you will be with someone!'

'Ah! Actually-' I stammered, 'She isn't here. She is ill and she couldn't come!'

She didn't have time to ponder over my excuse. She just turned expecting me to follow her lead. We went out of the office and she pointed towards a Black SUV and went back to the headquarters. 

'Hop in, Ayush!' The detective was sitting in the car with a cigar in his mouth. Typical Sherlock Holmes, I thought, 'I wasn't expecting to see you on board!'

'Me neither!' I told him coldly, 'It's just for this case!'

He passed an insulting smile. I sat in his car and we drove towards Safdargunj tomb. 

'So tell me?' Kaizan spoke coldly, 'What do you know about this case?'

'Three dead people! Some writings on their body! Highly motivated murders. I think it suggests cold rivalry or perhaps revenge!'

'Do you know who were they?'

'Some Poor bastards?' I didn't want to tell him everything, 'You know them, don't you?'

'I do!', He spoke with a slight smile on his lips, '-but I can't tell you, boy!'

'I'm not a BOY!' I wanted to scare him but I couldn't, 'I just want to understand the case so that-'

'-so that you could write about it in your funny stories, Mr. Ayush the emerging novelist, the blah blah blah-'

'I don't wanna be famous or something. I just want to-' I took a pause to find the suitable word, '-understand the nature of this crime!'

'Tell me about the girl you wanna impress-'

'No, you are getting it all wrong, Mr. Kaizan!' He looked at me with another smile and strange confidence on his face. He could sense my blushes and read my thoughts and feelings about her. Gosh, the fucker knows I am in love with her. 

'Okay! I lose, you win!' He giggled and offered his Cuban cigar to me which I respectfully declined, 'I thought the girl of yours, what's her name, oh never mind, that she heard from you that you have insights of the case, and she got all excited and told you to solve it, and maybe she was hoping that those media monkeys will make you a hero and she could bring you to her parents and-'

'Hold on, Mr. Kaizan-' I snatched his cigar and threw it out of the window, 'You are taking it too far! It's nothing like that! I don't even know her properly! I just thought she would come and would find it interesting to investigate the case but sadly, blood and war are of no interest to a woman!'

'Blood and war are all women have in their lives, little boy!' He quoted, '-and next time if you will touch my cigar, I swear, I'll break your jaw!'

An uncomfortable silence filled our space and we just drove. I glanced at the haunting streets of Delhi, criminals hiding beneath the masks of common public, the old monuments witnessing the street crimes, and the souls of Mughals and kings that once ruled this land, wandering like winds in the streets. 

I now knew where were we going. 

Red Fort. 

We reached there before dusk, meanwhile, Kaizan attended a few business calls, made some notes, talked to me about my experience in Delhi. Then, we got out of the car and he took me to some old place on the outskirts. I could see the tiny Red Fort from there. It was an abandoned house. 

There was another man waiting for us, as he shook hands with Kaizan. His face was covered with a mask, that was horrifying, and he stared at me with a distasteful glance. 

Honestly, the guy gave me severe chills down my spine. He was staring at me with his deep blue eyes, hiding beneath the scary mask and I felt naked. We went in the house coughing and covering nose because of the dust and stink. Moreover, there was a creepy silence all over the place and nothing literally moved, except our tensed eyeballs. It was getting darker and chilling. Kaizan lit a few candles in the room where we all stood. I could see a closed window, some toys and a large bed in the corner,  and a thick orange sheet was veiling what was hidden beneath it. 

The candle lights were enough for visibility. I looked around the room and saw various maps and photos on the wall. I knew Kaizan was only performing formalities in CBI office, and his real investigation was going on here. There was something that he knew and couldn't share it with the higher authority and this was the reason why he called me here. 

He needed my help. He needed someone whom he could trust. 

I tried to memorize the contents of the pictures on the wall, the hand-drawn sketches of places and people, and some square photographs, carefully pasted on the central picture, other photographs were connected by colorful threads. 

'I have worked with you, boy, and I know you could be of great help-' Kaizan broke the uncomfortable silence, '-but you have to trust me completely. This is a very serious case and I want to understand it from every angle. Either you help me or you quit the case right now!'

'I would love to help you Mr. Kaizan', I said with confidence. There was a smile on my lips because I felt proud. He was trusting me with all of this information. It only took me a second to decide. The selfish part of me, the writer one, was relieved after all. I'll have a great story to write. 

'Three people are dead!', Kaizan said, '-and I am getting a feeling there will be more! The way these people died is not normal! We don't even have proper information yet!'

'Time of the death?' I asked, 'do we know anything about it?'

'Different timings but in a similar fashion, and each one of them was murdered on one night! I have to consider the possibility of a cult involved in this!'

'A religious cult?' 

'Probably, but it doesn't make sense! How can we connect the murders with the motive! How?' 

I could see Kaizan's face was full of worries and suspense. He looked really disturbed. I knew there was something else playing in his head. 

'There is another murder, isn't it?' I asked sharply. 

Mr. Kaizan turned towards me with surprise. He slightly smiled but it was very controlled. He knew it was not just a guess but a calculated response. He nodded and then turned his eyes towards the masked man.

'Mort!' The masked man grunted like a pig as Kaizan spoke out his name, 'Show him!'

Mort, the masked man, stared at me with shining eyes and noticed my shivering hands. He probably smiled behind his mask, I could see the reflexes of his facial muscles. He nodded towards me and I followed him. We walked across the room and stopped at that corner bed. Mort waited for me to come close and look at the contents he was about to display. He removed the orange sheet carefully and rested his long scary gaze on my face.

The dancing flames and candles decided to tease me, as they formed scary shadows over the front wall, and I looked down at the dead body lying there on the cold bed. I looked at the scarred face of the body, that little nose cut, the tiny mole below the left eye, and a haunting smile on those red lips. I didn't move an inch and all I could feel at that moment was ghostly chills passing down my body. 

'Any idea who she is?' 

My silence was Kaizan's answer. He continued further, 'I'm afraid I can't tell anyone about this murder. I'm sure it has something to do with these three murders but the only difference that I could find out was-'

I closed my eyes. I'd to control my tears. I'd to calm down the storm in my heart. I'd to breathe my next breath to stay alive. I could feel the hesitation in Kaizan's voice and I knew what he was going to say. 

'-she was raped.' 

Kaizan's words stabbed my heart. I didn't want to believe them but the truth was in front of my eyes. Kaizan was expecting an answer. He