March 2021

S H R E E     P R A S A D

The last two months have been a mad rush of emotions. The house has been buried in dead silence for two months. We all had one question running in our minds: "What happened to Madhav?"

Things were worse for me. My pregnancy was getting worse. I spent several minutes throwing up each morning. Along with that I had swollen ankles, a heavy head and chest burning like a furnace the whole time. Things weren't this difficult during my first pregnancy.

Madhu was the person who was most affected in the past two months. She didn't cry in front of us. 

Every night, once she was certain that I was fast asleep, she would slip out of the bed. She grabs the framed picture of the three of us and walks outside the room and downstairs - to Madhav's home office room. I've noticed how she would look at Madhav's face on that framed picture. She would run her little fingers down his smiling face before breaking into a fit of sobs. The sobs became wails that would make her face red and a heaving chest.

She would fall asleep there itself. It was Shyaam who would bring her all the way up to the bedroom.

Social media was abuzz and the hashtag #PrayForMadhav has been trending on Twitter for more than a month. Mass vigils and prayers were conducted in churches, mosques and temples in Mumbai.

Search operations were being carried out endlessly. The Navy and the Coastguard worked nonstop for a sign, for some evidence, for some news.

* * * * * 

"Do you have a vision, Officer Verma?" Came a buzz from the walkie talkie that Officer Verma had in his sea pod.

"G.R.Verma here. I can see the jet." 

"Great. Attach the magnet and let's drag the vessel all the way to the surface." The reply came.

It took two and half hours to haul the jet up to the surface level and to the nearest shore in Guam.  The forensic team had their tents set up and their equipment up running. 

The tall and dark Officer Verma stood beside his fellow Navy officers as two technicians cut through the jet's entrance with an electrical drill.

"Do you think everyone inside is-" Verma asks his short balding supervisor.

"Dead? Definitely!" The balding supervisor asks. "The passengers have been locked in that metal coffin of a jet for two whole months. Oxygen would have run out within the first few days, and you expect them all to be alive?"

"So your saying-"

The technicians carve out a big opening on the jet. The supervising officer clears his throat. 

"Team, prepare for entry with masks, gloves and body bags." He announces to the troop of his men standing beside him. "Body bags must be handed over to the Forensics in the tents. Grab anything that looks suspicious or out of place. Get the Guam local authority's permission to conduct the final rites of the dead as soon as investigations are concluded. We return their ashes to the respective families afterwards."

He turns to Verma. "You ought to wear a mask as well, son. You'll soon get the ghastly stink of four decaying corpses."

* * * * * 

"Radha, I am sorry to hear about your son going missing." Said Mr. Chaudhry, a tall fair middle aged man who had a head full of silvery hair who was also the CEO of the Chaudhry Silk Empire, RKGOC's major competitor.  He shuffles on the sofa he was seated on beside RK. "I know for a fact that he will return soon. I may be your biggest competitor, but that little boy of yours is a very visionary businessman." 

"And let's not forget a role model husband too." Added Mr. Chaudhry's wife - Rekha Chaudhry.

"That's kind of you Rekha." RK says as he sits up.  "It's been two months since we heard about the jet crashing into the ocean. We don't know what happened to Madhav - and that question itself is burning us all alive."

"I'm sure he's unscratched." Mr. Chaudhry says.

"I hope so -" RK says but is interrupted by Shyaam.

"Dad, the Deputy Inspector General of Police  is on the line." Shyaam says nervously. "He-he-wants to talk to you."

RK rushes to Madhav's home office room.

"H-H-Hello?" RK presses the speaker button on the telephone as he sits on Madhav's chair.

"Mr. Ramakrishna?" The DIG Police asks. "I need a few details about your son Madhav Ramakrishna."

"Uhm so M-M-Madhav is 37 years old. 38 this June 22nd. O positive blood group. 6 feet tall and-" RK says.

"Can I get some other details about your son? What phone does he use? Any piercings or tatoos? Accessories he was wearing such as rings, cufflinks? What was the colour of the outfit he was wearing when he boarded the aircraft?"

"He was wearing a-" RK stops and tries to remember.

"Blue." Madhu says softly. "It's Nanna's favourite colour. I picked that dress for him."

"It's blue, sir." RK says.

"Madhav also had a Samsung Galaxy S21. And-and two rings on his hands. His mother's ring and his engagement ring. He also wore the cufflinks I gifted him for our wedding." Shree exclaims. 

"Did it have an intertwined S and M?" The DIG asks.

"Yes. Yes indeed." Shree exclaims nervously.

The DIG went silent for many seconds.

"Sir, we hauled the jet that went missing in the Pacific Ocean. We found 4 people in the jet and one of them was a 37 year old male, blood group O positive, wearing blue with the given descriptions. We conducted the DNA examinations with the samples you gave us. It matched."

"Is-is-is my son alright?" RK says.

"I'm sorry sir. Your son - He is dead." The DIG says. "As per the forensics report, he was shot multiple times on the head and the chest."

To be continued....

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Announcements

This book, "Deciphering His Love" has officially crossed the 200K VIEWS milestone!

I remember when this story was first published it wasn't easy to get even 100 proper views.

But with time, this story as well as the characters gained more love and adoration from more Wattpad users.

Today I am very much thankful to all those who read this story. Your comments have been the source of my happiness and motivation to continue this story. Your love for this story is something that I am delighted for.

What is happiness? For me, it would be the votes, comments and the unsaid support that I receive from you readers. There have been many times I see people start from Chapter 1 and go on for hours reading and voting for each chapter, even in the late hours of the night. Such love, I never expected to receive, but I'm glad I found it.

Thank you so much!

P.S. This is the best moment for you to tell me what you like about the book, what was your favourite chapter (mine was the one where Madhav and Shree got married- what about you?) also how you enjoyed reading it and what you expect in the upcoming chapters. I would love to hear those through comments 😇

See you soon with the next chapter!

Love,

Sathu (along with Madhav, Shree and Madhushree)