Chapter 17 :

ETF, 2.00pm

Saakshi was sitting in the lounge with her third cup of coffee. An exhausted Aisha slumped into the chair.

Saakshi : Coffee ?

Aisha : Plz yaar...I need one. Itne sare log!!!

Liza came ith two coffee mugs and passed her one.

Aisha : Thanks, Liza.

Saakshi : Khatam hua?

Aisha : Kuch aur bacha hain, Rathod sir said, he & Chotu'll handle and send me out.

Saakshi : Ok, I'll go.

Aisha : Arre ruko...avi 30 min pehle hi toh aaye ho bahar. Shree ka call aaya?

Saakshi : They're coming. Called us to join them in narby restaurant for lunch, I denied. They'll bring lunch for us.

Liza : They're here (pointed to Saakshi's back through eyes).

Shree : Hey guys, lunch's here.

Sonali : Hello everyone.(all nodded at that)...where's the rest?

Aisha : Yahi hain. tum dono?

Shree : Coming from Swami's.

Saaskhi asked Sonali something through eyes, and she answered it in same manner.Shree was about to ask abou it,but at the same time, a tea boy came and handed Saakshi a flask.

Boy : Didi, aapki flask.

Saakshi : Thank you (she gave him a chocolat and the boy took it smiling; She eyed to the cup)...kitna?

Boy : 28 (and run to Arjun's cabin).

Sonali : What 28?

All asked the same question to Saakshi through their yes.

Saakshi : Sameer & Chotu is coming...(stood up from her chair)..Sameer, would you join us for lunch?

Sameer : Yah, coming in 5 min...You can start.

Saakshi : Ok. Aisha, You'll serve Sameer; Liza, come help me.

Girls started arranging table for lunch; Shree & Chotu helped them. Saakshi serves a plate, Chotu spread his hand to take it, but she took it away. Chotu looked at her, puzzled.

Saakshi : Mere pyaare haathi...itni si khane se tumhara kuch nahi hoga. Help yourself . (put an empty plate in his hand).

Chotu : Toh yeh kiski liye? Tu toh itna nahi khaati.

Saakshi : Yeh uss sher ke liye hain jisne aaj aapni gufaa se bahar naa aane ki qasam khayea hain. Tum log shuru karo, main sher ko yeh deke aati hoon.

...

4.00pm, conference room.

All gathered for case discussion.

Rathod : so, guys did you found anything new?

Aisha : Yes & No.

Rathod : Explain.

Aisha : From last 3 days interrogation, we have 3 solid clues. First, Yatin was a crazy genious & had weired believes. Second, he was involved in some secret things and his engagement with Maya was took place. Third, Maya was his secret keeper, he did everything after consulting Maya. Some even called Maya a witch.

Arjun : And those special 10?

Saakshi : Ruhi Sinha, Maya& Yatin ki favourite makeup artist thi, Yatin ki maximum makeover isine kiya hain, still working for film & TV shows; she said the Saturday meeting was arranged for fun and dress riharsal for horror parties. But Maya believed in black magic & she took it seriously, where as for others it's mere entertainment.Maybe Yatin also.

Aisha : that's why he arranged it !!

Saakshi : Right, he supported Maya...in every step.

Rathod : And the other members?

Saakshi : she took similar names as Dinesh kaka, but another man she mentiond... Kaali. Always cam in black robe and cover his face all the time. He didn't talk ... nobody heard his voice.

Arjun : And what about another one?

Saakshi : she said there was nobody else.

Rathod : how it's possible?  It is a coven & this type of things always need 13 people !! If she didn't saw anyone else, toh yeh aadmi karta kya tha?

Saakshi shrugged.

Arjun : Aur baaki sab?

Chotu : Sir, magitian R. Cornworth is dead, he had a daughter who lives in UK.Although she didn't know much about her father's life, she mailed a copy of his will and some friends name who can tell us about her father.And Dino Pareera is living in an Old home, he's suffering from arthraritis and can't come to ETF. I'll meet him tomorrow.

Aisha : And that auction house owner, Naren Mohali, is out of town. He'll be back by next week. Mr. Bose is in Delhi, for parliament sessions.

Saakshi : You mean that MP Bose?

Aisha : Right.

Arjun : Baaki 3?

Aisha : Kundan Shetty & Jagdish Mahatre,both came together, they're befrind to Swami's; specially Maya. Mahatre also takes care of all leagal matters of them and Dr. Shetty is the regular vet for NC's birds. But according to him, he doesn't so amical to Maya, although she introduced him to NC and due to her recommendation NC appointed him as permanent vet for his farm.

Rathod :  And he consented about his involvemnt in that secret Saturday night party & he also said it's a mere entertainment for him but a ritual to Maya.

Arjun : Then why he didn't missed it ever... he might had some interest in it.

Rathod : May be, but he didn't admitted it?

Aisha : Mahatre also told us the same story. They all are pointing towards Maya.

Saakshi : Where Yatin is who used to arrange it, & he was the  most interested one. Another thing, after Yatin's death all of them stopped doing that; if Maya was the one who was involved in all this, she should've resumed it, right? But nothing like this happened.

Rathod : May be after his death that mansion started terrorize them.

Aisha : No, they just stopped going there. After Yatin's last rituals, they all waited for an invitation from Maya, but she never called them. She moved to her mother's place and after one and half year came back to Mumbai with her husband and first son. But she acted as if there was no party ever.

Saakshi : Haan, Mahatre told he asked her several times for it, but she simply refused to talk about it. When he asked "why", she said the main reason of doing all those is gone, so it's meaningless now.

Rathod : What does that mean?

Sonali : Means after Yatin passd away, she lost the zeal of doing that. Like, I don't like Italian cuisine nowadays, while it used to be my favourite.

Arjun : Did they said anyting about those two people?

Aisha : Not two but one, kaali. And another thing, Sharma sometimes came to complet the circle, but he was not much regular. And all of them were allowed to bring one or two of their friends or non-believers.They used to play pranks with them.

Saakshi : And another thing, they knew about the secret passages, Yatin used them for his terror sessions and illution games. He also challenged them to find the doors, but they always failed. In fact, most of them thought he was bluffing.

Rathod : Means only Yatin knows about those doors...

Aisha : And Cornworth also. He was the director of his horror acts.

Arjun : Hmm...(putting his pen on the file) what about that Mohan Sharma?

Chotu : No idea sir.

Rathod : What that means?.. You should have...

He as interrupted by a junior officer entered the conference room.

Jr. Officer : Sir, Some Mohan Sharma has come.

Rathod : Take him to interrogation room, we're coming.

...

Sorry for being late. I was a little messed up. ill try to regular soon.

 & Plz let me know it was.