You're Next, Buddy - Part 1!

YOU’RE NEXT, BUDDY

PRE-NOTE: 

Kindly excuse correct the grammatical mistakes. Thanks in advance. :-)

PART 1:

“Serial killer ‘The Arrow’ strikes yet again. This time, it was a young lady of 26…” The newsreader’s expressionless tone made Indhu fall asleep. When she opened her eyes again, Inspector Raghav was in front of the mike. “We’ll catch him before the next murder…”

Indhu switched off the television and went to the door as the calling bell invited her. “Hey Indhu!” It was Raghav, but not in his uniform. He was wearing a casual tee and jeans.

“Raghav, just now I saw you on TV. Come in,” She opened the door and let him in.

“Wow, the smell means Vijay is cooking today. What’s special?”

Indhu made a face. “We both together cooked. My brother Bhargav is coming from Bangalore today. Vij went to pick him up from airport.”

Raghav consulted the watch. “Will he be back soon?”

“I can’t say so. Those two are very close. And then they two have certain common things to debate – like whether I am more of a terrible wife or a horrible sister.”

Raghav threw back his head and laughed. “I’d love to join them and say that you make a pathetic friend too.”

“You men!” Indhu grinned. “Stay for dinner?”

“I have to, Indhu. I must talk to Vijay about my new case. So far I am a complete failure.”

“The Arrow?”

“Yes,” Raghav sounded a bit furious. “It’s his fourth murder today. And we’re still clueless.”

“A serial killer in Chennai is very hard to believe. It’s maddening as well. My mum calls me and advises me not to go out after 9’o clock as though I am a school kid.”

“Tell her that none of the murders happened at night and see if that helps.”

“Very funny,” said Indhu, pouting. “Talk something sensible, you know? You’re the police officer who handles this case. And the city is going mad.”

“Yes, that’s what worries me the most. The city is going mad. And there is a sudden increase in the number of murders as well. People kill others and draw an arrow with a blood in the wall and say that ‘The Arrow’ killed the victim. It’s horrible. They think that they can get away with such a heinous crime by pointing it to this serial killer…”

“But how do you know that it’s not ‘The Arrow’?”

“Because we have few more details that weren’t public yet.”

Indhu leaned forward. “Such as?”

“After every murder, ‘The Arrow’ sends an email to us with the subject ‘You’re next, buddy’. He gives us clues about the next victim in it.”

“My god! Yet you didn’t save any of them. How could you…”

“See, Indhu, we totally ignored the first email thinking that it was some nutcase. Also we didn’t think that first murder is connected to any. We were investigating in our usual way – like who benefits from his death or whether he has any enemies and so on.”

“The Arrow drawn in blood didn’t bother you?”

“It did. But at that point, we weren’t even sure who drew it. The victim himself or the killer. We even thought that the sole purpose of it was to divert our attention. So we decided to proceed without bothering about that arrow.” He shrugged his shoulders and then rubbed his forehead regretting for his mistake.

“Ah, don’t beat yourself so hard…”

But Raghav continued where he left. “We were serious when we got the second mail after the second murder. But it happened to be an address of a Men’s hostel. We warned the manager but what else could we do? We can’t possibly ask all the 200 men in that hostel to go and hide. We tried our best to connect the previous two victims with one of them. But no one admitted knowing them. It was a failure too. The third murder happened in one of the rooms and we failed to stop it.”

“Then the panic began.”

“Yes, that’s when everyone started talking about ‘The Arrow’ seriously with media portraying him as a brilliant killer.”

Indhu clicked her tongue. “That’s quite unfair. But didn’t you warn this girl…” Indhu tried to remember the name from the TV report. “Juhi Sinha?”

“We warned her all right and she laughed it off. We guarded her but she always managed to give us a slip in traffic signals or at a turn. She made some racist comments when we confronted her. Dash it all, we failed yet again.” He punched the couch angrily.

“Did you find any connection among the four victims?”

“No,” Raghav shook his head sadly.

“So you came here to seek Vijay’s help?”

Raghav was silent for a few seconds and then let out a huge sigh. “No. We got a mail today. The address is yours. The same subject ‘You’re next, buddy’. I am sorry, Indhu. I want you two to go back to USA.”

***********

Vasanth rose and went to the window and pulled up the blinds and threw the windows open; the drizzle had stopped and the sun was trying to shine again. Traffic noises roared into the room from the rear street below. He watched the vehicles for some time and when his clock struck seven, his eyes automatically shifted their focus to the park on the other side of the road.

Today Supriya was not there to greet him with a huge smile. He sighed – she was not there for quiet some days. Something ground his heart when he remembered that she would not be part of his life anymore. Would she think of him now? He shook his head. Probably not. He shook his head harder. Definitely not, he told himself. She’d be in her cozy bed in her neat apartment in Boston.

What changed her? The job in USA? No, she made sure that she spoke to him at least once a day despite the time differences.

His father’s accident? No, again. Wasn’t it when she took the most supportive role of standing by him? She did everything to get him back on his feet.

When the other shareholders of his father’s company actually said that their company was completely broken and their house was heavily mortgaged? He bit his lips. Yes, that was when she changed her phone number and forgot to inform him. No more calls. No more support. It was as though he never existed except in his thoughts. He shook his head vigorously this time – this was not a time for self-deprecation. He had to go to work.

But then something attracted him – there was a girl exercising inside the park. She was small and slim, but all in fine proportion from top to toe. Her complexion was as warm as the sun itself. Add to the foregoing that she carried her head as upright as a dart, in a dashing, spirited, thoroughbred way. She was simply attractive but it annoyed Vasanth.

It was the spot of Supriya. Then he let out a bitter chuckle. She wasn’t even in his life, let alone that park. He cursed himself before pulling a towel and hurrying towards the rest room. When he was back from his shower, his eyes perfunctorily caressed the windows and then the park. She was still there – this time, befriending the street dogs. Just like how Supriya… He stamped his foot. Oh for god’s sake! He snapped his forehead and began arranging his bag.

“I must not let this random girl ruin my day,” he said loudly.

“What?” His younger brother Prasanth stirred a little on his bed and moaned when there was no answer.

“Nothing, dude. You sleep well,” he sat on the edge of the bed and rustled his brother’s hair. Prashanth smiled without opening his eyes and Vasanth got up. He consulted the watch one more time before stepping out of the house. “Damn, I have to get past the park now.” He closed the gate and made a determined decision that he shouldn’t turn to the other side while crossing the park.

He hummed his favorite song and walked faster. Yet he could not avoid her voice. She was talking to a teenage boy who was jogging in the park. “Good lord, I am carnivorous. What about you?” She had a clear voice, with a ring of the right metal in it.

“Vegetarian, of course,” the boy was saying. “You have a very good physique. I’d like to know your diet.”

“The diet of mine won’t work for you. God has created the man and woman in different ways,” she said. “So you…” She didn’t complete the sentence as Vasanth had slipped and was down on the road, crying out loud. The scratch must be deep and it hurt him. “Hey buddy, stay right there. Don’t move,” she ran towards Vasanth and helped him get up.

“I am okay,” said Vasanth sheepishly. “The rain…”

“In a wet road, you should walk a bit slowly,” she said. “Come with me. Sit on the bench.”

“No,” he said angrily. “Don’t take advantage.”

“What?” She looked genuinely shocked. Then he turned towards the boy, “Raj, do you know this man?”

“Vasanth anna is a professor,” he answered, blowing the chewing gum.

“Good. Now can you run and get a band aid or two from our apartment’s first-aid box?” She said, patting his shoulders and the boy obeyed immediately. “Right, Sylviakka.”

Vasanth protested. “Listen, Ms. Sylvia…”

“No, not Ms. Sylvia…”

“Oh really? Are we best friends now? Why don’t you call me Vasu like my colleagues do? You are unbelievable,” he shouted for no reason.

“No, I wasn’t going to ask you to call me Sylvia. I was going to correct you that it is Dr. Sylvia,” she said with a smile.

“Oh!” Vasanth was embarrassed. “I… I am sorry.”

“Now, can I take a look at your leg? Or do you want me to show my certificate?” She asked, winking.

“No, no, it’s fine,” he hopped in one leg and reached the bench of the park after some time. Maybe it was his behavior, she didn’t help him. She let him walk by himself all alone while waiting on the bench comfortably. “That’s how I treat my patients. Very badly. Sit now,” she tapped the seat next to her.

“That’s not very bad. That’s horrible,” he said, smiling a little now. She returned the same smile. “See, you’re complimenting now. Chocolate?” She pulled one from her jacket pocket and passed on to him. She expected him to decline it but he didn’t.

“Thanks,” he said, peeling the cover and taking a bite. Sylvia took a good look at him for the first time. He was a tall young man with a bleak brown face, as crisp and seared as autumn leaves. He had broad shoulders and large clean brown hands. As her eyes went down, Sylvia could see no trace of wrinkled belly; he was flat and hard there. Professor really? How could female students even concentrate in his class?

“What do you teach?” She asked slowly.

“English,” he said; his voice was friendlier now. “Just for first year Engineering students. I also help final year students in interviews at the time of campus placements.”

“English! God, you narrate Romeo and Juliet stories too to those poor college kids?”

Vasanth looked surprised. “Poor college kids?”

“The female ones, I mean.”

Vasanth laughed out loud. Suddenly he stopped – that’s how he met Supriya. She was his student. How she spent every free time in his room, asking doubts. “Sir, what’s the meaning of the word pulchritudinous?” He would reply without looking up. “It means breathtaking beauty.”

Suddenly he winced coming back to reality. Sylvia was cleaning his wound and applying the band aid. “You’re all set.”

“Thank you, Dr. Sylvia.”

“Would you mind if I ask you to call me just Sylvia?” She asked hopefully, her face blossoming.

“I would. Thanks again,” He walked to the bus stop, leaving her alone.

“Interesting,” said Sylvia, twisting her lips.

“Interesting,” said Prashanth who was watching all this from the window. “A girl again in my brother’s life? Uff!” He stretched his neck and ran his hand through his hair carelessly. He made a quick decision, went downstairs and crossed the road to enter the park. She was still jogging. He sat on the bench and watched her for some time.

To see her jog, to see her stretch, and specially to see her walk, was enough to satisfy any man in his senses that the graces of her figure were in her flesh and not in her clothes. Her hair was the blackest he ever saw. Her eyes matched her hair. Her nose was not quite large enough but her mouth and chin were morsels for the gods. “What a woman!” He muttered under his breath when she went past him.

“Excuse me?” She jogged backwards and faced him with a lifted eyebrow.

“You’re beautiful,” said Prashanth without taking his eyes off her face.

Sylvia chuckled. “The nerve of you!”

“If I had the nerve,” said Prashanth, “I’d ask you to marry me.”

He expected her to break out but to his surprise she did nothing of the sort. Her eyes, of a glittering bright grey, just settled on him for a moment; and she laughed in a soft, chuckling, horridly mischievous way. In the first place, she was as impressed as Prashanth. Prashanth was, in point of size, the finest man by far of the two. He stood over six feet high; he had a beautiful red and white color; a smooth round face with a rugged beard; and a head of lovely long brown hair, falling negligently over the poll of his neck.

“And you’d regret it forever. You don’t know me.”

Prashanth began singing in a soft voice. “I don’t care who you are, where you’re from, as long as you love me.”

“That’s my favorite song too. But it doesn’t work. Let me prove it. What if I say that I am very, very poor?”

“I don’t care.”

“What if I say that I have a boyfriend?”

“I don’t believe it.”

She crossed her arms across her chest and looked at him. “What if I say that I am a serial killer and I came here to hide from the police? What if I am The Arrow?”

To be continued.