June’ 2002, Saturday – 23:00 Hrs,
Midtown, Manhattan Borough, NY.

It was twenty-three hours, Aryan grabbed his laptop and opened the airline portal on the web browser. At the same time, he dialled on Jenny’s number to let him know that he will not be returning back to Austin.

“Hey Aryan, Wassup?” Jenny was in excitement after receiving the call.

“Nothing much yo. How is you?”

“I am all good. When could we expect you back here?”

“Jenny, I’ve just called to tell you that I’m staying back at home. I will not be able to arrive in Austin for quite some time”

Jenny got himself caught on the hop and he was dazed by Aryan’ s revelation, “Oh is it. Why a sudden change in the programme?” and Aryan elucidated, to which jenny replied, “But dude, Pooja is leaving for Canada this week. so maybe you may wanna drop by. You know, we will scrape together and it will be a good send-off sign to her as well, don’t you think so?”

“Oh really? But what’s up with her and the Canada? Anything you know?” Aryan flabbergasted after apprehending the fact that she is egressing the country.

“Yes, we could talk more after we catch up, don’t skip this bud, I am counting you in,” the sidekick said leaving all holds barred.

“Alright! I will call you after I reach there, the day after tomorrow” he conveyed. He hung up on the call and swooped down mulling over dayanand’s lurgy with a great affliction.

He seems to be doing well after a small perturbation in the health. Aryan thought. The only change in Dayanand was he’s been resting all day unlike the days before. Aryan never ever felt bored of being home, Dayanand had always made it a much better place. They had an excellent rapport maintained between them right from Aryan’s childhood. Sometimes Aryan wondered, how lucky he was to have such a smartest person as his grandpa. He felt like talking to him but it was already dead of night and he believed that Dayanand might have slept by then. Usually Dayanand sleeps late in the nights due to lots of his personal works from the industry but lately, he had been advised on a serious note to avoid unusual schedule at his age and was insisted upon to stick to the suggestions from the doctors. Otherwise, it would only deteriorate his health abysmally. Dayanand endured an indisposition since a long time, the infirmity had only evinced lately. He had the premonition of malady but only confined by him within his four walls. Eventually, he decided to broach the question of a new CEO for JAPMI. At the tip off, Mr. Satya had been given the province.

Aryan called his mama on the intercom to let her know of his updated tour. She had got no course of action but only to agree with Aryan.

June’ 2002,
Midtown, Manhattan Borough, NY.

Aryan rushed towards his mama who was grappling to seize forty winks in the lounge waiting for the arrival of her adorbs son, “What happened,” he questioned “Where is Nemo?”, Aryan plummeted on to his knees.

Rekha kept trying her best to appear to be unflappable, “He is upstairs. Doctors have come, running check-ups.” She answered in a mild voice.

Aryan locked his eyes with Rekha, he had a grok of awful vibe. His anxiousness grew exponentially, “What happened to him,” he asked with a bundle of nerves.

“I don’t know Aryan” She appeared to be apprehensive yet cliff hanging, “the butler had seen him lying on the floor with the blood spilled all over”

Aryan heaved and got to his feet. He tugged his cell phone out of his coat pocket, he typed a text and asked his mother, “Where is a dad?”

“He is out there with Nemo”, Rekha got to her feet abreast Shalu treaded at slow pace towards her.

“Alright! I will go see Nemo, Shalu stay with mama” he said and trudged in the way to take the elevator to Nemo’s bedchamber.

Aryan stepped into the room and had seen three doctors. One of them seemed as the senior amongst them. He was holding the diagnosis report gazing into the file while the other two were having a discussion on the fettle and infirmity with the senior doctor. The senior doc walked towards Nemo where he was lying on the bed. He lay hand over dayanand’s metacarpus, got hold of the nerve on the right-hand Manus to check the pulse, he then yanked his stethoscope out of the blue for a check on dayanand. He gyrated and looked at his ticker.

He ambled towards the spot where Aryan propped his stance, “No problem,” he said stowing his stethoscope back in the kit, “Nothing to be worried of junior. It’s just an acid reflux, it can be relieved through proper diet” he placed his arm over Aryans shoulder blade and walked towards Vivek, “he is doing good, let’s put him under medication. It’s gonna take some time” he said to Aryan and patted him on the scapula.

“Vivek, just a min,” he sighed him to walk out of the place along with him into the corridor.

“Is there anything else we should look after?” Aryan checked on the two other assistant doctors who were wrapping up their tools and tackles.

“Yeah! Take good care of your Nemo. Would you?” one of the doctors replied with a smile

---

Vivek fidgets divulged his feeling of the consternation, “Yes Bryan, what’s the matter?” he uttered.

“I hate to come clean ‘cos it’s my obligation as a physician. Vivek,” he paused, “Dayanand is suffering with Gastroesophageal reflux disease”

“What is it” he questioned.

“It’s a digestive disorder, the stomach contents come into the oesophagus. It affects the oesophageal sphincter” he explained motioning his hand over his throat to diaphragm region.

“Does that mean it needs a surgery for a recovery?”

“That’s not the only problem Vivek,” he stumbled upon his asseveration, “he is also affected with pulmonary fibrosis”

Vivek was down in the doldrums when he’s put in the picture, “Now what is that Bryan? Let me understand the problem,” he muttered.

“It is a lung disease resulting in the scarring of lung tissues. It obstructs the supply of oxygen causing severe breathing problems” he described.

“So what should I be doing” Vivek rushed towards to him, “You mean he should be operated immediately, well we don’t wanna be late, if that is what we are to do. Will do it in the next hour. I am gonna do whatever it takes me to bring him back on his feet”

“Vivek, I can get in your shoes and feel the dread by myself” he assuaged the angst, “but I gotta tell you friend. It occurs to me that this is an Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. It means there is no cure for the disease”

“What do you mean” Vivek exclaimed, “What do you mean by there is no cure, every bonking disease has to have a cure. There should be a solution to this doc. don’t you wanna sound out words please”

“I am sorry Vivek but that’s the truth you have to digest,” he walked into the portico, “there are no practices or provisions to cure the disease. It is impossible to remove the scar by a surgery, it will develop over time and you can’t stop it. There is only one way and it is to bring down the rate of progression. I don’t want you to be optimistic about it either because dayanand is in his middle dotage. The medicines cause’s side effects and I may not assure you that dayanand’s immune system helps him in sustaining the effects”

“Lung transplant?” Vivek advised, “That should work, have seen several successful cases”

“I am afraid Vivek,” He replied in short. Vivek imploded and was utterly bogged down, he felt perspicuously shattered after lending his ears to Bryan.

---

“Certainly, thank you for the provision of care, please take your seats” Aryan said as he plonked onto the canape few meters away from dayanand’s bed, “it means a lot to us”

“We gotta leave”, one of the doctor reverted, “That’s our job Junior, don’t mention. Take care boy,” the other doctor said and they both scrammed out.

---

Junior calling…

“Aryan” Shalu answered the call.

“Come along with mama to Nemo’s room, the doctors have left. He is doing just fine” he informed her.

“Okay, we are walking” she said and hung the call.

---

Following day, Saturday – 22:00 Hrs.

Aryan went in to Rekha’s room, he found her lying on the bed in stargazer posture with her eyes locked over the roof.

“Mama, are you here?” Aryan broke into her reverie.

She was jerked with the sudden interruption into her deep thoughts “Yes junior, what’s the matter?”

“It’s about my travel. I have my flight day after tomorrow early in the dawn” he said “you want me to stay back or take it”

His words took her by surprise, “I had the conjecture that you are having holidays for a month more” she opined.

He moved close to the divan sliding his hands inside his jacket pocket, “Yes, mama but I have to attend a training outside town. I have planned this before arriving here” he said sprawling on the divan.

She got up to her high-fowlers and lay her torso on the king pillow shams, “What’s the training for,” she looked for an answer.

“Well it’s related to a competition on building a car. You knew it, right?”

She gleaned and asked with a surmise, “Building a racing car?”

“Exactly and I was really looking forward for this,” he continued explaining her what he was intending to do and why he had to leave.

“If that’s the exposition, we have the A1 engineers in our industry,” she said “Rest assured that we have all the technology and logistics, you can certainly get your mitts on all of them at the R&D centre”

“But we don’t manufacture cars. How will that help me?”, Aryan checked on her intuitions.

“That’s okay. You will build it by yourselves. Justin Amell will help you out,” Rekha assured him.

“Great! Who’s gonna usher me to the centre,” he harked to his retention, “wait… is it not too far away from the headquarters?”

“Sure it is. Thirty miles, in the city outskirts. You can reside in our guest house and get trained in the R&D dept.” she insisted “and above all, I will have my son in my vicinity. You can come home if you wish to, couple of hours drive”

“Fantastic, please do the talking with the lead concerned. I will meet with them the day after tomorrow” he said “I will cancel the flights right away”. He wends his way out of the room.

June’ 2002,
Midtown, Manhattan Borough, NY.

“Aryan, I am walking down to 14^th street from union square subway. Where are you?” a message flashed on his phone screen.

“I will be there in five minutes, I’ve almost reached” he replied instantly.

“Okay great, I will wait outside wall greens,” another message from the same number.

“Perfect” he replied and accelerated towards East 14^th street.

---

“Hey, Shalu.”

“Hi handsome” she said getting into the car, “look at you, young man. Gone are those salad days, aren’t they?”

“Quite Shalu,” he started the engine, “you draw the longbow, every time.” he said driving down the roadway.

“Okeydokey”, she tried to emulate his voice.

They drove a few miles, “How is everything?” Aryan broke the ten-minute silence.

“Absolutely fine. I am having a great time at your company and as always, with your company” she retorted and cleared out, “By the by, no pun intended”

Filled with awe, Aryan lost for his expressions, “Fair play,” he responded.

“Whatever! Where are we driving to?” She asked gazing at her phone.

“Wait and watch,” he said driving her to a Marriott five-star restaurant having made a name for seafood.

Shalini’s infancy had been down in the dumps. She lost her parents when she was in her babyhood. Kinsfolk had felt her being a trammel to their family and relinquished her to a govt. orphanage. Fortunately at the same time, the administration was being nice to the penurious nippers, urchins and other toddlers. So there were adequate funds being allocated to the orphanage undertaken by the govt. That being so, she got well-read and learned in her schooling subsequently in college under the regulation of the central regime. She was a highbrow woman and had been the titlist in her college at the state level. She helped and made a name for herself by securing a position in an university for her undergraduate degree with full tuition and fee waiver. Eventually she had been the top dog in her department of computer science at the university. Impressed by such a massive intellectual ability and steadfastness approach towards life, she was offered a full time position at JAPMI as a computer engineer.

At a later time, she had done commendable research and implementation in the Programmable Engine control units. She made her mark yet again at the professional front and a series of industry night shindigs left her with an invitation by Rekha to the chairman’s home for a lunch. As it goes without saying, like minds wend and rove cheek by jowl. In no time, Rekha and Shalini snugged in common circles. She was also a multi-talented damsel and she revelled in playing her role in the activity management department.

By the time Shalini has started her professional career at JAPMI Aryan was in his seventh grade. Since then she never left the company even after the fact that she had many proffers knocking her door every month. Nobody ever knew of her personal rationales but when Aryan asked her about the subject, her response was that she maintained a very special relationship with Rekha and Aryan himself.

Shalini was delighted to see her driven to a multi-cuisine restaurant well known for sea food, “Uh-huh, so you do remember my love for seafood” She expressed in a beatific manner as they sat down in the seats reserved for them.

“Forever Shalu,” he said.

“So we gonna go for shrimp shells” Shalini sounded out without a shufti over the menu.

“Seriously?” Aryan said with his eyes locked on the set menu, “You’re an audacious woman, it was intentional isn’t it? You knew it I am mentally allergic to shrimps”

Shalini giggled.

“Paelle Valenciana and Grilled Halibut,” Aryan said, “will have’em. Looking for more choices?”

“Oh sure I do. Crab cakes with remoulade” she skimmed over the menu on the double and said, “and Scallop Piccata”

“I know you would be fine with Halibut, don’t you?”

“Of course junior”

“Junior, you seem to have gained weight lately,” she said, “also good physique, I smell something fishy”

“Uh-huh! Maybe because there are fishes in the backyard and the aura might be hovering around” he said, in germane we are in a seafood restaurant he thought, “by the by, pun intended”

“Ah! Solid sally,” She now made her hunch talk into words, “any girlfriend lately?”

“No! None for now” Aryan shrugged off, “I would definitely lend your help if there is one on the way”

“Much obliged. I will very much be glad to be at your service” she sipped from the glass of water, “you know, you should get one real soon ‘cos woman can change a man’s world”

“Yep! Agreed. They do in reality.” he said brooding over the relationship of Vivek and Rekha.

With a smirk Aryan catapulted his inkling, “So when are you going to change a man’s world”

Aryan had no tip-off on what was about to come. “Very soon,” She said promptly alongside the garçon arrived with the order.

It was unforgettable luncheon that Aryan ever had. They talked their hearts out, recalled all the instances where they pulled each other’s legs and shared the merriment after trudging through each other’s memory lanes.

Shalini not in any time had tried to patronize Aryan. She neither acquiesced nor acceded to consider him to be coequal with friends of her peer group. Aryan greatly admired for her affable nature and basked her camaraderie. They had a jaunt on their itinerary to the Whitney Museum of American Art few miles drive away from the restaurant. They got into the car to follow the course but in the spur of moment Aryan received an unexpected call.

“What?” Aryan bawled, “How? Is he alright? Where are you all?” he kept asking unceasing questions on the call.

“Aryan, I want you right here. I will talk again” the voice over the call stumbled with the words and the phone went dead abruptly.

“What happened, anything wrong?” Shalini asked with an apprehension, “Aryan, I’ll come with you. Everything is gonna be fine” she said jostling for serenity concomitantly pacifying his fear, “Let’s drive now” She said patting his shoulder.

June’ 2002,
Midtown, Manhattan Borough, NY.

Jixin’s automotive parts manufacturing industry was founded by Dayanand. The industry by and large manufactures transmission and power train components, engine parts, body parts and trims, braking systems, and suspension components. It had gained its recognition over years of time. It was one of the leading original equipment manufacturer suppliers in the country. The company had spread over 30 different locations across three countries namely Germany, USA, and Switzerland. The company had also been recognized as the producers of the widest range of automotive products to major vehicles, spesh in the category of sports and racing cars, in the Country automotive industry.

Dayanand had started up his tenure in this field first by setting up a business venture in collaboration with a Germany-based company. In the fullness of time, after the investors were convinced with the dexterity and domain expertise, they laid the control over the company to Dayanand. It was the same time where the automobile industry was at nascent, thus there was a scope to win a huge market. Dayanand found the need for high functional effective powertrains for the sports and racing car industries in the near future and thus started the research and development in the field of powertrains. In the course of time, within close range of six years down the line, he established the brand JAPMI very successfully.

Nearly after four years of the initial success in powertrains. A sports car company based out of Switzerland had made an alliance with JAPMI for manufacturing engine parts and suspension system for the cars. Although there was no prior usage of latest technologies by then, the contract was signed for adding a new product line focusing development of the product using the advanced technology. That was the highest and largest equity investment and capital outlay venture into JAPMI. After a sufficiently long time, the project had blossomed making huge profits and showcasing the industry with the one of the best ever results across other original equipment manufacturers. The further success of the industry drove Dayanand in getting a position among the millionaires in the world. It took a lot of time for a massive success of the industry but it was worth the wait for Dayanand to see himself one among the millionaires.

---

“Aryan, are you ready? Nemo is waiting downstairs” Rekha said hurrying.

“Just a minute more, I will see you” he said making up hair with the last touch of the hair gel.

Dayanand and Vivek were dressed up quite professionally while Aryan and Rekha were in the general run of accoutre. Never mind! It doesn’t matter anyway. Aryan prospected.

“Mama I will go with Nemo and you can join dad,” he said winking at Rekha “let us not allow him to have a lonely ride”

“Uh-huh,” She bobbed her head.

The family arrived at the venue, Radio City Convention Centre, drew attention from all and sundry as the name was coruscating on the crest of the building. Almost all of the delegates and attendees have arrived in time.

“Mama, who is the new CEO?” Aryan asked while they were being escorted inside the centre.

“I am not sure honey, Nemo haven’t told me anything about the person” she answered.

“… Knows anything?” Aryan asked pointing the first finger at Vivek who was walking in the front abreast with Nemo.

“I am not sure,” she chuckled, “no more asks”, She said with the finger on her lips, “It’s time to meet delegates”

Aryan turned his mug off of his mom and then he saw …

“Welcome sir, it’s a great pleasure seeing you after many years,” said to Dayanand, one of the guys who was escorting them to a private chamber based just before the entrance to the rostrum of convention hall.

“Where is Shekar?” Dayanand asked the Vice President who was close at hand in the antechamber. Vice Chairman, chief financial officer, chief operating officer, Committee chair, and other board of directors were all seated in the private chamber.

Aryan and Rekha were flabbergasted when Dayanand voiced out the name to the Vice President. Shekar was the outside director in the board. He was never expected to scud across the sky from Germany and made himself available at the jamboree. It’s been a long while since Aryan had seen his grandpa, Shekar. Albeit being taken by surprise, it didn’t hold on to both Rekha and Aryan for too long. Shekar had arrived in USA no more than half a dozen times, the same went with Shikar, he had his rationales lugged under his arms. The expat left Germany a couple of times for USA. So Aryan hadn’t seen both of them in more than half times of his current age. Rekha not on her nelly knew much about him yet if she tried anamnesis it only bleared her cerebral cortex. Be that as it may, Dayanand had occasional interactions.

“He is upstairs” vice-president whispered with Dayanand, “he sighed to surprise his daughter and son in law”, he said realising Rekha and Aryan were out of earshot.

“Hey old man!” there came a voice from behind the scenes.

“How about you, a young man?” Dayanand riposted to Shekar. Both of them laughed at the remark.

“There you go my beautiful rose, my princess, my loveable daughter with her handsome hubby, the perfect couple I’ve will ever see” he said sauntering with an ecstatic smile so as to advance toward Rekha and Vivek.

He slid his hands inside Navy blue tuxedo and looked at Rekha with a grin, “Who is the guy,” he asked gesticulating with eyes ushered at Aryan’s spot.

“Guess who” Rekha sling the question back at him.

“My sonny?” He hazard a guess. He gazed at Rekha for a few seconds, his face had manifested the credence that he finally intuited who the youngster was.

Without hearing to what Rekha had got say, “Oh boy! You grew up very soon. Beard, mustache, good physic and you are just about in even shoulders to me” he said in astonishment, “I missed you see grow up, I have no locution to say how I feel right now”.

“So am I grandpa, I am bunged up to paint any words” he extended his hand for a handshake, “I am happy to see you too after many years”, he couched his etiquette.

They continued to confabulate up until a manager from the Activity department assisted by a compeer intervened the kinsfolk.

“Sir, my consociate will walk with you to your seating”, she said, “Madam and junior, could you please come along with me, I will guide you to your seats” and the kindred followed the damsels.

“Time to invite the dignitaries on stage,” Manager mumbled with an assistant.

“Good evening ladies and gentlemen, I heartily welcome you all …” A woman in yellowish skin tone with basil green checked shirt and in an onyx black short skirt with feathered hair centre parted, stretched along touching down the shoulders. She tucked the hair covering her left ear, looked veritably professional. She drew the attention of the concourse with her contralto, very pleasing to hear as she delivered the introductory speech.

“Mama is she the Sr. Executive Shalini from the activity management dept.?” Aryan reckoned.

While Aryan was piling up the memories he had with her a few years back Rekha fragmented the recall to reply, “Yes, she is her”

“It’s been a while since we had seen each other,” he said to Rekha, “would love to catch up with her sometime tomorrow”

“Sure you should”, Rekha encouraged and grinned “I will do a check on her schedule”

Aryan and Shalini were always together since she joined the company back then when he was staying at home. He had the impression that she was a mirth and fantastic woman to scrag the time.

The seats on the stage were occupied by all the board of directors except for one.

“And now I cordially invite Mr. Satya, the next CEO of JAPMI” Shalini announced.

There came a bloke in his late thirties walking, with broad shoulders and wide chest in Prussian-blue coloured three button suit where the third button was left open. It also had a double vent at the rear end of the jacket conveying his arrival from a European nation. He’s wearing super fine thin-framed spectacles untouched at the temporal sides of the head. He’s got short cut thick damp hair slightly exaggerated lengths in the crown area, the hair appeared to have a light appliance of a moisturizing pomade, smoothening sides back and down, styling the fringe up and down for an upshot. The hombre fairly looked to be CEO of the company.

“I am honoured to take the dais before the board. I am much obliged to take the charge as the CEO of the industry. Before I would evince the industry strategy for the next few years”, Satya paused and glanced at the board sitting behind him, “I would like to thank, from the bottom of my heart, the Chairman, Vice Chairman, CFO, COO and other board of directors for entrusting me with the coveted position in a reputed industry like JAPMI”

Satya continued with his speech for a while. The man had strong vocals which kept the mob interesting in every aspect of the speech. He discussed propositions across diverse business units, he conveyed and took around his intentions for the company under his tenure. The horde encouraged the flag bearer with an unremitting acclamation. Following this, Dayanand was requested for his appearance.

“It is an immense pleasure to see my dear chum’s son as the new chief executive officer for JAPMI. The decision has not been made overnight, the board has put a lot of thought before arriving at the choice of assigning the position. When all that is said, here I see Mr. Satya, an etiquette personality with all the world class dignity and valour to lead the company from this day forward. I believe all through my heart that he will take JAPMI to another level by making revolutionary implementations in the automobile industry” Dayanand continued, “I don’t want to take much of your time. So, I will wind up here with my regards to the new CEO and to the future of JAPMI” He concluded.

“Do you know him? Mr. Satya?” Aryan asked Rekha.

“Not on top of my mind but I am aware of his existence,” She left a smile and glanced at her watch, “You know, I was away from home right from my high school. I have not seen much of him, in fact any of the extended family members” she said adjusting her thick frizzy and twisted spiral hair over her forehead.

“Oh! Alright, where will we be heading after this?”

“Dining, where else you wanted to go? It’s already 21:00 hrs” She said indicating at her ticker.

“I need some fresh air and a drink, would like to come with me?” he asked twiddling his thumbs.

“Keep twiddling few more minutes, we will be leaving for dinner” She said ruffling his hair.

“Mama, you are looking beautiful today, did your husband say this to you?”

“He might not have noticed me, honey. Never mind, I have my son to complement me” her eyes glittered and her lips spread broadly apart for one more time, “What say, Aryan?” She asked.

“Always!” he replied in crisp and kissed her right dorsal hand. While the mother and son engaged in talking further. After fifteen minutes, Mr. Satya took charge officially by accepting the “token of esteem” presented by the founder and chairman of JAPMI, Dayanand, which was a memento given as customary to the new officer before absorbing his position in the industry.

“… and also I would like to thank everybody …….” The pretty woman continued with her vote of thanks and directed all the attendees to the dining.

June’ 2002, Monday – 23:00 Hrs,
Midtown, Manhattan Borough (NY City), NY.

They pootled up till they got exhausted and felt peckish again. They spoke about his college and friends and every other details that he had been in for the last few months but Aryan wasn’t happy that he had a chatter. He was never questioned on his future, he was never asked about his plans after his graduation and that’s the thing that deeply disturbed him.

As they spun-out and strolled in the garden Rekha had not spoken much in Vivek’s presence. She either had her head bobbing or her hands gesticulated. Otherwise, she shrugged off. Rekha was well schooled, it was considered truthful that she attained a bluestocking while she did her masters abroad before marriage. Yet she kept her stature of being a wife at the fore of a functionally illiterate but minted husband. They both had hard times having their eyes locked. It appeared to Aryan that they both might not be moving in the same circles. He wondered how he was brought into this world when the couple were hesitant to say word to each other but he believed there was a theurgy by the ring that binds them together in the name of marriage. He believed it strongly because he was convinced by a compelling reason by then: his own existence in this world.

When Vivek was a child, he hollered and affrighted Dayanand with his comportment at the preschool. All the more so, he was desisted from being sent to do schooling for a while. Later, Dayanand has been at the helm of sending him to phrontistery but soon after he realized that Vivek flunked at all the subjects and when Vivek confessed his struggle through the academy, Dayanand had no choice but leave him to his freedom. Since then he never went to high school or college.

Vivek life had more or less been submerged in the revels and relishing being the son of a millionaire. Most of the people who knew Vivek superficially babble and blithered that he quaffs and engages in fornication and shackled him with the criticism that was all he learned with undivided inquisitiveness and no swedge or grapples with life.

Aryan did hear on to them at multiple times but he had no perception of Vivek engrossed in a coitus. He never had any knowledge about the truth except for Rekha.

The inculpation of Vivek had also permuted his fate in conjugality. Going by the instincts of the mob, Anusha, who would had been Vivek’s wife, hadn’t Rekha be married to him, was surmised that she had eloped a week before the marriage. All the family took as gospel of the same but the veracity of Anusha’s mystery was only well-known to Dayanand.

At that point in time, Aryan only knew that Shekar and Dayanand were long-time friends. Lugging the gaffe in the name of his daughter, Anusha and yearning to square the things out for Dayanand’s family in the marriage, Shekar approached his brother, Shikar. Couple of days later, Shekar had made consensus with Dayanand asking him to consider Shikar’s daughter, Rekha as the bride on the same date of the marriage. Dayanand had no other choice as the full Monty for the marriage was in a fit state. In order to keep abreast with the whole ball of wax, Dayanand felt he got out off the hook, so he had to show no objection. When everything was said and done, Rekha was married to Vivek. Rekha was born and brought up for a while in Germany. Later she went to the US for her high schooling and graduation. She then flew for her marriage with Vivek.

Despite the state of affairs with Vivek, Aryan shrugged off on what had happened when he was not existing. He believed his father had done no mistake and all he did was to withdraw from attending school. Aryan thought, Vivek was subconsciously insignificant and unpremeditated to the consequences of being illiterate. He encouraged on his thoughts that it was an instinctual behaviour of a child and naively dropped the blame over Dayanand. When he contemplated, in slant of Dayanand, he by the narrowest of margins found a reason to impute the blame on him. Dwelling on to an unanswered question, he thought that why should a moneyed man’s son stand in for a struggle when he had power with deep pockets all through his life, and when the man was potentially strapping to bequeath the chattels and fortune to his son. The thought seemed to be convincing but the ramifications were unclear for Aryan.

---

Next Morning …

“Mama, can I ask you something,” Aryan checked with Rekha when they ensconced for the breakfast.

“Shoot” She came back like the deuce.

“Yesterday night, during the family time” He was bunged by all of equivocation yet he recaptured the sentience and asked, “Is there any an extreme tiff between you both?”

“Why do you think so?” she questioned back.

“It just occurred to me. You seem to be falling-out” Aryan answered.

“Aryan, do we have to do this talking now?” She said “it is good if we brush it off”

“It is just that I wanted to know if there is anything wrong. I didn’t intend to make you feel cramped, I am sorry” he said and retuned to heed over eating.

“It’s okay, don’t be. You will know when the time comes. Don’t think too much, stay focused on your career and future” she said in a low voice with subtle love.

“Alright mama, I like the sandwich”, he said licking his fingers as he finished with his breakfast, “So mama, will go out tomorrow, what say?”

“No Aryan, we have got a new CEO for our company” she said wiping her hands, “Nemo had planned a congress tomorrow evening. We will be going there” She dabbed her lips and they both walked away.

June’ 2002, Monday – 19:00 Hrs,
Midtown, Manhattan Borough (NY City), NY.

Aryan requested his mama to wake him up but she didn’t I knew she would do this as I might lose sleep. Aryan thought waking up. It was 19:00 Hrs and by the time Dayanand had arrived and was resting in his bedchamber.

“Hey Nemo” Aryan said in an extreme excitement as happy as a sand boy.

“O Aryan, my King, how are you young man, I missed you so much” Dayanand responded in a low voice.

Every single time when Dayanand meets him, he had a modus operandi of receiving him. With a grin like a Cheshire cat, kissing his forehead, taking him into his arms, ruffling his hair and then talked his heart out. This time it was a jolt for Aryan as Dayanand lay down while receiving him. Rekha’s incomplete look in the morning and Dayanand’s conduct triggered him a thought of his grands father’s illness. Up in the air, he opted to broach the subject with his mother and talk more about it to learn on what’s wrong with Dayanand.

“I am good and look at me, perfect” Aryan said with a sham smile as he had a hunch over the lurgy. “How are you Nemo? You seem to be busy all the day?” he asked.

“I am fine Aryan, absolutely fine,” he voiced out words sporadically in a low voice, occluding few of them.

“Nemo, why do you hold all the charges on to your head at this stage of your life? Don’t you wanna give it to dad? He is lying all day swigging”

“Hahaha! My King, back then when I married, I lost my wife giving birth to your father, since then, your father didn’t know what a mother’s love is and how would it be. I was asked to marry for the second time but I rejected all the proposals as I married your grandmother after loving and giving my whole heart to her. I never thought or wanted to share my love with any other women. My wife knew that she would die the next moment when she gives birth to your father, she always wanted to bring him to this world by giving her life to him. After your father came out of her, I took his life to be my wife’s. I never wanted my wife’s life to get into trouble, I never wanted my wife’s life to get strained with arduous tasks, be it physical or mental. I brought him up giving him everything he asked and I never wanted to anchor his life by ceasing his freedom because it only embarrassed me”

“That is the mistake you did Nemo, not caring for your son. You thought you were caring, but he took it to lenience and now you see him, don’t you? I am sorry, I pity my father but I dislike him for not keeping up to a be a real son”

“It’s all over Aryan, it’s an already a grown tree. Talking anything about it, howbeit will never get it right, it will only be a subject to kill time”

“I reckon the same. You take rest, I will see you tomorrow,” Aryan replied and left the room switching off the lights; shutting the door”

---

“So what has happened to Nemo, you may not want to lie” Aryan questioned his mom at the dining table.

“Please serve the soup to the junior” Rekha insisted the lackey. She replied “nothing to worry Aryan, he is doing fine. Just some problems with the lungs and the heart”

“Is it Critical?” he asked her sipping the corn soup.

“Not so serious. Nemo assured me,” Rekha reverted with a smile “Ironically, still and all he takes care of your father. So don’t worry son, he can take good care of himself. He is a strong man, ‘THE NEMO’, you know it”

“I am glad to hear the positive line of notion” he said.

After fifteen minutes of eating at the dining, he heard a familiar voice saying “how are you, my dear? When did you arrive?”

“Hi dad, I am okay! I have come in the morning while you are away” he replied reluctantly.

“Yeah Junior, I had to go out with Nemo, he had a doctor consultation today,” Vivek said, “Just the curd, I am half full already” while the lackey proceeded to serve the food.

“Why isn’t your stomach hollow dad? You had anything before coming for dinner?” he tried insinuating the tipple disposition of Vivek.

“No son, little stomach upset. I’ve come to spend time while eating with my son” he said, “It’s been a long enough,” grinning from ear to ear looking at him.

In fits and starts he despised him for who he was and fitfully, at the other times he endeared again for who he was. It was bizarre as such for Aryan, the fusion of two extremities in emotions: despise and the love. He was never concerned about the ambivalence in his feelings. He had the perspicuity for why he had an aversion or a tenderness. Aryan thought, unlike him most of his mates, they categorically divided people into good and bad based on subjective feelings. He explained himself that if they liked an individual then anything was right in regards to that person but if they abominated then everything else was wrong in regards to that loathed person. In fact he believed that he never found a mate who liked the right and shunned the wrong in a person. I am the only person maybe, who accepts the right and leave the wrongs Aryan dabbed on his confidence.

They were finished with the dinner by the time it was 22:30. “Dad, let’s go and mama you wanna join this time?” Aryan triggered an uninvited question. After dinner, the three had a routine of walking in the garth. They called it “a family time”.

June’ 2002, Monday – 08:00 Hrs,
Midtown, Manhattan Borough (NY City), NY.

Aryan arrived in the morning at his hometown airport. Rekha, Aryan’s mama had been waiting at the airport for more than half hour hankering for meeting Aryan.

“Hey, mama!” he voiced out and clasped by taking her into his arms. He found her shedding tears as the palm of her hand touched his countenance at a slow trot. “Oh, mum! Please, I am back, come on”, Aryan pepped up dabbing her eyes with his hankie.

They walked down towards the car in the parking lot, “Where is dad?” Aryan asked as he gazed at inside of the car catching sight of no one else expect the chauffeur.

“He hasn’t come, he is busy with…”

“With what? Slugging?” Aryan said in haste, much to his chagrin, expressing his discontentment apropos to his father for not making it even so after coon’s age.

“Aryan, you might want to pull yourself out of the cogitation. He is busy, story end” Rekha said apprising Aryan implicitly to put an end to the moot.

“Okay! I don’t want to trouble you. Let’s scoot off to home. I am famished, it’s been months since I had homemade food” he said hopping in the Rolls Royce.

Rekha pulled out a baggage from the rear shelf and posited on the rear seat tray table. Presto! She unstowed the bag lunch and uttered, “Aryan, here, Sautéed Chicken with sweet potatoes & pears and the stroganoff chicken”

Flabbergasted Aryan voiced out, “Mama, are you kidding me?” he paused, “It suddenly is appetizing” he said.

“It’s more than an hour drive from the airport, you would feel hungry by the time we reach home” Rekha made it plain.

“Absolutely delicious! Mama I love you and I am so lucky to have you as my mother. You have attained the candid expertise in cooking different cuisines. Lots of kisses” Aryan mumbled with glob of chicken in his bazoo.

“That’s not all dear” she made him hold onto another surprise, “the satay chicken stir-fry with snow peas, your preferred recipe above all”

“You know what Mama,” he said momentarily, “I am gonna add on weight this summer.”

By the time he finished the brunch they reached home. The home is the only place on earth which never showed a sign of change. Aryan said to himself.

---

Dayanand, a millionaire, gramps of Aryan. He built a palatial edifice outspread over nigh of thirty-thousand sq. Feet in area. The entrance gate was twelve foot tall, full of iron weighing a bigger number tons, well equipped with surveillance cameras. The guards were in a livery, clasped with a logo on the raiment, exclusively suggesting to the public about the millionaire residence. As one ingress for few meters down the entryway, the alley cuts right opening on to a vestibule with a double passageway for high end security check. A few more meter walk down the track to the left will lead one towards the foyer. To the right, one will find the sods, different kinds and sizes of fountains were set-up in the midst of sward on either side of the pathway evincing a route to the parking lot. The property produces its own wine in the backyard, for the guests to meander all over the garth, it would take two long days. The entrance of the house had a thirty-foot tall entry hall, intricately carved ceilings, everything looks affluent right from the exotic hardwood flooring in the front room to the goblet pleat curtains billowing like mist on the wall of the floor. The furnishing of the interior was vividly an urban modern pull up composed of integral elements from wide range of Ethnic heirlooms, shabby chic décor, Scandinavian décor and glamorous chic décor. Portion of interior design had hand carved wormilesanship in addition to antique furniture’s including davenport desk, drop-leaf table. There were in total fifteen bedrooms, wrap-around balcony, an atrium, a home theater well-nigh spaciously accommodating forty people, a family room with another terrace, wine cellar, three projection rooms and an art disco night club. The house also had six thousand sq. Feet allocated to the playing zone, it has tennis courts, billiard board, swimming pools; each room has its own beauty timely melting into the other room. Despite having such a mansion, Aryan left the city for various reasons from his mom end.

Aryan loved Nemo, his grandpop sobriquet, all through his heart as much as he loved his mother. The first thing he always did after arriving at home was to rush up to his room soon after hopping off the car.

“Mama, where is Nemo?” Aryan asked looking arrantly nonplussed after ceasing his search in the abode.

“Nemo has an appointment today for the weekly health check, he might have gone to the infirmary”

“What happened to Nemo lately? Why a check-up?” He asked with an oblivious thought.

“Nothing darling, he is fine. Go get some sleep, you are already tired”

“We do have a family doctor but why Nemo has to go,”

“Son, you can buy the time of a doctor, but not all the equipment in the hospital, it is useless” she responded.

Unbriefed about the actual problem, Aryan nonchalantly said “okay, just wake me up after Nemo’s arrival, don’t hesitate”

“Okay, get some sleep” Rekha responded.

He left to his bedchamber in the sixth floor. He turned on his mobile phone from the flight mode.

Oh gosh! Aryan puffed out. My bad that I missed out.

“You don’t answer my call when I needed you the most” one of those several messages said. “Sorry dear, I have just reached my home, going for some sleep, will talk to you sometime later, don’t mind.” He replied and he doze off.

June’ 2002,
Mϋnchen, Bavaria, Germany.

He looked like Shekar but he had bruises on his neck, hands and it seemed to others that he might had contused regions in several other parts of his body. He had sunken eyes with intumesced cheeks, shabby beard and thick moustache. The bald headed man was loafing about with his hands by the window. It appeared that the broad shouldered decrepit man may had a strong physique in his full bloom. He tottered and sat in the couch inside the hall next to Shekar. Varun was lazing around by the davenport, based a few meters away from either of them. He was precisely far in from the earshot of the conversation.

“So Mr. George Hettich, these are the following transactions with your company that we had made so far,” Shekar handed him over a document. While George lay his eyes on it he read out the content, “SS Industry had signed a $6 million agreement four years ago with your company. The agreement had given you the license to our patented technology and the right to blend the technology to devise more products or upgrades. Then couple of years ago, we made another contract where your company has agreed to pay us a sum of $37 million for an upgrade to the petroleum refiners using the technology that is licensed to you at the initial stage of contract. And these are the revenues over the three years, he ran his finger over the sheet of paper. First year with a 20% of reported revenue, the amount is $8 million, In the second year it’s 24% and $19 million and third is just $2 million under 2%,”

“Alright! Fair enough,” George uttered, “And there is something more I see,” he waited for Shekar to continue further.“Yep, as we have agreed with the proposal from our industry. We would like to acquire the company for $75 million,” said Shekar, “and we would like to see the procedures done by next week before you leave for Netherlands,”
“Great. Everything looks fair to me,” George said, “I will see you in the next week,”
Shekar got up from his seat with his hands slipped inside his tuxedo, “Varun…” he called out.
Whiling away the time, Varun darted to his uncle without hesitancy and installed himself couple of feet away.

Shekar stepped his left leg out and pushed his knees down to the earth settling the femur at an acute angle with the fibula. He pushed the ground with the toes, and during the progression of the movement, he carried the momentum of his weight from the ankles through bowels and spine eventually into the right and left hand fists. In a blink of an eye, Shekar took his clench of fists out the tuxedo, with no loss of energy, he blew a whacking smack with his right fist in the ribs and transferred stance on to the right foot, the adult stooped with his hand shielding the rib cage.
Shekar gained access to blow a punch on the cheekbone, carrying the momentum to his left fist which he effectuated in the thwack on Varun’s cheek splintering tooth out of his mouth and the blood extravasating from the Buccinators as he ricocheted from the spot.

Everything in the site happened so fast and George hettich who was on his leisure got up with the bundle of nerves. “Shekar…” he bawled. “… What the heck is you doing bruder,” he said walking towards him.

“You do know why, don’t you?” Shekar sniffed on his fingers, “Mr. George” he said, “sorry, Mr. Shikar, my fucking brother” he said furiously.
“What do you mean,” Shikar asked panning out from his incognito.

“Don’t you dare to ask”, he said making it plain, “if you ask me why, I am gonna have to kill you and that ensues killing the phantom character George you are playing. I better not risk it” he paused and continued, “you old bastardy catch hold on to your son. Instruct him to stop whoring around otherwise I will have to spin both of you”
Shekar insinuated on his intentions about a subject and shikar was brought to senses on his brother contentions.

“He is 28 now,” shikar reminded him, “the date is matured. It’s time for you to check on your promises”
“Sorry, I am under no obligation,” he replied instantly, “I reckon”
“You promised me the CEO position. Sixteen years back to be precise”, Shikar flared up but that didn’t help him expose to view, “…and now you puff out that we are not under obligation?”

“Does you make a sense out of your talk?” Shekar squinted at his index finger, “A 28 years old whoring around since his puberty. Who’s flunked at every stage in his course of education, will now be going to take charge of a billion-dollar company?” he returned to Varun and asked, “Boy who makes the board of directors?”
“Ain’t know man,” Varun replied. “Look? The CEO?” Shekar thumbed his nose at his brother, “Son. You look good with your physique on vogue magazine but never on the Bloomberg BusinessWeek”

“Shekar I have been tightening the bolts of my rage but you are forcing them to loosen up and I forewarn, that will be deteriorating to the comradeship” he walked near to him, “you cut my shares from the company, they fell headlong to ten from twenty percent. The remainder of it along with the assets, you have them all under your sleeves. Why won’t let my son have the position you promised to give?”

“You ransacked six hundred and fifty thousand euros to wreak havoc in the funds of SS industry.You flinched to disclose the transaction to me. You know what, you actually think I am playing dumb with you. Hoover up the beliefs, I got your back and I got my eyes on your expending,” he looked at Shikar, “It took my balls to get your arse out from your accusations on killing of your wife. I had to back my spunk to get your bastard out when he’s become entangled with the sex racket. You both hinge on with the brand SS industry to steer the despair on the stature into my house.” He heaved.

There was silent in the ambience longer than usual.
“There are reasons why I cut the share and I am not at my liberty to disclose the facts to you right now,” he said
“I know,” Shikar went back with words instantly.
“No! You don’t. Neither of you.” Shekar interrupted him before he spoke further, “and it definitely is not for the reason that you think it is. I am never concerned how you squandered the money for luxuries. If I really was about it I would have cut those years ago.”

“The company was doing well, the stock price was displaying good. He’s got good investors and yet he says he had to cut our shares for various reasons. What is in the puzzle?” Shikar asked himself. Intervened in his thoughts by Shekar said, “You will have to travel to Amsterdam. There’s work to be done. A business trip, get your arse hot for a trot,” he informed and started a walk outside of the room, “and your son isn’t joining with you because of the obvious reasons” he said, For the sake of fucking Amsterdam he spoke in undertone and left the spot.

May’ 2002,
Austin, Travis County, Texas.

Jenny Calling…
“Hey Jenny, what’s up?” Aryan answered.
“I hit 4.3 this semester” Jenny said feeling ecstatically happy for his GPA.
“Wow! That’s awesome, How about mine? Did you get to it? You’ve got my passcode, don’t you?”
“Oh yeah! I got yours too, but better check for yourself. See you at the ‘Bagels and café Monet’,
I will be waiting there in an hour”, he said and disconnected the call without hearing to Aryan’s response.

Aryan fumbled after what he heard from jenny, did I flunk at any course? That shouldn’t be the case, that isn’t a kick at the cat in the core courses he said to himself. Aryan gave it a thought for one more time, skimming all the answers he had written from all the courses. Everything seemed perfectly fine for him, was confident on his abilities except for one, the Managerial Economics, which was one of those four courses offered in the semester. Who the heck is going to need how to manage economics when the professor is on leave for all the working days, conducts only eight classes for the whole semester and sets the paper with questions only a true economist can answer while there was no reason to be a bear with a sore head, the line of thinking was plunging apprehension in Aryan. He managed to put in some thoughts and complete the question paper on the exam day. I should probably go ahead and hit the portal to look for the facts on my results before deriving anymore digressions.

Aryan quickly took out his laptop and turned it on. Connecting to a local network… it said while processing the internet connection, it was taking too long than usual time to connect.
Oh gosh! I know something like this would meet me today, it’s insanely obvious because I am in real need of something he yelled slapping his fist to the wall. Abruptly he dwelled into the past as he remembered a lesson from a psychology class back then in his eighth grade. You won’t get what you are looking for with an extreme eagerness; when you give up looking at it, you will see it coming your way.

Network connected it read. He smiled thinking Look now, I went out of the world of results for a while and bang, the connection works
No Matter how well he did at the tests, there would definitely be butterflies in his stomach when he was about to view results. He never understood the mechanics in psychology and so he questioned, why this happens to himself in several occasions.

Aryan opened his profile on the institute’s web page, navigated towards the Results section, clicked on the fourth semester. Loading… the page showed. Couldn’t believe what he saw on the web page. Few minutes ago, he had engaged in searching for answers to the de trop questions. All he could do was to smile. 4.8/5, the page displayed.

Aryan went on to look at his course wise grading, cent percent scores in all the core courses, and a manageable A in the managerial economics. He was not ecstatic but just happy. He realized to call on a number to share his result, this credit truly belongs to you dear, If not for you I wouldn’t have done this and not even in my wildest dreams, wouldn’t not have known of what can I be he wandered in his mental picture as the call was on the way to make a connection.

---

“Hey Jenny”, Aryan intruded rushing towards Jenny, while he was briefly ogling at a girl with fairly long silky hair in grey colored short skirt and creamy green colored top in a cool deep V- neck. The whiff of fresh air revealed the dangle earrings hanging loosely through the earlobes along with a pair of conch ear cuffs. The beautiful eyelashes pecked the low arched thin eyebrows in every blink of her eye. The heart-shaped lips with a little gloss applied on it appeared to osculate as she neared her upper and lower lips. The damsel was sitting forty-five degrees to her right, facing Jenny.

He distracted himself on hearing Aryan and said “Congrats boy! Happy for your nearly five points. I should thank you as well, you were so much of help in those times”
“Jenny, thanking me? You truly mean it?” Aryan was skeptical.
“Never mind, bastard”, Jenny blew raspberries.
“Alright! No worries, what have we got for today?”
“Mruna’s sister birthday, Saryu is on her way and Pooja…” Aryan interrupted.“She is not coming, she has gone out with her dad to do an interview. She will join us in the evening” he said.

“In the evening? It’s already 17:00 hrs. By the way, how did you know about her?” Jenny asked.
“I called her a while ago” he said looking straight into Jenney’s eyes with a big smile.
“Let’s go for a sojourn Aryan, Maybe in the next week. We have got couple more months of holidays” Jenny said, sipping the hot mocha from the cup carrying underneath a tissue with written text ‘making life much easier’.
“Sorry Jenny, I am heading back home tomorrow, it’s been a long time.”
“For how long are you gone, dear”
“Ten days, Maybe or more, ain’t know”, he replied in crisp.
“Then what?” Jenny asked.
“Hey Guys,” a voice interrupted the two, “I am sorry for being late” Saryu said approaching the two of them at the coffee table.
“Welcome darling, you aren’t late. In fact you arrived before our scheduled time, typical women” Jenny poked a mullock at her arrival.
“What’s that you said, Jenny?” Saryu reprimanded while trying a rap over the knuckles.
“Oh nothing, I said canonical women. Women with standard rules” Jenny backed out in trepidation, “We are waiting for you appearance, we should start to Mruna’s home right away”, Jenny added.
“I am all done, let’s go”, Saryu responded at a rate of knots.

April’ 2002,
Mϋnchen, Bavaria, Germany.

Varun lured woman with his charm. He had a fine physique. Woman would be interested to check on what he has got in store for them under his belt. “You resemble your mother and that’s why you look charming,” his father, Shikar told him at several occasions. Shikar was unlike his son, he paid monthly pay checks to the women of the night to get his business done.

It took an hour drive for Varun to reach the remote location a few miles away in the outskirts near to the go down of Shekar’s pharmaceutical industry.

“Did you fix the solution?” Varun enquired with his father climbing down the car, “An hour ago. Ten minutes right after I hung up on your call. It should be in good temperature by now. It’s only that we are due with our progress”

“You follow up pretty quickly, Dein Sohn schätzt, for your discipline” he said walking along with his dad to the rear end of the car.

“Argh! Ten minute drive from the go down did help me with my discipline,” he said and asked, “Where’s the woman?”

Varun kicked open the rear deck of the car and shikar found a cadaver wrapped in a white duvet along with the face completely masked in a spandex material, I wonder how beautiful she is Shikar said to himself. They both lay their hands on the body to hump her up from the deck of the car. Shekar had a sensation of sticky substance oozing in his palms. He hesitated to think of what one would have usually thought of about a sticky substance but later he only realised that it was the blood from her body. “Oh dear god! This one belongs to one of those extreme cases, Was sagst du?” he asked Varun. “Ja, Yes. Das sollte es sein, without a hint of doubt” varun replied and said, “Let’s get the chamber opened and then will pick the body up” and they placed it back in the deck.

They both walked few meters towards a metal plate riveted on the ground. “She was a sweet woman. So, I could not refrain myself from only making it harder, as otherwise like poles would have repelled” Varun continued the conversation while they trod.

They reached the spot and shikar kneeled down to dight the grimed rectangular metal plate. While he was on the move, “Wait a second, you are too old for the job,” Varun said tucking his tuxedo under his arms. He stretched his legs apart and fixed a portable lever inside the crevice on the metal plate. He applied greater force to pull it up open partially and as soon as he found a whisker he quickly slid his foot into the cleft.

Shikar joined him and they together raised the metal closure to evince the tunnel. “You follow me dad,” varun said and stepped on the first step of the ladder inside the tunnel, “Oops! Just a sec,” he stepped back and strode towards the cadaver. Shikar sensed his thoughts and walked along with him to the rear end of the car.

They heaved as they dragged the body to the spot. Shikar wrapping his hands over the body while Varun made the first move into the tunnel and quickly entrenched himself on the ladder. Shikar slowly jettisoned the body on to Varun’s shoulder and as Varun worked his way down the ladder, the body and Shikar followed vertically down the passage.

It took ten minutes for them to reach the cavern. The place was pitch dark but Varun and Shikar were well versed with the measurements of the locus. They trod towards a room that was located hundred meters down to the left of the ladder. Varun carried the cadaver by himself leaving Shikar free from being strained by the heavy weight. As they reached the room, he placed the cadaver on a bench, “Look for the oxygen cylinders, they are hidden in the closet,” Varun motioned with his hands to Shikar. They installed the cylinders on their head and walked in for a few more meters to pass into the lift lobby. They put up themselves and accommodated the body in the paternoster; Shikar punched the lower level button and it drove them deep inside the tunnel eventually into a lobby. The two men stood at the entrance of the vault. Varun marked his thumb impression to gain access to the chamber, “There you go, in the laboratory after many days,” Varun mumbled. Shikar jumped in, “It took my balls to establish the lab. $3 million fish,” Shikar thought. There were several equipment including furnaces, barrels, drums, pipettes, burettes, flasks, tumblers, gloves, apron and all the others materials found in a typical chemistry laboratory. Shikar reached for the aprons, gloves and shoes. Father and the son got dressed up in no time, “let’s get this shit done,” Varun voiced out.

“This has been the saviour of our lives, hasn’t it?” Varun said to Shikar as they unwrapped the duvet around the cadaver, “few gallons of water and the lye. Turning the body into a tan liquid in a few hours,”

Shikar grinned. “What was the temperature? Was it 250 or 350?” Varun enquired. “300 degrees dear,” Shikar responded and he finally took a gape on the naked woman, “My Gosh! This is gross,” he whispered and continued, “the tan liquid is not just gonna do the job. We need to dissolve the fragments in the flouroantomic acid”

“Oh yeah, it was completely outta my sight,” Varun recollected from his memory lane, “the monstrous acid” he said to himself.

“I am afraid to cut the spandex, it is too compact to dilapidate her head if I pulled it out,” Shikar complained, “what do we do now,” Varun enquired. “Dump with the spandex on her,” He cleared.

“Good god! May her soul rest in peace,” Shikar offered his prayers. “Rest in peace,” Varun joined him. They both uplifted her and slowly drenched into the boiling solution inside the furnace. They looked at her drowning and her body dissolving. The flames were hovering in an increased rate, and they couldn’t with hold onto the stinking smell. “We have to exit the place. You don’t wanna feel nauseous son,” Shikar said. “It’s gonna take three more hours for her to be in the liquid state. We will return after the dinner or maybe tomorrow early dawn,”

“Ja, Ja,” varun complied, “The last instance is always on top of my mind, it was one heck of a week for me,” he recalled from his previous impressions and sped into the elevator lobby.

---

They reached to the car and started their drive back home, “Papa I would like to know today the necromancy of lye and floroantamonic acid” Varun said.

“What made you curious about it, you were never much interested in the process before for six times in the five years,” he lit the cigar.

“My curiosity itself,” he answered him pulling the cigar out of Shikar’s hand and said, “First is always mine,” he reminded.

“Kiddo…” he grinned, “alright! There is no magic in the lye you have to know. It’s just a strong base that dissolves organic matter when mixed with water,”

“But why you use a base? For the very first time we did this, we went with an acid. I only realised couple of occasions ago that we were using it but I never cared to ask”

“Sulfuric acid can cause third-degree burns and hazardous. It’s not very safe to deal with it that’s why the lye. It’s very cheap, few bucks, you have five pounds enough to dissolve bodies,” he said. “But what about floroantamonic? Is it not an acid” he asked.

“Have you heard of the ‘sausage king of the Chicago’? I don’t remember the year but it’s in late 19^th century, he dumped his wife into boiling vat of lye but the police later discovered in their investigation few fragments in the factory’s furnace that were left out after dissolving of her body in the solution. When you are entrusted with a job, you should nail it dear and that means, we shouldn’t be doing the same mistake as the sausage king of Chicago. This acid is 20 quintillion stronger than the sulphuric acid. It can dissolve glass and any organic matter in the human body, even your bones. So, there will never be an evidence that we did something we shouldn’t be talking about,” he smoked his first puff after pulling out of from his son’s hand. “Oh shit!” he said immediately.

“What’s wrong?” Varun enquired.

“The PTFF containers, I believe we are out of stock,” Shikar responded.

“You mean, the container that stores this acid? He checked on him. “Yep, polytetrafluoroethylene,” He said, “Alright, let’s drive to the container store” he said and the car raced in the streets of Munich.