The Lion and the Rose

Chapter 27

Siva

After dropping Ashwika at her place, I reach the office and go to the powerhouse floor. The celebration is going on at full swing on the lawn. I go to my cabin and turn on the surveillance application on my computer.

I checked Monday's recording, the person whom Samarth and I directed, the one who sold the saree to Ashwika and the one who said that he doesn't know who has bought the saree are all the same, but not even in a single frame his face is visible.

Ashwika was walking past him when he called her and manipulated to buy the saree by showing his mobile, maybe the picture which she has mentioned. Then after Ashwika leaves to buy a blouse for her, he looks around to see whether someone is looking. He sits and does something under the table then with his gloved hand he smoothens the saree before folding it. After every fold he smoothens the saree and packs it. Once done he replaced his gloves with a pair of new one.

Shit! This is how he has applied the chemical to the saree

I go back to the moment when we both dashed against each other and rewind following his actions. He is selling and displaying sarees to the employees who arrive at his section like an experienced salesman. He is arranging the rows of sarees, carrying bags to the auditorium, from the tempo traveller.

Then I check the feeds of the camera fixed at the security post, I go to the moment where everyone gets out of a traveller van and stands in a queue for general security check. Initially it was the original salesperson who got down from the traveller and stood in the queue, the one who came to deliver the saree.

The original one stands as the last person in the queue and wears a cap. When the first person in the queue gets the entry pass, all others who were standing behind him take a step in front except for the salesman standing at the last. At that time, someone in the same textile uniform and hat walks in from the right side of the factory campus and fills the empty spot as the original salesman walks away.

Arghhhhhh. What the fuck!! How anyone can easily miss it.

Everyone including me had been careless that day and he had made his way easily into the office and did something to harm Ashwika. I save the recordings from the cloud to the system using the timestamps. I save a copy of it in a pendrive and also compress it into a zip file. I open my mailbox and send an email with the compressed zip of the video to a friend, Raghav, who is a Private Investigator.

The Devil is clearly watching every move of ours. He knew about the sale priorly, he had checked the weaker one in the textile showroom and switched places with him. He also entered the premises today and spoke with me through a call.

What if Ashwika had attended the girl?

It's good that I was the one who attended the call. She doesn't remember what happened to her on that day and it's good for her to stay that way. I'll protect her from everything without her knowledge. But to handle someone like Devil, I need help from a pro in the field of finding these microscopic gems.

The day when I meet the Devil will be his last day on the earth.

"Hey eppo office vantheenga? Ashwika enga?" (Hey, when did you return to the office? Where is Ashwika?) I hear Pallavi's voice and I look up to find her standing near the ajar door of my cabin and holding the handle.

"Ippothaan konja neerathuku munnadi. Ashwika va veetla drop paniten." (I returned just a while ago and I have dropped Ashwika at her home)

Her face turned concerned and she walked into the cabin, "Enna aachu, doctor kita kooti poi irukeenga nu soli iruntha?" (What happened to her? She mentioned that you have taken her to some doctor)