Bombay Romance ♡ COMPLETED

[ 30 ] Waiting To See You ■

Udupi, Karnataka

Hello Amar,

I hope you are well. Our call disconnected a few minutes back. None of my relatives have a telephone here. I had to call you from the only telephone booth within a ten-mile vicinity, and it's not that great for trunk calls.

I had come to your house when you were sick. Hope you found the note I left on your bedside table. I couldn't wait until you got up because we had to leave for Udupi the next morning. There's so much I need to talk to you about, but this letter is about something more important.

It's impossible to explain everything in a letter; I'll tell you all about it when we meet. For now, I'll try to give you a jist.

The Tulunadu (southern coast) region of Karnataka has a culture of worshipping local demigods and spirits. It is an age-old system and it's done with great reverence. The spirit or the energy of the demigod enters the body of a chosen person and there'll be dancing, future foreseeing, dispute resolving and such stuff.

We had one such daivaardhane ritual yesterday night, of the Panjurli Daiva; one of the most powerful demigods here.

From whatever it said cryptically and gestured to me, it was on the lines of, "People close to you are in danger in the upcoming few days". My thoughts immediately went back to you. The Daiva doesn't say anything unless it's a serious matter. And I'm not the kind to tell you not to do anything this week; that would be silly. I'd just say if you are about to do anything dangerous, please be careful, Amar.

Don't ask me why the daiva would speak about you, how would it know, and all that. I know this sounds too surreal. Trust me, I am not someone who blindly believes in customs and practices without seeking logical explanations. But this is one of the only few things I chose to believe.

So, even if you do not like all this, be cautious, at least for me. It's my request, Amar.

I'll post this letter tomorrow (Sunday). They'll open the postbox only on Monday though. I'm guessing this might reach you only by Wednesday.

I'll be busy tomorrow, at my relative's wedding; in a village near Udupi. But I'm going to Mangalore on Tuesday; that's a bigger city. Hopefully, I'll catch up with you on the phone from there before this letter reaches you.

Stay safe, Amar ❤️

I'll be back in Bombay by Friday!

Waiting to see you,

Gauri.

●●●

Murali delivers a jarring smack with his baton on Pramod's back. And another. And then another. 'Bombay ka naya baap, uh, naya baap ... madarchod!' 

Pramod coughs out blood, grunting. His clothes are soiled and his hair is dishevelled.

It is Sunday night in Bombay. According to the secret tip Amar received at the High Court canteen from one of Parthiban's informants, they managed to secretively grab Pramod Fernanades when he was discreetly visiting his girlfriend's house and brought him to a secret cell house on the city outskirts. To common eyes, it is an abandoned building with a large untended garden in the front.

Inside one of the rooms, Pramod's hands are tied up with a rope from the ceiling in one of the rooms. He closes his eyes blearily and breathes loudly through his mouth.