Brute's Paradise

Chapter 33 - "Devil's paws..."

"I stealthily enter the lake house premises. The surroundings are completely quiet as I can hear the rattling sound of the dry leaves those are getting crushed by my footsteps. I don't know whether I did wrong or right by coming here. Frankly speaking, I was in a dilemma when I got the letter. It can be a trap as whatever is going on nowadays in our life. However, escaping from the problem is not the solution. I never did it in my life. And I believe to resolve a problem we have to dive down into it. Somehow, I have an intuition that the person who wrote this letter and dared to deliver it to me is involved in all these puzzles. And if I have to solve this puzzle, I have to know this person. That's why I decided to take this risk and I came out without letting Nandini know anything. Because she would have never permitted me to go outside. I know she is tensed about my safety as well as I am concerned about my family's security. I feel the revolver in my hip pocket and approach the lake house's main gate. I have no idea where should I wait for that mysterious person but the walls of this house at least will protect me from any unknown danger. I do not switch on the mobile torch and try to put the key in the keyhole by guessing. However, it's not easy and after a couple of failed tries, the key falls from my hand. I immediately bend to find it out and simultaneously something hits a planter hung from the balcony beam. Though there was no gunshot sound I understood that someone targeted me from a remote distance. I instantly lie down on the floor and roll on the ground to cover myself behind a pillar. My guess is right. It is a trap and I volunteered to fall into this. Suddenly Nandini's face flashes in front of me. I clench my jaws. For her, I will have to save myself. I pull out the revolver and aim in the direction from where the bullet came. Within a second a bullet gets shot from my revolver. However, it might miss its target as I don't hear any sound from the other side. I remain standstill for some moments. Meanwhile, a scuffling sound hits my ears as if two people are wrestling with each other. The sound is coming from the lakeside bushes. I crawl forward but can't move a significant distance as somebody yanks me backwards. I try to aim my gun at that person but he gives a karate chop on my wrist and my gun falls from my grip. Simultaneously he grapples me from my backside and whispers to my ear."

"Don't make a sound. You have already made the biggest mistake of your life by coming here. I told you that you are trusting the wrong people."

His raspy voice alerts Manik's every pore. SP Bhosle is here to protect him or is he also after this mystery?

..............................................

Half an hour has passed. Now Manik and SP Apoorva Bhosle are sitting face to face in Manik's lake house's living room. Lights are on and exasperation is palpable in Bhosle's face.

"Are you spying on me?"

Manik says annoyingly while rubbing his wrist where Bhosle hit him with a karate chop.

"When you are behaving like a blind despite having eyes then I have to..."

SP Bhosle mouths sternly. Manik grunts under his breath and retorts,

"Why so much concern? You are here to make my life difficult, right?"

"Wrong! I am here to find out the truth that is connected to an old case and fortunately or unfortunately it is linked to your past life."

Bhosle utters in a relaxed manner which seems tonight he is in a mood to reveal everything. Manik bends forward by placing his elbows on the knees and eyes SP curiously.