DEPTH

Chapter 1

"May I have cup of coffee? Please". Vel asked the air hostess. Today was probably the happiest day in life for him. He had successfully bagged a project. Vel is an architect. Though he loved landscaping, what fed, clothed and gave all such comforts for him and his small staff in his Company Enhance Inc was Designing apartment buildings and office spaces. What he got now was a project, an opportunity to develop in his career. His company was now a part of the team that was going to design a new city. He was also one of the front runners for the landscaping of the proposed city's green zones and gardens. This was going to catapult him to greater heights professionally.

The newly clenched deal made him ecstatic. His role alone would help him reap a net of more than 250 million Rupees. More than monetary aspect it was the exposure and the experience he will get that was more enticing. This project whitish serve as a gateway to many more that will come his way. It would act as a launch pad propelling him to greater heights. In fact it was what he considered a double bonanza. He was involved directly and through his company

To celebrate and share this moment, with a smile on his face and happy mood, he could think of only one person. Could there  be a better time to propose to her? Probably not. He thought to himself.

He touched his shirt pocket. There lay encased a ring for her. It was a seemingly simple diamond encrusted gold ring.

They knew each other for almost 3 years now. How and when she stole into his heart he never knew. She was the epitome of what he wanted to see in his life partner. She seemed to know all about him. Every single detail she knew. Was he such an open book? No, he thought to himself, their wavelengths matched perfectly.

"Sir, your coffee" the flight attendant interrupted his thoughts.

She ruled his thoughts and dreams.. His talks concluded earlier and he didn't miss the opportunity to leave earlier. He was to return tomorrow evening not today afternoon. She didn't know that. He was going to surprise her.

Sipping his coffee he routed his mind into a planning mode not for his evening with her, but about this new project.  He started with studying ecology of the place in detail where the city was to be built.

As soon as the flight landed, his excitement grew. He was out of the airport in no time and hailed a taxi for his home. He would have gone directly to meet her, but then remembered she had college till 6. She was a lecturer, what she taught he never knew, and so instead of waiting outside her college he headed home. Coming to think of it he never met any of her colleagues in so many months.  He had never picked or dropped her from the college gates, always on the curb. Such things made him question his decision to include her in his life. But he never gave it much thought.

"Mom! Am home." He called out as soon as he keyed in the passwords to enter  his apartment.  It was a three bedroom apartment overlooking the Creek  with its own mini terrace in the 16th floor of the building. That meant a lot of breeze too which was most of the times soothing and a wonderful view of not just creek but what lay beyond too.
There would be no response, for his mother was long dead, but that never stopped him from calling out. It just gave him a feeling that he was not alone.

He called his friend, Vikram. They both attended school together.  Though They went to different colleges and choose careers in different walks of life, their friendship remained unaffected. In fact it grew stronger by the day.

- - - -

Vikram picked the phone in fourth/fifth ring. He was in the midst of an investigation. A girl was missing, nothing seemed out of order yet it was all out of place. This was the third such case in 2 months and the police had no clues whatsoever. It was as though the girls just vanished from the face of the earth. This case went against the famous adage about there being at least one clue left behind by the culprit however well it may be planned. . The police were yet to find that clue. Such was the meticulous planning that went into this. The only thing Vikram knew at this point was the similarities in all those cases. But he couldn't find a way to proceed further.  All leads ended as dead ends

Being in police made you suspect everything and everyone.

Vikram wasn't fond of Neeta According to him Neeta was 'too perfect'. How could one know everything about a person? She seemed to know every single detail about Vel within a very short span of time, some which took him and Mark years to know about. He felt she wasn't the right choice for Vel

"Hi! How are you? How were your talks? Were you able to bag the contract? Where are you now? ".

If Vel didn't know better then he would have been washed away in the deluge. He let out a laugh and said "am home".

Vikram concluded with those words "Oh, so you bagged the project, and that's making you very Happy."

"Try someone" Vel said.

"What are you trying to say?" Vikram asked.

The happy and light tone of Vikram's voice turned grim in an instant when he heard about Vel's idea of proposing to her.
"If I were you I would go slow Vel. I am sure though unable to pinpoint something doesn't add up. Go slow will you. Don't do anything hasty. Please".

The please did it for Vel, Vikram's requests especially his pleases always held a meaning.

"I was planning to propose to her Today"

"No!" Shouted Vikram into the phone.  "Don't do anything before you have heard me out."

"Vikram?"

"You don't know anything about her.  Have you met anyone of importance in her life? For that matter all your meetings with her were planned.  Have you had a impromptu meeting at her place?"

"Why do you have to be a Police at all times Vik?"

"Vel, I am a friend looking after his best friend who is more than a brother to me. Try to understand the gravity of the situation".

"So what do you want me to do?"

"I have done something am not proud of, but had to do it because your life is at stake"

"What to do you mean? "

" Hey, I need to go. Will talk to you later. I repeat. Don't do anything in haste"

His words startled him. What did Vikram mean? His excitement had fizzled out. An uneasiness was blooming. His happy mood sidestepped that moment. He didn't want to question his decision but something began to nag at the back of his mind.