Dear Karan

Chapter Three

PAST
21st January, 2010

Delhi

Colonel Srivastava had called Karan to investigate his seventh case. Karan has been consisted throughout all his other cases. He solved many complicated cases along with a few corruption ones. But none of them involved murder unlike this. Karan was not aware of what the case was when Colonel called him.

"Good morning, Mr. Jha. How is the work?"

"Morning, sir. Well, hectic as usual. How may I help you?"

"There is this one case which the police refused to handle as it involves Indian Army."

"I am sorry sir, I didn't quite get you."

"We will explain the case in detail once you get to Visakhapatnam. Your posting is done here as well. You soon will get the posting letter along with the tickets"

"Okay sir. Jai Hind!"

"Jai Hind!"

Few days later, Karan received his posting letter as well as his tickets to Visakhapatnam.

"City of Destiny" he reads it out. Let's see where Mr. Destiny leads me to.

He packed his bags and got ready for his flight. It was a total of 2 hours 15 minutes in air and 2 hours waiting in the airport. Before leaving his room in Delhi, he checks his ID card and boarding passes.

"ID, check. Boarding pass, check. 2 bags, check. Sunglasses, check." He says to himself. Visakhapatnam, here I come.

He flips the page of the magazine he was reading when the Costa coffee waiter beings his coffee. "Thank you!" he says as the waiter departs giving back Karan his personal space.

"Passengers boarding on Indigo 6E 2719 from Delhi to Visakhapatnam, please proceed to gate 3A"

As he listened to the announcement, he walked towards the gate and boarded his flight.

Once he boarded the flight, Karan fell asleep reading the duty free magazine. "Mr. Jha, please fasten your seat belts, the flight is about to land," the flight attendant woke him up from his nap. The flight landed in another few minutes and everybody stood up as soon as the seat belt sign disappeared.

He opens the location of his hotel as the cab driver loaded his luggage into the trunk.

"Weren't you supposed to take a left from the signal?" asked Karan.

"Yes sir, but the traffic will be more from that side, don't you worry, I will drop you safe at hotel Silver Blue."

He got down the cab and looked at the huge building which was facing the beach. Karan recognised the hotel from his college days. He never visited south after his college. Except of course, South Delhi.

Pardon my dry humour!

"Ah, memories!" he whispered to himself, taking a swift breath. He walked in and the bell boy took the luggage.

"Karan Jha," he says giving his ID proof.

"Welcome, Mr. Jha! Here, keys to your room 217. Have a pleasant stay"

"Thank you" he says as he walks past a few mid 20s kids hanging out with their girlfriends.

Room 217. Ah, he still can't get 'The Shinning' out of his mind. He knows that paranormal genre didn't scare him but the one line that scares the crap out of him is - BASED ON A TRUE STORY. Even if it is based on a true story, why do they have to specify that?