The Master of Deception

Chapter Two

*Hawaldar = sergeant/cop 
**Tum = you

CHAPTER TWO

I wake up thinking of Allister. I am broken. And all that comes to me are his thoughts, his words, his coal-black eyes, his smooth wavy hair, his smile, the chocolate brown tan on his fair face, the way he would look at me,-all the times we had spent together... The poems he used to write to me! I smile.

Allister loved writing poems. I still have all of the ones he gave to me, which are a lot! He used to always leave me a secret message, one that I had to find. It was quite frustrating at first but I soon got the knack. We always met in the loft. There would never be anybody around there and we always had the privacy we wanted.

Something clicks at the back of my head. Maybe, just maybe he had left something there. There has to be some clue. Obviously, he wouldn't have been murdered for the fun of it. He must have known something that he shouldn't have known. My mind is running at full force. I just have to check!

I am going to get discharged today which is good. I certainly can't search for an answer in a hospital bed with tubes all over me. The question is, will I be allowed out? Very unlikely! I sigh.

"What are you thinking?" My brother asks me.

"Valens, why do you think he was murdered? He was taken-no, stolen away from me. It wasn't even his time to go." I say almost close to tears. I know I must be annoying him but I can't help it.

"What do you have in mind, Roni? What's it going to take to get you to forget him?"

"I'm not going to forget him that easily Val, but I really have to find out the reason he was taken away from me. I could help in the investigation. No one knew him better than me! I just need to get into his apartment!"

"You've got to be kidding me!" He says then sighs when he sees how serious I am. "You've not yet completely recovered sis. You can't leave now. Mom is never going to let you go alone. She is too scared of losing you."

"You can come with me, can't you? Please " I say putting on my best puppy dog look.

"I'll try persuading mom! But mind you, just try!" he says and gets up.

I nod, relieved. Just as Val opens the door to go out, two naughty faces peek in.

"Kitty! Loi!" I say, my mood lightening for a while as Keerthi and Lois my two best friends of all time make their way in.

"Bitch! How could you plan a journey without us? I thought we went everywhere together" Kitty says in a mock hurt voice.

"Haha very funny," I tell them admiring the way they act so calm when the anxiety is clearly visible in their eyes. "But we would still be apart. I'd be in heaven and you in hell. I couldn't afford that, could I?" I say attempting to joke.

"No way! We would drag you to hell with us," joins Lois.

"Yeah... Even God wouldn't think of keeping us apart!"

"I'm still here, aren't I? Your sweet Lord has granted your wish!" I snap. "He's already taken one of us. At least, I could give him company. You both have each other and your boyfriends."

"Snap out of it girl. Grow up! This life is not yours to give. It belongs to your mother who slogged her whole life for your happiness, it belongs to your friends who have been there in all your happiness and sadness. It belongs to your brother who had to tolerate your elder sister attitude. It belongs to God who gave it to you in the first place!" Keerthi says taking me by surprise as her playful voice turns serious and increases several notches higher.