Chapter 1

                             

                                                        1. to the Johannesburg

“You don’t want to see me alive, do you??” she demanded an answer, gouging out incessantly entering the gate. I was sitting beside her, driving the car and wondering weather I did something wrong in my life, Am I troubling her? Or is she?

Were we still sailing on flotsam remains of wreckage?

“I’d die to see you alive” I answered on the grounds of impetus.

“Then for god-sake get me out of here, you moron; I don’t want to die here!” she yelled on my face, smacking the perfume on to the ground. It broke into pieces, as many as our lives were torn into. The doors where open and no sound came from inside as we stopped before the door. I expected Chamu to show up, but she did not turn up! Where was she? I wondered but dared not to utter a word with her. We barged in to check if anyone was there,

“Where is Chamu?” she asked

“She must be back to her place”

“Back? Ask Collin”. I searched for him everywhere. He was not there!

He said that he’d definitely be back in an hour, it’s been three hours. Huh!

“He isn’t back” I replied in a low voice. Her face grew red and gave out her regular soundings

“I’m leaving this horrid place now! Are you coming with me?”

“You look so beautiful frenzied” I tried to persuade her

“It’s a govt. job sweetheart, I can’t come” I said looking straight into her eyes. I took her hands on mine trying to ease her frustration. She hit me on the hands and pushing me aside,

“Fine stay here; I’m on my way” she said dragging all the clothes from the upper rack of the cupboard and threw them on the bed; I stood there staring there agape at the huge mass of clothes piped over the bed.

“What are you doing?”

“I am leaving from this place, can’t you see it?” she asked

My brain swayed back. Exactly Eight months and Fifteen days back we got married.

It was during start of winter we met each other

And by the end of it we were together (married).

      

                 I always felt our conjugal bash was the best in the one’s I’ve been a part of. The enormous wedding hall was adorned in various colors and the ballroom was filled with pretty couples, dancing like just married couples. Her dad was against our marriage from the inchoate glimpses of our relation because I was not as financially affluent as they were. He was always an adamant and a common dad who hated the guy his daughter loved more than anything. After a number of persuasions he did agree.

Love is unconditional, it happens even if you eschew it; there will be a point of time in life where anyone will have a burning  sensation down your heart; a feel that makes one to do anything for it. It even happened with me, but it occurred more frequently than a girl changes her sandals. A few were out of purpose, a few out of lust and a few out of nothing.

True Love was never a part of my book (of life), all the girls I made love with were just the preface. I struck the right one and it was bustling bells round my head when I saw this beautiful girl. But it seems an outmoded relation that had lot’s of love to give in.

“Are our dreams charred into ashes?”

“Yes, I had a vision of heaven.

 It turned out to be a fiction. Life e …..e e e…………….” She started shouting, eyes opened wide and she was shivering in fear as she opened the down rack of the cupboard. Her knees began to buckle; she opened her mouth wide and yelled sounding more like a trumpet.

                     

“What?” I asked watching her in a daze of trepidation, her finger pointed towards the cupboard. As my foot was propelling forward, my heart heavily pushed me on the back foot. My shirts were arranged on hangers, and beneath them, lay a body. I never expected to see something down my cupboard that could cease my breath.

                                  

It is a lady, Blood was gushing from her knees and hands. My inhalation got a break for a few seconds. She started screaming in fear. My god! This can’t happen! It must not be another attack. She had it at the sudden demise of her dad. I placed my hand on her shoulder

“Body in my cupboard” she bellowed with eyes widened.

“Calm down. Don’t let your heart feel the nerve. Its mine and nothing is going to happen”

“Chamu” she said, numb at the sight of the corpse. It took a few minutes for her to eye-out that incident. Even I could not do nothing but catch her in my hands. GOD, what is happening? A body in my cottage?

“Dear you have nothing to do with the murder. Nor even I have something to do with it. Chamu must be fine at her home” I tried to assure her opening my arms. She got soaked in sweat; it took a few minutes for her to close her eyes.

She fainted in my lap. I spilled a few droplets of water on her face. She still looked dizzy, I took her on to the sofa.

“Sir, what happened? You are looking so tensed” Collin asked

“Where the fuck was you Collin and what took you so long? A body is lying for your arrival! Call upon Dr.rudentson, get him in fifteen. First inform cop’s over this” I ordered.

“A murder in our cottage?  I was off to the Bettsbridge as I mentioned you, my mother was very ill and I could not leave her. I admitted her into Bettsbridge Central Hospital. I’ll be in fifteen with the doc” he left in a blaze. Dr.rudentson was there in less than twenty minutes, he had to trek a mile from Bettsbridge. We live in a cottage located in the woods of the South & North African borders, a mile away from the small rivulet that separates them. Collin is the guard appointed by the South African government, me being an employee of the Forest Department. My work is supervising the wild and a natural habitat.

“The doctor is here; I called upon Zazayokwe, he’d be coming in fifteen minutes. Need anything more? Who is…?” Collin was about to ask I interrupted

“Yes Collin, check if Chamu is safe at her place?”

“Is she missing? She told me last night that she would not come here today as she had some work. Was she here today?” he asked amused

“Did she say that? She was here in the morning; she came after you gave had left. Let me know the status” I said

“I would” he left.

“What happened” Doc asked looking at her. I pointed out to our bed-room. He checkered in and he scuttled out in less than twelve seconds. Sweat had taken his skin. He took a strip of tablets from his apron and took one even without water

“Who the hell was that? And who the hell had done it?” he asked

“No idea Mr. rudentson, we were off to the city and what are you taking in?” I asked

“A Blood pressure tablet Roy, Even I ‘am a patient. How is she doing?”  He asked. He was our family doc and knew her condition.

“No, she fainted at the sight. Her blood pressure had gone low, I believe” I said

“Yes, it did. Hell! Who is that?” he asked. I did not answer; He gave a strip of tablets and a few energy drinks to give her some strength.

“Be with her and see that her feet will never go off the ground. Her heart jumps too much in tension” he said and left.

After the doc had left, I went to check the bedroom again as she slept at peace. The body was threshed in an unidentifiable way and probably with a hammer or a rod.  Whose body might it be? Why is she murdered in my house? Where is Chamu? The body had welts all over; dress got totally stripped into pieces. She could be around 20-25 years of age.  I am still confident that Chamu is safe. Collin came in,

“She is off to the eastern part of this park; a documentary is being made over the life of these tribes. They wanted a few pretty faces and Chamu is an obvious choice”

“What? Did the head (of tribal’s) send her? She’s safe! Gosh!” I said

“Then whose body is it?” Collin asked.

“It is a mystery and how is your mother?” I asked

“She is at her fag end. I want you to grant me a leave sir” he asked

“Let Zaza come and look into it Collin. I can’t help you!” I said

The local cops stormed the scene under the surveillance of Zazayokwe (in short Zaza), the cardinal officer. He is an amicable cop, I encountered him accidentally. The very first month after we rolled in here, a few basic amenities were a compulsion. I was off to Petersburg to get few provisions. In the return, the govt. car got damaged.  I was waiting for someone to help a cop came to my rescue, he said

“May I help you?”

“Yeah, my car got smashed all of a sudden. Could you give me a lift till the cottage in the woods” I asked

“That’s fine, get in” he said and from that day he was with us whenever he had work in this region. We used to get well together in playing chess and a few indoor games. He is the master of chess.

“Roy!! A murder at your cottage! How did it all happen?” he queried

“Officer…!” I explained all I could. He was polite enough to listen.

“I would try to curb the situation Roy but ……” He expressed a state of shock while careening over the scene. His eyes got bigger, he started biting his tongue and he bent down the cup-board to have a look at it. I wanted to leave the mess here to him and move on J’oburg as early as possible.

“Officer can I” I was about to ask on our migrating to other city, she dodged suddenly out of her bed and said

“Roy! Please let me out of here! Please” she sobbed heavily at height of her voice.

I bent towards her to allay her agony but in vain she insisted to

‘Leave the place half-dead rather go breathless’

It looks inevitable. I had to stoop down to my knees before the officer to be allowed to leave the place in this chaotic situation. Zazayokwe was not clement enough to let us go at will; who would be?  He argued that if we would flee from this place then obviously we’d be the favorites of the case. He compelled us to stay here for a day.

“What the hell Zaza, how can we stay in this blood stained house?” I asked dumb-shelled.

“I can’t do anything Roy! I would stay with you both till the Interpol team arrives” he said

“But…” I tried to convince a lot

“You need to understand cops. I’m being very soft on you, don’t make me go mean” he warned.

“Now what can I do” I sighed looking at my panic-stricken wife. We locked that room where the murder took place and rested in the main room. Zaza was a bit kind enough in arranging comestibles for us during the night. She was burning hot in fever; I placed a wet-cloth on her fore-head. I took her in my arms and she slept in my lap as if in the couch. I pleaded god to avert her from the attack. She slept at peace, the clock struck 11 and we both were still awake.

“Who might it be?” he questioned, looking at the room.

“No idea” I said uncertainly.

“Where have you been to?”

“Every month the govt. sends in groceries to the city. Collin brings it for us generally but this time we wanted to get them. Chamu was here from the morning, we pleaded Chamu to accompany us but she was adamant enough to let her be alone. She insisted and we couldn’t protest and Collin conformed that she was off to a documentary shooting.”

“Where were you young man?” Zazayokwe asked Collin.

“I was off to Bettsbridge to visit my sick mom.”

“When did you leave?”

“Just before Roy sir left to the city, I took his permission” Collin said

“Did he Roy?” he asked me

“Yes he did take the permission, how could I say no to visit his ill mother?” I answered

“Even I couldn’t if it is genuine” he said

“Excuse me sir forbid me to interrupt, but can I go and spend the last days with my mother” Collin pleaded

“Well, you have to wait till Stippenel comes here” he ordered the guard to leave to his small room adjacent to the gate.

“Can we trust this guard?” he asked

“Yes Zaza, he had been with me since six months. He never created a problem.” I answered.

“Good then! By the way where have you planed to go?” he asked.

 “I own a home in J’oburg, I’d go there and search for a job” I said sleeping on the couch.

“You’d quit this job?” he doubted

“Have any doubt over it?” I re-questioned him

“Oh, I thought you would get a transfer”

“I was sternly warned by my superior before hand that no transfers will take place till two years” I said, indeed I was almost crying.

“Well, that’s sad” he said.

“Roy, does this murder seem natural to you, I remember you pointing out a few ghostly incidents?” Zazayokwe asked

“I don’t know”

 “It’s already late night, have some sleep Roy. Let’s talk over it in the morning” he said. I kissed my wife and slept. I could not stop thinking over, what has happened. I had a sleepless night after having a nightmare come true.

“What the fuck were you doing Zazayokwe?” someone was yelling. He looked like a hero with his Broad chests, husky muscles, bamboo stick height and predictably a glow in his face.  He supposedly is not impressed on the progress of the case and rebuked Zaza severely over it. He is even unhappy at our halt in the same house and ordered us to vacate this place and to be put in the jail. It is a terribly shocking statement. But thank-God Zaza had cognizance over my status; he pleaded and fought with the cardinal. I had to join it

“I promise you Mr.Stippnel, we have nothing to do with the lady who died” I said bending before him

“Yeah, it is me having something to do with the lady! Huh!?” he was angry and he continued it

“Zaza, what has happened to your brains? Have they become pea-nuts after your marriage?”

“I can’t explain you sir, she is traumatized by it” I said grabbing an un-given opportunity  

“So am I, I had to travel for sixteen hours on my car to come over here It’s Zaza who called me, it’s the only reason to come here”

“I have known Roy for almost five months Stippenel. He is not the guy definitely” Zaza was on my side

“Let the court decide it buddy, why the hell are you doing this?”

“Roy is like my buddy stippenel, I know him. You don’t need to inform some one over it. I am the head here”

“But look Zaza we can’t do this. I am going to register a case and let’s see what happens” he asked

“Can’t we decide over it?”

“Are you mad? A murder took place and who the heck are you to decide over it?” he said thumping his foot on my heart.

“Well” Zaza had no words. What he said is right, it could be fatal for them.

“Well then can’t we allow him to go to J’oburg?” Zaza had asked

“They are going to J’oburg” he took a pause and said “it’s with us” he said. My heart sank in the Arabian Sea; I already started imagining my self in the black painted iron bars that could prison my freedom.

                        

“Sir but” I tried to speak he never let me do that.

“And Collin even you are free to go to the hospital, but I will be there after Roy leaves to J’oburg” stippenel said looking at him.

“That is kind of you sir but please do not say that you are cops. She’d die hurt” said Collin

“We wouldn’t” said Stippenel sharply but Zaza had his doubts.

“How would be there at two places?” he asked

“Well you would be with them, I’d probably join in a day” stippenel said. Thank God! Zaza would be the one traveling with us!

 The tickets where booked for the next train to Johannesburg, we were waiting at the railway station

“When is the train?”  Zaza asked someone over the counter.

“At half past 6, more half an hour” said a duck like voice.

She sat beside me looking pale and worn out, eyes swollen to red with fear on the bench. She leaned over my shoulder in a bit of peace. Everything that happened since we were here were still afresh in my mind. The train had arrived as I was thinking about the lady dead in my cup board.  Zaza was boarding with us. As the train moved, we three got into a cabin kind of room in it.

“Thanks for coming Zaza” I said looking into his eyes. They were dark and red.

“You are always special to me!” he said

“Hey sweetheart” I got closer to her and continued “everything’s going to be fine. Look dear, we will be out of this place in a jiffy. It would not take more than fourteen hours to be in our fav place, The Johannesburg. The place to which I belong to; the place where we met each other, the place where your adamant hypocritical dad used to live” I tried to tease her a bit. She gets enraged whenever I speak odds of her dad.

“Don’t come over my dad, he was never a hypocrite. You was the one” she said furiously even in her low mood. Girls don’t let people don a word on their so loving dads!

“Really?” I bantered

“Yes, some dumb-fools who never knew how to kick a foot ball should never speak on him” my lady had started laughing a bit. She was talking on the match with her father’s oaf-football league; I could not kick the penalty shot which was evidently our goal. I missed the chance paving way for her father to win.

“Oh common, does it have anything to do with a hypocrite? By the way I did it on purpose” I continued

“Anyways you gals never speak something concerned?” I tried to deviate but they (gals) are smarter than us in a few situations.

“No-way and Roy speak about me don’t generalize it, gals are awesome and you couldn’t kick the ball you bum-stead” she continued the same topic but was smiling. Thank God.

“Gals are Gals, even you are that! Aren’t you?” I tried to make her smile even more.

“That’s right” Said Zaza calmly laughing.

“Enough……Let’s talk something else” she said and continued  

“Basketball” she said and started grinning heavily. Girls are meant to do that; I could never get as to why they feel happy pointing out others blunders.

Her father was a tycoon, had enough money to get tutored in all these un-productive games. I never had a chance or even time to play ‘em.

A basketball match at his court was disastrous. Our team was a baby chicken side, none were match to the hens of his side. God! We couldn’t even score a basket and over it I was struck at the basket. I jumped over to the basket hoping to grasp the ball thrown by Yogua. He came almost close to the basket, I took a step higher and jumped shouting

“Yogua here” after a second, I could not shout. My jaw got struck to the basket. It was so painful.

“That wasn’t my mistake. It was a dwarf’s court damn it! I’ve never seen a five feet four inches basket; he designed it to suit his height”

“You were six feet and what have you done? Lost the match to five feet one and overall why the heck did you jump if it was of your height?” she asked in a serious tone.

“Well! I don’t know.  Can’t we talk something? Say, Indoor one’s” I had to divert the topic.

“Roy I feel drowsy, I’d sleep in the next cabin. It’s empty, bye” he left.

“What games have you played in-door? I never knew them” she exclaimed easing her body.

“You never knew? You were my only competition in them” I chuckled

“Oh dear, you are only good at that game” she continued “the bed game” she said with a beautiful smile on her cute visage.

“You are so intelligent” I exclaimed and continued “wasn’t I a superb player?”

“Ask my dad” she said, may be it had tickled her but I was irritated at it.

“What?”

“Yes, what have you done in the bachelor party?” she was almost fell from the couch, laughing.

“Now! Shut up” I said ceasing the opportunity.

If the talking doesn’t shut a girl’s voice, its only action which does it. I seized her lips, which were longing for mine. I kissed her on them; she was blushing as if it was our first kiss. We sat hands held on each other in quietude watching the beauty of Zimbabwe as it headed towards J’oburg. The lovely greeneries, the hammocks with ciliated grass, beatific small waterfalls; these were the assets of the Africa.

                

“These look awesome, don’t they?” I said

“Yes, but only from a distance. They burn lives when you are near to it” she said resting in my lap.

As the train surpassed the Petersburg city, she clogged her eyes. Her childlike eyes had glossy lids to envelop it. The way she sleeps makes me remind of a petite kid, I extricated myself to plant a small kiss on her cheek looking at her. Her hair has always turned me on, I started to play with it and she chuckled at my move. She loves it! She gave a small smile; enough to die for. It was an individual cabin, secluded from the train. We locked ourselves in it; she gave glimpses that froze my blood into ice. I looked passionately into her eyes which were reluctant to open up but enlightened to see me fondling with her nose gently.

“Do you remember Roy?” she said sitting just in front of me

“What? I mean, about what?” I asked

“You are a stud! Since our marriage weren’t you desperate to make love in a moving train? Isn’t that?” she said giggling

“What the heck? How do you know about it?” I was appalled

“I saw you crossing it, in the ‘100-things to do before death list’” she started kissing me.

“You are AWESOME” I said making my hands roll over her hip. She moved over to me. We were so close to each other that I could feel her breath. Her breath smelled like a perfume. Her deep-sorrowed eyes had my face in them. I took her into my arms and dug deeper into her lips. She closed her eyes; she does it whenever we had a kiss. I kept looking into her shut eyes hoping for them to let loose the most seductive pair of eyes. As I took over my lips from hers, there opened her eyes. She smiled stretching her hands for a teddy-hug. She was a beauty and I was the beast!

Sun woke us at seven in the morning. The train was almost at the fag end of its journey. We had a great night, she knows everything I need. Having her in my life, made it beautiful until we migrated to the cottage. She is an ideal wife any guy would dream to possess, but the only thing that fears me is her FEAR.

J’oburg always excites me. Child hood was such a slack period that probably I’d get an Oscar if written and directed well. It has so many twists filled with emotions. My grad life started off with a flier in the Johannesburg boy’s college, the most guys’ dream to get into it. I had to run all around the college for my ID card. It was the peevish seniors who made me do that. I was never angry on them; it was great doing it. We had a small group of four; it grew up as a musical band of boys who used to rock any damn party for a few bucks and fun.

It was Me, huggs, Daniel and Balwindar chadda, a Sikh from India who would lift the spirits of derogatory parties. I was a guitarist; learnt it since I was 7, not from a formal guitarist but from the daughter of the owner. It was Mr. Pont, the clumsy owner of my room who had a gorgeous off-spring Miss. Elina, beautiful at her smile and graceful with the guitar. I never knew that a girl could play guitar so well. She always had a bit of inclination towards me. She had exceptional skills in seducing through her eyes and voice. She married a big business magnate, who provided her with a big hall to teach guitar.

                     Huggs was a Jazz expert. He had the killer looks to die for and damn he, every girl in the J’oburg had eyes fixed on him. Straightened hair, a shit beneath his lips; no one would ever dare to call it a beard. His trendy clothing and GOD! Hats! We were fans for his day-to-day changing hats. He has a heap of hats collected down his room in the underground. We used to steal a few without his knowledge, but he mentioned at the farewell that he knew who stole his caps.

Daniel was the heart of our team. He used to relish beating the beats as much as he enjoyed his life. He was an orphan, who dependent on his own flair rather someone to help him out. A pinch of sympathy on him, he could pithy your parts. He had strong disinclination towards anyone who had sympathy over him. His lean figure and his stout girl friend would make us laugh for hours. Worst of all is that, he was even shorter than her.

The Balwindar chadda, famously known as Chadda Saab, was tremendous in every mouth organ, be it flute or anything. He was an edgy Sikh to hang on with, whatever subject it was; laughter made his priority. His comic sense and the nick names he used to call upon us were funny.

Fun was life and life was fun, this was all I knew then. The bachelor party was on par of all the experiences we had. It was in Blue Café pub, where we had our craziest party. It was a hangover; we were too way wild that day. Huggs got hooked to a big fat cop; that too a guy, god! Yuck. I went straight into the house and slept on the bed. It was in the morning I was aware that I slept with my to-be father-in-law. It was he I hated the most but last night I had no sense what the hell I was up to. It was so embarrassing to find yourself in bed of a guy and that too your girl-friend’s dad. OMG!

Fun was the only thing we knew then but it changes so quick after college, it’s nothing same again. Priorities change, life takes on a different path. A never imagined path, you could fall in love with someone. The career stays under the rocks. Some nuclear force has to fetter it into light. The same streets which looked awesome now look prosaic and dolorous. The variations in the streets were vividly perceptible but life changes with out even the tip-off of it reaching our stimulus.

 End of chapter-1! Hope you all like it! Do comment!