'Bhavan, did you check the CCTV footage?’ Sourav sir asked. ‘Yes, sir. I checked it.’ ‘Okay. Switch it on again. I want to see it.’ Bhavan showed him the footage. It did not show the car they were looking for. But Sourav sir saw that the screen showed a trailer leaving the premises at the same time when Bhavan was entering to seal the place. His suspicion was aroused immediately. He had the hunch of a policeman that Aditi had been taken out of Eagle Motors in that trailer. He asked Bhavan to trace the trailer. Bhavan found out the information and conveyed it to Sourav sir. They lost  no time and began to look for the trailer. It was found standing abandoned on the left side of the Ring Road. They stopped their jeep and ran towards it. The trailer was empty. There was no one in the trailer; not even the driver. They unbolted the cargo space but found nothing. However, they saw some dried patches of blood. It indicated that the trailer was used regularly to transp

There was a disagreeable smell in the room. I got up from the bed.What is this smell, I murmured. It was coming from the heap of dirty linen lying in the corner. They were Vineet’s dirty clothes.Vineet heard me and said, ‘I am going to wash them.’‘Are you mad? These must be many days old. That is why they stink. I am going to shift to Dushyant’s room.’ I collected all my stuff and shifted to Dushyant’s room.In the class, Aditi and Ruchi wished that we all sit together. I was so annoyed with Vineet that I sat at the other corner in the class. I was put off by his carelessness. During recess period, I ignored them and went to the city to buy some groceries.Vineet came to apologise when I was having my dinner. I did not want to make up with him. He persisted.‘What is this? Vineet, leave me alone. I want to relax,’ I said. ‘But bro... Listen to me.’‘No. Leave m

I entered the office. Two buyers were present there. I placed my bag on the table, took out four t-shirts from the bag and spread them out on the table. ‘Gentlemen, these are four different t-shirts,’ I said after exchanging pleasantries with them. ‘Yes,’ said one of the two buyers, looking at me. ‘But what if I tell you, these are not four different t-shirts but the same?’ ‘What do you mean?’ ‘If I tell you that actually this is the same t-shirt, of same design, same colour,’ I said pointing to the t-shirts sequentially, ‘Only the first shirt from the left has been washed once, the second has been washed twice, the third three times and the fourth, four times,’ I said. I was beginning to sound like a seasoned salesman. One buyer was confused. He said, ‘But they all look different!’ ‘Precisely so, we are launching a new product in the market; a t-shirt that looks new after every wash. The customer buys one t-shirt but gets a new t-shir

Aditi and I were enjoying our time together in college. Our friendship had steadied itself. We looked forward to each other’s company. The story of Vineet and Ruchi, however, was not making any headway. He was not able to gather courage and express his love to Ruchi. He could not say to Ruchi, ‘Ruchi, you are not my friend, but my girlfriend’. He needed to say the three magical words, ‘I love you’, but was too scared to say them. Aditi and I, we encouraged him to propose Ruchi. He always promised to do it the following day, but the magic moment would not arrive. ‘Why are you not proposing to her?’ Aditi asked despairingly. ‘Aditi, what if she says no?’ he said in a doubtful tone. ‘Come on, Vineet. Be practical. Tell me, why will she refuse? It is not a crime to fall in love,’ I edged in. I was sure Vineet would never be bold enough to express his love to Ruchi. We decided to take the matter in our hands. Aditi and I chalked out a plan to unite

Vineet was waiting outside the hostel gate. More than forty minutes had passed. He had been trying to call me and Aditi. He went back to Ruchi’s home. It had been too late, and he was seriously worried now. ‘Vineet, they are not picking up the phone. Should I call Aditi’s father?’ she asked. ‘No, Ruchi, not now. Something is wrong. I can sense it. We should find them first. Then we will call Aditi’s father,’ he replied. Vineet was with Ruchi and her mother in their car. They headed to Saket where we met last. Vineet was restless, entangled with horrible thoughts. ‘Vineet, if we cannot find them, we must call the police and inform Aditi’s father too,’ Ruchi was getting very worried. She feared for the worst. ... Two of the goons dragged Aditi to the front of the room and tied her with  a thick cloth. Everyone was giggling and laughing like madmen. They were pointing their hands towards us and laughing at us. ‘Bara hero ba