"325,326,327" Tarika's soft whispers were the only sounds in the forensic lab.
As the old doctor looked at her through his thick rimmed glasses, she narrowed her focus on the book in front of her, juggling the magnifying glass, pencil and a piece of torn paper. Though she could sense his disapproving eyes upon her, she paid absolutely no heed. Her search for fingerprints only grew more frantic with each passing moment.
"328, 329."
A page turn.
Her eyes moved rapidly, like a madman, scanning each line, each word, in a pace that seemed humanly impossible.
Brows furrowed deeply, lips dry, she gulped as she approached the end of the last page. The magnifying glass flew swiftly - past each word, the pencil ready in her other hand - desperate, to jot down the observation. The prints, they had to be in there somewhere.
"330."
She sighed, giving up momentarily.
Sweat Analysis!
Her tired eyes gleamed from the possibility of new evidence.
She quickly stood up from her chair, not bothering to wear the heels she had tossed under her chair. As her feet touched the icy marble tiles of the lab, she felt the cold climbing up her bones.
Doesn't matter.
She carried the book towards the other end of the lab, her hands trembling from both fatigue and anxiety.
"Kya hua doctor sahab, Tarika theek toh hai na?"
The panicked voice made even Tarika look up at its owner.
"Abhijeet tum -"
"Meine bulaya hai," Dr. Salunkhe interrupted.
"Sir aap -"
"Ek...ek minute… Tarika tumne joote kyu nahi pehene hai? Tum theek toh ho na?"
"Abhijeet uski tabiyat theek hai -"
"Phir bhi aapne phone par kaha ki mein unhe lab se le jau?"
"Haan."
"Matlab aap chahte hai ki Tarika ji ko mein unke duty ke time ya nahi abhi bahar lekar jau?"
"Ji...Abhijeet ji."
"Hein!"
He walked close to Tarika and stood beside her.
"Ye Salunkhe Sahab ki tabiyat toh theek hai na?"
"Bhaisahab… meri tabiyat toh theek hai lekin aapki Tarika ji ki tabiyat bigad jayegi agar aap inhe lekar nahi gaye toh."
"Hein! Aaj yaha ho kya raha hai?"
After some coaxing and cajoling from two very important men in her life, Tarika began describing the chain of events that were responsible for keeping her up at night.
"It was a usual 11th december evening, you know… I was making dinner when the doorbell rang. Since I was expecting Ab - someone, I opened the door without looking through the hole. There was no one there except for a book - The ABC murders by Agatha Christie and a note inside it.
The note said and I quote "It is not the thief who is hanged but one who is caught stealing. December 14th, a crime awaits. You'll see me this time, if you're lucky."
It seemed like a typical prank. So I didn't think much of it and didn't tell anyone until my glasses were stolen."
"Still seems like a prank to me," Dr. Salunkhe said.
"For once I agree with doctor sahab."
"But they were stolen on december 14th and they've never been stolen before."
"You took your glasses to the crime scene that day Tarika… aur tum idhar udhar rakh kar chali bhi jaati ho. You're taking this too seriously bache."
"Sir the book I received...usme bhi everyone tells the detective that he's taking things too seriously till the murders begin."
"It was no murder that took place," Abhijeet commented, "Just a robbery."
"Well, I don't want anything else of mine stolen! I received another note yesterday. And I've been searching for clues ever since. No fingerprints, no evidence - but then I still have sweat analysis -"
"Beta Tarika slow down. Abhijeet tum zara isko bahar lekar jao - kal raat se lab se nikli tak nahi hai."
"Haan Doctor sahab sahi keh rahe hain."
"But then," Abhijeet continued after his girlfriend rolled her eyes, "I can come sleep with you."
"KYA!" Dr. Salunkhe and Tarika said together, each of them more shocked than the other.
"M-m-matlab I can stay over at your place till you know...you solve the whole thing."
Dr. Salunkhe just shook his head, muttering something along the lines of "aa bail(bull) mujhe maar."
To salvage the entire situation, Tarika agreed to go to the canteen for a cup of coffee.
In the Canteen:
"Tarika ji aapne toh bacha liya Salunkhe sahab ke saamne -"
"Abhijeet meine pata hai puri book padh li...usme bhi crime se pehle killer warn karta hai," she said, ignoring his words.
"But the offer still stands."
"What offer?"
Before he could speak, Tarika spoke again.
"Do you think sweat analysis se kuch hoga?"
"I mean," she continued yet again, "He is too clever to leave anything behind for sweat analysis but he is also complacent. So I cannot exactly eliminate the possibility of maybe... just maybe getting something. This time the note says "Stealing is an art. December 20th." That's tomorrow.
You know, in the book, one of the murders takes place a little after midnight. So I've to stay alert from tonight onwards."
Abhijeet sighed as the entire conversation was dominated by Agatha Christie and this "clever" yet "complacent" thief.
The next day:
Tarika took her car keys, annoyed that she couldn't take her bike as her helmet was missing. Inside her car, she found a note, carefully balanced on the steering wheel.
"Two is better than one, four is better than three
But this game of hide and seek is between you and me.
December 25th, in your indoor garden."
So this lunatic was planning to break into her house. And he knew that she had an indoor garden!
She was extremely tempted to tell everyone about it and she would have, had her desire to catch him red handed not refrained her.
She knew the date and place.
This time she'd get him.
…
…
…
December 25th, midnight.
As Tarika entered into her indoor garden, she felt a strong pull towards the centre. She kept her hands on his chest, her brain still trying to catch up.
"Abh...abhijeet !"
"Look where we are standing," Abhijeet said, pointing upwards.
As she looked up, he took advantage of the position of her neck and touched it gently with his lips. He then placed a soft, slow, sensuous kiss there, following it by a trail of kisses till her ear.
"Kiss me underneath the mistletoe."
He said in a deep, sexy voice, his lips almost touching her skin, raising goosebumps over her. As his hands rested on her waist, she felt a strange ache for them to slide further down.
She wrapped her hands around his neck and pressed her hips against his. Her breasts then rested on his chest, leaving no gap between their bodies and yet leaving in her, a craving for more.
His lips seized hers without no further warning whatsoever. Almost immediately, he pulled away, without giving her a chance to respond.
He stepped away, with a smug smile on his face.
While Tarika still stood there, amazed, he opened his bag, revealing its contents.
"Your glasses and helmet… doctor sahiba."
"You!"
"Just returning whatever I stole."
"Abhijeet ohmmmm -"
He kissed her again, making her forget what she was saying. This time, she responded back, pressing her lips against his. Her hands around his back, she increased the pressure with which she kissed him, before allowing him to take her lower lip between his. As he sucked her lower lip, her grip around him tightened and all she wanted was to engulf him inside her.
"It...wouldn't be fair," Abhijeet said, panting as they separated for air, "If...I didn't...return...the kiss I stole."
"But...you've...been caught… and...the punishment...shall fit the crime," Tarika said before pushing him on to the floor.
She then sealed his mouth with hers while her fingers found their way around his shirts buttons.
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