The Turning - Chapter Fourteen

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

At the Shahane residence, the table was being laid for dinner. Everyone except Nivedita was in the dining room. The Khannas condoled with Prakash, looking embarrassed. Kuntabai asked Vinod to go and fetch Nivedita from her room. "And don't you listen to any excuses Beta," called the old lady after him, as he rose to go. "You make sure she comes to the dining table."

To everybody's surprise, Nivedita came without demur. Apart from her red, swollen eyes, she seemed quite normal. She even offered a feeble 'hello' to her father.

Well into his second roti, Arun Khanna judged it seemly to ask Prakash, "Have the police found out anything?"

"Nothing much really, except that she was poisoned," answered Prakash dully, adding that the poison used was an unusual one. "Some form of benzene, or so the doctors believe."

"And how was she given the poison?" persisted Arun, again.

"The Doctors aren't sure about that. "

"Poor lady," said Vinod. "Just after her birthday, too!"

"Yes," sighed Prakash heavily. "And there's another funny thing. The bottle of perfume I gave her as a birthday present seems to be missing from her dressing table."

"What do you mean Papa? 'Missing'?" That was Nivedita, showing curiosity about Dina's murder for the first time.

"Just that, darling," answered her father. "It's not there on her dressing table any more. I can't imagine where it has disappeared. Unless Dina herself broke it, and got the glass cleared up."

"Have you informed the police about it?" asked Vinod casually.

Prakash frowned. "I don't think it concerns them in any way. They have to investigate what they think is a murder, not bother about missing perfume bottles," he said rather disagreeably.

Kuntabai broke into the conversation. "Now that's quite enough talk about deaths and murders," she said decisively, her eyes covertly watching her son's gray, drawn face. They softened. "Beta," she said in a tone she had not used to him for over ten years, "you had better sleep here tonight, instead of staying alone in that place. Better still, stay here for a few days. The change will do you good."

Prakash smiled, his face brightening at her tone. "I don't know about a 'few days' maa," he said, "but I think I will stay over, tonight. I'll ring up Fatima and tell her I'm not coming home."
"That's a good idea," said Vinod. "I think Arun Maama's night clothes should do for you," anticipating an offer to that effect from the rather reluctant Arun.

After dinner, while the family had gathered together in the living room, Nivedita once more pleaded a headache, and went off to her room.

It was not an excuse. She really had a splitting headache, and the dinner seemed to have made it worse. After tossing and turning in agony for some time, she went to her dressing table pulled open the overstuffed drawer, and fumbled for the strip of Crocin she kept there. The strip had no tablets in it. All of them had been squeezed out.

Damn! Then she remembered. Vinod always kept some, in his bathroom cabinet. She padded over to his room. It was empty. And in darkness. He must still be in the living room, she thought.

She went into the bathroom, switched on the lamp there and opened the cabinet. She had to stand slightly on tiptoe to do so. She fumbled for the strip, knocking down a bottle in the process. She righted it automatically, then left the room, clutching the strip of Crocin in her hand.
She passed Vinod and her father, both going into Vinod's room just as she was leaving it. She tried to catch Vinod's eye. He was staring at the strip of Crocin in her hand. She informed him that she had a headache and stalked off to her room.

Prakash hesitated at the door, then told Vinod that he'd be along in a few minutes. He had forgotten to telephone Fatima, and to get some night-clothes from Arun.

Vinod got a bottle of whisky and two glasses. The ice bucket was already placed in his room.

* * * *

Kuntabai's sleep was disturbed, a little past midnight. Her eyelids fluttered. Always a light sleeper, of late she seemed to have become positively insomniac.

She knit her brow in the darkness, puzzled. Was it her imagination, or was she really hearing sounds? Strange sounds. As though someone were enjoying a particularly strenuous coupling!

Rather incongruous in this household, surely! Or was it? she wondered, troubled. There! There was that distinct 'thump', again! Followed by a quickly smothered squeal. A vague uneasiness gripped her. Then she pulled herself together and shrugged herself mentally into a fitful sleep.

Just as Kuntabai had finally fallen asleep, Vinod stirred restlessly. A glance at his bedside clock showed 4 in the morning. He sat up in bed, and stretched his arms overhead. Then he frowned.

The bedroom door was ajar! And the bed next to him empty!
Wondering what had happened to Prakash, he got out of bed and made for the door - only to collide into Prakash, as he entered.

"Did I disturb you? I'm sorry," he said, with a slightly selfconscious laugh. "My bladder's getting weak! And I'm getting old," he mumbled, sitting down heavily on the bed. "Good night," he said to Vinod, who was still standing uncertainly by the door, and lay down, pulling the sheet over him.

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