Seduced by Murder (30 page)

“Hi. Did I keep you waiting?” I interrupted her trance.

“No. Thanks for coming on such short notice.”

“No sweat. I live just around the corner, and a little walk is good for the dog.”

She looked down at Bruno. He exhibited a surge of activity, anomalous to his nature, and charged forward excitedly, jumping all over Aditi.

She laughed. “Oh my! He’s a friendly dog! I thought you didn’t like pets.”

“I still don’t. He was incidental.”

“Incidental?”

“I had no choice. Had to keep him.”

Aditi stood up. Bruno put his paws on her midriff, licking her with his tongue.

“What’s his name?”

“Bruno.”

“Sit, Bruno!” she ordered, and then said to me, “Funny, he reminds me of the Bruno we picked up from the dhaba on the highway. He was the same colour. Such a long time ago.”

She stopped patting him suddenly, looked up; and said half-amused, half-serious, “I just had a crazy thought. It can’t be the same Bruno, can it?”

“Why can’t it be the same Bruno?”

She stood up again and looked at me attentively. “You are joking, right?”

“Don’t have a sense of humour when it comes to dogs.”

“How is that possible? I thought he was …”

“Dead? Well, he is not dead. But as you see, he is
as fit as a piddle
, if that counts.”

She looked at Bruno and ran her hand over his coat. “It is him! How did you make him change cities?”

“He flew. Cost a bomb at that time. But I couldn’t let him be there all alone. It was … a promise. Your promise to him.”

She looked at me, then at Bruno, then misty-eyed she said, “Thank you.”

“For?”

“I don’t know. He was my responsibility and I … I just feel guilty about it. I can breathe easy now that I know he is safe and sound.”

Bruno was acting crazy jumping all over her.

“Do you think he recognises me?”

“You can bet on it. This is the first time I have seen him use his hind legs. I think he wants to play with you.”

She smiled, interfering with my breathing, as she followed Bruno to the grass. She kicked off her sandals and dodged him as he chased her. The sun was setting. Men in the park looked at her in amazement, mesmerised by her beauty. They would not forget this moment for a long time. Neither would I. The case was solved, the murderer was in jail, and I had twenty-five lakhs in cash, lying in my apartment. Yet, I felt strangely unfulfilled.

She was a quagmire that would never let me go. Would I stop loving her? Probably not. Would I love anyone else like
I loved her? Probably not. Did I hate her because she had dumped me? Definitely not.

A woman as beautiful as her had a right to be selfish: getting unsolicited attention and approval from males all her life, being admired for her looks everywhere she went. How could she turn out any different? Among the scores of men, who had been affected and haunted by her beauty, I was a more fortunate one. At least, I had been able to chase an impossible dream. I had always known in my heart that she was not destined to be an ordinary spouse; to run a household, juggle a career and children. She was cut out for the finer things in life – bungalows, travel, gowns, imported cars, diamonds, and a life of luxury. Our lives could have never converged. She would go back to her affluence, and I would get back to my ordinary existence, living each day as it came.

She called out to me to join her. Bruno was running all around her, with no trace of past hurt. I guess both of us couldn’t learn to hate her.

The sun had set. People were returning home. The case was closed. There was no need of maintaining further contact with her.

She shouted delightedly, “Vishal, come here.”

She was sitting on the grass, laughing like a kid, while Bruno still ran around her in circles. I could think of a thousand reasons to decline her invitation, put Bruno on a leash, and bid her farewell. And never see her again. Instead, I got up and started walking towards her … towards the perpetual emotional ambush called Aditi. What the heck, you are born to die anyway.