Cosmic Clues

1 The Cat Walks Out "This is Stellar Investigations and we don't read horoscopes!" Jatin unsuccessfully checked the exasperation in his voice and slammed down the receiver. He thrust a restive hand through his untidy mop of hair and wheeled to face his boss. Sonia Samarth stood by the table, scanning the newspaper with interest. "That was the twentieth call demanding if this was an Astrology institute!" Jatin exclaimed. "Natural, isn't it?" Sonia shrugged nonchalantly. "After all, it's common fact that people do get attracted to anyone who can predict the future." "But we don't predict the future. We are Investigators!" he emphasized. "With a difference," Sonia pointed out gently. "Relax, Jatin, I'll take the next call. You go finish your novel, till I need you." Sonia settled in her cushioned seat and took up the paper again. The advertisement was small and crisp, as per budget constraints, but, to be absolutely impartial, hardly deserved the misunderstanding it had created. Stellar Investigations Now a detective agency which combines astrological science with investigations! If you have a problem, contact at . . . All morning the phone had pealed constantly, ringing from all corners of Pune city. Voices--timid, uncertain, overconfident, and even incredulous, all requesting appointments. The questions were many--How much did they charge? Did they need the horoscope? Was it possible to predict the date of marriage? Could they predict without a horoscope? Initially, Jatin had braved the tide of queries on his own, intelligently masking his inexperience. Gradually, however, his polite, wordy explanations had turned to one-liner wisecracks and finally to downright insolence and refusals. Sonia bore the confusion with better tolerance and patience. People were basically insecure, bogged down with innumerable worries, with a tendency to clutch at hopeful straws. Sonia knew and understood that feeling. She may have just set up her business a few months ago and had barely two cases to her credit, but she was a Masters in criminal psychology. Perhaps it was her understanding of human nature which had further led her to study Vedic Astrology--a science she deeply respected and used as a guideline. It had all begun in fun--reading horoscopes for friends, predicting their love affairs and life partners in college. Then finding missing articles at home, first for the family and then for relatives. It was when she successfully tracked down the missing son of a close friend that she realized that she had stumbled onto a rather apocalyptic and pivotal discovery. Her in-depth study of Vedic Astrology would prove invaluable in her lifelong ambition to become a detective. A rented office and two itsy-bitsy cases later, however, the knowledge had dawned on her that people did not look kindly upon her brilliant brainwave. Reading horoscopes for fun was one thing; using them to solve life-and-death issues was quite another. The result was filling the long office hours with chores like cleaning up or reading books on Astrology and listening to music over cups of chai--tea with milk--and sandwiches, to avoid boredom! Luckily for Sonia, Jatin was an ardent detective-cum-office-assistant, willing to hang on for the big break, however long it may take. Sonia recalled her parents' reaction on seeing the ad that morning and smiled. They'd just finished a hearty breakfast of pohey--soft puffed rice fried in onion and potatoes--and coffee. Her mother, petite and dignified in a pure silk peach sari draped around her exquisite figure, was skimming over the paper. Sonia adored her beautiful mother. She was her idea of a perfect mother and woman. Unfortunately, perfection does not always equate with compatibility of thought. Despite being a businessperson and workPrabhu, Manjiri is the author of 'Cosmic Clues', published 2004 under ISBN 9780440241720 and ISBN 0440241723.