Shades of life rest in the simple shadows we leave.
~Yaris.
_______________________________

Mirthy mistless winds carried the muffled words of chaos. The caged thoughts of people multiplied as they amassed even before the brink of dawn to gather their hay.

Murder? Suicide? For what?

Scurried whispers of chances revolved faster than the wheels of the jeeps that had visited the spot from its first cry.

"Move away. None is allowed. It's a crime spot and this is the twentieth time I'm saying this!"

An agitated voice exclaimed in its heaviness as he moved every enthusiast who romped to leak a scoop. Between everyone's curiosity, his duty seemed too tiring than owning a daycare alone with countless babies.

"Sir! We have been waiting since midnight. It's been hours. What's the take? Do you think this is a murder?"

His thickened brows creased to reveal the silver hairs cached between them.

"Madam, I'm not the officer you must be questioning."

His inked eyes fitting inside the oval rims hid the fury beneath them with his polite words.

"Oh right! When had they ever come on time?"

She rolled her pen between her fingers while scribbling something down on her sheets. Collecting the man beside her, she walked to focus on the spot in its peeking view.

"Roll the camera-"

As she smoothened her throat to begin, the rumbling farts of black smoke churning the brightening cerulean skies made her stop. She wheeled her palm, indicating the camera to turn towards the front man. After locking his bike, he cleared the crowd to get to the person who was pushing out a smile with his tired lips.

"Ayya! Veera on duty."

He saluted him as he pulled the black and yellow stripe tape that coiled around the plastic cones planted with wooden rods.

"Mr Krishnacharya, any updates on the events?"

The woman tried to push the sponge-clothed mic before others could even think. He gently cornered her with a smile as he moved inside the zone.

"I'm sick of these, Veera. Clear them. Tell them to be back here by noon."

"But sir-"

"Once done, join me upstairs."

He climbed as fast as he could while the other man rushed to settle the received orders. Taking four turns between the clustered cement-laid steps, a rotten metallic tang made him pull his folded napkin. Securing his nose, he entered the ajar door.

"Sorry for all the trouble at this hour."

His words made every head turn.

"Hello, sir! I'm Vimal. My team is handling the places and as far as we have investigated there is no shreds of evidence."

He greeted him with a formal frisking as his eyes rhythmically hurled over the white ceilings, neatly tiled brown walls, and everything it contained.

"Nothing suspicious, Vimal?"

He pulled out the gloves from the tray to sheath his hands.

"Not yet, sir. No stealing nor warnings. His documents were all over the floor. It took nearly an hour to move them."

He said as his gloved hands pointed at the multiple shelves that were greeting them with emptied faces.

"What do we have?"

"As far as we examined. One deep puncture on the spleen. A heavy hit on the liver. A silent death when he was alone with his two-year-old child-"

"Is the baby fine?"

His voice shuddered as his folded arms twitched.

"Crystal. We have informed his wife. She was on a company tour and now is on the way."

He informed as he pushed the phone to him. The display had a black-and-white picture of a tiny boy holding a newborn as his eyes carried every ounce of joy in his heart.

"He has a son?"

"No, sir. From the records we have, he was a human rights activist. Married 5 years ago and has a girl child."

The new bits of information steamed his thoughts.

"What's your call?"

"A murder. What else?"

His grin lifted his thick mustache making his cheeks crinkle deep valleys.

"Why sir, what else would it be?"

He threw a shuffled gaze to the shelves and peeked at the chalked marks with some tentacles of dried blood gripping the floors.

"I wish it's just that."

He whispered between his little laughter.

"Get the reports by ten today. No leaks anywhere. Beware of termites."

Spilling his decrees, he stepped to wander through the little building. A picture of a child and his wife with his happy face adorned the subtle pink walls of the bedroom. The kitchen was filled with the usual supplies.

Everything is neat! As always.

His eyes drunk in the picture one last time as he shoved the phone to the tray beside as his thoughts concluded.

Nonetheless, it is hinting at something else.

⚫⚪⚫⚪⚫

"Hey watch out! It's a sunspot."

A gushy voice shrieked as she snaked through the web of shines and shades.

"Yikes! Thank you fellow shade."

She carefully extended her pods between the network of murky lines she could witness on the grounds.

There it is! The market store yard.

Walking through the little crowded area, she stood in front of the huge garage. She melted her being into wavy pods of shadow to get into the raked silhouettes. As she entered the fresh stench of vegetables, fruits, and spice packets tickled her nostrils.

"Oh my god!"

"Who's there?"

A familiar voice with a foreign pitch reverberated on the cream-kissed walls of the yard.

"Rah- Radhi?"

Her eyes scooted through the piles of carriages loaded with multiple plant products but nothing was hopeful.

"Have we met in school?"

The sudden whispers from behind shuddered as ripples on her opaque hues.

"Woow! Don't scare me like that."

She stilled her twitchy eyes as they landed on the stale figure that stood in front of her. Those raven locks have been messed with sticky stains. A thick drip of brown liquid trickled from the angle of her lips.

"That was the stolen chocolate?"

Her sudden question earned some shakey smiles as her rosy tongue swept past those chalky lips.

"We never snatch things from others. That too from a child in his cycle. You literally scared him." She threw her pods to the sides.

"My appetite is so heavy and I don't know how to quench it."

Her worries etched the baggy wrinkles around her eyes. Akin to the chill winds waking the blisters, her lashes tightened on her soulless skin.

"Wait! How did you know that."

"I have my cards around and yes they helped me find you-"

"You are here to help me?"

Before she could form a reply, she felt the frost-bit arms curl around her torso only to stand afar in surprise.

"I couldn't sense your skin."

"Oww- that-"

"No, I get it. I'm going through a lot of changes. This isn't my first surprise."

She sat on the leaf-patched floor as her dilated eyes gathered her raven robes closer.

"What are you saying?"

She asked as she sat beside her, dusting some little bugs that stuck dead to the floor.

"I can't tell you that."

She dodged her face to the sides akin to a kitten amidst the bunch of strangers.

"Oh? But I just told you that I'm here to help you."

"So what? Why should I believe you?"

Her hands poked through her chest where her heart should have been there.

"Why is it hard?"

She lent her thick arms for her to hold but she backed.

"A man took my purse that had the last bits of my savings in the name of helping me to get to the hospital."

"Hospital? Why-" 

"Can't you see I'm sick? Another guy pulled my only chain around my neck even before I could finish asking him if he could help me get to my home. Some ran away even before I could begin to speak. And the story goes on and on. Now get me tons of good reasons to make me believe you."

Akin to the winds that have thrashed the falling leaves, her issues jumped in loops on her simpering head.

"A lot for a night!"

"Very very. I should have believed my dad and stayed home. Now he would punish me."

Her tender sobs echoed a lot of queries in her mind.

She hated him. He is dead. Or am I suddenly stuck in Bramai?

"I have been shivering since I woke and people shoo me the moment they see me. Suddenly every snow in the world has inhabited my brittle bones."

"Okay! Let's figure out-"

"If I don't get well, how will I go to school?"

Oh, the issues within issues!

"Radhi! Get me a breather."

Her sudden burst of words made her coil back.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-"

"Listen. We don't do school."

"What are you-"

She placed her fingers on her mouth with the nod making her do the same.

"And for dad. He is very far away."

A palpable quietitude thickened between them as her pods surrounded the other shades in a caution.

"Dad will get home soon. He is just away for some work. I know. Don't play me." She groaned as she rubbed her flaky skin.

What a tangle am I into!

She cupped her flowy cheeks as her knees folded to support her arching back.

"Hey! You haven't told me your name yet."

Her sudden demand woke her senses.

How would I tell her without telling her?

"Don't tell me you forgot it. That would be so lame."

She laughed at her own words only to smudge them into whispery giggles.

"I will consider it a joke. I'm Chaya."

She giggled a bit as she waved her arm.

"You are that tea from Kerala?"

Her metaphor made her dodge her head with a hit on her forehead.

"Ops! That was giddy. Hey, Chaya. By chance you have any money? This guy wouldn't stop growling."

She rubbed her growling belly with her creased palms, breaking some nails as she circled.

"I will get you the right thing. Don't worry."

"Alright, genie. Make your master happy."

Her sculpted expressions masked her reflections. But she understood she would have to learn a lot to put up with. As soon as she could.

Terms:

Ayya: A respectful word in Tamil to greet a man.

Chaya: A Sanskrit word for shadow and a slang word in Malayalam for tea.

Bramai: A Tamil word for indicating something that is bewildering and perplexing like a maze.

Questions:

1. What did the investigation tell you about?

2. Who is Radhi now? Did you see that coming?

3. What is the right thing Chaya said?

With riddles
🧩..Yaris..🧩