AN: An update after a month.. it came out a bit long but I think there's something amiss... I'm kind of stuck with this story and chapter from a long time now. anyway. I will edit this chapter more hopefullythis week or maybe review it later on in final editing. for now I hope those who are reading like the chapter. ty.... I will try to update soon the next time...

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Seyon's father, Harith Kumar, served the Indian navy as a commander before an unfortunate fleet accident killed him and his crew.

Those were the early days of Seyon's high school. An eleven year old Seyon stood proud, not crumbling at the sight of his father's last remains. The hat, badge, megare belongings of his father the navy handed to him were his treasures. In the coming years, he'd become a pillar of support to his mother who worked as an English teacher in the same high school he studied, toiled hard to become a CID cop.

Despite the tragic death of his father, everyone including his mother assumed he was destined for the Indian Navy. But Sherry Maran's novels and some Sherlock Holmes could be the reason Seyon wanted to be a cop. Or maybe it was a sentiment that went beyond patriotism. His sense of justice was too high.

He became a cop not a detective. Thiya had only gotten to know the story a little after they got together. Goosebumps rose on her skin, and her respect for him grew leaps and bounds.

She loved him for his courage, the underlying kindness behind his gruff exterior, adored the grumpy side of him and was okay with his habit of occasional smoking. She'd come to love not just his perks but his flaws. Like the mild scent of cigarettes that clung to him. Like how brash he was at work, recklessly diving into danger. They were perfectly in sync with the last part. Except for his love for a good smoke, their habits and interests pretty much matched.

But then the sincere cop turned to be a womanizer. A cheater. And ruined everything.

Night is otherwise a blanket of darkness against the living room windows of Thiya's apartment if not for the silver streams of the street lighting.

"Why... Why'd I make him sweets on his birthday? He's way too smart. What if he guessed it was I? What would he think?"

Sprawled out on the living room couch, Thiya runs her hands through her pet's plumage as he perches on her stomach. With the amber ceiling lights dimmed to an eye comfort level perfect for a nap, the air conditioning set to the highest temperature possible, and her comfy pyjamas — sleep is far from her eyes.

"This is bad. Why would I care about the man who dumped me?"

She takes a breath.

"It's not him. It's Uma aunty I care about. She was such a nice lady."

CB listens to her words, cooing in between, catching bits of new vocabulary as he moves to her shoulder. Once or twice, his beak tugs on her hair in a playful way, which she doesn't mind.

"No matter how I feel about Seyon, nobody deserves losing their mother. I wonder how tough it must have been for him."

Thiya swallows the rest of her words, it makes me wish I was there for him.

Those were some lively days. Seyon lived with his mother while she lived alone in this very apartment. She'd visit them whenever she felt lonely. Sometimes Uma aunty would come over. They'd exchange recipes and taste test the dishes, while Seyon would watch them with a smile from somewhere closeby.

Seyon's birthday night — if everything was right between them, he'd have visited her sometime. He'd be seated on the same sofa and she'd smother him with kisses jumping into his lap.

That's her bygone past. Why's she thinking of it now?

The memories in monochrome playing in her head cause Thiya to sigh. Just then, she hears the pitter patter of rain from the widow. The droplets trailing down the glass pane gleaming golden and silver, reflecting off the lights from the surroundings. It's only a moment before that light is gone. There may be a power outing if the rain intensifies.

She turns off the AC and rushes to the window, opening it and letting some chill breeze carrying little rain rush in.

Thunder cracks somewhere high in the skies and the illumination she witnesses is snuffed out in a blink. She's engulfed in total darkness for a second until the backup power brings back the light in the living room.

It's still dark outside. Seyon is somewhere out there.

"Ugh, Seyon is a jerk! So why does my heart bleed for him? Do I still love him? Ugh, CB. That's a thought we mustn't encourage." Her latest thought is nerve wracking. Thiya settles back on the couch, ignoring the way her heart races.

With a way laugh, she cuddles her cockatoo to her chest. Then she sings a lullaby for both of them. CB dozes off first and then she follows suit, drifting off into a dreamless sleep.

***

Gentle rain falls in sheets of silver, illuminated by the streetlights. Seyon drives home, having received his mini birthday treat from Soham. The skies had been clear when they were at the Music Bar, even when he dropped Soham off at his place and drove to Egmore. The winds had been balmy but suddenly turned cold somewhere along the way.

Leaving his car outside, Seyon unlocks the main gate, moves past the small front yard and unlocks the door to the living room, finally stepping onto a dry piece of land.

The power outing then is imminent. He uses his phone's flashlight to guide him to a towel, shrugging off water from his hair and lining his wet shoes near the shoe rack. Turning on a small emergency light, he takes off his partially soaked blazer and heaves a sigh.

Not a soul is around to welcome him home ever since his Amma is gone. Seven years healed his scars. But on nights like these they throb painfully, like the low fi beats slowly but surely driven home.

He wipes his phone dry. Then washes his hands in the sink, unbuttons his shirt and trousers, pulls on a fresh shirt and joggers.

He stuffs a single piece of the Kadalai maavu burfi into his mouth before chuffing the rest into the fridge. Bitterness coats his tongue which intensifies the anguish he feels. The burfis tasted just fine when he was with his friends. Yes, all of the SIT are his friends now except Thiya.

Thiya and I can never be friends. The thought goes in a loop in his head. I was a fool to think we could be. To think everything would work out and that our shared past wouldn't be a hindrance.

The marble floor is cold beneath him as he sits cross-legged in his parents' room. Unlike Thiya's, his place doesn't have a power backup. He never felt the need to arrange it.

Another small, solar-powered emergency light he placed in a corner bathes the room in a dim light. No need to turn on the AC tonight, the rain-laden breeze from the window cools the room that'd otherwise be hot and humid.

His eyes return to the photos lined up against his father's study desk, lingering there for a long time. A single picture of him and his Appa — him in his school uniform and Appa wearing his pristine white navy uniform, both smiling at the camera handled by his Amma. Several framed pictures, each in which he was growing older as he hugged his Amma, as she turned old and frail. Well, she still looks beautiful in the last photograph taken months before her demise. And he looks the same as now. That's from eight years ago.

Seyon tightens his fists. He should've done something then — noticed she was getting sick instead of lamenting his heartbreak and throwing himself into work. The illness was so sudden. Amma and the doctor said it wasn't his fault but it was. And of course, he should suffer.

He takes a deep breath, eyes now drawn to the drawer that has pictures of him and Thiya.

What he's feeling isn't new. It's just an old feeling he buried rising from its grave, rearing its ugly head.

He never felt so alone in years. Not even on his birthdays. Part of the reason it's happening now is Thiya returning to his life.

It's because the living remainder of something beautiful robbed from him dances before his eyes every second of each day. It's because his hands that once held her, now hold empty air.

Everything beautiful dissipates. He thought he and Thiya had a lifetime before their love met that fate. Maybe they didn't. Their love was eternal, following them to their next lives, they believed.

But one day she stopped talking to him. Stopped coming in contact and he'd learnt she left Chennai. The rest just happened. Was it something he did? What did he do... He wanted to ask but the chance never came and now it's too late to ask.

And Amma. He thought they'd be together until they both grew much older. Amma once hinted about her demise and asked him to stay strong. What will you do when I'm gone? Will you cry and lament? Or live your life the way it would make me proud and happy?

He had been miffed with her for bringing such topics for discussion back then. But then she was gone, taken by a sudden illness and he had to put these ideals into practice. Practice tough love and living with hardships.

Seyon swallows a lump in his throat, eyes refocusing on the present. His life without Thiya and Amma is akin to living in darkness, something he's used to. He misses his Appa too but that's an age old sorrow. He thought and hoped these sorrows would grow old too and die but they didn't. He's hardened himself but his humane heart sometimes betrays him and misses their light.

He resigns to his fate, letting one teardrop escape the corner of his eye. That's all he can afford now in this vulnerable moment. He never cried despite the anguish that burned him. Not when his Appa died. Not when Amma followed.

He sighs heavily again, reigning in his emotions. Before he knows he's unlocking the drawer, taking into his hands a picture of himself with Thiya and Amma — his oldest and rarest treasure.

Sleep may evade him tonight. But he will lie on this cold floor, looking at this picture longingly until exhaustion wins over and robs him if consciousness.

Listening to the thunder roaring in the distance, he can tell it's a stormy night — like the one when he and Thiya chased Asterix in rain. Just tonight, he will allow himself to be anguished tomorrow he has a case to solve.

***

I should have moved to the bed. Thiya murmurs, massaging her stiff neck the following morning.

She slept extra but has arrived at the office right on time. 8.30 am. Her antique piece working fine after the latest repair is why. She pats her bike key in the pocket of her jumpsuit with a satisfied smile.

At sharp nine, she's ever the workaholic cop, arriving at hall 57. She was berating herself yesterday but today is a new day. And however it goes, she has a pet to return home to.

The afternoon sun is blazing when the SIT team sets out to meet actress Kavya Krishnan on her movie set, driving by Seyon's car. The feat is a good will gesture the ACP put forth, one they took without whining or arguing.

"I resumed the shoot. Work is worship."

Kavya's visage brightens as she spots Seyon in the SIT group. "Work is also a lovely distraction."

"I agree." Seyon responds, summoning a smile that's familiar and warmer than his usual business smiles.

The rest of the SIT looks on silently. They decided Seyon would interact with Kavya on their behalf earlier. He's better suited for the job, someone she's comfortable enough to open up to.

Seyon allows himself a millisecond to glance around the ornate set built in the vicinity. In the vast open space stands a single two-story bungalow, a garden consisting of grassy paths and potted shrubbery. Orio Studios is a flurry of activity, the props and other actors and crew moving around. Given the ropes and the number of stunt technicians he sees, they are about to film a stunt.

Seyon turns his eyes to Kavya. "In other words, you are coping well?"

"Yes." Kavya bobs her head, bright eyed. Her pale cheeks flush a little. She fidgets with the sleeves of her long sequined bodycon dress that hugs her firm, lithe body. A bead of sweat shines over the center of her forehead. Though shadowed under a large tree next to her caravan, she finds no respite from the heat. She aims a cordial yet slightly seductive smile at Seyon.

"Yes, thank you, inspector. It's kind of you to come check on me."

Soham and Mira also receive the actress' polite smile, though the look she throws at Thiya is somewhat less scathing than usual.

I am the only one she hates. Thiya brushes aside strands of her short hair the breeze has messed up, letting out a mental sigh.

"A friend of mine helps me cope." Kavya's eyes are shining again, golden light glinting off against her dark orbs. "He inspires me so much. I also have Kruthi cheering on me."

"New friend?" Seyon's sharp gaze settles on her.

"Yes, he's a stuntman."

"Stuntman?"

"Yes. In less than two days, we became best buddies. Amazing, right?"

No, it's suspicious. Seyon wants to say but holds his tongue. Kavya calls out to a young man passing by, her stuntman friend, who's none other than Aran!

"Aran?"

Aran salutes Seyon. He isn't a guy to fidget. Sweat beading his forehead is the result of the heat, not nervousness. Seyon stands before that amicable smile pushing aside his unease.

"Hello, Inspector."

"You are working as a stuntman, Aran?"

"Sometimes. It pays me well, sir. How long will I let professor Arindam suffer for my sake?"

The SIT watches the shooting for a few hours, monitoring the movements of Aran. Nobody speaks of the new conundrum when suddenly Seyon receives a call from the ACP. A quick talk, and he faces his team.

"Another meeting with our boss after so long .We have to go, all four of us."

"Go? Leaving Aran and Kavya at the same place, unmonitored?"

"Well, Kavya has her security team plus new guards from the police force." Seyon points to a group of men in mufti following Kavya close by as she enters a building. "But yes as the ones who must solve the case. If only we have a trustworthy aide who can help us..."

"Luckily we have one," Thiya says looking at her phone. "I just received a message this morning. My friend Ulla is back."

"Ulla Fredericks?" Seyon nods appreciatively, recalling to mind the slightly burly, loud-mouthed female inspector from second division, another of Thiya's friends. "What a life saver."

His words, delivered with a snicker are laced with slight sarcasm which Thiya doesn't miss, but lets it slide. She won't hold it against him. She won't waste her efforts that way. Now is the time to double the effort with respect to the case.

***

"What does this mean?" Soham's voice rings in Seyon's car. The group is enroute to the CBCID complex, traversing through their usual route. Seyon is at the wheel as usual, Thiya next to him. Soham and Mira are content with the backseats.

"Aran being here can't be a coincidence," Seyon grips the wheel tighter as the car pulls out of a busy Y-junction.

"How can he perform stunts?" says Soham. "He didn't train in martial arts. We didn't find any information that he did."

"He should have kept his details hidden or have produced fake experience. Or maybe this is a challenge he intends to win." Mira chimes in. "It's a risk for himself and others."

Seyon glances sideways at Thiya and finds her preoccupied with her phone. When he prods, she tells him what is distracting her.

"Dr Shah's text message says Asterix picks a death date based on a math formula."

Seyon barks a laugh. "Sounds crazy but anything's possible."

"Isn't Aaron more into astrophysics and stuff like that?"

"There is no physics without math."

They return to the office. The ACP has assigned them to clear first division's paper work dues. Now, when they are neck deep in an investigation... Despite ther irritation, everyone without wasting time, positions themselves at their desks and turning on their computers. Ulla is acting as their substitute. They have to relieve her soon for she will also have duties to attend.

The paper work sorted, Thiya prints the statistics Dr Shah sent her and distributes the copies among her colleagues. (Again, the printer is courtesy of Soham. This time, he procured it after appealing to the higher ups.) The group catches their breath for a moment at the same time as looking at the document.

"Hmm, based on this the date is close?"

Seated in his swivel chair, legs crossed at the knees, Seyon rubs his temples with one hand. His other clutches the paper Thiya gave him. It could be the heat. His head hurts ever so slightly owing to his last night musing. Those worries do haunt him but not when he's in duty mode. The same applies to all of SIT. They are all fully in duty mode, including Thiya

"Or he could make his move prior to this date. I for one don't stick to schedules." Soham leans forward in his chair.

Thiya and Mira pour some iced mint tea for all.

The fax machine beeps just then. First document out of the latest machine he installed this morning — the excitement is clear on Soham's face as he retrieves the document. He's soon frowning reading its contents.

"This is what Kavya should be talking about," he murmurs and passes the document around.

The message is brief. Official orders with the ACP's stiff signature at the bottom. According to the special recommendation from actress Kavya Krishnan, a word put in by her PA, Kruthi, the SIT is relieved of their night duties at the actress' mansion.

"She's letting us free. This is sudden." Soham eyes his companions and finds that Seyon is in deep thoughts. Mira and Thiya are frowning. "Should we be glad that we are relieved of our night duties?"

"Not really." Seyon replies, though he's thoughtful, "if Aran is our asterix and Kavya is his target, we shouldn't leave them alone."

He tucks the document Thiya gave him into a file, only after crossing out most of the words with his waterproof ink pen and making most of the contents illegible. He leaves a few highlights, symbols which are legible only to him. Old school police trick he learnt from his mentor.

"I have an idea." He faces Soham and the rest of the SIT who take their seats. "Aran won't try something in the middle of the shoot. That wasn't the pattern. He won't go for the kill if he's a fan of symmetry and does things based on a number series formula. But anything is possible. Which is why we'll patrol the studios in pairs. Work in day and night shifts between us, and keep an eye on Kavya. We'll convince her and I'm sure she will let us."

"Yeah, that's what we need to do, Sey. Though it sounds too exhausting."

Soham's heavy sigh echoes in the quiet. The SIT stays in hall 57 long enough for a tea break.

***

Another quick review of the security arrangements at the film set, the SIT watches Kavya give yet another outdoor shot for at least an hour. They stand away from the crew under the shade of a tree until the director yells cut and they get to approach her.

Seeing Kavya dressed in a pencil trouser, a slim fit shirt, the holster at her belt makes Seyon think she is portraying a spy in the movie.

Kavya, immersed in her acting, hasn't noticed the SIT. She now faces them, wide eyed.

"You're back again? I believe I told you I am in no need of your guarding services anymore. That was a bizarre request by my parents anyway. You are free to find the slasher and perform your duties."

"That's what we are doing," Seyon takes a step forward so he's looking the actress in the eye. "We need to be around you if we want to catch the slasher. You're his target, remember? We think the slasher could be a crew member."

"What?" Kavya appears shocked at first then joy seeps into her facial features. Or perhaps it is resignation. "So it is close? Anything can happen during the shoot? I could die?"

Seyon looks down briefly. Then looks at Kavya with serious eyes. "It's possible. I won't want you to look at every crew member with suspicion but you need to keep your guard up."

Kavya breaks into a smile. There isn't a hint of tremor in her voice. Gone is the actress that cried and clung to Seyon the other night. "Thank you, officer. I'm not afraid. My friend has inspired me, you know? All my fears have vanished. I'll be fearless and just do my job. I need to be in a perfect mindset and body to fulfil this role, you know?"

"I can see you're quite the passionate actress." Seyon smiles as he delivers the slight praise. "And this friend of yours is incredible if he can inspire that much positivity in you. Is it Aran?"

Kavya nods almost immediately. Thiya narrows her eyes at the woman. Has Kavya shifted her eyes from Seyon to Aran? She has been nothing but formal the past few days. Using the terms officer inspector and never uttering Seyon's name. What happened? This is a pretty abrupt shift but it's for the better. Seyon is older than her and isn't Aran a bit younger?

It still relieves me that... Oh what am I thinking? She clears her thoughts just as Seyon's discussion with Kavya nears the end.

"Good luck performing your day and night duties, inspector. I'm most likely to spend my day in the caravan in the studios and nights at a hotel suite not far from here. When I'm on a filming break, that is. I won't be going home."

Kavya says, and is called away by a crew member. The SIT watches the shooting while keeping her under their guard for the next while. Seyon then decides Soham and Mira will keep watch during the day.

"Let's go, Thiya."

Thiya follows his words and they drive to the CID office in his car.

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