As the morning birds chirp against the backdrop of blossoming neem trees and the summer sun steadily warming up, Seyon exits Egmore's Government Super Specialty Hospital. His thoughts revolve around his talks with Kruthi as he moves towards his car. He has new theories about the slasher. But at this point, they are only theories.

***

The dress was unlike anything Thiya Arun wore. She'd donned various outfits — modern to traditional, Kanchipuram sarees to dungarees and jumpsuits. Skirts and blouson tops. But this had an oomph factor they lacked.

She picked the most random outfit Kavya Krishnan threw at her the other day. That, and the oversized goggles, she was the perfect body double.

The chain of events was surreal. Seyon proposed Kavya needed a body double. Everybody approved. Even the ACP. And she fit in the bill.

Her body structure and height were just about right. Slim-waisted, and a thin frame of five-seven. The difference in hairstyle wouldn't matter, Seyon said.

Kavya was hesitant about the idea of having a body double but jumped on the wagon, knowing it was Seyon's. She still is bummed that someone like Thiya Arun is her body double, though. She wants someone better suited.

'She is a jealous chick.' Ramya put it bluntly the other day when Thiya had the pleasure of catching up with things inside the cafeteria over a cup of coffee. 'You must still consider this whole situation as a plus dear. This proves you're as beautiful as an actress.'

Beauty. Thiya knows it comes in varied shapes and forms and skin tones. Beauty is inner radiance, nothing else. One must consciously project it outwards and they'd be the most beautiful person ever.

Beauty is how one carries oneself. But of course, what happened is still a compliment on its own. Just, it is hard to see the USP especially when Seyon is outside the changing room's door, waiting.

Kavya threw her clothes that looked unused, unloved. Some had wrinkles, but they still smelt clean. The actress allotted a bedroom on the first floor where Thiya could change.

"Are you done?" comes Seyon's voice from behind the closed door of the room. "It's been twenty minutes."

This is it. Thiya steps out of the room, dressed in the least gaudy outfit, conscious of his eyes on her the moment she is in his field of vision.

Seyon doesn't accompany her each day. Thanks to her being Kavya's body double, she's performing night duty each night. Soham and Meera join her on other days when Seyon doesn't. And when Seyon is with her, he doesn't take his eyes off her.

The scenario repeats today. Does she look odd? That doesn't seem to be the case. He seems mesmerised and the look in his eyes when he thinks she isn't looking his way is simply...

No, no. Clear the unnecessary cache, Thiya. Free your brain's memory so it can function optimally.

The stalwart cop she is, Thiya madly desires to focus on the case each day, but situations such as these are distracting enough.

Seyon observes his companion as she rubs her exposed arms. He can guess what's running through her head. Thiya has always been an easy read. She's wondering why must Kavya throw the gaudiest outfits there are, why the AC temperature be set to freezing cold. Whatever her complaints are, he thinks she's beautiful and the outfit suits her. The gaudiness can be cut down, though.

They descend the stairs to the ground floor. Again, Seyon looks at the stunning beauty in the room. They are alone in the expensive lobby, and though surrounded by scintillating art and decor, his eyes are pulled towards the lady.

That blue chiffon midi dress is a terrible choice; her legs must feel cold. Thiya has never had a good reception to the chill. Though she's stubborn as a buck, he worries for her. She's accompanying everyone back-to-back on night duties. He can only pray she doesn't collapse.

Though unprofessional, he advises her to 'get some shut-eye while her partner keeps an eye out on surroundings.'

Thiya quips he doesn't need to play her bodyguard. Seyon laughs. Is she making fun of me? She is even more beautiful when she laughs.

"Sure, I'd play the bodyguard if you'd want me to. I don't mind if it means you get some sleep. You should ask the others to do the same." He turns away, knowing well Thiya caught a glimpse of his bashfulness.

What he said sounded like... He'd never been bashful before. Even during their time together, he had been mostly forthcoming. Ahem.

He silences his thoughts with a cough, unaware the same thought is running through Thiya's mind.

Seyon is bashful? That's rare. The other day too when he said he'd pray for her to not have nightmares...

Catching the zees here isn't a bad idea. Duty is important, but back-to-back night duties might lead to burnout. Thiya finds the plush L sofa, the AC set at the lowest, uncomfortable enough. But then there is Seyon's soothing yet frustrating company.

A part of her acknowledges and appreciates the protective streak of his. He has always been a caring and protective boyfriend. So then what went wrong? She has all night to muse on the topic and hasn't. He didn't even have a snarky retort in response to her bodyguard quip but there came none. She can't say she isn't touched and is tongue-tied at the moment.

***

The following morning the CBCID office is the same when Thiya wanders into the lobby. Seyon left her outside Kavya's home in the morning. She had a peaceful night's sleep, thanks to him, but it was still surprising she slept. Then she went home, refreshed herself, and fed her beloved cockatoo.

Soham and Mira stand wearing pensive frowns inside hall 57. They have news: someone broke into the office and stole stuff. The door to hall 57 was ajar this morning. They checked the CC cams and found they were expertly turned off for a while the theft happened.

Scandalous, Thiya murmurs, just as Seyon arrives and mutters the same, having heard of what happened. Her sketchbook and the notes she left atop her desk are the only things that went missing.

"I forgot to take them for one night and someone stole them? It shouldn't have happened when the main door to hall 57 is locked."

Seyon and the others stare at Thiya, each in deep thought. They collectively decide to question Kanmani, the sweeper. A little interrogation; she confesses. She collaborated with an unknown youth, handed him the only stuff she found in hall 57 — Thiya's sketchbook and notes.

The culprit didn't put in a personal visit. The request came through an envelope bearing her name the other day — delivered by a pigeon. Kanmani, who couldn't read names written in English, handed it to a nearby officer and was surprised when he pointed out it was for her. A handwritten note with instructions and cash were inside. She had to steal the notebooks or files from the SIT officers and leave them among the books in the public library.

"A pigeon? Public library? How anticlimactic." Soham appears disgruntled. "What are the chances of cc cams inside the library that could provide us with a clue? The culprit made himself untraceable."

Thiya's notebook isn't unique to be identified among piles of books in the library. Even if the books are RF tagged, even if the culprit picks the said notebook, identifying him is an uphill task. Following this lead could be tedious. Seyon would say — this was done to backtrack them from the case and actual work.

Kanmani trembles under the SIT officers' stern glare, her frail old shoulders shaking, wrinkled eyes filled with unshed tears. "I only did this for my ailing son! I needed cash!"

The other SIT officers' expressions soften. Thiya snorts. "Stealing is a crime. Involving a sweeper in need of money and the public library? The slasher guy thinks he's tacky. Cheap moves, honestly. Kanmani, you are a culprit in all of this, regardless of your reasons."

Kanmani trains her gaze on Thiya, who switches her language to Tamil.

"I will report this incident to our superiors. You did that for money?" A sharp look in her eyes, Thiya shakes her head. "You should've thought twice about what it could cost us! Or what it will cost you. They will remove you from your job. I will recommend they do."

Seyon, Soham and Mira send her troubled glances. Thiya doesn't budge.

"What?" She crinkles her nose. "You guys have softened by her tears and drama? It's only my sketchbook now. Keep her on the job and she will leak more potential evidence. That could drastically affect the investigations in this complex."

The others cannot condemn what she said. In the deepest corner of their hearts, they think she did the right thing, though it's cruel.

***

Seyon arrives in the CBCID parking lot that evening. His day passed with assisting the ACP with his meetings, summarising old cases—no effort towards unearthing a clue on the slasher case.

Soham and Mira worked on the symposium preps. The night duty is their responsibility today. I'll go home, rethink my strategy with a calm mind.

The parking lot is empty at half past seven, or so Seyon thinks, until he hears Thiya's voice. Whirling around, he finds her talking to Kanmani at some distance.

Kanmani receives a swollen envelope. Seyon wonders if it's got money.

"Keep it," Thiya speaks Tamil. "Do reach out if you need more. I will see if I can help. There's a job at a school near my home. They are looking for a janitor. Find me this Sunday. I will see that you get this job."

Kanmani breaks into tears of relief. Or gratitude, to be precise. Thiya notices Seyon's presence only after the sweeper is gone, blinks and turns away.

Her antique scooter starts on the first kick. Seyon stares at her as she gets further and further away riding her scooter. This is how Thiya Arun is, he thinks, lips stretched into a soft smile, hard on the outside, but soft inside.

When he'd first met her, when she tore that book and swore she would make him pay... When they split the payment at the cashier in the bookstore, he thought she was quite the villainess. Feisty was her surname.

Then he discovered she was quite a sensitive soul deep down, about the things she cared about. Sherry Maran's novel was one of them. Thiya loved her books. She loved the exotic birds and other things she grew up with. She loved her parents and later... she loved him. Seyon's line of thoughts fills him with bitterness, with what he recollected. But the warmth that comes from the fact that she hasn't changed wins over. Thiya didn't change at all. Helping Kanmani is proof. But if nothing else changed, then her love for him — he can't afford to ruminate this way anymore.

***

The days after that are peaceful. Thiya makes security arrangements in and around hall 57. The tech junkie she is, she attaches a door lock to the front door and readies an answering machine that unlocks with the SIT members' fingerprints — one they can use to exchange voiced messages.

Seyon, Soham and Mira stare in awe at the sparkling black machine the size of a printer sitting atop Thiya's desk. Save for the several buttons and the speaker on top, it is a printer. There's also an aux input to plug in a jack. Thiya explains the device's usage.

"This is so no one can steal our data. I connected the "voice machine" as I named it, to my laptop over the hotspot from my mobile. Since our slasher is also hi-tech, I avoided our office Wi-Fi. Well, it's my old phone. So I can run it as a modem with zero issues. However, we must ensure its battery doesn't die. You guys can charge the phone too... and we can keep the network going."

Seyon and the others nod, eyes glued to the voice machine.

"The record button is to record your messages, and the save button is to save. Use the play button to play the recorded, unheard messages. The 1TB memory is plenty for just voice messages. Also, if you see this LED turning yellow and blinking, it means there's an unread message. You can listen to the message by unlocking it using your palm print. I've put in all our palm prints so no one else will access them. Oh, if you wanna be supersecretive listening to the messages then you can plug in your earphones in the aux-in. Um, sorry, but no Bluetooth function."

Thiya stands before the cupboard in the south corner next. Newly arranged by Soham, it has an electronic lock. Now it unlocks only with the palm prints of the SIT members. She turns her attention to everyone's desk drawers. Within an hour, they too have electronic locks which unlock with fingerprints.

"I feel like I'm in a sci-fi movie."

Now seated on his chair, Seyon hears Soham's bedazzled utterance, Mira's high praise, and chuckles noiselessly. Thiya Arun is something. She even put the calm and collected Mira Tanvesh in an excitable mood.

***

Short chapter. TBC in the next. 

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