Dedicated to@musk_g for being the first one to vote on my book

Heartfelt gratitude to@MozibulMilon for being the first one to comment on the book

special thanks to @samraddhi for her read and vote:)

Chapter 2

Clues OR Puzzles

She laughed like a maniac

So loud that the flashy neon printed white bus filled with tourists were staring at her.

"Oh my God!" she finally rested wiping the tears from her eyes "it is so funny. Look at your face." She said.

"Relax man that was for the shoot. I know you were never interested in me. You did not even share your name with me" she was on a talking spree "and where did you disappear after the shoot? Nobody saw you and even our scene where you were proposing me were deleted from the series. Too bad!" she said meaning it.

"That means even you don't know my name?" he asked.

"No I am sorry. But... why.. I mean you can always share your name with me."

He was thinking hard trying to remember her or the incident

Was he an actor?

When she didn't get any reaction from him said   "lets do it formally this time." she extended her hand "hi there...I am ouuccch!" Her name was interrupted with sudden brakes of the bus and she was pushed over him "sorry" she apologised embarrassed.

"It's alright" he smiled "Hi" he greeted back "I am ummm... " he shrugged "doesn't matter"

The spaces between her brows knitted together when he said "the best thing is we are together now. Lets make the most of it" Let me find out who I am he thought to himself.

"What are you intending?" she squinted her eyes at him.

"I mean," he said carefully phrasing his words in his head "we both are tourists here. Both of us know each other yet are strangers. And look what destiny has done." He paused.

She clapped her hands excitedly "I get where this is going." the bounce in her toes said it all "we live each day while we are here right like some kind of Hollywood cliché" she extended her hand "like friends?"

He smiled "like friends" alien to the emotion that he felt.

"So how long did you stay?" he asked trying to keep the conversation alive, his thirst to know about himself increasing every passing second.

"For a week" she answered immediately "so are you right? She asked not expecting an answer "trip ends in Florida and from there I will be taking flight to uh huh" she paused a mischievous glint in her eye "we are not supposed to disclose our identities"

"Damn right" he said confidently "but I was asking about your stay where we met for the first time?"

"Oh Peru?" understanding hitting her "that was one hell of a trip. The shooting got cancelled. They did not even pay us. Thank god we had taken our tickets in advance or we'd been stuck in that country for a long long time" then her inquisitive got over her "between how was it with you? Were you paid?"

"Me? Nah" when he realized his answer was unconvincing he added "was really hell of a trip"

"You bet" she said suddenly comfortable since they shared the same professions she felt "yeah especially the terror attack that happened the same night in the hotel."

"Terror attack?" the shock in his voice was subdued by the sudden breaks that the bus driver had pushed and she leaned into him, he could smell the familiar jasmine body lotion with the proximity.

"Excuse me" she apologized and composed herself.

He wished that he did not give up on the fact that he remembered nothing. All he could do was drill and ask her few more questions.

"Why you don't know?" she appeared suspicious all of a sudden, "we all were so scared. Probably the crew dispersed early only because of that attack." Doubt was crippling and finding its way in her now "where were you? Last I remember the entire crew stayed in the same hotel"

"...Me?' a sudden discomfort of being caught tinted his cheeks but he quickly composed himself and felt proud of himself for thinking quickly "I went clubbing that night, reached the hotel late, completely wasted. So I remember nothing"

"That explains it all." She laughed "but then did you not hear anything the other day?" she asked.

"I was wasted and my agent was yelling at me. I did not get half of it other than to drag my sorry ass back home." He explained all lies in best possible way. "I don't even remember the name of the hotel" he said.

"Oh you don't" she laughed "that bad hangover. It was Bayview in Lima

A sudden halt in the bus alerted her and she stood quickly "must be lunch break" she looked at her watch "yep it is. Come on I am starving" she took a beeline for the exit.

"Hey you coming?" she turned around looking at him.

He noticed the uniformed tour n travel guy checking her wristband before letting her into the pre-booked eatery.

He feared being caught.

More than that he though he'd had enough information from the girl already.

"I am not hungry" he told the attendant.

'Still you cannot stay in here. The bus is going for a wash." The attendee shouted back.

"Okay man" he raised his hands up "I will be out soon."

"Where is your band?" the guy asked.

"Oh the belt was tight" he was ready with the excuse "its in my pocket" he put his hands in his pocket and the attendant believed him

'Did the trick' he thought to himself.

The urge to go after the girl whose name he didn't knew was strong and he was hungry too but when he noticed another de maître checking their ids again he stopped himself.

"Hey man" he called the attendant "what is the name of lady who left before me?"

"Which lady are you talking about?" he asked

"The fair one, green eyes, blonde hair just left for lunch." He tried to explain.

"Are you talking about the actress Flair?" the attendant asked

"Flair yes" he smiled "Do you  know her?"

"Not really." The guy with tag of Conner denied immediately "actually I overheard her talking about some shooting so was curious and asked about her."

"You have seen her in movies?" he asked Conner.

"Nah man, she only does small roles in some tele series. She got a major break though, a lead character in some Netflix series. She was pretty excited about it." Conner said happily "promised to invite me over shooting some day. Cool right"

"Really cool man" he patted on his shoulder.

"How do you know her?" Conner asked "you two seemed pretty friendly."

"Just met here at the tour and we clicked" he lied. He did not have much to share if he asked for more.

"Did you join the tour half way?" Conner asked, "I haven't seen you before."

"Yeah just today." He lied again.

He did not like it. He was building lies after lies but could he be blamed. He was completely clueless about himself and he did not know whom to reach to find his lost identity.

A ray of hope kindled in him when Flair identified him but she too had met him only once and did not know his name.

If he were acting or were in a play he was supposed to be an actor and actors were f##king popular but no one knew him.

He had even put in his picture in Google search on the computer at the hospital that he managed to sneak in but there were no results.

"Hey man" he called the attendant "I kind of lost my belt" he lifted his wrist to show his empty hand; the band was never there.

"first day and you already you're your belt "Conner gave a dispapointed look "No problem." Conner masked his expression immediately "all you have to do is pay some fine and get your name ticked with a signature that you have reissued one and you are good to go"

He knew his name was missing in the register.

He couldn't risk that. Neither did he have enough money to join the trip

So with hands in his pockets he walks away.

He could have waited for Flair and ask her further but he decided against it.

He however knew his next step.

He will have to go to Peru.

But first he will have to earn money to reach Peru.

Now who'd be willing to hire a person who knows absolutely nothing?

Hell he even doesn't know about his skills and abilities.

He walked through the crowded streets of the city trying to grab in as much information as humanly possible and trying to remember if he'd ever been to that place ever.

But all those places seemed anonymous to him.

He does not remember a bit.

A strong urge to go back to that tourist bus and join Flair provoked inside him but he let it slide.

Anyways the bus might have left and although he knew that bus was supposed to stop at the city museum but he wasn't sure of the timing. Neither did he find wisdom in risking playing tourist again.

He went to a local stationery mart and picked a book and a pen.

He counted the few coins left after the purchase.

He really needs to look for a job.

Yet he locates an empty stone bench in the nearby park and seats himself.

Uncapping the ballpoint pen he scribbles on the blank notebook, the smell of fresh paper reminding him of something, something he could not figure.

That memory stirs a little bit of nervousness in him.

It is like he is doing something he is desperate about.

He was thinking hard and then realized that he'd been always nervous of tests and the blank paper reminded him of his tests.

So taking a deep breath he opened a new page and wrote a number 1 with a hash followed by Educated.

He checked his hands and fingers. 'no ring there neither the mark of ring' he informed himself and then scribbled on the book 2# unmarried.

He stared at two words long and hard but they were not enough.

He wanted to know more about himself.

He felt lost in the abyss of anonymity and did not know how to come out of it.

He closed the notebook, took a deep breath and picked the discarded newspaper that was left by the ex-occupant of the chair.

He realized that the visitor was a middle aged business man, he noticed the leather office shoe marks on the red mud ground, the economic times column was folded and left it there. He might be in hurry because he was reading the paper thoroughly even marked few things related to market inflation.

Dismissing his findings he shifted to the want column of the newspaper.

Most of the advertisements were asking for post of senior executive or simple managers with a compulsory requirement of experience which even if he had he doesn't remember. He was aware he wouldn't be able to get the recommendations.

There were offers for nannies, which didn't need any experience nor recommendations, but he wasn't sure if he was good with kids

Few of sales representatives did catch his attention and he circled them with his pen but didn't know how to reach them.

With limited money in his pockets he wasn't sure if he could buy his lunch or use payphones to call the job places.

Taking a deep sigh he stood up to maneuver the streets of the city and find out if there was vacancy.

A loud shrill of the child took his notice. He rushed to the play area to find out that a mask man was abducting a child and his mother was crying for help.

He quickly reached the area and assessed the situation.

The mask man wasn't a professional, he wasn't poor either, he was a corporate worker and his nicely ironed pleated trousers spoke volumes.

The way he warned off the mother, his voice had no determination; he rather looked himself scared, shifting between the toes and gun in his hands, which he was sure he wasn't holding correctly

Shame though it was although clear that he was holding the gun for first time.

He wondered if he'd ever fired a shot

However that could be even hazardous for it might be risky for others too "get your husband to pay the ransom or your son will die," he barked with no tempo in his voice.

Yes definitely an amateur

"Hey listen" he called "the boy is only a kid. Don't do that"

"And you are?" the child abductor now directed the gun towards him.

Lifting both his hands in the air in submission he said, "look I am nobody but I intended to help."

"you intend to help?" the mask man gave a thoughtful glare and then all of a sudden dropped his hand on the ground and gave a shot.

The loud shot took attention of all other visitors of the park and soon there was havoc and panic everyone running helter and shelter.

"Please" the blond mother begged "please don't harm my baby. My husband will give you whatever you want" she muffled her cries "I promise"

"I know he will" mask man nodded again placing the gun on the boys head making the child scream "MOM" the innocent child cried harder "I am scared mom"

"Mom's right here baby." His mom cooed "I will save you. Don't worry" the crying woman begged again 'Please leave him."

"Not so soon " the mask man shouted, "I need my money first. Call your husband and ask him to get one million and your son will be free"

"But.. but one million" the shock evident on woman's face "how is..."

Before she could finish another shot was fired "booom" but this time it did scratch the woman's feet."

Two shots were fired; third one might not have luck in their favor.

"I am calling... I am calling" the woman shrieked, her hands trembling as she called her husband.

He now knew he will have to do something.

He pointed behind the mask man with his left hand "oh no police"

The mask man panicked and turned around to confirm and that was when he took the opportunity to hop on his shoulders.

Taken by surprise the mask man lost his hold on the boy who sprinted towards his mother immediately.

In another swift motion he wrapped his elbow around the mask man's neck and pulled the gun from the gunman's grip and disarmed him.

Soon like typical movies the cops arrived once the deed were done and threat neutralized.

A middle-aged semi bald man too arrived huffing and panting like he'd run a marathon.

It did not take him much time to recognize that the middle aged man who had lost his hair in a very young age; a clear indicator that he ran a vast business empire and was always stressed was boy's father, he shared same green eyes as that of his father, his Armani suit said he was rich and the crease of fear and worry showed he'd sprinted as soon as he got the news.

If all that wasn't clear the way he hugged the boy and the blonde lady together there was no doubt in his assumption.

"My wife just told me that you saved my son" the Armani suit guy stretched his hand towards him "I am Tom Hughman"

Some bells were ringing in his head are you the owner of famous Hughman brand of men clothing?" he asked skeptically shocked at his own memory.

Tom chuckled pride evident on his wide smile of making a local brand by his dad a name today "that must be me" he firmly shook his hand wondering that his huge status had made the rescuer of his child awestruck

Wherein the guy was awestruck at the part of his memory that remembered the brand name Hughman "was he finally getting his memory back?.... ' he thought