The Cosmic Clues by Manjiri Prabhu Page B

Inspector Divekar observed.
    They were all now sitting, facing each other, almost as if they were ready to begin a game or a drama. Like something was about to happen. The impression was so powerful that Sonia felt strangely excited. It was odd and most mystifying. What exactly did Jeevan Uncle have in mind? Her gaze shifted to Revati. A pretty girl, in jeans and a green T-shirt, slim and fair-skinned, with hair swept up in a ponytail, looking young and vulnerable. She was leaning on the arm of her mother's sofa, her eyes restlessly darting to the wall clock and then seeking those of Gaurav. But her friend sat, his head bent, his gaze fixed on an invisible spot on the red carpet. Gaurav interested Sonia. Of medium build, dusky with a becoming stubble, his quiet reserve instantly placed him as an outsider. But at the same time, he was comfortable enough to completely ignore her presence in the house. . . .
    Pradnya Joshi laughed. “It's a night for ghost stories!”
    “Don't, Aunty!” Revati exclaimed. “Please, no ghost stories!”
    “No need to get hyper, Reva,” Mrs. Tupay admonished her daughter. “Here's the coffee. Thank you, Kaki.” She smiled at the sari-clad housekeeper. “Did you give some to Sushil?”
    “Oh yes, he's sitting right there, having it.” Kaki indicated with her head.
    For the first time, Sonia noticed that there was another person in the hall. A thin, dark figure sat unobtrusively in a shadowed corner of the hall. It was the manner in which he held his mug, in an awkward grip—as if it might fall off any minute—that most puzzled her. He appeared to be staring straight ahead of him, into the wall.
    “What do you do, Sonia?” Mr. Tupay broke into her reflections.
    “Sonia and Jatin run a detective agency,” Inspector Divekar explained. “And, to say the least, it's not an ordinary agency. The interesting part is that Sonia's an Astrologer, too. She uses her knowledge in her cases!”
    “How unique!” Pradnya exclaimed warmly.
    “Yes, isn't it?” Inspector Divekar continued. “And she's really good with her predictions although reading the future is not her profession!”
    Sonia waited without speaking, patiently and vigilantly. Her sixth sense told her that Jeevan Uncle was treading a slow and deliberate path in a preordained direction. She only had to bide her time, wait for the Inspector to unwrap his purpose, and watch out for the next cue. Which came soon enough.
    “I have my horoscope in my drawer, would you mind reading it, please?” young Revati asked, her voice a peculiar combination of request and appeal.
    “Really, Revati . . .” her mother began.
    Sonia flashed the Inspector a glance and noted the almost imperceptible nod. “Well, to be honest, I don't usually do this kind of a thing. However, tonight can be an exception.” She smiled at the girl.
    “Oh great!” Revati exclaimed. “Thanks a ton! I'll be right back!”
    “I'd like mine read, too,” Pradnya spoke up.
    “Get all the horoscopes!” Inspector Divekar called after Revati. He turned to Sonia with a slow half wink.
    In a trice, Revati was back. She handed a bunch of booklets to Sonia and settled down.
    “It's really good of you to do this, but . . .” Mr. Tupay demurred, but the Inspector raised a hand.
    “Relax, Ritesh. This is simply for fun and it will hone Sonia's skills, won't it,
beti
?”
    Sonia laughed non-committally. “Before I begin, I ought to tell you the rule. Never lie to the Doctor and Astrologer! Like I say very often to my clients, a horoscope is an X-ray of a person. It can tell a lot. Astrology is a science but I combine it with intuition. So if a prediction is correct, no matter what it is, you have to admit it. Sometimes facts—well-guarded secrets—come to the surface. You have to make a clean breast of them. There's no point continuing with this if any one of you is planning to play a hide-and-seek game,” Sonia remarked in a professional voice, softening the words with