Second Chance (Vol.1) Squandered

39: Spinoff - Mumbai - Flu's 7th year with Clu

(Hi - Parts 31-39 are on the spinoff characters Clu and Flu. Aditya enters their lives in part 34. To continue with the AdiYa story jump to part 41- yours truly MissWW)

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As they walked away from the train station, Flu clearly heard some girl call out, "Aditya". She looked around. All around her people continued walking. Adi himself had walked ahead without stopping. Again she looked around. Nothing. Anyways crowds disoriented her. She quickly joined the other 4 calling out to her impatiently.

Flu heard the same voice again in the mall in the evening next day calling out, "Aditya" but Adi did not react. She looked around when she heard it again. No one! Had she imagined it?

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Early next morning Aditya came to Clu's home with all his baggage. He said he would leave it at their place and he was going away some place on work for few days. Though this was strange Clu and Flu did not comment. They just let him stay and asked him no questions as he seemed to be in a foul mood. Clu called Aman for details. Adi had left the hotel because some local authority was questioning the hotel staff about Adi's whereabouts.

Same day in the afternoon, Clu introduced Chief Detective Henri Gustave to Adi. Clu called him Croco short for crocodile. Clu asked Adi to listen calmly to what Croco had to say.

Flu did not have the courage to add that she had asked Croco to find out how Adi's family was coping with his absence back home which had resulted in a chaos of sorts.

Croco: I have a friend in Mumbai, Manish Shukla. He is a lawyer and also a detective. He uses the alias Ghaffur for his detective profession.

Adi visibly tensed up when he heard the name Ghaffur.

Croco: (continued) He works for your father Mr. Hooda. He had requested me to help him with a missing person search 5 months ago. Contract with Miss Chloe B___ does not permit me to accept other cases so I gave him contacts of few best detectives I know here. But every week he asks me to personally look into his case. Yesterday I needed some help in India but he forced me to first solve his case and forced me with the details and photographs of the missing person.

Adi got up to leave the room looking daggers at Clu and Flu.

Croco: (warily) Son wait! Listen!

Adi made to leave. Clu and Flu shot off their couch to stop him.

Croco summoning all the authority of his old Field Marshall days commanded Adi to sit down where he was. Adi did not seem to care.

Croco: (with more quiet ice and steel in his command) Young man! Do not make me repeat this! Sit down!

The cold ice in Croco's voice sent a chill down all 3 spines. Adi sat down. Clu and Flu also sat down. They had never seen this facet of Croco ever in their decade or more of acquaintance. Flu wondered if they could ever call him Croco to his face again.

Croco: (continued) Mr. Aditya Hooda do you know that your mother is just days away from clinical depression?

Adi was shocked. Croco hadn't said it but Adi could feel it in the tone of his voice. Or was it just his guilt complex acting  up. Adi was an irresponsible self-centred man all over again.

Croco: (continued) 45 minutes ago, I updated Manish of your whereabouts and I have news for you. Your family has gone missing. You must leave for Mumbai immediately.

Adi: Seriously! You think I will believe that! (flippantly) I do not believe you!

Croco: Please check the flash news on all Mumbai News Channels.