The Girl In Room 105[CHAPTER 34]
Chapter 34
Three months later
‘A little higher,’ I said.
The carpenter and his assistant raised the sign above the shop by six inches. I read it out loud.
‘Z Detectives’.
Saurabh had suggested the name of our new agency. We had rented a small, hundred-square feet shop in Malviya Nagar. We had also created a webpage and social media accounts for Z Detectives.
‘Tell me again the logic behind that name?’ I said, sitting on one of the two wooden chairs in our agency.
‘Z is the last letter of the alphabet. The ultimate one. Like Z class security given to VVIPs is the ultimate one. Sounds cool too,’ Saurabh said.
‘That’s why you called it Z?’ I said, one eyebrow up.
‘You are a detective too, figure it out,’ Saurabh said.
I smiled.
‘I never liked her at first, for what she did to you. But I realise she was human after all. And it is she who led us to a new path in life. She deserves this little tribute,’ Saurabh said.
‘Thank you,’ I said, and ruffled Saurabh’s hair.
‘Now, how can we have a shop opening without any sweets? Wait, I will call this new mithai shop. You have to try their jalebis.’
‘So you have a detective agency on the side?’ Carl Jones, senior VP at CyberSec asked me. I sat in their office in Gurgaon, which had a pollution-tinted view of the metro track outside.
‘Yes. My friend Saurabh and I started it. We had helped the police on the Zara Lone case. Just enjoy it as a hobby. He is also interviewing with you, by the way.’
‘We heard about the Zara case. The IIT girl, right? Anyway, we are a cyber-security firm. Investigation skills can only help us.’
‘We have no formal investigation skills as such.’
‘So, what do you think helped you solve the case?’
‘Just a curious and open mind, without any prejudice. And an attitude of never giving up.’
‘Just those qualities can get you quite far. Not just for a case, but even in life,’ Carl said.
‘Thank you, sir. I am also learning that.’
‘Still, I want to know your thinking. Tell me how exactly did you go about solving the case.’
‘Yes?’ Chandan said.
Saurabh and I were in his office, facing him. He was checking the accounts sheets on his desk, and not looking up.
‘We need to talk to you,’ Saurabh said.
‘I don’t have time. And what are you doing here? Go teach.’
‘We are quitting,’ I said. ‘We have another offer. From a leading cyber-security firm.’
‘And we get to solve cases on the side too,’ Saurabh said.
‘What?’ Chandan said, looking at us with his mouth open and gutkha quite visible.
‘And you are disgusting. You suck,’ Saurabh said and stood up.
‘He didn’t mean that,’ I said and stood up as well.
‘Of course I fucking did,’ Saurabh said.
‘Okay, maybe he did. Fuck you, Chandan. Bye,’ I said.
We sat in my bedroom late at night. Saurabh was on his phone. We had just finished a six-pack dinner, which contrary to its fitness-related name, involved cooking six packs of Maggi noodles.
Saurabh looked up from his phone and gave me a wide grin.
‘Why so happy?’ I said.
‘New match on Tinder.’
‘A real one?’
‘Yes. Software engineer. She loves the fact that we are detectives.’
‘We?’
‘I told her about you too.’
‘And?’
‘We are meeting for drinks at Hauz Khas Village in an hour. She’s bringing her best friend with her. Get ready, Mr Detective.’
***
About Author
Chetan Bhagat is the author of eight bestselling novels, which have sold over twelve million copies and have been translated in over twenty languages worldwide.
The New York Times has called him ‘the biggest selling author in India’s history’. Time magazine named him as one of the 100 most influential people in the world, and Fast Company USA named him as one of the 100 most creative people in business worldwide.
Many of his books have been adapted into films and were major Bollywood blockbusters. He is also a Filmfare award-winning screenplay writer.
Chetan writes columns in the Times of India and Dainik Bhaskar, which are amongst the most influential and widely read newspapers in the country. He is also one of the country’s leading motivational speakers.
Chetan went to college at IIT Delhi and IIM Ahmedabad, after which he worked in investment banking for a decade before quitting his job to become a full-time writer.
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