called Omar? He’s been hurt…We found him lying unconscious on the road and have taken him to the Manipal hospital. It’s in Dona Paula.’
My heart skipped a beat. ‘Is he…?’
He interrupted. ‘He’s been assaulted but he’ll live. In fact, he should be coming round any time now. We found your number on his mobile phone and called you.’
‘I’ll be there as soon as possible.’
When we reached, Omar was sitting up on the bed, sporting a blood-soaked bandage on his head. He was in the Emergency ward, with only the duty nurse for company.
I went and held his hand. ‘What happened, Omar? Are you all right?’
He managed a weak grin. ‘Yeah…Just about.’
‘Who did this?’
Omar glanced at the nurse. ‘I don’t know but there were three of them. I must have blacked out while they were beating me up.’ He grimaced with pain. ‘The next thing I knew was waking up here.’
Neel asked, ‘Any broken bones?’
‘Thankfully, no. Lots of bruising, though. My right side feels like it’s on fire.’ He pointed to his temple. ‘And the doctor says I’ll have a bad headache for a few days.’
I remembered the officer who had called me. ‘Where are the police, Omar?’
‘When I regained consciousness, they asked me a few questions and left. I didn’t have much to tell them. They said they’d be back tomorrow.’
‘Where did this happen?’
‘Just outside the Marriott.’ Omar paused. ‘The police said my attackers saw their patrol jeep coming and fled. Otherwise, I might have been dead.’
Neel rubbed the sides of his forehead. ‘What the fuck is going on with us?’
The nurse came up and checked Omar’s blood pressure. She then gave him some tablets, presumably painkillers, and left the ward.
In soft tones, Omar told us everything that had happened.
I asked, ‘That’s really weird. Who could have sent you that message?’
‘Well, I had first thought it was some mistake but now it’s pretty clear that I was being set up for the ambush.’
I couldn’t control my tears. ‘Oh Omar, suppose you had been killed! First Rachel, now you…Which of us will be next?’
19
Neel
I still remember the day we first met Roy.
It was a November evening. The four of us were sitting on the lawn in front of the academic block. The winter chill had started to set in. We hadn’t taken off our blazers to make seats on the grass. As we did when it was warmer. Suddenly Sara nudged me and pointed. A tall, fair boy, about our age, was walking up the steps of the building foyer.
Omar shouted, ‘Hey, where do you think you’re going?’
The boy turned. Gave Omar a long, cool stare. He had striking light eyes. I couldn’t make out the colour in the approaching twilight. He looked like a foreigner.
He walked up to where we were sitting. I noticed that he had an extra finger on his right hand. An unusual deformity. ‘I’m new here. I was told to report to the Administration building.’
I said, ‘This is the teaching block. Admin is…’
Sara interrupted me. ‘…Closed right now. You should have come in earlier.’
That wasn’t true. I realised she was up to something.
‘I know. I got delayed. My uncle was supposed to have dropped me here but I had to finally come on my own.’
‘Are you joining the school?’
‘Yes. I’ve kept my trunk and bedding back near the gate.’
‘Then there’s only one thing to do. You must go to the bursar’s house. Only he can allow you to stay in the dorm tonight, and you can then do the registration in the morning.’
He brightened. ‘Thanks…Where’s that?’
Sara pointed towards the staff quarters at the other end of the premises. ‘It’s over there. Find the big house with the nameplate that says John Marshall. The doorbell doesn’t work so you need to bang hard on the door otherwise no one will come to open it.’
I heard Rachel suck in her breath audibly. No one said anything. The boy walked off.
The problem was that John Marshall was
My heart skipped a beat. ‘Is he…?’
He interrupted. ‘He’s been assaulted but he’ll live. In fact, he should be coming round any time now. We found your number on his mobile phone and called you.’
‘I’ll be there as soon as possible.’
When we reached, Omar was sitting up on the bed, sporting a blood-soaked bandage on his head. He was in the Emergency ward, with only the duty nurse for company.
I went and held his hand. ‘What happened, Omar? Are you all right?’
He managed a weak grin. ‘Yeah…Just about.’
‘Who did this?’
Omar glanced at the nurse. ‘I don’t know but there were three of them. I must have blacked out while they were beating me up.’ He grimaced with pain. ‘The next thing I knew was waking up here.’
Neel asked, ‘Any broken bones?’
‘Thankfully, no. Lots of bruising, though. My right side feels like it’s on fire.’ He pointed to his temple. ‘And the doctor says I’ll have a bad headache for a few days.’
I remembered the officer who had called me. ‘Where are the police, Omar?’
‘When I regained consciousness, they asked me a few questions and left. I didn’t have much to tell them. They said they’d be back tomorrow.’
‘Where did this happen?’
‘Just outside the Marriott.’ Omar paused. ‘The police said my attackers saw their patrol jeep coming and fled. Otherwise, I might have been dead.’
Neel rubbed the sides of his forehead. ‘What the fuck is going on with us?’
The nurse came up and checked Omar’s blood pressure. She then gave him some tablets, presumably painkillers, and left the ward.
In soft tones, Omar told us everything that had happened.
I asked, ‘That’s really weird. Who could have sent you that message?’
‘Well, I had first thought it was some mistake but now it’s pretty clear that I was being set up for the ambush.’
I couldn’t control my tears. ‘Oh Omar, suppose you had been killed! First Rachel, now you…Which of us will be next?’
19
Neel
I still remember the day we first met Roy.
It was a November evening. The four of us were sitting on the lawn in front of the academic block. The winter chill had started to set in. We hadn’t taken off our blazers to make seats on the grass. As we did when it was warmer. Suddenly Sara nudged me and pointed. A tall, fair boy, about our age, was walking up the steps of the building foyer.
Omar shouted, ‘Hey, where do you think you’re going?’
The boy turned. Gave Omar a long, cool stare. He had striking light eyes. I couldn’t make out the colour in the approaching twilight. He looked like a foreigner.
He walked up to where we were sitting. I noticed that he had an extra finger on his right hand. An unusual deformity. ‘I’m new here. I was told to report to the Administration building.’
I said, ‘This is the teaching block. Admin is…’
Sara interrupted me. ‘…Closed right now. You should have come in earlier.’
That wasn’t true. I realised she was up to something.
‘I know. I got delayed. My uncle was supposed to have dropped me here but I had to finally come on my own.’
‘Are you joining the school?’
‘Yes. I’ve kept my trunk and bedding back near the gate.’
‘Then there’s only one thing to do. You must go to the bursar’s house. Only he can allow you to stay in the dorm tonight, and you can then do the registration in the morning.’
He brightened. ‘Thanks…Where’s that?’
Sara pointed towards the staff quarters at the other end of the premises. ‘It’s over there. Find the big house with the nameplate that says John Marshall. The doorbell doesn’t work so you need to bang hard on the door otherwise no one will come to open it.’
I heard Rachel suck in her breath audibly. No one said anything. The boy walked off.
The problem was that John Marshall was
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