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‘What a lovely girl she is!’ thought Raja Rao, for the umpteenth time. ‘May not be the ravishing type, but surely she’s the charming kind. Above all, she’s a wifely stuff. Won’t I be able to mould her into a matchless mate? What if I propose to her? It looks like we are of the same caste and that should make matters easy. But then, what of our sub-sects? Don’t they seem progressive to mind all that. But who knows? Appearances can be deceptive, can’t they? Well, even then, one has still to reckon with the gothrams that are to be different for a match to materialize. What an irony, the custom that prescribes alliances between blood relations proscribes sagothra marriages! What’s a gothram, after all? If anything, isn’t it a vague concept at its very best, based as it were on the precept of lineage of one and all; that too attributed to the obscure origins of just a score of rishis. What a fanciful notion it is! Don’t all peoples have their own idiosyncrasies? And yet, all are prone to ridicule others for their peculiar beliefs. After all, what is a custom but the prejudice of a polity or a corollary of a religious ethos?’

‘Whatever, she’s sweet and smart,’ he continued turning his thoughts towards her, ‘An ideal girl to take for a wife. Having taken to me in her own sweet way, would she be averse to the idea of marrying me? Why not seek auntie’s good offices as the matchmaker? Even if she succeeds in brainwashing them all, that still leaves a question mark in matching our horoscopes. Some half-wit of an astrologer could make it naught with his crude calculations. How this new-found obsession is ruining many a match in the offing? Well, it’s only love that has the power to maneuver through these encumbrances.’

The thought of the power of love brought back the memories of the year-old romance in a train journey. ‘Oh! What a lovely lass she was!’ he thought, and reflected upon that incredible encounter.

During that early winter, he went to Khajuraho to study the erotic architecture of its sandstone temples. After a weeklong stay there, that evening he boarded the Ganga-Kaveri Express at Satna to reach Madras to present his seminar paper. After exchanging pleasantries with a Father on the side and the trade unionist opposite in that four-berth coupe, he went about polishing his seminar paper well into the night.

Next morning, he was lazing by the window enjoying the refreshing landscape of the wilderness. At around eight, two girls came to greet the Father who was engrossed with the Bible. The one, who was almost in, was rather plain but the other behind her seemed tantalizing in her grey sari. With a black shawl draped around, she was a shade darker and an inch taller than her companion. Directing his gaze upon the charmer, he found her graceful though tentative in her flowing frame. As she surveyed the scene, she found him intently staring at her in wonderment. It appeared to him from her demeanor that the craving she espied in his gaze synchronized with the longing his persona insensibly induced in her mind.

While her companion was conversing with the Father, the young thing was espying him compellingly at every turn. He saw her enamoured eyes enlarge as though to accommodate his admiring stare fixed on her. On occasion, when she intruded into the ongoing conversation, his ears danced to the tune of her soothing tone in Malayalam that was alien to him.

When the train halted at some station requiring the unionist to alight, the girls grabbed the space thus created with great relish. But having lost her senses in the ecstasy of their mutual attraction, she kept mum while her friend blabbered. After a while, as her friend got up to leave, the charmer too stood up as if in a reflex action. However, having come back to her senses, she let her friend go out of the setting while she stayed back as if to prolong the event to savour more of it.

Having taken her seat opposite, she readily got up and sat in the space between him and the Father to continue her tête-à-tête with the latter. The proximity of her person and the proclivity of her posture triggered an emotional upsurge in his soul that occasioned a craving to caress her frame. Goaded by his desire to feel his love on her body, he gained her midriff left uncovered by her sari. The response of her flesh to the sense of his touch seemed to have induced warmth in her frame that provided solace to her soul. Imperceptibly she readjusted her posture as though to help him explore her state to the core. Enthused by her accommodation that enabled him access her recess, he surged on eagerly bustling about her buttocks as if they were the mounds of her essence. However, at length, as though to address her heart, when he reached for her bosom from underneath the shawl, even as he felt her pulsations, she gave a turn and dropped the book in hand. And that invited the attention of the Father.

To forestall an inquisition, he then initiated a discussion on Gibbon’s thesis on the growth of the Christianity. What with the Father finding that enthusing, she was spared of an explanation! Having diverted the Father’s mind to his favorite subject, he tried to take stock of the state of her mind. He found her blue in the face as she sweated in her palms. Seeing her thus, he cursed himself for being the cause of her fright. So as to alleviate her plight, he reached for his notebook and scribbled his sorriness, and gestured for her forgiveness, and seemingly feeling his impulse, even in her nonplussed state, she glanced at his message only to ignore him thereafter.

Soon she left, still dazed, and he remained remorseful and too perplexed to follow her to apologize for his rashness but when he recovered from the shock of her hurt, he ventured through the vestibules to locate her on the moving train. As he sighted her, at long last, still in a state of shock, his heart sank into the depths of agony. He got vexed even more as he found her pixilated in spite of all those apologetic gestures he came up with to soothe her soul. Her indifference made him feel worse for her sake. Feeling wretched himself, he thought only his love could address her hurt and their souls would be solaced but in their embrace. But how were he to convince her about that? Where was the privacy to pressure her into a love saving embrace?

Not to embarrass her further with his forthrightness, he sauntered in the aisle to attract her attention. As she failed to yield, he riveted near her to make her relent. At length, as though responding to his body language, she looked at him with a vacant look that suggested all was over between them. So as not to compound her misery with his embarrassing presence, he left her with a heavy heart.

Back in the coupe, he sat distraught in her thought. As he cursed himself for his misdemeanor, his craving for her pardon got accentuated. While his remorse helped nourish his love for her, nevertheless, he suffered on that score. Just the same, he didn’t dare venture to see her again, fearing he might make her suffer even more. And it’s thus; he never knew where her journey had ended and when her ordeal was over. But that incident, however, haunted him for weeks on end.

‘Wasn’t it a case of love at first sight that induced a sense of mutual belonging in us,’ he reminisced presently. ‘No denying it, though. I should’ve befriended her before proposing, and she couldn’t have refused for sure. Maybe by now, we could have been expecting our first-born. Who knows?’

‘But, why did it all go haywire?’ he thought in regret all again. ‘I lost my head and went wayward on her body, didn’t I? What led me to mislay my hand on her? Was it owing to the craving of my flesh or the urge of my love? Possibly it was the passion of my soul to possess her that triggered it all. Until it all ended in a huff, didn’t we enjoy a smooth ride on the silken path of love? Wasn’t my urgency to close in on her breasts that alienated her heart, once and for all? Maybe, I was compelled to feel the rhythm of her heart beats rhymed by the emotions of her love for me. What a fall it was, after a dream start! Oh, what an ignominious end it was after that ecstatic beginning.’

‘When she was as receptive to my caress at her seat,’ he always thought in puzzlement, ‘why was it that she found my hand on her breast so offensive? But how could she have expected me to envisage the borders of her sensitivity in my state of excitation? True, she would have felt that I transgressed; yet she couldn’t have failed to feel the pulse of my love in the nuances of my touch. Didn’t my heart descend on my hand to vent its love on her frame! And how it rushed to my mouth seeing her disjointed! Why did she choose to punish me with banishment for the failings of my love inspired by her own persona? How she thought I deserved the deserts! Why didn’t she pardon me, finding me repentant?’

He racked his brains for an answer that he never got but was sunken whenever he recalled that episode, ‘Had she pardoned me, how rejoicing it would have been for both of us! Seeing me ecstatic, she should’ve been deliriously joyous, and what a triumph of love that could have been! But that wasn’t to be. What should’ve been a fairy tale romance ended as an unmitigated disaster for both of us.’

‘What could be her name? What a pity that the most ardent love I’d ever experienced should remain a nameless memory!’ he often thought in despair.

Excerpt from the author's maiden novel Benign Flame: Saga of Love, a free ebook in the public domain

Though not nonplussed at having lost her virginity, Nithya, nevertheless, began pressuring Vasu for the nuptial. Yet, his assurances to tie the knot made her give him more of her own that was till she felt he was taking it easy. When she began denying him the good time to drive home her point that only made him indignant, she could figure out the consequences of his indifference. Thus, feeling vulnerable, she forced herself to humour him even more furthering his fulfillment all the more. But even as he procrastinated over their nuptial, his seed began to evolve in her womb and things came to a head when she missed her periods.

When confronted with the development, Vasu could dodge no more, and spilled the beans.

"I understand your embarrassment," he began.

"What an understatement!" she said in consternation.

"We shouldn't have jumped the gun."

"It's neither here nor there," she said, worried over his prevarication.

"Why worry," he said taking her hand, "as I'm around still."

"Better you rush to your parents now," she said as her voice reflected her sense of urgency. "We should get married before my morning sickness shows up."

"Don't I know about that, but...."

"But what?" she interrupted him in alarm.

"Why are you so impatient?"

"Do remember," she said turning apprehensive, "you promised to marry me."

"I'm here to keep my word."

"Then why dilly-dally?"

"Our marriage is not the problem," he said affecting confusion. "The predicament is how to go about it."

"You always sounded confident, didn't you?"

"I am all for marrying you," he said assuming a melancholic pose. "But there are other things in the way. Those that make life what it is."

"What are you trying to convey?" she became nervous.

"I'm too confused for that."

"What confusion?"

"Now I'm trapped between two stools," he said affecting pain. "I can't extricate myself without disturbing either or both. That's my predicament."

"Is it the time to beat around the bush?" she asked in vexation. "Don't you understand my position? Are your parents against our marriage or what?"

"If it were so," he said assuming an air of arrogance, "I would've walked out on them long back and led you to the Registrar's Office straightaway. But my dilemma is different."

"What's that?" she said, perplexed.

"Promise me," he said outstretching his right palm, "you won't take it amiss."

"Oh, tell me," she said brushing his hand aside.

"We've to contend with Prema."

"Who's she?"

"She's my betrothed," he said nonchalantly.

"What!" she exclaimed, unable to believe her ears.

"We were engaged shortly before I met you."

"What do you mean?" she nearly fainted.

"Don't get upset," he said, trying to comfort her, "listen to me fully."

"How could you do this to me?"

"Oh, please listen," he tried to appease her, "I'll explain everything."

"What else can I do now?" she sounded helpless. "After all, haven't I compromised myself?"

"Don't get depressed," he said trying to sound genuine. "I would never swap her for you. I wouldn't do that even with a Helen for sure. Just try to understand my situation."

"I'm confused really."

"Don't be impatient," he said. "We'll sort out things."

"You should've had me," she blurted out, "only after sorting out things."

"Well, I'll explain."

"Does it make any difference to me now?" she said, wearily.

"When I became a probationary officer, Prema was proposed to me," he said, weighing his words as though he was a tutored witness in the court. "It was a dream match, whichever way one may look at it. We got engaged before I came here for the training. How could I have known that you'd come into my life? The moment I saw you, I was lost in love. The day I was sure of your love, I wrote to my father to cancel the engagement."

"What did he say?" she couldn't help enquiring.

"He said it would put him in a spot," he paused as though to let her prepare for the blow to follow. "He said he used the dowry he took to clear the debts. If I go back now, he will be obliged to return the amount and that would push us back into the debt trap all again. What's worse, it would jeopardize our position in the biradari. So he pleaded that he be spared all this in his old age. Can't you understand my predicament? I've a balancing act to do now and you can see how hard it is on me as well."

"If anything, it's harder on me, especially with your child in my womb. Its time you realize that," she said spiritedly. "Well, I see a way out. Let's take a loan to return the dowry. I'll take up a job and help you tighten our belts as well. It's only a matter of time before we come out clean."

"I don't think it's not workable," he said sounding sentimental. "Besides making me feel like a drag on your life that would only bring me back to square one. Didn't I tell you I always felt deprived, being born poor? Being a Class One Officer, I still feel insecure. While our tightened belts would only reinforce my deprived feeling, the debt trap could make me feel all the more insecure. Moreover, when the novelty wears off, I may even perceive you as the cause of my discomfiture. What's worse, our marriage itself could be on the rocks due to domestic discords."

"All that could be true," she said, as he felt relieved. "But, what's the alternative?"

"There is one," he said seemingly in hesitation, "if you could take it."

"Tell me."

"That is, he said, 'if you believe that I am yours first and last."

"If not," she said a little relieved, "do you think I would've given myself to you?"

"Prema is stinking rich," he began taking her hand as though to make her a co-conspirator.

"Now I see," she said pulling back in vexation, "why you are ditching me."

"If you think I am marrying her for money," he said seemingly offended, "she is no less a stunner than you."

"Oh, the novelty seems to have worn off already!" she said as sarcastically as she could while trying not to feel helpless. "Why not, haven't you had enough of me already?"

"I'm sorry," he said cajolingly, "I didn't mean to hurt you. I'm just explaining things. Believe me, life for me without you would be like going through the motions. But without wealth it comes to the same in spite of you. Had you come into my life straight away, it would've been like living in heaven in your wifely fold. But this turn of events gave me the opportunity of my life that is hard to miss. And hadn't you come into my life, I would've been happy still, living with her, unaware of what fulfillment could really be with a woman. To be or not to be, that's my dilemma."

"Better realize that you can't have the cake and eat it too," she said as she readied herself to force the issue. "You've to take your pick, now and here. Well, as you have made your inclinations apparent, I won't bank upon your love anyway. I can only appeal to your conscience, that too because of my condition. If only I were not carrying, seeing how you are dodging, I would've walked out on you by now. Now I know what a woman loses by compromising herself. Anyway, it's too late in the day for me to think of it."

"I know you're hurt," he said. "As I understand your vexation, you should also realize I too have my qualms. I've been troubled ever since we've got physically close. That very night I thought of running away from you. But your beauty and my love immobilized me."

"Now that you're satiated," she hissed at him venomously, "why don't you admit it's just lust with you."

"Even if you take it that way," he said, "a lifetime of sex with you won't be enough to quench my thirst for you. And the truth is, I'm passionately in love with you. You know I've got addicted to you, thanks to the ardor of your amour. Without you I would go mad indeed."

"Keeping my fate in balance," she said in agony, "you're killing me with your falsity."

"If you go with my proposal," he said as if to tilt the balance, "everything would turn out fine in the end."

"What's that?" she enquired in spite of herself.

"With your parents' blessings," he said taking her hand, "we'll have a civil marriage."

"What about your parents?"

"We'll keep them out of the loop for a while."

"But why?" she said removing her hand from his.

"It's my idea of our love," he said regaining her hand, "to save our love. In turn, I'll marry Prema without your parents' getting wiser to it. Slowly but steadily, we can prepare her and all, to the reality of our lives."

"What an absurd proposal!" she said in remorse.

"I agree it's unusual," he said disarmingly. "But that suits us admirably."

"I will be a game," she said having read his game in the meantime, "if only you make Prema privy to this plan."

"It's an absurd proposal really."

"Why! Won't it suit you fine, either way?" she said pinning him down. "If she agrees, you would've us both and should she back out, your father needn't return the money. Wouldn't that remove the hurdle to our marriage? You know it would."

"Doubt if it works out that way," he said lacking any conviction in what he said.

"Why don't you admit," she jeered at him, "that you don't want it that way."

"When I'm frank with you," he sounded arguing for a lost case, "I expect a better understanding than that. How do you expect me to tell my betrothed that I've a pregnant lover? But after marriage it would be all so different. Won't the closeness of marriage call for compromises?"

"Now, I understand your method," she said in apparent hatred. "Lure women into bed to make them vulnerable, and then force compromises upon them. You want to make her your wife for money and retain me as your keep to pep up your sex life!"

"If I were as mean as you imagine," he said playing his sincerity card to the hilt, "wouldn't I have married you on the sly?"

"Oh, you're too clever for that," she said in exasperation. "You're no fool to bite more than you can chew. You know you would come to grief fighting on two fronts. So you've hit upon this strategy of smothering me before tackling her. If you can coerce me now, you think you can cajole her later. It calls for an evil genius to come up with such a devious plan."

"Am I expected to take all this rubbish?" he said feigning anger.

"Why, were you to fail with her later," she continued her tirade against him, "you would have me still, won't you? What's more, her money too, for I'm sure you would make some of hers yours without losing any time. And in case you can't sell your idea to me, still you would've a beautiful wife, and all her money. Either way, you know, you would gain more than you can lose. How cleverly you got into a win-win position!"

"You're attributing motives," he said sounding sad, "to a victim of circumstances."

"On the other hand," she said in pain, "you've made me a victim to better your circumstances. Betrothed though, you wormed your way into my life with the idea of making me your keep."

"Do blame me but spare my love," he said affecting distress. "I love you, and I want you forever. I know that you love me too. Don't break our hearts and make life bleak for both of us."

"So much for our love," she said broaching the topic of her embarrassment, "what about your child in my womb?"

"He would be my first born, won't he?"

"You mean the first bastard?" she said in all sarcasm. "Oh, you've determined the sex of our child beforehand! You seem to be cock sure in all you do, don't you?"

"Don't be harsh!" he said taken aback at her resistance. "Didn't I tell you it's time I owned up you up as my wife?"

"What if you fail to keep your word?" she said in vexation. "Won't that leave our child illegitimate and keep me ever your keep?"

"Believe me."

"You mean I should believe you after what all you've done to me?" she said rebelliously. "What if I reject your proposal?"

"Then unfortunately for both of us," he said after a pause, "we've to go our separate ways."

"Well," she said resolutely, "before that see the child goes out of the way."

"Don't be in a hurry," he tried to sound even more persuasive. "What if we make up in the end? Won't we feel sorry then?"

"You know it brooks no delay, don't you?"

"I'm hopeful," he said reaching for her hand, "our love would make us cling together through thick and thin."

"So you want me to let it grow so that I would've nowhere else to go."

"I don't want to lose you if I can help it," he said not giving up. "You may call me mean that way."

"Haven't I got the taste of your meanness already?" she said, "But if you help me get aborted, I may still feel that there is something left to be salvaged in your character."

"I'm still hopeful."

"That's another way of saying that you won't like to pick up the bill," she said sarcastically. "A rupee saved is a rupee earned, isn't it? Who knows about it better than you, a bank officer opting for mercenary marriage?"

"Well, there's a limit even for insulting."

"Thanks for reminding me about the limits," she said unable to control her tears. "Didn't I bring it upon myself by crossing my limits? Had I not given myself to you, you would've found it hard to decide which way to go now. Having given in myself, I've lost my aura, and having had me, you've lost your appetite. Where's the incentive to marry me now?"

"You're cross with me as you've misunderstood me," he said trying to gain control over her. "But don't nurse hatred for me. Our destinies might still bring us together. Won't the intimacy of the old times usher in fresh tidings then? When the dust of your misgivings settles down, I'm sure we won't be able to resist each other any time."

"I would like to forget you in double quick time," she said as she left him in a huff. "How I wish I had never met you at all. Let the devil take you."

As she walked out on him, she was consumed by hatred.

'Why not I kill him and avenge myself?' she thought on her way. 'But that would only ruin my life further and scandalize my family even more. Let him go to hell. I better think about how to get out of this mess.'

As she walked her way home, she turned her attention on self-preservation.

'I've to handle my parents first,' she contemplated. 'They're sure to smell a rat, sooner than later. Better I tell them that he backed out because of parental opposition. Why, they are bound to be disappointed if not shaken. All the same, how their enthusiasm for him surged my own infatuation. Didn't they make it appear as though all was over bar tying the knot? How sad that I got carried away only to end up being pregnant! Oh, how fate has contrived a parental part in my downfall!'

'What a paradox pregnancy for women is,' Nithya thought that night. 'If a married conceives, it's a cause for celebration, but with an unmarried, it's a means of castigation. After all, man doesn't have any bother in this regard, but then, someone has to bell the cat of nature's urge for procreation. At least, he should've got the decency to arrange for the abortion. But the bastard seems to have designs on me into the future as well. He may even resort to blackmail to entrap me all again. Will he ever allow me to live in peace? Oh, what a devil have I courted?'

As she imagined his shadow on her future, she was frightened no end.

'Had I not conceived,' she reasoned, 'it wouldn't have been so tough on me. Well, I wouldn't have made myself as vulnerable to his blackmail later. Won't it pay to take precautions for women in love to save their skin? Why, the hymen would go away anyway but how can any be wiser to the coitus that caused its rupture? Whatever, I've to get on to the table straight away for there is no other way.'

'Is death the only solution to my predicament?' she thought as the hypocrisy of women's chastity seemed an irony to her. 'Oh no, what dreams I had for my life! But, how sour they all turned out to be! And that's another story. Now, before all else, I should get out of this mess. But how am I to go about it? That's the big question! And what of the future threat from him? Well, I would see how to deal with him later, if he ever returns.'

This is an eponymous episode from the author's third novel 'Crossing the Mirage - Passing through youth' that is a free ebook in the public domain

"Here is that fact beyond fiction," he began to narrate with a parental pride that didn't escape my attention. "What a handicap it was to be divorced, thought my son; self-service at home and harlot-solace in a brothel; what service and how much solace! Women were ever scary of even wealthy divorcees as if divorce underscores one's incompatibility once and for all, and a whore was no answer for a wife. Surely some featureless young thing could be willing and that's no choice of a wife any way; but a lucky guy could bump into a desirable dame in the blind alleys of the Cupid and that's a rarity anyway; as for affairs, they were seldom, even for the well-heeled in their prime, but as life is meant to be lived, he resolved, one had to go about it regardless and how to make the best of time was the essence of existence."

"Envisioning liaisons through friendship magazines seemed to him no more than chasing the mirages of lust," he continued with the account of his son's life. "But for an ad here and there from a genuine dame, the rest were all from the cravers of female flesh, and given the lack of proper response, one might wonder whether the 'willing women' were indeed real beings or merely fictitious characters meant to buttress the publishers' bottom lines; even otherwise, with the exhibitionist tone of the machismo ads, going through the pages left one with a sickening feeling; pity the dames who fell for such guys. Maybe the saving grace was the insertions for wife-swapping that seemed genuine for they were all about give and take; but then, wasn't he rendered a hors de combat for he lacked the means for a quid pro quo? What about Vimala, he thought as he recalled that evening when he was led into a lounge of a mansion where he found a score of whores in awkward postures, and as he turned his back on the gaudy dames in disgust, one lissome lass in a Turkish towel walked in. Enticed, as he followed her in a trance, she sauntered along endearingly in her semi-nude, and that ushered in an unusual romance between them."

"It's as if your son had stolen your address-book of those places."

"Well," he said after a hearty laugh, "it occurred to him that Vimala could carry herself to pass off for his wife; what's more she was bound to tempt any hesitant husband to jump into the swap trap. What an idea to pay her for the favors of a MILF or two in the wife swaps though not all of them were honeys? So roping in Vimala, he went on a hunt for the promising, and soon succeeded in roping in the willing – an educated and sophisticated couple in their mid-twenties, who were married for some years by then; he was handsome and successful, and she was sexy and charming. While they led an active sexy life, their family cradle remained empty, and that let the ennui set into their otherwise wondrous life. So, they tried to enliven their life by seeking pleasures as their fancies suggested, but as the novelty of those diversions wore off, their cumulative exasperation increased reducing the span of their thrill; and back to square one, they realized that they had lost the capacity to enthuse each other, so bored to death but committed to each other, they dragged their feet on their drab marital course. But when their love for adventure made them think in terms of venturing into the forbidden avenues of human joys, they began searching for a suitable couple to make it a foursome for a fulsome life."

"Cynically brilliant, and surely it's a notch above your threesome idea in the hospital."

"Didn't I tell you that my son did far better than that," he continued. "The orgies that followed brought them all closer and that made them feel blessed in their blissful state. Soon the lover in my son cherished the woman of that wife and began to wish that she were his spouse, and she, used to sex as a marital obligation, found his lovemaking emotionally fulfilling. When she was in the family way, she instinctively knew that Satish was the father of the child; and as the issue in the offing began to draw her towards him, she thought about the ethics of its upbringing in the existing setting; as her maternal instinct got the better of her feminine infirmities, her husband's position in her life seemed untenable in her perception, and it took little time for her to resolve that my son was the man of her destiny. Much before the expected delivery, she deserted her man to begin her life afresh with Satish; and to avoid a first rate scandal, we got them married in secrecy. Didn't you hear the talk on the grapevine about the simple wedding of Satish and Sarala?'

"Yes, but...."

"It was not the end of it," he continued. "Let down and lonely for his misadventure, the lost soul was left to rue his folly; but as time started clearing the debris of his fate, he began to pick up the threads of life. As woman could only heal the wounds caused by woman, he went to a brothel for solace, only to be doubly wounded; he found Vimala among the girls and was dumbfounded to learn that she was picked up by Satish to act as a dupe to deceive him. When he threatened to sue Satish for the breach of trust and other criminal offenses, I had to cough up much to keep him off; legal case or not, surely he had a damaging story to sell to our hurt."

This episode is from the author's 'Glaring Shadow - A stream of consciousness novel, a free ebook in the public domain.

That day as Dhruva was away with Shakeel and was not expected till late in the night, Radha began scanning Mithya's closets to delve deeper into her past. Not finding any sleazy stuff therein, as she was about to give up on spying, she located a false bottom in the dressing table that led her to many unusual items. Elated at the discovery as she rummaged the shelf, she found Mithya's jottings in a leather-bound book, leafing through which, she came across a story-like entry, Untried Crime, which read thus:

That was when Mithya's life was under siege; she faced the unwelcome prospect of divorce, lo, owing to her own infidelity. Barely turned twenty-eight, as she was not for losing the good things of life her well-heeled man afforded her, she began planning a perfect murder of him and her paramour. So, leaving no lose ends for the cops to tie her up to the killings, she made discreet enquiries about the Inspector of the Saifabad Police Station, the one most likely to turn up for questioning her. What with his reputation as an Ace of Crime Detection increasing her sense of challenge, she spied upon him in a burka, and finding him manly and handsome, she fell for him. So, she kept track of him, and struck by his élan and enamored of his mien, she even turned covetous, which give an erotic edge to her criminal cunning.

That night, after seeing the end of both her men and having anonymously alerted the police about the double murder, she expectantly waited for Dhruva to turn up at her
bungalow, the gates of which she deliberately kept ajar, and when he knocked at the main door, she received him in lingerie.

"Sorry for my rather scanty cladding," she said alluringly.

"I'm Inspector Dhruva," he said unable to take his eyes off her hourglass frame.

"I'm Mithya," she said coquettishly, extending her hand invitingly.

"Mrs. Ashok I suppose," he said, grabbing it greedily.

"Yes, I'm Mithya Ashok," she said leading him into the drawing room.

"Do you know the whereabouts of your husband?" he asked looking into her eyes.

"Why, he's aboard the Godavari Express," she said affecting concern.

"Are you sure about that?"

"You know I'm his wife, don't you?"

"Can't there be secrets between the spouses?"

"Have you come to know of any mistress of his or what?" she said mockingly.

"Maybe he would've been better off in her bed, if he had any but...."

"You mean, better off than in mine?" she said interrupting him

"I've to get into both to know about that," he said naughtily, "but sadly he's no more."

"In that case, can't you imagine the possibilities?" she said winking at him.

"It's no joke, he was possibly murdered," he said observing her demeanor.

"You mean, in the running train!"

"No, it's in your A.C Guards' house."

"Wonder how he landed there!" she said feigning surprise. "But who could have killed him?"

"Who's Dilip?"

"Has he killed him?"

"Better answer my question."

"He's my errand boy, don't mind his age," she said smilingly.

"Is that all?"

"I know privacy is the first victim in crime investigation, don't I?" she said coquettishly.

"Don't mistake me, it's a routine question."

"Well, to tell you the truth, I am carrying on with him."

"But I don't think he's of your class."

"Why that should bother you at all?"

"Sorry but surely your man would've been concerned about that."

"You are spot on," she said taking his hand. "Know that I offered to divorce him."

"Are you in love with Dilip?"

"Didn't you hear me say that I am carrying on with him?"

"When did you last see him?"

"I was with him till ten."

"Where it was?"

"Where Ashok was murdered that is going by your statement."

"You mean that you three were there."

"Are you implying a threesome or what?" she said laughingly.

"You know I am not privy to your sexual proclivities," he said not to be outplayed at his favorite game.

"Given a chance, I won't withhold any from you," she said not to be undone.

"You may keep that on hold and..."

"If you put me on hold, I can hang on in hope," she said turning bold.

"Maybe by the rope," he said mocking sympathy.

"Don't worry on that count," she said nonchalantly.

"Misplaced though, your confidence is admirable," he said unable to hide his admiration.

"Cerebral though isn't it a misplaced compliment," she said coyly adjusting her lingerie.

"Could be but how Ashok was in the wrong place?"

"How am I to know that?"

"Maybe you could guess."

"I've no clue on earth."

"What if Dilip too is dead."

"Oh God, did they kill each other?"

"I haven't said Dilip was dead," he said and as she was startled a little, he added, "didn't you give away the clue to the case?"

"Brush up your grammar boy, it was but my question," she said recovering.

"Then, 'yes' is my answer," he said bowled by her smartness.

"So, I've lost my man and my paramour at once."

"What a double jeopardy it is, I'm really sorry."

"Why be sorry dear as I'm doubly free," she said taking his hand.

"I guess you've some way to go before that," he said holding it.

"Going by your demeanor, I don't think so," she said squeezing his hand.

"Why not follow me there?"

"Can't you spare me all that now?"

"So be it but don't fail to turn up at the mortuary tomorrow."

"Where it is?"

"Sorry for the slip, it's at the Gandhi Hospital."

"Don't I see you're enamored," she said winking at him.

"I will wait for you there by ten in the morning," he said in embarrassment.

"Thank you for being a considerate cop," she said taking his hand all again.

"Maybe you could've revealed more," he said enjoying the touch.

"How unfair to say that without giving me scope?" she said feigning to be offended.

"You're impossible ma'am; good night."

"Sweet dreams," she said adjusting her lingerie to part-bare her boob.

While she waved at him amorously, perplexed at her audacity and perturbed by his attraction, he left her half-heartedly.

'Stabbed in the abdomen, as Ashok lay dead in the sofa, how it was that Dilip's medulla oblongata had hit the edge of the chair opposite?' Dhruva began reviewing the murder scene on his way home. 'Won't the empty Bagpiper bottle, broken glasses, and the scattered bhujiya indicate a drinking brawl, possibly over Mithya that led to their killing each other? But is it as simple as that? Was there Mithya's hidden hand behind all that? Why not take her finger prints?'

The next day as Mithya reached the mortuary, Dhruva obliged her to leave her finger prints, having which, he was lost in the elegance of her slender fingers that was not lost on her either; so, pleased with herself she turned coquettish and said how she wished that he would let her put them for better use in time. Distracted though by her seductive manner, yet he was able to discern that her demeanor turned cold as she saw Dilip's body, and that she looked contemptuously at Ashok's corpse, which made him think that she had no love lost for either of them. Moreover, when he noticed the steadiness of her hand as she recorded her statement and the coolness in her face as she was all set to take away Ashok's body in the ambulance, he felt that she had the nerve of a killer. If anything, when she told enticingly that she knew he would visit her again in vardi but he was welcome even in mufti, he was amazed as well as irritated by her audacity. But while getting into her sedan that followed the ambulance as she winked at him invitingly, seeing in her a femme fatale of the first order, he waved her off wondering whether she was the murderess after all; and as if to chase his thoughts, leaving the chores of handling Dilip's body to Appa Rao his deputy, he headed straight to the forensic laboratory.

The post-mortem report confirmed the instantaneous deaths of both men and Mithya's fingerprints were found all over the place and that put Dhruva in the contemplative mode.

'Stabbed in the abdomen by Dilip if Ashok died instantaneously, how he could have pushed away Dilip with such a force that his medulla oblongata took the hit?' he began to analyze. 'Even if Ashok had extraordinary reflexes to push away Dilip upon being attacked, the latter's grip on the knife would have ensured that it was pulled out of his frame, which was not the case. So, as Dilip couldn't have died being pushed by Ashok for he died instantaneously after being stabbed; were it possible that Mithya murdered Dilip in cold blood after abetting him to stab Ashok to death? Was not the informer too an anonymous woman! Was it all Mithya's handiwork then?'

Soon after Ashok's obsequies were over, Dhruva called on Mithya at 9, Castle Hills.

"What brings you here dear?" she greeted him heartily.

"Why can't you guess?"

"Where the need as your urgency shows?" she said winking at him.

"You are mistaken," he said, hiding his embarrassment.

"Oh! I thought you are a game," she said, feigning disappointment.

"You may know that custodial interrogation is a different ball game," he said assuming a grave demeanor.

"Then you have to go to hell to interrogate both of them?" she said smilingly, ushering him into her house.

"Not a bad idea if a femme fatale can lead me there."

"If you think I'm one, I would lead you to heaven instead," she said enticingly.

"Tempting though...,"

"What's the hesitation then?" she said moving closer.

"Thanks to your finger prints on the murder weapon, I have to lead you to the lock-up," he said dramatically taking her hand.

"What a discovery!" she said without taking her hand out of his. "Well, it was I who prepared the salad besides mixing drinks for Dilip and me. Wonder how you had missed my finger prints on the Bagpiper bottle and those two glasses."

"Whither gone the third glass?" he said releasing her hand.

"I haven't heard of two drinking out of three glasses, have you?" she said smilingly.

"But Ashok's viscera showed that he too drank."

"Don't you see that scoring for me as it clearly indicates that they quarreled to death after drinking to the dregs," she said triumphantly.

"When Ashok died readily, who could've killed Dilip?" he said with a probing look.

"I know Ashok has quick reflexes, possibly he might've pushed away Dilip before he died," she said with a poker face.

"Why wouldn't have Dilip pulled out the knife when pushed?"

"It's puzzling isn't it?" she said smilingly.

"What if someone was there to ensure that both died?"

"Eminently possible, but don't you think it's too thin a thread to hang me with?" she said mockingly.

"Could the criminal and the informer be the same?"

"We could discuss all that and more if you stay on for dinner," she said invitingly, taking his hand.

"Not now, maybe some other time," he said making a move.

"You may know that you're always welcome," she said pressing his hand.

"Looks like you're a tough nut to crack," he said pressing her hand.

"Oh!' she feigned pain.

"I'm sorry," he said releasing her hand.

"Why, isn't it precious to hold?" she said extending her hand enticingly.

"That's what is disturbing," he said waving her goodbye.

"That's the charm of life," she said, blowing a kiss at him.

Bowled though by her charms, as her daredevilry affronted his professional ego, hell-bent on pinning her down, he reviewed the case for possible loopholes, and finding none, he thought that he should play ball with her in her own court.

That evening when Dhruva reached 9, Castle Hills in mufti, Mithya in light pink voile sari, was in the lawns with Dicey, her new acquisition, and having greeted him heartily, she warmly led him into the drawing room to flirt with him openly. Soon, as they had a binge of booze sitting together in that wide sofa, finding her at her evocative best, he realized how vulnerable he was to her peculiar persona. But as he remained tentative, teasing him at his unease, before cozying up to him by drawing closer to him, she revealed her riveting allures by degrees, and unable to resist her charms, as he conceded his erotic ground to her, she induced him to lay the foundations for an amorous edifice through necking and petting.

When she proposed dinner to let them satiate their palates as a prelude to satiating their libidos, following her to the dining table, as he took to bottom pinching, she said coyly that she wouldn't be granting him an out-of-turn favor. Saying that he would wait for its turn, yet as he busied himself at her bottom, she said that he could have his way both ways but as per protocol. After a hearty meal followed by pan, she led her into the lawn to let him puff away at his cigar, as she enjoyed its aroma, and as he stubbed the butt, hugging him ardently and reaching for his lips, she kissed him fervently, inducing in him the urge to surge in. Thereby, leading him indoors, she stripped him in the drawing room and pulled him into the bedroom only to push him onto her sprawling mahogany bed for their erotic exertions.

At length, lying in his arms in satisfaction, she opened her secretive mind to him.

"I know what brought you into my bed, and as quid pro quo, I'll satisfy your curiosity," she said coyly. "It was Dilip's idea to eliminate Ashok and I went along with it, not to acquire a rich widow tag, but to avoid the divorcee card. With inputs from Dilip, I worked out a plan to slow-poison Ashok, as and when he embarked on a journey by train and as I was all set, it dawned on me that in all suspicious deaths, the spouse would readily come under the scanner, so I realized that to save my skin, I should get rid of Dilip as well. Moreover, eager to step into Ashok's shoes, Dilip was getting too big for his boots, and to give a spin to Ashok's death, before arranging that fateful meeting to untangle the love triangle, I booked a berth for him on the Godavari Express. The rest as you know is mystery."

"Isn't it a loss to the crime history?" he said fondling her.

"Why not we together create history," she said invitingly. "It's my curiosity to measure up the cop who would turn up for my questioning that made me appraise you on the sly; even as your looks surged my sexual passion, your manner induced a sense of belonging in me. Believe me; my urge to make a new beginning with you fuelled my desire to be freed of both of them even more; that way, my man, you are an abettor of the crime. Whatever, in the wake of the murders, breathing down my neck, you've charmed me with your mind as well, and now with your lovemaking, you've increased my craving for being your wife. You know, all this is for your ears only and not for my trial for sure; try acting funny and you stand accused - of torture and rape - haven't you left enough evidence behind – on both counts."

"What to make of you?" he said in exasperated admiration.

"Yours if you please," she winked at him.

"What if I let you loose," he said contemplatively.

"Why not enslave me."

"That's resisting the irresistible."

"If you can ignore my past, I won't let you regret making me your wife, it's my promise," she said pleadingly taking him in her embrace.

"I know your value to my life but let me think it over," he said disarmingly.

"Won't you come tomorrow?" she said reaching for his lips.

"You haven't left me as yet," he said.

When he reached for his dress after she released him, she pulled out the tape recorder from his pocket.

"Let this be my keepsake of our first-time," she said dangling it before him.

"Oh, you are impossible!" he said taking her into his arms.

However, after the dust has settled down, he led me into our marvelous wedlock.

Amazed at what she read, Radha thought that Mithya could have been a temptress in the Cleopatra mold and wondered what would have happened had she poisoned her men. 

This is the excerpt of the eponymous chapter of 'Prey on the Prowl - A Crime Novel' a free ebook in the public domain.

Chuck Morgan Crime Fiction Author

REVIEW…Crime Delayed, a Buck Taylor Novel by Chuck Morgan

"Reviewed By Divine Zape for Readers' Favorite

Crime Delayed: A Buck Taylor Novel by Chuck Morgan is a compelling crime novel set in Aspen, Colorado; a tale of murder and a gritty investigation, filled with twists and surprises that set the reader’s heart racing. It all starts with a wildlife ranger who disappears in the mountains on the southern part of Aspen, Colorado. Now, Senior Agent Buck Taylor from the Colorado Bureau of Investigation takes on the case. What Agent Taylor and his team discover will be far worse than anything anyone could have expected.

Now, he has to solve not only a murder case, but serial murders and kidnappings that have plagued Aspen for years. What makes the case even more complicated is that the kidnappers and killers will do everything to stop them, and the lives of many innocent people could be on the line.

 This crime novel reads like a great thriller. The writing is atmospheric, laced with vivid descriptions that capture the setting in great detail while allowing readers to follow the intensity of the action and the emotional and psychological depth of the story. Agent Buck Taylor is a character that readers will love. I enjoyed the fact that he isn’t a superhero and that his humanity comes out neatly through the narrative. A man who suffers a serious emotional wound caused by the death of the woman he’s loved all his life, he must deal with several issues at the same time. The supporting cast of characters is equally memorable and readers are compelled to follow them as they evolve through the story.

Chuck Morgan is a master at storytelling and the simplicity and precision of the prose keep readers focused from the very beginning to the last page. Crime Delayed: A Buck Taylor Novel is a mesmerizing, on-the-edge-of-your-seat read for fans of sleuth and crime fiction."

Reviewed by Natasha Jackson for Readers' Favorite

Crime Delayed doesn’t waste any time pulling readers right into the action. We jump into the case of the missing wildlife ranger, finding out right away that she is more than just missing. Taking place in the mountains of Aspen, a massive manhunt ensues for the missing ranger, and Agent Buck Taylor of the Colorado Bureau of Investigation volunteers to help. What he uncovers over the course of the story will leave the town, and everyone involved, shaken.

Chuck Morgan has penned an impressive and compelling story filled with twists and turns that will unravel decades of kidnappings and murders. The story starts off slowly and it takes a minute to get familiar with the voice and tone, but after a few pages I was good to go. I liked Buck a lot and, other than the major story itself, he was my favorite part. A plainspoken man, a father and a widower, Buck was as intriguing as the more nefarious characters in Crime Delayed. And let’s not forget the townsfolk Chuck Morgan threw in, some for comic relief and others to give us a snapshot of the small town and her people.

As Buck’s drug cartel case and the missing ranger case inch closer together, danger takes a front seat to everything else, even the grief he can’t seem to shake off over his dead wife. I didn’t know how to review this story at first without giving anything away, but it’s a good story and a good read. Crime Delayed is a unique story with plenty of twists to keep you interested.

https://chuckmorganbooks.com

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https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BHRPF3F/

COMING SOON

CRIME UNRAVELED, A BUCK TAYLOR NOVEL

 HORRIBLE NATURAL DISASTER, OR MAN-MADE CATASTROPHE?

The picturesque Glenwood Canyon in Colorado has been a source of awe and inspiration for tourists and locals alike. But now, it has become a scene of chaos and destruction. The highway through the canyon, known for its engineering marvel, has been obliterated by a massive landslide, causing the Colorado River to be blocked. As the disaster unfolds, one question lingers in everyone's mind - was this a natural disaster or a man-made catastrophe?

Colorado Bureau of Investigation Agent Buck Taylor is determined to find the answer. But when a geologist is found murdered and another's wife meets a brutal death, Buck realizes that there may be more to this case than meets the eye. As he delves deeper into the investigation, he uncovers a web of secrets and lies involving a wealthy local family with a rich history. And as the body count rises, it becomes clear that someone is willing to do anything to keep the truth hidden.

Just when Buck thinks he's getting closer to the truth, an eco-terrorist group claims responsibility for the landslide, throwing the case in a whole new direction. With the harsh Colorado winter fast approaching, Buck and his team race against time to unravel the mystery before it's too late. But little do they know; the end of the road may bring about a disaster that hits closer to home.

Crime Victims Chuck Morgan

 Charles E Morgan (2024)

 ISBN: 979-8990422926

 Reviewed by Kathy Stickles for Reader Views (06/2024)

 5*- A Riveting Murder Mystery “Crime Victims: A Buck Taylor Novel” is book 12 in the series that follows Colorado Bureau of Investigation agent Buck Taylor as he attempts to unravel another strange set of murders. While this is the twelfth book, I was very happy to realize that it can be read as a stand-alone novel for those of us who have not been lucky enough to read the other stories. I can assure you that I will begin rectifying that immediately because this was an excellent book, and I am sure that the other eleven are just as good.

 As the book opens, a first responder named Victoria Talmadge and her cadaver dog Jasper are taking a desperately needed vacation in Colorado. As they begin hiking around the Grand Mesa, Victoria finds that her dog keeps stopping and sitting as they move along the trail which is his signal that he has found a dead body. Since it happens so many times, and each time next to a cross in the ground, Victoria quickly calls a friend who directs her to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation and to agent Buck Taylor. It just so happens that Buck is currently in Grand Mesa on vacation as well, but it looks like this is going to be a working vacation for him. 

Once Buck digs into one of the spots the dog previously found he determines that there is indeed a body there. As local police show up, it soon turns into a horror story as they find a total of 11 bodies along the trail that Victoria was hiking on. The investigation quickly gets underway. It looks like there is a serial killer out there and the rush is on for Buck and his colleagues from the CBI to find the killer before he strikes again. To do that, Buck is going to have to delve into the mind of a crazy man if he wants to stop him. Luckily, there is no one better for the job, it seems. 

“Crime Victims” is a riveting murder mystery that I would definitely recommend. The characters in the story are well-developed and interesting and that alone keeps the pages turning. Buck is definitely very experienced in this type of investigation, which he proves over and over as he unravels the clues with the help of his team. He is very smart, extremely focused on the details, and seems to be a very relatable character that I can see being enjoyed by many readers. 

The plot of the story is intriguing and holds the reader’s attention throughout. It is very well thought-out, and the dialogue is perfect for the story. While there is some bad language and plenty of violence in the book, it is nothing that seems out of place or detracts from the reader’s enjoyment. It just makes for an even more true-to-life experience. I was very impressed with Chuck Morgan’s writing and the detail he put into not only the plot but into every single character. The emotions of each character are right at the front and the reader is able to see and feel right along with them, but they are not overdone or unbelievable in the story as a whole.

“Crime Victims” by Chuck Morgan is a definite page-turner that I would recommend highly to any murder mystery/crime fan out there. The book offers plenty of drama, action, plot twists, and just the right amount of humor. I will definitely be reading more of the stories about Buck Taylor while I anxiously await the next book in the series.

Unknown is written by Serena Castillo. The author of Drugs of Love and Sex a poetry collection published in 2020. Unknown is a collection of short stories published in 2022 with Page Publishing. This collection is a mixture of drama, suspense, realism, etc. Castillo shares some of these characters' journies and leaves others on open-ended cliffhangers. She wanted her audience to be able to imagine the different possibilities of life since life is unknown!

Each of these compelling stories has characters are experiencing a form of heartbreak or uncontrollable change in their lives that causes them to each be conflicted with their current lives, maneuvering through it, or maybe even stuck. With the help of the people in their close circles, they can conclude the unknown. 

Each story is independent of each other. 

Among the chaos of London Bridge, Sahaana never thought she would come across her past forbidden lover, Kabir. It took years for Sahaana to move on from her past and become an independent woman following her dream of Astrophysics. She lived a million sleepless nights trying to deal with the teenage trauma, bullying, abuse, and depression- will this one sight of Kabir bring it all back to her? or will she be taken back to the time when her life felt like poetry?

Every corner of the world has a deep longing for a perfect world – a place where harmony, abundance, and love reign supreme. Although often dismissed as mere fantasy, this vision has enormous power in shaping our reality.

Spirituality is the foundation of this perfect world. It is not limited to a particular religion or belief system but rather a deep understanding that we are interconnected. Love and compassion flow freely, exceeding differences and uniting souls. There is no place for judgment or hatred in this realm, only acceptance and understanding. Spirituality becomes a guiding force, reminding us of our divine nature and innate ability to create a harmonious existence.

A wealth of experiences and connections, not material possessions, is a measure of abundance. Each individual is provided for, and resources are shared fairly. Pursuing fulfillment has replaced the pursuit of wealth with personal development and service to society as the measure of success.

The hug of our true nature unlocks a wellspring of creativity, passion, and unlimited potential.

The book will take you through “Cultivate Your Inner Power: The Self-discovery “.As you read it, you will be guided through various practices and insights to help you embark on this profound journey of self-discovery. You will learn how to:

1. Reveal Your Authentic Self: Through introspection and self-reflection exercises, you will peel back layers of conditioning and societal expectations to reveal your identity.
2. Embrace your passions and talents: Discovering and nurturing your unique abilities will ignite a sense of purpose and fulfillment within you. You will explore using your desires to create a meaningful and purposeful life.
3. Let go of self-limiting beliefs: Our true potential is often held back by self-imposed limitations and negative self-talk. You’ll learn powerful techniques for overcoming these blocks and develop a development philosophy that empowers you to reach new heights.
4. Cultivate self-compassion and love: The hug of your true self involves accepting your imperfections and treating yourself with kindness and compassion. You will learn to love and value yourself unconditionally through various self-care practices.

When you embark on this journey of embracing your true self, you will unlock a magical world. A world where your dreams, passions, and purpose come together to create a life of fulfillment and joy. In addition, the return of your true self is a gift to yourself and the world around you, as it inspires others to do the same.

As you venture on this incredible journey, you will be ushered into the wondrous realm of fantasy and spirituality, where imagination and belief merge seamlessly to create a perfect world in your mind.

In addition, this perfect world serves as a canvas on which you can paint your dreams, desires, and goals, turning them into a tangible reality.

By exploring the depths of your being, you will increasingly discover the core of your hidden potential. I will reveal the layers that conceal your true self through observation of your inner world and self-reflection, allowing your true self to shine through. The hug of your uniqueness and acceptance of your flaws will become the first steps to unlocking your hidden potential.

On the pages of the book “Cultivate Your Inner Power: The Self-discovery “, you will come across powerful exercises and techniques that will guide you to self-empowerment and spiritual awakening. Carefully composed to resound with the spirit of a perfect world, these tools will help you tap into your intuitive wisdom, unlock your creative genius, and manifest your innermost desires.

With every turn of the pages, you will reveal new insights, ancient wisdom, and practical guidance that will empower you to step into the fullness of your being.

Are you ready to embark on this extraordinary book journey?

” Cultivate Your Inner Power: The Self-discovery “? Open your mind, open your heart, and let the magic within guide you to unlock your hidden potential in a perfect world.

FREE ON KINDLE UNLIMITED  or $2.99👇😍

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Book two of the Unium series, Exiled On Unium, takes up where book one, Pioneers On Unium, leaves off. Greg Vancover, the series lead character, has been found guilty of the forceable rape of Sally Swift, the fort’s nurse. After a failed hanging attempt, the young hunter’s death sentence was reduced to life banishment from Fort America, the name given to their new settlement. 

If the excommunicated criminal was caught within a day’s march of the young town, he was to be killed on site. Thanks to past service, the town council voted to provide the outcast with a light bark canoe, food, provisions, and weapons. Saying farewell to his closest friends, the exiled earthman paddled downstream through the grassy savanna into the shadowy forest miles away. 

Continuing his way down the ever-broadening river, the cautious canoeist made his way to a locality no human had gone before. On his own, the isolated vagrant must find a way to safely feed himself, while at the same time protecting himself from the savage denizens of the tempestuous forest. What would be his fate? To die from the sharp talons of a hungry predator? Would he live to see Laura and friends again? Or, would fate once again lead the wanderer in a direction he did not see coming?