Brahma's Breath

By Shrinivas Sharangpani

David Ross was a renowned professor at Trinity College, Cambridge. Busy in his research in theoretical physics he foolishly neglects his wife Emily and son Michael. Michael leaves the shores of England and settles in US. He is pursuing his career as a brilliant engineer trying to put behind his broken marriage. Emily—Emma—tries to find solace in the arms of a student of David. David goes to an important conference in Johannesburg giving outline of his new theory on the creation of universe. His theory suggests that it is possible to create a universe experimentally. He is chased by reporters, scientists and students alike to know more about his future course of action. Everyone wants to know if he is going to practically test his theory.

As David continues to be away, a newspaper sends an investigator to Cambridge to find out more on David and his experiment. The reporter comes to know about Emily’s affair and offers money to Andrew to steal important material from David’s house. Andrew gets much wanted money and the reporter the much needed scoop. However, David’s experiment is not very clear from the stolen material because it is smartly hidden in the electronic files in a compact disc.

David returns to Cambridge and expects University to fund his project. He is rudely refused funding for his experiment. Crestfallen David decides to go on long leave. He remembers a guy offering assistance for his experimentation during his presentation at the conference. He contacts the German fellow—Heidel—who is stationed in Berlin. Heidel shows no great enthusiasm but remembers his offer and invites David to Berlin.

At Berlin he is given an offer which is difficult to refuse. David accepts the offer but soon realizes that he has become a pawn in the hands of a secret organization and Heidel is its just one functionary. David, however, is given full technical and financial support to realize his experiment. Emily regrets her adventure when she comes to know about Andrew’s theft and vows to be with her husband.

David becomes a virtual prisoner in a remote woody area of Eastern Germany. David corresponds with Emily giving her important information about his experiment through coded messages.

Emily realizes danger to David’s life and in desperation contacts Raghavan, an Indian scientist in the same field as David’s. Raghavan understands the dangerous game that Heidel’s organization is playing and seeks help of David’s son Michael and a few others.

Does Raghavan succeed? What happens to David’s dream and theory? That is the climax of Brahma’s Breath!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Shrinivas Sharangpani
• Release date: Nov 6, 2011
• ISBN: 9781465935229

Shrinivas Sharangpani

I am a qualified engineer. I worked in Engineering Research Centre of TATA Motors Ltd for some 33 years and retired as Head of Learning Centre consisting of Teardown & Benchmarking Centre, Knowledge Centre and Innovation Centre. Some of my inventions and innovations have been either awarded or pending for patents. After retirement I have become a consultant. I am a writer. Two novels in Marathi have been published. My English novel ‘Manipulations’ was published in US and Canada in 2002. Smashwords have published my sci-fi novel ‘Brahma’s Breath’ recently. Another sci-fi novel on a manned mission to Mars titled ‘Our Distant Cousins’ will be published shortly. Usually my writing has a lot of action and therefore suitable for films. My forthcoming books are: a play on the great Indian mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan, a novel based on my father’s life and an inspirational non-fiction book. My Marathi sci-fi and mystery stories anthology is getting published shortly. I have written a number of essays, articles and poems in Marathi (my mother tongue) and English. An audio CD album of my Marathi romantic songs is also available. I am a speaker and have given talks in national and international forums as well as radio. I have travelled widely across the world. I stay in Pune, India and can be reached by telephone on my cell: 91-9225636353 or residence telephone: [phone] or by email: [e-mail]

Book preview

Chapter 1

Emily looked through the corner of her eye. David was staring through the open window of their house into the sky. She was used to his habits. She thought to herself that it would be better to say that she was beyond bothering about his annoying habits. Perhaps it was the age. She would have spat a few cusses at him in her younger days. But she had not done it that way even at that time. She knew she was blindly in love at that time that she would have gladly killed herself had David desired so.

‘What had she seen in David in those days?’ She wondered. His intelligence? His cool arrogance? Or his ego? That which she hated so much now?

Well, that was then – what of now? She asked herself. She did not have any answer.

She kept the teacup on the table and walked back to the kitchen platform. Again through the corner of her eye she had seen David curtly glancing at the cup and resuming his stare.

Her mind wandered away from David and she thought of Andrew. She reminisced about Andrew for a moment and smiled to herself. She liked to call him Anndra. Anndra was a Gaelic form of Andrew and meant masculine. She knew he wanted to become physical with her when she teased him with this name. But that she had avoided so far.

She knew somewhere she was feeling guilty. She saw David sipping tea from his cup and still looking pensive. He was not so much of a monster. No, one did not have to look or act like a monster. Being cold towards your spouse was also an indicator of being a monster.

But David was an intelligent monster at that. She knew about his tremendous intellect. She had heard people saying that after Einstein he was probably the most intelligent creature born on this earth. At one time she was proud of him and–of course, of being his wife too. But she did not know how that feeling had slowly dissolved and been replaced by an intense dislike.

She decided she would think about her future course of action later. She wanted to finish her household work and call Anndra as soon as David left.

She saw David rising from his chair and move nonchalantly towards the staircase. He would slowly put his favourite ash grey suit and crimson red tie and come down. He would then pick up his suitcase and move out of the house. He would then call a taxi and sit near the window once again till it arrived.

Emily had long stopped driving him to the station at such instances when he was going out of Cambridge. What was the use, she told herself, if you accompanied a dumb person who would only utter some inaudible words as if under duress.

She heard muffled steps and saw David coming down the stairs. Well, David still looked smart, she thought. He looked good in the grey suit and red tie. She knew though he was balding at the temples his long curly brown hair had a distinct appeal and at times she became jealous when some good-looking students flirted with David.

But she knew David was very much engrossed in his work and quite cool to any overtures. What she hated was that in spite of his love towards her he seemed to disregard her at times. This annoyed her.

She was his one-time student too. And she admitted to herself that she was attracted towards David because of his academic brilliance. Somehow she had lost her interest in physics or science in general and had become more emotional. One of her friends had told her that as one becomes more mature one starts thinking more on relationships, spirituality and things like that. The attention seemed to get deflected from material aspect to metaphysical aspect.

Whatever the reason she had started disliking David, she told herself.

There was a faint noise on the street and she realized that the cab had arrived. She hurriedly moved towards the doorframe. David was standing still outside the door on the steps as if waiting for her to come.

‘Good bye, Dave. Take care and telephone me when you get time. I will telephone you too. All the best for your paper,’ Emma kissed David lightly on his cheeks and put her palms on his shoulders.

‘Yes, yes, Emma, I will. Good bye.’ David hugged Emily but she again felt that it was done mechanically and his mind was elsewhere.

David briskly walked towards the taxi got into it and after waving at Emily moved away.

Emily came back into the house and sat on a chair near the kitchen table. David will be away for about a week now. She became nervous. She did not know what to do. On the one hand she wanted to be with Andrew but on the other she felt she was cheating David. She wanted somebody to come and tell her convincingly that there was nothing wrong in having an affair with Andrew when David played so cool.

Suddenly, her cat Kitty jumped from nowhere and settled on her lap. Emily started and looked in mock anger towards Kitty. Kitty shook her head and closed her eyes. Emily looked lovingly at her pet and patted her head.

Emily became thoughtful. Why did humans need love and someone’s attention? Kitty had given birth to several kittens some months back and for a few days she took good care of the newborns. But Emily did not know what happened to them. One of her neighbours told her that cats often ate their kitten. Emily was not sure of that.

She had the double misfortune of not having a child’s love as well as well as that of her husband, she mused. Their only son Michael was in US. After his studies in engineering he had left for US for further education and had eventually settled there. He got married there and was probably getting a divorce too. They seldom got any letter or phone call from Michael. Emily and David had not even attended their son’s marriage. They had received a couple of photographs by post and in the accompanying letter Michael had broken the news of his marriage. In the photo her daughter-in-law looked good, recalled Emily. But she would have loved to see Michael and–what was her daughter-in-law’s name–Doris, she remembered–Doris staying together and raising kids. Emily would have loved to see the grandkids playing in their backyard. But that was not to be. Emily sighed.

She threw Kitty lightly on the carpet and walked towards the kitchen platform. She put the gas on and boiled some coffee for her. Sipping her coffee at the dining table she started thinking what to do next.

Emily put the mug in the sink and wiped her hands on the napkin. She went upstairs and hurried towards her closet. Behind her pile of clothes in her purse she found her mobile phone. Fortunately the batteries were charged though she had neglected the mobile for quite some time.

She pressed the keys and waited with drawn breath. After a while what appeared to her like eons she heard the familiar husky voice of Andrew.

‘Emma, darling–how are you?’

‘Yes, I am fine. What are you doing? She always felt uncomfortable when Anndra said endearing words like darling.

‘Well, I have just finished my lab work and probably going to cafeteria. With my friends.’

‘Well, I just thought …’

‘Don’t think, dear lady. Act. Okay, what do you want me to do?’

‘I don’t know.’

‘You don’t know? ‘

‘You’re–you’re difficult!’

‘Okay. I’ll break the jinx! We meet at Grafton Centre at six-thirty. It is five twenty five now, so be there in an hour’s time. I will look for you in the parking.’ Andrew put his mobile off not giving any chance to Emily to react. It was good in a way because she knew like most females she would not have come to any decision as to the place and time to meet, or may be whether to meet at all in the first place. She heaved a sigh of relief and decided to take a small nap before becoming ready to go out. Kitty came in between her feet and she had to push her away a couple of times.

But she could not doze when she lay on the bed. She found her chest heavy. She felt Anndra would do something to her, which she had resisted all the time. But deep inside her in one corner she desired Anndra to do all he wanted despite her resistance. She realized her breathing had become heavy and she had a queer feeling in her loins. She knew she was fantasizing about Anndra doing funny things to her.

Unable to sleep she got up and hurriedly dressed. She put on a dark red skirt and white blouse and a light grey jacket. She wore ever so light make up, which actually suited her and enhanced her quiet beauty. She covered her hair with a light blue scarf and put on her sandals. She was pleased to see herself in the mirror. She smiled with admiration. ‘Emma, you know how to be an attractive woman,’ she muttered to herself.

A brief glance told her that it was six twenty or so. It was okay, she told herself. She could be in Grafton Centre by six thirty; after all it was not much of a distance from her house in Covent Garden.

She took out the dark blue Toyota Camry and started driving quietly towards Grafton Centre.

She heard a sharp whistle and looked in the direction of the sound. Then she saw Andrew standing a few feet away from where she had parked her car. He swiftly came near and smiled sweetly. Emily’s heart took a big leap. It was going to be very difficult to control hereafter, she told herself.

‘Hello, honey. Shall we have some coffee to begin with in the coffee shop at the Centre?’ He brushed his palm against Emily’s cheeks.

Emily felt as if her whole body was having a spasm of pleasure. Somehow she managed to say, ‘No, no. I just had before I left the house. Can we go for a drive?’

Andrew looked a bit surprised but said, ‘Oh, yes. Why not? We can go to my room perhaps.’

‘Oh, no. Mrs Wilson will be suspicious.’

"Ah. Forget it sweetheart. Don’t worry about the old cow.’

Emily wanted to tell him there not to call her honey and sweetheart in the open. But she could not. She also did not want Mrs. Wilson–Andrew’s landlady to become suspicious. On that point she had to protest.

‘No, no. We will just go for a drive.’

‘All right. Just as you say my pancake!’ Andrew shrugged his shoulders and got beside Emily in the car.

Emily drove silently for some time. She slowly moved her car along Elizabeth Way. Andrew kept on talking something to which she was not quite attentive. Her mind was fighting her conscience. Suddenly Andrew put his hand on Emily’s thigh. Her muscles contracted and she wanted to tell him to take off his hand. But she did nothing of the sort. She kept on driving. Slowly he thigh muscles relaxed. Andrew squeezed her thigh lightly.

‘Ah, ah–,’ exclaimed Emily and her words did not betray her feelings. She slowed down the car took it in one small road across Elizabeth Way and stopped it on one side. She threw her head back in a relaxed manner and sat still. Andrew slid his hand along her thigh and pushed it under her skirt.

‘My, my. Emma your are not wearing–’

When Anndra touched her most secret part Emily writhed with pleasure and she could no longer sit still. She threw herself on Anndra’s chest and started kissing him passionately.

A little later they went into the nearby foliage and made love.

***

It took some fifteen minutes for them to come to the cafeteria and settle for a cup of coffee. Emily wanted a cup of tea while Andrew ordered black cappuccino. Now Emily started feeling a little vacuum in her mind. She had always wanted that thing to happen and when it had happened she felt somewhat blank. Slowly she found her mind in the midst of a moral turmoil.

‘Sorry, Andrew. My mind was elsewhere. What were you saying?’

‘Oh, you are still devouring those magical moments. Frankly, I too enjoyed and would like to–’

‘No, no, it was not that–it was something else. What were you saying?’ Emily protested.

‘Your tea is getting cold,’ Andrew said mischievously.

‘No, you were not saying that, Andrew!’ Emily blurted with a little impatience that startled Andrew.

‘No, but I am saying that now!’ Andrew said and his eyes showed a little hurt.

Emily sipped he tea and kept looking at the tea in her cup.

‘Okay, I was saying Dr Ross is on something and there is some gossip taking turns at Trinity.’

‘What is it?’ Emily asked with her eyes blinking with curiosity.

‘Well, it seems Dr David is going to propose a revolutionary theory soon,’ Andrew said nonchalantly.

‘Revolutionary theory? About what?’ Emily felt like grabbing Andrew asking him to spill the beans.

‘Look, Emma. I just wanted to say something to start the conversation since you were–were silent for a long time. I don’t know much but I heard something on the campus. Let’s forget that. Next weekend I would like you to come with me to–’

‘Look, Anndra. I would like to know more about David’s new theory. Can you tell me?’

Andrew seemed to regret about his choice of the topic to open the conversation but Emily was determined. She looked searchingly towards Andrew.

‘Frankly, Emma, I don’t know but I can find out. Give me some time. What about this weekend?’

‘We’ll see about that. But I should be moving.’ Emily gathered her handbag and after sipping the last dreg of tea, wiped her lips with tissue and got up.

‘Emma please. What is it–?’

‘No, nothing. But I must move now. I will telephone you,’ Emma spoke as if there was an emergency and almost ran after she finished her sentence.

When she was opening the door of her car she sensed Andrew coming towards her from behind. Not giving a look behind her she started the car and yanked it forward.

***

In the privacy of her room she lay with her face down on the bed. She started feeling guilty. It was not Dave’s fault if he was on some great discovery. She should not have rushed into this mess without fully understanding the cause of Dave’s strange behaviour, she told herself. But how could she know? He had not behaved strangely before. But he was not on a great discovery either. She got into her bed and started brooding. Poor David. He may not even have an idea of what his dear wife was doing behind his back. ‘Am I made of such a fragile material?’ Emily asked herself. She had unabashedly fallen into the arms of a young man when David had just moved out of the house on a tour. She had cheated David, Emily shouted at herself inside her mind a hundred times. David was behaving strangely for last few days but that did not give her the license for licentious conduct. She suddenly felt her cheeks wet and warm. She had not realized when the tears had started trickling from her eyes.

She got up a little later and went into the bathroom. She washed her face and looked into the mirror. She hated her own face. She wanted to smash the mirror. But it was of no use. Her face would still be there and would tease her when next she saw herself in some other mirror.

She thought of something. In a sudden movement she removed her gown and with the help of the soap started washing her spoilt private parts.

***

David did not remember what had happened between when he left home and the moment he sat at his wing-side window seat of the aircraft. But he did remember talking a little loosely with Powell. Actually he wanted to tease Powell. He knew Powell disliked him. But David was sure of his success at Johannesburg. He talked a little about which he had not thought deeply—experimental testing of his theory. He had told people would laugh if they came to know about the compactness and simplicity of the experiment. As a matter of fact he knew he was talking a little too much. But he wanted to tease Powell and was more than sure that Powell would not have heard him fully. At that moment he could think about only one thing. Yes, he knew he was absolutely focused about one thing.

His paper—his great theory.

He had been reciting as to how he would respond to different queries from the audience. He had been preparing for the unspoken and unasked questions too. He was aware that as he was concentrating on his paper everything else had obliterated into nothingness.

Nothingness. Yes that was one thing, which was of paramount importance. Was nothingness really nothingness? Nothingness was not nothingness at all he smilingly assured himself. In fact if anyone asked what was nothingness he would answer ‘everythingness’ and almost laughed at his pun.

‘Professor Ross, I believe?’ somebody said in a raucous voice and he jumped. In a moment the owner of the rough voice brought him back to mundane things.

He was a thickset man between fifty and fifty-five. He wore a dark blue suit and a green designer tie. His eyes appeared mischievous to David through his somewhat thick glasses and his yellowed upper buckteeth gave him an appearance of a half-wit.

‘Bailey–Dr Scott Bailey. Professor of Physics, University of Edinburgh,’ David shook the hairy hand that came in front of him. After the introduction David could recognize faintly. He had seen this Bailey fellow in some conference or seminar.

‘Yes, yes. I am Ross–David Ross. Trinity College.’

‘So nice to meet. Where are you going if I may ask?’

‘Johannesburg.’

‘Some business I guess.’

‘Right. But you sure will excuse me. I got to do some work.’ David did not want to continue conversation with this bloke Bailey. He had not particularly liked him and he did not know why. In any case David did not want to reveal anything–even accidentally–about his paper or its idea or contents to anyone. It was one thing to tease Powell but he did not want to be a loud mouth about his paper and theory.

‘Okay, okay. No problem,’ said Professor Bailey and dissolved into the crowd still active in the aisle of the aircraft in finding their seats or putting their bags in overhead hatch.

David once again relaxed in his seat and started thinking about his paper.

Chapter 2

Emily relaxed with a cup of coffee after she had made her kitchen neat and tidy. She liked everything clean and organized and that day was no exception for her. She always liked to relax after tiring herself clearing even the minute speck of dirt or refuse.

But she could not relax. David was on her mind most of the times. She had wanted to talk to him first. She could have always got him on the mobile. But after arrival in Johannesburg he had beaten her to it. She felt ashamed. She had assumed that David would still be detached from her or even her thought. One of her friends had told her that men always remembered their spouse when they were away and they always neglected wives when they were near. ‘Could this be true in David’s case?’ she asked herself.

After having had a very intimate encounter with Anndra she was trying to rationalize her affair with him. She had been thinking that she had a reason to have an affair since she felt neglected. But Anndra had told her that Dave was after something big. Maybe Dave was too engrossed with his study and his scholarly mind would not allow deterrent like her. Probably the moment he was relaxed–as may have been the case when he reached Johannesburg–he remembered her and called her.

No, she had completely misunderstood Dave and had blamed poor him for no fault of his, she told herself. She was quite confused and did not know what to do when the phone rang shrilly and she started.

‘Hello. Who is speaking?’

‘Darling how are you? Did you sleep well? You appeared a bit nervous at the coffee shop last night and I was worried. Thought should ask you if everything’s all right.’

She wanted to protest about Anndra’s calling her darling but could not. Did one admonish anybody else when that person is concerned about you and your health, she wondered. She knew she wanted to put a stop to all this but simply did not have the push. Actually one part of her liked the way Anndra was behaving with her and her conservative self was telling her to withdraw and terminate all that was happening.

‘Well, I am fine now. I slept not so well but now I’m okay,’ Emily said matter-of-factly.

‘Then I propose we should go for a small picnic. Look, today’s Saturday and we should go for outing tomorrow. I’d rather propose to talk and firm up by having a chat today evening. If it’s okay with you–’

‘Look, Andrew. Frankly, I am not very comfortable with our–our–’

‘Come on, Emma. Why should you be all that upset? Such things are not uncommon these days. If you–’

‘No, Andrew. I suggest you leave me alone for the moment,’ Emily wondered how she could screw up courage to say all those things. She could clearly hear Andrew sighing at the other end. She was sad but she knew she had to do that.

‘Okay, if that’s the way you feel about it, I won’t bother you,’ she heard a small thud of receiver being replaced on the cradle and then the familiar engaged tone.

***

As the plane hurtled into the darkness David kept on looking outside the window. Those millions of stars, faraway galaxies–they were all beckoning him he thought. ‘Would it be possible during his lifetime to travel to the distant heavenly bodies?’ he asked himself. He suddenly remembered Raghu–Raghavan–Dr Raghavan.

He was always irritated by that dark thickset Indian. He did not know if Raghu was really a scientist or a philosopher. People said he was both and perhaps much more. No one really knew.

David had first seen Raghu some years back in Cambridge. The seminar committee had invited the Indian for a couple of lectures on theoretical physics. He thought Raghu was given more importance than what he deserved at that time. Dave admitted to himself that Raghu was quite eloquent and in spite of his dark native and somewhat unimpressive looks had made an impact on the audience.

Raghu had talked about consciousness and quantum. He had elaborated on the essence of consciousness in determining spatial material universe. David had felt as if he was listening to a spiritual sermon rather than a scientific discussion. He remembered he had posed a couple of intriguing questions to Raghu, which he had answered in roundabout way. While David had not liked the answers the audience appeared satisfied and David had to abandon his idea of crossing Raghu. Still, during teatime he had confronted Raghu and tried to seek explanation but Raghu had smilingly said teatime would be too short a time to discuss such a serious subject.

David had suspected Raghu did not have answers to his queries and was trying to skirt the issue or maybe he had the answers but they were too abstract in nature to satisfy a scientific mind like David’s own.

Later he did come across Raghu several times. During long discussions with him David came to know that the man was very intelligent but was keen on proving something. He loved to compare ancient science and contemporary quantum physics. He appeared to draw parallels with oriental philosophical thought and modern science. At one point of time even David was fascinated with the Hindu idea of creation of the universe. He was also impressed about the time scale for various periods in the life of universe given in Hindu Puranas and other ancient texts. Still David thought speculative science had no use till one could practically prove the utility of a particular thought. To him notions only distracted the minds of those seeking scientific inquiry. David knew Raghu pretty well but was hesitant in calling him a friend.

David wondered who he would be comfortable with–Scott Bailey or Raghu. Both were certainly not to his liking. On the one hand Bailey was snooping kind of fool who had little knowledge worth the penny and on the other Raghu was a genius but his intelligence had little or no use in this world, mused David. He should keep away from both, he decided and relaxed further in his seat looking into the darkness once more.

***

Emily became restless. She was feeling too lonely. Dave had telephoned after reaching Johannesburg. But it was a dull routine call and Dave was not exactly romantic. She knew she was yearning for love–maybe something more than that. She also knew that it was wrong on her part to blame Dave since his mind was preoccupied with something very important.

She argued that she too needed someone. What’s wrong with a bit of flirtation to ease the tension, she asked herself.

She got up and picked up the phone. She dialled a number and waited with drawn breath. It was giving engaged tone. She tried several times with a few minutes’ gap but still her efforts bore no fruit.

She was quite fidgety and did not know what to do. Suddenly Kitty jumped from nowhere and stood in front of her mewing softly. She picked Kitty up and patted her back. It was so natural for animals to seek love whenever they needed she mused. Why it wasn’t so easy with humans she asked.

A thought occurred to her and she opened the telephone directory. Leafing through its pages intermittently she stopped at one page. She memorized the number in her mind and quietly dialled it.

‘Hullo, who is it?’ a slightly quivering voice asked.

For a moment Emily had forgotten what her answer should be. She fumbled in her mind to choose a suitable reply.

‘Er–er, this is Sara. Is Mr Andrew home?’

‘Hold on Sara. I’ll check if he is in.’ There was a noise of keeping the receiver on the table and some steps taken away from the phone. Emily could pick up Mrs Wilson’s distant voice calling ‘Andrew, Andrew!’

After a while which seemed like eons Andrew picked up the phone and spoke, ‘Hello, Andrew speaking.’

Emily talked in ever so soft voice, ‘Hello Anndra, this is Emily. I have told Mrs Wilson that I am Sara speaking. Is the old cow around?’

‘Yes, yes.’

‘Okay. So I will be brief. I am sorry the way I talked to you. Actually what I meant was that we have to be careful and–’

‘I understand. But what happens now?’

‘Well, I would have liked to meet you but–’

‘But what? Tell me, do you agree to what I had suggested?’

‘What?’

‘Don’t act like a schoolgirl. I had said today we should go for a–’

‘Yes. It’s okay with me.’ Anndra had asked her not to act like a schoolgirl but he would have loved to see her blushing like a schoolgirl at that point.

‘Do you know our weekend starts now? Look, in half an hour’s time I will telephone you but be ready.’ Andrew could not hide mischief from his words.

***

David relaxed in the bathtub. He always felt nice in the tub. He could think without anyone disturbing. He remembered how he had rushed to take his bath immediately after coming to the hotel from the airport though he did not feel tired at all after the ten-hour long journey. But he never slept during travel. Probably he needed to kick off the lethargy by taking a bath.

He remembered while he was retrieving his baggage a couple of guys were trying to talk to him. He could also see Scott Bailey trying to catch his attention. He had wisely ignored them all and proceeded to catch a taxi. On his way to the hotel he remembered the taxi driver trying to tell him something in his broken English interspersed with Afrikaans. He was listening to him without understanding much when they travelled along the R24 and N12 highways, passed through the fashionable suburbs. He remembered seeing the huge signboard Eastgate, which appeared to be a large shopping centre. It was morning time and the shops were closed but the neon signs kept on blinking in the not-so-bright daylight.

The driver probably was telling him about the notorious gangsters of Hillbrow when they breezed past Eastgate. He remembered somebody telling him about the unprovoked violence on foreigners and tourists from the hooligans of Hillbrow.

David reached for a towel and getting up from the tub stepped out. Just then the shrill bell of the telephone rang and he nearly slipped. ‘Who could be calling?’ he muttered to himself. It would not be Emma because he had talked to her right from the Johannesburg International Airport.

‘Hello,’ a deep voice spoke to him through the earpiece. ‘Is that Prof Ross?’

‘Yes, but may I know who is speaking?’ David questioned the caller.

‘I am Peters from The Star newspaper in Johannesburg. I am sorry if I have disturbed you but–’

‘No, it’s okay but what can I do for you?’ David could not hide his puzzled expression while talking.

‘Dr Ross, we would like to have your exclusive interview for our paper. So if you could oblige us–’

‘I am sorry but I can’t get you. What do you want my interview for?’

‘Okay. Dr Ross, we understand you are presenting an important paper in Monday’s International Theoretical Physics Conference. We would like you to give us your thoughts as well as a glimpse into your paper for our readers. In case you want to speak to us at some other place we can make the arrangements. Also if you want to give us the interview telephonically that too would be fine–’

‘I am sorry, Mr Peters but I cannot reveal anything for now about my paper. I wish you a good day,’ David spoke into the mouthpiece in a firm voice.

Still he could hear Peter’s low and distant voice when he was keeping the receiver down, ‘Dr Ross, my management would be happy to pay you a sizeable sum–’

David was stunned. He could not believe his ears. How on earth those rascals would have known about his paper? He could not fathom. He remembered how he had taken pains to guard the secret of the contents of his paper. He had not taken any secretarial help from the college staff. But, of course he had to obtain approval from dean Malcolm Powell as was officially required. He himself had done most of the typing and corrections on his laptop. And he had taken special care to avoid any leakage. He had sent only the abstract of his paper to the Conference Proceedings Editors. He had refused to budge even at the threat of his paper being dropped from the conference. But David knew he was smarter than those nincompoops in the editorial board. Finally they had to yield and accept whatever David sent them. He was sure little could be drawn from the abstract. All his text and figures were stored safely in two compact discs and all the documents were password protected. He had kept one CD at home in his bedroom cupboard and one he had brought along with him.

***

Ryan Peters looked helplessly around. He had missed a good chance of a tantalizing scoop. His instinct told him he had one in a million chance to become world famous and he thanked his boss for assigning the job of covering the conference for The Star. But he also knew everything was not lost after the smartass had spurned his offer. Only thing he was worried about was something had to be done fast. Time seemed to be running out. The conference would be on and the whole world would know what the fella has up his sleeve.

He still hoped that the scientist would not reveal everything in the conference. He knew these fellows quite well. They would make the whole world revolve around them