4 - Magic or murder?
Back to 3 - Khoji Khargosh Investigates takes the challenge
A little over 7:30 PM. Party was looking more than a private one considering the number of guests and was in full swing. Narayan welcomed us without knowing that our disguise was Alka’s idea.
Kunal was pretending the representative of the company that had been hired to construct another level of this mansion where this party was arranged. I was the new house manager of the mansion hired by Alka on the “recommendation” by Kunal.
Shefali did not bother to come all the way from abroad.
Drinks were flowing. Waiters were too busy to pause for breath.
Finally Mukul announced the mentalist show to be presented by Rajan. People started taking seats.
Kunal and I stood on opposite ends as vantage points. Seating arrangement was in the form of scattered round tables in the hall. Girish was sitting flanked by Alka and Mukul. All of them holding their drinks.
Rajan was now standing on a big platform with Narayan sitting on the opposite side of the table facing him. A glass tub with some pieces of foam in it, four glasses in a row and two glass jugs were there on the table. Bright light was focusing onto him while lights were dimmed in rest of the hall.
Silence fell as Rajan began - ‘Welcome guys! Today I will demonstrate how I will read Narayan bhaiya’s mind to make out what he is thinking. Are you ready?’
The crowd announced its agreement with a big roar and applause.
‘Thank you’ – encouraged, Rajan continued – ‘As you see here this jug’ - he held up his left hand holding a jug filled with a water like clear liquid– ‘is filled with Hydrochloric Acid’ – he said and tilted the jug onto the transparent glass tub. A little liquid hit the foam kept in the tub and burnt instantly with a faint hiss releasing thick fumes. Many people across the hall winced. I saw this time even GC was interested too. ‘
‘This other jug’ – Rajan seemed to be clearly enjoying the crowd’s reaction – ‘has plain water. I am filling three glasses with water and one with acid’. He did so. All the glasses appeared same.
‘Now I am shuffling these glasses. Narayan bhaiya, I request you to see this with all your concentration, I repeat, all your concentration’ – saying this, very deftly he shifted the glasses around a few times in such a way that now it was difficult to tell which glass was the one containing acid.
The show was getting so tempting that it was difficult to focus on people. With this thought I felt somewhat uneasy and took a deep breath to refresh my senses.
‘Can anyone tell which glass has what?’
Rajan paused for the response. A few “nos” were heard.
‘But’ – he continued – ‘Narayan bhaiya’s subconscious mind has recorded the shuffling of glasses and “knows” which glass has acid.’ – a pause – ‘You don’t believe in the power of subconscious mind? Today you will! when you see how I penetrate into Narayan bhaiya’s subconscious mind and know which glass has acid’ – he turned towards Narayan saying– ‘my only request is that when I look at you please lock the eyes with mine and do not blink okay?’
Narayan nodded.
‘Are you all ready?’ – Rajan engaged the crowd again. A big roaring “yes” came up from the crowd.
‘Here we go. Narayan bhaiya! Look at me and don’t blink’. Narayan complied.
Rajan was staring at Narayan as if looking through him somewhere. He was murmuring some gibberish too. It was really getting too difficult to concentrate on my job. I bet every eye was on the platform. Pin drop silence. Even waiters had stopped serving.
Suddenly he picked up one of the glasses. Held it up to the crowd and said – ‘Is this water? Or acid?’
A few winced.
‘Let’s see’ – Rajan said and instantly emptied the glass drinking it.
Several guests, almost all the ladies, shouted with anticipation.
‘Aaah’ – Rajan exhaled, wiped his mouth and said – ‘water’. The uproar in the crowd settled down with a combined moan of comfort.
This way Rajan emptied another glass of water. Now there were only two glasses left on the table.
This duty was testing me. I couldn’t guess how Kunal was managing. We two were the only unfortunates who could not fully enjoy the show.
Rajan picked up and drank the third glass too. Suddenly glass left his hand and hit the table. He cried like a goat being slaughtered, coughed, grabbed his throat and fell on the floor, rolling with agony.
Several cried in the crowd. Narayan jumped off his chair in sheer panic. Some waiters rushed towards the platform. My heart skipped several beats. That was the moment my eyes drifted off GC for a few seconds.
Laughing, Rajan stood up back, held his both hands forward as if greeting everyone and said –
‘Water!’
Several people cursed him. Many laughed at his histrionics.
‘That is the power of mind reading folks’ – saying, he emptied the fourth and only glass left, into the tub. Once again the tub was filled with acid fumes.
Hall reverberated with a huge and long applause.
‘Now I call upon Girish mama to demo his mind reading power’
Another applause.
GC kept down his drink, reluctantly stood up and left his table.
Due to an unknown fear, I started feeling very uneasy.
As GC started moving towards the platform his cell phone rang. He stopped and received the call. I saw it was Kunal who had called him from the far end of the hall. GC talked slowly into his phone. Heard what was being said from the other side and then spoke in his heavy voice – ‘I am sorry friends, I have to take this call. I request Mukul to try the trick. Sorry for inconvenience Mukul’. He walked towards the verandah to continue with his telephonic conversation. So, Kunal had smelled some rat too and stopped GC to participate in any weird activity.
While Mukul was repeating the show successfully, GC finished the “fake” call, returned, dragged the chair back and sat down. Meanwhile his drink was kept unattended. I noticed that he had – possibly unknowingly - sat on the chair emptied by Mukul. Now Mukul’s glass of drink was kept in front of him. I watched intently. Slowly, his left hand skipped Mukul’s glass and picked up his own glass.
After a few moments the show was over. Lights were brightened again and dinner was announced. Mukul came down from the platform.
I heard GC saying – ‘Arey, Mukul has left his drink here’ – and saw picking up Mukul’s drink.
GC held out his left hand. Alka took the glass, walked over to Mukul and handed over the glass to him. I was watching and thinking simultaneously.
Was it an illusion? Was I seeing things?
Both Mukul and GC were laughing and chatting. They touched their glasses and emptied them to move towards large dinner table. But they could never make it. One of the Aggarwals suddenly cried like a goat being slaughtered, coughed, grabbed his throat, fell on the floor and started rolling with agony as if mimicking Rajan’s act.
Before anyone could do anything, he was sprawled on the floor, dead.
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The Killer>>
September 14 2013, Party Venue:
GC’s residence
A little over 7:30 PM. Party was looking more than a private one considering the number of guests and was in full swing. Narayan welcomed us without knowing that our disguise was Alka’s idea.
Kunal was pretending the representative of the company that had been hired to construct another level of this mansion where this party was arranged. I was the new house manager of the mansion hired by Alka on the “recommendation” by Kunal.
Shefali did not bother to come all the way from abroad.
Drinks were flowing. Waiters were too busy to pause for breath.
Finally Mukul announced the mentalist show to be presented by Rajan. People started taking seats.
Kunal and I stood on opposite ends as vantage points. Seating arrangement was in the form of scattered round tables in the hall. Girish was sitting flanked by Alka and Mukul. All of them holding their drinks.
Rajan was now standing on a big platform with Narayan sitting on the opposite side of the table facing him. A glass tub with some pieces of foam in it, four glasses in a row and two glass jugs were there on the table. Bright light was focusing onto him while lights were dimmed in rest of the hall.
Silence fell as Rajan began - ‘Welcome guys! Today I will demonstrate how I will read Narayan bhaiya’s mind to make out what he is thinking. Are you ready?’
The crowd announced its agreement with a big roar and applause.
‘Thank you’ – encouraged, Rajan continued – ‘As you see here this jug’ - he held up his left hand holding a jug filled with a water like clear liquid– ‘is filled with Hydrochloric Acid’ – he said and tilted the jug onto the transparent glass tub. A little liquid hit the foam kept in the tub and burnt instantly with a faint hiss releasing thick fumes. Many people across the hall winced. I saw this time even GC was interested too. ‘
‘This other jug’ – Rajan seemed to be clearly enjoying the crowd’s reaction – ‘has plain water. I am filling three glasses with water and one with acid’. He did so. All the glasses appeared same.
‘Now I am shuffling these glasses. Narayan bhaiya, I request you to see this with all your concentration, I repeat, all your concentration’ – saying this, very deftly he shifted the glasses around a few times in such a way that now it was difficult to tell which glass was the one containing acid.
The show was getting so tempting that it was difficult to focus on people. With this thought I felt somewhat uneasy and took a deep breath to refresh my senses.
‘Can anyone tell which glass has what?’
Rajan paused for the response. A few “nos” were heard.
‘But’ – he continued – ‘Narayan bhaiya’s subconscious mind has recorded the shuffling of glasses and “knows” which glass has acid.’ – a pause – ‘You don’t believe in the power of subconscious mind? Today you will! when you see how I penetrate into Narayan bhaiya’s subconscious mind and know which glass has acid’ – he turned towards Narayan saying– ‘my only request is that when I look at you please lock the eyes with mine and do not blink okay?’
Narayan nodded.
‘Are you all ready?’ – Rajan engaged the crowd again. A big roaring “yes” came up from the crowd.
‘Here we go. Narayan bhaiya! Look at me and don’t blink’. Narayan complied.
Rajan was staring at Narayan as if looking through him somewhere. He was murmuring some gibberish too. It was really getting too difficult to concentrate on my job. I bet every eye was on the platform. Pin drop silence. Even waiters had stopped serving.
Suddenly he picked up one of the glasses. Held it up to the crowd and said – ‘Is this water? Or acid?’
A few winced.
‘Let’s see’ – Rajan said and instantly emptied the glass drinking it.
Several guests, almost all the ladies, shouted with anticipation.
‘Aaah’ – Rajan exhaled, wiped his mouth and said – ‘water’. The uproar in the crowd settled down with a combined moan of comfort.
This way Rajan emptied another glass of water. Now there were only two glasses left on the table.
This duty was testing me. I couldn’t guess how Kunal was managing. We two were the only unfortunates who could not fully enjoy the show.
Rajan picked up and drank the third glass too. Suddenly glass left his hand and hit the table. He cried like a goat being slaughtered, coughed, grabbed his throat and fell on the floor, rolling with agony.
Several cried in the crowd. Narayan jumped off his chair in sheer panic. Some waiters rushed towards the platform. My heart skipped several beats. That was the moment my eyes drifted off GC for a few seconds.
Laughing, Rajan stood up back, held his both hands forward as if greeting everyone and said –
‘Water!’
Several people cursed him. Many laughed at his histrionics.
‘That is the power of mind reading folks’ – saying, he emptied the fourth and only glass left, into the tub. Once again the tub was filled with acid fumes.
Hall reverberated with a huge and long applause.
‘Now I call upon Girish mama to demo his mind reading power’
Another applause.
GC kept down his drink, reluctantly stood up and left his table.
Due to an unknown fear, I started feeling very uneasy.
As GC started moving towards the platform his cell phone rang. He stopped and received the call. I saw it was Kunal who had called him from the far end of the hall. GC talked slowly into his phone. Heard what was being said from the other side and then spoke in his heavy voice – ‘I am sorry friends, I have to take this call. I request Mukul to try the trick. Sorry for inconvenience Mukul’. He walked towards the verandah to continue with his telephonic conversation. So, Kunal had smelled some rat too and stopped GC to participate in any weird activity.
While Mukul was repeating the show successfully, GC finished the “fake” call, returned, dragged the chair back and sat down. Meanwhile his drink was kept unattended. I noticed that he had – possibly unknowingly - sat on the chair emptied by Mukul. Now Mukul’s glass of drink was kept in front of him. I watched intently. Slowly, his left hand skipped Mukul’s glass and picked up his own glass.
After a few moments the show was over. Lights were brightened again and dinner was announced. Mukul came down from the platform.
I heard GC saying – ‘Arey, Mukul has left his drink here’ – and saw picking up Mukul’s drink.
Alka was just next to him holding
her glass and said – ‘Here, give it to me papa, I’ll give it to Mukul uncle.’
GC held out his left hand. Alka took the glass, walked over to Mukul and handed over the glass to him. I was watching and thinking simultaneously.
Was it an illusion? Was I seeing things?
Both Mukul and GC were laughing and chatting. They touched their glasses and emptied them to move towards large dinner table. But they could never make it. One of the Aggarwals suddenly cried like a goat being slaughtered, coughed, grabbed his throat, fell on the floor and started rolling with agony as if mimicking Rajan’s act.
Before anyone could do anything, he was sprawled on the floor, dead.
[][][][][]
The Killer>>
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