“Bella, there is a local dance competition. Will you join our group?” said Simran, Bella’s Indian Roommate.
“No, I would prefer to be the audience.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. Simran tell me more about your group.”
“Of course. We are four members, Roshni, Jia, Aisha and me. They are very good dancers as well as friends. Tonight they are coming for rehearsals in our room. You can meet them.”
“Sure, I would like to be the non- dancing staff of your team.”
At night Simran introduced Bella to Roshni, Jia, Aisha and Radha Mam, their teacher. The girls started their practise.
“Bella, these girls are awesome. I have high expectations from them.” Radha Mam said.
“Yes mam, you must have. They are dancing better than professionals. What about the competition? I must know about it.”
“Oh! Yes, thirteen groups will be participating. In first five rounds ten teams will get eliminated and in the finale, Three groups will compete.”
“Oh I see.”
The team successfully completed all the five rounds and it was the time for finale. The dancing classes had been shifted to an old farmhouse which Roshni’s ancestors owned.
“Come on Bella, We are late. Radha Mam would kill me.”
They reached the farmhouse unaware that a bad news was awaiting them. Radha Mam informed that Aisha and Jia were hospitalised due to dizziness and they fainted. Doctor suggested for a week’s rest minimum.
“But how is it possible. Even today I contacted them and they sounded fine. The finale is the after 5 days. Our team would break.” Simran said.
“What I can’t understand is how both were hospitalised with the same problem? Is it a mere coincidence or is it planned?” Bella said.
“But who could do it?”
“Why, the other teams? Mam they were superb and beating them wasn’t a cakewalk, so any of the two teams could have done this”
“Whoever did this, it must be kept a secret. Lest it will have adverse effect on our reputation.”
“Mam, can I investigate.”
“Yes, but please don’t let my honour down.”
“Sure.”
The next day was a new dawn for Bella. Her maiden case in India and she was determined to make it memorable. There were two rooms facing each other and between them there was a big hall. The contestants used to get ready in the make up room and then perform in the hall.
“Mam I want to take some evidence so can I search for it?”
“Yes, sure.”
“Come ‘on help me Simran.”
“You look in the left room till I look in the right.
Bella tried her best to search meticulously. She moved the door gently and picked up a note. Nothing else was to be found till she managed to find a cd. She tried to open the door but Alas! She was locked.
“Simran, Help me I am locked. Help me Simran, Help me. Oh my bad luck I forgot my phone outside. I have to find a way out. Yes, the mini door. Radha Mam once said that there was a door connecting both the green rooms to the corridor. If only I could find it.”
Bella tapped each part of the wall to check if there was a mini door and fortunately there was. She entered the other green room, where Simran was searching.
“You had got locked?” Simran asked.
“No, no. That was just........................” Bella lied.
“Really, come on. I knew you could manage so I didn’t come to help you.”
“You locked me?”
“No, why should I?”
“Then who?”
“By mistake of course. I didn’t lock you, nor did Radha Mam and neither did Roshni. I mean why would they lock you? Ms. Detective on your duty.”
“Radha Mam, I found this note and a cd.” Bella said.
“And I, a bottle.” Simran said.
“Bravo! you girls. Bella read the note.”
“Mam, it is meaningless. 32 thousand, JST, tsday. And of the cd, I think we should better play it and see.”
“Mam, the bottles.”
“Simran, they are of drugs. Where on the earth did you get them?”
“Second green room. Ok I’ll hand them over to the police.”
“Radha Mam, you said you didn’t want police in the case?” Bella said.
“I was childish, but not wrong I was worried about the reputation of my dance troupe. But now the parents demand it.”
The Cd was played and it was the recording of their practise, strategies and plans for the finale over a period of 3 days.
They started walking back home.
“If I had to doubt someone I would doubt the fairytale dance troupe. Even in the previous round they had cheated and replaced a member in the last minute, which was not allowed.” Simran said.
“Simran, why not the other troupe Moonlight dance troupe.”
“I don’t know but they are quite strong, the weakest is Fairytale.”
“They could have recorded our practise and copied it or try to make theirs better. But how did it come so clearly? It is not possible to capture such a clear footage from more than twenty feet. They couldn’t have captured it from outside. Any insider may have helped them.”
“Bella, you are hopeless. You really think that Radha Mam, Jia or Aisha did this. Jia or Aisha would not hurt themselves, obviously not. Radha Mam is so concerned about everything. No doubt on her.”
“Simran, you are committing a blunder by forgetting to count Roshni. She is the only one who closely observes all the dance moves, she can do it. However forget it. Let us go to the Titli Square to have delicious panipuri.”
Back home they were discussing what the note meant. 32 thousand was a fairly large amount, JST was something they couldn’t guess and tsday could mean Tuesday or Thursday.
“Which day is today?” Bella asked
“Tuesday, why?”
“They were drugged today and were hospitalised today. So the tsday meant Tuesday no doubt on it.”
“JST?????????????????”
“Remember the pamphlet you were reading this morning.”
“Jaishree Talkies?”
“Yes, their logo is JST.”
“Oh ho! So Jaishree Talkies. The note means that writer would meet someone at JST today with 32 thousand. Let us go and check it.”
“But the time is not mentioned.”
“Is there any harm to go and check it?”
“No.”
They went to Jaishree Talkies. It was night and unable to see Bella fell into a hole. Simran not able to find her started searching for her. Finally she found her in the hole.
“Bella what are you doing inside?”
“Celebrating my summer vacation.”
“Summer vacation in November?”
“Offo, now pull me out.”
“Look what I discovered?” Bella said.
“This bracelet is a part of our costume, That means Roshni...?”
“Not only that Roshni had given all the drugs. Do you remember that purple nail polish that you admired”
“Yes.”
“A drug bottle had a bit of that nailpolish on its side.”
“Tomorrow we will go and divulge the secret.”
Next morning they first went to the green room because it was a very sensitive case and they had to be sure about everything. What they saw needed no more clue. The letter which fairytale dance group had written asking for money to Roshni and the list of drugs in Roshni’s bag where effect of each drug was written.
“We have enough clue. Now let us go and tell it to every one.” They tried to open the lock but could not.
“I have to tell Radha Mam that this lock is not working.”
They pleaded for help for a long time but no one came to help. Finally Bella remembered about the connecting door. But alas! The door of the second green room was also locked. After a long time of screaming and pleading Simran’s hairpin did the job. The door opened and they came outside.
“Radha Mam, the culprit is Roshni.”
“Radha Mam I am being falsely accused.” Roshni said.
“But the clues point to you.”
“You must have done something to charge me.”
“Roshni, dear if you are innocent then prove it.” Mam said.
“Roshni you are our friend, after much research we blamed you. Then could it be Radha Mam.”
“No, not Mam. Mam is like my second mother. She can never do anything wrong. I did it.”
“Why dear?”
“Mam, I needed money and was determined to get it somehow. Niharika of Fairytale dance group agreed to give me 32 thousand rupees. But she wanted me to see that our group does not participate in the finale. So I drugged Aisha and Jia. We were to meet at Jaishree talkies and exchange money and video of our dance so that they could copy it.”
“So you got the money?”
“No, because I forgot to bring the cd. Bella, Simran the lock is working properly it was I who locked you both.”
“Radha Mam what should we do?”
“Bella, Simran. Great work my girls. First let us call the competition organiser and tell everything so that Moonlight Dance troupe wins the trophy. Let us ask the parents and the girls in hospital what to do.”
Every one decided to forgive Roshni and give her a second chance. The decided to drop the charges and decided to apply for another competition but with Bella as a dancer in their team. Bella agreed.
