A 'no' uttered from the deepest conviction is better than a 'yes' merely uttered to please, or worse to avoid trouble -- Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi

A-For Arjun #BlogChatterA2Z

The image was taken from Pexels.com

Thoroughly excited to reveal the protagonist of my upcoming thriller -Murder at Thampuran Kotta, as part of this year's A2Z marathon-the first of its kind I have ever undertaken. His name is Arjun Madhavan--a familiar name among Malayalam speakers. The first post would suffice to present him before you, not a hectic introduction. Then the remaining twenty-five posts to complete the rest of my novel or up to where they take me.

This is my second author endeavour- the first is an e-book titled, Under the Bakula Tree, published on Amazon.com-- a contemporary woman story and a short read--a sisterhood taking root under the patriarchy is the subtitle.  

Three-fourths of the thriller I have covered.  It was a group expedition, I reckon, sailing through unfamiliar terrains and calm waters --at times, my characters, and other times, I led it.  It made me grasp the character's strengths, weaknesses, and the course they want to pursue.  Whether we have done justice to each other in the journey we covered and in what remains is something time will prove.  I Should wait until I conclude the last line of my first draft to sense whether I made my characters breathe useful lives--the journey we made was a cosy one to retain it or jack it up.  

When I promised to reveal my protagonist, I honestly had no idea what it entailed--and my readers' expectations.  If I have disappointed you, please bring it out to assist me.  I intend to throw light on his profession and hint at his traits, quirks, and conflicts using brief narratives.

Ok, fasten your seat belt and get ready for the ride.

9 August Friday, 2017, at 10.00 pm, Arjun sits in his room alone, pondering whether he will remain there or join those in the living room.  His in-laws have come to visit them on their journey to visit their elder daughter living in Dubai.  Their nosy behaviour makes him uncomfortable- as a suspect- in police custody.  They don't know that respecting others' privacy is the best way to maintain good relationships. 

In the living room, his in-laws keep the volume of the TV beyond the allowed decibels. The neighbours would point accusing fingers at him for that. His wife has readily joined them in their frenzy of laughter at TV characters' whimsical quacks that break his ears.  

His wife.  He never presumed that a women's perspective would turn a test in life until he stepped onto the threshold of marriage.  He doesn't want to curtain her freedom and independence women would confront in relationships-she cannot make an independent opinion about anything as a contributing companion in his life.  Her nagging mercurial reactions to matters match her with a child. 

She is eager to show her parents that they have a picture-perfect family life--he is not for an act.  She brags about her life which is sweet to her parent's ears.

His phone rang, and the caller was Gomathi, the SHO at the station,' Sir, people are here to report a murder case." 

"Murder, where?"

"At Chempoli."   

"Sir, there are complications."

Without asking what complications, Arjun answered, "coming." 

That was unanticipated. He wanted to get a real escape from the noisy and bossy situations in his home. At the same time, he realised his decision would annoy his in-laws and his wife. Both would accuse him of putting duty before family, but he is a 24/7 law and order officer.

**

Circle Inspector Arjun Madhavan stepped into the lobby of his duty station at thirty-eight minutes past ten.  Met the people waiting to meet him with the murder report.  The first thing he should do is visit the murder scene.  And he prepared for that by organising the best team to assist him in that. 

"Sir, this case isn't ordinary," Gomathy Thomas detailed about the death report at the station.  "Haven't faced such a sinister situation in my entire life."

She substantiates her argument--"None of them who came to report the murder was a family or a relative of the murdered woman, could give her details, not even her name."

"Are you suggesting it's just a hoax?"

"No, they heard about a body lying murdered inside a shack and a woman weeping loud from inside." 

'A shack at Chempoli?" Chempoli is a super-rich suburb.  All-important members holding political and economic positions in the district lived there--a shack that existed there among those palatial bungalows was something that didn't make sense to Anand.  And now a woman got murdered in one of the shacks.

Should he call off this trip or continue?  He must continue --that is the call of his duty.

This post is part of the #BlogchatterA2Z challenge hosted by 

Blog Chatter

You can read all my posts for Blog Chatter A2Z here