Thanks for participating & hope you continue to give your support for future
such contests through your enthusiastic participation – Vandana
The 15 hidden names are (in order of appearance in the story): Chitra, Padmini,
Ank, Sun, Partha, Saroja, Phagu, Mala, Ankit, Mohan, Adesola, Kalyani, Saji,
Tony, Jose.
Searching for the paper chit, Raunak's eyes roam over the objects on the Professor's
table where his search was centered. There is a writing pad, miniature globe, an image
of a beautiful lady in a red saree wearing a golden anklet and sundry other objects.
Looking closer at the globe, he takes his thin pen-knife and gently prises apart half of
the globe. He is thrilled to see a chit falling out, which has the safe's password. Quickly
he moves to the cupboard in which the safe is and enters the odd password, Tsar Ojas.
The door of the safe clicks open. Ignoring the cash, he reaches for what he sought – the
Om pendant in its round box. Removing it, he notices a small spiral bound book with the
title 'Alpha Guide' on it. There are symbols and words which look like malapropisms on
the pages, which he presumes are something to do with the science concepts the
Professor teaches. He puts it back and shuts the safe. About to close the cupboard,
suddenly he notices something odd. The spartan kitted cupboard seemed to have more
depth than as seen from the inside. He knocks on the wall behind the safe and hears a
hollow sound, indicating a space. He feels around carefully with his fingers and touches a
button. Immediately, a panel slides quietly open. In the space there he is stunned to see
ammo, handguns, dollar currency notes & what looks like a small home made solar
panel connected to a box with wires. He hurriedly shuts the panel, closes the cupboard
and slips out of the window of the room from where he had entered. Getting on his bike,
he goes to a phone booth & makes an anonymous call to the police to expose the
jackal, yani ke the Professor. That night, safely out of the country with his visa, jiggling
his keys nervously (an old habit), he switches on the TV. On the news are details of the
police raid on the Professor's tony house and the cache of arms & ammo found along
with a book of secret codes. Raunak smiles. He has not only got back his pendant (his
mojo, seemingly his lucky charm & which had been stolen by the Professor-thief whom
he had tracked out after a long time), he had also ripped off the Prof's mask.