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“Fine... Let us view the videos ... “ Jim had reset the video clips.  “Try to remember the conversation... ok?” He looked at Maria’s miserable face.  She nodded tentatively, not sure how this would help.  Jim plugged his laptop to the big screen.  The video played. 

With every appearance of Dr. Maria, they stopped, asking her about the conversation.  The first few she could remember and then somewhere she lost in the crowd. 

“For God sake, Maria... Remember something...!” Even Dr. Koite lost his cool.  Maria looked more devastated.  “I am trying...!” she said fixing her gaze on the screen.

I remember this... Dr. Ghosh and I were discussing with the professors... See .. He is explaining something.  These are my colleagues ... from Stanford...! Look... Dr. Nelson... Sociology Department... I was talking to her.... but ... I didn’t mention Dhatri...!” Jim continued with the video. 

“Try and remember Maria...!” Dr. Koite was impatient.  “I am trying my best...! Stop breathing on my neck..!” Maria was irked.  Dr. Koite looked away frustrated.  They had been into the video reliving the conference for almost four hours with no success.  She just couldn’t remember what she was talking to whom....! Ravi’s phone buzzed.

“Ravi... Bhanu..!” Ravi went aside.  “Vinit arrived yesterday and we are at your place...” he said hurriedly and Ravi felt relieved.  “Mari mai... !” he prayed thanking Mari mai. 

“Where are you?” asked Bhanu.  “Dr. Nixon’s place... “ Ravi gave the exact location to Bhanu.

“Ok. We will come there... but... I mean I need to go back immediately... I have a flight in two hours...!” Bhanu hesitated.  “Thats ok.  I will manage...!” Ravi heard Vinit’s voice. 

“Vinit?” Ravi blurted.  Vinit took over and took the address, landmarks, location and said...”Fine, I can manage.  Bhanu need not come..!”

“Hello... Vinit is coming...in an hour!” Ravi came in and declared.  Everyone looked up confused.  “He is.. I mean... Dhatri’s... I mean Dhatri’s sister’s fiancé!” He said.  The others still were confused.  “I mean he should be able to help us... I mean he is in intelligence ... In India!” he said to other’s relief. 

“Oh God! Finally someone who could help us... before we go to Detective Earl.  “ Dr. Koite sighed.  “We need a break now!” he looked at Maria.  She went out to order some food.  Jim and Ravi continued playing the clippings for some clue...!

****** ******

“What are they going to do with her...?” A fat lady outside the door wondered.  She had seen many coming in with informed consent forms.  But this girl seemed to be losing her battle...unconscious, weak, and strapped to the bed...! “Must be an ailing patient...!” she thought to herself shrugging and went away.

Dhatri opened her swollen eyes.  “New place?” she looked around.  The room was brighter.  She tried to sit up in vain.  She was strapped to the bed.  She closed her eyes again.  “Pray...Pray... Mari mai.. mari mai...!” Dhatri had nothing else to do.  “Escape... Baby... Run... Run....” Grumpy was shouting floundering on the ground in pain...! Dhatri tied hard to get up.  

“No...!” she wailed.  Someone opened the door.  The team came in and took over.  She was prepared for Electroencephalography.  A set of twenty five electrodes were stuck to her scalp, on her forehead, her temples, behind her ears....! She was placed on a movable stretcher and slowly her head disappeared in to the gantry.

“Don’t move!” someone ordered and she moved her eyeballs under her lashes.  “Don’t move!” she was nudged.  She turned herself into a statue.  “What are they going to do?” she didn’t know.  She didn’t care either.  A forty five minute cycle was over.  She was brought out and gain a sheet was pulled over her head.  She thought, she was carried to the same room back but to her surprise she was taken to a huge hall.  Her sheet was removed from her body and she was released.  She looked around.  This room had windows... She looked at the bright sunrays...! Sunrays...! Ray..! Ravi...! ABCD...! she shuddered with the thought.  

“He would know... he would definitely know, I am missing... His gaze followed me everywhere....! I would know...!” Dhatri wailed as her straps were removed painfully. 

..... ..............

“No contacts...!” ordered a man behind mahogany table.  The lady nodded.  Prepare her for the next level..!” he said mysteriously.  The lady looked up.  The man was writing down something.  The lady waited.  

“Three hours..!” he said giving her the piece of paper he scribbled on.  The lady went out.  “Humm!” he gazed at his palm.  The healed deep cut gazed back at him.

********  ********  *******

“Sorry.. took little more time to locate...!” Vinit was at the door.  Ravi had opened the door eagerly.  They came in.  Maria was still struggling with the videos.  Jim looked lost.  Ravi introduced Maj. Vinit Pandit formally.  Vinit took over.

“She doesn’t remember... But she thinks she blurted out about Dhaa’s powers...!” Ravi summed up.  Vinit was listening to the story intently.  

“Here... footage from all the cameras... more than 112 hours of data..!” Jim turned his laptop.  “I have seen the footage... !” Vinit said to others’ relief.  They didn’t have to re run the video.  Maria was still lost.  “Maria... collect yourself!” Dr. Koite was losing his patience too.  

“Thats Ok! If she doesn’t remember..!” Vinit said and everyone looked at him in shock.  He pulled the laptop from his bag.  

“Look..! She talked to people all day...! It is difficult to remember every conversation... !” he relieved Maria’s tension.  She smiled faintly.  

“I read about this conference and the delegates, awardees and students...! The list of delegates is on the University website... Guests are not listed...!” Jim and Ravi gaped at Vinit.  

“Let’s begin the dissection...!” He reloaded the videos. 

“Camera 1 : Full screen...!” he said handling the remote control.  Their eyes glued to the screen... The entrance...! They could see people filing in... “Dhaa...!” Ravi blurted seeing his own figure and his group.  Jim was walking with her. 

“One should scrutinize the profile of the delegates... All! Official as well as on social networking....! Check them on Linkedin too...! Anything unusual... flag the profile...!” Vinit ordered and Jim took up the responsibility.  There were 287 delegated and the list was published on the website.  

“M’am...!” Vinit turned politely to Maria.  She looked up expectantly.  “Can you recognise the faces... Atleast some of them....?” he asked her and she nodded.  She began her commentary.  Ravi checked in the delegates and awardees list to strike the names out and make a guests list...!

“Sir...Can you please spot Dhatri in footage of every camera and people around her having their backs to the camera?” he asked and Koite agreed.  “Mark the time please!” Vinit clarified.  The gang put to work.  

They didn’t know for how long they were glued to their laptops; Each one doing his assigned duty; not even bothering about the food..!  Maria listed the persons she was talking to during the conference. 

............................  ..........

“Don’t even spare a single person.  Everyone should be under the radar..! We will contact the Detective handling the case, if need be...!” Vinit continued with his dissection. 

“Look.... Is she Dhatri?” Dr. Koite had a blurr vision after watching the footage for so long.  They were working round the clock enlisting the people they could recognize...! Jim peeped in.  “Yeah... I think so...!” he looked at others.  Ravi gazed at the screen.  A figure hidden behind a group moved away.  “Yes..! She is Dhatri...!” Vinit gazed at Koite’s laptop rewinding it.  A group of persons with their back to the camera were talking to Dhatri.  She moved away.. A few followed... They could see her towards the water fountain.  A fat, plum, elderly person moved behind lining up to drink the water.  Few more joined.  “Time...!” Ravi looked at Vinit.  They all checked the time with shock. 

“She vanished after this...!” Ravi blurted in realization.  Vinit rewound the clipping again. 

“Check all the cameras around this time...!” he ordered and everyone sprang into action.

“Look there is another theory...! There must be someone... critically ill with chronicle ailment.. Terminally ill.... with no hope... For himself or for his dear ones...! If you know someone... list them out!!” Vinit ordered again.

“Another possibility.... There is someone ... involved in research... !” Vinit shook his head in self realization.  Most of them were researchers...! 

“Wait a Minute...!” What is he doing there?” Maria pointed at the still frame.  “She was talking to a group of people and a person, fat and plum was talking to another with his back on her. 

“He is the one when Dhatri went to drink water...!” Ravi pointed the similarity.  

“Ok. Who is this person?” asked Vinit.  Koite had a hard look at the face and blurted.. Great man! Receives huge grants... works with Universities.. “Look, he is talking to Dr. Ghosh...!” he said looking around.  Maria nodded.  “Yeah...!” she seconded.

“Where is Dr. Ghosh?” Vinit asked suspiciously.  “Oh! He went to his cousin for a couple of days...!” Ravi gave the information.  “Santa Clara” he added further.  Vinit turned back to his laptop.  

“Look... I divided the videos in segments... If you know people in those clippings... list them...! I am excluding students for now...!” he said turning his laptop to others.  Ravi took over to copy the segments...! Now every person present for the conference was under radar... including the team members...!

Vinit’s phone buzzed.  “Excuse me..!” he went out clutching his phone to his ear.  After a long time he came in to continue his search.