The blackbird was very large. Its wings were also large. Its eyes were twinkling. It was approaching the top of the mountain. The director and the woman scientist were staring at the bird-centric images. Only after they had looked at each picture satisfactorily did they allow the researcher to move on to the next picture.
As the bird approached the peak, and Karthi on the peak and the man getting out of the car and climbing up the hill were seen in a photo. Karthi was looking through the telescope. They could guess that he did not know that someone had come from behind because his whole attention was on the bird. The newcomer was also seen sneaking in very carefully and approach Karthi in the next two films. Still Karthi was not looking back. The man was seen opening the cardboard box in his hand and taking out a snake.
The next film was dark throughout, and many of the films that followed were black. No image was visible in them. In the picture, which was finally becoming clear, the black bird was heading back in the opposite direction of the mountain. The man who had climbed the mountain with the box containing the snake was going down the hill with the box. Karthi was missing.
The stunned director and female scientist put the black films back on the screen and scrutinized them again. Nothing was visible. Darkness is not the cause. With the help of technology they could clearly see other pictures taken in the dark.
They began to look at the clear photos that continued unabated. In the next picture the black bird had also crossed the photo boundary. The director calculated that it would have stayed in at least five photos if it had not gone many times faster than it had come. In the next photos only the newcomer was seen descending the mountain with the cardboard box. They magnified his image. He was still holding the box very carefully.
In the photos taken after he got in the car and crossed the photo boundary, only the mountain was quiet with its usual environment. The bike also stood alone at the foot of the hill.
The female scientist expressed her astonishment.
"Images taken from KCGSAT are unlikely to be a mess. Then how come that picture is only completely black. Is there a technical glitch? ”
The director also said with deep thought.
"Even if it was a technical problem, everything in the film would have been black. Only a few films in between are unlikely. ”
The female scientist asked her next doubt.
“What happened to that telescope guy? Where did he go? ”
The researcher said with a sigh.
"Those black films might have been the answer to our questions."
Again the female scientist asked "What is our next step?"
The director said, "We will send the black images to the lab and find out why particular images are pitch black. Let's wait and see. ”
The other two nodded. The female scientist still confused said, “Unexpectedly, who was the person who brought a snake in a cardboard box? Looks like he came to kill that telescope boy. While descending he had an expression of finishing his ob. Then what happened to the corpse? ”
The director had that doubt too. He told the researcher.
“Is that telescope guy some ministerial guy? If you ask your Tamil Nadu friends we might know who he is”
The researcher said, "The next batch of pictures was taken during the day. I saw that too. A group men were looking all over the mountain. We have a picture of the man who had the snake with us. Do you think we should send it to the Tamil Nadu police? It will be useful for them”
”No. We will only look at the missing information. We don't have to tell anyone anything about what we are doing” the director assured him.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
It was dark when Senthilnathan reached Karthi’s house. As soon as he got out of the jeep, he saw two aides whom he had previously arrested and told to release by Uday. As soon as they saw him, they both quickly hid in the closet. Usually in such cases the servants of politicians deliberately come to the fore. Will laugh maniacally. They will make noise and talk to the person next to them. Since those things didn’t happen this time, he wondered whether it was due to Chief Minister or something else. It was comforting to him that for whatever might be the reason the opportunity did not come to lose patience. He entered the house as if he had not seen them either.
As soon as Senthilnathan's jeep reached the gate, Selvarangan's assistant ran inside and informed him. Uday looked at his father. Sitting on the sofa next to him he was a lot more tired. He looked like he gained ten years old in a single day. The man who usually does not lose courage. Uday had never seen him so tired.
When he saw Senthilanathan, Selvarangan respectfully pointed to the opposite seat and said, "Sit down." Senthilnathan saluted him and sat on that seat. Uday stared at him calmly without recognizing him in any sense. Senthilnathan also returned the favor. He asked Selvarangan about the matter immediately without any preamble or formal words.
"Is there any phone call related to this, sir?"
Selvarangan said "no".
"Do you have any doubts, sir?"
Selvarangan nodded as no. Senthilnathan looked at Uday. He also nodded as no.
"Are there any enemies for Karthi?"
Both nodded no. Then Gnanam came there. Crying red eyes and a pain-stricken face conveyed the mother's mood.
Selvarangan, who did not have the courage to look directly at his wife's grief, saw Uday. Uday had no choice but to introduce Senthilnathan to Gnanam.
"Mom, This is Senthilnathan. He is looking into our Karthi’s case. He has come to collect information about him. ”
Gnanam looked at him and folded her hands in Namaste form. Senthilnathan has never seen her as she does not come to public events much like the wives of other ministers. Her Namaste with respect introduced her as a different ‘minister’s wife’.
Senthilnathan told Gnanam who was sitting on the sofa near Uday.
"I was just wondering if there are any enemies of Karthi and if you have any doubts,"
He wanted to know her opinion as well. Usually, the mother knows a lot about her children that others do not know.
Tears welled up in Gnanam's eyes.
"Sir, my boy can have no enemies. We were not always been good to everythingand everyone. Sometimes we behaved like an average human. He is always nice. He has never been unfair to anyone. ”
After saying that, Gnanam got upset and started crying.