Eleven-year-old Dhruv wanted to be a detective. If he wasn’t doing his homework or playing on his laptop, he would be poking his head out of the window to see what happened in his neighbourhood.
It was Saturday morning. Dhruv was peeping out from behind the living room curtains.
“A woman in a grey dress has arrived at Mr Ramakant’s house in a scooter,” Dhruv said to his mother, who was getting ready for office. “It must be the physiotherapist for his knee pain. The Guptas have left for work.”
“Stop it, Dhruv,” his mother said. Turning to Indira, the domestic worker, she instructed, “give grandmother vegetable khichdi and yogurt as she has a stomach problem.”
“A taxi has driven up to the Bajaj Villa,” Dhruv announced. “The gardener is carrying two suitcases, looks like the Bajajs are going for a vacation.”
“Go and do your homework Dhruv,” his mom ordered. “Be near dadi’s, in case she wants anything.”
Positioning his chair close to the window, he started reading a detective novel, feeling sad that his investigative skills were getting wasted.
Sometime later, he saw the Gupta’s domestic worker Vasantha walking to their bungalow. The Gupta’s five-year-old son — Ahaan was playing with his toy truck in the lawn. Opening the gate, Vasantha looked around surreptitiously and then quickly walked inside, without shutting the gate.
In a few seconds, Vasantha and Ahaan left the house. Dhruv checked the time. Running to the main gate of the house, he stared at the road. Vasantha had turned left.
“Where has she taken Ahaan?” Dhruv muttered. His eyes widened when Vasantha returned, but minus Ahaan. He again checked his watch. Opening the gate, she shut it noisily.
Dhruv went to dadi’s room.
An hour later, the Guptas returned. Parking their car haphazardly, they rushed into their house. A police jeep arrived outside their house. Dhruv’s eyes widened as two officers walked through the gate.
Though eager to find out what was happening, Dhruv read the newspaper to his dadi and gave her the medicines.
Indira entered the room with an alarmed look on her face. “Ahaan has been kidnapped, the kidnappers have demanded Rs 25 lakh ransom.”
This was Dhruv’s chance to play detective. “Indira didi, please look after dadi, I’ll be back in some time,” Dhruv ran out of his house.
Crossing the street, he stood outside the Gupta’s bungalow. Then, turning around, he started walking slowly out of the lane, all the while keeping his eyes on his watch. Turning left he continued walking, looking at the bungalow on both sides of the street.
A gardener was watering the plants in the lawn of one house, whistling a tune. All the windows were shut tight.
Dhruv retraced his steps all the while checking his watch. A smile appeared on his face when he rang the Gupta’s bell.
“What do you want?” Vasantha asked, opening the door.
“I want to speak to uncle,” Dhruv said. “Dhruv, what is it?” Mr Gupta said.
“Can I talk to you privately?” he asked.
Mr Gupta took him inside a room. Dhruv narrated the entire sequence of events. Mr Gupta made him repeat everything to the policemen.
Vasantha was taken to the police station where she was interrogated by the officers. Cracking under pressure, she broke down and confessed her crime. It was her brother, a gardener in a bungalow in the main lane who had hatched the plan. As the residents of that house had left the city and the gardener had the spare key, Ahaan was locked up inside that house. Within an hour Ahaan was brought back home after a checkup in the hospital. Later in the evening, the Guptas visited Dhruv’s house.
“Thanks to you Detective Dhruv, Ahaan returned home safely,” Mr Gupta said. “How did you figure out Ahaan’s whereabouts?” “As I didn’t hear any vehicle, I realised that Vasantha had taken Ahaan somewhere nearby. And when she returned quickly, I was sure of it,” Dhruv smiled. “I traced Vasantha’s journey and saw her brother working in that house. Everyone knows that the Seths are in Paris. I added two and two together.” “You are a smart boy,” Mr Gupta handed Dhruv a gift-wrapped package.
(Rachna is a children’s author and columnist.)