Chapter 98
Come on Avery, pick up the damn phone, I thought as the line rang free with unnerving regularity. I was about to give up when I heard Avery’s hasty voice on the other side.
“Hello”, she said
“Is this a bad moment for me to call you?”, I asked
“No, I was just…did you need to tell me something”, Avery replied tensely, the question sounding somewhat like a statement
“Yes. I am calling about Sandeep, I need to talk to him again”, I replied with abrupt quickness
“Strange”
“What is strange?”
“The fact that I was in his room just now, but he says that before talking to me he needs to talk to you”
“Ehm?”
“Yes, that’s what he said”
“Well, if this time that colleague of your doesn’t knock him over perhaps he can finish telling me what he had started to”, I replied critically
“The whole point is that I don’t want him to talk to you, but to me”, Avery objected
“Why is that? It’s not like I will keep secrets for myself, I think…”
“That’s beyond the point. You should not experience strong emotions because you could…”
“Because my heart could go wild at any moment. Because I could die. But I need to know before I die”, I answered with unnerved determination
“You will not die”, Avery said
“Sure I won’t. I will actually go to Italy after talking to Sandeep”
“What?!”, exclaimed Avery
The stupefied reaction I had obtained entertained me for a moment
“I’ll explain if you drop by. But can you please arrange for me to talk to Sandeep?”, I said
“No”
“Listen. If I talk to him I’ll be able to make sense out of what is happening, no matter how dark the facts I will learn about. And I will trace the conclusion of all this, as it seems right to me”
“Define the conclusion? I am not sure I understand what you are trying to tell me but if you insist…I told you I just got out of Sandeep’s room, I’ll be over in a moment after asking a nurse to get the guy on a wheelchair over to your room. It won’t be easy to convince them, but I’ll try”
“Thank you”, I said
“Ehm”, was Avery’s reply, and then she hang up