The mysterious intruders

Meenu breaking the silence during their long drive back home from Pondicherry said,” Maha, it was an awesome break from the routine for three days. I loved the beach most with its golden sand and the blue water. The surreal sunrise and sunsets with the cool breeze really fascinated me no end. I thoroughly enjoyed our long walks and standing on the water as the waves swept our feet. How did you enjoy?”

“Call me a foodie or a laggard, I loved our resort best, its swimming pool and the delicious food of different cuisines they served. I would have loved to stay longer but for the office tomorrow for both of us,” replied Mahalingam.Meenu made a grimace as he laughed over his own remark.

It was past 10 pm when they reached their villa in the gated community. The delay was due to dinner at a wayside hotel where the service was as poor as the food served. Meenu opened the house with her keys as Mahalingam brought the boxes inside. Totally exhausted they hit the bed soon after a wash and change.

It was 7 am and the maid had not turned up. She often played truant coming up with lame excuses. The house looked dirty with dust and the air was stale. She decided to work from home for the day that gave her some flexibility. Maha will have to make do with cereal and coffee for breakfast, she decided. As for her lunch, she can always whip up maggi or some such stuff, she thought. She wished to clean the house first after Maha left for office.

It was a large single floor house at the rear of the complex with boundary wall running adjacent to it. The house was spacious with a drawing hall, living room with a master bedroom and two bedrooms and a small room doing the duty of puja and lumber room. Before she left for vacation, she had just closed the windows and the doors of all the rooms to prevent mice. The doors could be opened by just pushing them. She opened the doors of all the rooms to let fresh air enter before she came to the large guest bedroom at the rear. 

To her surprise the door was ajar. She remembered distinctly she had closed each room. Wondering, she went inside and switched on the light and fan. She looked around the room, the queen-sized bed neatly covered, the table and two comfortable chairs all in position. She looked at the floor and found a glittering ear stud without the screw on the floor. It was not hers but a cheap tinsel. Shocked she looked closely again and found a dried string of jasmine flowers by the side of pillow and banana peels under the cot. She was certain these were not there when they left. Who could have entered the house when both keys were with her and her husband?

“Maha, something suspicious I find in guest bedroom as if someone had entered in our absence. Can you please come here immediately?” she told him over mobile.

“What are you blabbering? How can anyone enter the house when both the keys are with us? When you opened the main door, it was locked. What suspicious you are referring to? It is a gated community and strangers cannot enter easily,” said Maha with some asperity in his tone at being disturbed.

“As if I do not know all that you are telling, why don’t you listen carefully? I found the door for this bedroom ajar when all the other doors remained closed as we left them before we left. More puzzling is that a bright ear stud without the screw was on the floor. That cheap stuff is not mine. A woman must have been there. What is more shocking being a string of jasmine flowers by the side of pillow? I suspect the bed has been slept upon. What do you say now? Please come immediately. The maid is also not there. I am alone.”

“Meenu, I have just come to office after three days. There are so many pending urgent issues and meetings. We both can examine leisurely in the evening. I cannot leave office now. When we two have the two keys, how can anyone enter unless he broke into the house,” asked Mahalingam.” Do you suspect para normal happenings or what?” he added

“Be sensible for heaven’s sake. Tell me first whether your set of keys are with you? I have mine in my hand.”

“One moment, let me see my bag,” he said. There was a long interlude. He had disconnected the phone. Meenu impatient as she was dialed him repeatedly when at last he came on line and said, “Meenu, it is really baffling. My set of keys are not in my bag. Where could they disappear? I have not taken it out after we left for Pondicherry.Didyou see them anywhere?” he spoke in contrite tone.

“Funny you are asking me about your keys. Whoever has entered must be a young woman, not from well to do class and the jasmine flowers on the bed leads me to think of a male companion too. Something fishy has been going on and now you tell me that your keys are mysteriously missing.” She paused for a moment when he interrupted,” Are you suspecting me?”

“What a stupid question when you were with me all these days? Please give some excuse and come here for one hour. I am afraid to be alone till we find out how it happened. I am not going into that room till you come,” she said with a finality.

“When she opened the front door for Mahalingam, she said, “Make no noise. Have this stick with you for any emergency.” They walked gingerly into the room and switched on the light. Meenu had not disturbed the things. He saw the stud, the flowers by the pillow and ruffled sheet at one corner and two banana peels on the floor.

“I agree someone has entered the room, may be with a companion but it surprises me how they could have entered. Let me fix the spare security camera I have above the door of this room inside. Whoever walks in and comes near the bed would be caught. We should be able to find out the culprit. But I honestly feel nobody has broken in,” he assured her. After fixing the camera they just closed the door as they walked out. 

“I am afraid to stay alone when you are away,” she said.

“I will drop you at your mom’s place. I don’t mind the slight detour. I will pick you in the evening on my way back from office. You are saved of the cooking chore,” he said with a smile.

As she got down at her mom’s house, she pleaded with him, “Won’t you come by 4 pm today. I wish to be back home before it gets dark,” He patted her and said,” It is done.”

When they entered the house at 5pm they rushed to the guest room. The door was again slightly open. Meenu held back Mahalingam and gave him the cricket bat she had brought from her mom’s place. He opened the door slightly further and cautiously peeped in. Finding none, he beckoned Meenu to come inside. She opened the closets to find the clothes and sheets disturbed. She saw under the cot and was relieved to find no one. Emboldened she surveyed the bed. Lo, there was a scarf, some towels, a hand bag, an empty perfume bottle and a county cap with some on the bed and the rest on floor. Strewn on the floor were also a few peanut shells and a broken piece of glass bangle. There was no doubt now that there were occupants in the room. and the second set of keys are in someone’s possession. Meenu suggested that police should be involved.

“Don’t be in a hurry. We shall check the contents in the security camera and then go to police with the evidence,” remarked Mahalingam.

“Meenu, come here quickly to see the burglars caught virtually red handed,” he was shouting at the top of his voice from his room. He kept his face seriously as she walked in to see the images in the monitor.

“Is anything seriously wrong?” she asked and turned her face to the monitor only to break into roaring laughter along with Mahalingam. Two monkeys were playing on the bed, pulling towels and sheets from the closet and trying it on them. They were seen eating peanuts and scampering around within the room. The monkeys had escaped evidently from a roadside showman.

Wondering how they came in, Meenu went to the attached bathroom. On lifting the window curtain she found the window open with space between steel bars sufficient for the animals to enter. She regretted for not closing the window before she left for vacation. It was only when Mahalingam told her the sinister part of the incident that the owner of the monkeys was the real thief by training the monkeys to enter empty houses and bring things outside. They went out and saw on the ground by the window and the wall some things taken from the closet and discarded by him. When they went to telephone desk to make a call to policemen, Meenu found her husband’s set of keys hanging on the key holder attached to wall above the table. When she turned to Maha, he was making a sheepish grin.

It is a matter of small consequence to the story that the owner of monkeys was caught soon by the police.