A Cyclist

Cool wind was blowing, there was a preponderance of snow on the streets of London, England. It's was a time of late 1970s. A beautiful genuine lady in her age of early twenties, well dressed with a brown hat, eventually looking seraphic, drove her thin tyre bicycle on a very silent street surrounded by large fields, early morning. She suddenly stopped and looked back and stood still for a moment while her eyes were searching then she again started riding, stopped again, look back and then ride again, she did it several times.

She was tensed and in a situation of bewilderment, she went to the very famous and well known detective of London, David Thomas.

She parked her bicycle outside the home and his cook took her upstairs, she knocked the door, there was Mr. Keats on the door. Thomas said, "come in lady, have a seat". Thomas was busy with his work, he looked at her, seems baffled and worrisome. He sat adjacent to her and asked, "how can I help you Lady?" Before she said anything, Thomas perceived her hands and by touching her fingers and palm said you ride a cycle, my dear lady. In a shocking way she said oh god! How did you come to know sir? He replied, your hands were little harder than that of normal hands and by touching your fingers, I got it, you were a cyclist.

She then started telling her worry, Sir, from past 2 days somebody was following me surreptitiously. I tried to find it sometimes but didn't succeed. Whosoever he/she might be paved the way for following me on my daily route. After telling all this and by giving answers to some questions of Thomas she left.

From the very next day the same problem began, she was again followed by somebody, if she stopped that guy also stopped, if she starts riding he also started riding. It became a discomfiture for her. She, seemed to be belligerent that day again went to David Thomas. But he had already probed into it. The next day he and Keats, his assistant and a very good friend went with her and hide themselves behind the long grass in the field so that they could catch that guy but unfortunately didn't succeed. On that particular evening, she received an invitation from Mr. Watson, a widower, a very rich man from nearby town of London. He used to live with her seven year old daughter in a big house.

This genuine lady, a cyclist was also a very good piano player, so Mr. Watson requested her to give her daught

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er piano lessons everyday for two hours. But she refused as it was very difficult for her to travel such a long distance by bicycle. He was ready to offer her double the amount of as usually given to a tutor. She was still not ready. But due to his continued requests, she gave Acquiescence.

She used to have dinner with father and daughter. Most of the time she finds Mr.Hood, Watson's employee and a good friend, at dinner table. Hood was a very cheap person. She had revulsion towards him as he used to stare her continuously and surreptitiously. Once she was alone in a dining room and Hood took advantage of it, he tried to touch her and then did an onslaught on her and forced her for kiss.

Meanwhile Mr. Watson arrived and eventually protected her by throwing a glass on him, he got wounded. He ordered Hood to leave immediately and never come again, he broke the friendship. Albeit, he continued to say all rubbish and bitter words.

Investigation too reached a level, Thomas got some evidence and simply now adjudication was required at a final level. A thought, again and again, was coming to her mind that she was caught in a strife from where it is very difficult to come out. The next day, Thomas and Keats started following that guy and he suddenly increased his speed and started changing routes. They too increase their speed, following him on cart. Speed was too much that their cart fell down and they had little injuries, still they were continuously running and tried to follow that fool guy. But they lost their way. It seems that they had fervent hopes of catching him.

Soon, they reached to a place, so silent, what they saw?? Mr.Watson holding his pistol at the head of Mr.Hood and the lady laid unconscious as Hood onslaught her with knife, but Mr. Watson saved her. Thomas took pistol from his hand and Keats held that bloody fool by his collar.

On asking several questions by Mr. Thomas from Watson, he disclosed that he fell in love with this beautiful lady and he was that who was following her continuously. That's why he wanted her to give piano lessons to his daughter. This was the churlish response to her. It was like that slugfest was going on for that genuine lady.

Mr. Hood was handed over to the police and that lady was taken care and she recovered soon. Watson returned home. According to the lady, Watson tried to desecrate her reputation and self-respect.