Chap 4 - Blue Shoes

Blue color signifies imagination/calm/trust

“Did you say Mohan would toss a book up?” Vipin put the CD down.

“Yes,” Shalini replied.

“Did he bring a book with him every time he would come here to play a game of chess with Pawan?” Vipin asked her.

“Of course.”

“Why would anyone bring a book when he plans to play a game of chess?” Vipin mused aloud.

“It was a book about classic chess games and he would discuss the moves of the games with Pawan.”

“Did you see them playing the game?” Vipin asked her.

“Nuh-uh,” she shook her head.

“Think about it carefully,” Vipin urged her. “On that day, when Mohan came here to play a game and stayed in here for about an hour, did you see them playing the game?”

Shalini shook her head. She informed Vipin in bitter words that she knew where she was not wanted and that she preferred to keep her own company. For some moments, a sullen silence reigned in the room.

“Did you mention muddy footprints?” Vipin felt tantalized as if he had suddenly come upon a subtle clue.

“Yes,” Shalini looked disgusted. “It was always that idiot Mohan who would dirty my house. You know what, he would wipe his boots on the welcome mat just before he entered the house making a show of how he wanted to keep my house clean but then many times that he would leave, he would leave muddy footprints all over. He is a 'pukka' idiot, that's what he is.”

“Did you mention this point to the police?” Vipin asked her.

Shalini looked toward Deepak for help.

“Of course not!” Deepak came to Shalini's rescue. “You don't go about complaining to the police about the dirty shoes of your deceased husband's friend.”

Vipin unfastened the window panes and looked at the lawn. The veneer of green grass couldn't hide the fact that the soil was loose around the roots and that any person walking on the lawn would get dirt on the soles of his shoes. He wondered why Mohan would want to take a walk on the lawn while all the time keeping up the pretence of playing a game of chess with Pawan. Then a sudden idea made him turn around and face Shalini.

“Do you know if Mohan and Pawan had the same shoe size?”

His question made Shalini wince. Deepak got up from his chair with a look of consternation.

“What's that got to do with this case?” He challenged Vipin but he was royally ignored.

“Now that you mention it,” Shalini replied, “I think I overheard Pawan once stating a similar point. Mohan had purchased a pair of gorgeous blue shoes. Pawan liked them very much but he was in no mood to visit the shop from where Mohan had purchased them so he offered to buy Mohan's shoes. Mohan had to agree and he had to go home wearing Pawan's sandals.”

She led them to the shoe cabinet and took out the blue shoes in question. Vipin fell in love with the pair of sneakers. The blue color was not loud and it was accentuated with violet splotches that made the shoes look simply gorgeous.

“Why are we looking at the blue shoes?” Deepak asked Vipin.

“It is the first clue,” Vipin replied laconically.

“Clue to what?” Deepak persisted.

“Clue to whatever went on in that room on the day Pawan died.”

The blue shoes told them volumes about the trust Mohan and Pawan shared.