To Where It All Began ✔

8. The Trail She Left Behind...

12:20 PM, 28th March, Mhatre Outhouse

"So, this was the reason for Anna's changed behavior after she came back from Canada; why didn't she tell anything to me?" He said in a grave yet guilty tone as he held those papers in his hand and a moment of silence prevailed in the room.

"Did you find anything regarding that number?" She nudged him, but he doesn't stir, he was too busy grasping the sudden revelation that had just happened.

"Shreekant!" She called him in an unusually louder voice, tapping his shoulder gently.

"Hmm... Sorry I didn't hear you"

"I was asking you about the number"

"Yes, I got a very peculiar detail... This is Anna's last six months transaction detail, look at this name here, Amol Despande. She has transferred him about ten lakh rupees in February and that unknown phone number we were searching for... That also belongs to this man", He said, pointing his fingers at the papers while she was hearing him in complete engrossment.

"Why did Anna transfer such a huge amount of money in this man's account?" She asked confusingly looking at his face.

"That's what we need to find. The orphanage mentioned in the papers is in Bangalore and this man Amol is also from Bangalore. I really don't know why am I getting a gut feeling that all this has something to do with Anna's death. I have got the address of this man, Amna get ready... We are going to Bangalore by flight; we have to follow the same trail that Anna had followed. Let's see where does this ends..." She nodded in agreement.

After taking a flight from Mumbai to Bangalore, they took a rented car to go to the orphanage mentioned in the papers.

6:10 PM, 28th March, Mount Mary Orphanage, Bangalore

"So this is the place, the logo matches with that of the adoption papers." Both of them stood in front of the gate of the orphanage.

She gestured to him, "Let's go inside... We need to meet the person whose signature was there on those adoption papers." As they tried to get in the security guard stopped them, "Madam, it's already past five, visitors' time is over."

"We have come a long way to meet Sister Geetha, please let us in, It's very important, " She tried to reason in a compelling voice.

"Why does everyone want to meet her? Two months back also a lady came to meet her, I told her the same thing which I am saying now, Sister Geetha died a long time back. The person in charge now is Sister Akhila, you can meet her if you want, and she is in the office room... Second room to the left"

"That's alright, thanks a lot." Both of them paced into Sister Akhila's room to find a lady in a beige-colored saree and head covered in a cowl.

Striding towards her desk Amna initiated the conversation, "Sorry to bother you Sister but this is a little important. This certificate is issued here and this signature here is of Sister Geetha, right? Actually, we need the details of the person mentioned on the certificate, the name is Vaani, and can you help us?" She asked all the questions in one go.

Sister Akhila glanced up at both of them with frowning eyes, "Why do you need the details...?"

"The person mentioned in the certificate is my dead wife, please help us... We shall be indebted to you", he said in an appealing manner sensing the indifference of the lady.

"Dead!", the tone of her voice changed slightly on hearing his words and she continued, "Okay, I will help... Actually; you should be indebted to the person... I mean your wife who came with the same certificate about two months ago, she was trying to find her real family, and she asked the same question. I told her that the details are available, but are in paper format, as it was twenty-five years ago... Very difficult to find... But she searched the whole storeroom for hours, going through every old file to find the details... Wait, I will show it to you, give me a minute"