It’s an ill wind that blows nobody any good! (Part VII)

I have selected the story, It’s an ill wind that blows nobody any good! (Part VII), for today. I had written this story for an educational course, I was taking in the 1990s.

It’s an ill wind that blows nobody any good! (Part VII)

The next day, Asha left for office and Radha was on her way to find her brother. When she was about to enter the police station under the charge of Kartik, she got a call on her mobile. It was Asha. “The Entertainment editor is furious, yaar. Come on here immediately. Something has come up,” Asha sounded very excited.

****

“Where were you, dear? You must get an important story done,” Shalini Jukar, the film desk editor, told her.

“You have to meet upcoming writer, Gaznavi, today. I suspect that his latest story has been lifted by someone. It is not clear who. The appointment has been already fixed for you. Try to make him speak about the episode, since he had last month gone to print about his landmark story,” were her instructions.

According to her background research, Gaznavi was a young writer, who had given a few hit films. However, critics were not happy with him since there was no originality in his work, according to them. The story, about which her editor was talking, had been a very original work, an effort he had been trying to make since the start of his career.

When she reached Gaznavi’s house, he was typing something on a laptop.

“Do you type your stories, usually?”

“Yes. Would you like to see the scene I’m writing?” Gaznavi offered.

“Thanks,” she replied and found him typing in Verdana font, the point size very like that of the note Syed had received!                                                    

Though the point size of the letter seemed like the story being typed by Gaznavi, that did not say that he was the culprit. But he was one of the suspects. However, it was not clear, why would he try to destroy Syed’s career.

At the end of the interview, Radha discreetly asked a couple of questions about taking the printout of his story to proceed with the movie-making process. Gaznavi was in the seventh heaven, having given a good interview. Thus, he obliged. He even gave her a message for his fans in the form of a printout, with an autograph.

He had declined to comment on the lifting of his story but had said cryptically that the culprit would suffer. This comment, along with the matching of the printouts, was leading to the formation of an idea in her mind. But she needed further proof.

To be continued…