Blood Feud

by Brenda Donelan

  “He is your age,” Riya said with a small laugh. “And he would not be a chaperone, but more of an enforcer should we meet resistance from Raj’s brother.”

  She thought of Raj’s brothers who chased her across campus just two nights earlier and pounded on her door demanding to know the whereabouts of Raj. “I guess it couldn’t hurt to have someone else with us. But he has to understand that I’m in charge of this operation. I’m not taking orders from him,” Marlee said, adamant that a man showing up midway through a plan would not be allowed to take charge.

  “I will tell him,” Riya said, a smile spreading across her face. The two exchanged telephone numbers, and Marlee went back to her room to rest before their big adventure later that night. She found her black yoga pants and dark jacket and hung them over the back of the chair.

  Unable to calm down, she placed a call to Barry. After relating the details of Raj’s assault, her bogus arrest and detention, and the plan to go to Raj’s family home that night and break in, Barry remained silent.

  “Hello?” Marlee asked, guessing their connection had dropped.

  “You’re shitting me, right?” Barry sounded humorless. More so than usual.

  “No, that all happened. What a mess! But now Riya from the university and I, along with her uncle, are going to talk to Raj tonight.”

  “Every time I talk to you, it’s another crazy chapter in some far-fetched story. If this came from anyone else, I wouldn’t believe them. But since it’s you, and I know how you operate, I’m sure what you say is true. Marlee, you need to use your head. You can’t just barge into someone’s house to talk to them. Pretty sure that’s illegal no matter where you are.”

  “I know, Barry, but I’m afraid for Raj. He could be assaulted further by his brothers. For all I know, they’re the ones who left him for dead. Or they could be holding him in the house against his will. One thing’s for sure; I don’t trust his brothers. And I’m not entirely certain Raj’s parents are on his side either. Everyone in his family is mega traditional and seems very tied up in maintaining the status quo. Plus, Raj likes illegal gambling and may be in over his head. Someone could try to injure him again. Riya is bringing her uncle. She thinks he’ll be able to fight off Raj’s brothers if they try to attack us.”

  “Oh, great! You’re taking the uncle along as muscle in anticipation of a fight. Do you have any idea how much trouble you could get into? I don’t know much about India, but I’ve been reading up on it since you left. They don’t take kindly to home invasions, especially by foreigners. You could end up in jail for real this time!” Barry made a good case for staying away and letting Raj recuperate and then return to the university when he felt like it. Marlee ended the conversation by letting Barry know he was right, and she would call Riya to cancel their plan.

  A soft knock on Marlee’s door pulled her out of her daydream. She jumped from the edge of the bed and opened the door to see Riya Kapoor accompanied by a man who fit the definition of tall, dark, and handsome. This was far from the doddering old man Marlee pictured when Riya insisted on bringing her uncle with them. Dax Kapoor, as he was introduced, was nearly six feet tall, had a full head of thick, dark hair, deep brown eyes, and a kind face that glowed from the inside. He was dressed in dark jeans and jacket, while Riya wore a traditional sari but in a subdued navy color.

  Marlee was dumbstruck, as frequently happened in the presence of attractive men. She was at a loss for words and kept staring at him, slack-jawed, as Riya talked. “We thought we should wait until at least ten o’clock to approach the house because most of the family and neighbors should be in bed by then.” Marlee nodded in agreement and welcomed Riya and Dax into her small apartment.

  “Would you like a Coke? Or some wine?” Marlee asked, not knowing the proper protocol when a lady you just met and her drop-dead gorgeous uncle visit your temporary home. They both declined, Riya sitting on the edge of the bed next to Marlee and Dax in the lone chair.

  An awkward silence hung over the room until Dax dared to speak. “My niece thinks highly of you. She told me you will be teaching at university.” His voice was deep and commanding, but not loud nor intimidating.

  After taking a sip of water and then a deep breath, Marlee recounted for Dax her teaching and advising duties at the university. “I have yet to meet with my department members and still need to find out more about the students I’ll be teaching. This is a really exciting opportunity for me, and I hope to do some research while I’m here too. I originally planned to go to Ireland to study the prison system, but the president of my university in the United States needed someone to come here and teach. So here I am!”

  “So here you are,” Dax repeated, holding her gaze a little longer than necessary. “I hope you find our country to your liking. My niece told me about your unfortunate incarceration and the problems with your friend, Raj. I hope that you will allow us to make it up to you.”

  “Well, sure. I mean, no hard feelings against your country,” Marlee babbled, unsure if Dax was just being kind or if he was actually flirting with her. She could swear they had a connection, but she’d been wrong before. He probably had women flinging themselves at him all of the time, so why would he have any interest in a short, chubby, American woman?

  A deep, hearty guffaw emitted from Dax’s throat. She liked the way he laughed with his whole body. His head tilted backward, his chest puffed out, and he slapped his knee with his hand.

  Riya smiled, glancing between the two and enjoying the show. “My uncle is an international lawyer. He is employed with the Indian government, which is very important work.”

  “You embarrass me,” Dax said looking at Riya, in a kindly manner. “I have been very fortunate in my life to have a good education and to secure meaningful employment. Not everyone has the luck I have had in my life. Lakshmi, the goddess of prosperity, has smiled upon me.”

  The trio left for Raj’s home with a plan intact. Upon arrival, the plan was put into motion; Marlee went one way around the home, and Dax went in the other direction. Riya stood out front watching for people to exit the home. A leafy hedge provided cover, so she could not be seen by anyone approaching or leaving Raj’s home. If any one of them found an entrance, they were to signal the others by calling out “ca-caw,” much like a bird would sound.

  There were no street lights in the area, and the house itself was dimly lit. The darkness was great for sneaking around, but not so wonderful when looking for doors. Only one room was lit, and the curtains were drawn. Marlee hoped it was Raj’s room, but she had no way of telling. “Ca-caw!” came the call from the back side of the house. Dax had found an entrance.

  Marlee went to Riya, and together they walked to the back of the home. Dax stood with a small door propped open. It was darker inside the door than outside, but Marlee could tell that the stairs went upward.

  “It’s a back staircase. Probably for the servants,” Dax said.

  “I don’t think they have any servants. At least I didn’t see any when I was here the other night.”

  “Almost anyone who can afford it has at least one servant. In the past, a large house like this would have employed several servants.”

  The trio, led by Marlee, made their way inside the door and to the top, where there was another door. She pushed it open gently, hoping not to awake the household. The three crept down the hall toward the one room where the lone light was shining through a cracked door.

  They inched their way toward the door and peeked inside. Raj’s two brothers, Ajay and Sameer, and their parents stood around the small bed with their heads bowed. Mommy-ji was crying, and her husband had his hand on her back.

  Ajay pulled the sheet up over the slim body lying in the bed. “It’s too late. There’s nothing else we can do.”

  I have lanced many boils, but none pained like my own.

  Indian proverb

  Chapter 12

  “What the hell?” Marlee whispered, more to herself than to Riya or Dax. Ev
en in the dim light of the hallway, she could tell by the contorted expressions on their faces that they were in shock too. Dax touched Marlee’s shoulder and Riya’s arm, motioning with his head for them to leave before Raj’s family discovered them lurking in the family home.

  They exited the home the same way they entered it; walking in silence until they were on the outskirts of the property. “Oh my God! Is Raj dead? Is that what Ajay meant when he said there was nothing more they could do?” She knew the answer but hoped there was some mix-up due to cultural differences in communication. Marlee put her hand over her mouth, already mourning the death of her new friend for the second time in as many days.

  Riya nodded, tears streaming down her cheeks. “Raj is dead. We have seen it with our own eyes.”

  “What should we do? Should we call a doctor? The police?” Marlee knew in the United States a death at home had to be confirmed by a coroner and law enforcement before the body could be removed to a funeral home in preparation for burial or cremation. She didn’t know the protocol in India.

  “What would we tell the police?” Dax enquired. “We cannot say we broke into his home and found him dead surrounded by his family. That would put us in a delicate position.”

  “You’re right. How would we explain that we illegally entered Raj’s home just to talk to him? His brother previously told us to go away and stay away.” Marlee’s mind was running a mile a minute as she processed Raj’s death.

  “Surely his family will notify authorities soon regarding his passing,” Riya said, looking at her uncle for answers. Dax was at a loss for words and struggled to put his thoughts together.

  “But we don’t even know what happened to Raj. He may have died from his injuries, which may or may not have been caused by a beating from his brothers. Or his brothers or other family members may have killed him once he returned home from the hospital. For all we know, they may not report the death at all. Or they might try to blame it on someone else. Like three people who broke into their home,” Marlee said, making a solid case for both calling and not calling the police.

  Dax cleared his throat and swallowed, now finding his voice. “Before we discuss this matter any further, I suggest we leave this area right away and return to Marlee’s apartment, if that is acceptable to you.” Marlee nodded her consent, and the trio walked in silence to the bus stop.

  Once back in the privacy of Marlee’s home, they all began to speak at the same time. In the time it took them to return, each had a multitude of points to make and questions to ask. Marlee stopped talking and held up her hand. “Riya, you go first.”

  “When you talked to Raj earlier, did he sound like he was near death? Did he give you any indication at all?”

  “No, he said he was in pain, but was already planning on coming back to the university soon. His voice was clear, and I never would have guessed he would have died from his injuries. Either they missed something in the hospital or else he was killed once he got home. That’s what I think,” Marlee said, lowering herself to the edge of the bed next to Riya.

  “Those seem to be the only two explanations,” Dax said, sitting on the lone chair in the room. “Although I suppose his spleen or some other organ may have ruptured once he was at home. Even the best of doctors cannot predict when that will happen.”

  “Let’s say one or both of Raj’s brothers further assaulted him when he returned from the hospital. If they were intent on killing Raj because he was gay, were the parents complicit?” Marlee asked. “Or maybe they knew what the brothers were going to do but did nothing to stop it.”

  “But Raj was not gay,” Riya insisted. “Raj told you his father instructed him to leave the home after his brothers beat him up the first time because he feared the brothers would kill him. Can that even be true?”

  “In this day, even the most traditional of families would not resort to killing a child because he is a homosexual. They might banish them from the home and cut off all communication but killing them seems unrealistic.” Dax said.

  “I just thought of something. We don’t really know for sure that Raj is dead. There were no medical professionals there to pronounce him dead. I realize he probably did die, but he may have lapsed into a coma where his heart rate and breathing slowed to almost nothing. It’s possible that he could be alive and be saved if he received the proper medical care!” Marlee shouted, jumping up from the corner of the bed. “I think we should call the police and an ambulance!”

  Dax shook his head from side to side, knowing it was futile and also because he knew the three of them could face legal sanctions for entering Raj’s home. Riya, however, saw things differently. “I cannot live with myself knowing that Raj may still be alive. I also think we should notify the authorities.”

  “I’m going to call now.” Marlee reached for the land line telephone in the room as Dax pulled it away from her.

  “No. Do not call from here. If you insist on calling, then it must be done anonymously. This number can be traced. Riya and I will make the call from a public telephone on our way home. Then there will be no link between us and the events of tonight.”

  “Good idea, Dax,” Marlee said, thankful that he’d had the foresight to interrupt her call before she unintentionally implicated all three of them in a death investigation. She’d already spent more time in an Indian jail than she ever wanted and had no intention of repeating it. In order to find out what happened to Raj and who was responsible, Marlee needed her freedom. She couldn’t accomplish anything from inside a jail cell.

  With promises of a phone call to assure they had contacted the police, Riya and Dax left for home. A half an hour later, Riya called with the news. Dax had called the police, disguising his voice. He reported that he knew of a death at a residence and that it may have been under suspicious circumstances. When the police asked for his name and more information, he discontinued the telephone call.

  “Are you okay, Riya?” Marlee asked, hearing Riya’s quivering voice.

  “I cannot stop shaking. As I think of Raj and what he endured over the past few days, I start to cry again. That poor man.” The quivering voice turned to intermittent sobs. “I am sorry, but I must go now.”

  Marlee walked back and forth in her small apartment, unsure what to do. Raj’s death had been reported, so there was nothing else she could do but wait until morning. She hoped she would learn more of the story at the university the next day when she reported to her new department. Besides listening to the scuttlebutt that floated around universities, Marlee had a number of people she wanted to speak with regarding Raj, his assaults, and his death. This young man faced many obstacles in his life, and she feared the people who really knew what happened to him would do anything necessary to keep everyone in the dark.

  It was a restless night of tossing and turning, punctuated by horrific dreams of a monster chasing and attacking her. Marlee had less than two hours sleep, awaking what seemed like every few minutes to think of Raj. By 5:00 a.m., she gave up hope of any restful sleep and relied on an old trick to make sense of her thoughts. She pulled out a blue notebook and jotted down everything she knew about Raj and his family, detailing what he’d told her, plus her experience in going to their home. Marlee was careful to list all of Raj’s deceptive tactics as well, knowing they could hold some clues.

  Raj was a complicated man. In the short time she knew him, he had been polite and professional, professed his loyalty to her, tried to trick her into marrying him as a cover for his homosexuality, shared his deepest secrets and fears, lied to her, tried to convince her to marry him so he would have easier entrée into the United States, asked her for help when he was in trouble, and during their last telephone conversation, he had told her not to ask anything about his attackers. He was a liar and an opportunist, calling into question everything Marlee thought she knew about him. Yet, there was a degree of warmness about Raj that seemed sincere. She understood some of his actions, but most of his behavior was questionable. If I were i
n his shoes, would I have done the same thing? It was hard to imagine that scenario since she and Raj were different in so many ways.

  After writing pages about Raj, she began to make notes about his family. That was when she realized that she knew very little about any of them. What were his parents’ real names? And what about the brothers; Ajay and Sameer? Where did they work? Did the sisters-in-law work outside of the family mansion, or were they home caring for the children all day? Why didn’t I think to ask Raj more about his family? Now it’s too late.

  Marlee took a shower and dressed herself in a black pinstripe pantsuit. She didn’t need to be on campus yet for another two hours but thought if she went in early, she could start picking up tidbits of gossip about Raj and his family. She twirled around in front of the mirror in the bathroom, noticing she had lost some weight. Although she’d eaten everything in sight since she came to India, all the drama and walking was helping her slim down. Visions of returning to the United States as a much thinner version of herself danced through her head.

  Just as she was imagining herself running down the beach in a bikini, a loud knock at the door pulled her from her day dream. Who would be knocking on my door, especially this early in the morning? Against hope, she had a quick thought that Raj might still be alive. Maybe he had mended and was stopping by to escort her to her new department.

  When she flung the door open, Marlee couldn’t have been more surprised if the prime minister of India had shown up on her doorstep. Before her stood a grumpy and disheveled person she knew well.

  “Barry, what the hell are you doing here?”