The Other Side Page 3

  ‘Don’t rush to conclusions Sam, give me a few days. You go back home in the meantime. I don’t think staying back in Vegas is of any use,’ said Harvey.

  Sam decided to check out a few more casinos. He was sure she would use the same tactics to get money from other victims of the scam. Or was he the only fish to have fallen in her trap? His searches did not bear fruit and after a lot of efforts he finally booked the ticket to Los Angeles. He was dying to see Rachel. This urge to see her was like never before.

  Just as he got down to the hotel lobby to make the final payments, his phone rang. It was Harvey.

  ‘Sam, your blackmailer is from Los Angeles itself. The IP address revealed it’s from somewhere near your office. You come back soon ...’ came the voice from the other side of the phone.

  But half of Sam’s attention was stuck on the lady he saw going outside the hotel. He ran after her.

  ‘No, she is here! I found her, I will call you Harvey.’

  ‘But ...’ and Sam disconnected the phone. Harvey had wanted to tell him something more but it was not to be.

  Sam had his ticket to Angeles, but he thought of staying back a few days more. Before he could catch hold of the lady, she had got into a tourist vehicle and was on her way.

  ‘Damn!’ He had lost his chance. Just as he turned to go back to the hotel, he saw something on the floor. It was a city tour itinerary which had fallen from Kavya’s hand as she stepped into the vehicle.

  With his new lead to chase, Sam cancelled his ticket home. He phoned Rachel and told her that he would stay for a day or two more due to some work-related problem.

  ‘Sam ... are you okay? I feel like you are hiding something from me. I don’t get a good feeling, Sam. Please come back,’ Rachel pleaded.

  ‘Rachel, everything is okay. Just a work-related issue. Nothing serious. You have no idea how much I am dying to see you. Coming soon sweetheart,’ assured Sam.

  She had a sense that something was wrong, Sam was hiding something from her.

  ‘Hello, I wanted to know the schedule of your city tour today, especially the private ones,’ Sam called the Viator Las Vegas city tour office. He had got the number from the paper which Kavya had accidentally dropped. He got all the required information from the tour guy. He was very close to catching hold of the blackmailer if he got to the lady. He extended his stay in the hotel and then left on the city tours.

  The Las Vegas Strip afternoon food tour was the first lined up for him. What a good time, he thought. It was past 12 p.m. and he was quite hungry. So he was delighted with the chase starting with a food tour! Sam could visit four of Vegas’s acclaimed restaurants and relish the popular dishes made by award-winning chefs. His card table mate had good taste, he thought.

  He first arrived at the Aria Resort and Casino, accompanied by a tour guide provided by Viator Tours. Aria is a luxury resort and casino in City Center complex on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. It is the largest and tallest structure at City Center. The curvilinear glass tower is 61 storey’s tall. The use of natural materials like foliage, natural flowers, wood, glass and stone gives an elegant ambience to the resort. This place is different, not adhering to an overarching theme, from other themed resorts prevalent on the Vegas strip.

  To add to Sam’s trouble, the Aria has sixteen restaurants and ten bars and his target could be in any of these restaurants. It was not feasible to cover all sixteen in such a short time. Sam had a hard time to shortlist the restaurants. He had to rub his mind like Sherlock Holmes and a little bit like that of his detective friend Harvey. He portrayed a picture of the woman in his mind by recollecting her physical appearance when he had met her at the casino. From her facial features, it had seemed to him that she was Asian. Her sharp features, thick eyebrows and dark brown hair supported this assessment. Her eyes and smile were her key features.

  An Asian cuisine restaurant would be a good bet. He shortlisted the Asian restaurants and headed first to the Barmasa restaurant, a modern Japanese restaurant led by the famous celebrity chef, Masa Takayama. Also, the reason for starting with Barmasa was Sam’s unusual love for sushi! He loved the way they were rolled. He forgot about his mission for a while when he relished sushi. After eating, he checked around if the lady was anywhere to be seen in the restaurant. His eyes fell on a woman at the dessert counter. He saw her back and proceeded towards her. Sam appreciated his Sherlock’s mind for a moment as he thought it had helped him to nail his target. He reached near the lady and put his hand over her shoulder to call her. As she turned back, shades of disappointment were seen on his face.

  ‘Sorry, I thought it was my friend.’ He quickly left in embarrassment, and so did his Sherlock Holmes mind.

  Kavya was at the Julian Serrano instead. A tapas restaurant acclaimed as one of the best Spanish cuisine restaurants.

  Sam’s chasing game continued for a while. He visited three famous restaurants and tried the food, but he failed to find her anywhere. He had lost hope of locating her during the afternoon food tour. Only the last restaurant was left, he thought of trying only the dessert as he had done enough food tasting. He proceeded there with lost hope, but a little excitement for the dessert. He ordered one and was waiting for it when he saw his quarry exiting the hotel. He made a dash for her, managing to avoid slipping over the smooth tiles of the hotel. He stopped in his tracks when he realized that she would be in her cab before he could reach her. He stepped back into the restaurant to finish his dessert and then left for the next destination.

  The Rio Suite Hotel and Casino was the next destination on her tour itinerary. Pen and Teller’s live comedy and magic show were on her list. By now, Sam was much impressed with the choices she had made on her Vegas tour. They were wise and nice. She must be smart, thought Sam; no wonder she made him lose the extra money.

  By the time he reached the place, the show had started. He was twenty minutes late. Since the show also had some magic tricks, the lights were dull, almost negligible and the faces of the audience could not be seen clearly. The only way to find her was to wait for the show to end. The show would last for an hour more, but Sam was okay with it as the show was getting only more interesting.

  The show got over to a massive round of applause. Sam hurried towards the exit in an attempt to get hold of the lady. Sam eyed every woman coming out from the show, but he couldn’t trace anyone like her. He was not expecting not to find her here. His patience was strained. The chasing game went on to a different level. All the guests from the show had by now exited. Only Sam was left waiting outside the corridors. He checked the itinerary for the next destination and headed towards the coffee shop at Rio’s. He was talking on the phone with the tour guide when he had a glimpse of his opponent. He was happy to find her finally, sitting with a coffee. He started to move towards her at the fastest speed possible and make contact before she moved again. He was scared that if she saw him approaching, she would run away. But nothing of that sort happened. She did see him coming towards her, and it did not affect her at all. She kept sitting with her coffee. Rather, she smiled.

  Chapter 7

  ‘Finally I got hold of you. I have been searching for you since long, Ms Blackmailer,’ Sam said in an accusatory tone.

  ‘Excuse me! What are you talking about? I hardly know you, apart from your name as you lost your money to me in that game. What’s this fuss with the blackmailer thing?’ Kavya asked, quite furious.

  Just then, Sam’s phone buzzed with a new mail notification. He quickly checked the mail and was shocked to read it. It was from the blackmailer.

  ‘Sam Geller

  It seems like you are not taking this seriously. You were nowhere to be seen in that casino. The lady in the green dress kept waiting on Table 19. She waited for quite a long time. Now you will have to pay for it.

  Yours,

  XX’

  Sam was set aback after reading this mail. No wonder the lady in front of him did not run when she saw Sam coming towards her and instea
d given him a smile.

  ‘I am so sorry, I thought it was someone else,’ Sam apologized.

  ‘That’s okay, I am Kavya from India’ and she shook his hand. Sam was still not able to understand what was going on. He just gave a brief, foolish smile to Kavya. He didn’t know what to say further.

  ‘I thought you remembered me from the casino and was coming over to greet me.’

  ‘Yes, how can I forget you, after all, I lost so much money on that game,’ Sam answered ruefully.

  ‘Is all okay? You seem to be rather lost. Are you still trying to locate someone?’

  ‘No, my search is over. I have been on the lookout for you since morning, since the time your tour started – I wanted my money back,’ Sam confessed to Kavya, honestly.

  He kept wondering how he had missed the girl with the green dress other than Kavya. He tried to rethink every detail that had happened in the casino. He felt helpless. The girl sitting in front of him so calmly had most of his money. But then she was not the blackmailer who was sending the emails. And she was not the girl who was supposed to have played with him. He could not do anything about it now but carry on a polite conversation with Kavya.

  ‘You were saying something about a blackmailer and about wanting your money back. What are you up to? Why were you even playing when you are so bothered at losing money? And then you say you have followed me since morning. Why?’ Kavya demanded an explanation. She was perturbed and still quite upset at being accused of being a blackmailer.

  ‘It’s a long story, Kavya, don’t take me wrong. Am not here in Vegas by choice. I have been blackmailed into coming here. I was told to visit the casino at 7 a.m. and play to lose money to a girl wearing a green dress. That is why I was there, waiting. And you arrived at that time wearing a similar dress. I thought after the game I would get hold of the blackmailer and hand her over to the police. And, I misunderstood you as the blackmailer,’ Sam replied.

  ‘You seem to be a decent guy. Who is blackmailing you? What wrong could you have done? Only if you want to share.’ Kavya was curious to know. There was a pause before Sam told her about being the victim of the Ashton Martinson scam.

  ‘Are you serious? A website to have an extramarital affair. And moreover, the data of the members got leaked, and you are the victim? Wow. And now the blackmailer tells you to lose money in a casino.’ Kavya laughed in a naughty manner, teasing Sam. She was not able to believe all this.

  Sam maintained a poker face while Kavya made funny comments. She was in total disbelief. Just to try his luck, he asked Kavya if she would give his money back after knowing the truth.

  ‘No way, that’s my money now. But I can help you nail your blackmailer if you want, till the time I am here in Vegas. My next trip is to Los Angeles,’ said Kavya in an adventurous tone.

  ‘Yea I know, I was just kidding,’ Sam said, smiling sarcastically.

  ‘I bet you were trying your luck by asking me and not kidding.’ Kavya understood well, and she too gave a wicked smile.

  A new adventure was on its way for Kavya. Sam told her that he was from Los Angeles, and would be flying there in a day or two. He asked her to join him. Meanwhile, he called Harvey and told everything about what had happened.

  ‘See, I told you your blackmailer is based in Los Angeles, so better come here and we will see what to do. And do you want to trust this lady you have just met? We need to keep a watch on her too as she has your money.’

  ‘Yes, as of now she is ready to help me in the case, and simultaneously we can retrieve details of her movements to know how genuine she is,’ said Sam in answer to Harvey’s concern.

  Sam and Kavya took an exit from the coffee shop at Rio’s and the resort as well. They exchanged their contact details and decided to meet at night to visit some casinos in a hope to find the other lady in the green dress. But they realized, it hardly made any sense as they didn’t know how she looked and it would be difficult to recognize her. They decided to go for dinner instead. Sam was going to pick her up from her hotel at around 7 p.m.

  * * *

  Kabir had called Kavya over twenty times now. She was expected to be in Cambridge at her friend’s place. But she had not reached and was untraceable after her halt at Atlanta airport. He began to worry. Kavya’s traits were such that he knew she could do crazy things. He called the airport trying to trace her and finally came to know that she had boarded a flight for Las Vegas instead of Boston, from where she was to have driven to Cambridge. The poker-freak girl was finally set free in her world, he thought. Now all he could do was wait for her call. He was also wary if his money would be safe or go into the casinos. He was at a peak of anxiety. He felt that there was hardly a chance that she would win big.

  * * *

  Kavya now had company to explore one more night in Vegas. She liked the way things were going. Post-marriage, going out with another married man, especially a hot-looking man, far from everyone was a nice spark. She was excited, she loved talking to new people at leisure. She dressed up to look her best. A little black dress and a pair of black stilettos, with hair elegantly done, a mild black eye pencil and mascara and pink shimmer gloss, a little nude shimmer powder over her neck and shoulder and she was ready to kill, and not to forget the 212 VIP Rosé Extra perfume.

  She came down to the lobby by 7 p.m. and waited for Sam. Within five minutes Sam arrived in a car which he had hired for the night. He wore a simple suit and trouser, but his look complemented the attire well. He resisted but couldn’t help notice Kavya from top to bottom. Be it guys or girls, no one leaves the chance of checking a hot girl or guy. No matter, how married they are. That married guys and especially girls do not check on others is a complete myth. The sparks should always be there in life, or life would become boring.

  ‘Do you want to visit any place in particular?’ Sam asked Kavya as she had come all the way here to explore. Kavya craved for some proper Indian food and he suggested the Angara India Spice Grill. It was situated at the Grand Canyon Parkway, an open air shopping centre away from the main city. She readily agreed, and they headed to the restaurant.

  Chapter 8

  Kavya told Sam that she was from India, married to a Mumbai-based businessman Kabir Mehta. And how she had landed up in Vegas instead of Cambridge. They were now at the Angara, chatting away over dinner; this was not a date, though they were curious to know about each other. Sam wanted to find out more about her as Harvey had instructed and yes, was also inquisitive about this pretty lady. She seemed an interesting character. The stigma of losing his money was still there, but somehow, he had started enjoying her company and the mission they were on.

  ‘So, when are you planning to tell your husband about it?’

  ‘Say by tomorrow, as I will be depositing all the money in my bank account. He will, as it is, come to know then. I cannot travel from airport to airport with so much cash in hand, right?’ said Kavya in a confirming tone.

  ‘So what are your plans to do with this huge amount of money, Madam?’ Sam asked sarcastically, knowing that he too would have replied in the same manner.

  ‘Ha ha, will do anything but not give it back to you, Mister,’ Kavya winked.

  The fear of the blackmailer’s email and the warning was still hovering over Sam, but the pain of losing a considerable amount of money in the casino had begun to disappear after meeting Kavya. There was something about her that made the tense environment feel light. Since Sam and Kavya were like strangers to each other, they were bold enough to question or ask anything about their lives without any hesitation and the fear of being judged.

  ‘So why did you chose to come to Vegas instead of going to Cambridge?’ asked Sam.

  ‘To win a game of poker and win a lot of money, you know, was destined,’ Kavya teased Sam again. They hardly looked like strangers when they talked. ‘I wanted a change, a change from my daily routine,’ she continued. ‘Starting the day with red urine, eating more medicines than food, six months of painful injections, lot
of uneasiness and physical side effects, changing of skin colour to red, dry and flaky skin of legs and hands, sleepless nights and drowsy days, lost hope and lack of the feeling of being normal. I have been undergoing treatment for MDR-TB. At the age of twenty-seven, I was not supposed to undergo the dilemma of TB treatment twice within five years. Only I know how desperately I needed a change and some time for myself to compose myself again.’ Kavya’s reply turned the atmosphere sombre. Sam was a little shocked to learn about her health problems.

  ‘I am sorry to hear of your pain. You are a strong woman, Kavya; I am sure you will do wonders in your life ahead. So let’s go on for some fun post-dinner, what say?’ asked Sam, trying to change the topic and bring back the charming Kavya to her original mood.

  ‘What sort of fun? Tell me where we can go, I am in for anything.’ Kavya too was excited about exploring Vegas’ nightlife. Kavya was content after trying out the different delicacies, which was more than she usually ate. The craving for Indian food was satiated. Sam too loved the Indian food at the restaurant and ended in the act of gluttony.

  They left the restaurant and headed to one of the best night clubs on Las Vegas Boulevard. Sam didn’t reveal much about the place to Kavya. Nor did Kavya ask. She had decided to go with the flow. It was hardly a day since the two had met, but it looked like he had known her for years. They shared a good rapport. The feeling of missing Rachel had vanished for a while. He started enjoying Kavya’s company. There was a difference between the long drive with Rachel a few days back and this one with Kavya. Rachel was his wife, but their relationship lacked the spark. Whereas with Kavya, the spark was there. It was not about physical interest, but emotional and mental intimacy. It was strange how the spark in a relationship faded over the years.