As Julian entered inside and released the door to close itself. The world inside felt totally different from what he had imagined before entering this place.
The place was fully packed. There were a total of twenty tables lined in 4×5 position. The table was medium sized so that four people could perfectly place their dishes and could eat, and there's still a small place left for salt and glass.
The table was colored in white paint standing with four steel legs and looks foldable. Four chairs in each table positioned 2×2. Front and back. Its body was also made with silver stainless steel, and for comfort of customers black leather was placed.
From one look Julian could see that not one place was empty.
It should've been opened only an hour ago but still…
He wondered silently.
The waiters run back and forth taking orders and placing them on the customers table. It's a very hard walk without disturbing any person here. Still the workers look like they are used to it, not having much of a problem.
Julian had to cross to the other side of the swarm of people to reach his destination.
As he passed through the crowd, trying his best to avoid brushing into anyone, something else caught his attention.
He noticed a few of the dishes the waiters were serving.
One of them he recognized. A plate filled with long rice, nicely baked, with a piece of chicken and two potatoes.
A bit oily, but the fragrance was enough to wake anyone's hunger.
Biryani.
He remembered that word.
Sara had mentioned it once, saying it tasted even better with gravy.
Another dish looked like a half-moon, almost the shape of a small banana.
And one more caught his eye. A round chapati with a spiral design on top.
It looked oily at first, but maybe one day he'd try it.
The waiters were serving it with large pieces of chicken and a lot of gravy.
By the time he reached the stairs leading to the upper floor, Julian was already feeling hungry…
even though he'd eaten just half an hour ago.
He climbed the stairs slowly and just in a few seconds. He reached the second floor.
To his left was the brown colored wooden door. Obviously closed and faint sounds of people talking inside could be heard.
But it wasn't his destination.
He turned to his right, climbing the stairs again.
Turned again. A few more steps, and he reached the door.
He slightly pushed the white colored door towards the inside, and stepped in.
The view here was completely different from the ground floor. The place was all very clean. There were only 3×4 tables, and each table had only two chairs. From one look, he could see that half of the seats were taken.
Customers who were sitting near the window could enjoy the city scenery very well.
Julian scanned the place searching for Simon.
Quickly found him.
Simon sitting on the right side. First seat, besides the window. His gaze was outside the city, like he was enjoying the scenery.
He wore the same dress as yesterday, and nothing was ordered on his table. Only the glass of water could be seen, half empty.
Julian nodded slightly in his mind, and slowly took the steps, walking towards Simon.
He reached the chair, pulled it behind and slightly sat down.
Simon also noticed his arrival, shifting his eyes from outside.
He was about to say something Julian spoke-up first.
"Am I late?"
Simon checked the time on his phone, which was lying on the table. It was just past ten. He said lightly, without minding.
"Yeah.. but not much. At least you arrived. Also—"
"Yeah. Paul called me earlier before and I've gotten my clothes dirty cuz of that."
Again before Simon could finish-up his next sentence Julian spoke up.
But Simon's interest piqued a little because of the mention of Paul. He asked slightly, turning his head towards the window, in a casual tone.
"What for?"
"Ohh…" Julian hesitated for a second.
He remembered that Paul had already told him to not mention this topic. But he thought "does it really matter?"
And continued. "He told me to deliver some groceries to his place cuz he was all sorted out, and he still hadn't fully gotten used to his whole new situation. But yeah... I've to say sorry cuz you've already told me to come here."
Julian waited for Simon's response but Simon didn't answer, so he added. "Yeah. I've also told him to call Sara for this. Maybe she'll be free today, who knows."
Simon silently listened to Julian.
Don't know why, he felt little relief inside that Paul was adapting to his new life-style.
He slightly turned his head to the front thinking of getting to the main topic.
Julian, also thinking the same, asked first. "So what's the matter ?"
Simon turned his head towards the window again, his gaze stopping on a certain shop. "You see that guy? That's the matter."
Julian followed Simon's eyes and saw a medical store,opposite the streets.
There are other stores too, like above the medical store, there are different shops open like, clothing store, electronic store, smartphone store, coaching centre and more. This was the fourth story complex. Where different-different people opened their stores. But Simon's gaze was locked on that single medical store.
Julian stopped looking at the other shops and focused his eyes on the medical store.
He could see a man. Standing in front of the counter, to the other side, waiting for customers.
The man was wearing a dark green checked shirt with black lines on them, making small boxes. Blue colored jeans with white tone.
His hair was short with a mix of black, light brown and silver grey, beard also small matching the color with his hair. He was lower than average, with a big stomach, and looked fat, around the age of thirty-five, Julian thought.
Both retracted their gaze from outside the window, but something had been swirling inside of Julian's mind, he asked and also tried to guess who could be this fat dude?
"So what's with him?"
Simon was expecting this question. Even if Julian hadn't asked, he was about to tell him.
"You recall that alley incident a few days ago?" Simon asked casually.
Julian answered with a slight nod.
Simon continued. " The bald guy, you read about him right? That guy might be his partner ."
"Okay." Julian replied, still a little confused.
"How did you know? No, I mean how did you even come up with this? Others said they didn't find anything in his place and even in that bar. What is it called? They said they asked multiple people but still couldn't get anything."
"It wasn't me who found him. It's Paul's work."
Simon replied, sighing internally .
"Paul?"
"Yeah." Simon replied and recounted the whole story. Which Paul had told him about that night.
"Hmm." Julian nodded lightly and thought, when did Paul become this impatient? Guess this matter really runs deep, but still.
He asked. "Did you confirm it?"
But Julian didn't even need to ask this question. It was already confirmed when he first saw Simon's face.
His face looked tired and asked for rest. If that guy wasn't the suspect then Simon didn't need to waste his time on the guy.
But still he won't believe unless he hears it outright.
Simon answered, not fully confirmed.
"I just had doubts about him, that night when Paul told me to monitor him, if I might find anything suspicious or if someone was following him. And he was following Paul from his apartment to school, and later from school to his apartment. But after that he didn't follow Paul.
I also monitored his daily routine but it was just as simple as any other individual in this city.
About nine-thirty, he left his place. Come to this store and work until six PM. After that some other person took his place in the store, and then home. His daily conversation with customers who arrived to buy medicines. I even tried asking the shopkeepers near his place, but they didn't give anything useful."
"Okay." Julian listened carefully and thought, "let's see what can I find," and looked at Simon's face, and said.
"You go home and take some rest. I'll call if I find something good."
Yeah..
Simon nodded slightly and slowly stood up from his seat. While grabbing his long black blazer from the table, he remembered something and told Julian.
"Also, don't tell anyone about this okay. just keep this between us"
"Yeah. Of course, " Julian said, confirming Simon.