The one topic Onita had wanted to avoid was the one Neil brought out into the open.She knew that what had happened was an accident and really nothing to create a fuss about.But really,that was probably the closest she had come to a Demi G.o.d.A person meets many people in their lives but Neil had left a mark on her and now with the accident just now,she could still feel the heat his body had left on her.Trying to sound unconcerned,Onita said,"There is no white elephant.What happened was just an accident and..and I was just embara.s.sed for causing it...You do not need to worry about it.Anyway,here is the box with Omaya's old things.I'd kept it aside for Alicia when she grew up but I guess we can ee if there is anything important there.Let's just take this back to your office.Alicia must be about to wake up and I want to be there when she does."

Neil watched Onita intently and once noticing how hard she was trying to be non chalant,decided to ignore the instance.It had,after all,been an accident.Humming a reply,Neil just wet ahead and again took the box out of her hands and went down the stairs leaving Onita behind.With a small sigh,Onita followed Neil.Neil,who had already deposited the box in the back,opened the door for Onita to get in and then closing it behind her,went around to the driver's seat.

In the Lance Inc building:

Neil escorted Onita to the day care as soon as they reached the office building.Leaving her to chat with the experts and play with little Alica,Neil went upto his office where an IT expert was waiting for him..Opening the box that he had sent up earlier,Neil sorted through a few knick knacks before he found the laptop and the phone.Onita seemed to have forgotten these possessions of Omaya.Pa.s.sing the gadgets to the IT expert,Neil opened a small picture alb.u.m amd saw a younger version of Onita.ALicia the little cupcake looked just like her biological and adoptive mother.In the picture,the two sisters were standing hugging each other and smiling at the camera.Many such posed and random pictures were a part of the alb.u.m..Towards the end,he was also able to see candid pictures that Onita had clicked of Omaya when she was pregnant.Closing the alb.u.m,Neil felt a pang of pity for Onita.To lose a sibling was like losing a part of yourself.He remembered when they had almost lost Ah Hai..As always,when his mind went in that direction,he chose to divert his focus.Suddenly,Neil jerked and opened the alb.u.m again..He looked through the pictures again and again and found something that he had not expected.Looking carefully at the pictures,he kept the last picture of Omaya and once again looked through the box,this time looking for something specific.

Finally,at the bottom of the box,Neil found what he was looking for in a small red velvet box.He took out the pendant and brought up the last picture of Omaya.Bingo!It was the same pendant.Turning over the pendant,Neil looked at the tiny inscription.."I love you forever."

Neil sat back down in his chair as he tried to sort out his thoughts."What had compelled Omaya to consider suicide?The girl had been madly in love with little Alicia's father and this pendant could almost be considered a proof of his love.Had Hu Ge really been in love with Omaya.But that did not make any sense.How did they meet?Even if they got acquainted with each other over computer games,they would have had to meet to take their relations.h.i.+p to the physical level.He had been trying to look for clues if Omaya had been in a relations.h.i.+p with someone else as well.But now it seemed unlikely..

Neil picked up the pendant carefully and held it to the light.The pendant was part of a limited edition collection of a famous designer from three years ago.It had caught Neil's eyes then because somebody had tried to accuse the designer of plagiarism raising a huge cry in the fas.h.i.+on industry.Neil had been interested in the case from a professional point of view and studied it thoroughly.The designer had been able to win the case by the sheer fact that he had not sold the pieces for just money.Every buyer had to somehow prove their love..And now this pendant had led to another clue to find the ident.i.ty of little Alicia's father.

Putting the pendant back in it's place,Neil looked at the IT expert who was tapping away at the laptop."Heve you succeeded in opening it yet?"

The expert looked up and said,"Yes.But the system is affected with a fer virus.The worst part is that the virus in designed to clean the computer's memory as soon as it is turned on.It is a matter of chance that the owner did not open it otherwise they would have had no chance of saving the files.Give me a few minutes and I will be able to override the virus."

Frustratedly,Neil ran a hand through his hair and asked,"This laptop had not been opened for more than two years.Are you saying that the last time the laptop was used it had been infected with a virus?"

The IT person looked up and said,"Yes."

"Try to find out the exact date that this happened!And the sender..If you can!"

"Sure Sir."

"BANG".Neil slapped a hand on the table in frustration.Somebody had tried to do something to hide Omaya's lover's ident.i.ty.But who and why?

And this raised another question,"Had Omaya really committed suicide?"