DEAD YET ALIVE THE PERFECT MURDER

PROLOGUEVengeance well directed can be rewarding and I, of all people am a living example to it .. or am I?

THE CHALLENGESwwooooooshhhhhh!!!!!! The waves kissed the rocky shores below. Fine!!Lets have another bet, Maya remarked. Vin knew the negotiation would be difficult.But with Maya back to her games, he was all ears. She clarified, Do something Perfect for me. Vin gave a puzzled look. Say aPerfect Murder? Thats it! You kill someone and if I am unable to find whom you killed by next Sunday, you would have committed a Perfect Murder with no traces. Win and I pay you the full money. Probably the Nobel may be yours (although I doubt it will ever be), she gave a mischievous smile. On the verge of a scientific breakthrough, he had no one to fund or support him. The reason his field was too risky to invest. And here was Maya, the second richest lady of the country- his last hope. What if I dont win? From when did you talk of losing, Vin? Setting down her wine glass elegantly, she chuckled, I dont want you to lose anything. So, if you lose, Ill save you from being prosecuted. But youll have to work for my company. Earn enough and carry on your work. Deep inside Maya knew his career would be ruined. Now or never . Too dangerous but he had all the means. Still it would be disastrous if everything went wrong. Deal!! Vin raised his glass. Maya toasted as birds chirped across the open sea - natures witness. The talk drifted back to their college days as dusk fell outside Vins beach house in Goa. He cherished every glimpse of those sparkling eyes and the beautiful smile he had always loved. She was his friend, his enemy, his inspiration, his love and would now turn his life around.

THE CONVOCATION Maya Raghuvanshi had an unembellished beauty and genuineness that radiated a striking personal confidence. The exact opposite, her friend Vinay Ashwath was the sole geek of his IIT, Bombay batch. A Perfectionist with a thirst to always win, he was called-Vin. Slightly plump, with few friends, most could never understand him. He was an introvert with his own secret ambitions while Maya was open and chirpy. For her he was just a friend but deep in his heart, he loved her. The risk of losing even her friendship never made him vent out his feelings. And then came.. the Convocation. Vin topped and Maya was the best girl student. She was going to Oxford. He had been selected at MIT, USA. Afraid of never meeting her again he opened his heart out and the volcano erupted. Mr. Vin, have you gone mad? Loving you- not even in my dreams! I should have listened to others. Now, I can see my mistake. Youre not worth befriending loser!! You secretly desire to win the Nobel, right? Look at yourself! I doubt if you could win a race even if you ran alone. Maya blasted him. All burst out laughing. Success and love arent for you. At least get a worthwhile life, Mr. Perfect! Those were Mayas last words as she left. Vin was hurt. Ten years past, Maya had become a successful entrepreneur, an adventurer, a geologist and what not. Yet she was single. Dr. Vinay had finished his research and was back in India. At the lab in his home he was working to change the fate of humanity forever. It had left him penniless and he needed funding desperately. Countrys second richest lady selects Goa her home read the headlines in the Friday edition of Times. Vin gazed at Mayas face. Im so excited! Mayas cell cackled. Hello! Whos this? Hi, Vin here. Mr. Perfectionist, What a Surprise! where are you? Its been so long. Really sorry buddy for the last day. I had always looked up to you as a friend and it all happened suddenly. I think we should meet. You still talk so much! Im here in Goa. Ill message you my address. Can you come tomorrow evening? Yes, sure! What have..Hello?? Vin? he had cut the call. Maya looked more attractive than ever as they sat down outside his house. After chatting for about an hour, Vin said, Maya can I ask you a favor?

Go ahead. I am in the final phase of my research that could probably get me the Nobel for which you challenged the last day. Remember? Where do I fit in? I need a funding of ten million. Can you help me anyway, please? A smug smile crossed Mayas face as Vin held his breath. Fine!!......................

THE CHASE Waking up at 9:00 a.m. on Monday, Mayas head felt heavy. Her servant told her that Vin had brought her asleep early morning. Her cell buzzed. It was Vin. He sounded very sleepy. You drank too much on Saturday evening and had a hangover throughout yesterday. Concerned to let you go in such a state, I left you today morning. Thanks, eh! I dont remember anything of yesterday. I hope you took my bet seriously. Tell me when youre done. Goodbye Vin! She hung up. After lunch Maya met the Superintendent of Police and requested to be informed about all casualties within the next week. Given her status, he had to accept. Next she arranged for being reported about every body reaching the mortuaries of the city. Vin called next morning. Ive killed someone. Ill meet you on Sunday for my cheque. he cut the call. It was Mayas most frustrating experience. There were just three murder cases and she could trace back none to Vin. The only strange thing that happened was on Saturday when coming out of a morgue she saw some dissected cadavers and a piece of hand looked strangely familiar. But she couldnt know why? She asked herself, Has Vinay succeeded?

THE CLIMACTIC REVELATION Vin beamed at her from across the desk with the promised cheque lying on it. I lose. Its yours but you have to first tell me whom you killed! inquired Maya. Like a master puppeteer, Vin clasped his fingers and began his taleI havent told you that I also learnt Surgery while at MIT and my field of research was Genetics and Body Transplant. Brain transplant has remained the biggest challenge for science especially with the problem of connecting same nerves in the transplanted body. I tumbled across a method to mark the nerve endings in the acceptor and donor and then connecting them so that the brain can perform same functions in the new body without any significant difference. The person would die. The personality would live. On the verge of proving it, I was left penniless. I hadnt tested my theory on Humans and none was ready. Maya got impatient.Where are you getting mister? Vin continued, In your last drink I mixed a sleeping pill. I had a body ready with all organs transplanted and just needed a brain. The next 24 hours were intense. I worked non-stop to transfer your brain into the new body accurately connecting each nerve. Then I created all your body marks on your new skin. I loved you very much and so transplanted your face exactly onto the new body using rapid regenerating stem cells I had worked on during my research. Finally, I set your brains functioning to next morning and left you home. Maya was horrorstruck. This couldnt be true. And my body, where did you hide it? I am a registered researcher, Maya and its common for me to dispose cadavers. I cut it out into pieces the next day and disposed with other bodies I had worked on Maya now understood why Vin had sounded so sleepy and why that piece of hand looked so familiar. He picked up the cheque and said turning towards the door, You were correct. I cant win a race alone. I won this with you, my first and last love. You inspired me to achieve my ambition. Thanks to you, I can see the Nobel. Havent you got it? I killed YOU, MAYA!!. . . . .and he was gone.

EPILOGUESometimes an immediate surge of anger and attitude can be life changing literally. I saw him today receiving the Nobel, for making people preserve their personality through Brain Transplant. People remark that it seems Ill never grow old. But only two people on the planet know the truth. I was his first successful experiment. The dusk at sea is the same as that fateful Saturday evening a few years ago but it never felt so again. As my Deadly Life continues, every evening gazing at the horizon I just feel the same.

The Sun of Regret setting deeper further, Dead Yet Alive, Mine was the Perfect Murder.

Submitted byB. Vishwanath National Institute Of Technology, Tiruchirappalli Email - vishutheinvincible@gmail.com Mobile No. - 9443725390