A Killer Match

“Ajay, dinner’s ready, you can tear yourself away from the news for a few minutes,” Sonia called out, shaking her head slightly at her husband, who was, as per his daily 9 pm routine, glued to the TV. The obnoxious reporter was screaming at a local politician about something and was giving Sonia the beginnings of a migraine. Ajay barely acknowledged her as she set the dishes on the table, completely engrossed in the piece of news they were covering. Only the voice of his daughter Anaika tip-tapping out of her room in her high heels made him look up.

“Isn’t that dress a little short?” he grumbled as she gave him a hug goodbye. It was Saturday, and the 28-year-old was ready for a night out on the town. Dressed in the afore-mentioned too-short dress with high-heels and her signature red lipstick, Anaika looked stunning. A little too good, thought Ajay grumpily, mistrustful as always of the kind of guys she might run into on a night out.

Anaika laughed at her father’s weekly concern and said, “I’ll be late!”

“Wait, wait, her father said, gesturing to the TV. “Have you seen the news? One more body found this week, with that same mark on the victim’s forehead. I don’t like you staying out late, especially in these outfits.”

Anaika rolled her eyes. This had been going on for a few weeks now; stories on the news about a strange string of murders, always late at night. The victim was always found with a barn owl image stamped on the forehead. The case had been baffling the authorities, with rumors flying around of it being the work of a serial killer or even an organized group.

“It’ll be fine dad, don’t worry. Bye Mom! Don’t wait up!” And with that Anaika was off.

Ajay finally made his way to the table and said to Sonia as he helped himself to some biryani, “She’s 28 now Sonia. Don’t you think it’s time she settled down?”

“You know how she is na. Won’t even look at the proposals I have for her from the guys her aunt finds,” replied his wife. “Always saying she’s too young and doesn’t have time to think about marriage.”

Ajay just scowled in response. “Well does she have a boyfriend? You know we are, what do the kids call it? Cool parents? She can have a love marriage. At least tell us if there is someone.”

“She says there is no one,” said Sonia, shrugging. “My sister has one more guy to introduce her to, I’m hopeful she agrees to see him, he seems really nice.” And with that, the discussion was put on hold.

The next morning Anaika, who had rolled in around 2 am, woke up to the sound of her father loudly talking over the 8 am news. “What’s happened now,” she asked sleepily as she stepped out of her room.

“Two more murders last night! A man and woman! Opposite sides of the city too!” her dad exclaimed, gesturing her over. “They definitely think it’s a group of people now!”

Her mother sat next to him, looking pale. “It could have been you instead of that poor girl Anaika!” she said almost hysterically. “You were out so late, it’s really not safe anymore!”

Anaika was watching the news now, with just as much interest as her dad. As the story finally ended and started up again at the beginning, she put the TV on mute and turning to her mother, she said, “Trust me Mom, I’ll be fine. You don’t have to worry about me.”

As she got up, Sonia motioned to her to stay. “Your Sunaina Mausi has found another boy for you. Have a look at his photos.”

Anaika groaned. They’d had this conversation countless times; she just wasn’t ready to get married and definitely not an arranged one at that.

“Mooooom,” she started, but Sonia interrupted her. “At least have one look before you say no. For me. Please.”

Anaika sighed and held out her hand to receive the cell phone her mother already had open to this potential groom’s photos. Her mother looked at her hopefully as she swiped through the images with seeming disinterest. She finally reached the last one and suddenly stood up straighter. Her mother noticed the change in her body language and perking up, said, “He’s handsome na? You should meet him. Sunaina says he makes good money and his family is very nice.”

Anaika almost rolled her eyes; of course her aunt thought those were the only criteria. But this one she actually did want to meet. She had to.

“Tell Mausi to set it up.” Sonia was ecstatic.

Their first date was set up for the following Friday, and in the days leading up to it, there were plenty of new developments in the case of the strange killings. Ajay would excitedly (and very loudly) update his wife and daughter every night. The victims all had one thing in common; they had all been accused of crimes that they had eventually been acquitted of, sometimes on a technicality, others due to lack of evidence. The man from last Saturday allegedly beat up his wife while the young woman had fled her village after murdering and robbing a family of five. The ‘killers’ were now being touted as heroes in a twisted sense of justice, carrying out what a corrupt or inept system wasn’t able to. Sonia and Ajay would have heated discussions about the wrongs and rights but Anaika mostly just listened silently.

Friday rolled around and Anaika was armored in her usual dress-heels-lipstick combo, anticipating the night ahead. She waited for him at her favorite table at the bar she frequented, absently zooming onto the photo of his that had brought her here, hoping she hadn’t misunderstood it. Oh well, she’d know soon enough.

He was on time, a plus, and was dressed casually but with care. His shirt had a high collar, Anaika noted with slight annoyance. She needed to get a better look. The night was going well, better than Anaika had expected. He was funny, charming, and as her aunt had pointed out, pretty good-looking. But she had to confirm what she was here for.

“What do you think of all the killings in the city recently?” she asked him almost abruptly, startling him.

“Well, murder isn’t really the answer but I can’t say those people didn’t deserve it,” he replied, after giving it a few minutes of thought. Anaika was dissatisfied. This was a controlled answer, an answer he thought she wanted to hear. It didn’t help. She needed to just go for it.

“It’s said there is an ancient society. Centuries ago, a group of people banded together to form what they called the League of Owls; a secret vigilante group with their own sense of justice.”

He said nothing, just regarded her impassively. She continued,

“They were highly trained and highly motivated assassins, set out to punish who they believed were wrong doers, or put plainly, evil people. It is rumored that this league was disbanded for years, on the brink of being exposed. But a pact was made; they would return once safe again, and would carry out their punishments as was right.”

For a moment he was silent, then, “And you think it’s back, is it? You believe this fantastical tale?”

“It was also said that every member of the League of Owls was branded on the front of the right shoulder, just past the collarbone, with a sigil – the barn owl, a symbol of wisdom and intuition, able to catch its prey in the blackest of nights.”

“Like the symbols found on the victim’s foreheads,” he said.

She nodded. “I don’t usually agree to go on these arranged dates,” she continued. “But one of your photos intrigued me. A picture of you at the beach with your buddies. The shirt you had on had slipped a little to the side and I could have sworn I saw a tattoo on the front of your right shoulder just past your collarbone.”

He just continued to look at her, not sure how to answer the question she hadn’t really asked, the implication hanging heavy in the air. Anaika just smiled and pulled the neck of her dress to reveal a tiny barn owl on her right shoulder, just past the collarbone.