Just 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 is fully packed, there are a total of twenty tables lined in 4×5 position, the table is medium sized 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 is colored in white paint standing with four steel legs and looks foldable, and four chairs in each table positioning 2×2 , front and back, its body too made with silver stainless steel, and for comfort of customers black leather was placed, from one look Julian could see that not one place is empty.
It's should've been opened only a 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 this swarm of people to reach his destination. As he is passing and trying his best avoid contact with people, he also noticed few of the dishes that waiters are serving and peoples are eating, he recognize one of the dishes , it's all filled in plate with long rice, nicely baked, with a piece of chicken and two potatoes, it's looks little oily but fragrance of it was enough to called someone's hunger, it was called biryani he had remembered, the last time he heard this word from was Sara, she also mention it that it's taste very good with gravy on it , and one also which look like half moon or in the shape of average size of banana, also one he finds very interesting was round chapati with spiral design on it, looks very oily at first but he thought maybe one day he'll try that out , he also noticed that waiters serving that dish with big pieces of chicken with lots of gravy, looking at the dishes he finally reached the stairs, taking him to upper floors, he also started feel little hungry even though he just had his lunch only half and hour ago.
He climbed the stairs slowly and just in few seconds he reached the second floor, to his left was the brown colored wooden door, which 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, with one more turned and taking few steps more he reached the third floor, he slightly pushed the white colored door towards inside and stepped in.
The view here was completely different from the ground floor or the first floor, the place was all very clean, there are only 3×4 tables and each table had only two chairs, from one look he could see that there are half of the seats are taken, also customers who are sitting near the window could enjoy city scenery very well.
Julian scanned the place searching for Simon, and he quickly found him. Simon sitting on right side, first seat, besides the window glancing outside looks like he was enjoying the scenery, he was also wearing the same dress as yesterday, and there's nothing ordered in 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 shifted his eyes from outside, as Simon was about to say something Julian spoke -up first saying, "Am I late?"
Simon checked the time on his phone which is lying on table, it's just past ten, he said lightly without minding,
"Yeah.. but not much, atleast you arrived. Also.."
"Yeah.. Paul called me earlier before and I've gotten my clothes dirty cuzz of that." Again before Simon could finish -up his next sentence Julian spoke up. But also Simon interest piqued a little because mention of Paul, he asked slightly turning his head towards window, in a casual tone,
"What for ?"
"Ohh…" Julian hesitated for a second, he'd remembered that Paul had already told him to not mention this topic, he thought "does it really matter ?" And continued "He told me to deliver some groceries to his place cuzz he was all sort out, and he still fully not gotten used to his whole new situation, but yeah... I've to say sorry cuzz 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 and don't know why he felt little relief inside that Paul is adapting to his new life- style, he slightly turned his head to the front thinking of getting to the main topic, and Julian also thinking same asked first,
"So what's the matter ?"
Simon turned his head towards the window again, locked his eyes 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 are opened like, clothing store, electronic store, smartphone store, coaching centre and more, this is the building with four story 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 dark green checked shirt with black lines on them, making small box design, a blue colored Jeans with white tone, his hair short with mix of black, light brown and silver grey, his beard also small matching the color with his hair, his height is lower then average, with big stomach, and looks fat, around the age of 35 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 anyway, 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, and Simon continued - " The bald guy, you read about him right? That guy might be his partner ."
"OooKaay.. " 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 found anything on his place and even in that bar, what is it called ?... They said they asked multiple people but still couldn't get anything."
"It was not 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…, and 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 asking 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 have doubts on him, that night when Paul told me to monitor him, if i might found anything suspicious or if someone following him, and there he was following Paul from his apartment to school, and later from school to his apartment, but after that he didn't followed Paul, I also monitored his daily routine but it was just as simple as any other individual in this city, about 9 : 30 he lefts his place, comes to this store works until 6 PM, after that some other person tooks his place in the store, and then home, his daily chit- chat with customer that arrived to buy medicines, I even tried asking to the shopkeepers nearby 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, and while grabbing his long black blazer from the table, he remembered something and told Julian, "yeah also and don't tell anyone about this okay… just keep this matter between us ."
"Yeah.. of course " Julian said, confirming Simon.