The area surrounding the Kanavaakuli check post was heavily misty. It was five minutes to six in the morning. Pandiyan, the lone policeman on guard duty walked out of his ten by ten security room built with just bamboo sticks. A woman followed him.

'I am leaving.' she said in a tone of unwillingness to leave.

Pandiyan, who could see her sexual passion refusing to fade away, pulled her close and stared into her eyes seductively. He spun her around and slowly put his hands on her buttocks and forced a slight squeeze. She jerked out of his hold and shot him a gentle stare. Pandiyan pulled her close and kissed tightly on her lips. She didn’t fight him this time, she liked it, as she always does, he is her husband after all.

'You’re going to get suspended some day for bringing me here.' she said humorously, with a wink.

'Suspended?' Pandiyan objected, 'Who is going to come here and watch us?'

'Not all days will be the same, my dear.'

Pandiyan smiled accepting his wife’s warning who bid goodbye and started her two kilometre walk towards the town.

Pandiyan pulled out a cigarette from his pocket and lit it. Smoking, he moved to the backside of his room to pee. As the smoke billowed out of his mouth, he gazed around his well known surrounding beautified by the tall eucalyptus trees. Savoring his last hit of cigarette, he walked back to his room.

There was a knock on the semi open wooden door. A tall disheveled looking man stood before him, out of breath breathing fast and was seemingly nervous and frantic.

'What’s wrong? Calm down!' What happened? What is the problem?"

Pandiyan inquired with his toothbrush still in his mouth.

The man signalled Pandiyan to follow and started running. Pandiyan looked confused but didn't move. The man ran back to him.

In a husky voice he said: 'There is a dead body over there.'

Pandiyan’s eyes grew...