By Srinidhi Ranganathan in Director's Pick — Jan 13, 2024

The Misadventures of a Desi Detective

"Aha! A case!" Ramesh leapt from his chair, almost spilling his chai. He grabbed his magnifying glass, which was a piece of broken lens from his nephew's science kit.

In the bustling town of Chutneyville, there lived a self-proclaimed detective named Ramesh Kumar. Ramesh wasn't your typical detective. He wore a large moustache that twitched when he was thinking hard, which was often. His detective outfit was a colorful kurta-pajama paired with a Sherlock Holmes cap - a gift from his aunt.

One sunny morning, Ramesh was sipping his masala chai when Mrs. Kapoor, the town's sweet shop owner, rushed in. "Ramesh! My most prized gulab jamuns have vanished!" she exclaimed. Gulab jamuns were the town's favourite sweet, and Mrs Kapoor's were legendary.

"Aha! A case!" Ramesh leapt from his chair, almost spilling his chai. He grabbed his magnifying glass, which was a piece of broken lens from his nephew's science kit.

At the sweet shop, Ramesh began his investigation. He inspected the empty tray where the gulab jamuns should have been, looking for clues. Just then, he heard a meow. It was Mrs. Kapoor's cat, Mithoo, with jamun syrup on his whiskers.

"A clue!" Ramesh exclaimed. He decided to follow Mithoo, who led him to the backyard. There, under a bush, lay a trail of tiny, syrupy paw prints. Ramesh followed the prints, which led him straight to... the Kapoor's kitchen window.

"Aha! The thief entered through the window," Ramesh declared. But Mrs. Kapoor looked confused. "But Ramesh, the window was locked from inside."

Ramesh scratched his head. Just then, his aunt called him for lunch. As he sat down to eat, he noticed his little cousin playing with a toy truck. The truck was sticky and smelled sweet. "Where did you get this?" Ramesh asked.

His cousin replied, "I found it near Mithoo. He was playing with it."

Ramesh dashed back to the shop with the toy truck. "Look! The real thief!" he announced, pointing at Mithoo. Everyone laughed as Ramesh explained how Mithoo had knocked the gulab jamuns off the counter and onto the toy truck, accidentally carting them away.

Mrs. Kapoor wasn't mad. She found the gulab jamuns under a table, still perfectly round and delicious. She gave Ramesh and the townsfolk a treat as a thank-you for the entertainment.

From that day on, Ramesh Kumar became known not only as the town's detective but also as the funniest one. His misadventures continued, each more hilarious than the last, making him a beloved figure in the heart of Chutneyville.

And Mithoo? He was now the official pet of the detective agency, often found napping on Ramesh's detective reports, which were mostly about missing sweets and the occasional lost cricket ball.

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