return null;
else {
final Map<String, Object> properties = new HashMap<String, Object>();
byte[] bytes = new byte[WritableUtils.readVInt(in)];
in.readFully(bytes);
final ReadBuffer buffer = new ReadByteBuffer(bytes);
for (int i = 0; i < numberOfProperties; i++) {
final String key = serialize.readObject(buffer, String.class);
final Object valueObject = serialize.readClassAndObject(buffer);
properties.put(TYPE_MAP.get(key), valueObject);
}