read part 4 here.
“Alok, Raman….” Baba’s
thundering voice took them by surprise as they saw him and Mai emerging from behind a tree. “Stop right there.”
“How did you both come here?” Raman was surprised they
should arrive here like this.
“Is this why I have
lived so long, to see all this? Both of you killed Shyam? And now you are
planning to kill him again?” he broke down.
Mai held him as he cowered down, sitting on the ground,
hitting his head with his hands.
“Kamala called us and
said she had come back to this village, and she lived here. She wanted to meet
us here today, she had something to share with us,” said Mai, “But what do we
see here? Are you really my children?” Mai was furiously beating her chest,
wailing, “Oh lord, why didn't I die before I saw all this?”
‘Kamala called them? Why?’ Alok was confused why Kamala
would call them and ask them to come to this place. ‘What connection did she
have with this boy?’ he wondered. ‘And where was she? Why hadn't she come
here?’
It was the day after Shyam’s funeral. Kamala had
wanted to meet Alok on the terrace that night. She looked shattered. Her eyes
were red and swollen with crying.
‘What is it Kamala?’
asked Alok.
‘Why did you have to
kill my Shyam?’ she asked amid tears.
‘I know how you feel,
Kamala, but who told you I killed him? I wouldn't do that to my own brother.’
‘I will go to the
police, maybe then you will have to accept your crime.’ She threatened, her
voice quivering with anger.
‘Suit yourself’ he
replied, ‘but if I were you I wouldn't do that.’
She had gone to the police
but had no proof against the brothers and Alok had harassed her enough to drive
her out of the village. She had vowed to avenge Shyam’s death.
Was it a mere
coincidence that she had called their parents here? Maybe not. Maybe she knew
that Shyam would be here today. If Shyam had contacted them, he would also have
contacted her. Yes that would explain the connection’ he reasoned.
Shyam walked up to Baba and helped him get up.
“Baba, Mai, let’s go home” said Shyam putting Baba’s hand
across his shoulder.
“Not so soon,” came a booming voice from behind. Alok and Raman stood stunned as policemen
surrounded them.
“We got a tip off that an old case that was believed to be
an accident was actually a murder and we would find evidence here.”
The police bundled them off to the police station and began
their investigation. Alok had successfully evaded the questions but Raman, the
chicken among the two, soon owned up to the crime. Mai and Baba were aghast to
know how the brothers had meticulously planned Shyam’s accident. The police
recorded the statements of Mai and Baba and then let them leave.
Baba, Mai and Shyam watched the two brothers being put
behind bars.
“The police have summoned me regarding the case,” lied Shyam
as he took leave of his parents after dropping them home. “I’ll come back soon.”
He took a rickshaw and went to a small house on the
outskirts of the city.
“Ma” he cried as he went in.
Kamala was sitting on the corner of an old bed face buried
in her palms sobbing. She saw Shyam and ran to him. Mother and son hugged each
other, tears streaming down their faces.
‘Because of you Gopal, justice has been served. Your father’s
killers have finally been punished” she said caressing her son’s head. “Let’s
go back home, far away from all this, we don’t want any share in the property,
all I wanted is to punish Shyam’s killers” she said. “I am so sorry I put you
through all this Gopal.”
Kamala and Shyam had
secretly married a few months before. That day Kamala had found out that she
was carrying Shyam’s child. They had both been overjoyed and had planned to
tell the elders that they had got married and ask for their blessings. But then
the accident happened. With Shyam no longer with her, no one would believe that
she was carrying his child.
Alok’s harassment had
forced her to leave the village and settle in a nearby city. She had given up
all hopes of avenging Shyam’s death and had devoted herself to bringing up
Gopal. As Gopal grew up she was surprised how he looked and behaved exactly
like his father. When he had been old enough to understand, she confided in him
and hatched this plan to make Alok and Raman accept their crime. She tutored Gopal
extensively and as she looked back, she was happy that her hard work had paid
off.
“No Ma, don’t be sorry” Gopal consoled her, “you did nothing
wrong. Let us go to Baba’s house, Baba and Mai need me, now that Alok and Raman
are in jail.”
“What will you tell them?”
“Leave that to me,” he winked, “just bring that Mangalsutra
and Bangle which your husband had given you the day before he died. Mai had
kept it for Shyam’s bride and she will recognize it the moment she sees it.”
“Hmmm…”she said, and then she froze as his words echoed in
her mind.” Mangalsutra and bangle? How could Gopal possibly know that? She had
never told him about that.
******the end*******
