FATE ORDAINED--- CIRCUMSTANCIAL VERDICT---- A SHORT STORY FOR SULEKHA RIVR CONTEST
It’s too late before I even realized that the man from the side berth had fallen down . The train was going at full steam. I had boarded it at 9 PM at Lucknow. Side berth was occupied and man seemed to be fast asleep. Suddenly, at 11.10 PM, the man in the side berth had fallen down. He was dead. He might have been dead for sometime. I saw a red diary clutched in the dead man’s hand. It had some entries made. I began to read it. ************************************************************************************************************************************************
It was on May 11, 2005 that I had received a call from Sameer.
He had asked me, “Are you ready to fulfill your promise?”
“I will.” I had casually said.
“Sangeeta has completed her post graduation in management. Let us formalize her relationship with Sangram.” Sameer threw a bombshell.
“What? What are you saying?” I was flabbergasted.
“Come on, don’t back out on your promise” Sameer had rebuked me.
“Sameer, I do not remember any such promise I had made to you ever." I was clarifying.
“Take out your diary of 1977. Read the entry on 04 November 1977? Have you forgotten that one rupee note I had given you”, Sameer had thundered.
“Sameer, I have not read what you had written. Wasn’t that one Rupee a joke?” I calmly replied.
“You are a liar. My wife had rightly told me that you had already fixed up your son’s marriage with some IAS guy's daughter, Anita.” Sameer had accused me.
“I have not fixed Sangram’s marriage as yet. But I know he has a friend called, Anita.” I clarified.
“So, that is it.” Sameer had banged the phone down.
I searched for my diary of vintage 1977. I located it after a great effort. Saw the entry on 04 November 1977. It was the day I had received the telegram from home informing me on the birth of Sangram.
It read, “I, Major Swaraj Singh and my friend, Major Sameer Singh, hereby solemnly affirm on oath that on completion of their education, Sangram and Sangeeta would be tied into a nuptial knot. We would firmly stand by it.”
To say the least, although I had signed, yet I had not read it. Sameer had covered it with his hand, when I had signed. Thereafter, I had forgotten about it.
Same day, on May 11, 2005, I spoke to Sangram. He told me, “I know Sangeeta as a friend but I can not marry her.”
I pleaded with him, “I had made a written promise to her father”.
“Kindly, do not emotionally blackmail me? I love Anita”, he gave a shut up call.
And three years later, today on August 31, 2008, I hear of this suicide by Sangeeta. She had refused to marry anyone after Sangram had been married to Anita. Finally, she had taken her life. She had left a note behind, “I have been betrayed by -----”
Who betrayed her? Had Sangram rejected her? How would I face Sameer when I meet him now--------------?
But why is the police after me? How can they blame me for her suicide. Just because, she named me , it does not mean I was responsible for her suicide," stupid girl had taken an emotional decision and how could she claim that she was betrayed when SANGRAM had not shown any attraction towards her?"
This " One-way- love" has created this problem for me. I am on the run from the police? Why? They are NOT prepared to listen to logic. They say that court would decide about this. They want to arrest me. My friend, Prem told me that police would like to make some money out of me because my son is an NRI. Such cases of NRI are god sent gift to them.
Today, the police had come looking for me. I , somehow managed to hoodwink because of my friend, Prem, who advised me to go underground for some days, till he manages to strike some bargain with the police. I am now going to--------
************************************************************************************************************************************************
The note in the diary had abruptly ended. I had informed the railway police at SHAHJEHANPUR station. They asked me to wait til New Delhi and not to leave till my statement was recorded.
It’s too late before I even realized that the man from the side berth had fallen down . The train was going at full steam. I had boarded it at 9 PM at Lucknow. Side berth was occupied and man seemed to be fast asleep. Suddenly, at 11.10 PM, the man in the side berth had fallen down. He was dead. He might have been dead for sometime. I saw a red diary clutched in the dead man’s hand. It had some entries made. I began to read it. ************************************************************************************************************************************************
It was on May 11, 2005 that I had received a call from Sameer.
He had asked me, “Are you ready to fulfill your promise?”
“I will.” I had casually said.
“Sangeeta has completed her post graduation in management. Let us formalize her relationship with Sangram.” Sameer threw a bombshell.
“What? What are you saying?” I was flabbergasted.
“Come on, don’t back out on your promise” Sameer had rebuked me.
“Sameer, I do not remember any such promise I had made to you ever." I was clarifying.
“Take out your diary of 1977. Read the entry on 04 November 1977? Have you forgotten that one rupee note I had given you”, Sameer had thundered.
“Sameer, I have not read what you had written. Wasn’t that one Rupee a joke?” I calmly replied.
“You are a liar. My wife had rightly told me that you had already fixed up your son’s marriage with some IAS guy's daughter, Anita.” Sameer had accused me.
“I have not fixed Sangram’s marriage as yet. But I know he has a friend called, Anita.” I clarified.
“So, that is it.” Sameer had banged the phone down.
I searched for my diary of vintage 1977. I located it after a great effort. Saw the entry on 04 November 1977. It was the day I had received the telegram from home informing me on the birth of Sangram.
It read, “I, Major Swaraj Singh and my friend, Major Sameer Singh, hereby solemnly affirm on oath that on completion of their education, Sangram and Sangeeta would be tied into a nuptial knot. We would firmly stand by it.”
To say the least, although I had signed, yet I had not read it. Sameer had covered it with his hand, when I had signed. Thereafter, I had forgotten about it.
Same day, on May 11, 2005, I spoke to Sangram. He told me, “I know Sangeeta as a friend but I can not marry her.”
I pleaded with him, “I had made a written promise to her father”.
“Kindly, do not emotionally blackmail me? I love Anita”, he gave a shut up call.
And three years later, today on August 31, 2008, I hear of this suicide by Sangeeta. She had refused to marry anyone after Sangram had been married to Anita. Finally, she had taken her life. She had left a note behind, “I have been betrayed by -----”
Who betrayed her? Had Sangram rejected her? How would I face Sameer when I meet him now--------------?
But why is the police after me? How can they blame me for her suicide. Just because, she named me , it does not mean I was responsible for her suicide," stupid girl had taken an emotional decision and how could she claim that she was betrayed when SANGRAM had not shown any attraction towards her?"
This " One-way- love" has created this problem for me. I am on the run from the police? Why? They are NOT prepared to listen to logic. They say that court would decide about this. They want to arrest me. My friend, Prem told me that police would like to make some money out of me because my son is an NRI. Such cases of NRI are god sent gift to them.
Today, the police had come looking for me. I , somehow managed to hoodwink because of my friend, Prem, who advised me to go underground for some days, till he manages to strike some bargain with the police. I am now going to--------
************************************************************************************************************************************************
The note in the diary had abruptly ended. I had informed the railway police at SHAHJEHANPUR station. They asked me to wait til New Delhi and not to leave till my statement was recorded.
As soon as we reached New Delhi station I .waited for the police to come. My statement was recorded.
In the meanwhile, police searched deadman,s belonging. It turned out that the dead man was some Suresh Pandey of Patna.
In the meanwhile, police searched deadman,s belonging. It turned out that the dead man was some Suresh Pandey of Patna.
He was not the man whose diary I had been reading.
Police further noticed that dead man's face had turned blue as if he had been poisoned. I was asked to accompany the police to the police station for further investigations.
Police further noticed that dead man's face had turned blue as if he had been poisoned. I was asked to accompany the police to the police station for further investigations.
Police got a mobile phone from the pocket of the dead man and dialed a number in Patna. The number called was Ramesh Pandey, elder brother of Suresh Pandey, who had informed the police that his younger brother had gone to New Delhi for some business.
Police informed Ramesh that his brother was dead because someone had poisoned him in the train. Ramesh was shocked for some times and then suddenly burst out," what about his Suit case---- yes yes, red color, Samson suitcase----- he had Rs 30 Lakhs Cash in it----- is it there?"
Alongwith police inspector, I too was stunned because there was no suitcase of the dead man. My suitcase was searched and they found Rs two lakhs in cash.
I told them it was my cash. They asked me the source of money----- I told them due to sale of some shares. Police quizzed me further ---- my negative answer had no effect on the investigating officer and I was locked up.
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Thus, narrated Suneeta, the tale of her husband, to the lawyer, she had hired to get her husband bailed out, who, she felt, had become a victim of circumstances.
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Thus, narrated Suneeta, the tale of her husband, to the lawyer, she had hired to get her husband bailed out, who, she felt, had become a victim of circumstances.
"Madam, we will try our best, but circumstantial evidence point towards your husband's involvement because Rs Two lakhs in cash was found on him and he could not explain the purpose he was carrying this amount for. He sourced it to sale of shares but it has to be through the bank. He must tell the bank he had witdrawn from. He did not. Do you have any valid reason to suggest" Lawyer Sumit Tandon was asking.
" I don't know, I don't know---- he is a simple man but not a thug or a murderer----- " , Suneeta was wailing and sobbing.
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