Its been quiet a while that I have written. Blog spot to some is a place where they keep their friends kith and kin updated. To some a bulletin to share their political thoughts should i say. Well to me it is a place where i let my imagination run wild.[ It is currently deliberating whether to wake up from dormancy:) but nonetheless.. Here cmon get up buddy] I like writing what I call short stories ...well short by my standards.
So here goes another one.. it has been titled Inspector Dharani.( well for people who know me really well would know dharani as well :D and for people who dont well he is my friend from engineering. )
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The ancient temple in the village wore a deserted look. The moon light bathing the entire temple and to a connoisseur of beauty it was a sight to die for. The peepal trees in the temple premises, home to a number of nocturnal fauna were a center of bustling activities. Owls hooting, insects buzzing and the leaves rustling. The only sound that was distinctly audible over this din was the bell dangling around the neck of the temple elephant Ramu. He seemed restless and Murugan who was the mahout was watching in anxiety wondering what has come over Ramu. The sudden change in the pattern of the din portended something bad was about to happen and Ramu was becoming restless. Murugan was just clueless about Ramu's restlessness.
The temple boundary wall that ran around the perimeter of the temple land was getting old and dilapidated. It was always the topic of discussion in all the meetings of the Grama Panchayat. But the warring village heads could not reach a consensus . In the north wall of the temple there was a small recess oblivious to a commoner but visible to a discerning eye. The recess that was about to change the course of history of the village of Abhiramapatnam.
Two pairs of feet landed with a dull thud closer to the north wall of the temple. Ramu was now going berserk. He was vehemently tugging at the chains that bound him to the intricately carved temple pillar. His bell was now making a pandemonium of sorts. Murugan's so far light sleep was now gone completely. He was both the Mahout as well as the temple guard. He was a man in his thirties. Well built and a staunch devotee of the Hanuman. " Jai Anjaneya" said Murugan with a start." What is the problem Ramu? Why are you so restless?" Saying this he unchained Ramu.
Ramu quickly ran towards the north wall. The dark silhouettes seeing the mammoth coming towards them slipped into the temple and hid in the shadows. Ramu started towards the recess in the wall with Murugan in tow. Even before Murugan could realize a huge blade severed his head. With a dull thud the head rolled onto the concrete. Ramu realizing Murugan is no more turns back and heads back to wards the listless body lying on the concrete floor bathed in the moon light.Looking for the miscreants in the temple Ramu begins to circle the temple. Slowly at first then violently. He tires himself to death.
The dawn breaks and the huge key turns the lock of the temple door. The temple priest srinivasan enters carrying his yellow satchel that contained his morning grub and opens both the doors. The unusual calm seems rather disturbing to him.
He was used to the bell of Ramu and the deep voice of Murugan welcoming him. Something was amiss. " Ramu where are you ? You brat? Muruga......... hello anybody ?" .Then now fearing that something bad must have occurred Srinivasan begins to walk around the temple. What he was about to witness next was about to knock the living daylights out of him. Murugan's head was being picked by a number of eagles and crows. He had to shoo them away to really recognize what these birds were fighting about. His stomach begin retching involuntarily.
Next thing srinivasan knew was the cool feel of water on his face." Srini.... srini.. wake up..something really bad has happened." To this voice he now groggily opened his eyes to realise the huge crowd that has gathered. He blankly looks at each person before his eyes rested on the person on whose lap his head was now present. It was ananthu his fellow priest at the temple. " Wake up srini wake up" ." Ramu needs you now he wont eat or drink anything and the vet says that unless he eats something he is going to die soon".
The last few words shook srini up and he was up in a flash. The ten steps he took towards the mammoth were the most difficult ones he had taken his entire life. Ramu had been more like his son, a member of family. To see someone so close lose his life in front of your own eyes can be a nerve wrecking experience. The one which Srini was now experiencing. The breathes were now labored and it was coming with a struggle. In one swift motion srini fell on the elephants head hugging it and crying his heart out. The eyes of Ramu still had the same brilliance. They reminisced srini of all the good times they had. Of the time when little ramu was first brought to the temple as an orphan elephant who had been discarded by his mother. The time when srini began his training. All the times he was punished for not being obedient.
Ananthu was now beside Srini consoling him. "Ask Ramu to eat something. He has been severely fatigued. The doc says his feet are bleeding and he has no energy even to breathe. Unless he eats something we will lose him. C'mon srini do something." He passed on bananas and honey to srini who now took them in his hand and looked at Ramu. " C'mon Ramu eat . Take this banana. see i have also brought your favorite honey. See I am now dipping the banana in honey. Eat this my child. Eat so you can become strong. We need to find what happened to Muruga." Ramu took one sniff at the banana and breathed his last. The tear drop in his eye still inches from the ground. "
Nooooooooooo.... oh lord what has happened?"." How can such a thing befall this temple" " How can such a thing happen to Muruga who is your ardent devotee" " What was Ramu's fault in all this? C'mon this cant be happening" Saying this he faints.
The village elders convene a meeting. Ramaiah, the president dressed in his usual sparkling white dhoti and stiff starched shirt begins speaking." Today is the saddest day in the history of Abhiramapatnam." Never has such a catastrophe befallen us." " A day when we lost two noble sons of this village to tyranny.We have to find out who is behind all this. "My son Dharani who is an inspector in the nearby town is coming tomorrow to investigate this case. I want all the people of the village to extend their complete co operation in the investigation. Let us all pray and hope that the trouble makers and murderers are caught soon."
The battered willy's jeep with all its squeaking an squealing made its way into Abhiramapatnam. Dharani got down from the jeep and made his way to his house. He first took the blessings of his father. " Bless me father that I catch hold of the murderers soon." The sun sets on this small village of abhiramapuram. One prayer is on the lips of every villager. " Let the murderers be caught soon and let justice prevail"
With the break of dawn the village that generally wears a festive look was now gloomy. Dharani woke up to the chimes of the puja bell in his house. The citizen watch by his bedside was not showing 6 AM. He said his morning prayers rubbed his eyes and got up. He knew this was an important day for him and also for the entire village. A crime had occurred in the place where it was least expected and he had lost his dearest friend Muruga. Death catches up to to every living human but the nature as they say is in the hands of your own and is determined by your behavior. How could such a death befall Muruga? His muddled mind was constantly at war with himself and he was disturbed, confused, angry and resolute that who ever be the wrong doer he will be punished and he will see to it that the punishment is delivered by him personally. With all these thoughts clouding his mind Dharani reluctantly got ready and was mentally charting out a plan as to how the whole investigation had to be carried out. From somewhere in his mind he had one flash "temple". "Yes let me begin by looking around in the temple. the place where the murders had taken place. "
After taking his fathers blessings and bidding good bye to his mother Dharani started towards the temple. The village of abhiramapuram was very proud of Dharani. The small village boy who had made it big in life. He was well known among the police circles in the district as a straight forward officer who would give away his life willingly to protect the law. Many a times his father would twist his whiskers in pride. To be known as a child's parent rather than parent's child gives immense happiness and pride to both the child and parent.
There were silent hushes and whispers as Dharani's jeep passed through the streets of the village towards the temple. The villagers were now certain that the murderers would be caught and it was just a matter of time. Dharani got down in front of the ancient Sivan temple. Removed his shoes. For the numerous times he had been in the entrance of the temple the carvings and the intricate designs on the temple entrance still enthralled him. Taking cognizance of all this he entered the temple. He went to meet the head priest.
The head priest Muthuswamy was in his office. Still distraught from the recent happenings in the temple. " Greetings Mr Muthu. I am here to investigate the recent incidents that have happened in your temple". Suddenly startled by the presence of another person in his office. He looked up and recognized Dharani. " Hello son, How are you?I am sorry that you have to see me in such circumstances. Please find out who is behind all this. I assure our complete co operation in this regards."
He went by to the place where the body of Muruga was found. It had been outlined in white chalk. He then went to the place where his head was found. It was a good 15 feet away from the body. Seeing this and imagining what would have happened to Muruga sent a shiver down his spine. Who could be so ruthless?" He then went to the place where Ramu was found. The very sight sent Dharani into a tizzy. The memories of days he spent with his buddy Muruga and Ramu were flashing before his eyes. Tears welled up but he had to compose himself as the job at hand was more important than these trivial emotions. He had to now see the body of Muruga as a lot can be learnt from the dead body.
He immediately left for the hospital in the near by town of Ambikapuram. The body was lying motionless on top of the operation table. Dr Arumugam was at the corner washing his hands and handing over his apron and gloves to the nurse near by. "Hello dharani a pleasant surprise. What brings you here and that too of all days today when I have witnessed the most heinous crime in my entire career. The murderer must have really been a heartless man. Ok i forgot may I ask what is the purpose of your visit?" " Hi doctor, I'm here on this case that you had just mentioned. The body that you have just autopsied is our temple guard's and more than that he is my close friend. I would like you to elaborate on the details of the case doctor. I m looking to finish the case soon and bring the offenders to justice." " Very well dharani lets goto my room and we can discuss the case over a cup of tea." Saying this Dr Arumugam left the room and dharani followed him to his room. " Pandi get two cups of tea, make it strong , to my room." said Dr Arumugam to his attender.
" The case as i told you earlier dharani is one of the most heinous acts of a beast in human form. The person who must have done this should definitely be trained in martial arts and must be capable of wielding a fairly huge blade. The perfection with which the blow was received on Murugan's neck is simply mind numbing. The blade so strong and the action so swift that the cut wound was cauterized instantly. There was no other bodily harm done to the torso. I checked up for any other traces of prints but came up with none."
" Any other signs of injury or anything to the head doctor."
" Now that you mentioned it I have noticed that there is a wound closer to the eye on the right side of the temple. Well it could be caused due to the impact the head had with the hard floor of the temple. There were also a number of other small wounds that i believe to have been caused by the birds pecking at the head.The time at which the blood seems to have clotted is more or less the same in head and the body. So i think we can conclude that there are no other wounds inflicted on the body and the cause of death is by the blade"
All the while Dharani was trying to picturise the entire event happening. Something did not fall in place. He knew something was missing and he was just not yet sure as to what. " Thanks doctor. You have done a great job. I have to head back to the village and continue my investigations." Saying so Dharani got up and started walking towards the jeep. Just when he was about to board the jeep Arumugam came running behind ." Wait up dharani. I think there are two people involved in this I can see two sets of hand prints on the back of murugan they were very faint so i think i missed them initially. I think they tried to move the body when they saw something and ran away leaving the body." "wow!!!! thanks a million doctor. I think we have made a great start to the investigation."
The sun was now setting in this part of the world but Dharani's spirits were high. After the days work he knew that the end was near. As he reached home, he first met his father who was waiting for him." So son, how did the day go? Have you found out who is the cause for all this???"
" Hi dad, I am not supposed to discuss the case at home. I hope you will understand." saying this he went to his mother." I am terribly hungry please give me something to eat mother." So after having a quiet meal dharani went up to his room. He was now really excited and was trying to formulate some means to catch hold of the perpetrators. Already exhausted by the work for the day he fell into deep sleep.
The dawn broke . and the sun was slowly shining on this calm town of abhiramapatnam. Dharani was woken by the chimes of the puja bell in his house. So he was feeling cheerful and his instinct told him that the end was nearer. Just as he went out to see his father, he saw that his dad was talking over phone in an urgent and irritated tone to some one.' I have told you a million times not to call. I will reach you if necessary. Keep the phone down." Just as he disconnected the call he turned back to see dharani staring at him. " Who was that father. To whom were you talking to." " Well son I thought it was an old friend of mine but it happened to be a wrong number." Not completely convinced with what he had been told dharani went out to take bath.
He chose to talk to srinivasan the temple priest who had been at the scene of the crime before anyone.He went to the temple and enquired with Muthuswamy about srinivasan. " He is a devout boy. I have known him for quiet sometime. His father is a good friend of mine. He has been taught at the veda bhavan patashala. He takes care of the temple and I was grooming him to take over the duties of temple from me."
"Can you tell me his daily duties. for instance when he opens the temple what does he do after that ??? things like that"
" Oh certainly ..Every day Srinivasan opens the temple and goes inside and meets Murugan and spends time with Ramu before he heads to the sanctum sanctorum to perform the early morning rituals to the deity. Murugan takes care of bringing the prasadam to the temple by the time srini is done with all the preparations for the first abhishekam. Then he performs the pujas at the temple and we close the temple by noon after performing the puja.
The temple is again open for people by 4 in the evening. Srini's wife Amudha brings him lunch in the afternoon. Srini, Murugan and Amudha all eat lunch and then Amudha leaves. Srini and Murugan spend time with Ramu and when it is four Srini gets back to the temple. We close the temple at 9 in the night thats when Srini locks the door from outside. If you will notice the main door has a small door which locks from the inside. Murugan has that key in case he needs to go out before srini opens the temple in the morning."
"hmmmm. Thank you Muthuswamy. Who was there along with srini on that morning.?" " My son ananthu was there with him. Infact as we speak ananthu is there at srini's home tending to him. They have been trained at the same school and so they have known each other since childhood. In fact it was Ananthu's idea to employ Srini in this temple." " Thank you Muthuswamy I will get back to you in case further information is required." saying so dharani got up.
All the exuberance he had faded away as of now he had no clue on how to proceed further. In the midst of all this he remembered the phone call his dad got in the morning. He tried to ruminate on that for sometime. But then he wanted to go and talk to srini first before even deciding what needs to be done. " Hello srini .. I am Dharani investigating the case of Murugan" said dharani to the person who opened the door to Srinis house." I am Ananthu, Srinis friend. Srini is inside resting. He is in a state of shock and is constantly having nightmares. Please come in."
" You look well built for a man of your profession ananthu. Good keep it up. It is now that today's youngsters are looking after themselves and taking care in grooming themselves. "
" Thank you sir, I have always been interested in sports and hence I have concentrated more on extra curricular activities. But you see Srini here is our typical bookworm. He has been the topper in all our classes together"
" Hello Srini.. I am dharani. I am investigating the case. I know this is not a good time to come and talk to you but I don't have an option. I need to talk to you and ananthu in isolation" " Its ok sir, you can speak. My wife is not in the house she has gone out to the bazaar." " What exactly happened on that day. I want to hear it from you." " Ok sir, Like every other day I went to open the temple on that day. Usually Ramu will be the first to acknowledge my presence. He would make a sound with the bell on his neck. I would go and then talk to Murugan. Then i would go to make arrangements for the morning pujas and Murugan would go and make arrangement for the prasadam. " " But on that day..... sniff sniff" Tears welled up in his eyes. " I was surprised that the temple was silent. All I could hear was the chirping of the birds. Then there was a huge cackling sound of crows. I started looking for Ramu. That is when I stumbled upon a group of birds fighting for something. I went closer to have a look it was then that I noticed that they were fighting over Murugan's slithered head. That's the last I remember. The next thing I know was Ananthu was there and there was already a crowd of people. I knew I had lost Murugan.
Ananthu was now pulling me towards Ramu. Who seemed exhausted. His feet were bleeding. He was refusing to drink or eat anything from anybody. I tried to give him a banana dipped in honey. you know sir, that was his favorite snack. But he just took a sniff of the banana and his head fell down dead. I don't know for what sin of mine I am being punished sir. I had lost two of my dearest friends on the same day. " Dharani was listening to all this in rapt attention however he noticed ananthu was not near.
He went out to look for ananthu. he was by the door talking to someone in a hushed tone. Dharani tried to go and see who was there. When he went near he noticed ananthu suddenly turned back and was shocked to see dharani there. But seemed to compose himself of the shock and said it was just a beggar. Dharani smelt something fishy but did not reveal anything. His pleasant demeanor brilliantly camouflaged any doubt that he might have had. So ananthu had no clue that he was now the prime suspect in this murder investigation.
In sometime Amudha returned. she was out of breath as though she had been running. She did not know who dharani was." I told u ananthu to tell me in advance in case someone comes by. This is not how u act. " Ananthu was frantically trying to point Dharani but Amudha did not notice his presence as he was just behind a door and Ananthu was midway. " Ok Amudha please come and meet Mr Dharani. he is investigating the murder of Murugan" That's when dharani entered the room. Amudha's face was as pale as a ghost. She was completely at loss for words. It was as if someone knocked the wind out of her." Oh hello sir, Please make yourself comfortable. I go and fetch you some buttermilk from the kitchen." saying this she almost ran into the kitchen without even waiting for Dharani's response. Now dharani was sure that he was in the wolf's lair. he knew that Amudha and Ananthu are involved in this. But he could not find a connection.
" Ok ananthu, I think srini needs to rest. I see he has been advised complete rest and is on sedatives. I will leave now. But please do co operate in case I need to know something else." " Oh yes sir, anytime. Just send for me and I would be there. We need to find out who has done the heinous act." Dharani left the house of srinivasan the temple priest. It seemed to be the nerve center of all the covert operations. He needed to confirm how innocent Srini was.
It was almost dusk. The migratory birds were returning to their nests. he just admired the beautiful patterns they flew in. He got back home. As he was untying his shoe lace the phone began to ring." Hi Dharani, this is Arun from the telecommunication department. I found the number that you had been asking for. There have been many calls to this number from your phone over the last 8 months. In fact almost all the calls to this number are from the phone at your residence." " Thanks Arun. I need one more favour. Can you let me know the address to which that telephone belongs" " Sure dharani, one moment let me look it up. hmmmm where did I keep that piece of paper. hey kamal did you take any thing from my desk. It was just here. One moment Dharani. oh yeah here it is. okay please note it down. door number 34 sivaramapillai street , Ambikapuram" " Thanks arun. That will do for now. Thanks for the timely help." " well what are friends for. any time buddy any time."
His father was listening to this conversation from the second line. " Oh no!! what have i done?" he said to himself.
That night at the dinner table everybody was unusually quiet. " So dharani how is the case progressing" said his dad breaking the silence." Dad I don't discuss work at home and I am not supposed to also in the first place." " okay okay, so how is Srini coming along. He was very much devastated by all these things happening." " Srini is okay dad. He is convalescing. He should come around pretty soon." His dad started to speak something but fell silent. " what is it dad? Is there something that you want to tell me?" " No son , nothing. good night" With those words Ramaiah got up and went out to smoke his cigar. " Could dad be involved in any of this?" was the first thought that came to his mind. " There is only one way to find out. Let me go and check that address in Ambikapuram"
The next morning dharani was surprised to see his dad still sleeping. He was one of those early risers. " May be he isn't feeling well" said Dharani to himself. He started his jeep and set off to Ambikapuram. He reached the house in Ambikapuram. He tried to knock the door. But it was open.
He went inside." Hello is anybody home?" he did not hear a sound. He went into the kitchen. It was empty. Then he went into the master bedroom. It was empty. He heard water trickling in the bathroom. He went into the bathroom. " oooohhh GODDDDD!!!!!!" he said to himself." He saw a woman in her forties immersed in a tub of water. Her face was wrapped in a polythene bag and tied around her neck. Her hands and legs were tied. He tried to feel for any pulse. but he was too late. The damage had been done. The woman was dead. " How can that be? Who could have done it". That's when he saw it.
One sight was enough to know who was behind all this. He grabbed that photo frame in his hand. He called up the local police and ordered his subordinates to take charge of the case. He then rushed to his jeep. But the damn thing did not start. He gave the ignition another try. "C'mon C'mon don't test my patience. Start ...... start...... start." The engine came alive. Then he put the car in gear and started off.
" Open the dooor" demanded dharani. He continued banging the door. " Who is it amudha?" came srini's voice. " Its...... Its......" well words escaped her mouth. She was stunned to see Dharani. What shocked her more was the photo frame in his hand. " May I come in? " asked dharani feigning courteousness. " yes please." " It is not like what you think....I can explain.." " Shut up... why did you have to kill your own mother? you wretched excuse of a women." "Whaaaat? what are you saying?I never knew that my mother is dead? who did this to her?Cmon tell me" she tugged at dharani's shirt. But he was quick to push her aside. " Srini I want you to come here and look at this." saying so he gave the photo to srini. " Yes I know this is Amudha's mother. What about her? What happened to her sir?" Something was amiss here.
That's when Amudha spoke up. " Sir, or should I say brother" these first few words were enough for Dharani to understand who Amudha was and what was the connection of his father in all this. His father was also her father. " We have been living in Ambikapuram ever since I know. Our father met my mother in one of his visits to Ambikapuram regarding some business. That's when they got married and I was born. He never told us about a family in this village. He used to say his main business is here in this village so he would come there to our house over the weekends. It was about eight months back that my mother had come here to this village to meet one of her friends. That's when she came to know about father's other family in this village. She felt cheated. She decided that she will not talk to father henceforth. But we had to be supported financially. though my mother was not willing to accept anything from this man she had no other choice. Hence he would try and persuade her over phone. But she was adamant. I married srini about 6 months back. The best part of the day was when I would take lunch to the temple. He Murugan and I would eat happily under the shade of the mango tree. I loved Ramu very much. Murugan was more like my elder brother. He would affectionately call me sister and I found the brother whom I never had ,in him. Things were normal.
Until one day Ananthu found out about our family. He began to blackmail me that he would defame our father in public. So I had to give in to all his demands. He used to ask me for huge sums of money. I would in turn blackmail father and take it from him and give it to ananthu.
One day it was after srini left to temple. Ananthu came home. He was panting heavily and was accompanied by one more man. Some one i had not seen in this village. He came inside. He said Murugan is dead. I have killed him. The blame I would put on your husband and teach him a lesson for taking over my position in the temple. My father loves him and trusts him more than me. It is all part of a plan that I had hatched some months back. I got you both married. I knew about your family. so I have somehow eliminated both my enemies. well you will be wondering what Murugan had done to deserve this. He and that stupid elephant of his had once had me caught while i was trying to take some money from the temple cash box. Because my dad is the head priest there he was able to manage such that news did not come out. But he never let me set foot in the office after that. How can that lowlife and his dumb mammoth bring upon such a fate on me. It was a plan where I would carefully eliminate all my arch rivals in one shot. First Murugan , then your husband, then your father. when all this is over I would have asked your hand in marriage publicly and you would not be in a position to deny it. Because if you did so you would tarnish the reputation that your father has built." " I could not say anything. I was speechless after he told me this. I pushed him aside and I ran towards the temple. It was still early for people to be coming into the temple. I saw Srini lying there next to the headless corpse of Murugan. I thought ananthu had killed him too. But on going near I found that he was still breathing. I heaved a sigh of relief as i was about to call for help ananthu was there along with this other person.
But by then people began gathering. I saw this as a chance to escape. I ran to look for Ramu. I saw he was lying there motion less. his heavy stomach breathing laboriously. I tried to talk to him, I tried to get him to eat something. then I ran home took a bunch of bananas and a bottle of honey and ran towards the temple. Srini was just gaining consciousness. Ananthu in one swift motion grabbed the fruit from my hand and the other person grabbed the bottle of honey from my hand. I was about to shout. but Srini's shout had my attention. In the mean time ananthu sprayed something on the banana. " Noooo" i said to my self when i was about to go there and stop srini had already shown the fruit to hapless ramu. One sniff and he was gone. "
Dharani was watching without batting an eyelid. He was not sure what he was feeling right now. Should he be happy that he had at last got a sister whom he had yearned all these years? should he be angry with his dad for cheating him? Srini was as much shocked as dharani. How could his best friend do such a thing. How could he kill Murugan and Ramu? The room fell silent. Amudha weeping inconsolably. Srini trying to console her and dharani pacing about the room thinking what to do? Still one thing remained unsolved. Who would have killed Amudha's mother. Only one person could answer that question.
"Hello sir, i believe you asked for me" said ananthu standing in front of dharani.
" Thud" one tight slap. ananthu did not know what hit him? before he could regain his composure it was raining blows and kicks on him. " You low life. How could you do such a thing? " said dharani as he picked up ananthu by the scruff of his neck.
" what did i do sir, why am I being hit.? I have not done anything. Even if I did what proof have you got other than whatever Amudha said. She is a demented girl I will prove that in the court of law. How else would you arrest me.....SIR." said ananthu mockingly.
" Every criminal no matter how smart he is commits a small mistake. No matter hard he tries to cover up his tracks he is not infallible. Bring him in Shyamlal."
Ananthu's mouth fell open when he saw the person standing in front of him.
" Ok speak up now or else as you wanted We will meet in the court of law." the person standing in front of Ananthu was his friend Sivaraman. He was his accomplice in all that he did, he was there when Murugan was murdered. He was the person with ananthu on the morning when he went to srini's house.
" Sivaaaaaa.. How can you do this? How did you get caught?"
" You imbecile don't you know that when a new person enters a village he would be watched and his whereabouts are easy to trace" bellowed dharani. " okay I want you to tell me why did you kill that poor lady in Ambikapuram, Amudhas mother"
" I got a call from her one day asking me to meet her. I was surprised at first but went there to appease my curiosity. On entering her house she asked me to wait. I thought she would be getting some water to drink instead she brought a huge stick and began hitting me. I just escaped by a whisker or else it would have been me in that bath tub. "
" How dare you do this to my daughter you wretched animal. My husband has been a good father and a nice human being I will not allow you to tarnish his reputation. My daughter has told me everything. Die you animal." shouted Amudha's mother.
" But I over powered her and tied her hands and legs and covered her head with a plastic bag that was there nearby and left her in her own bath tub to die.
" Thud.. as another slap came and landed on ananthu's cheeks. It was Amudha. " You swine . you beast how could you do that ? You deserve hell? May god punish you for all that you have done." Srini caught hold of amudha and took her away to the adjacent room. " Take them both away shyamlal. Shall see you in the court of law Mr Ananthu."
It was as if a huge weight had been lifted off his chest. He went to Ambikapuram and took possession of Murugan's body or what was left of it. He returned back and a procession was organized by the villagers to perform and carry out the last rites of their honorable temple guard and his beloved subject Ramu. The entire village had come to the burial ground where the last rites were being performed. Dharani stood there in his white dhoti and shirtless body carrying the earthen pot around the grave of his friend Murugan.
Then he lit the pyre. As he stood there tears which were restrained so far began flowing out. His heart began becoming lighter. He knew he had done justice to his friend. Ananthu and Siva were sent to prison on life imprisonment. Amudha and Srini moved into Ramaiah's house. Dharani had forgiven his father and so had his mother. Amudha was now the daughter she always wanted to have and sister he always wanted to have.
" So people of Abhiramapatnam I congratulate inspector Dharani for the commendable job that he had done. " said Ramaiah in his address to the people present in the panchayat." I am proud today to be known as Dharani's father."with tears of joy welling up in his eyes he bid farewell to the panchayat. One hand on the shoulder of his son and one hand on the shoulder of his daughter this proud president of Abhiramapatnam returned home.
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So that people brings us to the end of yet another" short" story from me. Thanks for having come so far and thanks for all the patience shown. Most of all I would need all of you to take time off to write what you feel about what I have written. Stoning me or garlanding me both would give me pleasure and scope to improve further.:)
So here goes another one.. it has been titled Inspector Dharani.( well for people who know me really well would know dharani as well :D and for people who dont well he is my friend from engineering. )
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The ancient temple in the village wore a deserted look. The moon light bathing the entire temple and to a connoisseur of beauty it was a sight to die for. The peepal trees in the temple premises, home to a number of nocturnal fauna were a center of bustling activities. Owls hooting, insects buzzing and the leaves rustling. The only sound that was distinctly audible over this din was the bell dangling around the neck of the temple elephant Ramu. He seemed restless and Murugan who was the mahout was watching in anxiety wondering what has come over Ramu. The sudden change in the pattern of the din portended something bad was about to happen and Ramu was becoming restless. Murugan was just clueless about Ramu's restlessness.
The temple boundary wall that ran around the perimeter of the temple land was getting old and dilapidated. It was always the topic of discussion in all the meetings of the Grama Panchayat. But the warring village heads could not reach a consensus . In the north wall of the temple there was a small recess oblivious to a commoner but visible to a discerning eye. The recess that was about to change the course of history of the village of Abhiramapatnam.
Two pairs of feet landed with a dull thud closer to the north wall of the temple. Ramu was now going berserk. He was vehemently tugging at the chains that bound him to the intricately carved temple pillar. His bell was now making a pandemonium of sorts. Murugan's so far light sleep was now gone completely. He was both the Mahout as well as the temple guard. He was a man in his thirties. Well built and a staunch devotee of the Hanuman. " Jai Anjaneya" said Murugan with a start." What is the problem Ramu? Why are you so restless?" Saying this he unchained Ramu.
Ramu quickly ran towards the north wall. The dark silhouettes seeing the mammoth coming towards them slipped into the temple and hid in the shadows. Ramu started towards the recess in the wall with Murugan in tow. Even before Murugan could realize a huge blade severed his head. With a dull thud the head rolled onto the concrete. Ramu realizing Murugan is no more turns back and heads back to wards the listless body lying on the concrete floor bathed in the moon light.Looking for the miscreants in the temple Ramu begins to circle the temple. Slowly at first then violently. He tires himself to death.
The dawn breaks and the huge key turns the lock of the temple door. The temple priest srinivasan enters carrying his yellow satchel that contained his morning grub and opens both the doors. The unusual calm seems rather disturbing to him.
He was used to the bell of Ramu and the deep voice of Murugan welcoming him. Something was amiss. " Ramu where are you ? You brat? Muruga......... hello anybody ?" .Then now fearing that something bad must have occurred Srinivasan begins to walk around the temple. What he was about to witness next was about to knock the living daylights out of him. Murugan's head was being picked by a number of eagles and crows. He had to shoo them away to really recognize what these birds were fighting about. His stomach begin retching involuntarily.
Next thing srinivasan knew was the cool feel of water on his face." Srini.... srini.. wake up..something really bad has happened." To this voice he now groggily opened his eyes to realise the huge crowd that has gathered. He blankly looks at each person before his eyes rested on the person on whose lap his head was now present. It was ananthu his fellow priest at the temple. " Wake up srini wake up" ." Ramu needs you now he wont eat or drink anything and the vet says that unless he eats something he is going to die soon".
The last few words shook srini up and he was up in a flash. The ten steps he took towards the mammoth were the most difficult ones he had taken his entire life. Ramu had been more like his son, a member of family. To see someone so close lose his life in front of your own eyes can be a nerve wrecking experience. The one which Srini was now experiencing. The breathes were now labored and it was coming with a struggle. In one swift motion srini fell on the elephants head hugging it and crying his heart out. The eyes of Ramu still had the same brilliance. They reminisced srini of all the good times they had. Of the time when little ramu was first brought to the temple as an orphan elephant who had been discarded by his mother. The time when srini began his training. All the times he was punished for not being obedient.
Ananthu was now beside Srini consoling him. "Ask Ramu to eat something. He has been severely fatigued. The doc says his feet are bleeding and he has no energy even to breathe. Unless he eats something we will lose him. C'mon srini do something." He passed on bananas and honey to srini who now took them in his hand and looked at Ramu. " C'mon Ramu eat . Take this banana. see i have also brought your favorite honey. See I am now dipping the banana in honey. Eat this my child. Eat so you can become strong. We need to find what happened to Muruga." Ramu took one sniff at the banana and breathed his last. The tear drop in his eye still inches from the ground. "
Nooooooooooo.... oh lord what has happened?"." How can such a thing befall this temple" " How can such a thing happen to Muruga who is your ardent devotee" " What was Ramu's fault in all this? C'mon this cant be happening" Saying this he faints.
The village elders convene a meeting. Ramaiah, the president dressed in his usual sparkling white dhoti and stiff starched shirt begins speaking." Today is the saddest day in the history of Abhiramapatnam." Never has such a catastrophe befallen us." " A day when we lost two noble sons of this village to tyranny.We have to find out who is behind all this. "My son Dharani who is an inspector in the nearby town is coming tomorrow to investigate this case. I want all the people of the village to extend their complete co operation in the investigation. Let us all pray and hope that the trouble makers and murderers are caught soon."
The battered willy's jeep with all its squeaking an squealing made its way into Abhiramapatnam. Dharani got down from the jeep and made his way to his house. He first took the blessings of his father. " Bless me father that I catch hold of the murderers soon." The sun sets on this small village of abhiramapuram. One prayer is on the lips of every villager. " Let the murderers be caught soon and let justice prevail"
With the break of dawn the village that generally wears a festive look was now gloomy. Dharani woke up to the chimes of the puja bell in his house. The citizen watch by his bedside was not showing 6 AM. He said his morning prayers rubbed his eyes and got up. He knew this was an important day for him and also for the entire village. A crime had occurred in the place where it was least expected and he had lost his dearest friend Muruga. Death catches up to to every living human but the nature as they say is in the hands of your own and is determined by your behavior. How could such a death befall Muruga? His muddled mind was constantly at war with himself and he was disturbed, confused, angry and resolute that who ever be the wrong doer he will be punished and he will see to it that the punishment is delivered by him personally. With all these thoughts clouding his mind Dharani reluctantly got ready and was mentally charting out a plan as to how the whole investigation had to be carried out. From somewhere in his mind he had one flash "temple". "Yes let me begin by looking around in the temple. the place where the murders had taken place. "
After taking his fathers blessings and bidding good bye to his mother Dharani started towards the temple. The village of abhiramapuram was very proud of Dharani. The small village boy who had made it big in life. He was well known among the police circles in the district as a straight forward officer who would give away his life willingly to protect the law. Many a times his father would twist his whiskers in pride. To be known as a child's parent rather than parent's child gives immense happiness and pride to both the child and parent.
There were silent hushes and whispers as Dharani's jeep passed through the streets of the village towards the temple. The villagers were now certain that the murderers would be caught and it was just a matter of time. Dharani got down in front of the ancient Sivan temple. Removed his shoes. For the numerous times he had been in the entrance of the temple the carvings and the intricate designs on the temple entrance still enthralled him. Taking cognizance of all this he entered the temple. He went to meet the head priest.
The head priest Muthuswamy was in his office. Still distraught from the recent happenings in the temple. " Greetings Mr Muthu. I am here to investigate the recent incidents that have happened in your temple". Suddenly startled by the presence of another person in his office. He looked up and recognized Dharani. " Hello son, How are you?I am sorry that you have to see me in such circumstances. Please find out who is behind all this. I assure our complete co operation in this regards."
He went by to the place where the body of Muruga was found. It had been outlined in white chalk. He then went to the place where his head was found. It was a good 15 feet away from the body. Seeing this and imagining what would have happened to Muruga sent a shiver down his spine. Who could be so ruthless?" He then went to the place where Ramu was found. The very sight sent Dharani into a tizzy. The memories of days he spent with his buddy Muruga and Ramu were flashing before his eyes. Tears welled up but he had to compose himself as the job at hand was more important than these trivial emotions. He had to now see the body of Muruga as a lot can be learnt from the dead body.
He immediately left for the hospital in the near by town of Ambikapuram. The body was lying motionless on top of the operation table. Dr Arumugam was at the corner washing his hands and handing over his apron and gloves to the nurse near by. "Hello dharani a pleasant surprise. What brings you here and that too of all days today when I have witnessed the most heinous crime in my entire career. The murderer must have really been a heartless man. Ok i forgot may I ask what is the purpose of your visit?" " Hi doctor, I'm here on this case that you had just mentioned. The body that you have just autopsied is our temple guard's and more than that he is my close friend. I would like you to elaborate on the details of the case doctor. I m looking to finish the case soon and bring the offenders to justice." " Very well dharani lets goto my room and we can discuss the case over a cup of tea." Saying this Dr Arumugam left the room and dharani followed him to his room. " Pandi get two cups of tea, make it strong , to my room." said Dr Arumugam to his attender.
" The case as i told you earlier dharani is one of the most heinous acts of a beast in human form. The person who must have done this should definitely be trained in martial arts and must be capable of wielding a fairly huge blade. The perfection with which the blow was received on Murugan's neck is simply mind numbing. The blade so strong and the action so swift that the cut wound was cauterized instantly. There was no other bodily harm done to the torso. I checked up for any other traces of prints but came up with none."
" Any other signs of injury or anything to the head doctor."
" Now that you mentioned it I have noticed that there is a wound closer to the eye on the right side of the temple. Well it could be caused due to the impact the head had with the hard floor of the temple. There were also a number of other small wounds that i believe to have been caused by the birds pecking at the head.The time at which the blood seems to have clotted is more or less the same in head and the body. So i think we can conclude that there are no other wounds inflicted on the body and the cause of death is by the blade"
All the while Dharani was trying to picturise the entire event happening. Something did not fall in place. He knew something was missing and he was just not yet sure as to what. " Thanks doctor. You have done a great job. I have to head back to the village and continue my investigations." Saying so Dharani got up and started walking towards the jeep. Just when he was about to board the jeep Arumugam came running behind ." Wait up dharani. I think there are two people involved in this I can see two sets of hand prints on the back of murugan they were very faint so i think i missed them initially. I think they tried to move the body when they saw something and ran away leaving the body." "wow!!!! thanks a million doctor. I think we have made a great start to the investigation."
The sun was now setting in this part of the world but Dharani's spirits were high. After the days work he knew that the end was near. As he reached home, he first met his father who was waiting for him." So son, how did the day go? Have you found out who is the cause for all this???"
" Hi dad, I am not supposed to discuss the case at home. I hope you will understand." saying this he went to his mother." I am terribly hungry please give me something to eat mother." So after having a quiet meal dharani went up to his room. He was now really excited and was trying to formulate some means to catch hold of the perpetrators. Already exhausted by the work for the day he fell into deep sleep.
The dawn broke . and the sun was slowly shining on this calm town of abhiramapatnam. Dharani was woken by the chimes of the puja bell in his house. So he was feeling cheerful and his instinct told him that the end was nearer. Just as he went out to see his father, he saw that his dad was talking over phone in an urgent and irritated tone to some one.' I have told you a million times not to call. I will reach you if necessary. Keep the phone down." Just as he disconnected the call he turned back to see dharani staring at him. " Who was that father. To whom were you talking to." " Well son I thought it was an old friend of mine but it happened to be a wrong number." Not completely convinced with what he had been told dharani went out to take bath.
He chose to talk to srinivasan the temple priest who had been at the scene of the crime before anyone.He went to the temple and enquired with Muthuswamy about srinivasan. " He is a devout boy. I have known him for quiet sometime. His father is a good friend of mine. He has been taught at the veda bhavan patashala. He takes care of the temple and I was grooming him to take over the duties of temple from me."
"Can you tell me his daily duties. for instance when he opens the temple what does he do after that ??? things like that"
" Oh certainly ..Every day Srinivasan opens the temple and goes inside and meets Murugan and spends time with Ramu before he heads to the sanctum sanctorum to perform the early morning rituals to the deity. Murugan takes care of bringing the prasadam to the temple by the time srini is done with all the preparations for the first abhishekam. Then he performs the pujas at the temple and we close the temple by noon after performing the puja.
The temple is again open for people by 4 in the evening. Srini's wife Amudha brings him lunch in the afternoon. Srini, Murugan and Amudha all eat lunch and then Amudha leaves. Srini and Murugan spend time with Ramu and when it is four Srini gets back to the temple. We close the temple at 9 in the night thats when Srini locks the door from outside. If you will notice the main door has a small door which locks from the inside. Murugan has that key in case he needs to go out before srini opens the temple in the morning."
"hmmmm. Thank you Muthuswamy. Who was there along with srini on that morning.?" " My son ananthu was there with him. Infact as we speak ananthu is there at srini's home tending to him. They have been trained at the same school and so they have known each other since childhood. In fact it was Ananthu's idea to employ Srini in this temple." " Thank you Muthuswamy I will get back to you in case further information is required." saying so dharani got up.
All the exuberance he had faded away as of now he had no clue on how to proceed further. In the midst of all this he remembered the phone call his dad got in the morning. He tried to ruminate on that for sometime. But then he wanted to go and talk to srini first before even deciding what needs to be done. " Hello srini .. I am Dharani investigating the case of Murugan" said dharani to the person who opened the door to Srinis house." I am Ananthu, Srinis friend. Srini is inside resting. He is in a state of shock and is constantly having nightmares. Please come in."
" You look well built for a man of your profession ananthu. Good keep it up. It is now that today's youngsters are looking after themselves and taking care in grooming themselves. "
" Thank you sir, I have always been interested in sports and hence I have concentrated more on extra curricular activities. But you see Srini here is our typical bookworm. He has been the topper in all our classes together"
" Hello Srini.. I am dharani. I am investigating the case. I know this is not a good time to come and talk to you but I don't have an option. I need to talk to you and ananthu in isolation" " Its ok sir, you can speak. My wife is not in the house she has gone out to the bazaar." " What exactly happened on that day. I want to hear it from you." " Ok sir, Like every other day I went to open the temple on that day. Usually Ramu will be the first to acknowledge my presence. He would make a sound with the bell on his neck. I would go and then talk to Murugan. Then i would go to make arrangements for the morning pujas and Murugan would go and make arrangement for the prasadam. " " But on that day..... sniff sniff" Tears welled up in his eyes. " I was surprised that the temple was silent. All I could hear was the chirping of the birds. Then there was a huge cackling sound of crows. I started looking for Ramu. That is when I stumbled upon a group of birds fighting for something. I went closer to have a look it was then that I noticed that they were fighting over Murugan's slithered head. That's the last I remember. The next thing I know was Ananthu was there and there was already a crowd of people. I knew I had lost Murugan.
Ananthu was now pulling me towards Ramu. Who seemed exhausted. His feet were bleeding. He was refusing to drink or eat anything from anybody. I tried to give him a banana dipped in honey. you know sir, that was his favorite snack. But he just took a sniff of the banana and his head fell down dead. I don't know for what sin of mine I am being punished sir. I had lost two of my dearest friends on the same day. " Dharani was listening to all this in rapt attention however he noticed ananthu was not near.
He went out to look for ananthu. he was by the door talking to someone in a hushed tone. Dharani tried to go and see who was there. When he went near he noticed ananthu suddenly turned back and was shocked to see dharani there. But seemed to compose himself of the shock and said it was just a beggar. Dharani smelt something fishy but did not reveal anything. His pleasant demeanor brilliantly camouflaged any doubt that he might have had. So ananthu had no clue that he was now the prime suspect in this murder investigation.
In sometime Amudha returned. she was out of breath as though she had been running. She did not know who dharani was." I told u ananthu to tell me in advance in case someone comes by. This is not how u act. " Ananthu was frantically trying to point Dharani but Amudha did not notice his presence as he was just behind a door and Ananthu was midway. " Ok Amudha please come and meet Mr Dharani. he is investigating the murder of Murugan" That's when dharani entered the room. Amudha's face was as pale as a ghost. She was completely at loss for words. It was as if someone knocked the wind out of her." Oh hello sir, Please make yourself comfortable. I go and fetch you some buttermilk from the kitchen." saying this she almost ran into the kitchen without even waiting for Dharani's response. Now dharani was sure that he was in the wolf's lair. he knew that Amudha and Ananthu are involved in this. But he could not find a connection.
" Ok ananthu, I think srini needs to rest. I see he has been advised complete rest and is on sedatives. I will leave now. But please do co operate in case I need to know something else." " Oh yes sir, anytime. Just send for me and I would be there. We need to find out who has done the heinous act." Dharani left the house of srinivasan the temple priest. It seemed to be the nerve center of all the covert operations. He needed to confirm how innocent Srini was.
It was almost dusk. The migratory birds were returning to their nests. he just admired the beautiful patterns they flew in. He got back home. As he was untying his shoe lace the phone began to ring." Hi Dharani, this is Arun from the telecommunication department. I found the number that you had been asking for. There have been many calls to this number from your phone over the last 8 months. In fact almost all the calls to this number are from the phone at your residence." " Thanks Arun. I need one more favour. Can you let me know the address to which that telephone belongs" " Sure dharani, one moment let me look it up. hmmmm where did I keep that piece of paper. hey kamal did you take any thing from my desk. It was just here. One moment Dharani. oh yeah here it is. okay please note it down. door number 34 sivaramapillai street , Ambikapuram" " Thanks arun. That will do for now. Thanks for the timely help." " well what are friends for. any time buddy any time."
His father was listening to this conversation from the second line. " Oh no!! what have i done?" he said to himself.
That night at the dinner table everybody was unusually quiet. " So dharani how is the case progressing" said his dad breaking the silence." Dad I don't discuss work at home and I am not supposed to also in the first place." " okay okay, so how is Srini coming along. He was very much devastated by all these things happening." " Srini is okay dad. He is convalescing. He should come around pretty soon." His dad started to speak something but fell silent. " what is it dad? Is there something that you want to tell me?" " No son , nothing. good night" With those words Ramaiah got up and went out to smoke his cigar. " Could dad be involved in any of this?" was the first thought that came to his mind. " There is only one way to find out. Let me go and check that address in Ambikapuram"
The next morning dharani was surprised to see his dad still sleeping. He was one of those early risers. " May be he isn't feeling well" said Dharani to himself. He started his jeep and set off to Ambikapuram. He reached the house in Ambikapuram. He tried to knock the door. But it was open.
He went inside." Hello is anybody home?" he did not hear a sound. He went into the kitchen. It was empty. Then he went into the master bedroom. It was empty. He heard water trickling in the bathroom. He went into the bathroom. " oooohhh GODDDDD!!!!!!" he said to himself." He saw a woman in her forties immersed in a tub of water. Her face was wrapped in a polythene bag and tied around her neck. Her hands and legs were tied. He tried to feel for any pulse. but he was too late. The damage had been done. The woman was dead. " How can that be? Who could have done it". That's when he saw it.
One sight was enough to know who was behind all this. He grabbed that photo frame in his hand. He called up the local police and ordered his subordinates to take charge of the case. He then rushed to his jeep. But the damn thing did not start. He gave the ignition another try. "C'mon C'mon don't test my patience. Start ...... start...... start." The engine came alive. Then he put the car in gear and started off.
" Open the dooor" demanded dharani. He continued banging the door. " Who is it amudha?" came srini's voice. " Its...... Its......" well words escaped her mouth. She was stunned to see Dharani. What shocked her more was the photo frame in his hand. " May I come in? " asked dharani feigning courteousness. " yes please." " It is not like what you think....I can explain.." " Shut up... why did you have to kill your own mother? you wretched excuse of a women." "Whaaaat? what are you saying?I never knew that my mother is dead? who did this to her?Cmon tell me" she tugged at dharani's shirt. But he was quick to push her aside. " Srini I want you to come here and look at this." saying so he gave the photo to srini. " Yes I know this is Amudha's mother. What about her? What happened to her sir?" Something was amiss here.
That's when Amudha spoke up. " Sir, or should I say brother" these first few words were enough for Dharani to understand who Amudha was and what was the connection of his father in all this. His father was also her father. " We have been living in Ambikapuram ever since I know. Our father met my mother in one of his visits to Ambikapuram regarding some business. That's when they got married and I was born. He never told us about a family in this village. He used to say his main business is here in this village so he would come there to our house over the weekends. It was about eight months back that my mother had come here to this village to meet one of her friends. That's when she came to know about father's other family in this village. She felt cheated. She decided that she will not talk to father henceforth. But we had to be supported financially. though my mother was not willing to accept anything from this man she had no other choice. Hence he would try and persuade her over phone. But she was adamant. I married srini about 6 months back. The best part of the day was when I would take lunch to the temple. He Murugan and I would eat happily under the shade of the mango tree. I loved Ramu very much. Murugan was more like my elder brother. He would affectionately call me sister and I found the brother whom I never had ,in him. Things were normal.
Until one day Ananthu found out about our family. He began to blackmail me that he would defame our father in public. So I had to give in to all his demands. He used to ask me for huge sums of money. I would in turn blackmail father and take it from him and give it to ananthu.
One day it was after srini left to temple. Ananthu came home. He was panting heavily and was accompanied by one more man. Some one i had not seen in this village. He came inside. He said Murugan is dead. I have killed him. The blame I would put on your husband and teach him a lesson for taking over my position in the temple. My father loves him and trusts him more than me. It is all part of a plan that I had hatched some months back. I got you both married. I knew about your family. so I have somehow eliminated both my enemies. well you will be wondering what Murugan had done to deserve this. He and that stupid elephant of his had once had me caught while i was trying to take some money from the temple cash box. Because my dad is the head priest there he was able to manage such that news did not come out. But he never let me set foot in the office after that. How can that lowlife and his dumb mammoth bring upon such a fate on me. It was a plan where I would carefully eliminate all my arch rivals in one shot. First Murugan , then your husband, then your father. when all this is over I would have asked your hand in marriage publicly and you would not be in a position to deny it. Because if you did so you would tarnish the reputation that your father has built." " I could not say anything. I was speechless after he told me this. I pushed him aside and I ran towards the temple. It was still early for people to be coming into the temple. I saw Srini lying there next to the headless corpse of Murugan. I thought ananthu had killed him too. But on going near I found that he was still breathing. I heaved a sigh of relief as i was about to call for help ananthu was there along with this other person.
But by then people began gathering. I saw this as a chance to escape. I ran to look for Ramu. I saw he was lying there motion less. his heavy stomach breathing laboriously. I tried to talk to him, I tried to get him to eat something. then I ran home took a bunch of bananas and a bottle of honey and ran towards the temple. Srini was just gaining consciousness. Ananthu in one swift motion grabbed the fruit from my hand and the other person grabbed the bottle of honey from my hand. I was about to shout. but Srini's shout had my attention. In the mean time ananthu sprayed something on the banana. " Noooo" i said to my self when i was about to go there and stop srini had already shown the fruit to hapless ramu. One sniff and he was gone. "
Dharani was watching without batting an eyelid. He was not sure what he was feeling right now. Should he be happy that he had at last got a sister whom he had yearned all these years? should he be angry with his dad for cheating him? Srini was as much shocked as dharani. How could his best friend do such a thing. How could he kill Murugan and Ramu? The room fell silent. Amudha weeping inconsolably. Srini trying to console her and dharani pacing about the room thinking what to do? Still one thing remained unsolved. Who would have killed Amudha's mother. Only one person could answer that question.
"Hello sir, i believe you asked for me" said ananthu standing in front of dharani.
" Thud" one tight slap. ananthu did not know what hit him? before he could regain his composure it was raining blows and kicks on him. " You low life. How could you do such a thing? " said dharani as he picked up ananthu by the scruff of his neck.
" what did i do sir, why am I being hit.? I have not done anything. Even if I did what proof have you got other than whatever Amudha said. She is a demented girl I will prove that in the court of law. How else would you arrest me.....SIR." said ananthu mockingly.
" Every criminal no matter how smart he is commits a small mistake. No matter hard he tries to cover up his tracks he is not infallible. Bring him in Shyamlal."
Ananthu's mouth fell open when he saw the person standing in front of him.
" Ok speak up now or else as you wanted We will meet in the court of law." the person standing in front of Ananthu was his friend Sivaraman. He was his accomplice in all that he did, he was there when Murugan was murdered. He was the person with ananthu on the morning when he went to srini's house.
" Sivaaaaaa.. How can you do this? How did you get caught?"
" You imbecile don't you know that when a new person enters a village he would be watched and his whereabouts are easy to trace" bellowed dharani. " okay I want you to tell me why did you kill that poor lady in Ambikapuram, Amudhas mother"
" I got a call from her one day asking me to meet her. I was surprised at first but went there to appease my curiosity. On entering her house she asked me to wait. I thought she would be getting some water to drink instead she brought a huge stick and began hitting me. I just escaped by a whisker or else it would have been me in that bath tub. "
" How dare you do this to my daughter you wretched animal. My husband has been a good father and a nice human being I will not allow you to tarnish his reputation. My daughter has told me everything. Die you animal." shouted Amudha's mother.
" But I over powered her and tied her hands and legs and covered her head with a plastic bag that was there nearby and left her in her own bath tub to die.
" Thud.. as another slap came and landed on ananthu's cheeks. It was Amudha. " You swine . you beast how could you do that ? You deserve hell? May god punish you for all that you have done." Srini caught hold of amudha and took her away to the adjacent room. " Take them both away shyamlal. Shall see you in the court of law Mr Ananthu."
It was as if a huge weight had been lifted off his chest. He went to Ambikapuram and took possession of Murugan's body or what was left of it. He returned back and a procession was organized by the villagers to perform and carry out the last rites of their honorable temple guard and his beloved subject Ramu. The entire village had come to the burial ground where the last rites were being performed. Dharani stood there in his white dhoti and shirtless body carrying the earthen pot around the grave of his friend Murugan.
Then he lit the pyre. As he stood there tears which were restrained so far began flowing out. His heart began becoming lighter. He knew he had done justice to his friend. Ananthu and Siva were sent to prison on life imprisonment. Amudha and Srini moved into Ramaiah's house. Dharani had forgiven his father and so had his mother. Amudha was now the daughter she always wanted to have and sister he always wanted to have.
" So people of Abhiramapatnam I congratulate inspector Dharani for the commendable job that he had done. " said Ramaiah in his address to the people present in the panchayat." I am proud today to be known as Dharani's father."with tears of joy welling up in his eyes he bid farewell to the panchayat. One hand on the shoulder of his son and one hand on the shoulder of his daughter this proud president of Abhiramapatnam returned home.
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So that people brings us to the end of yet another" short" story from me. Thanks for having come so far and thanks for all the patience shown. Most of all I would need all of you to take time off to write what you feel about what I have written. Stoning me or garlanding me both would give me pleasure and scope to improve further.:)
