by Laxmi Natraj
Shiva standing near the car said, “Sir, shall I try pushing the car from the back side?” Nakul said, “No Shiva, just wait a minute. Let me try once again.”
This time the car purred to life. Moving the car slowly he turned the car in a semicircle. The powerful head light, a bright milky light, swept all over the front portion of the Acharayaji’s house. In that quick fraction of a second, Nakul’s eyes caught a shadow of a figure that quickly ducked from the window. Nakul hesitated for one moment, looking at the window. There was no need for Acharyaji to hide behind the curtain. Who was it then? And why did he hide from the flood light? He shrugged his shoulders and stepped on the accelerator. He drove off looking at the large green fields spread like a carpet on both sides of the road, where people had already started working. Soon the village vanished behind him as he hit the highway moving towards the town.
Watching him so far was the ghost of a figure, standing well hidden in the shadow of the village school building. As he drove away he picked up his cell phone and said, “He has left now”.
Chapter 8
The Village Hospital
Soon after Nakul left, Shiva packed a basket with some fruits and a flask full of coffee and started on his cycle towards the hospital. The hospital was on the edge of the village about twenty minutes drive from the village. Actually there was no hospital or doctors in the village for the past so many years. There was one small Government medical facility which had remained locked for years together. It was only due to John that this hospital came into existence. Shiva was thinking of how the hospital changed the feeling of the village towards John.
It was about a week since John had come to the village. At that time most of the villagers did not like John. They did not like his stay in the village especially in the special rooms allotted for the administrative guest of the temple. None of the villagers talked to John except Shiva. That day there was an unexpected pre-monsoon rain and gusty winds. On that day Sravan, the son of a farmer Ramu, had become very sick. The village Ayurvedic doctor had given some medicines which had failed to cure him. He was continuously vomiting and as the parents and neighbours watched helplessly he started getting serious convulsions. Battling the storm and torrential rain one of the farmers came running to Purohitji to inform him about the serious situation.
Purohitji, along with John, rushed to Ramu’s house. He advised Ramu that since John was a doctor and as it was an emergency situation, it was better that they take treatment from him or else his son could not be saved. Though not very happy to do so, still, half-heartedly, they agreed. John opened his medicine box and gave one injection to Sravan. Within five minutes, like magic, the convulsions stopped. John told Purohitji that the boy was totally dehydrated and had to be hospitalized immediately. Unwillingly, the parents climbed into John’s car with the boy and were driven to the hospital 80 kms away. Luckily, the boy survived. The opinion of the village about John changed now. He was no longer looked upon as a Christian, but as a doctor and the villagers started coming to him for their ailments.
Two days later a Panchayat meeting was called upon. Purohitji explained to the villagers that John was ready to expand and convert the single room Government Clinic, into a small hospital for the village. He was ready to do this at his own cost if the village gave him permission. He was also interested in taking up the construction work immediately as the school construction was already in progress and thus the men and materials were readily available. The villagers agreed to give a piece of land from the temple’s land just adjacent to the already existing Government clinic. Soon John got permission from the Government and with his own money hired workers and built a small one-storey hospital with eight beds. A nurse and a lady doctor were also employed. Their salaries were paid by John. Now, for the first time, village women could get a hospital for their delivery. Purohitji was now admitted in the same hospital.
As he stepped inside the ward, Shiva was relieved to see that Purohitji had opened his eyes and was conscious. Seeing him, Purohitji’s eyes immediately welled with tears. Shiva understood that he had come to know about John’s sad end. After the exchange of some soothing talks, Shiva went to meet the doctor to discuss about Purohitji’s discharge from the hospital. The doctor advised him that Purohitji should be in hospital at least for three more days because of his fluctuating blood pressure and extreme weakness. Though Purohitji wanted to come back home, Shiva pacified him and convinced him to follow the doctor’s advice.
Chapter 9
The Reports
7th May 10:00 a.m.
As the ACP was out of station for three days, only today (on the 4th day after the murder) could Nakul see him in his office.
After getting all information about the murders, the ACP looked very concerned as he said, “Nakul, even in the past, these foreigner’s murder cases had always turned out to be a real headache for us. I don’t understand why our Government gives them Visas so easily! You said that John was a doctor. Then, suddenly how did he become interested in Hinduism and our temple Scriptures? Even if research was his intention, then he could have gone to Banaras or Kanchipuram where there are big Hindu Mutts and the religious leaders are available. But, he decides to go to a hardly known tiny village temple! I wonder even if Google would have showed the village on its map! On top of it all, a lady visits him and now both of them are murdered! How could we solve the case? We have absolutely no clue. It is very difficult to interrogate the villagers.”
Nakul said, “Sir, as much as I gathered, I don’t think any of the villagers are involved in this murder. But I feel some criminals could have entered the village and could be still hiding there. They could also be foreigners who had entered without the villagers’ knowledge. We have to comb the village with some special force thoroughly and if we catch them, then only we will come to know about many of the aspects of this case.”
ACP said, “One good part is, neither any friend nor any relation of these two dead persons has come forward claiming the bodies though we have informed the US two days ago about the murder. Otherwise, we will have court cases dragging and the murder trial could become a big problem. We have to thank God for this.”
Nakul handed over the passports of John and Julia to the ACP and added, “Sir, have a look at these passports. John had visited France, Italy, Afghanistan and Pakistan briefly before coming here. If he was a doctor what was he doing in those places? If he was looking for Hindu temples, then where could anyone find old Hindu temples in Afghanistan? His continuous movements to various countries itself looks very dubious. I don’t know how he was given a Visa by our Government!”
ACP flipped through the pages of both the passports one by one and carefully looked at the countries travelled by both of them. He dropped them on the table and nodding his head said, “You are very right.”
Nakul added, “Sir, I had also asked the US Consulate in India to check with their counterparts the background of these two from their social security numbers. I am yet to get their reports.”
One policeman entered, saluted and said, “Sir the post-mortem reports of the two foreigners have come.” Saying this, he placed a sealed cover on the table and left. The ACP opened the seal and read the reports. Then he handed them to Nakul who grabbed it in a hurry and his eyes swept through the report quickly.
He looked up with a question mark on his face and said, “Surprising Sir, John’s death was between 4:00 a.m. and 4:45 a.m. while Julia was killed between 3:00 a.m. at 3:45 a.m. It means John’s death had occurred roughly one hour after Julia’s death. It leads us to the conclusion that he had ample time to run out of the temple, go out to the Purohit’s house and get help. He had only stab injuries and he could have very well saved himself. Why he did not do that?”
He continued, “Sir, the way Shiva described to me was that John was alive for about fifteen minutes after he reached the spot. But if Shiva had entered the temple immediately after the screams and if John was alive why he did not try to save
John first? Or does it mean that Shiva did not enter immediately after he heard the screams? Or was it a fact that a lot of time was wasted by the discussions and arguments of the villagers?”
The ACP said, “According to the post-mortem report, John was probably on the ground in the kneeling position when he was stabbed from behind by a person standing over him. This is found due to the angle in which he was stabbed from the back on his chest. Assuming that Julia stabbed him from the back side when he was kneeling, what was John doing in the temple steps, kneeling down in the mid of the night? And why did Julia come to temple?”
Nakul continued, “Sir, when John was attacked he would have jumped up and tried to catch the lady and a scuffle could have triggered between them. She was trying to stab him and he was trying to ward her off and in this process she must have repeatedly stabbed him at random. Then John could have pushed her on the ground. Taking his gun, he could have shot her right through the heart at close quarters as the report suggests. But, why did he shoot her three times when the very first bullet had gone straight through the heart and death was instantaneous?”
“The next question that arises is that after stabbing, if he had the strength enough to stand and hold a gun to shoot her down, repeatedly shooting her from the standing position, why he did not run out and try to save himself? In a bleeding condition, when he needed medical help, why did he go inside the temple, and why did he try to climb all the steps to reach the second level of the temple? He had retraced his path and came out to the exit door, but wasted his precious time to lock the door. Then he just fell down and died on the steps. These are all absolutely baffling, conflicting and confusing actions!”
The ACP added, “Nakul, according to me, the best thing to do now would be only one. You should go back to the village once again, stay there for three or four days and consistently investigate the facts. You have yet to talk to that temple head Purohit also. Strange coincidence that he was drugged so that he could not talk to the police! I will send four police officers later in civil dress, to help you to comb the village. Together, we might be able to find out some facts.” Then he looked at the watch and said, “Nakul, let us have some coffee. My head is aching.” He rang the bell.
One constable entered and said, “Yes, Sir?”
He said, “Patki, get us two cups of good coffee.” Then, wrinkling his nose, he nearly barked in irritation, “Hey man! How many times have I told you not to put that stinking hair oil on your hair? The whole office is reeking with the smell of that pungent oil. If you put it again on your hair tomorrow, I would definitely post you to the Sahara desert where you will not get even drinking water.”
As the constable disappeared, he turned to Nakul and said, “These annoying people. I don’t understand why they pour a whole bottle of stinking hair oil on their head.” To his surprise he noticed that Nakul was not responding but looked dazed as if he was lost in some deep dream world.
He said, “Hey, Nakul what happened? Did you collapse in that pungent smell of the oil?”
Nakul looked up as if he had woken up from sleep and he said in an excited voice, “Sir, now I realize that it was this pungent smell of the familiar oil which was haunting my memory all this time. I could feel the smell that night when the intruder came inside my room. The previous day, when Acharyaji had come to meet me, he had put on the same oil on his hair and I could recollect the smell in the darkness.”
The ACP looked at him with a blank face and said, “What? Another new story? Now from where did an intruder come into the picture?”
Nakul described the incident of an intruder entering his room at night when he was at Purohit’s house. He had not bothered to tell about this incident to the ACP earlier, thinking that it was not so important,
He added, “Sir, that day, I was continuously wondering as to what was that strange memory of some familiar thing that struck me. As I had talked to Acharyaji the previous day itself the smell of his strange smelling hair oil was recorded in my brain. So at night when the intruder had come stealthily, my memory was disturbing me about something very familiar, but I was not able to pin point it. Now I know it clearly! It was Acharyaji who was prowling in my room at night. He was the person who ran away. But why should Acharyaji come prowling secretly inside my room at night? What was he searching for in Purohit’s room?”
The ACP said, “Ok Nakul. Tomorrow you go back to the village. And be careful. After all these incidences, the villagers don’t seem to be that innocent.”
The coffee came, and both of them had some more discussions. After finishing his coffee Nakul got up. He clicked his heels and saluting his boss, came out. He then walked over to the constable standing outside and said, “Thank you so much for the hair oil man.”
As the constable blinked, bewildered at the statement, he walked back laughing, enjoying his own joke.
Chapter 10
The Dark Room
They all sat huddled together. The room was totally dark. The reflected street light coming from a skilfully arranged mirror was enough for them to see each other and talk. Naturally they could not risk switching the light of the room.
The first person spoke, “Good. The Inspector went away. His moving all around the village was a big problem for us.”
The second one said, “I am sure he went to the town, only to report to his seniors. According to me, he will definitely come back and dig every corner of the village. He seemed a bit too inquisitive.”
The third one said, “If we could have disposed of the bodies that day night itself, the police would not have come and we wouldn’t be having all this interference.”
The second person talked again, “What do you expect? Could we have carried the body on our shoulders? That too, two bodies? Then, even if we did manage to carry the bodies, how could we have disposed them? You think we could have buried them before the villagers woke up? They get up at 4 a.m. every day. We did not have time in our hands.”
One voice said, “Thank God at least we cleaned up the room and removed the laptop and his letters in time.”
Another voice said, “Very smart! But why did you leave that lady’s empty bag there in the closet? That gave a strong suspicion that the lady was having some important papers there. You could have removed the papers along with her bag.”
The voice said, “Ok Sir, the next time when there is a murder, I will remember to clean up the papers along with the bag.”
This statement brought an instant burst of laughter then suddenly the head hissed, “You stupid people this is not a place to laugh! We are in a meeting.” Then there was silence.
Now the first one said, “Anyway we have to be very careful. Our target date is fast approaching. But still, we have not got any solid information about the treasure. Let us disperse and carry out our usual work in our disguises and be very alert.”
Slowly, one by one, they all crawled out of the hole, carefully leaving a good amount of interval between each person’s exit. The last person came out and locked the small round hole on the wall and covered it with thick creepers, which had been earlier pushed to one side. He carefully adjusted them and had a good look to see if the camouflage was good enough. Having satisfied himself, he started walking. The clock struck two in some house.
Chapter 11
More Investigation
8th May, 8:30 a.m.
Nakul started packing his suitcase and drove to the village. He found that the villagers had just started working. One or two of them up looked up and recognizing his car and whispered to each other, “That Inspector is coming again for investigation.”
Nakul drove straight to the Purohit’s house. Shiva, who was hanging out his wet clothes after his bath, looked surprised. He said, “Welcome sir, good to see you again.”
Nakul walked in smiling and said, “Shiva, why are you resorting to bluffing early in the morning? Who is going to be happy to see an Inspector coming down for a murder investigation?”
Shiva said “Sir
, you are doing your duty and we are also interested in knowing who committed the heinous crime of killing a kind man like John and that lady?”
Nakul pulled a chair and sat. Shiva went in and brought a glass of water for him. Nakul was just picking up the glass, when, suddenly a villager, in typical village worker attire, barged inside in a great hurry, calling out loudly, “Shiva, Shiva!” He was a well-built man and had a sturdy, muscular body.
Only after entering, did he notice Nakul sitting there in a chair. Seeing him there unexpectedly, the man seemed to be totally taken aback and he stood with a shocked expression. His face changed to a confused, nervous look and he wiped his face in a restless manner. He stood rooted there, very uncomfortable, shifting his legs, wondering to walk inside the house or to turn and go outside.
Shiva, hearing the voice came out and seeing the stranger said cheerfully, “Hi Thorat!, Don’t worry, he is our friend, Inspector Sir only. Good, you came at a correct time. Hurry up and get one good tender coconut first for Sir. Chop one, and bring it ready for drinking for Sir.”
The man nodded and almost ran out in a hurry. Shiva explained calmly, “Sir, this man is Ragunath Thorat. He has been supplying coconut for our temple for so many years.”
Nakul said, “You would be having a number of vendors who supply various things to your temple regularly. I would like to meet all of them and talk to them.”
For a fleeting second, Shiva’s face showed a bit of worry, but he quickly changed his expression and said in a polite voice, “Sir, these are simple village people. They would become very nervous if you question them. Anyway there is hardly any chance that any one of them would have got involved in ….”
