NOBODY LIGHTS A CANDLE
Anjali Deshpande
40
“I saw my car on the way, under those trees. I saw it only because a train passed by and picket it up in its headlights. I don’t know whether villagers go to sleep early or just shut themselves inside their houses soon. It could also have been because of Holi. All was eerily quiet. There are so many trees there. No dearth of any shadow. I kept to the shadows. I had just reached the gate when what do I see, but two men getting out, in dhotis. Must have been villagers. I was dumbstruck. I stopped under a tree. They left and when I reached the gate Parduman was standing there, near the verandah. No sign of Cheti. Of course, I had given him permission to spend the night away from the house. That is when I heard her screams. She came out screaming. That Basanti. She was saying I am not a randi. That is when I understood what had been going on. That bastard had found a good way to make money. I asked him what he was up to. ‘I asked you to get rid of her and here you are turning the farmhouse to a fancy brothel,’ is what I said to him. She heard me all right. So she began to scream even more loudly to say what did he think she was, some whore or what, that whoever wants to climbs on to her and anybody who wants can’t…I can’t even say those words. Her language was such that a decent man would wash his ears having heard her. it was a terrible mistake, getting involved with her. I understood exactly what had happened. First this Parduman, then those two men, they had done whatever they wanted to, with her. I don’t know how many times this had happened before. And whose puppy she was carrying. They were trying to hold me responsible, both of them.”
When Udairaj saw Adhirath was about to say something, he raised his hands and said, “Yes, it could well have been mine. Even then. They could do whatever they wanted to, but not in my house. I told Parduman that mush. I was so furious, I felt such deep hatred for him and his activities, that I even forgot to take the keys to my car from him. I gave one kick to that Basanti. She fell down there in the garden. I told Parduman that the sheet of the bed, everything should be changed. I walked away fast, walked up to mamaji’s car and came home. I had you see forgotten to take the keys to my car from the driver.”
He paused. He was panting a little now. “I went straight up to my room. When papaji woke me up in the morning I had a heavy head. Thought I would go up to the club for a while. That is where you met me.”
“So you are saying that Parduman alone killed her, having taken money to give to her.”
“You can assume whatever you want to.”
“That cut she was given. It was done by a very sharp knife. Where did that knife come from?”
“Arre, that knife used to be on the farm. A long knife with a narrow and very sharp front. You know butchers have that kind of knife. That Parduman, he had become quite an expert at wielding it. he used to kill hares on the farm. Once a kid neelgai ventured into the farm and could not get out. Was running helter skelter. Nachchatar and Parduman lassoed it with a rope. Then they tied him to a tree. Parduman slit its throat in one go. That way the fellow is very skilled. Truly, can’t tell you how delicious that meat was. All the servants on the farm ate it. there was so much of it. some villages also got their share. Parduman says Neelgai are not cows, it is kind of deer. Even then I felt very bad afterwards. I made penance. Had Satyanarain katha. Had I given a gold cow to panditji everybody would have suspected me of committing a sin. So I got a gold coin made with a cow etched on one side and the goddess Lakshmi on the other. Must have been two years , no three years ago”
“Where did you change your clothes?” Adhirath asked.
“Which clothes?”
“The ones you wore on Holi? The ones you went to the farm in? They must have got stained with blood. You wore something you had kept on the farm? The yellow kurta was there, was it not?”
Udairaj laughed. “Prove it. I will accept the superiority of your intellect if you do so.”
Saroj looked up startled.
“You will be able to prove, won’t you, that you had lost the button a long time ago?”
“You prove that you found it lying around.”
“One last question.” Adhirath leaned towards him. “Why did you not tell us all this in the club? Then you maintained that you were home the whole night.”
Udairaj looked at Saroj, then at Adhirath and emptying his glass said, “I have been running a business. Have to deal with many legal issues. Lawyers have always told me to never make any statement without first getting it cleared by them.”
“Oh, you have a lawyer’s advice, now!” said Adhirath.
“The lawyer said, tell them the whole truth. When you have committed no crime why should you be afraid? Yes, you have been unfair to Saroj, you are her culprit. My crime is against her. that is what has been weighing on me. good that I had this talk with you. Saroj has also heard everything. Otherwise I don’t know how I would have been able to tell her.”
A faint smile began to play on his lips. Adhirath felt that he was throwing him a challenge. He got up to leave. Udairaj saw him to the door.
Adhirath kicked his mobike and was about to get onto it when his phone rang. Dalchand. Till now his family had not bothered to find out where he was. A deep disappointment told him however much he fought with them, it hurt to think that nobody there needed him. He wanted to disconnect the call. Then it occurred to him that if that poverty stricken Dalchand was calling him he definitely must have something to say. He let the phone ring till it went silent. Then he called back.
“I was on the motorcycle,” he said. “Had to stop. Till then it got disconnected. Anything important?”
“They had called me Janab, Kashyap sahib did the enquiry,” Dalchand said.
What had he called to tell him, the bugger. Had he called to mock at him? He wanted to throw a lusty abuse at him.
“Ok,” that is all he managed.
“I told them Janab that I had to go on the round of Bargadiya gali with you but at the last minute I was told to go to court so I could not go. That the round was part of our daily plan. That is all I could do, Janab. I even told them that even when we make rounds people do not notice or lie about our never having come there. They are determined to not tell the truth when it comes to the police, what can we do? They never tell the truth about the police w and never tell the truth to the police. So I said you must have definitely gone to the Bargadiya gali. That is what I said to them. I said all this on my own. They did not ask me.”
Adhirath’s was moved to tears. He had been abusing this man, just a moment earlier. What could Dalchand do? His neck was in the noose. If he is convicted he will go in for at least ten or twenty years. It is not easy, there are many enemies of policemen inside the prison, and anyone can use a blade on your jugular. Many murders are committed in prison. Those inside are highly skilled killers.
“Dalchand, listen to me, man, those who are our own remain our own. Yaar you have done a lot for me, a lot. I will never forget this. Truly. Never will I forget this favour. I had not thought you would do this much.” He had to stop for there was a catch in his throat.
email: anjalides@gmail.com
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