THE PALACE OF HAPPINESS
S.P. Dinesh Verma is strolling in his drawing room. His hair is disheveled and his clothes are in disarray. Deep worry is visible on his face. It has been four days since his daughter Ragini was kidnapped. Despite tireless efforts and running around, he has not been able to find any clue about her. Despite being in the highest position in the district from the point of view of security, he is feeling extremely helpless at this time. He stops while walking, thinks for a while, and then starts walking again. Fourteen-year-old Ragini is his only child. Two days ago, she was kidnapped while returning from school at four in the afternoon.
This morning he received a letter. Since then, he has read this letter many times. Once again he starts reading that letter. The letter reads: S.P. Dinesh Verma, after being released from jail, I have no other option but to follow the path of crime. As long as there are white-collar henchmans like Dharampal, MLAs like Shyam Singh, and officers like you in society, atrocities will continue to happen to the public. I have shot Dharampal and Shyam Singh. I am taking your daughter Ragini. Money and position are the most important things in your eyes, S.P. Dinesh Verma! Let's see how you compensate for the absence of Ragini on the strength of your money and position. Kali Ghati's terror, Dheeraj.
Dinesh Verma starts sweating even in this winter season after reading the letter. He drinks a glass of water from the jug kept on the table and then starts thinking. While thinking, he reaches the village Mahendra Garh.
Eight years ago, he was the S.O. and was posted in Chandanpur police station. The head there, Mahendra Pal, was the uncrowned king of Mahendra Garh.
Being the brother-in-law of the local MLA, he had a lot of influence in the village and the surrounding areas. He also had a good influence over the government employees of the area. Dharampal was a very promiscuous man. It was his habit to keep a bad eye on the daughters-in-law and daughters of the village and to molest them. He considered every young girl in the village as his right. Due to his wealth and the influence of henchmans, no one could oppose him. But one day Chaudhary Harpal's daughter Nirmala shattered his pride. It was afternoon. Nirmala had gone to the well to fetch water. At that time, Dharampal came there from somewhere. Nirmala had been on Dharampal's mind for a long time due to her youthful beauty and voluptuous body. Dharampal could not stop himself when he found Nirmala in front of him. He started flirting with Nirmala when he got the chance. Nirmala could not tolerate her insult in front of everyone. She abused him and slapped Dharampal on his cheek. Dharampal had not expected this even in his dreams. Due to his humiliation in the village, he hissed like a sharp snake, "You vile, bastard, bitch, how dare you! If I don't break your pride, my name is not Dharampal." Saying this, he went to his house. Scared Nirmala also went to her house.
In the evening, when Chaudhary Harpal came to know about this whole incident, he became afraid of the possibility of a future accident. He knew the influence of Dharampal. The next day he went to the city to consult his son Dheeraj. Dheeraj was a promising student of B.A. final year. Both father and son came to the police station after consulting me. They told me everything and requested me to register an FIR against Dharampal. I knew that everything they said was true, but to file a report against Dharampal was like living in water and inviting enmity with a crocodile. So, I assured him of taking action against Dharampal and after convincing him, sent him back.
The next day, Dharampal came to the police station for some work. To show favour to Dharampal, I told him everything about Harpal. Hearing all this, Dharampal became very angry and said, "Harpal has so much courage, now some arrangement will have to be made for him soon." Saying this, Dharampal went to his house. Chaudhary Harpal was very worried about Dharampal's enmity. He wanted to get Nirmala married as soon as possible and send her to her in-laws. By chance, he also got a boy. May 5 was fixed as the date of Nirmala's marriage. Harpal and Dheeraj got busy with the preparations for the marriage. They were thinking that after Nirmala goes to her in-laws, Dharampal's enmity will end automatically. But God did not want this. Three days were left for Nirmala's marriage.
Dheeraj had gone to the city to buy wedding items. On May 2, at midnight, Dharampal entered Harpal's house with his ten-fifteen henchmans. He fired in the air to terrorize the villagers. Harpal and his wife were tied up and thrown in one place. Then Dharampal and his companions raped Nirmala one by one. She kept screaming, pleading, and begging for mercy, but the savage Dharampal had no remorse. It had no effect. The terrified villagers also remained silent spectators and kept listening to the screams. Dharampal and his henchmans forced Harpal and his wife to watch this scene. Nirmala died due to excessive bleeding. Dharampal and his henchmans also shot Harpal and his wife, so that the villagers could see what is the result of Dharampal's enmity.
The next day when I reached Mahendragarh after Dheeraj wrote the report, there was a very horrifying scene in Dheeraj's house. Nirmala's naked body was lying in the courtyard and the bodies of Harpal and Dheeraj's mother were hanging upside down on the neem tree standing in the courtyard. After completing all the legal formalities, I sent the bodies for post-mortem.
This incident had shaken me. I started searching for Dharampal vigorously. When I came to know that Dharampal was hiding at his brother-in-law Shyam Singh MLA's house, I raided caught him, and brought him to the police station.
Shyam Singh MLA has very good relations with the state Home Minister. He asked me to file a final report in Dharampal's case. He said that if I file a final report, I will talk to the Home Minister and get you promoted. He threatened to get me transferred to a far-off area if I did not file the report. Dharampal also offered me fifty thousand rupees. I was in no mood to file a final report in this case. I wanted to take the strictest action against Dharampal, but the crisp fifty thousand rupees and the greed for promotion clouded my conscience. In the absence of eyewitnesses, I gave him the benefit of the doubt and filed a final report in Dharampal's case. When Dheeraj came to know about this, he came running to me. He pleaded a lot not to file a final report and appealed to humanity, but at that time I was possessed by the ghost of selfishness. When I said that nothing could be done now, Dheeraj threatened to complain to the S.P.
We thought that if Dheeraj had complained to the S.P. If we complained to the police, the case could be thrown out again. So we met the MLA Sahab and got Dheeraj sent to jail for producing false witnesses in a robbery case. He was sentenced to five years.
Just then the sound of the phone ringing broke SP Dinesh Verma's trance. He came from the past to the present. Picking up the phone he asked, "I am SP Dinesh Verma. Who are you, sir?" "I am S.O. Kishangarh speaking sir! Just now dacoit Dheeraj and his companions have been seen on the banks of the Kali River. If you give orders, we should chase the dacoits with force." The words 'dacoit Dheeraj' pierces SP Verma's heart. He thinks who made him a dacoit? Who showed him the path of crime? Who is the reason for the destruction of so many families? He starts feeling guilty about himself. He thinks that the palace of my happiness that I have built on the foundation of others' sorrows is falling. In a state of confusion, he hangs up the phone. The inspector on the other end keeps saying "Hello Sir".
