Mousebite

by Ganesh Chaudhari

  So he came up with an alternate plan. The delay was inevitable but manageable. He waited for his scheduled bus to arrive. As it was a private bus that they boarded away from the government bus stand, the bus left Pune without an incident. The two boys were still catching up on sleep when the bus halted at a highway side motel on the Pune-Mumbai expressway. He made his move. He got himself & the boys down with their luggage which was just backpacks. They went to another motel on the opposite side of the expressway & watched the bus. They didn’t join the bus as it left without them after waiting for 45 minutes. The boys were confused but followed him. He made no attempt to get in other buses that were halting at the motels. There was a walkway nearby that lead to the old Pune-Mumbai highway. He took it to get to the old highway. Then he managed to get a ride for them in a milk tanker going towards Mumbai. He almost laughed at the irony of hitching a ride in a milk tanker to Mumbai. They got down near the Bhiwandi diversion. The police checks would get stricter from here. But he had a solution for that too.

  “Are you two ready for a walk?” He asked & ordered at the same time. Then they started walking.

  ***

  “Are you hurt? The nose looks bad.” Khan asks. I stand near his desk.

  “No Sir. It is just a bruise.” I rise to my toes in attention to show that I am good.

  Khan nods. He has settled in his chair but does not look calm. There is a sense of urgency in his demeanor that belies his talk. In fact, I think this is the first time that I have seen him stubbled at the office. Something is definitely up & he is going to involve me in it.

  “Jagtap, I am assigning you to a different case.” He says. I feel a sudden cold in my chest. You too?

  “As you say Sir.” I reply. He watches me closely for a moment. Then he smiles.

  “Look at you Jagtap. You look like a kid who has lost his favorite toy.” I don’t reply.

  “You are to look into the Achhu case again. Pulkit’s case is still assigned to you. But Achhu’s case will take priority. As it is, we might do well to cool off Pulkit’s case for a while so that the interference is minimized. Can we do that?” I feel better now.

  “Yes Sir. But I would like to find out about a room attendant at the hotel. ”

  “Do that. Anything else?” He asks.

  “Yes Sir. The real vehicle that was used to drop Achhu at Mira road has been found near Aurangabad. From first reports, it seems that it has been lying in a sugarcane field since the day Achhu was killed. It is available for inspection till tomorrow afternoon. ” I tell him.

  “Get to Aurangabad then. I hope you have good rapport there.” He commands but pauses again.

  “Actually, take Ulhas with you. And see if you can get hold of a person from the forensic department to accompany you for looking over the vehicle. There are forensic guys in Aurangabad, but it is better to have all the evidence for ourselves. We may not get that chance again.” He ponders. I am much better now. But I have the sense to clear one important issue before I take his leave.

  “What about our colleagues from the NIA, Sir?” I ask tentatively. Khan smiles again.

  “Didn’t I tell you? I am assigning you to this case at their explicit request.” His face beams as he tells me. It also explains why he wants the forensic samples to be collected by us. If the samples catch something important, it could be another trading chip.

  ***

  Hormaz had been busy. He had met DYSP Khan after packing off Kumar. He had ensured that Kumar didn’t have to see his decisions overturned. Hormaz had found Kumar to be sulking since yesterday but that could not be helped. He was certain that Kumar would get over it by probably doing something exceptional. Khan had been receptive & keen. After Hormaz had asked him to take over the investigation back, Khan had saved him the trouble by promising that the same inspector would be taking it up again. This was exactly what Anees had wanted & Hormaz was finding it hard to convey it to Khan. The databases of the NIA were being churned & all the law enforcement intelligence networks were being milked for information on Ishtiyaq. The information had been a trickle so far.

  Ishtiyaq was a riot victim from Beed in Maharashtra. His entire family had been murdered, probably as he watched during the riots of 1992. And then he had been brought to Mumbai by his distant uncle, Tabrez Memon. There were no other listed close relatives or family friends. Surprisingly, Tabrez Memon fared nowhere in the information about the boy. As Anees had seen the boy at Tabrez Memon’s house, it was beyond doubt that the two were linked. With no trail leading back to Tabrez Memon in the initial investigations, Hormaz was feeling that the link had been hidden on purpose. Ishtiyaq had inherited substantial amount of money. The exact nature of his fortunes was being assessed but it had been wisely invested. He had left for England at the age of 15. He had completed his education in London. But he was already running a successful catering business by then. So money was not a problem for Ishtiyaq. He had been granted a UK citizenship by 2004.

  The UK government had also promised a dossier on him at the earliest after Hormaz had spoken to his British counterpart. Ishtiyaq had chosen to retain his Indian passport till now. He visited India once in 2 years on an average. And he had been India for the past eight months. This was the longest that he had stayed in India since 1993.

  NIA had been in constant touch with the airlines, railways & online payment gateways to get details about Ishtiyaq. He had been travelling extensively in India. He had been to Banaras, Bodh Gaya, Ajmer, Patna & Mumbai. The bookings had been made through a travelling site. Most of the travel could have passed off as a tourist one. The last stop had been Hyderabad. That was 2 months back. After that, there had been no credit card payments by him. He seemed to have slowed down. Hormaz had been conversing with the regional NIA heads & police top brass to find Ishtiyaq. He had already asked police commissioner from Beed to get back to him with latest report from Ishtiyaq’s hometown. But Ishtiyaq had not been there since 1993. He had then asked the commissioner to check on all the relatives of Ishtiyaq. On his mother’s side as well as his father’s.

  Hormaz was getting a bad vibe from this, which could mean that the threat was real. As usual, time was running out.

  ***

  I have always believed that one should do the most of what time grants him. So when Khan asked me to leave for Aurangabad ASAP, I was onto it. Obviously, there was the matter of getting “a forensic resource”. I rang up Bhavna immediately. She was still at her father’s office. She checked with her superiors who in turn checked with Khan. Her accompanying me was approved in 30 minutes. I think I saw Khan raise an eyebrow just a little as he called me in his office once again after Bhavna’s superior officer rang him. But that was it. I must tell you that the Mumbai police has nothing against employees of different genders working together frequently to serve justice but that does not mean that it promotes the same set of employees to work together everytime.

  So Bhavna was on board.(I am sure she must have asked her father too, but I have been surprised by her recently.)But she had to collect her kit from the office. I asked her to go to her office & promised to pick her up from there. I called up Ulhas next. He was more than happy to say yes. The call seemed to have saved him a few more counseling sessions. The fastest transport to Aurngabad, the Janshatabdi express had left sometime back so the only option was to borrow a department vehicle. With Ulhas accompanying, that was arranged easily. Because it was just the three of us, he got hold of his favorite Maruti Gypsy. He was at the office in the next hour. I always keep a spare dress at the office which came in handy today. I packed it in my backpack. The Nautilus was at work without problems. I parked my bike at a far off spot in the office parking so that I could collect it tomorrow.

  We left in 15 minutes after Ulhas arrived. We had to take a detour to pick up Bhavna which took time. So Ulhas suggested that we go via Nasik instead of the Pune Expressway. I wanted to take the same road that the Fortuner had taken but had to agree with Ulhas’s suggestion to save us time
. Also, I am aware that the ghats around Igatpuri, could be a better sight than the long stretch of the Expressway. Particularly when I have special company. Before picking Bhavna up, I told Ulhas about Pritam. Ulhas thought hard for a moment.

  “Pandurang, Pritam is just the kind of guy who could bring such offers from them. However, if we act against him immediately we can’t prove any of it. The best approach is to let him repeat the offer many times. Then we can come up with a plan to get to the people behind the offer.” His analysis was clear & actionable. I agreed to follow it. Bhavna was ready with a travel bag at her office when we got there. We wasted no time to start as beating the rush hour was a priority.

  I also called Manoj to confirm that I was on my way. I told him that I would be coming with a small team. But he seemed to have that information already. I remembered something that Achhu’s father had told me about Achhu & Sumit visiting places together. I asked him to check up in the hotels in Aurangabad with Achhu’s & Sumit’s photographs. May be they had met the murderer at Aurangabad? He said he would have people on it right away. So off we went at 4 p.m. The traffic was slow to start off & so were the conversations. With Ulhas driving, we were out of the rush in an hour. As dusk came down, I could not help noticing three men walking towards Bhiwandi. The road being a highway, is deserted of pedestrians. There are no residential units here yet. So it was a strange sight to find just three lonely people walking towards the awaiting crowds of Mumbai. Anyway, people in Mumbai always have reasons for whatever they are doing.

  Bhavna struck long conversations with Ulhas soon. Though she is seated in the back seat & I occupy the seat next to Ulhas, it does not hinder their talk. Ulhas drives fluidly as usual & Bhavna’s voice is equally rhythmic. The hills of Igatpuri come and go as we continue to make rapid progress. I participate whenever required but both of them do most of the talking. The topics range from recent movies to their times in the Mumbai police residential quarters. The songs being played in the car stereo are from Coke Studio’s Season 2. This time it is the Hitesh Sonic episode that catches my ear.

  Sometimes I wish that how easy it would be if we could communicate with each other via well known songs. They get lot of things right. The words are penned by brilliant people, they are composed by masters and somehow the combination invariably matches the best possible description of a situation in our lives. Pity that it is not practical. “Do gallan” by Vijay Prakash & Aalia plays along as we near the Mumbai naka in Nasik. The air has been getting cooler since Igatpuri and Nasik brings the temperature down even further. It is a welcome relief from the humid, sweaty day in Mumbai. Nasik is an ancient city blessed with excellent location & natural resources. The Godavari originates close to Nasik in Tryambkeshwar. And the grapes & onions from around here are world renowned.

  It is almost 7 in the evening. We are likely to reach Aurangabad only after 10. So we decide on an early dinner. Though I believe this has more to do with Ulhas. Not that I am complaining. Ulhas has been sly enough to talk the food preferences out of Bhavna. After confirming that she likes spicy & non-vegetarian food, he asks me on purpose.

  “Pandurang, what is that hotel which offers real non-vegetarian food of Nasik?” I know that the name of a hotel that offers good food is the last thing Ulhas can forget, I indulge him never the less.

  “Saiba.”

  “Yes, Saiba!” He exclaims as if he has found something really important.

  If you ever visit Nasik & are keen on tasting the rural cuisine of Maharashtra, you have to visit Saiba. It offers both vegetarian & non-vegetarian food but as I mentioned earlier, we go there for the latter. There is the famous mutton-chap handi, gavran chicken handi which draws people to it. There are other dishes of local nature like the rabbit & a local fowl done in a spicy rassa too. However, along with the meat that you may choose, there is the famous green chilly thecha which can make you teary eyed. It is essentially fried green chilies crushed with some salt. But it has to be tasted with a bajri bhakri. It is quite an unforgettable combination for visitors. A bhakri is a thick roti like flat bread made from a Bajri, an Indian millet. So we freshen up & settle to the tables. The ambience is very matter of fact. There are plastic chairs. Long & short tables to be chosen according to the size of your group. The place is already filling up even though it is early evening. We order bajri bhakris to go with a mutton chap handi. Ulhas also orders a mutton biryani for good measure. As we wait for our order to arrive, Ulhas excuses himself to go outside for making a call.

  Bhavna is sipping on a solkadhi. Though solkadhi is offered in many restaurants in Mumbai, we both have opted for it here too.

  “I like the solkadhi already.” She says.

  “Oh wait till you taste the handi. It is remarkable.”

  “Have you been to Nasik & Aurangabad before?” She asks.

  And that is the push which sets the ball rolling. I tell her about my native place which is close enough to both Nasik & Aurangabad, how I came to Mumbai, all of it. I tell her all about my childhood. She listens attentively. I tell her things that I have not told anyone for years, not being skeptical about sharing them any longer. My sermon is interrupted half an hour later by food being served & Ulhas returning as if on cue. I smell the well hidden scent of whisky on his breath and wonder if he went out on purpose to kill time & to offer me privacy. He attacks the food ferociously as always. We eat heartily without a care. There are tears after sampling the thecha in eyes of all the three but as I said, the experience is unforgettable. Also unforgettable is the warmth generated by the Nautilus. It keeps humming along in my backpack. I wear it like my skin.

  28

  Night

  Good food in the belly, a sound roof on the head. These were the most important requirements for a night before the big day. More so in Mumbai where these are hard to find. Ishtiyaq had not used this method before to get them. The way it had worked felt good though. He had the money to rent a decent hotel for the night but with the cops looking out that option was struck out. The hotels in Mumbai would ask for at least one identification document for the group of three. No doubt his British passport was being tracked as well. There was the fresh passport that he planned on using after finishing this mission. But it was best to use it for travelling outside India. The two boys had been asked to take their credentials with them but that was a risk too. It would be suspicious for an older man to book a room on the with a boy’s identity proof. So finding accommodation & rest seemed tricky. Without proper food & rest, the next day’s results could be different. As he massaged his calves with warm coconut oil, he reflected on the day.

  They had walked close to 30 kilometers. And by the end of the walk, Istiyaq had directed them to the chosen option. When they reached the easy to spot restaurant in Bhiwandi, Ishtiyaq had been wary. His legs hurt so bad, it felt like they were screaming at him. The boys were no better. They were tired, restless & hungry. So Ishtiyaq wasted no time.

  It was a two floor arrangement. The design seemed to have come as an afterthought. There was a stairway right behind the galla of the owner. The tables for customers were arranged in three rows with just enough space to go through. The small dining hall had been painted white but had been blackened on the walls & the ceiling due to the smoke from the kitchen. The kitchen on the ground floor had a large window for the waiters to collect their orders from it. Shouting of orders by the waiters & shouting back by the cooks for waiters to collect the ready ones added to the cacophony. They were really busy as all the tables were occupied & many people were enjoying the tea standing too. The street was equally crowded with no cops to be seen. The crowd made the three of them look like anybody else.

  The man manning the galla was not welcoming though. He wore all white which was in stark contrast to his dark complexion. He had a balding pate with strands of black. His ears had comparatively more hair. The moustache was bushy and as thick as a finger. He kept shouting at the waiters without reason. Recollecting an old photograph, Ishtiyaq thought he
had the man he was looking for. His big eyes narrowed as Ishtiyaq asked him for the owner.

  “What do you want with him? He is not here.” He said dismissively.

  “We can wait. We must meet him.” Ishtiyaq replied. This seemed to interest the man. From the description that had been given to Ishtiyaq, this man was bound to be disturbed when somebody tried to reach the owner directly.

  “Is it a message? I can take it for him.” He suddenly sounded cooperative.

  “Shukriya, but no. It has to be him. The information is for him. We have travelled long to deliver the message.” Ishtiyaq smiled.

  “He is not going to be back for days. You can tell me. I am his right hand. Where are you from?” The man had transformed into a courteous host now.

  “That, I can tell you Jorawarbhai. I am from Darbhanga.” Ishtiyaq’s smile got wider & the man went pale with fear. Fumbling with his balance as he rose from his seat of honor, he gestured Ishtiyaq to follow him. Ishtiyaq signaled the boys. They followed him up the stairs behind the galla.

  Once upstairs, Ishtiyaq was very friendly with Jorawar. He told him right away that all they wanted was hot food, hot water & a place to stay for the night. Jorawar didn’t move till Ishtiyaq promised not meeting the owner at all. Jorawar moved fast after that. Hot water arrived in a large bucket minutes later. It was a wide room with some mattresses already lying about. It was more than sufficient for the three of them. There was a washroom too. It was small in size with no flowing water but that would do. Hot food was brought in half an hour later in the room itself. Keeping them away from the public eye had now become Jorawar’s responsibility. They were served Tandoori Rotis, chicken dipped in rich gravy & a large plate of rice. The three companions ate in the same plate. The boys were feeling sleepy after the meal. Ishtiyaq explained the plan to them once again under an LED bulb. He then asked them to go to sleep. They followed the order immediately.