by Amit Khan
“What do you want to say?”
“About a year ago, I had purchased a Pajero car on installments. Today I am supposed to pay an installment but I don’t have any money. If you kindly lend me the money…it will really be a big help.”
We could not believe our ears. He was blackmailing us.
“Rest assured,” Dr. Maalpani continued. “As soon as I have money I will return your favour.”
“How much?”
“Only two lakh rupees,” the sly man said shamelessly. “Peanuts for you, isn’t it? Actually, I am behind on some previous installments too.”
“All right…wait, I will bring the money.”
“Hurry up, please. I have to get out of this penthouse before an hour passes.”
●
Tilak and I were sitting across each other on chairs.
The ground beneath our feet was still quivering. We sat there stunned as if a storm had just thrashed us.
No thoughts, no ideas, we just sat there with blank heads like corpses.
Dr. Maalpani left with two lakh rupees. What he left behind was terrible silence. It still persisted.
“I always hated that bloody doctor,” I broke the silence. “Didn’t I tell you that he will one day create a mess? Now he has done it.”
“You were right,” Tilak crushed cigarette butt in the ashtray and sighed. “This is out of the blue. I had no clue that the Dr. Maalpani will turn out to be such pain. I thought he was a gentleman.”
“Gentlemen like him are the troublemakers. They create problems. They are backstabbers.”
Tilak was quiet. Too much tension had numbed him.
There was nothing but stress on his face.
“Actually Tilak, Brinda is the reason behind all this mess.”
“Brinda?”
“Yes. Brinda!” I said, “Just imagine…if she had not donated her body to ‘Medical Research Society’, then none of this would have happened. Trouble began the moment those doctors started working on her body. When that envelope came us after her death, that’s when this new chapter began. Initially, I thought it will not be a big deal. But now here we are, in a big mess. Such a huge problem is upon us now!”
Tilak panicked with my words. He lit another cigarette
“Shinaya do you remember what Brinda said before dying?” Tilak asked.
“What?”
“Every criminal thinks that he is smart enough to escape the law. He thinks he will never get caught. He does not realize. He commits a crime and that very moment noose of law starts tightening around his neck” Tilak took a deep breath as he repeated Brinda’s final words. “She was so right.”
“That’s bullshit.”
“If that was bullshit, Shinaya,” Tilak snapped, “then we would not have got trapped like this. It was such a well thought out plan and yet that doctor has floored us completely. We are at his mercy right now.”
“Listen to me,” I gathered courage and started looking at the positive side. “I know things have gone bad but the situation is not yet completely out of control.”
“How?”
“We are sure about one thing. That doctor is greedy. He wants money. Otherwise, he would have arrived here with police. All he had to do was tell police the same story he told us.”
“That’s true.”
“If we have to and I think we must,” I said excitedly, “take advantage of the doctor’s greedy nature. It is his weakness and our strength.”
“How?”
The cigarette that had arrived at Tilak’s lips had to wait for a moment as he narrowed his eyes and asked curiously.
“Right now we must watch out for his next step,” I explained. “Accordingly we will plan ahead. We must be ready to take decisions accordingly.”
Tilak continued to smoke after that.
●
14
Tense Days & Passionate Nights
Nothing remarkable happened for two days. On the third night, we were in bed. We were playing with each other’s eager senses.
In spite of disturbing times, it was nothing less than a miracle that I used to turn on and make Tilak ready for intimacy making expert-use of the techniques I had learned at the Foras Roda and the nightclub that involved my hands, mouth and sensuous rubbing of the body. And although it used to be the same passionate love-making that we indulged night after night, it felt like new every night.
Tilak used to take his time. I used to handle him well. Few intense romantic moments used to show their magic. My warm touch never failed to excite and entertain him. I used my skills to perfection and maximum effect. After all, I had to maintain my spell over Tilak. That was the only way to ensure a wealthy future for me.
We were enjoying that night exploring new and unusual ways. I liked a dominating position in everything…even in bed.
My hands were teasing him.
The first wave of delight made me shiver. We were kissing and it was not an ordinary kiss. He smiled and responded energetically.
You can take away all my exhaustion in one moment.”
“Really.”
“Yes.”
Tilak pulled me on him and embraced me. We began to melt. His embrace was so firm that I could feel myself crumbling. His hands were intertwined with my arms.
I closed my eyes with pleasure and enjoyed the moments. My heart was racing like a sports car. He was leaving impressions of love with tender kisses. And every time there was contact, I felt ignited.
Then suddenly he turned in bed.
He was on to me. Ready to thrill me!
The slow game raced in to top gear. The night was ablaze with lust, witnessing our union.
Soon as the climax approached we started losing our existence in that dreamy pleasurable state. I was exhaling with unbound joy. We were about to reach the peak of excitement when telephone ring buzzed loudly.
The harsh sound of the phone bell broke our rhythm and made us stop. Exhausted, our sweating bodies sagged against each other.
●
Telephone kept on ringing. Finally, Tilak rolled over to one side of the bed and picked up the receiver.
“Hello!” Tilak pressed receiver against his ear and spoke.
He heard a response.
“Dr. Maalpani!” he almost shouted.
I straightened up and came closer. It was that evil doctor again. I wanted to hear what he was saying so I shifted closer to the receiver of the phone.
I was still not able to hear anything.
“What are you saying?” Tilak sounded shocked. “No…you can’t do that.”
All I could hear on the phone from other side was Dr. Maalpani’s evil laugh.
Then he said something.
He went on speaking something. Here on this side, Tilak’s face was turning paler with every word.
Tilak was just answering in Hmm…Haan…ok.
His condition was worsening.
“But…but this is too much?” Tilak pleaded. “Can you consider little less?”
Dr. Maalpani said something in reply. Tilak was petrified.
The conversation in progress was not ordinary. It was something dangerous.
“Ok…” Tilak nodded. “Tomorrow…Yes. You will get it.”
Dr. Maalpani spoke again.
“Yes sure…confirmed.” Were Tilak’s conclusive words in that conversation.
Finally, when he turned towards me, he was bathing in sweat. He was breathing laboriously. He was looking sick. As if all his blood had drained off.
“What happened?” I touched his hand with concern and asked.
“It was him…Dr. Maalpani.”
“That I know. What was that crooked man saying?”
“He had news. Not a good one for us,” Tilak said, lost in thoughts.
“Has something happened again?”
“Forensic reports are in. The pathological and pharmacological ones! Now it is proved beyond doubt that the drug particles found in Brinda’s system belonged to Dianil
tablet and sleeping pills. The tests have also predicted that around 20 tablets of certain strength were given to Brinda.”
“Oh!”
It was a bad news. The worst!
“Can they predict so much with those tests, Tilak?” I sighed. “This is getting worse. That monster now knows everything we did. What was he saying?”
“He was talking about going to the police. I had to convince him not to do so. Finally, he agreed that he will not.”
“How?”
Tilak shook his head in disgust.
“Tell me what he said.”
“He wants 10 lakh rupees.”
My heart skipped a beat.
“Ten lakhs?”
“Yes.”
“And you agreed?”
“I had to,” Tilak said helplessly. “Did I have any other choice? He would have gone straight to police.”
I had read about this kind of blackmailing in novels.
I knew how these things started and ended!
“Can you see what lies ahead, Tilak?” I went closer to Tilak and said. “This is beginning of a very dangerous time. That wicked man is now blackmailing us without any fear.”
“I know Shinaya,” Tilak agreed. “I can see it too. If I knew so much mess lied ahead after Brinda’s death, I would have never thought of killing her. There are other problems as well. I am surrounded by nothing but problems.”
“Are you regretting marrying me, Tilak? I looked at his disappointed face and asked.
“No, absolutely not.”
In spite of the smile, he brought on his face while saying that, I knew ‘Tilak is not very happy these days’.
He acted aloof; didn’t share his thoughts with me.
“Come on,” I pulled him into my soft embrace. “Let us forget everything for a while and resume where we left off.”
“No,” Tilak pushed my arms away and turned to other side. “I am not feeling like doing it. Why don’t you sleep?”
I was shocked.
For the first time in my life, a man was pushing me away and being rude.
My body adorned with springs of youth was something men used to pounce on. And I loved that. I needed sex as much as they needed it.
That night, however, our game remained incomplete. I was not fully quenched. My man had turned his back and denied me the pleasure. Strangely, I remembered nightclub. I felt like driving there and grabbing my regular bed-partners of old times. I wanted someone to meet the fire burning inside me. I tried hard and controlled my emotions that night. It was not easy.
●
Next day morning Dr. Maalpani arrived at the agreed time to collect money. He took 10 Lakh rupees and left.
It felt like repaying a debt; like returning the money that we borrowed from him. Such was his attitude.
Dr. Maalpani was a pig.
The series of blackmailing had begun. The greedy doctor was making calls on regular basis.
First ten lakhs!
Then fifteen!
Later twenty lakhs!
Then directly fifty lakhs!
Dr. Maalpani was like a man-eater that had tasted blood.
He was always hungry for more!
●
Nowadays Tilak was always in a bad mood.
That evening he was at the bar counter in the bedroom, drinking. He was troubled by the recent turn of events.
A half empty bottle was indicating how much he had already drunk.
Tilak’s bad old habits were kicking in again.
“Enough already,” I went near him and said. “How much more of that stuff you are going to drink?”
“I don’t know. I am confused,” Tilak banged the table with his fist and hissed. “What should I do? How do I put a stop to it?”
“Listen,” I sat beside him on a stool and said. “It is obvious that we have to do something about that doctor to close his chapter once in for all. Else he will keep sucking our blood like a leech till death. His demands will increase and a time may come when we will not be able to meet them. We will have to find a solution very soon.”
“How?” Tilak snapped. “Tell me how we can silence him?”
“There is one way,” I whispered mysteriously. “We can deal with him permanently.”
Tilak got curious.
“A permanent way to deal with him?”
“Yes.”
“And what is that?” Tilak put his drink down and waited for an answer.
“We will have to send the doctor to meet Brinda.”
“Another murder!” Tilak sprung back with a shock. His hand hit the glass and his drink spilled all over the bar-counter.
“Yes.”
“NO!” Tilak shook his head decisively. “No way. A second murder to hide the first one. No way, Shinaya.”
“Don’t panic. Think practically. Is there any other way?” I spoke in a firm tone. “How long are you going to give him money? It has to stop.”
“You are forgetting one thing.”
Tilak was flabbergasted with the idea of another murder.
“That wicked man has a partner. Someone shares his secret. Someone to execute a back-up plan.”
“Bullshit!” I said. “That’s all crap. Greedy bastards like Maalpani never share secrets with anyone. If he has a partner then he will have to share money with him. Do you think, a person like Dr. Maalpani who is crazy about money will share his money fifty-fifty with anyone?”
Tilak said nothing.
Without bothering to clear the mess on the bar counter, he had already made himself another drink. He pondered over my words and sipped from his glass.
“Answer me. What do you think?”
“Not likely,” he hesitated, “that Dr. Maalpani will share money with anyone. But if he is saying it with such confidence…then he may have someone…”
“There is no one. It’s a lie! He is trying to scare us,” I said. “He just wants to dominate us, our minds. He does not want us to plot and be always under pressure before him, just like we are now!”
“But what if there is a partner? It will mean a new problem for us,” Tilak doubted. “It will be even more complicated and god knows if we will be able to get out of that one.”
I started thinking.
‘It was a possibility that Dr. Maalpani had thought of a backup plan. He might have appointed someone to guard the secret.’
I pushed my thinking button harder.
“There is a way to deal with that as well,” I finally said.
“What?”
I explained it to Tilak and it cheered him up to some extent. At least now he did not look hopeless.
●
A lot of fear had built up in Tilak’s mind.
The thought of another murder was the reason behind his nervousness. It made him shiver time to time.
“Shinaya,” Tilak played with my hair and said. It was bed-time and I was in his arms. “Isn’t there any other way to get rid of this problem? Can’t we solve this Dr. Maalpani issue any other way?”
“Nothing else, my mind can come up with,” I said and placed my burning lips on his. I wanted him so much. He looked preoccupied with his thoughts. “If there was any other easier way, I would have suggested it, dear,” I continued. “I won’t enjoy committing another murder.”
His experienced fingers unhooked my white satin bra and caressed my back. Then they began to squeeze and arouse my nipples and penetrate me deeply.
My body burned with the fire of lust.
“Just think again, darling…maybe we can come up with something.”
“I have given it a lot of thought,” I said in between my heaving as I made scratch marks on his back with my pointed and long and stapulla-shaped nails painted in black, “ever since the moment Dr. Maalpani came back again in our life, I have been thinking. This is our only way out.”
Tilak was analyzing my decision but his fingers were driving deeper in me, making me crazy with passion.
“Oh, Tilak,” I could not
stop myself from letting out a steamy sigh.
“One more murder, Shinaya. It’s a risk.”
“It is,” I pressed his body closer to my hot and tender body. A wave of bliss swept over me as his fingers rubbed the tenderest spot in my body. “If we want to save ourselves then we have to take this risk.”
Alas!
I wish Tilak knew that he was trembling at thought of second murder whereas I had already committed the second murder of my life.
Really, crime and life that revolves around crime are like quicksand…once caught inside it there is no escape …the more a person struggles or tries to get free, the deeper he sinks in it…
Deeper and deeper!
Tilak was slowly accepting the inevitable. He held me close and let himself be soaked in my love-juices.
“All Right then,” he said in the post-coitous bliss. “If that is the scenario, then murder it will be!” case
“So, Dr. Maalpani dies for sure.”
“Absolutely.”
His decision sounded firm but clearly, he had taken it because he had other option. I could see the herculean effort he had to put in to make himself accept it.
●
15
Plotting the Next Murder
As a new day began, the plan started taking shape. The plan of Dr. Maalpani’s murder!
Details and risk factors for another murder needed to be worked out.
Tilak called Dr. Maalpani and put him on the speaker to enable me to hear everything. I had explained Tilak what he was supposed to tell the doctor.
“Hello!” came a reply from other side.
“Dr. Maalpani?” Tilak said.
“Yes, this is Dr. Maalpani.”
“I am Tilak, doc.”
“Doctor,” Tilak said. “I want to discuss an important issue with you.”
“Then go ahead and speak. Who is stopping you?”
“Actually I have not been able to sleep since last many nights.”
“What can I do about it?” “I don’t have the remedy of your restlessness.”
“You have the remedy.”
“Do I?”
“You are the reason behind my lack of sleep, doctor…you,” Tilak accused. “The sword that is hanging over my head all the time…sword of your threat! I have lost my peace of mind.”
“Don’t blame me for that,” the doctor said. “You are the creator of this trouble. It is your own wrongdoing that is haunting you. If you had not murdered Brinda, was there any reason for this danger…this sword over your head that you talk of. Would I have blackmailed you?”