EX

by Novoneel Chakraborty

  ‘I think I should let him in if he comes here. Let him not get the impression that I know what he has been up to. That way I can keep him busy and maybe I’ll be able to churn out significant information from him. Of course I’ll call you.’

  It sounds better than his plan.

  ‘Okay. But be careful. I don’t want to lose you, Nivrita.’ There’s an innocuous genuineness in his voice that hits Nivrita hard. Even Neel is surprised. Does he really care about Nivrita so much?

  ‘I will take care. And you too. But how will you get to him?’

  ‘Leave that to me.’

  The determination in Neel doesn’t let Nivrita ask any further questions.

  It does not take much time for Neel to reach his parents’ place.

  ‘How did you locate inspector Parimal Biswas?’ Neel asks his father. They are in the hall.

  ‘Why? I called Chitpur Thana.’

  ‘Did Parimal himself pick up the phone?’

  ‘No someone else did. The person said he would send an inspector to our place and inspector Biswas turned up. Why are you asking all this?’ His father has sniffed some problem.

  Neel doesn’t want to involve his parents yet.

  ‘I want to talk to him. I have Titiksha’s photograph.’ It’s only a ploy.

  Neel’s father gives him a weird gaze.

  ‘What?’ Neel shrugs looking at his father’s expression. ‘I told you I have Titiksha’s photographs with me.’ He now realizes why Parimal never called him again for the photograph. He never needed one.

  ‘Dad, please call Parimal and tell him you want to meet him.’

  Neel’s father looks at his son. With a sense of reluctance, Neel’s father calls someone from his mobile phone.

  ‘Are you dialling his mobile phone?’

  ‘No, let me first dial Chitpur Thana.’

  ‘Okay.’ Neel waits to hear his father talk on phone.

  ‘Hello. I’m Atul Chatterjee. May I please talk to inspector Parimal Biswas?’ Neel’s father says.

  ‘I see. When will he be back? Alright, I will call then.’ He keeps the receiver down.

  He looks at Neel and says, ‘Parimal Biswas is on a holiday. They don’t know when he will join back.’

  Neel holds his head and thinks hard. There has to be some way to reach Parimal Biswas without him knowing anything about it.

  Neel feels his father’s warm grasp on his hands.

  ‘Is there any problem, Babushona? You can tell me.’

  He feels good that his father has shown concern towards his problem after a long time. All these years he always felt distanced from his parents. They used to be caring, and also saw to it all his needs were taken care of, but he never could share any of his problems with them. He didn’t know why. They always seemed welcoming in an unwelcoming manner. And add to it their possessiveness. Whatever he did, he had to tell them in advance until Titiksha and he started livingin together.

  ‘The problem, as you know, is Titiksha is missing.’ Neel couldn’t tell his father the truth. And before his father can react, he says, ‘Where his mom?’

  ‘She is hosting a small party with her group of friends.’

  Nothing new for Neel’s mother. Preferring parties to her family has always been her hallmark. Neel gets a call. He withdraws his hand from his father’s grasp and takes out his mobile phone from his pocket. It’s Nivrita.

  ‘Excuse me dad.’

  Neel gets up and goes a little away from his father.

  ‘Yes Nivrita.’

  ‘I had a talk with Parimal.’ Nivrita sounds excited.

  ‘He picked up your call?’ Neel is cautious.

  ‘No, I messaged him that I wanted to meet him. His message just came in. He has agreed.’

  ‘Great! Where are you meeting him?’

  ‘I’m not meeting him, you are. There’s a restaurant called Renuka opposite Nagerbazar petrol pump. Do you know the place?’

  ‘I don’t but I will look it up.’

  ‘Good. Keep me updated. And Neel…’ A hiatus later she says, ‘Be safe. I don’t trust that scoundrel anymore.’

  ‘Thanks. When will he be there?’

  ‘An hour from now.’

  Neel takes his leave from his father. He lies to him, telling him he is going to his flat but he in fact is on his way to the Nagerbazar petrol pump. Neel doesn’t have to ask anyone to get to the meeting spot. He climbs down the taxi and panning his sight locates the restaurant; Renuka. It is right opposite the petrol pump by the series of shops on the lane. Neel crosses the busy road and enters Renuka.

  It’s an almost empty B-grade restaurant. The ceiling is low. At one end is a middle-aged couple having noodles. They are the only customers. One of the boys in the restaurant is ogling at Neel as if he has no clue why he is here.

  Neel makes himself comfortable in a corner seat which has a good view of the entrance of the restaurant.

  The boy who was ogling at him seconds ago comes and puts a glass in front of him, pouring water in it from a jar. He puts a laminated computer print-out, with soft edges, on the table. It’s the menu.

  ‘The rates are old. Just add five rupees to everything. That’s the new rate,’ the boy says and waits for the order again ogling at him. Though he hasn’t had a good lunch, Neel still isn’t hungry. From the time he has seen the flesh pieces in his washing machine he has not been able to even think about food. He looks at the menu then at the boy and says, ‘I’m waiting for someone.’

  The boy almost snatches the menu from him with an I-don’t-give-a-fuck attitude. Neel sips some water and keeps his focus on the door. He glances at his watch. Parimal should be here any moment now if he is punctual. What exactly should he do when he sees Parimal? Obviously he will recognize Neel. Should he catch hold of him and beat the shit out of him? What if he overpowers him? Parimal is a police man after all. He is a criminal too. Criminals usually have more muscle power than ordinary civilians like Neel. He hasn’t even brought anything to beat Parimal with if need be. No, he would sit with him in Renuka itself, probably order some food, and talk about the murder. What? Talk about the murder? Is he here to date Parimal?Rubbish! Neel has to catch him and pin him down and beat him till he confesses to killing Titiksha. That’s final.

  Neel’s impatience increases with each passing minute. He empties the glass of water. While keeping it back on the table, he notices Parimal step inside Renuka.

  Neel impulsively stands up seeing him. Parimal notices Neel immediately since there are not many people in there. Parimal turns and runs out in a flash. Neel follows him. As he passes the restaurant boy who has been ogling at him, Neel hears him murmur, ‘Boka choda.’

  Neel scoots out of Renuka. He notices Parimal cross the road and run towards the nearby flyover. Neel runs after him but isn’t able to cross the road as quickly as Parimal. The honking of horns makes him emotionally unstable. Somehow he is able to keep his focus on Parimal and cross the road.

  Running after Parimal for the next two minutes and thereby going into lanes and by lanes, which Neel has never been to, he finally is able to catch hold of him. Neel has surprised himself more than Parimal with the speed with which he has chased him down. Both are now gasping for breath, standing at the corner of a by lane. Parimal tries to run but Neel catches him by the collar of his shirt and slaps him hard twice.

  ‘You swine. You thought you were going to meet Nivrita here, right? After killing Titiksha, you think Nivrita and I will let you live in peace?’ He punches him hard. Parimal’s nose is bleeding. The punch has hurt Neel’s knuckles as well.

  ‘Who the fuck is Nivrita?’ Parimal says rubbing the blood off his nose. ‘I don’t know any Nivrita. It’s Titiksha ma’am who asked me to go to the restaurant at that particular time.’

  Neel stares at him as if he has just been backstabbed by his most trusted friend.

  FROM NEEL’S MANUSCRIPT

  17

  As I sat behind mama in his scooter on our way to the school, I
had pretty well guessed what would happen in the principal’s office. But what actually happened that day was much worse than I could have ever imagined.

  When Ashok mama and I entered Dr Iyer’s room, I saw Neel with his parents already present there. To my surprise, even Avni was there with her parents. Both Neel and Avni stood in front of me like complete strangers. Neither cared to look at me. I introduced Ashok mama to Dr Iyer. There were four chairs in front of the principal’s table and those were occupied by Neel’s and Avni’s parents. Ashok mama wasn’t given a chair to sit so he stood nearby from where he could talk to Dr Iyer. I noticed Neel’s parents eyeing my mama with the same condescending look with which they had eyed me before. Such megalomaniacs they were!

  As mama greeted Dr Iyer, she wasted no time in accusing me of being a bad influence on both Neel and Avni. I was disappointed on hearing this. I had expected Dr Iyer to warn me, ask my mama to help me focus on studies, and leave me with a warning. But to be called a bad influence on Neel and Avni? No way was I ready for this! I was so blank that I didn’t remember much of what exactly was said, but the basic gist of the matter was, I was tagged as a bad girl who wasn’t fit to study in a proper school where people like Neel and Avni, hailing from well-cultured families and whose parents were educated people with a social stature, studied. Salt Lake International wasn’t for someone like me whose parents, even after being in the same city, would only send the guardian to meet the principal. I felt bad for Ashok mama. He didn’t do anything to hear someone’s wrath like this. I don’t think even at his workplace his superiors had ever talked to him like that. He could have been a wife-pet but he was a sincere man otherwise. I wouldn’t have protested if he had killed me that day. I was the root cause of all trouble. For others and for myself too.

  The meeting ended in fifteen minutes with Ashok mama not given a chance to talk and I not asked for any apology. Mama was simply handed a piece of paper in which my future had been typed on the school’s official letterhead before I had entered the room that morning. It stated that I had been expelled from the school because, in the principal’s words, Salt Lake International couldn’t keep a student who spoilt other fellow students and distracted them from doing what they were primarily in the school for; getting an education. Neel and Avni were asked to focus on their studies, and let off with a warning.

  Mama didn’t talk to me after the meeting. I didn’t know about him but I had turned into a zombie. I had not only been expelled from the school but the transfer certificate mentioned such words that I had no chance of securing admission in any other good school elsewhere. It was obviously not the principal’s decision alone. Neel’s parents—especially his mother—had finally got a chance to take her revenge. She had tried to explain it to me before but I was too deeply in love to take anything seriously. And why were they to be blamed? What was Neel doing being quiet before the principal? Why didn’t he tell her that all of it was a joke? That if someone had to be expelled, it had to be those students who were harassing us in school. Above all, it was only a goddamn rumour! And my future had been compromised by these so called ‘harbingers’ of good education. Neel’s mother was right. There was a difference between them and me. They had the power to turn a wrong into right. I didn’t even have the power to prove a right as right.

  It was while moving out of the school gate that mama said, ‘I’m going to work now. By the time I’m home in the evening, all your things should be packed. I’ll talk to your mother.’ And then he was gone.

  When I came back home, Yo-didun was curious to know what had happened. I didn’t respond. My actions did. I started packing almost immediately without shedding a tear. I didn’t want to think anything for there was nothing to think about actually. The only thing that remained for me to see was what mama would tell my mother and whether she would give a damn about the whole thing or not.

  In the evening, after mama was back from office, he unleashed himself on me. He said that he had told my mother that she had given birth to a prospective whore and asked her to fetch me from his place before I shamed them more. Yo-didun tried to intervene but he shut her up and continued to call me names. Every time mama calmed down, Bijoya mami came and put fuel to the fire. I didn’t react; neither verbally nor emotionally. I was blank. Nothing mattered to me anymore. I knew I was doomed for life. I was only waiting for time to pass and the next day to arrive so that I could leave mama’s house. I didn’t have dinner nor was I asked to. Yo-Didun and I didn’t talk much either. I had never seen her that quiet. I hoped she knew what the truth was, and that I hadn’t let her down in anyway. I was her granddaughter. I wouldn’t have done anything to shame her. After all she was my real and only companion at mama’s house.

  I skipped dinner. In fact I had skipped food the whole day. I felt nothing within me when I retired to bed early that night. No pain, no pleasure. No treasure, no tears. No chaos, no calmness. I was just lying there on the bed like a lump of mass. Strangely enough, I liked being a mass: nothing to think, nothing to feel, and nothing to say. I was awake but I wasn’t alive. I was lifeless but I wasn’t dead. Not yet.

  Somewhere in the wee hours of the night, I saw a light shining on the window beside my bed. I could hear heavy rain beating down the street. Rain was a little odd at that time of the year. I must have slept without realizing because I didn’t hear any thunder or saw any lightening. The light certainly wasn’t just a lightening for it persisted on the window pane and was moving all over it as if someone was intentionally throwing light. Curious I got up from bed. I noticed Yo-didun was sleeping. The entire house had an eerie silence about it while outside steady wind roared. I peeped out from the corner of the curtain. I heard the loudest my heart could beat.

  It was Neel staring at my window with a torch in his hand. He was totally drenched. I saw him waving at me.

  Chapter 13

  IS NIVRITA NOT REAL?

  ‘What do you mean Titiksha asked you to do all this?’

  Neel has grabbed Parimal by his shirt’s collar. Parimal’s hands are atop Neel’s hands trying to remove his grab.

  ‘I mean I don’t know anybody by the name of Nivrita.’

  ‘This is the best you could come up with for persuading me, you asshole? Tell me why did you murder Titiksha?’

  ‘Murder?’ Parimal’s eyes broaden. ‘What are you talking about?’

  ‘You killed her, and then chopped her into pieces, and stuffed it inside the washing machine in my flat so that I’m the one who gets caught for her murder—that’s what I’m talking about.’

  Parimal gives him a bewildered look and says, ‘Now I know. You are totally mad and hence Titiksha ma’am wants to get rid of you.’

  Again Titiksha ma’am?

  ‘Weren’t you guys dating?’ Neel asks.

  Parimal laughs and says, ‘I am only working for her for some money. I’m not even a real policeman.’

  ‘Aren’t you Nivrita’s boy-mate?’

  ‘I don’t know who Nivrita is.’

  Nothing makes sense to Neel. Nivrita doesn’t exist, Titiksha has hired this idiot to get rid of him by getting herself chopped to pieces, and the most bizarre thing is he is neither dating Titiksha nor has he killed her. All of it seems unreal.

  ‘And what if whatever you are saying are lies? Why should I believe you?’ Neel says.

  ‘If I’m lying then, you can hand me over to the police. There’s no hiding from the police anyway. I didn’t know this will cause me so much trouble, else I would have never accepted Titiksha ma’am’s offer.’

  Yet again Titiksha ma’am!

  Neel looks at Parimal’s eyes. To his horror he reads nothing fake in them. He wants the eyes to tell him he is lying. Of course he has heard about Nivrita. She is his girl-mate. And what did he tell him; that he is totally mad? Alright, he will give this man a chance. This man who Neel firmly believes has murdered Titiksha, and has been sleeping with Nivrita, and is right now only bullshitting him, he will give him a chance. It�
��s only because Neel wants to prove to himself that he isn’t a crazy person. But before that, another idea strikes him. Holding onto the man with one hand now and taking out his mobile phone, Neel calls Nivrita. If she doesn’t exist—like what the man is implying—she won’t pick up the phone. As it begins to ring on the other side, Neel puts the phone on speaker.

  ‘Nivrita will pick up and then everything will be clear.’ Neel says.

  He is expecting Nivrita to pick up while Parimal is confident it’s Titiksha who will pick up. Both keep waiting but nobody picks up. The call ends. Neel and Parimal look at each other like fools.

  ‘Can I take out my mobile phone?’

  Neel nods. Parimal brings out his mobile phone from his trouser’s pocket and in his contacts shows Titiksha’s number. It’s the same as Nivrita’s.

  ‘See it’s the same number.’

  Neel checks. Indeed it is the same. Neel lets go of Parimal’s shirt’s collar.

  ‘Thank you sir. I swear I have got nothing to do with all this.’ Parimal adjusts his shirt and runs for his life. Neel dials Nivrita’s number again. There’s no response.

  Neel takes a taxi and goes to Sharada Heights. He takes the elevator and reaches Nivrita’s floor only to see the door locked. On an impulse he dashes down using the stairs, takes the same taxi which luckily for him hasn’t found another passenger, and heads to Park Street; to the office of Word Tree Publishing India Pvt. Ltd.

  Neel gets down near Apeejay House in Park Street, the usual spot where Nivrita used to meet him before going to any other place.

  He asks a couple of people about the exact location of Word Tree Publishers India Pvt. Ltd. They direct him to go to the first floor of the Apeejay House. Neel follows the directions and reaches the first floor.

  The moment he moves out of the elevator, he notices a glass door to his right. Above the glass door, a big golden plate reads ‘Word Tree India Publishers’ in black bold letters. Neel relaxes. After the case of his missing college and the sudden vanishing act of Titiksha’s office, Neel feels relieved to see that the Word Tree office does exist! He approaches the two uniformed security guards at the main door.