The Colaba Conspiracy

by Surender Mohan Pathak

  ‘Sahib, you did me such a great favour, please do one more.’

  ‘What, you need more money?’

  ‘No, sahib, I already got more than my expectations.’

  ‘Then?’

  ‘Sahib, this toolkit is of no use to you. You will certainly throw it away. But it is of value to me. May I have it?’

  ‘Yes, take it.’

  Jeet Singh picked the toolkit case in haste.

  ‘Now get lost.’

  Jeet Singh gave him a smart salute, then turned and walked out.

  Cherat rushed in behind him.

  Both of them took the lift and reached the ground floor.

  Jeet Singh was about to get out but stopped when he found Cherat still hurrying behind him.

  ‘Now get lost,’ he said angrily, ‘why are you still following me?’

  ‘Wait a minute,’ panted Cherat.

  ‘Why?’

  ‘I want to say something.’

  ‘What?’

  ‘Come this way. I will tell you there.’

  ‘I have no time for that, and I also don’t want to listen to anything you say now.’

  ‘But I have to talk and talk I will.’

  ‘You do that. Shout it out behind me. Make everybody listen. I am going.’

  ‘I am also going …’

  ‘Good. You go first.’

  ‘… Back in the lift. To the big boss upstairs.’

  ‘What?’

  ‘I am going to the big boss to tell him what your role was in the heist. I will tell him that you are the real villain. Then he will call back Haideri and listen to what he wanted to say. Imagine what he will do to you when he comes to know that it was you who had busted the vault, while Haideri didn’t even set foot inside the vault, but snatched the briefcase from you somewhere out on the road. Then what do you think will happen to you?’

  ‘And what will happen to you? You too have so much to explain …’

  ‘Let me repeat your own words in reply—it sure will be bad, real bad, but you won’t be there to see it. By that time, you would be standing at God’s doors, ringing the doorbell, saying you had been sent by Big Boss Mehboob Firangi. No?’

  Jeet Singh stared at him with terror in his eyes.

  Cherat did not look away, he stared back. It was Jeet Singh who had to look away after some time.

  ‘What do you want?’ he said in a milder tone.

  ‘Half.’

  ‘What did you say?’

  ‘Fifty-fifty.’

  ‘Have you gone mad?’

  ‘It is very fair …’

  ‘I did so much work for the big boss, what did you do?’

  ‘I let you do that work, for you would have been in no condition to do it had I identified you here in front of him the day after the heist. Now don’t say what will become of me again, because my answer will be the same. Even if the worst happens to me, you won’t be alive to see it.’

  ‘What if I kill you now?’

  ‘Easier said than done. There are too many people here in the lobby, and on the road outside. Go ahead, kill me now, and the people on the road will lynch you to death later. Both of us will reach God together. The only difference will be that I will die comparatively peacefully. You’ll die of the public’s ruthless beating. Now come on. Do what you want to do.’

  Jeet Singh could not speak in return. He shifted restlessly.

  ‘I don’t intend to stay here all day,’ Cherat said in a dry tone.

  ‘You seem to have grown some balls in no time.’

  ‘Because it’s a matter of money. I told you the day before yesterday as well, I am under financial pressure. This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance, and I cannot afford to miss it.’

  ‘You were there, you bloody watched everything, it just didn’t occur to me that I should have had you sent out first before asking for the reward.’

  ‘Don’t waste my time in these ifs and buts now.’

  ‘Come to the toilet.’

  Both of them reached the toilet, and stood in front of adjoining stalls on the far end of the line of urinals.

  Jeet Singh handed over eleven thousand dollars.

  ‘Thank you,’ Cherat said while putting the money in his trousers’ pocket.

  ‘I had never ever thought an insect like you could have defeated me like this,’ Jeet Singh said cheerlessly, coming out of the toilet.

  ‘Haven’t you heard the story of the ant who defeated the elephant?’

  ‘You can gloat now, but I will see you someday.’

  ‘You won’t be able to see me ever.’

  ‘What!’

  ‘I will go straight to Johri Bazar and resign. By evening, I will leave my rented house, book the household stuff with a transport company, and catch a flight to Thiruvananthapuram with my wife even if I have to buy the ticket in black, for I can afford it now with this money. After all I have six lakh five thousand rupees with me now. So, no problem.’

  Jeet Singh stared at him with mouth agape.

  ‘I’ve been here in Mumbai for three years and I have never had a single peaceful day. Now I’ll go and settle in my hometown and lead a comfortable, complication-free life. Come and search for me in Kerala.

  Jeet Singh didn’t speak again.

  Jeet Singh was sitting with Gailo in his taxi.

  ‘What happened?’ an apprehensive and curious Gailo asked.

  ‘I’ll tell you. Let’s get out of here first.’

  ‘Speak first. I’m in suspense.’

  ‘Something real bad happened.’

  ‘That’s written on your face, but what exactly?’

  ‘But it was not that bad either.’

  ‘I have no problem if you are in a mood to run a quiz show. You can tell me what happened whenever you have the time.’ He paused for a moment, then asked, ‘What’s this in your hand?’

  ‘What?’

  ‘It looks like your toolkit.’

  ‘So it is.’

  ‘So it got back to you in the end?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘And still you say something bad happened to you?’

  ‘Did I not say in the end it was not so bad?’

  ‘What’s the story? Not of the toolkit alone, but the complete story!’

  Jeet Singh told him everything in detail.

  ‘Gailo,’ he then said, ‘you said that the big boss would give me a pitiable sum as a reward, but he surprised me. I was flattered when he handed me the full amount, twenty-two thousand dollars, without any argument. I had never seen so many dollars before in my life.’

  ‘Twenty-two thousand dollars would be how much in rupees?’

  ‘More than twelve lakhs.’

  ‘Oh!’

  ‘Exactly the amount I need immediately. But half of it was taken by that Malayali.’

  ‘Shit!’

  ‘He used the same trick we used on him, and forced me to pay him.’

  ‘I will get hold of him.’

  ‘It won’t be possible now. He was talking of resigning from his job. He said he’d be out of Mumbai by this evening.’

  ‘Meaning that I have time till evening.’

  ‘The bastard would be cautious as per his habit, like the previous time when he handed somebody the cd and alerted his wife. He sure would have made some arrangement by now to ensure that the money is not snatched from him, that he himself is not finished.

  ‘Maybe you’re right.’

  ‘There could have been double the actual amount in the briefcase had luck favoured us. In that case, I would have got the money that I needed even after going fifty-fifty with him.’

  ‘Still, Jeete, you got something in the end, and that too is not a small amount.’

  ‘You are right, but now I can’t share it with you.’

  ‘That’s no problem.’

  ‘Thank you in that case. But I promise you I will give you your share sooner or later.’

  ‘I will accept with thanks, but no problem as of now.’

 
‘Fine! Now move, and drop me in Khar.’

  ‘Sure.’

  Navlani was in his office.

  Jeet Singh placed the money on the table in front of him.

  ‘Dollars!’ Navlani was surprised.

  ‘Yes, sahib.’

  ‘How much?’

  ‘Eleven thousand.’

  ‘The rate of exchange these days is fifty-five rupees to a dollar. Which means,’ he used his mobile’s calculator, ‘these are worth six lakh five thousand rupees.’

  ‘Must be, sahib.’

  ‘Why have you placed them before me?’

  ‘Sahib, take one lakh as part payment for the work done by you and Cobra Investigations, and give the remaining five lakhs to the lawyer sahib, that is if he is ready to accept part payment.’

  ‘Where did you get the dollars from?’

  ‘That’s a long story, sahib.’

  ‘Gunjan Shah is a top grade but arrogant lawyer, and he has no dearth of cases. I am not sure whether he would accept part payment or not.’

  ‘Sahib, he is your friend, he must show some regard to a friend.’

  ‘I also hope so. Let’s see.’

  Navlani made a call, and spent some time talking.

  He ended the call, and got up in haste.

  ‘He is in court.’

  ‘In court!’ Jeet Singh asked, ‘Who’s in court?’

  ‘Gunjan Shah. Let’s go. We will meet him there, and hand him over this money too.’

  ‘But, sahib, I am a bit confused about this court thing …’

  ‘I am too. Not because he is in court, but because we don’t know whether he is there in connection with Sushmita’s case. Now let’s rush to the court of the civil judge and not waste any time.’

  ‘Is he representing Sushmita in that court before he’s paid?’

  ‘We will find out what the matter is. Now get up and come

  with me.’

  Jeet Singh immediately accompanied the pd.

  Jeet Singh was surprised. Navlani didn’t know of the lawyer’s appearance in the court when he was in constant touch with him but Sushmita knew of it. They came to know that there was still time in the hearing of the succession case filed by the heirs of Changulani Seth.

  ‘Sir,’ Navlani said, ‘you never cease to surprise us lesser mortals.’

  ‘What happened?’ said Shah, purposefully faking ignorance.

  ‘I never expected you will make an exception to your rule regarding the fee.’

  ‘Well, this is because she is a client recommended by you,’ he said, pointing towards Sushmita.

  ‘But …’

  ‘No buts, I may accept my fee in cash or kind. She is a very kind lady. I hope to collect it in kind.’ He turned towards Sushmita and asked, ‘No, my dear?’

  Sushmita did not reply. She looked away as her face turned red. Her only relief was the fact that Jeet Singh could not understand the hidden meaning of Shah’s words.

  ‘Mr Shah,’ said Navlani, ‘your generosity, your kindness is appreciable, you presence here without taking the fee is also commendable, but believe me, madam’s well-wishers do understand their duty, and they won’t miss a chance to discharge it.’

  ‘But now I am one of them.’

  ‘That’s great, sir. Madam is lucky that she has such a grand personality as a well-wisher. But we still need to be practical. So please, come this way for a while.’

  Navlani took him to a far corner.

  ‘How come you’re here?’ Sushmita asked Jeet Singh.

  ‘I’ll let you know,’ Jeet Singh answered briefly and looked away.

  Navlani handed over the envelope with the dollars to the lawyer.

  Shah opened it and looked inside.

  ‘Dollars!’ he said in a surprised tone, ‘How much?’

  ‘Nine thousand one hundred, equivalent to five lakh rupees.’

  ‘Why five, why not ten?’

  ‘Please accept five now, the remaining amount will reach you soon.’

  ‘Why are you running the client’s errands? Why is this amount with you?’

  ‘I will tell you if you promise to keep it a secret.’

  ‘Oh, come on!’

  ‘The client is not aware of this payment.’

  ‘What?’

  ‘Let her remain under the impression that she’s getting your services against payment in kind and not against payment in cash.’

  ‘But why will you pay such a big sum from your pocket?’

  ‘I am not doing it, sir. I can’t spend such a big sum for philanthropy.’

  ‘Then who is the real philanthropist?’

  ‘The guy who came with me, the one standing with Sushmita back there. Jeet Singh is his name.’

  ‘What does he do?’

  ‘He is a locksmith.’

  ‘And still he can pay five lakh rupees in dollars. That too as a secret donation?’

  ‘Sir, that’s a long story.’

  ‘But I know an abridged version of it.’

  ‘How come you know of it?’

  ‘The client told me, in the 4 p.m. meeting yesterday.’

  ‘Oh!’

  ‘So, this is that Jeet Singh, my client’s one-sided lover!’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘And he is still making sacrifices for her, making these secret donations to express his love?’

  ‘Sir, please do not drag the issue. Lets finish it with one line—it’s all a matter of the heart.’

  ‘ok!’ he looked at his Rolex for a moment, then said, ‘I think its time for our hearing.’

  ‘Sir, shall I, and the boy, remain assured that Sushmita won’t ever know about it?’

  ‘Oh, don’t worry. Your little secret is safe with me.’

  ‘Thank you, sir.’

  ‘Let’s go now.’

  The sons, the son-in-law, the daughter and their lawyer were present in the court of the district magistrate.

  Shah said that their lawyer’s name was Ranjeet Lakra, who had a reputation in the judiciary for being crooked. So the unscrupulous family had found an unscrupulous lawyer.

  Shah remained totally silent while Lakra presented his clients’ case of succession. On a number of occasions, he appeared not to be paying attention at all to the proceedings, and even openly yawned a couple of times.

  ‘What’s going on?’ an anxious Sushmita whispered in Jeet Singh’s ears.

  ‘Shush!’ Navlani immediately warned.

  Lakra informed the court in detail that the deceased Pursumal Changulani had three children—two sons and a daughter. The petition for succession was filed by the elder son Alok Changulani, while the younger son Ashok and the daughter Shobha Atlani were co-petitioners with him. The deceased had no successor other than those three persons. Hence, the succession petition must be processed by the court taking it as uncontested.

  Shah got up grudgingly, as if trying to ward off sleep.

  The judge was also aware of the who’s who of the judicial world, and was surprised to see a big lawyer like Shah representing a client in such an ordinary case of succession and that too in a lower court.

  ‘Your honour,’ Shah said as if trying hard to suppress a yawn, ‘I don’t want to interrupt my learned friend but I request to be heard at this moment.’

  ‘You want to say something?’ asked the judge.

  ‘Yes, your honour.’

  ‘In what capacity? Are you representing anyone? And what’s the relation of your client with this case?’

  ‘Your honour, I am representing the widow of the deceased. And when I call this lady,’ he indicated towards Sushmita, ‘the widow of the deceased, then my client’s relation with this case becomes obvious.’

  ‘I object, your honour,’ Lakra said in a passionate voice, ‘this is …’

  ‘I am not finished yet,’ Shah said dryly, ‘make your objection when I am finished.’

  ‘The applicant’s lawyer must have some patience,’ the judge said.

  A visibly dissatisfied Lakra kep
t quiet.

  ‘Proceed, Mr Shah.’

  ‘Thank you, your honour. Your honour, I beg to submit that this case of succession is not maintainable, as the deceased’s children are wrong in saying that there is no other successor of the late Mr Changulani other than the three of them. I reinstate, your honour, that my client, Sushmita Changulani was the wife of Mr Changulani during his lifetime and her status is that of his widow after his death.’

  ‘I must speak, your honour,’ Lakra said in a passionate voice as before, ‘as I intend to raise an objection.’

  The judge stole a searching look at Shah, who was now silent, and said, ‘You may.’

  ‘Thank you, your honour. Your honour, what my learned friend just said is plain distortion of facts. This woman was not the deceased’s wife in his lifetime, but his live-in partner, and this is the reason she, of her own will, left his residence at Tulsi Chambers, Colaba, after Mr Changulani’s death.’

  ‘If there is any distortion of facts, your honour,’ said Shah in a loud voice, ‘then it is this that my client left her husband’s residence at her own will. She did not leave of her own will, she was forced to. She was compelled to leave that house, and the means used for that were no less than the use of physical force.’

  ‘This is a malicious, unreasonable, unsubstantiated allegation.’

  ‘The victim is present here, and she is willing to give her statement under oath in this regard.’

  ‘She can say anything to obstruct and delay the proceedings in this open-and-shut case.’

  ‘My client is an educated woman. She knows she could be charged with perjury in case her statement is found untruthful.’

  ‘Perjury is a comparatively lesser offence. She is responsible for having committed a far bigger crime. She is charged with murder.’

  ‘Who levied this charge against her? When was it done? I demand that a certified copy of the fir be presented in the court along with the sworn statement of the person who accused her of murder.’

  ‘The fir is yet to be filed.’

  ‘Why is it yet to be filed? The murder took place eight days ago. If there has to be an fir against my client, why has it still not been registered?’

  ‘Because the police investigation is still going on.’

  ‘Your honour, my learned friend is putting the cart before the horse. Is he not aware that the police investigation takes place only after the fir is filed?’