by Laxmi Natraj
He had cursed himself for not anticipating Julia’s stabbing John to get the bag. Had he known, he would have shot her just when she came out of the temple hall itself! Thus he could have saved John. After the shootout, his first focus was to cover up all evidences and records of John at any cost before the police came poking their nose into this business. So, instead of attending to the bleeding John, he had knelt down near Julia’s body and meticulously searched all her pockets, and pulled out her passport, papers, and her air tickets and her cell phone. He had made sure that no papers, no evidence was left with her. He put them safely in his pocket. Only then did he stop to look around for John.
But by this time, a heavily bleeding John, collecting all his remaining energy, had rushed inside the temple. He had managed to run all the way, all through the outer corridor, all along carrying his heavy bag. Reaching the eight steps to the second level, he had started climbing slowly. As he struggled at every step, he left a blood trail all the way.
When he entered the temple, John had reached near the Nandi statue. Not able to move any further he had collapsed on the floor. Still, with grit and determination, he rolled forward two times on the ground. Then dragging his bleeding body with the bag in one hand, he managed to move a few inches and reached the Nandi. Breathless and panting with a lot of effort, he stretched his right hand towards the base of the Nandi’s ornamental platform. He groped blindly with his trembling fingers, searching for the special hidden knob. Finally he spotted the round knob, cleverly hidden inside the carved lotus flower and started turning it using all his remaining strength, with all his might. A rectangular box safe, which had been quietly hidden, totally flush under the five stone steps of the sanctum started opening slowly.
By this time, he, the third man on scene, had sprinted inside the temple and then up the steps and reached John and trying to lift him had begged, “John, let us hurry up. I will take you to hospital, you need medical help urgently. Other things can be done later.”
John however, had looked at his face pathetically, his chest heaving dangerously, in a frantic effort to breathe. He beseeched him in a stammering voice, “No, no, first we have to put the temple’s treasure back in the safe. Before someone else happens to come along please first help me to do this.” John dragged himself to a sitting position and opened the flap of his bag. A tiny pool of blood started collecting in front of him.
The third man now had quickly dug his hand deep inside the bag and lifted a handful of the valuable treasure gently, and ran to the opened safe at a distance of 6 feet away from him. The safe was only half open now. By inserting his knees inside the safe, he yanked it open fully and dropped the contents gently inside the velvet cushioned interior of the safe. He made two more trips up and down between the bag and the safe and finished transferring all the treasure into the safe. His large toe had got dipped in the collected blood pool and as he ran up and down his toe made thin lines from John’s position. Just as he finished transporting the last lot, John turned the knob under the Nandi God, once again back to its original position. The safe closed back. But in all this hurried action, the third man had forgotten that his foot was making more bloody tracks on the floor!
He had been mentally chiding himself for not having anticipated the attack on John’s life. Turning from the safe, he had rushed back to the wounded John and lifted him partially and put his head gently on his lap. He pleaded again, “John, please listen to me. I will lift you and take you to the hospital. I will manage all the needed cover-ups for you. You don’t worry about that part.”
John smiling faintly, a half smile of a dying man had said, “No use. I won’t survive even if you take me to the hospital. Due to my illness, my body cannot take this much blood loss and there is no chance of my survival. Remember there is already a dead body out there. The police will be coming in the morning. So please rush to my room and clear up all the evidence. Remove all my papers and my laptop. Keep my name intact. Save the treasures. That job is more important than trying in vain to save my life.” John had started gasping deeply for breath—the last breaths of a dying man, while he left him and walked out on the next mission.
Chapter 20
The Hooded Shadow
Nakul did not have any inclination to drive to the town just now. But he wanted to drive to the nearby village, where according to Shiva’s statement, a cattle bazaar was going on. He wanted to check the truth of that statement. Even before he reached the outskirts of the nearby village, he could see the large open ground with lots of cattle. The noise of the cattle was very loud as there were many cows, bulls, buffaloes, hens and, yes, there were goats too. He parked his car and walked down a short distance towards the fair. How was it possible to check if those men were there or if their goats were there in that crowd? He thought that this whole venture was futile and it seemed meaningless now. He got back into his car and started reversing the car and turned it back on the highway.
By early morning around 6:30 a.m, he had reached the town. Since it was still early to visit the ACP, he decided to go to his room and have a shower. After his transfer to the town he was still in the wait list for his police quarters. Hence he was living in a civilian area inside a modern complex. His flat was on the third floor. As per his practice he climbed the flight of stairs and reached his room. He was about to insert the key in the door when he noticed that the door was not locked. It remained just ajar, leaving a two-inch gap opening.
Nakul stopped and stood static. There was no doubt that someone had entered his room. He pulled his revolver out and burst the door open by kicking it hard. A man in a hooded black dress searching something on his Laptop looked up, a bit startled. For one moment neither of them moved and they both stared at each other. In a fraction of a second the intruder threw a heavy book on Nakul’s face, and as he stooped down to dodge the book, he jumped straight over his head, about five feet high, and sprinted out with a lightning speed. Nakul ran behind him with his gun still pointed. Covering the entire length of the balcony in a second the man jumped down effortlessly from the third floor balcony, rolled over the grass and sprinted out without looking back.
Nakul decided not to shoot him. It would unnecessarily raise an alarm in the civilian neighbourhood. Secondly, at the speed the intruder was running, the bullet would only just scrape past him. From the way he jumped straight over his head, five foot high and then down the 45 feet balcony, Nakul was sure that the intruder was not just a common burglar but surely a very well trained man.
Nakul came back to his room and checked. The man has gone through only his papers on the table and then the PC. A wad of currency left in the drawer before he left for the village, was intact. Then what was he looking for? Who is this well trained prowler? Nakul switched on the fan to full speed and sat on the chair thinking. So the village connection had followed him up to his room. In fact, he should have anticipated this. If that man was looking for some information then he would have been sadly disappointed. Nakul never left any of his findings on his PC. He carried them with him all the time and only he knew this secret.
Chapter 21
Discussion in the ACP’s Room
Nakul reported to the ACP. He briefed his boss about the development so far. The ACP’s face showed dark deep lines of worry as he heard about the situation. Nakul placed the two pieces of evidence he had collected on the table for the ACP’s observations. They were the same two pieces--- a corner piece of a cash bill and one part of a paper having some coded message.
The ACP looked at the evidence and sank into a deep thinking for few seconds as Nakul watched him quietly. Then he said, “Nakul, if there is even an atom of doubt that some terrorist activities were involved in these murders, we have to report the case to the anti-terrorist department. Only they will have the access to the needed intelligence feed from global resources, potential and capable men to deal with the situation. We are meant for simple crimes and murders and cannot deal with terrorists. I will talk with higher
authorities and let you know what is to be done.”
Nakul came out of the room feeling really depressed. He had investigated the case so far and he somehow had become emotionally attached to the case. Especially, he wanted to know why John came to the tiny and little known temple for his research or on the pretext of research! The ACP had taken from him only the half coded message and given him back the other bit of ripped paper. He decided that at least he would try to investigate this bit of paper and its history. He walked to the table of his junior Utkarsh, who stood up on seeing him.
Nakul said, “Utkarsh, scan this corner bit of the paper where a part of the name of a medical store is seen, and then compare this with bills of all the listed medical shops you can find on the computer and find out the full name of the shop. Tell me when you get some result.”
He went back to his cabin. He took out a blank paper and wrote names of the suspects and the questions arising in his mind from each one of them:
1. Dr Netra: Is she really helping the village people or is she having some connection with the hospital and those men? Otherwise, why was she restless and fumbling the other day when she saw police unexpectedly in the hospital? What is her connection with Shiva? Just neighbours or is it something more?
2. The three men: -. Two goat herds and the third man, who brought coconut water to Shiva.-- Are these men linked to the murder? What is their purpose in lingering in the village even after the murder? Where are they hiding in the village away from the eyes of the village folk?
3. The intruders: - What was the first one trying to do in his room when he stayed in Purohit’s house? Who is this second intruder who was in his room this morning? What were they searching for so desperately?
4. Shiva: Is he telling all the truth or is he is keeping back something about the murder? Why he did not try to save the bleeding John first when he saw there was still some low pulse, instead of running to Acharyaji?
As his mind raced for an answer he doodled on and on all over the paper absent mindedly. His landline extension telephone started ringing. The ACP spoke, “Nakul, it is very surprising that the anti-terrorist division says that our evidence of coded message, in this case, is insignificant. They are saying that generally they always get the intelligence department warning in advance, whenever any terrorist activity was spotted and this time no such report was received about this village. It seems that the simple hired killers also use just coded messages. Hence they are not interested.”
Nakul was so elated by this news that he almost felt like getting up and dancing. So his case was his own after all!
The ACP continued, “But, Nakul come down to my office. I want to discuss something with you before you proceed to the village again.” Saying this, the ACP hung up. Nakul picked up his cap and walked briskly out to his parked motorbike.
Chapter 22
Purohit Back Home
Doctor Netra called Shiva on the land line around 9:00 a.m. and said, “Shiva, I think you should take Purohitji back home. He has been given too much sedative at the hospital and anything more now will harm his health. Since the Inspector is not in the village, you take him home today and explain gently about John in detail. One or other time, he has to know truth anyway.”
John’s car, left behind by him, was still in the village and was kept parked on the backside of Purohit’s house. Shiva now took this car and drove towards the hospital to bring the Purohit home. He noticed that the Purohit was too weak and was still unstable on his feet. Shiva almost carried him in his hand and made him sit in the car. When Purohitji tried talking he said, “Purohitji, you please relax. After going home, I will tell you everything that had happened.” They reached home.
Two months back, John had brought a comfortable recliner chair for Purohit. Shiva now placed Purohit in the chair and gently stretched both his legs on the extension so that he could be comfortable. Within seconds, he made some fresh coffee and gave it in Purohit’s hand. He pulled another chair and sat in front of Purohit and waited for him to finish the coffee. Then, in a soft voice, he talked for twenty minutes about everything that had happened. Purohit just listened quietly without any questioning. When Shiva finished, Purohit’s eyes welled up with tears and in a feeble voice, he said, “John had become a true devotee and a very gentle man in the heart. Death happens to everyone. But his life should not have ended like this.”
Shiva said, “Purohitji, your health is still not good. As you could not take the shock, you were continuously kept sedated and this has further made you weak. Hence the doctor has advised you complete rest. So please do take rest. I have got some urgent work and I have to go out. In case you want anything when I am away, you please tell Krishna. I will call him and make him sit here near you.” Closing the outer door, Shiva stepped out on the road. He called the neighbour’s boy Krishna and asked him to sit near Purohitji’s bed and take care of him.
The house was very quiet. Somehow it made Purohitji edgy. As he closed his eyes, trying to sleep, vivid pictures of John, starting from his first day when he stepped into this house, flashed in his mind like a slide show. Actually it all had just happened five months back.
It was the 2nd week of January. The time was around 4:00 p.m. Purohitji, as usual was sitting on the porch, reading a book on the Ramayana discourse. Raising a lot of dust a tourist taxi, came to a stop in front of his house. As Purohitji looked up, John alighted out of the taxi and approached the steps of the porch. Purohit could immediately make out that he was a foreigner from his fair skin and hair colour. But his dressing in an Indian style dhoti and a large red ‘Tilak” on his forehead made him wonder a bit. By that time John climbed the steps and reaching him with both his palms joined together in a Namaskar asked, “Swamiji, You are Narayan Purohitji? Am I right sir? ” He talked in clear faultless Marathi.
Purohit said, “Yes, I am Purohit. You look like a foreigner. Are you sure that you are looking really for me?”
In a most unexpected way, John suddenly fell down at Purohit’s feet in full length, the way village brahmins did the Sastanga Namaskar[12], and with both his hands, held Purohitji’s feet. Purohitji was totally perplexed and a bit shocked by this unexpected gesture. John from the same position said in a pleading voice, “Purohitji, My name is John Stone, and I am from the US. Please accept me as your student and help me to learn.”
Purohitji said, “John, please, first get up and sit in the chair. We can then talk at leisure.” By the time the taxi driver hooted the horn and John stepped out and paid the taxi. He picked up his single travel bag and again came to the porch.
Purohit had a boy as help called Nandu at his house, who looked after his needs. Shiva was not there at that time. He called Nandu and asked him to get some cold water for John. He told John to drink the water first and then talk. Then John talked nonstop for half an hour.
He said,” Purohitji, actually by profession I am a doctor. One year back just by some strange coincidence, I happened to attend a discourse of a great Swamiji, Shri Padmanand Guruji, in the US. I was highly fascinated by the lecture and the preaching of Hinduism. Then I started reading a lot of books on Hinduism. I also learned Sanskrit from one of our University teachers. The more I read, the more I wanted to learn. The Swamiji told me that if I want really to understand the meaning of Hinduism, I should come to India, become your student, and learn. I applied for a Visa from the University as a research scholar and on that basis I could come down to you. Now you have to give me shelter here Sir, and help me understand the greatness of all Vedas and other religious literature.”
Purohit remained silent for some time. A small curious crowd had gathered in front of his house. He said, “John, this is a small village. All the villagers are of one single community and follow certain rules. There are no outsiders in this village. If any new thing is to be done, then the village Panchayat is the authority to take a decision. You are an outsider, and by religion, you are not a Hindu. So according to village rules, it is not possible fo
r you to stay here. But the town from here is about three hours’ drive. So it is not possible that you stay in town and travel up and down every day. So I don’t know how to accommodate you in this village at all!!”
John went down on his knees and for about one hour he was continuously pleading. He opened his bag and showed his research papers in which he had already done sufficient work on the scriptures. Purohit found that they were real, well-researched articles. There was something so genuine in his voice that Purohit could not refuse him totally. Finally, he said that a Panchayat meeting would be called the next day and it could then be decided whether he will be able to stay in the village. That night, John stayed in Purohitji’s house.
Purohit noticed that he talked fluent Marathi and was also well versed in Sanskrit, especially the pronunciation and diction of the words, which generally all the foreigners find hard to get, were just perfect. He had also learned all the cultural ways of Indians. He sat on the floor with his feet crossed and ate the food with his hand. He said his prayer before starting the dinner. Purohitji was really impressed.
The next day, the Panchayat meeting was called up. Purohit placed his views on the case as follows-.
John was a doctor and there was no doctor at present in the village. Hence his presence could help the village people.
All the research work will be only through Purohitji.
He assured that he will personally take care that John will not enter the temple.