The Branded Criminal: In Search of Liberation

by Yakub Totanawala

  “Aha. Fully loaded,” said my father. “But what is it?”

  I shook my fists, leaned close to him and mumbled, “I robbed a jewellery shop. I‘ve brought jewellery and cash.”

  My father jerked backwards.

  “Jewellery?” My mother exclaimed with hands on her cheeks.

  “Yessss.”

  My parents peeped in from the sides, and I removed all six packets. I spread them on the floor design-wise, as displayed at the store. Baffled, they gaped at the ornament sets. The total robbery must be worth around 13 lakhs.’

  ‘13 lakh rupees?’ exclaimed Zaheer.

  ‘Yes, man, 13 lakhs. And it carried a massive value in 2001.My mother clutched my father’s arm and darted gazes at us. My father folded his arms and shrunk. Mother grabbed and caressed me and kissed my forehead. “Hide everything,” stammered my father. I discussed rewarding my three assistants. We agreed to pay ten thousand rupees in cash to each one, and I kept their share aside. We hid the booty in a steel pot, stuffed clothes in it, placed it in a corner, and put utensils over it. My father hugged me and patted me.

  ‘I distributed the amount to my helpers. Their parents touched my feet in thankfulness. Ten thousand meant loads of money for a Chhara in 2001.

  “Let us inform Vivekbhai. We may need his help in case of trouble,” said my father.

  ‘We scurried to Vivek Uncle’s house. He sat rocking on his chair.

  “Namaste, Vivekbhai,” said my father, touching his feet. “With your blessings, my child accomplished a success today. We hope there are no traces and he remains untouched. You have always supported us, and we request for the same again,” whispered my father.

  “You are lucky to have a son like Vicky,” said Vivek Uncle. “My child never obeys me. Nice, Vicky, you utilised the opportunity. What did you do today?”

  ‘My father squinted at me. But he was our community leader and my trainer and mentor so I confided in him.

  “I robbed a jewellery shop, Uncle.”

  ‘Vivek uncle stopped rocking and gaped. He leaned his stiff body forward. ‘Jewellery shop,’ he said. A part of him appeared disappointed.

  “Vicky succeeded because of your training and encouragement,” said my father.

  ‘Vivek Uncle sat frozen. We sensed his pain. Guddu’s carelessness ripped his heart. I had encouraged Guddu to join in for a heist, but he had rejected the offer. I had accomplished my task, in plenty.

  “I am happy, Vicky. You succeeded in a risky venture. Guddu is your friend; teach him to be responsible,” he said and rubbed his face.

  “Sure, Vivekbhai. He’ll speak to him.”

  ‘My father sensed the situation. He sought permission and pulled me out, and we hurried home. My elder brother arrived, and my father informed him of the robbery in brief. We finished our lunch and stayed home to protect the valuables.

  ‘Due to the quake disaster, immediate jewellery disposal was difficult. We had a Herculean task of safeguarding it for a few days. My community murmured of my courageous mission, mostly in my praise. Yet you never know, because the five fingers of our hands are all different.

  ‘The afternoon and the evening passed by. At 9 pm, I reclined, dreaming of my prospects. A knock on the door alerted us. My father opened it to find the youngest guy who had assisted me.

  “Vivek Uncle is calling Vickybhai.”

  “Why?” asked my father.

  “Send him fast. He is beating Guddubhai,” he said, and disappeared.

  ‘Damn it. He must be furious at Guddu. But why did he call me? Negative thoughts flooded my mind, and I bit my nails. I convinced my father and sprinted towards Guddu’s house. The gathering outside made way for me. Vivek Uncle was thrashing Guddu. I entered his house, and he stopped.

  “He is a burden, Vicky. I taught you stealing; in return, you must teach my son to be responsible,” he said. “Today was an excellent opportunity, and you utilised it. And this rascal... he wasted his time banging a prostitute,” he added.

  ‘I remained quiet. Guddu glared through his fringe, at his father, and at me. People understood the story. I went close to Guddu, who looked glum.

  “Calm down, both of you,” I said.

  ‘Vivek Uncle screamed from behind. “I guide our people to excel in talents and help them earn a livelihood. And my bloody child has no concern for life. He wastes his time like the Chharanagar pigs. I feel like killing him. He is a shameless and irresponsible son.”

  “Kill me, then. Who stops you?” shouted Guddu.

  “Rascal, learn from Vicky. He is a year younger to you, but see his dedication. Nobody advised him, but he sensed the opportunity in today’s situation and strived. And guess what he struck today? You scoundrel. While you pumped a brothel bitch, Vikram cleaned up a jewellery store and made his fortune. And you rascal. Your life is to eat, sleep and fuck,” he said.

  ‘He revealed my escapade, and I stared at him with my cheeks sucked in.

  “Calm down, Uncle. Guddu is also talented. He excels in tricks which no Chhara can perform.”

  “So what? Talents will benefit only if you use it, Vicky. He should have showcased his skills today and amassed a fortune like you and made his life. But rascal preferred to spurt out his sperms,” he said, and in a fit of rage, pounded him. Guddu defended but slipped on the floor. Enraged, he shouted back.

  “If you dislike me, I’ll go away. Make Vikram your heir and live happily.”

  ‘Both mentioned me in their outburst. The community leader’s son should be the most revered, but it was Vicky Chhara. Praised by all and loved more than Guddu. Guddu’s failure to strike a landmark achievement upset Vivek Uncle. And my best friend fumed because my abilities challenged his freedom and lifestyle. The friendship hung on a thread. And I stood helpless.

  “Get lost then, you rascal. Go and sleep in the brothel,” said the leader. “Did you see, Vicky? How he barked at me? He is least bothered to accept his mistake,” he said and barged at him.

  ‘The situation heated up. Some people stepped in to pacify them. For a moment, I cursed myself for robbing a jewellery store. An elderly person took away Guddu to his house, and others helped the leader calm down. I headed home.

  ‘My father inquired, and I narrated the scene. He advised me to focus on my work. My father, my brother, and I took turns to sleep in the night. The aftershock jolts recurred at frequent intervals.

  ‘In the morning, as soon as breakfast was done, I sought my father’s permission to meet Guddu. I raced to his house. Vivek Uncle said he had not returned from the old man’s house, and I rushed there. The elderly man said Guddu had left early in the morning. I scratched my head. Where did he go? Did he run away as he had threatened last night? I scurried home.

  ‘I consulted my father over going out for another steal. At that moment, loud banging on our door jolted me.’

  Chapter—13

  The Betrayal

  ‘I swallowed the lump and opened the door. Irfan Khan, the Satkarnagar police inspector, glowered at me. He slammed the door and punched me on my face. His associates barged in. A policeman grabbed my neck and another cuffed me.

  “Bastard. You robbed jewellery stores, huh?” The Inspector gritted his teeth. “Surrender the valuables. At once,” he said.

  ‘My father pleaded for me, declaring my innocence. A constable slapped and seized him. One cop surrounded my mother, one held my brother, and a few more stood with the officer. Irfan kicked me in my stomach and caught me by my hair.

  “Give me the valuables at once, you pig, or I’ll remove the skin from your flesh. Search his house,” he commanded, and his associates ransacked our hut. I pressed my abdomen and gasped.

  ‘How did the police discover my robbery? Who informed them? Irfan kept thrashing me and hurling foul words. The policemen emptied the steel pot and found the hidden jewellery.

  “Saheb, check here,” said one. My family frowned.

  “Sisterfucker... Robbing jewellery stores, huh? Arrest this bastard,�
�� Irfan growled and kicked my stomach.

  “Make a note and wrap the valuables. Arrest his father too,” he said. His subordinates obeyed.

  ‘They tied my hands and ankles with manacles and pulled us away, barefoot. My mother and brother wailed. Some policemen tugged at the chains, a few pushed me, and a few belted me. Their antics were such as if to demonstrate they had captured a dreaded criminal.

  ‘We reached near their jeep at our entrance. The tribesmen assembled and lamented, and the gatekeepers stared at me in pity. I sighted Guddu leaning on the wall, standing with his right leg folded and supported on the wall. His hand was in his jacket’s pocket, the other held a cigarette. He blew the smoke, pressed his teeth and twisted his nose. Through his fringe and the smoke, he glared at me. My decade-old companion remained unconcerned over my arrest. They pushed us inside the jeep. Irfan and his associates boarded, and the vehicle jerked forward. A dust cloud rose, and the gatekeepers made way, whining. Guddu saw me staring at him. He removed his left hand and showed me his middle finger. My heart and stomach sank. I closed my eyes as tears streamed down my cheeks.

  ‘They put us inside the station jail. Irfan spoke to someone over the phone. My mother and brother rushed in, but were pushed away. They waited outside. A man dressed in shining whites, accompanied by four associates, stalked in to meet the Inspector. A few minutes later, a policeman opened our cell. The man came in along with his assistants and Irfan. Of medium built with a fair complexion, fatty cheeks, and a bulging tummy, he might‘ve been 50 years old. He sported a trimmed beard with traces of grey hair.

  ‘He came near me. With his hands in his pockets, he leaned towards me and asked, ‘How old are you?’

  I dropped my head. He glanced at my father.

  “Saheb, please forgive us, Saheb. You received your booty; please let us go. We will not repeat this, Saheb,” said my father.

  “Shut up, you bastard,” yelled Irfan. “Who said he recovered all, huh? You think we are fools? Many valuables are missing. But we’ll recover them at any cost.” By no means could we convince them.

  “Do you recognise him?” asked the Inspector, pointing at the man dressed in whites. We gazed at him. “He is Hamid Saheb, the Member of the Legislative Assembly. He owns many establishments across the state, including the jewellery shop you burgled.”

  ‘O Fuck. The bloody Chhara destiny. I held my head. I had looted a Gujarat MLA’s jewellery store. My father fell at Irfan’s feet. I grabbed the MLA’s feet and begged for pardon. The man squeezed my shoulder and said, “Surrender all valuables, and we’ll see.”

  “Saheb, I kept everything in the steel pot at my house. The police recovered and noted every valuable. I gifted ten thousand cash each to my three assistants, and that is the only thing missing, Saheb. I swear,” I said.

  “The valuables are less. Speak the truth,” said the MLA.

  “By God, Saheb, I remember well. I picked up 15 gold ornament sets and two silver. Each comprised four bangles, a necklace, two earrings and one finger ring. Plus, 40 gold rings, ten pairs of gold bangles. And 15 one-gram gold coins, 12 two-gram gold coins, 10 five-gram gold biscuits, five 10-gram gold biscuits and Rs. 90,000 cash. The total value could be around Rs. 13 lakhs,” I said.

  “Wah. You have memorised it,” said Mr Hamid, and asked his assistant. “Is he correct?”

  “Correct, Saheb. But we have not recovered them all. Instead of 15, we received eight gold ornament sets. Two silver sets received. Instead of 40 gold rings, we got 20. Instead of ten pairs of bangles, we could only recover five. Instead of 15, we got only eight gold coins of one gram. Instead of 12, six gold coins of two grams were recovered. And instead of 10, we found only five gold biscuits of five grams. We got two gold biscuits of 10 grams instead of five, and the cash recovered is 10,000,” said his assistant.

  ‘I was surprised at that number. Those policemen must have stolen it. Hamid Saheb behaved like a human, and I hoped for his pardon. My father and I begged before the MLA, but he insisted I return his valuables. But I had nothing more to surrender. I was screwed. He left me at the mercy of the police, and I sat frozen.

  ‘The police station writer neared and warned us. “Bastard, you robbed an MLA’s jewellery shop and that too without police help, huh?” he grinned. “You think you can make off with the booty alone?” he added. “I’ll make a strong case against you and destroy you. I’ll charge you with all the sections available in the constitution,” he said, and stomped towards his table.

  ‘Next, the Sub inspector came in. “Get up,” he said, and caught me by the collar and whispered, “How many shops did you burgle yesterday? You can’t have been satisfied with one. Speak up, and I’ll guide you on the sharing ratio and help expedite your release.”

  “I swear, Saheb, I robbed only one. I stored the valuables in the pot, and you recovered them all. That is the truth.” I pleaded.

  “Listen, my baby, listen. No one can discover the missing jewellery. We have already shared it, and nobody can prove it. The blame is upon you. Disclose all the burglaries or pay us our share. Remember when you stole Irfan sir’s wallet? You fined him half his money. Irfan sir wants you to pay half the robbery value. Rs. 6.5 lakhs. Once you do that we will discharge you,” he said.

  “But sir, I lost my booty. How do I pay you such an enormous sum?”

  “Not our problem,” he said and left.

  ‘Fuck... My arrogance finally boomeranged onto me.

  ‘I ventured out to strike on the opportunity, but the cops proved smarter. With hands folded, I pleaded, but he smacked my cheek and stomped into his cabin. I bit my nails and tossed around. My father sank his head on his chest and sulked. I lost my prized catch as in Hemingway’s The Old man and the Sea. My worries consumed me.

  ‘At 1 pm, a constable pushed two steel trays containing food towards us. The plates came sliding, spilling out a thin yellow curry and rice. We finished lunch and kept the empty dishes outside the cell.

  ‘The public movement at the station reduced. A policeman at the reception desk sat drowsing. Supporting his right elbow on the table and resting his right cheek on his palm, he pricked his nostrils. I asked him, “Not going for your lunch, Saheb?”

  He opened his eyes and glowered at me. “Why? You want to break the lock and escape, huh?”

  “Shu Saheb. I asked because everybody else has gone.”

  ‘He rubbed his eyes and yawned. “Ay, idiot. You have visited here since childhood. Don’t you know? This is not a commercial office that we close for lunch. We serve the citizens. One person must stay at the station, so I’ll go after my colleagues return.”

  “Yes, Saheb. What I meant was… you eat last every day?”

  “Eh. What is it, Vicky? Ask it straight away. Don’t beat around the bush,” he said, staring at me.

  “Saheb, who informed my jewellery shop robbery to the police?”

  “Why? What will you do? You will take revenge, huh?”

  “Na Saheb. For my knowledge. To be more careful in the future.”

  “Hahaha. Future... First, come out of this mess, you scoundrel. Anyway, your friend Guddu informed us.”

  ‘My father held his head, and I gripped the bars, staring at the cop. Why did Guddu inform the police? I had achieved a breakthrough in my life, and that rascal shattered my dream? No. Chharas don’t do it. Our tribesmen hide our crimes. Everybody supports all. Thus, we survive against a devilish society. But did our community leader’s son break the Chhara faith, trust, and tradition? Alas. If yes, Guddu had no idea of his blunder, and what disasters it would bring.

  “The shop manager registered a complaint with Kalupur station,” said the policeman. “The Commissioner’s office issued an alert. We expected Chharas involvement and hunted for the thief. And early in the morning, Guddu came seeking the Inspector. He insisted on calling him at once, and I connected them.”

  “Oh. What did he say?”

  “He said he knew about a jewellery store burglary. Saheb dashed
in to meet him. Guddu said you forced him for the theft, but he declined, considering it immoral during a calamity. He advised you to help people, but you chose crime. He disclosed your robbery and your availability at home and urged for your arrest. Boon for us. Irfan Saheb arrested you and updated the MLA. And you are here,” he said. “You idiot, out of the entire city, you found the MLA’s shop to steal?” he asked. “That is why... that is why you must consult us before such undertakings. It is for your benefit,” he said, and continued pricking his nose.

  ‘My blood boiled even as pain and betrayal axed my heart. If I encountered Guddu, I would chop him into pieces. Despite being my tribesman and best friend, he backstabbed me. He caused a blot on the Chhara name that cannot be cleaned. Guddu started it, and sitting in that jail’s corner, I accepted the split. I vowed for revenge. To settle my account with him, sooner or later. Chharas don’t backstab, but Guddu broke the tradition. Chharas don’t break vows, and I’ll not break that tradition.

  ‘I committed a robbery, thus I deserved imprisonment. To commit crimes, get caught sometimes, and escape by any means defined my life. But my father suffering in jail to atone for my burglary minced my heart. The police used him to pressurise me to reveal the extra thefts they presumed I had committed. Chharas lie; we must, to survive in the criminal world. But by God, I had robbed nothing else than the jewellery store. But nobody trusts the Chharas. And even if they believed, they still demanded their share of Rs. 6.5 lakhs for my release, despite me losing the booty.

  ‘The entire episode shamed humankind. An earthquake caused a disaster, but a tribesman found an opportunity to steal. His friend avoided it because lust had tempted him. The man accidentally robbed an MLA’s jewellery store. His jealous buddy broke the trust and informed the cops. The police caught the thief and recovered the valuables, but stole a part of them. They forced him to disclose more in the greed of their share. And the Inspector, to avenge his insult of losing half his money earlier, demanded half the booty for my freedom. The jewellery store owner might forgive if the culprit surrendered the balance valuables. Hah. But the police had stolen it. The man was screwed.