Written by Bhumika Patil
His legs perched on the table, Arun, a 46-year-old police sepoy, was wondering which stalls he should visit tonight. “Aren’t you going to do your patrolling duty?” asked his colleague sitting at the other end of the dimly lit room. The police chowki didn’t bother with more than one incandescent bulb, managing to glow just enough for their faces to be visible to each other.
“Just tell me you’re hungry,” quipped Arun as he rose from his chair. He grabbed his phone and keys from the table, leaving his wallet since it was useless anyway. “Get me some garma-garam pakodas,” demanded his colleague. Arun grinned at him and set off for his daily patrolling duty around 11 pm. He was assigned to the Ghodbunder Police Chowki two years ago. The government forbids roadside stalls after 10 pm, but if the police turn a blind eye, they can continue their business. But everything comes at a cost, and Arun made sure to collect it from the thele-valas during his patrolling duty.
The serenity of night was denied by a metropolitan city like Thane. The roads were loaded with honking vehicles of all sizes. The footpaths were bustling. Arun was walking on the footpath, scanning all the stalls in sight when the fragrance of Chinese food hit him. It drew him closer to the Chinese thela like a hound on a scent.
The stall, named “Chinese Corner”, was painted with vibrant colours but lacked artistic sensibility. The menu was displayed on the side of the stall. People were busy skimming through the menu, looking for a dish that perfectly fit both their appetite and their budget. Others were waiting for their orders to be prepared, but some eager beavers were shouting at the youngster, Raju, who was handling the stall, for their orders to be prioritized. Smoke billowed from the large pans, wafting tantalizing aromas into the air. Chinese rice was being prepared in a large pan on one side while Manchurian balls fried on the other. The air around the stall was thick and sweltering, saturated with the heat from the cooking and the sizzle of gas flames.
“What will you have today, sahab?” asked Raju hurriedly, at the sight of Arun.
“Two plate noodles sounds just right, no? Add a plate of Manchurians as well,” ordered Arun assertively, knowing very well he wouldn’t have to wait long unlike those other customers. Raju knew what had to be done. “One plate noodles, Kaalya!” he shouted at the boy tossing veggies in the huge pan.
The pressure of so many customers never bothered Raju, and he worked diligently every day trying to earn every rupee he could. But one customer always troubled him. His blood would boil with rage, but the fear of losing business kept him calm. “What is the use of him having a government job when he can’t pay for his food?” Raju thought to himself as he placed the Manchurians on the paper plate and covered it with newspaper. He shoved the Manchurians and noodles into one plastic bag. “Here’s your order, sahab!” exclaimed Raju with a big fake smile on his face as he handed the bag to Arun.
“Raju, this won’t be enough if you want to keep your stall open. You seem to be doing good business. Don’t I deserve a token of thanks?” Arun snapped with a snide tone. Raju pulled out the drawer and fetched a five-hundred-rupee note. “Of course, sahab,” he said as he handed the note to Arun. “I hope you earn a lot!” Arun, unbothered, drifted away while Raju sighed heavily, not knowing whether he was relieved or afraid of tomorrow.
Remembering his colleague’s cravings, Arun decided that the next halt would be at the pakoda stall. The pakoda stall lay empty and dark. No one seemed to be interested in having pakodas at night, so there were no customers. The only sounds audible were the soft rustling of fluttering moths around the light bulb. Arun’s eyes searched for somebody. On failing, he approached the youngster looking after the stall. “Where is Chotu?”
“He returned to his village,” came the answer.
“Why? Couldn’t handle the business here?”
“Well, he was accused of theft. Seth claimed that the money he received at the end of the day was suspiciously low and that Chotu might have been taking some amount for himself daily. Chotu pleaded endlessly that he was innocent but the seth refused to listen to him,” explained the youngster.
“A hardworking and loyal young boy like Chotu wouldn’t dare to do such a thing. How can seth remove him from work without any proof?”
“Sahab, don’t you know the nature of these seths ? Money is their true love. Nothing is more important than profit for them. Upon seeing his loss, seth was mad with rage. Sending Chotu away was the least of the punishments he is capable of.”
Upon hearing this, Arun mindlessly left the stall and walked straight to the chowki. The moment he stepped inside, his colleague thundered pointing at the bag Arun held, “Are those my pakodas? Give them here.”
“This is not for you. The pakoda stall was closed. Find something else to eat.”
“You liar! You visit the stall daily, and I’ve never heard you say the stall was closed.”
“I need to leave now, or else Shakuntala will be angry, just like you,” saying this, Arun collected his things, slung his backpack over his shoulder, and left the chowki leaving his poor colleague in confusion and hunger. As he mounted his bike, his mind drifted back to Chotu.
Poor boy! Framed for a theft he didn’t commit.
Arun started driving back home. He was unable to wrap his head around the matter. Can I help him? A policeman can definitely help in such a case!
Arun’s back straightened with confidence. Memories of his training days came flooding in, and a faint smile spread across his face. His eyes brightened.
The good old days! All I wanted at that time was to be a policeman and make Aai proud of me. It took all my strength and potential to get selected in the police force, and today, here I am!
His smile grew wider, and he beamed with pride. Puffed with confidence, Arun now started pondering over who could be the real culprit.
The theft has been happening daily. What kind of thief robs from the same location every day? An unusual case indeed! He recollected every incidence of theft he had come across. The muscle memory of driving helped him multitask. “Theft that happens every day…… every day…,” he muttered to himself.
Suddenly, his colleague’s words pierced through him, “You visit there daily….”. He clenched the accelerator hard, losing his sense of speed.
Is it me?
The world blurred around him. As the wind whipped past him, his eyes teared up. The tires screeched as he pressed the brakes. “Are you blind!” yelled an auto driver angrily as Arun almost crashed his bike into the autorickshaw. Arun stared into the void as the auto driver cursed at him. He started his bike again and fled the scene, leaving the auto driver confused.
Not possible! How can that be? Chotu is the culprit for sure. There is no other way the thefts can take place. He had access to all the money, so it is obvious. The seth is not a fool after all. Rage crept through, and Arun furrowed his brow.
That wicked Chotu! What a foolish boy. Lost the only means of earning money that he had. The bike leapt ahead at a ferocious speed. His jaw clenched tightly as anger flashed in his eyes.
Now, what does fate hold for him? Working in fields like his forefathers had! Had he been sincere, he could’ve continued his job. That is why they say - Don’t bite the hand that feeds you.
His eyes widened as his own words sunk in. He slowed down the bike while his head raced towards the truth.
Chotu would never do such a thing, and that was the truth. I had known him for two years. I had seen him grow. I knew every vein of that boy. He was not capable of such a thing. He worked diligently all this time. No way could he suddenly think of stealing money. A weary smile of defeat spread across his face. Soaking in the acceptance he muttered,
“It is me”
The stolen money lies in my pockets. What might have polluted my character to bring such a day upon me? A policeman being a thief! It’s completely unacceptable. I aimed to be a respectable policeman. One who would help the society in need. And what have I done? Become a thief? Shame on me! If Aai hears this, she won’t even look at me. What will Sudha and Sudheer think about their Baba? I don't deserve to be a policeman.
Arun’s eyes welled up with tears, which he rubbed away instantly. A newfound energy surged through Arun’s body. His back straightened and he looked straight at the road ahead of him.
This has to change and I will change it. Arun resolved to stop bothering the thele-valas. As he remembered Raju’s worried face, he decided not to be the reason for it and instead be the reason for their smile. His mind returned to his training days when they were taught the motto. “सद्रक्षणाय खलनिग्रहणाय - Protecting the righteous while controlling and annihilating the evil,” he said firmly to himself with a puffed-up chest.
Arun parked his bike in the parking lot beside his apartment. Before heading home, he fetched the five-hundred-rupee note taken from Raju and slid it into his pocket.
Tomorrow I will return this money to Raju. Slowly and steadily, I’ll return everything I have taken from them.
“Baba! You are here,” cried Sudha in delight. Sudha, his 8-year-old daughter, patiently awaited him while watching Mahabharata on the television, whereas Sudheer, his 15-year-old son, was busy playing video games. “O! What is inside this? It smells like…..Chinese food!” she exclaimed, pointing at the bag in Arun’s hand. Hearing this, Sudheer jumped to his feet and ran straight towards Arun, grabbed the bag, and dashed towards the dining table. “Wait for me too!” Sudha shouted as she tried catching up to her brother.
Arun smiled ear to ear. He stepped inside and glanced at the television. The episode displayed the game of dice, a significant event in Mahabharata, which set the stage for the epic war. Shakuni, the cunning uncle of the Kauravas, had rigged the game in their favour. Dhritarashtra, the king and the father of the Kauravas, aware of the inevitable downfall of the Pandavas, turned a blind eye to Shakuni’s cunning plan, and let the deceitful game unfold. His failure as a king, and success as a father, made sure that his son, Duryodhan, ruled over Hastinapur while the Pandavas were forced into exile for thirteen years.
“When did you become so interested in Mahabharata?” questioned Shakuntala, his wife, as she gestured for him to sit for dinner. Breaking out from the trance, Arun moved to the dining table. Seeing his kids enjoying the food, Arun broke into a hearty laugh. “They seem to be enjoying what you brought,” whispered Shakuntala. “After all, it’s me who brought it. It should be tasty!” he boasted to his wife.
“Isn’t it tasty Sudha?” he asked. “Yes!” came the reply.
“We need dessert too. This alone wouldn’t do!” claimed Sudheer.
Arun fetched the five-hundred-rupee note from his pocket and placed it on the table. “Here, go get ice cream after dinner. Don’t forget mine, okay?” Sudheer picked up the note happily and slid it into his pocket.
The beautiful family had a great time at the dining table.
Correspondent
Renesa
Damnnn...
That was a good read!!!