NERVE TACKER (CH-3; EVERYTHING UNEXPECTED)

NERVE TACKER AND THE CHALICE OF DEMEANOURS

CHAPTER-3

EVERYTHING UNEXPECTED!!

"After it was proved that I am not guilty, the case was growing more popular in Dharavi. The police doubted those friends now", Ramesh started again and he was feeling comfortable while he was expressing his views, "Well, our full family, including you, was not able to keep up with the problems. Leaving father's death aside, it became very difficult for our family to move on. He was only the one who earned and now, he had passed away. "

"Yeah, it is true that struggles are a basic part of life but this was a real one.", continued SAPNA, "It directly affected our livelihood. It would be very difficult to bear up under such conditions in life. All these problems would blow over after a period of time but going through that period of time is very challenging. Our full family had a breakdown but this was not the right way to deal with this situation."

The people of Dharavi kept a distance with the Bhatia family because it was a superstition in the people that 'a distance should be maintained with the family where anyone had died.' This made them feel very peculiar. All these things pressurized the Bhatias so much that dying was better than living. 

In The Past

"So let's move on to the previous one.", said the policeman.

"Sure, sir", said the constable.

The very same day, police reached Rajeev's house at about nine in the night. It was too late and Rajeev had been drinking alcohol for an hour now and that too with Adarsh and Arnab. His family was not allowed to come in that room and he kept his family limited to only one single room. The police came from the backside and unexpectedly saw his full family in that room. It created a doubt, so they decided to silently listen to Rajeev and his friend's words that were spoken in the main room.

"Be silent! Something's odd here. This is a very small house and in that too, the full family is spending their time in only a single room.", said the policeman.

(FROM THE HOUSE)

"Hey! Hey! Hey! We fooled them, they got fooled. So easy it was.", said Rajeev in a drunk manner.

"Wa...Was it right?", said Adarsh while he fumbled.

"What wasn't? It was his choice to sale himself. So what's wrong!", said Rajeev.

"We did not take his words as a joke. It was a play. The game was only for our income and not for addiction.", said Arnab.

"Ya! He's right! We m---m---m.", said Adarsh.

"What do you want to say? Murder? Yes, I accept we 'murdered' him", said Rajeev.

After listening to the last line, the policeman and the constable instantaneously entered the room and held the friends up in their hands. They opened the room in which the family was kept and freed them. They knew that the men would not open their mouths, so they decided to ask the family members.

"Why you all were inside?", said the policeman.

"We aren't allowed to come out when he talks with his friends.", said Rajeev's wife.

"You don't know anything else?"

"Nope"

"So, Rajeev open your mouth and tell, who did you murder?"

"Sir, leave us. We have not done anything. Really!", said Rajeev.

"Really sir!", said Adarsh.

(To the constable)"Take 'em to the police station, and torture them all!", said the policeman

"Sir, no case, please! We apologize for our mistake", said Arnab.

"Arnab, please!", said Rajeev.

"What! It's a crime. What we have done is even not bailable.", said Arnab.

"What did you do?", said the policeman.

"We murdered...", said Adarsh.

"Hmmm..mmm", said Rajeev while trying to interrupt his 'betraying' friends.

"Was it Sanjay?", said the constable.

"Ya! He was", said Arnab.

"Why did you do that?", said the policeman.

"Big story! I would be pleased to tell it in front of Ramesh and his family.", said Arnab.

Well, Arnab made clear that they have assassinated Sanjay. The reason was still not clear as Arnab felt guilty of his crime, so he wanted to open all his secrets in front of Ramesh and his family. It was very unexpected that Sanjay's best friends had killed him. Sanjay trusted all of his friends by heart but his friendship killed him and even killed his family mentally.

The family was called to the police station where the three friends were kept in custody. When Sanjay's family arrived at the police station, Adarsh and Arnab started speaking while Rajeev kept quiet because he was a little bit scared. Adarsh started speaking," I am sorry..."

"Get to the point! No emotional blackmail!", said the policeman.

"Okay! As you wish! Sanjay was the best man I had ever met in my life. He was both honest and kind. The only guilt that he always spoke about was that he was not able to keep his family happy and that too was because of poverty. About a year ago, we suggested him a way that was gambling. We ensured him that it would help him to earn some more.", said Adarsh.

"At first, he denied but when we asked him again and again, he thought it would be beneficial and it would help him to come out of that guilt. He started playing that game but he was never addicted to it. His luck was very good and he earned about 200 rupees per day by gambling.", said Arnab.

Ramesh and his family was shocked that his father gambled and that too was because of them.

"About ten days ago, his luck did not work for him and he was losing everything he had. Consequently, he was left with nothing. In a sarcastic way, he said that he is giving his and his family's life, in gambling, to us. Unfortunately, he lost again and he knew that he had lost his life now. That was the reason he was behaving too eccentrically and asked you all to go out. We did not take his words as a joke and literally, we killed him. I am sorry...", said Adarsh while he was crying a bit in between.

Ramesh's face was transforming its colour from red to green as every second was passing on and it even crossed the speed of traffic lights.

"How can you do that? What about us, now?", said Ramesh in anger.

Police kept the criminals in jail and in this large conversation Rajeev spoke nothing because he had no guilt for his crime.

Ramesh now forced his mother to move on and start some work to earn a livelihood. After thinking for a long time, she decided to work as a tailor in the colony because she had mastered this work, long before. 

It was going to be very difficult but the future was waiting for them and time waits for none. Ramesh was still brave and he really was very brave. The difficult thing was that Sapna had to move on in a society where widows were considered a curse. Gonna be very stressful!!!!

 -To Be Continued