Sunil R P Sethi
Inspector Mukesh was sitting on his chair in police station when a constable brought before him a boy of about 8 years. Mukesh was busy reading official files pertaining to case investigations going on in the police station . He raised his head from file and asked the Constable.” Who is this child and why is he in the police station “. Child was good looking with decent clothing and didn’t look like involved in crime, speaking from experience of Mukesh. ” Sir Pl listen to him. He is talking non sense and has created scene in police station “. Mukesh gave a stern look to child and closed file. He indicated child to sit down on the chair and asked the Constable to bring water for child. ” I will take tea and my name is Anand before you ask me ” . Mukesh had smile on his face at the wit of child and passed signal to constable, who went out.
Mukesh then addressed Anand ” Now tell me in detail whatever you want to say “. Anand looked matured and serene by looks, far beyond his age. Suddenly his face could reflect all pains and agonies going on inside him. Anand said ” I want you to investigate my murder ” . Mukesh was taken aback. He asked ” Who has been murdered ” And answer shocked him no limits ” ME “. Mukesh looked at Anand but his face reflected pain and he was very serious. This was turning out to be very interesting and mysterious. Tea had arrived and Anand took cup of tea and started his narrative .
” I was Kumar in my last birth and was living in this very city in Street no 27 and was killed 11 years back. My dead body was not found and it was presumed that I had run away. My mother waited for me every moment till she died 3 years back. Her last breath had gone but eyes were wide open , waiting for her son to come even at her last time which never happened as son had already left world 8 years before her ” Anand uttered painfully . Mukesh was at the edge of his seat . ” Who killed you ? ” He asked . He was in for a greater shock . Answer was ” My wife and my Son ”
Anand then said ” I was living with my wife Aarti and my 21 years old son Aditya. I was working as Supervisor in Road Construction department and had good salary and also had ancestral land in village which had come in Road Expansion and I had got compensation of about 4 crores which was huge amount by our standards. Despite my best efforts my son had fallen in bad company and was thrashed by me when I found him taking drugs on roof one day . I never had good relations with my wife whom I always found greedy and impatient. Now with money coming in abundance both my wife and my son were after me to give money to Aditya so that he can start business . I knew he would waste money as he was good for nothing and would rather go more deep in drug abuse by spending money. It was a rainy night when they both came to me. I could see clearly that Aditya was under influence of drugs with drowsy eyes and blushed face . But I was shocked to find same expression on face of Aarti. Seemed she had also taken some drugs or intoxicant. I lost my cool , may be for first time in life and shouted that I was betrayed by both and I won’t tolerate this anymore. I also shouted at them that next morning I will divorce Aarti and disown Aditya. They were both shocked. Aarti threatened me that she would not allow that to happen as she had waited her life for living life of luxury and comfort and wouldn’t allow me to throw her on road. Aditya ran inside with rage and came back with kitchen knife. He asked me whether I would still stuck to my decision. I said yes though I knew father in me would compel me to Partition money in three equal parts. I wanted to keep one third of money basically for my old widowed mother who was living in village and was dependent on me for survival. ”
Mukesh was becoming impatient to know more. He said ” What happened then “. Anand had finished his tea and was looking at Mukesh with question mark on his face. Mukesh called constable and asked him to bring one more tea. Anand continued ” I had said that but I knew Aditya wouldn’t harm his father neither Aarti would allow that . But I was wrong. As I turned my back I felt immense pain in my back. I turned around and saw knife stabbed in my back by Aditya who was holding it . He pulled it back. I cried and asked Aarti to stop Aditya and that I would give money. She said money issue had gone now . At this time Aditya again stabbed me and then it was all madness with him inflicting 27 stabs on me and killed his father . After I fell down I suddenly felt liberated and was flouting in air but saw my body lying in pool of blood on floor. I wanted to cry and shout and call people for neighbourhood but I had no voice however hard I tried. I could only watch . I witnessed ruthless manner in which my body was dismembered by my son and my wife and then burrying different parts of my body at 3 different place in the city that night . Next morning story was made by Aarti that I had fought with her and I had left home after executing will in her favour , never to come back. They got what they wanted and I didn’t get even decent cremation.”
Story looked unbelievable beside it involved Aditya Choudhary a big businessman and politically well connected person but there were some apparently believable parts like father of Aditya having gone missing and still untraced . Mukesh took Anand with him and his team and in fact they could find bones at the place where Anand had pointed out.After arrest and interrogation Aditya and Aarti vomitted everything. What Anand was saying was true , absolutely true. Anand wanted to slap his both murderers which Mukesh agreed, though it was not legal ,but then, what Aarti and Aditya had done deserved punishment more than what law would give them . But when time came to slap them in police lock up , Anand failed again . He could only ask Aarti and Aditya ” Why ? What was my fault ? ” And then he felt tears rolling down, which couldn’t come when he left body and saw the most heinous crime . Aarti and Aditya were so moved that they agreed to make confession before magistrate ,which was only way to get their conviction as there was no evidence otherwise .
Next day Mukesh was again sitting in police station with a satisfied looking matured 8 years old boy sitting across table holding cup of tea. Mukesh asked ” where would you go now ? Shall I drop you to your home ? ” Anand replied ” I don’t know . I have no home home or family ” Mystery was still not leaving and thus the new curiosity for Mukesh . ” From where have you come? ” Anand smiled and said ” leave it as you won’t believe “. Mukesh looked clueless but he said ” Do try . You have reached so far as only I could believe you “.
So Anand again started over tea ” After I moved away from home I went through a tunnel which had very soothing light and while passing through it my all worries , bad feelings , anger and pains were getting washed off. I was feeling free and light as a feather. Time had no relevance . I wanted always to remain like that but after process of apparent cleansing I again found myself in womb of my new mother and was born in due times and grew up in my new home ” Mukesh got some relief at least from his mysteries. ” Where is your home ? . Let me call your parents “. Anand smiled ” You can’t call them. None can “. Mukesh said ” Oh are they no more ? “. Anand said ” They are alive and healthy but beyond your reach and contemplation “. Again new mystery had started. Before Mukesh could ask Anand started
” I took birth not in this world or even this universe. That was another universe where almost everything is same. Same type of humans and vehicles and buildings and progress but physical laws are little different “. Mukesh was again shocked . He asked ” Like what ? “. Anand smiled ” Like we don’t feel hunger or fell sick. We remember all past lives and live with our relatives or known out of our choice. We have no fight and no government as there are no nations but only one nation ” . Mukesh asked ” What about religion and which God you follow ? ” . Anand replied ” we don’t believe in concept of religion or even God. That’s process of evolution and in future even your earth would need no God . Process of million Gods to One and then NONE. And this series of Universes have no end. Each successive universe having more evolved laws of physics and also human beings . Travel to our universe from more evolved parrallel universes is very common but not so to your universe as going back is difficult. In our universe a person choose his death when his all desires are over and he is ready for higher planes. There are no animals as we don’t need them “.
Mukesh was stunned. The whole life circle stood unfolded before him, even beyond the concepts of creation so far known. His inner hunger was unsatiated. He asked ” How you came here “. Anand looked visibly disturbed. With pain in voice he said ” When my mother came to our world and met me, I came to know about her sufferings . And by the way we don’t communicate through words . We can read each other’s mind so there is only truth existing . I felt rage which was unusual in my world and I wanted to come to teach lesson to perpetrators of crime not only against me but also my mother who was not taken care of and who died as beggar . When I told my community leader he was annoyed and said that I may never come back . But I was insistent and so I got transported here when in sleep. I have no idea how to go back or whether I will ever go back to meet my family. Now I realise my mistake in taking revenge. I can’t live here as I remember everything and I can’t go there as I am clueless in that “. He stood to move out of room. Mukesh finally asked ” But your name sounded Hindu . Anand ” . Smilingly he said ” we have no names as we don’t need them either. That was only for you so that we can communicate.” Off he went leaving behind a visibly shaken and new avatar of Mukesh. He was never heard of again. May be he found his way back or may be he is still wandering and trying to find one.
(The author is senior advocate)
srps7737@gmail.com
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