The morning sun smiled at 2 friends walking hand in hand. They walked leisurely, admiring a butterfly here or a flower there. Grandpa and his little princess! Two extreme ends of life seemed to have connected well. Generation Gap! One had not yet heard the word & other one had discarded it from his dictionary.
————————————————————————————————————–
As suggested by Ben, I tried this. Writing these shorties is fun. It saves time (wrote this in lunch time J) and the 55 words limitation makes you understand the real value of words. A great learning experience! Thanks Ben!
Generation Gap
December 17th, 2010 4 comments »
Makeover
October 6th, 2010 8 comments »She throws her bag & slams the door.
Besides him she sprawls on the floor.
‘Makeover is what I need”
Declares she though he doesn’t heed
While yanking clothes, yelling ‘Makeover, Makeover’
like a maniac she marches all over.
With hard Rock now blaring,
little black dress is what she wearing.
Black dress is bit clinging
& the Neck is bit plunging.
Wearing hills & stirring hips,
Bold Red is how she paints her lips.
Pleased with the effect desired,
she adjusts the thing obviously wired.
Feeling confidant she pours herself a glass.
And like a pro puffs with a class.
Soon feeling tipsy she blows his way.
Tilting his head he gazes at the empty tray.
It’s his known way of showing displeasure.
So She pleads, slurs & pleads some more.
“Dear I am sho done with Mish. Goody Two shooz,
Sho just once let me be a bimbo & booze”
Finally he relents & gets up from his place,
Then without a word starts licking her face.
Smiling she ruffles his hair.
And whispers in his ear,
“Don’t worry honey. Like this I won’t roam in street.
As you know I am far less courageous for it!”
Hearing this he jumps up and down.
Wagging his tail dances like a clown.
Defeated she now feels sore
“Damn! Even dogs don’t like bitches anymore!”
————————————————————————-
PS : All those who had left nice comments for my first poem must be now regretting for encouraging me 
Prince Charming – The Aftermath
August 20th, 2010 9 comments »Another yawn & she straightens her hair,
Lazily she rises to slump again in the chair.
She listens to the rain falling with a roar,
Her cats purr scratching at the door.
Is there anything to do?
Is there anyone to woo?
Is there anywhere to go?
Within creeps a slothful ‘No’.
She considers the days gone by.
Then she was young and sly.
And was never sans a guy.
Alas ditched them sans a why.
Guys fell for her left, right n center,
For she seemed so sweet n tender.
But made them wince n wonder,
When she slapped with a thunder.
Few were short, Few were dark,
Few were afraid to ask.
To select was a one big task,
But for her it was just a lark.
Me a Princess,
Deserve a Prince n no less.
Prince Charming is on his way
So bear with the dogs so filthy n stray!
Days went quickly but nights did crawl!
For Prince Charming could never cross the wall!
She did this, she did that,
but life was always a long haul.
Cats Purr, Rains roar,
Vision and mind now blur.
With eyes so moist,
She peeps into her past.
Did I overlook something?
Have I missed anything?
Was there anything more than met my eye?
She smiles a smile so wry.
Was he the one who looked like a sage?
Or was he the one with quite a rage?
With cheeks so wet she sits in a daze,
‘Prince Charming’ was after all just a haze….
————————————————————-
PS : A juvenile attempt! It’s my first Poem so please tolerate the nonsense
Happy B’day to Me!
July 23rd, 2010 7 comments »Yesterday was my B’Day! And the moment hubby wished me at midnight; I had fear building up inside me. Fear of the dreaded day, my B’day! This B’day I was to turn 33. But the fear had nothing to do with my age. I never feel bad or uncomfortable upon turning a year older. Everybody grows old right? So that is fine with me. Now you must be wondering why I was horrified.
Well, since I remember most of my B’days were marred by one bad thing or the other. Call it a jinx or whatever but something bad has to happen on my B’day. Not a super bad thing but on your special day a small bad thing is enough to spoil your mood.
Now I shall not give a detailed account of 33 years as to what happened and how each year was spoiled. But shall tell you only about last year’s B’day. Just to prove my point. Last year I lost my cell on my B’day. And that too early in the morning while going to work. So nobody could call me and wish me 
Even that was fine but my sister had serious doubts that I purposely threw it away to get a new cell from hubby. Now that was gross
Every year I plan to wear new attire on the special day. Only to be awaken by heavy showers and thunderstorm in the morning. Now you have to be really brave and rich to step out in new attire on such a day. So I take one last look at my new dress and keep it back safely. And finally I settle with the ‘Rainy dress’ (an old and faithful salwar kameej stitched with Garden material which remains intact for atleast 1000 years. Females of my age would probably know what I am talking)
But this year was an exception. Day started with my 2.5 years old daughter first singing “Happy B’day to u” and then asking if she can cut my B’day cake . Then in-spite of heavy rains I made up my mind and wore a new dress to work. And in midst of plenty of work managed to have a good time with my colleagues. Threw a treat to my department and everybody liked it. One more pleasant thing happened at work. On our B’days we all get a birth day card duly signed by MD and all other colleagues. However, this year there was a slight change in the policy. As per changed policy only those who are on the pay-role of main company were given cards and the less fortunate like me were left high and dry. Now this discrimination is kind of bad. At the end of the day everybody is contributing towards the company irrespective of the pay-role. My HOD was furious due to this stupid change. He personally went and fought with HR and came back victriously with my card tucked under his arm. He is a kind of person who would normally not get into all such trivial issues. So I felt nice and a bit honoured
When I left from work it was again raining heavily but I had already stopped worrying about spoiling my new dress and enjoyed the cool breeze and showers for a change. Before I reached home hubby called up and burst out laughing. It seemed that my mom had got a cake and my little one had already cut it and helped herself with one big piece. When I reached home she enthusiastically showed me the cut cake and assured me that she is guarding it from others
Soon hubby came all drenched and battered with an equally drenched and battered rose bouquet. He had taken a wrong bus so had to walk quite some distance. Felt really bad for him and I actually blushed while accepting the bouquet. After 5 years of marriage I thought I had forgotten to blush
Mom had cooked a wonderful dinner. And we all did full justice to it.
So this was my B’day. A grand one. A perfect one. The one I waited for 33 years
Hypocrite! Who me?
June 19th, 2010 10 comments »
I wish my boss was little less demanding.
I wish my maid was little more responsible.
I wish my mother was not working.
I wish my daughter would never mind me working.
I wish people would not waste food.
I wish I had a bigger refrigerator for storing (and later on throwing) food.
I wish people would not notice my occasional fashion faux pas.
I wish I could tell my colleague that she has horrible sense of dressing .
I wish everybody would commute by public transport to lessen pollution.
I wish my new car comes soon.
I wish everybody would use water scarcely.
I wish there is enough water on weekends to wash all my clothes, bed-sheets and… walls.
I wish I could get more sleep.
I wish hubby could stay awake and do some chores after returning from night shift.
I wish people would think twice before popping out kids.
I wish I had another baby.
I wish people would leave comments after reading my blogs.
I wish I had more free time to leave comments after reading somebody’s blogs.
Catch Me If U Can! - The End
May 12th, 2010 11 comments »Next day Sucha woke up with anxiety. Today Neil was to be presented in front of the Magistrate. Sucha looked at her watch and called up Manoj. She wanted to be there when Neil was presented in front of the magistrate. Manoj reminded her that technically it won’t be possible as she was no longer representing Neil. Instead he offered to give her a call once they were through with it. She reluctantly agreed. She wanted to tell him that she had gathered some info but he seemed pretty busy. So decided to tell him later on when he called. Sucha anxiously waited for his call. Finally when Manoj called it was 1.00 PM. When his name flashed on her cell she jumped on her cell and answered it.
“What happened? He has been remanded to judicial custody?” she asked nervously.
“Yes.” Manoj said in a low voice.
“What is it Manoj?” Sucha sensed something odd.
“Sucha, Neil escaped.” Manoj blurted.
“What?” Sucha screamed.
“Yes. We were getting him back to custody in a police van. We were just about to reach & a smoke bomb exploded. Everything went haywire and Neil managed to escape. This is so strange.” Manoj said.
“Manoj there is a lot more than it meets the eye.” Sucha then updated him with Vishnu uncle and Mrs. Zala’s connection. She was about to finish her talks when she saw Don’s call on wait. She put Manoj on hold and took Don’s call. She listened and spoke to him briefly. She bid him good bye and switched back to Manoj.
“Manoj, it was Don. He was calling from Lonavala. We have to rush to Lonavala right away.” Sucha told him
“Why?” Manoj asked.
“Don had kept an eye on Vishnu Uncle. As I told you yesterday he was spotted in Lonavala. He seems to own a bungalow there. Mrs. Zala has also landed in Lonavala. She has not reached the bungalow though.” Sucha spoke rapidly.
“Sucha, just because they are there we also have to run to Lonavala?” Manoj asked pointedly.
“No. Not because of that. Don spoke to few people like watchman of the nearing bungalow, maid who does cleaning there, they all confirm the fact that 2 days ago somebody was brought to the bungalow in an unconscious state. And the description of that person is matching with Neil’s. If Neil was in your custody, then how come people saw him in Lonavala and that too in unconscious state?” Sucha asked calmly.
“I am starting right away with 2 more men. I shall pick you up in another 15 min.” Manoj assured Sucha. Sucha called up Don and told him that she was reaching Lonavala in another 2 hours.
Sucha and Manoj reached Lonavala around 3.30 PM. Sucha called Don and he gave them directions to the bungalow. He also told them that Mrs. Zala had come and disappeared in the bungalow. Manoj chuckled when Sucha whispered “bitch!” Sucha was about to retort but didn’t as they were now nearing the bungalow. It was not on the main road. A small approach road led them to the bungalow. They decided to leave the police jeep behind and walk it down. All men were in civil dress so nobody would have come to know that they were police. Don jumped from nowhere and joined them in the middle of the walk. He smiled when he saw startling expression on Manoj’s face. “Join our force man.” Manoj patted on his back and said. “Don’t try to snatch him from me. I pay him well and most importantly I treat him well unlike your department.” Sucha quipped. Manoj made a face and continued to walk. Everybody went silent when the bungalow became visible. Manoj asked Sucha to hide behind one of the compound walls. She protested but finally relented. All four men took out there weapons and went ahead cautiously. With just gesturing at each other they decided the positions. One police officer stopped much behind. Manoj quickly moved and stood next to the door, pinned against the wall. Don disappeared in the bushes in the yard. And finally the fourth man hid his weapon ubder his belt and knocked on the door. For some time nothing happened. He knocked again and waited. Then they all heard somebody saying ‘Are baba ruko. Kholte hai’. The door opened. A short fellow who seemed to be domestic help stood there.
The officer asked him casually “Saab hai?”.
“Nahi. Koi nahi hai gharpe.” He answered rudely and started closing the door. Manoj pushed the door and entered the house. He held his weapon in full glare and showed his id. One look at the gun and the fellow started trembling.
“Sab log kidhar hai?” Manoj asked him calmly. He had so much of authority in his voice that even sans the gun anybody would have obeyed him.
“Sab log upper hai” short fellow pointed towards the stairs.
Manoj gestured him to lead. He shrugged his shoulders and started towards the stairs. Manoj was behind him followed by Don, Sucha and other 2 officers. As they ascended they could hear somebody talking. The stairs led them to a room. They entered the room at once.
“Everybody freeze.” Manoj ordered.
Vishnu uncle turned around & went silent. Mrs. Zala was sitting leisurely on a sofa. Now she sat upright and stared at the guests. Sucha looked at them and smiled. She moved ahead and stopped abruptly. “Oh my god!” she screamed looking at the bed. “What is it?” Manoj asked as he started towards Sucha. Even he went speechless when he saw it.
Two men who looked exactly like Neil were lying on the bed side by side. He went ahead and checked both of them. He tried to wake them up. “We need some medical help here.” Sucha got worried.
“They are perfectly okay. It’s just a mild dose of sedative.” Everybody looked at Mrs. Zala as she said this.
“She must be right. After all she has been trained as a nurse.” Don said this with a smile.
“Vishnu Uncle will you please tell about these 2 Neils?” Sucha asked restlessly. She was staring at both sleeping figures one by one. ‘They look so same… Who is the real Neil…’ she wondered.
“I will not speak a word unless I speak to my lawyer.” Vishnu Uncle spoke firmly.
“Gee… Never heard that” Sucha said sarcastically.
Manoj turned to Don and Sucha “I think I shall take over from here. I am taking these two in custody and arranging medical help for these two. I shall get in touch with you once I make some advances.”
Sucha and Don returned from Lonavala. Manoj kept his word and came to Sucha’s office the next day to update her and Don.
“Manoj just spill out!” Sucha could no longer hide her excitement.
Manoj smiled “First about Neil and his look alike. Neil is fit and fine. But Rishi is a bit critical. They were kept under sedation. Actually they are not look alike but half brothers. Mr. Mahale had another son Rishi, born out of wed lock. Rishi resembled Neil to a great extent. A small difference was taken care by a minor plastic surgery. Rishi’s mother died long back. Mr. Mahale was supporting him through a trust fund. This was known only to Vishnu. He had kind of black mailed Neil’s father and demanded share in the business. When Neil’s father died in a road accident, he swore to get full charge of the business. But Neil proved to be more than capable of handling everything efficiently. Neil was coming in his way from acquiring the business and Mr. Zala was coming in his way from acquiring object of his affection.”
“Yeah. We know Vishnu and Mrs. Zala were lovers in college days. But destiny made them part ways.” Don said.
Manoj nodded and continued “Vishnu and Mrs. Zala met after years when Neil bought this house 6 months back. They acknowledged the fact that they knew each other but hid the fact that they were lovers. Old romance got rekindled in no time. At first they thought that Mrs. Zala would demand divorce from Mr. Zala. But Mr. Zala had mass wealth so letting it go didn’t go down well with Vishnu and Mrs. Zala. So killing him was the only option left before these two greedy love birds. Vishnu came up with a master plan. He decided to murder Mr. Zala and put blame on Neil. He also got in touch with Neil’s half brother and told him the truth about his father. Rishi had this suppressed anger for his unknown father. His mother never revealed who his father was. Vishnu added fuel to this anger by telling that his father was a rich man but never cared to find how Rishi was doing. He told Rishi that he could replace Neil and become owner of this large empire. Rishi was then sent to Neil’s residence and was used to show proximity with Mrs. Zala in elevator. People who witnessed the whole incident thought it was Neil who was romancing Mrs. Zala.”
Manoj stopped to gulp down a glass of water.
“So it was Rishi! And I was grilling Neil for it.” Sucha felt pangs of guilt.
Manoj nodded and continued “Yes. It was Rishi. Vishnu knew the pub where Neil went regularly. He bribed the bar tender and got Neil’s drink spiked. That’s the reason Neil got completely slashed and slept like a dead man when Mr. Zala was being killed. Vishnu had flicked Neil’s gun and given it to Mrs. Zala. Neil had kept it in office drawer and Vishnu had spare keys to each and every cabinet. From Zala’s bedroom the approach road to the society is clearly visible. Mrs. Zala didn’t sleep a wink that night. Around 4.30 AM she heard a little commotion when Neil came drunk. She confirmed that the friend who had come to drop him had left. Then she waited for another half an hour and took the spare keys to Neil’s flat. She went and checked on him. He was sleeping like a baby. She came back took the gun and hid it in her night dress pocket. Then she woke up Mr. Zala and lied to him that she heard some screams from Neil’s flat. She suggested that they should go and check if Neil is fine. Mr. Zala being a helpful man immediately agreed. They rang the bell but got no response. Mrs. Zala had cleverly switched off the door bell. So they took the spare keys and opened the door. Mrs. Zala closed the door. She waited till Mr. Zala turned his back. And then she fried the gun from behind. The gun was on silencer. She then threw the gun over the water tank in bathroom and left.”
“But her fingerprints were not there on the gun!” Sucha exclaimed.
“I knew you would ask this like a true lawyer! She had worn gloves while going to bed the previous night saying she was feeling cold.” Manoj said with a smile. “The only thing that was not planned was Neil’s feat with Mr. Zala in the AGM last week. That was a big bonus for Vishnu. It actually strengthened his plot.”
“What a plot!” Sucha shook her head.
Manoj continued “Vishnu never expected Sucha to get involved in all this. He had purposely gone on a foreign trip and planned to come the same morning and release Neil on bail and then replace him with Rishi. But Sucha protected Neil like a mother hen and made things difficult for Vishnu.”
“But why did Neil disappear from my office?” Sucha looked confused.
“He didn’t disappear, Sucha. He had gone to your office loo when you were speaking to me. You never checked where he had gone and left at once. And then your cell was switched off when he tried it. So he walked out of your office. He had decided to go to your place but Vishnu had sent men on his trail who abducted him in between. At this juncture Rishi entered the scene, gave confession, got himself presented in front of the magistrate and escaped. After Rishi escaped, Vishnu had planned to kill Neil by poisoning him. Then he had planned to throw Neil’s body somewhere and show as if he committed suicide. Vishnu had asked Rishi to go under knife again, appear with different looks so that he could be declared as Neil’s half brother. He could then be owner of the entire empire. Of course Vishnu had fooled Rishi by these false promises. He had in-fact planned to kill both of them. He just wanted to use Rishi.”
“Sucha, this has to be the first case in your 4 years of practice that never reached the courtroom and got solved!” Don exclaimed.
“Yes true! And credit goes to you and Manoj. You gathered info in a quiet short time and. Manoj had faith in me.” Sucha smiled at them.
“But Sucha it was your instinct that pushed us in right direction.” Manoj said decisively.
“You are absolutely right!” Don seconded Manoj.
“Hmm… So now Vishnu uncle and Mrs. Zala will be charged with murder. Poor Neil so much he went through. Now he must be feeling shattered after knowing about his half brother.” Sucha said.
“I spoke to Neil before coming here. At first he had mixed feelings. He was angry at his father for this. But then he mellowed down when he saw Rishi. He said ‘it is actually pacifying to know that he still has somebody whom he can call his family’. And Sucha I think this is such a matured way of looking at things. Hats off to that fellow!” Manoj was full of praises.
“He is quiet balanced you know.” Sucha said in a soft voice.
Then Manoj took Sucha and Don to meet Neil in a private hospital. He was all fine but felt a bit drowsy. “The sedative will take some more time to wear off” Doctor Priya who was treating him and Rishi told them.
“Oh so you are Sucha!” Priya smiled at Sucha.
“You know me?” Sucha asked her puzzled.
“Neil has uttered your name for so many times in his daze that I was actually looking forward to meet you.” Doctor Priya giggled as she said this.
“I hope I havn’t said much” Neil was looking jejunely concerned.
“So there is in fact more on your mind!” Manoj winked at him and said.
“Yes… Nooo… Err… I mean.. I just was wondering…” Neil stammered and looked at Sucha who was blushing profusely.
They all laughed when Manoj turned to Don and said “Don, now you better start investigating this case.”
The End.
I have altered it as rightly pointed out by Ben. Hope there are no more technical mistakes. Otherwise some lawyer will get irritated and sue me for ignorance of law
- Prutha.
Catch Me If U Can! - Part II
April 30th, 2010 5 comments »Sucha and her father were having dinner. And as a rule set by her mother they didn’t discuss anything related to office on dinner table. After dinner they went to their study room. Mr. Karnik sat upright in his chair looked at Sucha and said “So what you are telling me is, police have found the murder weapon at Neil’s place with Neil’s fingerprints on it. It was hidden in bathroom on the water tank. Police are sure that the bullet that killed Mr. Zala was fired from the same weapon. And Don your assistant has gathered info proving that Neil and the victim’s wife shared proximity.”
Sucha nodded “Yes. Manoj is confidant that the same weapon has been used for the murder. And Don has interacted with 3 persons who have witnessed Neil and Mrs. Zala in a err… convincing position in elevator. Even Manoj has confirmed this fact… Neil first told me that Mrs. Zala was a flirt and then he was visibly upset when I asked him a suggestive question about Mrs. Zala.”
“And then he disappeared.” Mr. Karnik said.
“Yes. I guess he knew I was talking to Manoj. He must have also heard me mentioning bathroom.” Sucha said in a low voice.
“Did Don check Neil’s whereabouts for the previous night?” Mr. Karnik asked.
“Yes. He was indeed with his friends till 4.00 AM. Manoj confirms the fact that murder has happened in early morning hours. The approximate range is 3.00 AM to 6.00 AM. The night watchman has confirmed Neil’s return around 4.30 AM.” Sucha said.
“So, all the evidences are pointing finger to Neil.” Mr. Karnik looked at Sucha.
“Papa, I don’t think Neil can murder anybody.” Sucha said defensively.
“Sucha, first you have to stop thinking like a friend and start thinking like a lawyer.” Father coaxed her.
“Papa, I am not saying this because Neil is a friend. You can not ignore the fact that the Zalas had spare keys to Neil’s flat. Yesterday when I saw Mrs. Zala, I sensed something odd. She had put up a big drama. A truly grief stricken woman would never do that… And most importantly why would Neil kill Mr. Zala and then sleep in the same house. Any sane person would drop gun and start running for his life…..”
Father daughter duo would have continued their discussion but Mr. Karnik got a call from one of his clients. So Sucha tried calling Neil and again got his voicemail. She also got a call from Manoj asking about Neil. He found it very hard to believe that Neil had disappeared. He alerted his force. As Police had found the murder weapon with his fingerprints they wanted to withdraw the bail & arrest him for further enquiries. Sucha then tried calling Vishnu Uncle and remembered that Neil had told her that Vishnu uncle was traveling and will be reaching tomorrow morning. Since there was nothing left to be done, Sucha went to bed. But could not sleep that night and ended up tossing and turning the whole night.
Next day morning Sucha reached office and got a call from Vishnu Uncle. He sounded worried. Sucha updated him. He chocked with emotions when she told him that Neil had disappeared. Sucha assured to call him upon getting some trace about Neil.
She then called up Manoj. He answered the call and without saying hi, hello just blurted
“Sucha, I just got a call from Neil!”
“What? Where is he? And what was he saying?” Sucha fired questions.
“It’s kind of strange actually. Neil wants to surrender himself and confess that he has committed the crime.” Manoj told Sucha skeptically.
“Ok. Shall talk to you later.” Sucha hung up on Manoj and called up Neil but got a message that the number was out of coverage area. She tried for some time and then anxiously called up Manoj. She told him that Neil’s cell was not reachable. Manoj quietly told her that right now Neil was in police station sitting in front of him and he was all set to record Neil’s statement. Sucha asked Manoj if she could speak to Neil. Manoj couldn’t deny her request.
“It’s Sucha. She wants to speak to you.” He held out his cell to Neil.
“I don’t want to talk to my lawyer. I don’t need her services anymore. I am here to confess my crime.” Sucha went weak in her knees as she heard this.
There was a long silence and then Manoj spoke “Hello Sucha, Neil doesn’t …”
“I heard him Manoj. But he sounds a bit different.” Sucha pinched her forehead.
“Even I asked him. He says has cough and cold so sounds a bit different.” Manoj said.
“I am coming there. Please ask Neil to wait for me.” Sucha disconnected the call and rushed to police station.
But when she reached Manoj had already finished recording Neil’s statement. Neil had confessed everything. And now he was in custody. Sucha asked Manoj if she could visit Neil. Manoj himself took her to visiting cabin and sent an officer to get Neil. The officer came back alone after some time saying Neil doesn’t want to meet anybody. Sucha didn’t know what to say. She finally asked Manoj if he could tell her what Neil had confessed.
Manoj reiterated Neil’s confession to Sucha “He said he was in love with Mrs. Zala and was having proximity for past 3 months. However, she was not reciprocating beyond a limit. He had asked her to marry him but she was not relenting. He tried to convince her & she said she would not betray her husband anymore. She even asked him to go separate ways. Neil went red with anger when she told him this. The next day he fought with Mr. Zala over a trivial issue in AGM of the society & abused him. Next weekend he went out with friends and came back drunk early in the morning. When Neil was fiddling with his keys, Mr. Zala was about to step out of his flat to go for morning walk. When Mr. Zala saw the state in which Neil was he decided to help him. He opened door for Neil and took him inside. But Neil was so drunk that he passed some indecent comment which angered Mr. Zala. He slapped Neil and turned to go. Neil got provoked and took out the revolver from his pocket and fired at Mr. Zala from behind. Then he realized as to what he has done. He hid the gun in bathroom. Then thanks to all the alcohol he had consumed at the pub, he got nauseated. He threw up in his bathroom. After that he passed out on his bed & was woken up by us in the morning.” Manoj stopped talking.
“Manoj I really don’t know what to say. But I still think something is wrong.” Sucha was feeling restless.
“But Neil has admitted his crime.” Manoj said.
“Hmm… Ok. You carry on. I shall call you if needed.” Sucha said.
“So you are still on this case.” Manoj sounded surprised.
“Hmm….Kind of. Neil is a friend so I can not just let it go like this. ” Sucha said.
“Ok. Bye. Take care.” Manoj said when he dropped her at the police station gate.
Neil was now in custody and he was scheduled to be presented in front of the magistrate tomorrow. Since he had admitted his crime there would not be any law suit to be fought. The magistrate would run trial and pass on the judgment.
‘Something is wrong.’ Sucha sat in her office baffled. She again and again read what she had scribbled when Manoj was telling her Neil’s confession. But the whole thing was loophole proof. Everything was in a perfect logical flow. She had returned to her office around 2 PM and spent almost 3 hours but yet she didn’t have any clue.
Sucha sat in her chair swinging from side to side. She scrolled in her cell and found the number she was looking for. She dialed it and waited.
“Hello Vishnu Uncle. This is Sucha. Neil’s friend” she said and waited.
“Hello Sucha. How are you? Vishnu Uncle said.
“Not fine uncle. You must have come to know everything by now.” Sucha said.
“Yes Sucha. Last night I was back from my
“Do you know that Neil has admitted the crime?” Sucha asked.
“Yes. I do.” Vishnu uncle said.
“Who told you uncle?” Sucha asked.
There was a brief pause and then he said “Morning he called me before going to police station.”
“Ok. But don’t you think there is something wrong?” Sucha asked him.
“Sucha Neil had acted in spur of the moment. Now may be he has realized as to what he has done.” Vishnu uncle said calmly.
“So you think Neil killed Mr. Zala.” Sucha sat upright in her chair and asked.
“Who am I to say this? Neil himself is saying this Sucha. He admitted killing Mr. Zala.” Vishnu uncle sounded irritated.
Sucha didn’t know what to say. “Had Neil’s parents been still alive they would not have accepted this so easily. I had called you up because you are the only person who would fill that capacity. But I guess I was wrong. Anyways, bye…” Sucha cut the call and threw her cell on table in despair. ‘What’s wrong with this man. Yesterday he sounded so concerned and today he is acting as if Neil is not his nephew but a stranger.’ She frowned and thought.
She looked irritated when her cell started ringing. But when she saw the flashing name, she hurriedly answered it. “Yes Don. Tell me.”
“Mrs. Zala visits Lonavala quite often. Last week only she was there. And that to sans Mr. Zala.” Don informed.
“Bye. Take care buddy.” Sucha was smiling now. She sprang from her seat and left.
Sucha stood in front of the door and then hesitantly pressed the door bell. A bird chirped inside somewhere. After a while door opened and Sucha found herself saying “Good evening Mrs. Zala.” Mrs. Zala frowned. She was clad in a pink T shirt and Jeans. She was holding her cell to her ear. She looked at Sucha and then she disconnected the call.
“I am Sucha.” She flashed her most adorable smile as she introduced herself.
Mrs. Zala kept staring at her.
“Can I talk to you for some time?” Mrs. Zala didn’t budge from the door. “Regarding what?” she demanded.
“I am Neil’s lawyer. It will take just 2 minutes.” Sucha again flashed a big warm smile.
“Neil has admitted killing my husband. Why I need to speak to you?” Mrs. Zala snapped.
“How come you know about it? It just happened ½ an hour back.” Sucha asked with a smile.
Mrs. Zala went red in face. “I err… was told” she stammered. She nervously moved hands through her hair. Just then her cell ringed and Mrs. Zala got startled by the vibration. She tried to answer it and accidentally dropped it. Her cell finally landed at Sucha’s feet. It was still ringing.. Sucha bent and picked up the cell leisurely, stole a look at it and handed over to now hyper Mrs. Zala.
“Thanks and bye.” Mrs. Zala slammed the door on her face.
Sucha smiled and turned to leave. She came down and sat in her car. Before starting her car she dialed Don. She spoke to him for some time. And then she drove off. It was almost 6.00 PM. So she went home. Around 10 PM she got a call, she was eagerly waiting for.
“Yes Don. Tell
“Sucha, I used my contacts with the service providers and checked the calls for last 1 month for the number you had given me. There are numerous calls exchanged with one particular number. And the same number was dialed at the time when you called me i.e around 5.30 PM to 6 PM.”
“The number I had given to you was of Vishnu Uncle. And I am sure the other number that you are talking abut is of Mrs. Zala!” Sucha said with confidence.
“Yes Madam. You are right! It belongs to Mrs. Zala. And most importantly there is call placed by Mrs. Zala to Vishnu at 5.30 AM two days ago when Mr. Zala was killed.”
“Great! Don, make a detailed profile of these two. Vishnu uncle and Mrs. Zala. Gather every bit of info” Sucha said excitedly.
“Sucha, please hold on I am getting a call.” Don said hurried as he put Sucha on hold.
Sucha patiently held her cell. After a while Don continued her call. He told her excitedly that his men had spotted Vishnu uncle in Lonavala. And he had given them instructions to follow him.
He promised to keep her updated.
Sucha sat at her study table and pulled her writing pad. She jotted down the information that she had gathered.
Neil disappears.
Appears Again and confesses the crime. But doesn’t want to talk to me.
Vishnu uncle and Mrs. Zala know each other. They have hidden this fact.
Both visit Lonavala. Exact place in Lonavala is not yet confirmed.
Mrs. Zala had called Vishnu uncle on the murder morning.
After her brainstorming she thought of calling Manoj and sharing the info. He would surely help her. She looked at her watch. It was already 11.00 PM. ‘Not a decent time to call anybody. As it is I am going to meet him tomorrow after Neil is presented in front of the magistrate. That time I will tell him.’ Sucha thought before going to bed. She lied in her bed wide awake. Sleeping seemed difficult with so much going on in her mind.
End of Part II
To be continued.
Catch Me If U Can!
April 27th, 2010 7 comments »A bird chirped and woke up Sucha from a deep sleep. She opened her eyes and pondered on how the bird must have got in her room. And then she realized it was her new alarm clock, a gift from her father. She stretched her hand and silenced the alarm. She squinted in an attempt to check time. ‘Shit! 8.30!’ she jumped out of her bed and started running. In just half an hour she was ready to leave for work. She ran to the living room. Without making an eye contact with her waiting father, she approached dining table and pulled a chair.
Her mother looked at her affectionately. Clad in a bottle green short kurti & black churidar, Sucha looked pretty. Her attire accentuated her fair complexion. She pushed her shoulder length silky hair away from her face and started having her breakfast with a rapid speed. When through with breakfast she looked at her father, smiled and said “Can we leave Papa?” Father didn’t budge from his seat. He looked at her mother “Lata, had she not been my daughter I would have fired her long back from my firm for this habit of making others wait. And I want that alarm clock back.” Mother suppressed her laughter and looked at Sucha. “Firstly you would have surely thrown me out and then regretted for you would have never found a brave and competent criminal lawyer like me. And secondly it’s so impolite of you to take back a gift!” Sucha looked at her father with mock grief. Her father, Mr. Karnik didn’t answer and started towards the door. Sucha winked at her mother and followed her father. Mother watched father daughter duo walking out of the door and sighed. ‘It was difficult to manage one criminal lawyer and now I have got to deal with two.’ She thought while clearing dining table.
Sucha and Mr. Karnik reached office and settled in their respective cabins. Just when Sucha was about to start her work, her cell started ringing. She fetched it out from her bag and looked at the screen. She smiled when she saw Neil’s name flashing.
“Hi! What’s up?” she chirped.
“Where are you?” Neil asked.
“Office. And you?” Sucha asked.
“Me in bed. How fast can you reach my place?” Neil whispered.
“What? You sound drunk!” Sucha frowned.
“Yes I was drunk last night! Tell me, how fast you can reach my place.” Neil sounded zonked.
“Neil. Why don’t you get out of your bed and make a black coffee for yourself? That should fix your hangover.” Sucha was still frowning.
“Suchi dear I want to get out of my bed and fix myself a strong coffee but the police officer standing next to me won’t let me do so.” Neil spoke rapidly.
Sucha was speechless for a moment.
“Hello, Hello….” She could hear Neil yelling at other end.
“Neil, will you please tell me what exactly is going on?” Sucha asked.
“Yes. I have been woken up just 10 min back by 2 police officers. I asked them how they got inside my place and they asked me how I got a dead body in my living room. When I told them I don’t know anything they told me to come to the police station and explain things. That is when I sensed that I should get in touch with you. You are a lawyer. Aren’t you? So are you coming here?” Neil stopped talking.
Sucha gathered herself and spoke in her cell “Yes sure. But at which house you are at the moment. The new one you shifted just 4 months back?”
“Yes.” Neil said.
“Ok I am reaching there. Now hand over the phone to one of the police officers.”
Neil obeyed her and handed over his cell to one of the officers.
“Hello. ACP Manoj Mehra speaking.” the moment Sucha heard this she was at ease. Manoj was her batch mate in college. In the past 4 years of her practice as a criminal lawyer Sucha had developed good rapport with few police officers and Manoj was one of them. He respected her since she was known to take cases of only those who she believed were innocent. The respect was mutual. Even he had a reputation of being an uncorrupt officer. Specie, which was getting scares day by day. Manoj had a very wealthy family so he had joined forces with an intention to serve the country and not for supporting his family.
“Hello Manoj. Sucha here.” She spoke.
“Ohh.. Sucha. How are you?” Manoj spoke.
“Fine. Thanks. Manoj you yourself are looking into this case? And that too so early on?” Sucha wondered.
“Yes Sucha. My fellow officers had gone to attend some other casualties so I decided to come here.”
“Ok. Manoj I know Neil. He is a childhood friend. And I am willing to take his case. I am reaching there in another 15/20 minutes.” While talking, Sucha had already started gathering her things.
“I shall wait for you.” Manoj Said.
Sucha quickly picked up her bag and left. On her way she stopped by her secretary and briefed her “Call me only if somebody is dying.” Nina, her secretary smiled and nodded. “and buzz up Don.” Sucha added.
Sucha took her car and drove off. It was just 10/15 min drive to Neil’s place. While driving she tried to keep a calm head but still got worked up by thinking about the situation. Whose body must have been found in Neil’s living room? And what was he doing when the murder was taking place? And whether he was involved in this by any means? ‘Neil would never kill anybody’ she told herself. Neil was her childhood friend. He was of her age. They were next door neighbors for some 10/11 years. His father Mr. Mahale had flourishing glassware export business which prompted him to shift to an uptown locality. And then even her father prospered and they shifted their residence to some other place. Both the families remained in touch for some time but then respective lives took over. Gradually the contacts became less frequent. But Neil always made a point to call her on her birthday. He had done MBA from
Only four months back he had lost his parents in a road accident. When Sucha and her parents came to know about this they rushed to be by Neil’s side. The tragedy in a way brought Neil and Sucha close and their childhood friendship got revived.
‘Just now he was getting over the loss of his parents and now god knows what mess he is into’ she thought while parking her car in Neil’s residence parking lot. A small group of people had gathered. She passed the police jeep and got inside the elevator. She pressed key to 7 th floor and waited. As she stepped out of the elevator she was greeted by ACP Manoj. He was standing there along with 3/4 more police officers. When he saw Sucha he came forward and they exchanged pleasantries.
Manoj got to the point straight way. “The maid was the first one to find the body. As usual she had come around 9 AM to do cleaning and cooking. She wasn’t aware that Mr. Neil is still inside. She assumed that as usual he must have left for work. She took keys from Mrs. Zala, the next door neighbor. She opened the door and found the body in the hall room. She panicked and again went to Mrs. Zala and reported it. Mrs. Zala came, saw the body and fainted on the spot.”
Sucha suppressed her smile and tried to keep a straight face. “Yeah quiet possible. It is not everyday that you come across a dead body in your neighbor’s house.”
“Yeah. And it’s quiet possible to faint when the dead body happens to be of your husband!” Manoj said this and looked at Sucha. He was overjoyed to see the desired effect. Sucha couldn’t hide her astonishment. He continued “The maid then called other neighbors who in turn informed us.”
“Ok. What does the wife say? She didn’t wonder till then as to where her husband was?” Sucha asked.
“Mr. Zala often went alone for morning walks and Mrs. Zala slept till late in the morning. So she woke up only when maid went asking for keys.” Manoj informed her.
“How old was Mr. Zala?” Sucha asked.
“52.” Manoj told her.
“Hmm…You must have started searching the house.” Sucha asked.
“Yes, and we have arranged for the search warrant and arrest warrant.” Manoj said defensively.
“Of course officer” Sucha smiled.
“Have you come across anything?” Sucha asked.
“If you mean murder weapon, then no not yet. But we have found the suspended bullet stuck in the furniture near the body.” Manoj said as they entered Neil’s flat.
The victim’s body was lying on the floor in pool of dried blood. The room was swamped with cops. Sucha saw Neil sitting in corner of the room. He was clad in blue jeans and black T. He was looking confused and battered. He waved at her. She smiled at him and walked towards him.
Neil pushed his mop of thick hair away from his forehead which promptly fell back. He stood and Sucha had to look up. He was 6 ft and Sucha at 5.3 feet always found it difficult to talk to him while standing. ‘You are such a pain in the neck’ she always told him with mock anger.
“Hi. Thanks for coming.” Neil looked a bit relieved.
“Anytime buddy. Listen, now I am going to spend some time with these officers and gauge some facts. You hang on here. I ll be right back to hear you out. Ok?” Sucha looked at Neil.
Neil nodded. She left him there and joined Manoj and Brij, the forensic expert. Together they approached the dead body. He was lying face down. His back was soaked in blood. The forensic team was busy taking snaps of the body from all the angles. Doctor Brij was at work. He moved the body and started preliminary examination. “It seems that the weapon was fired from behind. The suspended bullet must be stuck somewhere in the furniture.” He spoke to himself. He worked with concentration. Sucha watched him admiringly. Other officers had formed small teams and were searching the whole house.
She was talking to Manoj when they heard somebody yelling outside. Soon an attractive woman in her 30s entered the house. She was flanked by 3/4 more women. Neil was standing against the wall with guilt all over his face. The 3 females were restricting the attractive female from pouncing on him. She was abusing Neil and telling the other females to let her go so that she would kill Neil. Sucha looked at Manoj with a quizzing look. “Mrs. Zala.” He said quietly.
Few more females came and they all managed to take Mrs. Zala out.
“She doesn’t look like a wife of a 50+ man. She looks 30 something.” Sucha commented.
“35.” Manoj smiled.
“And she is pretty attractive” Sucha said.
Manoj chuckled. Sucha raised her eyebrows.
“Normally a woman never praises another woman so I found it amusing.” He clarified.
Sucha didn’t say anything and started towards Neil. ‘He is looking so tensed.’ She thought.
He was still standing against the wall as if he was pinned to the wall. “Are they going to arrest me?” Neil sounded drained out.
“Yes. But you will get bail. They don’t have enough proof right now to deny bail. Just because there is a dead body in your house doesn’t mean that you have committed a crime. And the fact that you were found with the body makes our case stronger.” Sucha assured him.
“Meaning?” Neil looked confused.
“Normally a person would want to run away after doing the killing. It kind of drops a hint that you might not be guilty.” Sucha stared at the body and said.
Neil gave away a weak smile. Sucha patted on his back “Don’t think too much buddy. Just go with the flow. Let them arrest you. I shall arrange for bail and then we will have to sit together and have a detailed talk. Right now you need not tell anything to the police. They will record your statement when they present you before the magistrate and after completing few formalities they will let you go.”
By the time Sucha and Neil were through with bail and other procedures it was already 6.00 in the evening. Sucha took Neil to the nearest restaurant and they ordered for food. Neil didn’t feel like having anything but Sucha made him eat. He looked pretty worked up.
While having food Sucha got a call which continued for quite some time. All she did was listen intently. When through with the call she disconnected the call and met Neil’s questioning gaze. Without acknowledging the questions written all over his face she asked if they can proceed to her office. Neil nodded and took out his valet to pay the bill.
In another 15 min they reached her office. Her entire staff had left and the office was deserted. She made way to her cabin, opened it and ushered in Neil.
“Neil, now we have got a job to do. You are going to tell me everything that is related to the mess that you are into.” Sucha looked at Neil.
Neil went pale. “I don’t know from where to start. I think I ll tell you about last night. Last night I had gone to a pub along with my college friends. All of us were meeting after a long time so we all got carried away. And I guess I had one too many. We left from that place around 4 AM. One of my friends who was little sober, dropped me at my place. I came and immediately hit the bed. I don’t remember anything after that. After that I was woken up by the police”
“Tell me something about Mr. & Mrs. Zala.” As Sucha said this Neil became visibly upset.
“Mina is a big time flirt. We have the same maid so I have to interact with her to give any message to the maid. Whenever her husband was not around the bitch always tried hitting on me.” Neil blurted.
‘Mina’ Sucha noticed that Neil was on first name basis with Mrs. Zala but without reacting she continued “And Mr. Zala? How was your relation with him?”
“He was a harmless creature. It is a real pity that he had a wife like Mina. He worshipped her and she flirted on his back. He was in his late 50s. There was 15-17 years age difference in them. So many times in my presence Mina teased him that he looks more like a father to her than husband.” Neil looked a bit angry.
“Hmmm….” Sucha ignored his anger and continued. “How many spare keys do you have for your flat?”
“Only one. It was with Zalas” Neil told Sucha.
“Ok. Do you posses any weapon?” Sucha asked and observed Neil.
Neil moved uncomfortably in his seat “Yes I have a licensed weapon, Smith & Wesson 9mm semi-automatic. You think I killed him?”
Sucha ignored his question “Where is the weapon right now?”
“It has to be in my office drawer.” Neil said.
“So you are not too sure.” Sucha asked.
“I haven’t checked it for quiet some time Sucha.” Neil agreed.
“Did you have any argument with Mr.Zala in past few days?” Sucha asked.
Neil frowned “Why? Yes I did. It was on last weekend in AGM of the society. We surely had some difference of opinion. But it was nothing major.”
“Did you swear at him?” Sucha asked.
“Who told you?” Neil asked.
“Please answer my question.” Sucha said calmly.
“I told you it was nothing major.” Neil sounded irritated.
“And what about Mrs. Zala?” Sucha looked straight in Neil’s eyes and asked.
“What with her?” Neil was trying his best to hide his discomfort.
“How were your relations / interactions with her?” Sucha uttered every word slowly.
“As I told you she was a big flirt. At times I reciprocated if she sounded friendly and at times I didn’t if she was crossing the line of friendliness” Neil said defensively.
“Give me straight answers Neil. Is there any specific incident that you would want to tell me?” Sucha probed.
“No.” Neil answered quickly.
“Something that happened in your building elevator… People have seen you two in a compromising position…” Sucha told bluntly.
“What?? Who told you this?” Neil gave Sucha a poker face which irritated her to no extent.
“Neil, I guess you are aware that you are talking to your lawyer. And you should never lie to your doctor and lawyer. They can save your life if correct information is given.” Sucha said pointedly.
Neil was about to speak something when Sucha’s cell started ringing. Sucha checked the number and hurriedly answered it. “Yes Manoj. What? You found it? Bathroom? Ok. Yeah…” She got up from her seat as she spoke. She went to the window and continued in a low voice. She leaned on the window and stared at the traffic. When through with the call she turned and was dumbfound. Neil had disappeared. She stood there for some time not knowing what to do. Gathering herself she started towards the door and opened it quickly. She ran in the hallway but Neil was not to be seen anywhere. Then feeling sheepish she dialed his cell. It was ringing and but it was not answered. Sucha frowned and tried again. She was now greeted by his voicemail. She slumped in her chair feeling lost. Then she dialed a number from her cell. “Hello Papa. Where are you? I am reaching home in another hour or so. Please don’t go anywhere I need to speak to you…” Sucha was about to say something more but suddenly her cell beeped and died down. I should have charged it before only she thought and pushed the cell in her bag and left hurriedly.
End of Part I
To be continued.
Wonder Days
March 27th, 2010 15 comments »I am exhausted. What a journey it was! 2 days of hardship and finally I saw this new world. But the welcome that I got after arriving made me forget the woeful journey.
Now I am seeing faces. Different faces every time. The first faces that I saw were bit scary though. Come on! Even a brave person would get scared on seeing 7/8 faces covered with some cloth except eyes eagerly looking at your direction. Well, at least I got scared! And suddenly a fellow holding me announced “We have got a heavy weight champion!.”
After that he did some unforgivable things to me. He stopped only when I yelled at him. Then he handed me over to another lady. I continued to protest but the lady was talking so interestingly that I soon forgot to cry and tried to concentrate on her. Soon many people gathered around me. They were looking at me, talking to each other and smiling at me.
After a while I was taken to a lady who was sleeping. She was shivering. The same fellow who had held me upside down was now my escort. He put me in a tray and showed to the shivering lady. She continued to look at me and after a while she asked the fellow (he was now smiling for no good reason) “Doctor, is it a girl or a boy?”
The fellow said “It’s a girl! Congratulations! You have delivered a very healthy baby girl. 8.25 pounds, to be precise! Now you take rest. You ll be moved out of OT and shifted to your room. A nurse will come with the baby after a while and show you how to feed the baby. Ok?”
The shivering lady smiled at me, touched my cheek and ran her fingers through my curls. I looked at her. She sounded so familiar. Before I could recollect when I had met her, she was wheeled out.
Soon I got to meet her again. I was placed in her lap and she looked at me with those kind eyes. The moment I was kept in her lap I felt good. This is so familiar. I again started wondering where I had met her before… But I could not continue thinking as something was pushed in my mouth. And yummy! It was so delicious. I would have gulped down more but the lady in white clothes who had escorted me, announced “Enough! Now we all know you are a very smart girl who could feed without any lessons from us. Now I ll teach your Mommy how to burp you.” She lifted me and started patting on my back. I looked over the white shoulders as I was patted on my back. Ohhh… so she is my Mommy. Mommy was looking tired and soon she disappeared.
When I woke up I was not with my Mommy. I let out a loud shout and soon another lady in white clothes came running and picked me up. She showed me around. There were so many bundled small things lying around me. “See. Nobody is crying. Now you also be a good girl and lie down.” And I did just that. Since I had company, it was a great fun. We all chitchatted for some time. Lady in white clothes was dancing around all of us. We all were very capable of keeping the white brigade busy for the entire day. What with our nappies, feed with mommies… Soon we all learnt few things. I loved my mommy and wanted to be with her all the time.
“She is just 4 days old and she is already recognizing you.” I heard a lady who looked little bit like Mommy telling Mommy. I like this lady too. She holds me so gently. I feel so comfortable in her arms.
And then a fellow with hair above his lips comes often. I think he too was there when I arrived. I remember him because he was wiping his eyes while looking at me. Now when he comes he doesn’t have water in his eyes though. I love looking at him. His hair above lips is something I find very amusing. When he is holding me Mommy is always firing instructions and making this fellow nervous. I took pity on him and smiled at him. “Look she smiled at you. I delivered her with great pain and she had reserved her first smile for her father.” I heard Mommy saying this.
“Today we will be going home.” Mommy told me. She looked happy. Home?? What is that? I was wondering…. But it must be something good. Mommy looks so happy for going there.
Let’s see….
Introspection
March 10th, 2010 9 comments »Early in the morning I was talking to my elder sister over a phone. Well, Correction! Early in the morning I was complaining to my elder sis over a phone. My jabber was all about my personal problems. I went on and on… And finally my ever-patient-willing-to-offer-a-shoulder-to-cry-upon sister gave up on me. She bluntly told me “Prutha. It’s time you change your ever complaining state of mind. For past 2 weeks all you have been talking about is this problem. The situation that you are in will not change overnight. So there is no point in being stuck in this mind frame. The sooner you accept this, the better for you. And rather than wasting your energy on crying and complaining, try to find a solution.” And she disconnected the call.
At first I was shattered. How could my sister just hang up on me!! And then the introspection began. Well. I was surely at fault. For past 2 months I have been feeling angry, agitated, hopeless and helpless. But these feelings could not change the situation that I am stuck in. Then what’s the point in being angry and all…. On the other hand if I take one day at a time and keep a calm head I would be able to handle it in a better manner. And who knows it might get even worse. If now only I start losing my mind, what on earth will help me if it gets messier?
So I thought, a better approach to this situation would be to try and be calm. It is ok to feel all worked up once a while. But boiling all the time is certainly bad.
From that day onwards I changed my outlook. I tried to be calm. I tried to be cheerful. It was no doubt difficult. But it did make me feel better. The situation does not look that hopeless now and there is a slight improvement.
A lesson learnt! No matter how daunting the problem may appear, sulking, crying won’t solve the problem, being in a positive frame of mind will!
