Old Love

By Avik Basak

Nitin was sitting in his usual place, the chair near the study table. He always likes to sit there whenever something is bothering him and he desperately needs a solution.

It has been months since he has left his job as the CID Inspector and ever since he has been trying to do something useful with his life. But till now he could not do anything.

He cannot overcome the guilt of shooting an innocent boy who he thought was a member of the infamous ‘K3’ gang, the leading drug dealing gang in Mumbai. He saw the boy with them when his team was orchestrating a raid.

He was trying to shoot him in the leg, but it all went wrong when the boy, who was taken hostage, ducked to protect himself from the gunfight.

He left the CID to punish himself for this unintentional crime. Now, finally he has come out of it and has started a new career as a private eye.

It has been three days since he had given an advertisement in the newspaper and at a popular internet website, but till now not a single client has turned up.

He was patting the table with his fingers at regular intervals and was thinking hard about what he should do. It was not like he had many options left. He tried to get into jobs but could not even sit for the interviews as they brought back memories from his old life as a CID inspector.

He covered his head with his hands and was thinking very hard and at that moment, someone knocked on the door. Nitin got alert at once. He readied himself, straightened up his necktie and shirt.

Then he cleared his throat and said, “Come in”. The door did not open but a soothing female voice came from the other side.

“Is this Nitin Mishra’s flat? The private investigator?”

“That’s correct. Please come in.”

The door opened. And Nitin spoke without seeing at the direction of the lady who entered, “Thanks for choosing Mishra Investigative Solutions. What can I do..”

He could not complete his sentence as he took a clearer look at the flamboyantly beautiful woman, who just entered his flat.

No, it can’t be, he thought. But it was what he saw.

It was Sheena, his old crush from college. He saw her for the first time when they were in first year and then it was allthe usual ‘love at first sight’. He had proposed to her when they were in third year, but she had declined saying she already had a boyfriend.

After college, he never heard from her. He once heard that she broke up with her boyfriend and married some rich businessman on her family’s insistence. But now, there she is. Right in front of him.

“It’s nice to see you again,” said Sheena, with a dry smile.

“I… How..,” Nitin struggled to form his sentences.

“I know. You didn’t expect to see me again.”

“No”, finally he said. “It’s just.. When I heard the knock, I thought it’s a client.”

“Well,” Sheena said thoughtfully. “I do have business to discuss with you.”

“Oh really?” said Nitin with even more surprise in his voice.

“Yes. Can we sit down and discuss?”

“Oh yeah, sure. Sorry.” Nitin pulled a chair for her and he himself sat on his regular chair.

He found his notebook from in between the hills of books on the table and then brought out his pen. He sat attentively, ready to write down whatever Sheena has to say.

“It’s about my husband,” she said with a bit of uneasiness.

Nitin was silent for sometime. There was a brief pause and then he spoke.

“Oh.” One word.That was all he could manage but it was enough to convey his reactions.

Sheena hesitated and then struggled but then finally spoke.

“He’s been torturing me since our marriage last year. And..” She struggled to speak. Nitin was listening with undivided attention.

“And he’s involved in some illegal activities as well,” she continued.

Nitin took a second and then said, “Tell me the details.”

She explained how one day she heard him talking to someone over the phone about a drug deal at an old warehouse near the port, maybe the place where he conducts his side business.

And when she threatened him that she will go to the police if he didn’t stop abusing her andalso did not end his notorious activities, he threatened her that it will be her corpse which will reach the police.

“I didn’t know who to turn to. Because I knew if I tell anyone, I’ll be putting their lives on the line as well. But then I saw your ad in the newspaper and couldn’t resist coming to you,” she said, barely pausing for breaths.

Nitin noted down every detail that he heard and then took a moment or two to arrange his thoughts. After a while, he spoke, addressing her directly, “What do you want from me?”

Sheena hesitated for a moment but then spoke, “I know it will be risky but, I want you to follow him, gather proof and go to the police.”

“You want to turn your own husband in? Are you sure?”

“Absolutely. I can’t live like this anymore.”

Nitin paused for another thoughtful minute. He fiddled with the notes that he just wrote down.

“Ok,” he finally broke the silence. “I’ll take the case. I’ll follow him tomorrow. Let’s see where he leads me.”

“Thank you. Thanks a lot.”

*******

Nitin was waiting in his car outside Sheena’s husband’s office. According to Sheena, he has a white Mercedes Benz. It was 7’o clock in the evening. Nitin has waited the whole day and wondered how much longer he had to wait.

When Sheena had offered him the case, he could have said ‘no’ as following someone does not make for a great first case for an investigator like him. Moreover, the drug dealing connection brings back bad memories of his CID debacle.

He could have just informed the police and let them take care of it. But even today, he cannot decline Sheena. A spark still remains in his heart for her.

He wondered what will happen to her if her husband goes to jail. What if there is a chance, even a tiny, a tiny chance of them being together in the near future.

No, he thought. Surely, this was neither the time nor theplace to think about these things, especially when her present husband is on the verge of facing jail charges.

He felt a certain excitement, something that he had not felt in a long time. At least, not since he had left CID. Finally, he had something worthwhile to do.

At that very moment he saw a man fitting her husband’s description coming out of the building. The man entered the white Mercedes parked outside and then the vehicle sped off.Nitin followed in his Volkswagen Polo, maintaining a safe distance.

So far, the Mercedes did not go out of its normal route of Sheena’s home. Nitin began to think if Sheena had misunderstood something. What if her husband was actually innocent?

What if she was making things up to get rid of him. But again he thought, Sheena could not do such things. No matter how much she disliked a person, she could not frame someone for a grave crime like drug dealing.

At that very moment, as if on cue, the Mercedes came to a halt and after a few seconds, the car took a strange turn into one of Mumbai’s narrow allies. Nitin followed, still maintaining a safe distance.

The expensive car stopped at the gate of what seemed like a factory cum warehouse. Sheena’s husband got out of the car; he was carrying a black briefcase. He waited for a moment or two, probablyto check if anyone was following, and then entered the warehouse.

Nitin waited for a few minutes and then he decided to follow him. He brought out his licensed side arm from the gloves compartment and got out of the car. He slowly approached the warehouse with the sidearm on his waist.

The warehouse was empty in terms of personnel. However, there were machineries here and there; which he thought was quite natural. They were jute machines, Nitin could recognise, thanks to his habit of surfing the internet during sleepless nights.

Suddenly, he heard a sound. He was not sure what it was, but it was enough for him to get alarmed. He brought out his sidearm. He checked the magazine and then cocked it and walked towards the direction from where the sound came.

He walked cautiously, so it took a while for him to get there. After getting there, he checked the place for anything that could have caused the sound but he found nothing. And then—

“CRACK!!”

He felt something blunt on the back of his head that hit him very hard. He fell on the floor instantly. His vision started to get dizzy; he tried to move but could not even stir. Then he blacked out.

*******

Nitin woke up tied to a chair. He examined himself; he was not hurt much but the sturdy ropes were not making things easy for him. His sidearm was gone, but that was obvious.

His head hurt, like someone was banging it with a hammer. He tried to shake out the dizziness but failed. And at that very moment he heard a dangerously calm male voice: “Hello, Inspector Mishra.”

Nitin tried to decipher the location of the voice and looked everywhere. Then again the voice spoke, “I’m here, right in front of you.” Only then Nitin noticed the tall male figure looming over him from a few feet’s distance.

The man came close and bent to face Nitin. “You are feeling a bit dizzy, I guess,” the man said. “Well, don’t worry. It’s normal to feel like that when you’re struck on the back of the head.”

Nitin still could not see the man’s face clearly because of his trance, but it did seem familiar. “I’m MandarGoenka. I believe you’ve already met my wife. Sheena.”

Okay, so this is him, thought Nitin, as his vision cleared. That is why he seemed familiar. He had seen him from a distance but now the ‘abusing husband’, according to Sheena, was standing right in front of him. But there was also something else about him that seemed familiar.

“I’ve heard your name somewhere, but I don’t know where,” said Nitin confusingly.

“Of course, you’ve heard. I mean I’m not showing off but I’m one of the top businessmen of the city,” said Goenka. “But that’s not what you mean right? No. You’ve heard my name because you shot my little brother a few months ago.”

Nitin can now see why he seemed so familiar but did not like the easy and calm tone with which Goenka said the last sentence, like it was nothing. But Nitin knew, deep in his mind, that it was not true. Then something happened that made Nitin almost drop his jaw.

Sheena walked in, with extreme composure, like she was entering her own house. She walked up to Goenka and then kissed him on the cheek.

“Hello darling. How is our guest doing?” she said.

“He is doing fine, aren’t you Inspector..Oops..Mr. Mishra?”

          Nitin shot her a regretting look; he should never have trusted her, again. He should have known that this girl was always trouble for him. Since the college days, all she brought in his life was despair. But now, it was too late. His sad, miserable life was going to meet a very apt conclusion, unless Goenkahad other plans for him.

          “You do understand, that I shooting your brother was a mistake, don’t you?” he said in a desperate attempt to change Goenka’s mind, though it seemed impossible.

          “Maybe. But who cares? You killed him, now I have to avenge him. This is all that matters,” said Goenka, subtracting every possibility of Nitin’s survival.

          “I trusted you. And now you are going to side with this drug dealer?” he said to Sheena.

          “Who’s the drug dealer? Me?”Goenkachuckled and then erupted into a laughter, which was not making things any easier for Nitin.

          “I’m just a businessman Mr. Holmes,” he said after he was done with his laughing. “And this is my jute factory. There is nothing illegal here.” He waved his hands to point at the factory.

          “In fact, I’ve never done anything illegal in my life.” He added. “Until now. Things are about to change drastically, no thanks to you. My competitors call me a shark, but it is you who truly made a killer out of me.”

          Nitin stared at him continuously, trying to figure out how much more time he had left. But looking at Goenka’s attitude, he knew that he did not have much. So he decided to get it over with quickly.

          “Whatever you have to do, do it fast. I’m tired of your gibberish and the sight of this witch.” He poured all the rage and emotion he was feeling into that sentence and he said it with a poke to Sheena that did not seem to affect her. It is ironic but she and Goenka seemed perfect for each other, ‘the sociopathic couple’.

          Goenka gave him a small chuckle. “What is the hurry, Nitin? Oh, can I call you Nitin?”

Nitin remained silent.

          “Maybe not. Ok if it is your last wish then I don’t have any issues.” After this Goenka bent once more to come closer to him and stared directly into his eyes and said softly, “Ask forgiveness from my brother when you see him.”

 Then he stood tall again and signalled one of his men and the man understood what he had to do.

          “Let’s go outside darling. We better not witness this scene,” Goenka said to Sheena. She obliged and both of them left. Nitin reluctantly took a last look at her, leaving. He still could not help but admire just how beautiful she was. But that beauty has become the means to his end now.

          A man came to him and pointed a 9 mm pistol on his forehead. Nitin took a long look at the barrel. Then he stared at it for what seemedlike an eternity. He could see nothing but darkness inside it as he thought how deep it was. It seemed like the only true thing in his life.

          He thought about all the mistakes he made in his life in that brief moment. Like giving up his ambition of becoming a writer, falling in love with a girl who was never meant to be his, getting into the CID, shooting the Goenka kid. Everything just flashed in front of his eyes as he stared into the eternal darkness of the gun barrel.

          But he knew that the darkness is not going to last for long. Anytime now, he will see a burst of light engulfing the darkness. But even that burst of light cannot do anything but evoke more darkness when it comes to his miserable life.

          If he was to write his own obituary, then one thing he would surely have written- “Never trust your old love again as you will be making the same mistake twice, but this time you will do it knowingly.”