Criminal's brother

A Story by SUGATA M

Back to short stories aftering enjoying penning of some poetries

The train was crowded like hell.

I forcibly pushed myself into the strangulating mass to finally sneak into one corner of the compartment.

Someone once told me crowded place is the best hide-out. And there can’t be a better hide-out for a fugitive like me than a congested compartment of a city-metro.

The doors closed and the train started moving.

The inside coolness was a heaven for me. I felt like taking a nap while somehow managing to stick to my feet within a bunch of passengers continuously pressing me from different angles. The stinking smell of dried sweat emitting from their bodies didn’t bother me as I was without a bath for the last couple of days in this scorching heat; hopefully my own body odour was equally offensive.

I didn’t know my destination. I only knew I have an important work in Green Park. I have to do that. And after that, I need to find my way out to reach my destiny.

What is written in my destiny? I kept my eyes closed for some time. My mind suddenly blocked all outlets of thoughts.

Jo hoga dekha jayega (I will only see what happens at last).

Let me relax for a while. Let me go by my decision. After all, I made a decision against the flow of my life and determined to see what’s stored for me at the end of the road.

The mobile in my book pocket alerted me for a second. I wanted to switch if off but the exciting moments in the early morning……..I forgot completely. The mobile remained on.

‘Bablu, where are you?’ the harsh voice of Hari Bhai vigorously shook my dozing mind.

‘I am going to my parent’s place. My mother is not well’ I replied by keeping my voice as low as possible.

‘How come your parents have remembered you after so many years?’ Hari Bhai’s voice became sharper.

‘Are you making a fool of me?’

I kept silent. I wanted to avoid jibe over phone in a public place where I must remain low-profile at every passing moment.

Let him speak. I want to know what finally he utters.

‘Why you are not speaking out? We couldn’t find the boy since morning. And your sudden clearing off from our place. Bablu, tell me where are you shifting the boy now?’

So they came to know the boy is missing from their den and I absconded with the boy.

‘Bablu, don’t play this dirty game with me. You can never escape from Hari Bhai’s eyes. I have my people in every nook and corner of the city. They will nab you at any time. And then….’ Hari Bhai took a momentary pause. I didn’t let him to continue his speech and switched my phone off.

Hari Bhai’s gang will never let me live. I knew that. But my mind was made up. I already burnt the bridge of return.

‘Sorry Hari Bhai, for this unexpected break up. Now you go in your way and let me go in mine. I care a damn about your bullets. And neither those hunting cops can bother me. I know what to do now. I have to protect my brother. Nobody can stop me from doing that’

The uneventful train journey came to the end when the train stopped at Green Park station.

‘Do you know the place where you live?’

‘Very much’ I saw the beaming face of the boy. I didn’t leave his hand for a second in the crowded train.

‘Let’s go then’ I released his hand in confidence. I wanted to see him move free.

We came out of the station and took an auto.

‘Rishav, please guide the driver how to reach your house’ I knew by this time the boy we kidnapped three days back is named Rishav and he is studying in class five in one of the renowned South Delhi Schools. His father is a leading businessman with two petrol pumps and three shops lying in different areas of the city. We initially put a ransom of 50 million rupees to him to return his only son alive.

I had silently picked up Rishav from our hidden den in the morning. He was promised to be taken back to his parents. We made a smooth escape without giving anyone a hint of my ploy. After all I always remained loyal to Hari Bhai. He had trust on me. I broke the trust.

And I felt so happy.

This was exactly at a time when Rishav’s father was in the stage of final negotiation with Hari Bhai and about to release the mutually agreed ransom amount.

I betrayed my gang and my mentor Hari Bhai first time in my five years’ association with them.

They will never get the money now as I was making Rishav free.

‘That’s my house, please stop the auto’ Rishav shouted in vibrant joy as the auto was crossing Deer Park. He was pointing out at a posh double-storied bungalow with one silver color BMW and grey colored Innova parked in front. It was located on the other side of the road.

‘Can you cross the road to reach your house?’ I asked him as he hurriedly jumped out of the auto.

‘Yes, I can’ his face had no sign of fear now.

‘Then go boy, I wish you all the best. And one thing……’

‘What’s that?’ he turned around with little bit impatience and apprehension

‘Don’t worry Rishav. I won’t take you back to the kidnappers again. ‘I have just a message to give to your father?’

‘What’s the message?’

‘Please, don’t forget to tell him it was his younger sister’s husband who had hired us to kidnap you’

The boy suddenly looked pale.

‘You mean to say Dabbu uncle?’

‘Yes, your Dabbu uncle masterminded your extortion. Don’t forget to pass this message to your Dad. Now go kid go’

I made out from his suddenly changed face that Rishav was yet to believe what I told him just now.

‘Are you sure it is Dabbu uncle who told you to kidnap me?’

‘Yes, I am. Please Rishav, for God’s sake move to your house now. I am getting late. I don’t like to continue this road-side talk with you anymore. People will suspect me’

He gave me a queerly obliging look and said, ‘Thank you Bhaiya for saving my life’

Something pinched my heart when I heard him calling me Bhaiya (big brother). Long back, when I was not a criminal, I was truly someone else’s Bhaiya.

I didn’t move an inch till Rishav crossed the road and reached the gate. He turned and waved at me. I waved back. He entered into the house.

The next moment I got into the auto and told the driver to take me to the New Delhi railway station. I suddenly remembered there is a train to Meerut in the late afternoon. I strongly felt the urge to catch the train. My family is there in Meerut - my parents and my brother.

I left them five years back to join the notorious extortion racket of Hari Bhai and never kept the communication alive.

Rishav brought back my brother for a while after many days. But he will never come to know he looks so much like my estranged brother that made him convert the heart of a hard-core criminal without his slightest knowledge.

I couldn’t tell him that.

I was sure he would have never felt comfortable to get into the shoes of a criminal’s brother.

© 2012 SUGATA M

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Reviews

Coyote Poetry

I enjoyed this tale. Criminals are real characters. Will do anything for kids. I like the real life feel of this story. I like the conversation and the release. Thank you for sharing the excellent story.
Coyote