yajJa

 “Your name?”

“Rohit S Chatterjee.”
"What does 'S' stand for?
"Samar."

“What's your father’s name?”

“Samar Chatterjee.”

“Where do you live, Mr. Chatterjee?”

“Park Street.”

 “When did you get married to Anusua Chatterjee?”

“Three years back.”

 “Do you have kids?”

“We have a daughter, Hiya.”

 “How do you know Aparesh Datta?”

“I met him in a pub, in the Park Street, long back."

“Are you sure, you only knew him through your association in the pub?”

“Yes and also he was my father’s friend’s son. This, I came to know later.”

“So, you go to the pub every day?”

“No, just on the Fridays and some of the Saturdays”

“You are quite rich Mr. Chatterjee. You live in a posh locality of Park Street, go to the pub every week, you spend money on your friends, you own a Mercedes. Well, I can’t think about all these. What do you do for your living Mr. Chatterjee?”

“You know everything about me, I am sure. And still, you are harassing me. I have not done anything. I need to go to the hospital to see my wife. She is under critical condition. You know that, Officer. Can I please leave now?”

“Well, Mr. Chatterjee, in the Crime Branch, we believe, what you show is not the truth; what you hide is actually the truth. And our job is to find, what you are trying to hide”, Inspector Burman, at his early 50, supposed to be the most respected senior Officers of Detective Department, Calcutta Crime Branch,  looked at the eyes of Rohit Chatterjee and uttered the monologue.

“I repeat, so, what do you do for your living, Mr. Chatterjee?”

“Officer we own an Auction House, located in the Park Street. It’s our family business for last 50 years”

“So Aparesh Datta was your customer too, Mr. Chatterjee?”

“Yes, Officer! He bought few costly antiques from our Auction house.”

“You take your customers to pub also Mr. Chatterjee?”

“Officer, I think you are crossing the limits. As I said, I met him in the pub once. He came to my Auction House couple of times. And that’s it. Nothing more! Nothing beyond!”

“Mr. Chatterjee, when did you last meet Aparesh Datta?”

“Officer, a few months back. After the incident of my father happened.”

“Was it before or after, Aparesh Datta’s father Paresh Datta was shot down by your father, Samar Chatterjee?”

“Officer you stated it wrongly. It was never being proved that my father shot Aparesh’s father. It's three months past. And that case is still under trial, Officer. You know that very well! By the way, I can’t answer anymore. I need my lawyer here. Right now!”

“Not for next few hours, Mr. Chatterjee. I have a special permission from the Commissioner and a non-bailable warrant. Please cool down Mr. Chatterjee?”

“But what I did Officer?”

“Mr. Chatterjee, you want some water? Please have. I might not get a chance to offer you again. You know I do a dirty job. It’s pathetic,  in fact”

“Officer. How is my wife? Can you please let me know?”

“Mr. Chatterjee, she is no more. She passed away couple of hours back. She could not sustain the massive blow by the car!”

“Are you kidding me, Officer? Please leave me, Officer. I want to go and meet my wife. Please, Officer! Please!”

“Mr. Chatterjee, unfortunately, we can’t kid in this room. We are not allowed to kid in the Crime Branch. I can offer you the glass of water for the last time, in case you want.”

“What I did? Why I am here? Did you lodge a hit and run case against that car driver?”

“Well, Mr. Chatterjee, it is not a hit and run case.”

“But it was an accident!”

“Was yours an arranged marriage?”

“Yes and no. We met earlier in a family function and liked each other. She was in the final year of her studies that time. And then my parents liked her too and decided to get us married.”

“Did her parents agree easily since they come from a lower middle-class family and you are from the top bracket of the city?”

“Of course Officer.  What do you mean?”

“Why your parents liked her?”

 “Well, she is beautiful, she is intelligent.  And my father always wanted me to get married in a middle-class family so that she knows the struggle. He never wanted me to marry a girl from a rich family, which he easily could have arranged!”

“Or your father wanted to get you married in a family which he could dominate?”

“Officer, how these are related? What you are trying to prove!”

“Mr. Chatterjee, you normally go to the Pub every Friday and sometimes on Saturday. Then why suddenly you were there three weeks back, on a Thursday, and that too with Aparesh Datta? Don’t get surprised. We have studied your every movement, over the last one month, in last eight hours and the camera in the pub could not hide anything.”

“I was trying to discuss with Aparesh and convince him so that he withdraws my father’s case. It was not justified. My father has not done anything, Officer!”

“What is not justified? It is quite evident in multiple ways that your father shot Paresh Datta, that night, in the Calcutta Bridge club, over an argument on a business deal. There is eye witness too. But let’s keep that matter aside, now.”

“That’s not correct Officer. There is no eyewitness. There is no way you could prove yet that he is guilty!"

“I said, we will keep that matter aside now. So what you discussed that evening with Mr. Datta?”

“I missed that Officer. I am sorry. Yes, we met and we just discussed on my father's case. But Aparesh was not keen at all to withdraw the case. I offered him money. I offered him a stake in my business. I offered him everything. He was too adamant. And I broke the discussion and left the pub”

“And a week before that, you went to Park Street Police Station to meet your father too? What was discussed that day? Did he advise you something?”

“It was the regular visit to my father. You know I am the only son and I am too close to my father. After my sister's marriage,  my father became too lonely. He single-handedly brought us up and reached the elite circle all by himself. He is a self-made man.  I respect him and love him more than anything, Officer! I worship him as my God."

“Mr. Chatterjee, how many cars you have, apart from the Mercedes that you own?”

“Well, seven in total. My father has a passion for cars. Mostly the vintage ones.”

“Mr. Chatterjee, we found a case opened by you in the Salt Lake Police station, two weeks back. You reported a lost car. Can I get enlightened?”

“Yes, Officer. It was a 1965 Ambassador. I drove that car to Salt Lake, that day. But it got stolen! Did you find the car?”

“Yes. We think so. But the color is not black but white. Seems the same car which hit your wife today morning, Mr. Chatterjee.  The chassis number is same!”

“Are you serious Officer? Did you get hold of the driver?”

“Yes just an hour back from the Station. He was trying to escape to his native. He is Aparesh Datta’s family driver.”

“O! Aparesh! That scoundrel! He killed my wife? I can’t believe.  I will not spare him. He made it an eye for an eye!!!”

“Mr. Chatterjee, Aparesh  Datta is under our custody. Sadly, he has revealed everything.”

“Officer, can I get some water?”

“I told you long back. You missed your chance, Mr. Chatterjee. I told you, I do a ghastly job.”

“Please, Officer.”

“So, Mr. Chatterjee, what you negotiated with Aparesh Datta that Thursday evening in the pub?”

“Officer, I don’t know what to say. Yes, I negotiated with him. Yes, I accepted his offer. Please forgive me, Officer.”

“Mr. Chatterjee, How could you trade your wife to 'square the equation’ with Aparesh Datta so that he withdraws your father’s case? I have never heard about such sacrifice ever. Rather, I don't know if I can really call it a 'sacrifice'. It’s just unbelievable!”

“Aparesh just wanted an eye for an eye,  at any cost. It could be anyone from our family.   But my father advised someone outside the family! He told if I lose my wife I may get another but I can’t get my father back. I just followed him blindly, Officer. It was insane! I was wrong. I am guilty!”

~Inspired from a true event.