The Sin ~ by Nikita Singh

The cold breeze in December makes it impossible to sit at Ghats but tonight Shashikant can neither feel breezes nor chilling cold. All his senses are dead. He himself is responsible for everything. Let Maa Ganga accept him tonight. 

Shashikant steps in the holy river, it is said that all your sins can be forgiven by Ganga, he doesn’t believe his sins can be forgiven. Water was icy which can freeze human veins in a minute or two. Does he deserve such an easy death? May be as soon it ends is good. Shashikant stepped down and down no more steps, he will still have to walk few inches to get deep in river and deeper in death. He closed his eyes and his brain chilled out and freezed. All the memories vanished, last picture flashed; round, dusky face with bright broad black eyes and forever smile: Kanti!!!

Shashikant and Kanti were no match for each other. Shashikant was 6 ft tall fair heavily built handsome guy. Kanti was only 5.1 ft dusky thin girl. Not only looks but their nature and brain was also just opposite of each other. Shashikant was intelligent man with practical approach for life, Kanti was too emotional to use her intelligence in any manner, but she was an excellent kathak dancer. The only thing matches between these two were their cast and their status. Both were Brahmins and child of professors. So their marriage got fixed, Shashi was happy because he was proud of all the wealth management of his father-in-law. Mr. Balbhushan Misra was a man of management not only in matter of teaching in university but also in his life and family. He owns two kothis in Varanasi one at Assi and another at Lanka. Shashi’s father was also a wealthy man but a father of five sons. Shashi was his youngest son. 

So, Mr. Prabhakar Tripathi was not ready for this match initially, as bride was not fair and there were probability of his future grandchildren of being short height due to this match. But the marriage Banglow at Assi Ghat made him say yes, afterall in Varanasi who would have said “No” to such a laxmi.

It was the Banglow for which both father and son agreed for marriage. Soon after marriage Shashikant got busy in reconstruction work of banglow and turning it into a hotel for foreign tourists. Shashikant was Superintendent of Police (SP), he knew exactly how to use his power to get his hotel license approved and get all the money for construction of hotel. His newlywed bride was as shy as a girl he would have never met, her beautiful eyes do most of the talking, she herself was a dance teacher in a government school. He always wishes to see some of her dance steps but her shyness never allows her to dance in front of her groom.

The more he knows her more it puzzle him that how can such an innocent lady still exist on earth? Who thinks that police is for protection of common public and survive on government pay. She buy only cotton sari and try to save all her salary to give it to her husband for the construction work of hotel. Can a hotel really be built on a school teacher’s salary? He keeps all her contribution in her name in separate bank account and never talk to her about reality and practicality of world. He loves her innocence and take it as his responsibility to not to let his dear wife face the real world.

At their first marriage anniversary the Hotel was ready. Shashi got it innogareted from his lovely wife. She has become the whole world for him in this one year. His father and his father-in-law were very happy on success of their son. Opening of hotel was one thing and making it a foreign tourist destination was another big task. Foreigners want all the leisure in a hotel; they come to India specially a city like Varanasi to enjoy not only religion but also things like marijuana, opium and off course Indian beauty. Shashikant’s position was like a trump card to make his hotel most desired tourist destination in the city.

Kanti gave birth to a beautiful daughter Kanya after four years of their marriage and then to a son Shishir after seven years of their marriage. Kanya was dusky with beautiful eyes like her mother and Shishir was just like his father. Shashikant still found his wife as beautiful and innocent as he found her at their marriage day.

Time never stops for anyone, everything was going smoothly and children were studying in college and Shashikant use to spend most of his time with his Kanti. He use to visit the hotel once in a day and use to go to police station was only at special cases. Kanti has left her job and she likes to cook for her husband and children. 

One day when he was taking lunch with his dear wife a call came from hotel because of trouble created by tourists residing in Hotel as of the many earlier occasions. He left telling Kanti that soon he will be back. As soon as he reached hotel, Manager was there to receive him.

Shashi: Om I have given you all contact numbers and have introduced you too with them, why you call me every now and then when you can directly call them.

Manager: Sir, it’s not an usual thing a girl has been murdered by one of the guests, he has eloped but his father called, he is son of American ambassador. 

Shashi: Oh God! Why didn’t you call the Police then?

Manager: Sir his father offered Rs. 10 Crore to save his son. So I thought to first talk to you.

Shashi: Saving his son would be secondary procedure first we have to call police and handover dead body to them.

Manager: Sir he said he will pay you money only if you burn the body at your own and not the police report and case of it. Otherwise once it go in police he will pay lesser money to ministers than paying you. That’s what he said.

Shashi: Hmmmmm. How many staffs know about it?

Manager: Sir me the waiter who saw the body.

Shashi: where is the waiter?

Manager: Sir I have locked him in the same room so that he cant spread the news until you come.

Shashi: Why the same room? You don’t even have common sense, locked him with dead body? What if he suffers heart attack? Go unlock him. Get the body brunt. You pay him Rs. 5 Lac and take him out of city for six month with you. No one else shall know about it. You will get Rs. 50 Lacs once you return to the city. Ok? 

Manager: Very good Sir! Will u see the body? Girl was his girlfriend studying with him in Sanskrit faculty, very beautiful indeed Sir.

Shashi: Poor Girl, they should know that being friends with foreigners could be very dangerous. No I will not see her. Dead Bodies takes months to be erased from memories. Specially young ones.

Shashi went to his friend house DSP of the city to tell him all the matter and of his share thinking of taking care if anyhow police got to know about the matter. His friend was very happy with his decision afterall if he would not have agreed someone else would have done this for money. They took dinner together and two drinks to wipe the guilt and then Shashi returned to his house.

Kanti was waiting for him on veranda. 

Kanti:  Where were you this late? I called to hotel but manager said you left in the evening only.

Shashi: I went to meet my friend, he insisted for dinner and I couldn’t refuse, have you all taken dinner?

Kanti: How can I?  Your daughter has not reached home. I told you not to give her this much freedom, she lies a lot and misuse all she has.

Shashi: Don’t worry its only 8.30 of night. She must be at her friend’s house and will come soon. It’s usual for her to come home by 10.00. She is a grown up girl now.

Kanti: But her usual Time is not a good time.

Shashi: ok-ok, I will talk to her tonight about this. Where is Shishir?

Kanti: He is the only one who listens to me, he is eating his dinner.

Shashi: Your son listens to you, my daughter listens to me, it’s all equal. Come inside and take your dinner, she will soon come.

It was 11.00 of night but Kanya has not reached home, she was not at her friend’s house, Shashi was very nervous now, he called everyone. No she could not be my daughter, she hates foreigners, but she study in Sanskrit Faculty. He should have checked the body. Finally he make Kanti sleep somehow and then called his manager. Manager said body has been burnt and he is on his way to Delhi with the waiter, The girl was dusky, with beautiful eyes and long hair.

Shashi knew his sin now, it was his daughter he left home and went to Ganga.

Sun was rising and Boatsman was making Boats at the river, people were taking bath in holy Ganga and sounds of bells and chants were coming from morning aarti from temples.

Kanti was pacing in her veranda her daughter has not come home and her husband has probably left home early in the morning in her search. She decided to call all the relatives now and his son is also going out to look after her sister.

A police van came and stopped at her home. She thought Shashikant came but that was her daughter Kanya Crying. Kanti’s heart sunk seeing her daughter crying what happened to her.

Kanya: Mummy he killed my friend my only friend, in our hotel mom. I told her not to trust foreigners …..

~Nikita Singh ~