house. So why, then, does she visit you every now and then?’
‘She doesn’t,’ replied Swami. ‘She only comes twice a year at most. And when she does we all grit our teeth and wait for her to go away.’
‘Yes, yes, but why does she come even once or twice a year, miyan? If she does not like you and you do not like her, why does she not keep away from you for good?’
Swami sighed. ‘Once again you ask me about a woman’s mind, of which I must admit I have no knowledge whatsoever. All I can think of is Karuna and Prameela have a decent relationship with one another. My sister does not seem to fight or argue with Karuna as much as the rest of us do. Maybe she comes here to visit her mother? Mind you, that sounds very unlike Karuna. It is hard to imagine she would think of anyone else but herself.’
‘Is there any,’ and Hamid Pasha paused slightly, ‘ financial interest here for her, perhaps?’
‘Unlikely, but definitely possible. It depends on how Mother had decided to pass on her property and if she had given Prameela a share, but I suspect she must have, given that she is a widow. And if Prameela gets a share, maybe a portion of that will go to Karuna?’ Swami ran a hand through his hair, frowning. ‘I honestly am not sure. Even if she does get something out of it, I suspect it will not be very substantial.’
‘Because it is a portion of a portion,’ Hamid Pasha said.
‘Exactly. And that is assuming Kotesh and Krishna will not have any objection to giving Karuna a share.’
‘Acha. Then there must be some other reason why the lady keeps ties with this family unbroken. Tell me, miyan, would you say your niece was capable of killing your mother?’
Swami received the question with no visible sign of surprise. Nagarajan guessed the thought had already occurred to him. He said slowly, ‘Everyone is capable of killing, sir. But I understand what you are asking me. And the answer is... yes, Karuna is certainly capable of killing someone in cold blood.’
‘But you hesitate, miyan. Why?’
‘I am a bit uneasy levelling accusations without any evidence, sir, that is all. Also, Karuna arrived at the house a good three or four hours after the body was taken out.’
‘Then if not Karuna, who do you think stands a good chance of being the killer of your mother?’
Swami shifted uneasily in his seat. ‘Have we first ascertained that it was not an accident? What is it that makes you so sure that it was a murder?’
‘Perhaps it is as you say—perhaps her falling into the well was brought about by accident, but do you not think, miyan, that we need to find an explanation for why she ventured out to the well?’
‘Maybe,’ Swami admitted. ‘I cannot pick one, sir, but my sister gives me cause for suspicion.’
‘Your sister, sir?’
He nodded. ‘Yes, that quarrel she had with Mother the previous night; it seemed, somehow, more heated than their usual arguments.’
‘So impassioned that she might have considered killing her mother?’
Swami raised his hands and let them drop. ‘Ah, I don’t know! Prameela is a kind soul—she does not have it in her to hurt a fly, I sometimes think. But sir, in moments of over-excitement...’
Nagarajan said softly, ‘But this is not a crime of passion, Swami saab. If this is a murder, then it is a planned murder. What ruse could your sister have used to lure your mother to the well?’
‘I cannot think of anything,’ said Swami, shaking his head. ‘But she could have easily asked her to come to the well to talk over whatever they were discussing the previous night. At the well there would be no one to overhear them.’ His voice trailed off as he gave in to his thoughts for a while. Then he said, ‘I do not know, sir. It is not nice suspecting your sister of killing your mother, but—but who else could it have been?’
Hamid Pasha, smiling, leant forward and tapped himself on the chest with his palm. The smile froze on his face as he said,
‘She doesn’t,’ replied Swami. ‘She only comes twice a year at most. And when she does we all grit our teeth and wait for her to go away.’
‘Yes, yes, but why does she come even once or twice a year, miyan? If she does not like you and you do not like her, why does she not keep away from you for good?’
Swami sighed. ‘Once again you ask me about a woman’s mind, of which I must admit I have no knowledge whatsoever. All I can think of is Karuna and Prameela have a decent relationship with one another. My sister does not seem to fight or argue with Karuna as much as the rest of us do. Maybe she comes here to visit her mother? Mind you, that sounds very unlike Karuna. It is hard to imagine she would think of anyone else but herself.’
‘Is there any,’ and Hamid Pasha paused slightly, ‘ financial interest here for her, perhaps?’
‘Unlikely, but definitely possible. It depends on how Mother had decided to pass on her property and if she had given Prameela a share, but I suspect she must have, given that she is a widow. And if Prameela gets a share, maybe a portion of that will go to Karuna?’ Swami ran a hand through his hair, frowning. ‘I honestly am not sure. Even if she does get something out of it, I suspect it will not be very substantial.’
‘Because it is a portion of a portion,’ Hamid Pasha said.
‘Exactly. And that is assuming Kotesh and Krishna will not have any objection to giving Karuna a share.’
‘Acha. Then there must be some other reason why the lady keeps ties with this family unbroken. Tell me, miyan, would you say your niece was capable of killing your mother?’
Swami received the question with no visible sign of surprise. Nagarajan guessed the thought had already occurred to him. He said slowly, ‘Everyone is capable of killing, sir. But I understand what you are asking me. And the answer is... yes, Karuna is certainly capable of killing someone in cold blood.’
‘But you hesitate, miyan. Why?’
‘I am a bit uneasy levelling accusations without any evidence, sir, that is all. Also, Karuna arrived at the house a good three or four hours after the body was taken out.’
‘Then if not Karuna, who do you think stands a good chance of being the killer of your mother?’
Swami shifted uneasily in his seat. ‘Have we first ascertained that it was not an accident? What is it that makes you so sure that it was a murder?’
‘Perhaps it is as you say—perhaps her falling into the well was brought about by accident, but do you not think, miyan, that we need to find an explanation for why she ventured out to the well?’
‘Maybe,’ Swami admitted. ‘I cannot pick one, sir, but my sister gives me cause for suspicion.’
‘Your sister, sir?’
He nodded. ‘Yes, that quarrel she had with Mother the previous night; it seemed, somehow, more heated than their usual arguments.’
‘So impassioned that she might have considered killing her mother?’
Swami raised his hands and let them drop. ‘Ah, I don’t know! Prameela is a kind soul—she does not have it in her to hurt a fly, I sometimes think. But sir, in moments of over-excitement...’
Nagarajan said softly, ‘But this is not a crime of passion, Swami saab. If this is a murder, then it is a planned murder. What ruse could your sister have used to lure your mother to the well?’
‘I cannot think of anything,’ said Swami, shaking his head. ‘But she could have easily asked her to come to the well to talk over whatever they were discussing the previous night. At the well there would be no one to overhear them.’ His voice trailed off as he gave in to his thoughts for a while. Then he said, ‘I do not know, sir. It is not nice suspecting your sister of killing your mother, but—but who else could it have been?’
Hamid Pasha, smiling, leant forward and tapped himself on the chest with his palm. The smile froze on his face as he said,
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