Doc Nihar to deal
with the psychological fall out.
I’d missed lunch and it was now
mid-afternoon. I hadn’t seen anywhere to buy food or even a cup of
chai, but I didn’t feel I could just turn up at Jyoti’s family’s
house and ask to be fed before I went out again. I’d just have to
wait for supper. I had Sapna’s husband to visit.
The raised area on which Nikhil
Kamlesh’s house and business stood wasn’t as elaborate as that of
the police station, but it was just as high. I figured a mechanic’s
workshop would take a lot more moving than a household of people.
No autos or tractors waiting outside, but I heard the sounds of
metal upon metal from inside the shabby, darkened building. I
walked over to the door and called. Eventually the hammering
stopped and I yelled again.
A man in dirty coveralls
carrying a long metal tool came out of the gloom. “Yeah?”
“Nikhil Kamlesh?”
“Yeah. Who are you?”
“Sir, I’m a friend of Sapna’s
cousin, Jyoti. I’m helping her family—”
“Get off my land. I ain’t
talking to you or anything to do with them.”
“I understand you’re
angry—”
“I said ‘get out’!” He raised
the tool. “Don’t make me use this.”
I pulled out my gun, and
pointed it. “Don’t make me use this . Put it down, Sri Kamlesh. I
just want to talk.”
He blinked in shock a few
times, but then did as I said. “Who the hell are you?”
“A private investigator and a
former police officer.”
“They tell you I killed my
wife?”
“Yes. Did you?”
His face contorted. “Go ahead
and shoot me. Go on.”
“Now why would I do that, Sri
Kamlesh?”
“Because it’d feel better than
living without my Sapna. Why did she do it? Why did she leave
me?”
He covered his face with one
grimy hand. I lowered my gun, but kept it at my side. “Can we
talk?” I said quietly. “I’m not here to accuse anyone. I spoke to
Doctor Nihar. He knows she wasn’t murdered.”
“I didn’t kill anyone! I’d kill
myself before I laid a hand on her.”
I put the gun’s safety catch on
and pocketed it, then took him by the arm and led him over to a
rusty metal seat near the workshop. He sobbed uncontrollably, and
though I’d seen murderers put on a pretty good act before, he
wasn’t acting. My empathy couldn’t be fooled. He hadn’t killed his
wife.
“Sorry,” he said, smearing his
face with snot and tears as he used his sleeve to wipe it. “I try
to keep it all bottled up but....”
“Been tough, I bet, not having
her people’s support. What about your family?”
“Only me left. Dad died six
months ago of a heart attack. Mum died when I was ten. I’m the only
kid. Now Sapna is gone too.”
“I’m very sorry.”
“I tried, you know? I did what
I could because I knew she wasn’t dealing with the baby dying, but
everything I said made it worse.”
“It’s very difficult dealing
with someone that sick, Nikhil. Even people who are trained find it
hard.”
He nodded as if he understood,
but he didn’t believe me. Not in his heart. “Funny thing is, a few
days before she died, she seemed a bit better. A bit more peaceful.
She even hugged me that morning before she went to work, told me
she loved me and that she’d do better in future. I told her she
didn’t need to do better. I loved her anyway. But she meant....” He
stared off towards the river as tears dripped down his face.
“Sometimes the decision to kill
themselves makes people feel calmer,” I said. “Heard things like
this a lot from families, friends. You couldn’t know.”
“Found her. I was the one, I
mean. She looked...it wasn’t my girl. Don’t want to remember her
like that.”
“Don’t. Remember her the way
she was before. What she looked like after, wasn’t her. She’d gone
by then.”
“You a believer, Sri
Ythen?”
“No. Are you?”
“Not really. Was raised in one
religion and married into another. I don’t figure any god worth the
name would kill a baby and its
with the psychological fall out.
I’d missed lunch and it was now
mid-afternoon. I hadn’t seen anywhere to buy food or even a cup of
chai, but I didn’t feel I could just turn up at Jyoti’s family’s
house and ask to be fed before I went out again. I’d just have to
wait for supper. I had Sapna’s husband to visit.
The raised area on which Nikhil
Kamlesh’s house and business stood wasn’t as elaborate as that of
the police station, but it was just as high. I figured a mechanic’s
workshop would take a lot more moving than a household of people.
No autos or tractors waiting outside, but I heard the sounds of
metal upon metal from inside the shabby, darkened building. I
walked over to the door and called. Eventually the hammering
stopped and I yelled again.
A man in dirty coveralls
carrying a long metal tool came out of the gloom. “Yeah?”
“Nikhil Kamlesh?”
“Yeah. Who are you?”
“Sir, I’m a friend of Sapna’s
cousin, Jyoti. I’m helping her family—”
“Get off my land. I ain’t
talking to you or anything to do with them.”
“I understand you’re
angry—”
“I said ‘get out’!” He raised
the tool. “Don’t make me use this.”
I pulled out my gun, and
pointed it. “Don’t make me use this . Put it down, Sri Kamlesh. I
just want to talk.”
He blinked in shock a few
times, but then did as I said. “Who the hell are you?”
“A private investigator and a
former police officer.”
“They tell you I killed my
wife?”
“Yes. Did you?”
His face contorted. “Go ahead
and shoot me. Go on.”
“Now why would I do that, Sri
Kamlesh?”
“Because it’d feel better than
living without my Sapna. Why did she do it? Why did she leave
me?”
He covered his face with one
grimy hand. I lowered my gun, but kept it at my side. “Can we
talk?” I said quietly. “I’m not here to accuse anyone. I spoke to
Doctor Nihar. He knows she wasn’t murdered.”
“I didn’t kill anyone! I’d kill
myself before I laid a hand on her.”
I put the gun’s safety catch on
and pocketed it, then took him by the arm and led him over to a
rusty metal seat near the workshop. He sobbed uncontrollably, and
though I’d seen murderers put on a pretty good act before, he
wasn’t acting. My empathy couldn’t be fooled. He hadn’t killed his
wife.
“Sorry,” he said, smearing his
face with snot and tears as he used his sleeve to wipe it. “I try
to keep it all bottled up but....”
“Been tough, I bet, not having
her people’s support. What about your family?”
“Only me left. Dad died six
months ago of a heart attack. Mum died when I was ten. I’m the only
kid. Now Sapna is gone too.”
“I’m very sorry.”
“I tried, you know? I did what
I could because I knew she wasn’t dealing with the baby dying, but
everything I said made it worse.”
“It’s very difficult dealing
with someone that sick, Nikhil. Even people who are trained find it
hard.”
He nodded as if he understood,
but he didn’t believe me. Not in his heart. “Funny thing is, a few
days before she died, she seemed a bit better. A bit more peaceful.
She even hugged me that morning before she went to work, told me
she loved me and that she’d do better in future. I told her she
didn’t need to do better. I loved her anyway. But she meant....” He
stared off towards the river as tears dripped down his face.
“Sometimes the decision to kill
themselves makes people feel calmer,” I said. “Heard things like
this a lot from families, friends. You couldn’t know.”
“Found her. I was the one, I
mean. She looked...it wasn’t my girl. Don’t want to remember her
like that.”
“Don’t. Remember her the way
she was before. What she looked like after, wasn’t her. She’d gone
by then.”
“You a believer, Sri
Ythen?”
“No. Are you?”
“Not really. Was raised in one
religion and married into another. I don’t figure any god worth the
name would kill a baby and its
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