BALI 100 KM (Book 1) ✔

Chapter 10

"Maman, he is Maman, the bus driver. He is a good friend. I sincerely hope that there is some mistake. He cannot do such a thing," Bandu went all praises.

"A friend indeed," the mocking tone surprised Bandu, "How much do you know about him? And how long have you known him?" the officer asked, "Let me hear,"

"Well...his name is Maman,...and...," Bandu started and stopped realizing that he knew nothing of Maman's background.

"And...well what else?" to that prompt by the officer, Bandu looked lost, and dejected. He knew nothing about Maman.

"Even that name is fake, Bandu,"

"I have nothing to say?"

"You are a simpleton and a trusting one too,"

"Should goodness be doubted?"

"I am not a philosopher to answer that. To each, his own is what I feel the situation here,"

"But how did you suspect him of all the people?"

"Desperation Bandu...desperation leads man to commit mistakes, and that is what he did. Rana's house was under surveillance, and we grabbed him when he came in search of the booty, the documents. He knew his game had come to an end, and so he spilled all the beans,"

"But why did Maman want the documents, and how was he connected to Rana?"

"Let's call him Balwant, his real name,"

"Balwant," Bandu echoed that.

"When we investigated Balwant's information, we got to know that their association went a long way as they were partners in crime. They were small-time criminals committing thefts, fraud, and burglary. Since his arrest, many pending cases were closed,"

"But Maman...I mean Balwant was a bus driver and earned decently,"

"Not enough to treat his sick wife and feed two school-going kids. But Rana, on the other hand, was a habituated spent thrifter. For a loner Rana too earned enough as a peon in the government office but craved a lavish life with women, wine, and clothes. And to cater to those needs, they found an easy way out,"

"If they were such good friends, then why did Mam...Balwant kill Rana?"

"It all began a year back when some people approached Rana to picket documents from a certain department in his office building. They offered a remuneration that was too good to refuse and too delectable to be shared, so he did not involve Balwant in this. As planned, he flicks the papers but then gets confronted by department personnel who witnessed the act. In desperation, he attacked to eliminate the witness there and then, but the person had already raised the alarm. As he had to make a run for it, he couldn't complete the deal as planned. He stayed hidden for a day, as by the second day, the police swarmed all the places and even stopped vehicles for checking. He had no choice but to seek Balwant's help here by promising him a part of the booty. They reached your shop in his bus but were unable to go further, fearing the check post ahead, and dropped Rana near your stall, promising to return soon. Rana stayed hidden in the woods and waited. But when Balwant did not return, he hatched a plan to conceal himself, and that is how he sought shelter in your shop that night. He was nabbed the next day at the check post when he tried to hitch a ride in the tempo. But we found nothing on him, nothing at all, and he wouldn't divulge anything about it however hard we tried to break him,"

"Ok, so that is why you think that I have the documents just because he stayed here,"

"Now you are getting it,"

"But it was a big suitcase, and you searched the whole place here, my shop and even my house, and still you claim that I have it, just because you haven't found it as yet,"

"The police began to suspect you now Bandu, but did you not realize that Balwant suspected you before us,"

"Oh...I...did he now?"

"That is why he befriended you. To coax you into revealing the whereabouts of the documents,"

"But why did Balwant kill his friend. He should have at least thought about his family,"

"He was desperately waiting for the past one year for his friend to get out of jail, but we had slapped an attempt to murder charge on him and made bail impossible. He had no visitors and no one to bail him out, but strangely we intercepted a message he tried to send out with an inmate. Even that did not make sense, and an attempt to trace it led to a dead-end,"

"What was the secret message?"

"Bali 100 km,"

"Well, actually, you are right, it makes no sense. The killing also makes no sense,"

"It is obvious that they had met after Balwant orchestrated his escape, and whether you want to believe it not, Balwant knew Rana would show up here at your shop. Then both argued about sharing the money, and according to Balwant, Rana flatly went back on his word igniting his anger. He said he took out the gun only to frighten Rana, but in the scuffle between them, Balwant pressed the trigger, and Rana succumbed. So now the only person who knew about the documents have died,"

"He died trapping me-leaving no room for escape,"

"Then who destroyed my shop and kidnapped me,"

"That was Balwant too. He was sure that the documents were in the shop so ransacked the entire place to find it but couldn't find it and since he didn't want to come out as a villain in front of you, he hired some goon to talk you out of the secret. But then again, that plan was spoilt by your well-wisher. That was how he came to the last hope-which was Rana's home, and there we nabbed him,"

"Now you see why your place is the center of mystery?"

"Balwant is now in jail, and he won't trouble me again, that's a relief,"

"Yes, sort of,"

"What do you mean sort of?"

"Well, there is something that you have forgotten,"

"What's that?"

"Someone hired Rana to steal those documents, and we don't know who hired him,"

"So?"

"They too are on the lookout for those documents since it is still missing,"

"Ok...so?"

"So Bandu...where will they search for it and whom will they ask?"

"You mean that this place is now permanently flagged off as the locker and I the keeper of the key?"

"Well...something of that sort, but I hope that does not inspire you into running away from here. This place will be under our surveillance from now on, and I assure you that you need not worry,"

"Runaway!...no way, that won't happen for sure,"

"And beware of strangers being friendly to you, and that reminds me did you meet your well-wisher?"

"No, haven't met him, and he is a perfect example of strangers should not be trusted. You know he might be the person who hired Rana, as you said earlier,"

"Well, then we have to have him investigated, and until then, you stay alert. Can I have a glass of water, Bandu?"

"Yes, yes, one moment, sir," Bandu hurried back inside and brought back a glass of water, and presented it to the officer, "Here sir, I shall be back with tea," and Bandu disappeared inside.

After 10 mins or so, he heard a call, "Bandu can I have the matchbox please?" it was the officer, and Bandu hurried over to his side and shuffled his hand in his pocket to bring out the matchbox. The officer instead bent down and picked up something from the ground and began to inspect it

"Oh, that's mine, sir," Bandu stated, seeing the man holding it engrossed in it, the unlit cigarette still stuck to his lips. He just pulled apart the teddy on the keychain displaying a metal bar stuck on one part.

"Oh," Bandu exclaimed, "You broke it", the officer looked up at him suddenly without saying a word.

Two pairs of stunned eyes stared at each other until a shrill of a laugh broke the trance.