Bombay Shaman - episode 2: The Haunting Hunter

PART IX: Interrogating the Inspector

If it wasn't for Edha always carrying around her hospital ID, assistant inspector Das' suspicion would've definitely reached the skies and the consequences of that, Kumaran couldn't and didn't want to guess. Thanks to that, Inspector Das didn't identify them as threats or people who were up to anything but good.

Rather than talking with strategy or beating about the bush to get to a point indirectly — which was something he didn't want to do then given his impatience — Kumaran straight ahead told Das that his neighbour was the reporter Shilpa Shukla and she recently underwent something that was similar to his own experience with the late inspector, including the fact that Pankaj had died. He explained to him that he and Edha were there to ask him about what actually happened with the inspector the day he shot himself after the assault so that they can help Shilpa. At that point, mentioning anything about the whole series of events being paranormal seemed a stupid idea; for all he knew, he might've been tagged as a superstitious fool or a fraud yet again, and that was something that wasn't preferable if he wanted to learn anything from the assistant inspector.

Das patiently heard him out, and even though he didn't seem to see the point in the interrogation, he invited him and Edha into his home.

The house seemed quite old inside, minimal maintenance everywhere. The walls were light blue in colour and scraped at places. The furniture was in good shape but probably was decades old, at least that was true for that CRT television which had the undivided attention of the elderly person sitting silently with a bent back on the noisy rocking chair — probably Das' grandfather. He didn't notice Das or them when they entered, not even after Das said that he had returned. He was that engrossed watching some old television show of his.

The peaceful scent of incense sticks was about the house, originating from a shelf full of neatly arranged prayer items, nailed on a wall designated to praying, adorn with beautiful portraits and a shelf.

Kumaran's eyes took a quick tour round the house, scanning the visible areas of the house, sensing and searching for the slightest hint of paranormal activity. However, there was none to be found — nothing other than Das' aura; it was tainted with vestiges of foreign energy like Shilpa.

"What are you searching for?" Das squinted at him.

"Hmm, thinking how old this house is." Kumaran lied, casually shoving his hands into his pocket.

"The house owner said it was built twenty years ago," Das replied as he opened the door into his room and waved his arm, gesturing them to enter.

Kumaran and Edha filed into the room. It was a bedroom, and the police uniform hanging on the wall made it obvious that it was Das'. Even the office like arragment of it  conveyed that — the cabinets, the tall piles of files and paper standing besides open books heavy over a long table, a big bookshelf, the small desktop table.

A big portrait of Lord Hanuman hung over the portrait above the steel bed. In the portrait, Lord Hanuman was sitting on one knee, opening his chest with his hands and revealing the beautifully eternal couple of Devi Sita and Lord Ram.

Das closed the door halfway behind him and showed two wooden chairs to Kumaran and Edha. "Take a seat." He sat on his bed.

Edha awkwardly sat on the chair near the table. Kumaran brought the other chair closer to her since he knew if he sat a little away her nervosity might end up fainting her wits.

"So, what did you want to ask me?" Das folded his arms across his broad chest.

"Well, before that," Kumaran sat slowly, eyes still scanning the room. "I thought we'd talk in the hall?" He pointed his finger in the hall's direction.