Cricket Culprit

“Just one ball left and five runs to win the match. Dipan has already played a wonderful knock of 133 runs of just 47 balls and will be taking strike currently. He might just save our team from another loss. In the meantime, from the pavilion end the bowler has bowled a slow Yorker, and Dipan has judged that ball so beautifully that he came out of the crease and hit his seventh six of the match just guiding his team to the way towards victory. This good patch is what matters at times as well. Dipan is now having good patch undoubtedly, and so he is judging each and every ball also superbly”. This is the match I was thinking about, that happened just day before yesterday.

But to everyone’s surprise now I am standing in Dipan’s house for condolence. Nothing could be more surprising than this that Dipan is no more with us. According to doctor, he has expired last night due to suffocation. I have been requested to take this case by his girlfriend Ms Sujata, as she suspects this is clear cut case of murder.

Asking her the reason for her thinking this way, she answered, “Dipan never was addicted to anything. He was happy with his form and that we were going to get married in another few days time. So very surely he would not have committed suicide. Also a person cannot die due to suffocation in his sleep. Rather Dipan had many enemies around him who used to envy him for his success.”

However asking her whom all she suspects she just avoided the question, saying her life would be in danger. Rather it would be better if I find out myself.

The situation today was not good anyway to start my rapid fire questionnaire with the family members. So I visited them in the evening and started questioning each and every family members of Dipan.

Dipan’s father: “I have lost my one eye. Dipan was my elder son. From very childhood he has never dissatisfied me with whatever he did. He loved to play cricket. I allowed him. Only thing I didn’t allow him was to marry Sujata. So for that he became so annoyed that he left me!”

Dipan’s mother infact couldn’t speak to me as she was not well as was fully shaken by this news. Dipan’s only brother Raja again told, “Dipan was of no use to family. He used to spend most of his life in cricket and had no care towards family. Dad was never ok with his decision to enroll his name in cricket.”

My next witness was a very old widow, who used to work in Dipan’s house for nearly about twenty five years. Ms Shanti Devi was very calm, polite, and fair. It’s only because that she has served in this house for years and had been with Dipan more than that with Raja, though their mother was never working outside, she has developed a very noticeable attachment with Dipan. So it was quite clear to me the person who was saddest by this news was Ms Shanti Devi than anybody else.

She was crying and than rubbing her tears in her white sari she continued, “I had never kept Baba (Dipan) away from my sight ever. Baba used to love me more than he used to anybody else in this house and also more than what I used to love him. Only at times, when Baba used to go out to play, that I used to miss him. The first person he used to hug after returning home was me. And I only couldn’t save him nor could see him taking his last breath. Everyone is criminal. Don’t leave anybody Baba”, she told to me. I took her pair of hands in mine and helped her to elaborate.

She said, “Swapnil Baba you know, in these 25 years of my service in this house, I have never been given leaves except my request to visit my home in Diamond Harbor. But yesterday suddenly Ma (Dipan’s mother) told me to take some rest and visit my home. I went and I had to return hearing this news. I have my only younger brother Kuntal at my home. We are very poor. I send him money every month and very rarely I visit him. He stays alone there. His age didn’t permit him more to continue his service. He was still urging, but I never allowed him. Now that I have got a job, he is happy.”

“In fact, I believe”, she continued, “Ma only has done something. Otherwise why would she tell me to leave for the first time ever in these 25 years? The other two members Boro Baba (Dipan’s father) and Chhoto Baba (Raja) were also not there for quite a long time. And Baba was about to return yesterday, I came to know now. Never ever there was any guarantee when Baba could come home. So I really didn’t know that Baba was coming home. Otherwise I would not have gone. Now see Baba,” she said to me,

“Doctor has told Baba’s (Dipan’s) death was due to suffocation. Suffocation can be of many things. Ma might have simply pressed a towel or pillow over Dipan’s face. That might have done the trick.”

I told, “Hmm, I understand everything. But why would she?”

Ms Shanti Devi continued, “Frankly speaking I have brought up Baba, because Ma was not well for long time after giving birth to Baba. In fact I was kept for that purpose. I was also looking for work. I don’t have my own child, but I had experience of bringing up my neighbors’ children. So I took up the job. But as Baba grew up, I also became very faithful and I was given many other responsibilities. But Chhoto Baba was brought up by Ma completely. So naturally Ma was more inclined to Chhoto Baba than on Baba. Chhoto Baba also loved to play cricket. He also plays well but not to the extent to which Baba used to play. I have seen Baba’s game. Boro Baba was not at all willing to allow any of them to play.”

“But Baba still continued and got the fame. Chhoto Baba couldn’t go ahead as Ma also stopped him saying let Baba go to hell. As a result, Chhoto Baba never got any job and stays at home. After Boro Baba retired, it’s with Baba’s money only that our family runs. So now seeing that both Ma and Chhoto Baba were planning to remove Baba from their way, as Boro Baba now understands importance of the game, and that now he would allow Chhoto Baba to play. But why they wanted to remove Baba from their way is, if Baba would have been there in same team then Chhoto Baba can never had become as famous as Baba. So somehow both mom and son had planned, according to which son had taken Boro Baba out and mom had given me off.”

I have noticed this much earlier, but didn’t find proper time to ask. There was a bandage covering large area between thumb and fore finger of Ms Shanti Devi’s right hand. Now finding the right time to ask, I asked her the reason for that. She casually ignored that saying “It got cut when she was cutting vegetables.”

After few more days I got Ms Sujata for another sitting. Her tears never seemed to be real. Anyway, it went all normal, except when it was almost near the end, she got a call in her cell. She was sitting beside me. So when she herself was checking the caller, I just got a glance of it. I saw the call was coming from someone whom Sujata finds very similar to the word “True”. She almost whispered with the caller, but within that whatever I discovered was that Sujata also wants the caller to be called as “Darling” by her.

My next interaction was with few team mates of Dipan. They were all shaken by the news. But the most important thing I came to know from them was that Rupam, another top class player of their team, was actually in love with Ms Sujata. So it was almost a love triangle that was continuing. Rupam is also a very good batsman. But he didn’t get selected in the team somehow for a couple of tournaments. The actual story I came to know now. In actual if Rupam continued in this team, then there was a high chance Dipan might have gone down. So may be seeing this dark future ahead, Dipan once getting power after becoming skipper, utilized it in not selecting Rupam in the team.

I was sitting in my lucky sofa once again, taking a fag, to find out few more clues and hints from what I have collected till now. I thought, “First hick up is DEATH DUE TO SUFFOCATION. A person can’t die out of suffocation with his will. At least he should have tried to save himself. And if he has really tried to save himself, he would have got saved. But why not Dipan? Then he tried but didn’t succeed. So there might have some external force. And external force in terms of crime means murder. So Dipan’s death is not at all normal.”

“Next is mom and younger son’s intentions behind Dipan’s murder. That could be possible. Raja’s statements also indicate his jealousness on Dipan. But the problem is mom. She never spoke. May be, she was scared that something may come out of her while she’s speaking. But really the thing that covers these things also is bandage on Ms Shanti Devi’s right hand. If she was really cutting vegetables, how can she get a cut in middle of two fingers and not on any finger? If that also is considered that by chance she got it, then how can I believe that she got it on her right hand?

She can’t get a cut if the knife is lying down. Knife can’t lie down with cutting edges on top and bottom. Now knife would not lie down if it is being used or just hold in hand with cutting edges on top and bottom. Now to hold it in that way, a person would use his that hand which he uses normally. So Ms Shanti Devi would also have used the same, i.e. right hand, as she is not lefty. Then how? Moreover looking at the bandage and the hurt that was peeping out, it seemed to me that she might have got the hurt just 7 – 8 hours earlier. It was still fresh and red. So very surely she might have got when she was cutting vegetables in the morning. But that day everybody was so shattered with the news of last night that no cooking took place. So then how can this be possible either?”

“Lastly, the love triangle that got formed between Dipan, Sujata and Rupam, has also to be kept in mind. So who tried to cheat? Sujata or Rupam? There’s a high chance of Rupam than Sujata. Because Rupam was already betrayed by Dipan and he was unable to achieve the fame he wanted. His earning was stopped. And also the team told Rupam used to love Sujata. Not sure Sujata also or not. Yes surely Sujata may call him Darling, but her name “True” in her cell for Rupam can also mean “True Friend”. Anyway for these couple of things it was quite common for Rupam to have a big clash with Dipan for which he might have done this. But how? Did he go to Dipan’s house that night? Dipan’s mom would be right person to ask as she was only person staying there that night that time. Or Rupam used somebody else to do this?” Anyway it became very crucial for me to have a chat with Dipan’s mother this time.

Next day luckily Dipan’s mom agreed to have a sitting with me. The couple of things that I came to know from her just made me surprised and I got the required rest of the clues for the solution of the case. Dipan’s mom’s full body was paralysed after a stroke. Dipan’s father and Ms Shanti Devi do all the things for her. So then how come Shanti Devi involved Dipan’s mom and younger brother in this murder? Dipan’s mom can’t murder as she can’t get up from her bed even. Raja was not there at home. So Shanti Devi is the main suspect. And yes I came to know from Dipan’s mom also that Shanti Devi was at home only, that day. Dipan’s mom was not feeling well so was sleeping that time. I also discovered from her that in her drowsiness that day she heard door bell and then some voice. Somebody came when Raja and Dipan’s father were not there. She suspects it was Kunal as she heard his voice and she knows that voice very well as Kunal used to come to their house to meet Dipan quite often. Kunal came as he knew that day Dipan was coming. This Kunal is also a great player, have good statistics and many records. So according to Dipan’s mom, Kunal was a great friend of Dipan. Last and foremost thing I came to know was Dipan’s body was lying in restroom.

I quickly called Kunal and Sujata to come to Dipan’s house and ran to the restroom. Yes, what I suspected was true. There were marks of Acid all over in Dipan’s Restroom. In the meantime, as Kunal and Sujata both came in, I called up Raja, Dipan’s father, Shanti Devi also along with them in Dipan’s mom’s room. Then was my turn!!!

“You know all”, I continued, “Kunal is no doubted a good player with lots and lots of records and good statistics. But for quite few years his time is not good as he is having bad patch. So he was becoming frustrated when his best friend Dipan is scoring runs and saving his team in the same match which our team would have lost for Kunal. Rupam plays well too, but a person has to be selected in team to show his capabilities, and Rupam was not out of form. But Kunal’s case is, even he was in team he was not successful. Rupam can get chance any day to perform in future. But Kunal had a chance to get kicked out of the team. But how foolish is he.

He never understood if Dipan is no more a skipper, then he won’t play those many matches also he is currently playing. Kunal’s frustration reached to that height that he started thinking of killing Dipan. However that day he didn’t come with that idea. But seeing nobody in house and that Dipan’s mom sleeping, took the chance.”

Kunal shouted “I didn’t kill Dipan”.

I continued with a bit of smile at the corner of lips and looking from the top of my rimless, “I know Mr. Kunal. You don’t do these lowly jobs. You score runs with your own hands. Kunal and Shanti Devi had some chat and Shanti Devi was forced to spread some acid all over Dipan’s restroom. While doing that a bit of acid fell by the side of the bottle as well on Shanti Devi’s right hand. Isn’t that hurt for that Ms Shanti Devi?” Asking I pulled out the bandages. Shanti Devi screamed in pain and started crying. Her burnt was now clearly visible.

I continued, “They then kept all windows and doors of the restroom closed till Dipan came. As Dipan went inside the restroom to freshen, they almost pushed him inside and closed the door. With the smoke already that was there inside, Dipan might have weakened so much that he had fainted and was not in a condition to open the windows also. That is it. After that Kunal left and Shanti Devi came down the stairs and started working. Once Raja and Dipan’s dad returned she pretending to give something to Dipan went to his room and screamed. By that time she has called Dipan’s name few times to let others know that she was not getting him and then at last got his body in restroom. Oh! Mind it, Kunal might was doing the mistake, but Shanti Devi’s cool head is proof of her wisdom. She quickly opened the door of the restroom as she came to Dipan’s room.”

“Now Shanti Devi, I know your true love towards Dipan. I know you were forced or blackmailed to do this job. So tell me what threat did Kunal give to make you do this?”

Shanti Devi told, “As you know my brother used to work, but his age and few physical troubles didn’t allow him to continue. We neither were married, but lived for each other. What brother used to bring was enough for us. We were just blind without the other. But we had minimum status. So my brother never would have taken it in a good way if he would have known I am working as a maid in one house, and my brother is eating on that money. So I told him I got job in a hospital. So Kunal Baba just blackmailed of letting my brother know about this. I knew my brother would commit suicide knowing this, and I can’t tolerate that, so I did.”

On the other hand Sujata’s love as I knew was true for Dipan, and so she this time clearly rejected Rupam’s proposal and decided to live unmarried. Rupam also agreed to stay her true friend in spite of this, but Sujata changed the name for Dipan’s cell number in her cell as “ “, as according to her she can’t name their relationship. It exceeded that of lover and husband – wife.

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