Page 92 of 12 Years
‘Yes, sir. But, sir?’
‘What?’ Anand said.
‘If there’s an engagement function, is there any chai and mithai for the guards?’
‘I told you, nothing happened. We just came to see Payal Jain, who’s in a relationship with my friend,’ Mudit said.
We sat in Inspector Patil’s room, in the Ghatkopar police station, on wooden chairs that threatened to collapse under our weight. The alcohol had finally worn off.
Inspector Patil was in his forties, balding and clearly not interested in dealing with this stupid non-case. He wore a police uniform two sizes too small for his wide girth.
‘Anand Jain alleges you were harassing him. Trespassing into his house,’ Inspector Patil said, cracking his fingers.
‘There was no harassment. We rang the bell and asked if we could speak to Payal,’ Mudit said.
‘I only wanted to see my girlfriend. And we never trespassed. We never entered their house,’ I said.
‘Did she want to see you?’ Patil said.
‘Yes,’ I said. ‘Her father’s not letting her talk to me. She’s an adult. She can do whatever she wants, isn’t it?’
‘Yes, and she’s gotten engaged. To someone else. Look, they sent mithai.’
Patil took out a box of kaju katli from under his desk and offered it to us. I was hungry as hell, but I still had enough pride to not eat the mithai from Payal’s engagement.
Mudit, however, took two pieces and stuffed his face.Traitor.
‘Probably the first time the police have offered anyone mithai. Thank you, sir,’ Mudit said.
I glared at Mudit. He looked at me, surprised. ‘What?’ he said, taking two more pieces of the sweet. ‘Sir is offering it to us, bro.’
The inspector burst out laughing. ‘Are you an idiot?’ he said to me. ‘Landing up drunk at her engagement. What did you expect? That she’ll run away with you?’
‘Yes,’ I said, dead serious. ‘She wants to, I know it.’
‘Then why is she eating dinner with her fiancé right now while you’re sitting in a police station?’ Patil said, laughing again.
My face dropped. This crass inspector had delivered a truth I didn’t want to hear. I began to cry—horrible, embarrassing, loud sobs.
‘Abe chutiye,’ the inspector said, ‘stop it. And eat the mithai. I could’ve fed you lathis. But I’m giving you kaju katli instead. Eat.’
I obeyed him and took a piece. Damn, it tasted good.
The inspector continued speaking: ‘You seem to be educated, and from a good family. What are you doing? You’ve built such a big body, but don’t you have a little brain?’
I kept quiet.
‘Sorry, sir,’ Mudit said. ‘He just heard about her parents planning a ceremony. We were drunk and didn’t know what else to do. He loves her a lot.’
‘This love business will destroy you,’ Patil said.
Mudit and I remained silent.
‘Now, Mr Jain is an important member of the society here. I must oblige him. I have to put you in the lockup tonight.’
‘Sir, please,’ Mudit said.
‘Shh,’ the inspector said. ‘I’m not filing a report. That would complicate things and drag them out. But I have to tell him that you’re in my lockup tonight.’
