Chapter7
Shanta Reddy was marching along the long corridor towards the corner office of Dr PrafulReddy. The receptionist had tried in vain to stop her movement, but Shanta simply bulldozed her way forward leaving no option to the reception other than alerting the good Doctor over intercom that a tsunami in the guise of Shanta was moving towards him, so please watch out. Doctor did not like the information at all. He was really busy in a discussion with his team of surgeons and associated staff planning the surgeries scheduled for the next week. Corporate hospitals are run professionally and any surgery is a coordinated effort of surgeons, anaesthetic experts, theatre staff, medical and equipment supplies and monitoring instrumentation. Doctor was known for his efficiency and effective management. The surgeons associated with his hospital were highly skilled and reputed .So he was naturally annoyed to be told that some one was coming into interrupt his proceedings. He tried to contact the security but he was late. Shanta blasted her way in startling the doctors .She had not expected to see so many people in the room and that put her at a slight disadvantage. But she managed it well. She pointed a finger at the Doctor praful and said loudly, “I want to have a word with you in person alone. Will you tell these folks to take a break from whatever they were doing”. Her blunt , no nonsense language was disconcerting to most of the people. They all knew Shanta as a shrew and her husband had regaled many of them with tales of her wayward ways .So they stretched their legs, pushed their chairs behind and got ready to take the break which in fact was overdue. Inwardly they were thankful to her because they had heard enough from the good doctor for the day.
Praful had no choice on the issue and very soon he was facing angrily the woman who had wrecked his day.
Trying very hard to keep his voice calm, he said, ’Shanta, you simply should not come in like this and disturb an important meeting.”
She exploded, ’important meeting, my foot. There are more important things to discuss than your stupid surgeries. Tell me, Doctor, when are you getting my man out .what are you doing to get him back home fast. I see no action from your side on that matter, which is important for me and you.’
Dr Praful said in an even tone, ’we are waiting Shanta, in fact watching would be a better word. We are watching the police. It is testing time for us. If we move, it will only draw their attention. We have to be patient.
Shanta; I can’t wait. I want my husband out.
Dr.;Shanta , that accident was most un expected. Let it remain an accident.so for police have not been able to relate the accident or the persons involved in the accident in any way to our activity. we should not tip our hand now. They have nothing to foist on your husband. they will let him go when they realise they can not make any case out of him.
Shant; why should they hold on to him this long. There are hundred such accidents happening every day on our streets and there is nothing sinister behind all those accidents. yet they are holding him.
Dr; exactly. normally in all such accidents there is on the spot settlement between parties involved and parties go their way. But in this case police got involved so fast. That is what I DON’T UNDERSTAND.BUT I know we have to lie low for some time.pl cooperate. If we make a move they will smell some thing and that will be bad for us.
Shanta; how about this Gurkha who is after my blood asking for compensation.
Dr. what gurkha/ .I dont know any thing about any Gurkha. what are you talking about?
Shanta;Then , it is time you learn about him.
Dr;How did he reach you.?
Shanta; This Gurkha is smart. He got hold of registration papers of vehicle, sale, transfer of registration to our name;
Dr. My God! what does he want?.
Shanta; To start with , ten lacs
Dr; That is lot of money. His car was not even scratched
Shanta; That is what you say. he says it differently and he is very persuasive .I think I got away from him before he did some thing to me. My god, the way he caressed my arm, I thought he was surely planning to seduce me. We have to pay him to keep him away.
Dr.Sure we will pay him some thing.But ten lac is foolish.
Shanta was now getting worried. Did she pitch the price too high, she asked herself. She wanted to press some more.
She said ’I think ten lac is very cheap
Dr; why do you think so?
Shanta; I think so because he has got the container.
Dr. What?
Shanta; yes. He said so. He is very smart. He knows all about the container and its uses. He is good at putting two and two together. He thinks he can take us for more.
Dr; You mean blackmail?
Shanta; yes. I said he is smart.
Dr. Can’t you do some thing.Shanta, you are so talented. You have used your charm to lure international doctors. Can’t you handle this driver? can’t you settle for less?
Shanta; You are insulting me. Ten lac or I go to jail. That is the threat he is making. He says the police are dying to get a lead towards us.
Dr; Does he know about this hospital?
Shanta; Not so for. He reached me. that shows he is smart. Next stop is your hospital.it wont take him long. You pay me and I settle with him. If you think you can not afford to pay him ten lac, I will step away and point a finger towards you. I think he will like that. I can imagine what he will do to you when he puts his hands on you. That man is really smart. I think he will clean you up.
Dr. Nonsense. I know how to deal with such people.
Shanta; that is a joke. You can’t fix the police to get my husband out and you are talking about handling this man. Man , you just don’t know what is power till you see him.
Dr. So what do you suggest?
Shanta; ten lacs. And Ideal with him
Dr.; How?
Shant; You said I have some special skills. I think I will use them on him. He seems to be a person who can appreciate the special favours I am capable of delivering. I think I will enjoy doing it to him.
Dr; Still ten lacs is too much
Shanta; it is your funereal.
She stood up with a resigned expression which alarmed the doctor. He said in a hurry
‘okay I will give you five lacs. You deal with him till I think of a way to dispose him off. When is he expected to visit you again?
Shanta; I don’t know. I just can’t wait to see him.
Dreamily she rubbed her fore arm which was massaged by Dickey. Dr Praful got frightened of the lust that was clearly peaking in her mind.
He called his accountant and asked him to bring 5 lacs in cash in a small packet.
Next five minutes Shanta was going home in the doctor’s car singing away her favourite tune. She thought not bad for the start. She estimated that she could the doctor at least for twenty lacs before the month is over. She thanked the gods for bringing Dickey into her life. Her precious husband can rot in jail. Dickey was more desirable.
The car stopped in front of her house. She got out and waved the driver away. She put her latch into the key slot and opened the door. Dickey was sitting in her sofa, with his hands folded behind his neck, enjoying some show playing on the TV. Hearing the key turning in the lock, he looked up and saw Shanta walk in. He smiled and asked, ”Did you get it?”
She nodded her head positively with a big grin brightening her face.
She said,’ yes. But only 5 lacs’
Dickey; that will do for the start. I will take it.
Before she realised what was happening, he snatched the wad of notes from her hands and pushed it in his plastic bag. He knew his friends in the police labs will be able to lift finger prints from the notes. That would tie up the good doctor. She looked pathetically at Dickey and asked ‘can’t we share it?
Dickey raised his eye brows. ‘share?’, he asked. I have better use for it presently. you will go back to him for more won’t you? You keep that. Don’t worry, you will get this amount back after some time.
You will go again , won’t you? For my sake.
Shanta said with a weak smile, “yes, I will go back to him and put more pressure. Any thing to please you. You just hold me tight please. I am not used to losing 5 lacs every day.
Yes Next time you will press for more. You will go next time properly made out. with a banged about look. A black eye and hair undone and shabby, as though I have messed you up badly. That should frighten him sufficiently. ten lac will be easy. You will be all right, I promise you.
Shanta put her head on the broad shoulder of Dickey and cried a little.
Mouli watching the Video stream clapped his hand in happy mood. he was making progress.