“Who?” asked the middle-aged man who was shining bright in his khaki trousers, as he banged on the table. The distant skies roared with thunder.
“I wish I’d been there earlier. It might have made all the difference. All I can tell you is why he was murdered.” answered the man, who knew that his silence could not be held back as long as he had expected. “He had to die because he loved you!”, he then shouted and held him up against the wall while clinging to his shirt by the neck. The teary eyes of the Officer filled with rage, had let out its regret immediately, but the emotion was not shared by his broad hands which still had its killer grip on the man’s neck.
The officer followed up his single syllabled question with a smirk in his face, “For old times’ sake Uncle, tell me who ordered the execution? Tell me now and I shall make sure that you are untouched. Do you realize what will happen to you if I let you out in the streets right now? All I have to do is let the rumor spread that you murdered the old man and our own men will stone you to death. Of course, knowing our men, they are very creative when it comes to getting rid of traitors.”
“That’s a real nice name you have for me, ‘Traitor. You’re a fine one to talk. You abandoned us, Siva. You could have been the King. Yet you chose to walk out on us. Your father was heartbroken when you chose to neglect your family…Our Family! And yet you address my men as ‘Our Men’. Who is the bigger hypocrite? Is it the accuser or the one who is being accused? Tell me, Inspector Siva.”
“No one can beat you at wordplay, Uncle. But then again, what good would it do for me to succeed my father as the Don? I would probably be dead like him.”
“You abandoned us! Do you really think that anyone would even think of touching him while you were beside him? What kind of a son are you? He died because you weren’t there to protect him. That’s why!” the old man said, finally having his breath come back to him.
“Do you remember the last thing I said to him before I walked out?” asked Siva. He knew that the man who raised him, the man who was more of a father figure than the dead gangster would ever be, would remember the last words that the Father and Son shared.
“I don’t want to be your heir. I don’t want to be part of your business. I don’t want your kingdom. But I will always be your son.” responded the old man.
On his knees, Siva looked into his Uncle’s eyes and made his case, “Help me find the person responsible, Uncle. We owe father at least that much! Please.”
Sundar assured him, “I am not doing this for you. I am doing this to get my hands on the chump who had the nerve to kill him! I can’t make any promises that I will deliver the bastard alive to you!”
“Let’s just see who gets hands on him first. Okay, where do we begin?” asked Siva, but both of them knew that the question was rhetorical and the most obvious person popped up in their minds in unison.
A little while later…
Sundar upon seeing the boy he raised, “Finally! It has been a while since I have seen you without Khakis. And thank god that you didn’t come in your uniform, it’s bad enough that you are your father’s son. Just imagine the reputation they will gain once they tag an Inspector! And please don’t mention to anyone inside who your father is or who you really are.”
“Who are you? What do you want?” asked the guards.
“Tell Samuel that Bhadran’s son and right-hand man Sundar are here to see him.”
One of the guards gasped, “What? Bah…? Wait right here…”, as he dashed inside to tell his boss that the son of his fallen nemesis is here to see him. Sundar not at all pleased with Siva exclaimed, “I thought I had specifically told you, not to reveal who you really...