Amazon Best Selling Novel “Malabar A Flame” in Lima World Library
9. Desolate path
A frosty canvas covered the earth under the white-painted
sky. Antony arrived at his work place. All gazed at Antony:
What happened?
Store room remained open! Antony startled at the sight.
He felt giddy. Some goods have been stolen. Antony looked
at the key bunch he was carrying. But his face reflected a guilty
conscience. All the staff remained agitated. What happened?
Antony trembled. What would happen next?
Someone sneaked into the store in the dead of night.
“This man has stashed away the things under the cover of
darkness. Hasn’t the store key in his hand?”, Glast mumbled
with joy rising within.
Till date, date, I have not quarreled with anyone. No one
is my enemy. Only Glast hates my skin. Did he conspire
to defile me? Keys are under my custody. How would the
robbery take place without my knowledge?
Many among the crowd had full sympathy with Antony.
The key in his pierces the heart. He held the ley to the room
from where goods have been stolen. Nothing could be done
except telling the truth. Let the law take its own course. To
get rid of muthalali’s affection to Antony someone might
have played the trick. So some selected items were taken
away deliberately.
It is futile trying to implicate someone else as the key is
in my possession. It is not practical to come and stand guard
throughout the night. Some want to label me as a thief.
Whoever says that I am a robber I have the confidence and
the belief that muthalali has trust in me. He is the mighty
weapon in my quiver. I can think so. How many pounds
worth of goods were lost? Will the boss excuse me? Antony
was in a dilemma.
A police vehicle arrived. Senior site engineer John Stuwart
alighted. Antony’s face turned pale. Hereto, it would be
police, court and jail for me. When I was thinking of meeting
muthalali in his bungalow, the police have come. Dome one
must happed tipped the police on the burglary. An eerie
silence enveloped the store area.
Police entered the spacious store. Glast introduced
Antony to them. He was standing there as a statue. They
searched the place. They grilled Antony and prepared the
FIR. When did you close the door last night? Who all have
its key? Where do you stay? Do you suspect anybody in the
burglary? A battery of questions followed. Antony replied to
all unfazed.
This is the first time Antony was questioned by the police.
He was surprised at the gentle manner in which the cops
quizzed him. If it were in his native land, he would have been
beaten up before any quizzing started. By how gentle the
police in London behaved!. When they said `good morning’
he groped for a response. Though the grilling was gentle,
Antony felt like put among thorn. The police made it clear
that just because the key was with Antony, they could not
place the blame on him They would have to question all the
workers. The engineer agreed. Police questioned all those
who gathered there. Glast told the engineer: “The boss is
waiting for you”.
The engineer and the police went to the boss’s bungalow.
Bank came out to Antony and spoke as igf they have
concluded that he was the sole culprit.` Hand over the
complete list of goods to to the boss within three hours. His
voice was harsh. He went to Glast and said something to
him. Before leaving the scene, he scanned the whole store.
Bank told him: “What you did is most inhuman. At least you
should have been thankful to the boss for being so kind to
the Indians like you. You have no self-respect. All cheats!”.
An angry Bank went off in the horse cart. Antony stood
frozen. Bank labelled not him alone but all Indians as thieves.
Bank’s words echoed in head as the taps of horse hoofs.
Heart beats accelerated. As Nature is cool his heart also
trembled with chillness. I have never bitten the hand that fed
me. Gasping for breath, frail and anguished Antony’s eyes
swelled with tears. Those who came to handcuff me did not
put the manacle on. Without retrieving the booty how can
they put the blame on me?
The gathering dissipated. Antony was alone. He did
not know what to do? In the meantime Glast came once
again, looked at him and went off. No one else came to him.
Nowadays Bank is keeping intimacy with Glast. Both of
them ridiculing me and mocking at me. Let them revel. Those
who do not find the virtues of men will have the demerits
to be companions. In Malayalam `Themmadigal’(rascals).Those who peep everything from a hide-out.
A depressed Antony walked to the muthalali’s bungalow
through the shady path. He did not go home for lunch. Mary
might have become dismayed by long wait. It was 2 pm
when the list of all things was ready. He drank pipe water
twice. He did not feel hungry. Mary has been awaiting. Heart
beats accelerated. When Antony thought of the future he
felt giddiness. Would muthalali prosecute me?. Bank was
waiting for him. He allowed Antony in. Muthalali stared at
him for some time. Antony felt the earth where he stood was
crumbling.
“I liked you too much. But there were complaints coming
from the work place and horse stack. I did not take them
seriously. You may be innocent. Because I like people who
toil. But today’s incident I cannot be viewed as simple. You
may not have erred. A man like Antony could never do such
a deed. But all the others including engineer told me not to
entrust the store to Antony. I cannot reject their words”.
The muthalali gasped for a while. Every word tore the
heart of Antony. Words flowed like an avalanche. Like a
culprit Antony stood listening to all. The boss continued.
“Till the police will find out the real culprit after
investigation, try for some other job somewhere. Don’t
you know that that I am unable to provide a job somewhere
according to your qualifications? You may stay in the house
for three months. If you want some other help from my side,
don’t be reluctant to ask. You can come here any time. There
is a cheque for 10,000 in the envelope”.
Antony handed over the keys and the list of inventories to
his beloved muthalali before accepting the cheque. His eyes
welled up.
When he left for home, the sky was bright, but on his
way he found it was growing darker and darker. He sat on a
roadside bench for a while to breath easy. He was sweating.
He could not fathom how his dear muthalali could do such
a heartless, drastic action. The cover inside his packet hurt
him like a thorn. He sat on a mount to think. But everything
seemed clouded. The road was desolate and he was caught
in a fog. He wanted to cry but he could not. This throat had
dried up.
At the end he felt better. Every one has to take challenges
as they come. Nover try tio flee from them.. Confront them
boldly. Antony wiped off his tears, stood up and headed for
home.
