Deal Unto Death – Part III

“Let me start with expressing how sorry Iam about the loss of your room mate” Ravi started.

“ya….it was …….sad” Venu replied with an expressionless face.Kishore turned away.

By the time Ajay pulled in a chair that was placed before a computer table from one of the bedrooms.

“Please take your seat. Sorry,we don’t have much of a furniture” he exclaimed as he pointed the chair with an outstretched palm.

“No problems man,I can sit down” so saying Ravi sat on the floor.

After the formalistically dictated small talk Ravi got to the point straightaway.

“So!! What kinda guy is this Vilas”

“Well, .. you know.. he was a normal guy…”Ajay replied with elongated words.

“How did you get to know him”

“I was looking for a place to stay and had posted an ad in my company’s bulletin board. Vilas replied to me saying that a place was available for 2 people. We went together to have a look and didn’t like the place and ended up here after visiting couple of other places”

“How long you guys have been here??”

“”Well!! Around 7-8 months I think,lemme see….. I have been here from” he looked like he was calculating something in his mind,then he said” oh yes!! 7 .5 months”

Now Ravi turned to Kishore and Venu and asked “How is he like! I mean Vilas”

Kishore folded his hands and Venu started” well he was…you know.kinda reserved sometimes…kept a lot to himself..never opened up much at times.Used to have long and loud conversations inside locked room.But never told us anything.He is the kind of guy who likes to have the last word!! You know what I am saying”

Ravi nodded his head as if he could understand what Venu was trying to say.Then he asked.

“Was there any problem whatsoever with him at any point of time.You know !! any misunderstanding or anything of the sort”

Both the guys’ heads involuntarily turned a little towards Kishore before they could get it under control. Kishore was looking more restless ever before he couldn’t take it any longer and he burst out.

“Well I seriously don’t want to disrespect a dead guy and all that crap.But with all due respect, the guy can be a real pain in the …..neck.You know what I am saying”

Ravi nodded his head as he listened to Kishore carefully.Kishore continued.

“I mean!! He is a total idiot.He wanted to argue about everything,he wanted to always prove that he was the biggest smart ass in the world…he can really get on somebody’s nerve!!! Like the other day when I had to slap him”

“You hit him???”Ravi replied as he tried to control his surprise.

“I mean…I didn’t hit him..in the real sense…he was pretty pissed off by a bad appraisal…we all were pissed off with our own,but he went about ….maaaaaaaan this…..maaaaaaaaan that and I was like….shut up…….but he didn’t shut up and was pissing me off big time and I told him one last time and he didn’t listen!!! Well what do you expect?”

“So you hit him??”

“well it was just kinda friendly blow ..it kinda landed at the back of his neck!! Nothing serious” he tried to calm down now but there was a deep realization in him that probably he had spoken too much.

The other two guys were watching as if they had seen a ghost as Ravi asked calmly.

“What did he do?”

“He was trying to hit back at me like an idiot but I fended him off .crazy guy…was pushing at me like a mad man…the other guys separated us!!we haven’t been speaking with each other from then”

“When did this happen??”

“hmmmmmm .. probably a week”

“hmmm okai!!”Ravi made a mental note of the incident. And then he queried.”He had a bad appraisal did you say??”

“Oh ya!!! Saala!! Was cribbing abt it day and night right till the last day!!! I am sorry!! I don’t want to sound too insensitive and all but we there was no love lost between us coz we never had much to begin with”

“Hmm so he had issues in his work place??”

“Ya he used to rant about his work and how he was being mistreated and all that crap. Used to have major fight with his manager every now and then.I think he had fought with his manager even some couple of days before he died.isnt it guys??”

Venu and Ajay nodded thoughtfully.

“hmm!! Was there anything else that bothered him lately??”

“well the guy was dejected about something or the other all the time. used to be pretty depressed after all those long conversations he had behind closed doors.”

After a few more questions Ravi left the place after noting down the name of Vilas’s manager. He met the land lord of the house on his way down. The house owner was a 60 year old man with a permanent bewildered look on his face and talked as if he was going to be arrested anytime. There was nothing much he could gather from him and in the end he was only happy to leave the place.

He had tea in a road side shop as he was returning and tried to involve in a small talk with shop owner.

“Seems that there had been crime in that house” he pointed over to Vilas’ home as he sipped the hot tea.

“yes sir I also saw a lot of police few days back”

“what happened??”

“I dunno sir!! Some guy hung himself”

“Oh really,what happened???

“some problem sir!! These crazy IT youngsters!! I sometimes wonder why haven’t they all committed suicide yet. They work day and night like ghosts and roam day and night and wash away all the hard earned money. all misguided!!lesser said the better,I hope you are not one of them” the shopkeeper said.

“No iam not how did you know??”

“for once you were not lost in thought ,all these IT people are always lost” he leered.

“ha ha!! So did you notice something ,someone suspicious on the day of the crime??”

“what can I say sir!! Thousands of people come and go every second,I wont remember even you if you come back to my shop after 5 mins!!”

“ha ha” Ravi gave out a chuckle and finished off his tea.

He paid the shopkeeper and walked back.

He called Meena on his walk back and told her about the meeting he just had.

“I guess we can rule out these guys here!!” he said.

“mmm ….. You are not thinking!! You can never rule out anyone. too early… how are you planning to proceed??”

“Am planning to meet that manager tomorrow”

“The manager…you think that is necessary???”

“You can never rule out anyone…too early”

“Ok smart guy!!! All the best!! Good night”

“Good night” he disconnected the line.



As he moved on there was only one line that was running in his mind.

“You can never rule out anyone”



………………to be continued.

· Deal Unto Death – Part IV