chapter 22

Family of ThievesOne morning, an Innova police car pulled up in front of the magnificent bungalow of Satyanarayana Rao, a prominent political leader and current MLA. The local police station's Circle Inspector, Kantharaj, got out of the car and saluted him at the gate.Satyanarayana Rao asked, "What is it, Kantharaj? You've come looking for me early in the morning. Is there something you need done?""It's not for me, sir. This morning, our ACP Dharmapal called. His son's very valuable foreign digital wristwatch was stolen. When its GPS tracked, it showed your house's location. So, ACP sir told me to go to your house and inquire. That's why I'm here, sir. Please don't misunderstand me," Kantharaj said."Oh, no, not at all! You have to do your job. You know me, don't you? I'm a simple, straightforward man, and I've always followed the laws of our country; I've never gone against them. You can search anywhere you need to in our house," he said with confidence.With his permission, Kantharaj told Constable Santhosh, who had accompanied him, to wait outside, and he himself went inside to search the house.Satyanarayana Rao had earned a reputation as one of the very rare honest individuals in politics. Even after being elected as an MLA twice, he was humble and got along with everyone. In his speeches at public gatherings, he always used to say, "My name is Satyanarayana, and I always speak the truth. I have two children... my son Adarsh, and my daughter Pavitra. True to their names, my son has an exemplary personality for society. My wish is that he too should serve society and be an ideal like me." The people of the constituency and other political leaders held him in high regard. He was popular because he would get work done for people from his constituency or even other areas, from ordinary government employees to high-ranking officials, be it transfers, promotions, or other government work. He also maintained good relationships with political leaders of all parties and all ministers.Circle Inspector Kantharaj, who had gone inside alone, searched the entire house. Finally, he came out of his son Adarsh's room with the digital wristwatch and said, "This wristwatch was found in your son's room, sir. We might have to investigate how it came into your son's possession. However, ACP sir said not to file an FIR for now. Just take the watch. We'll decide what to do next later." With that, he took the watch and left.Satyanarayana Rao was very embarrassed that it was found in his son's room. He called his wife, Suguna Bai, and asked, "What is this, your son's mischief? How did our ACP Dharmapal's son's valuable wristwatch end up with him? He has ruined my reputation. Since Adarsh is my son, Dharmapal said, 'Don't file a case for now. Just take the digital watch,' and so it ended well. I feel like you're spoiling your son. Talk to him properly. Warn him not to do such things again and teach him a lesson. My reputation was almost auctioned off because of him." He told his wife and sent her to speak with Adarsh.From there, Suguna Bai went directly to her son's room and saw Adarsh sitting there, deep in thought. Perhaps he was feeling guilty for getting caught doing something."What is it, Adarsh? Why did you take that ACP Dharmapal's son's watch? Have you developed a habit of stealing? Did you need all this? Don't you know how much respect we have in society? No one in our family has ever done such a thing... do you understand?" she questioned him with great sadness."Oh! Are you so honest, mom? I know about you too. People who received transfers, promotions, and other help from dad used to come with bundles of lakhs of rupees in bags and give them to you. Didn't you take five or six five-hundred rupee notes from those bundles of money without dad knowing? Where was your honesty then, mom? Wasn't that stealing?" he questioned his mother. At that very moment, Satyanarayana Rao had entered the room. Before coming in, he had stood outside the door for a while and listened to all the conversations between his wife and son.Upon entering, he reprimanded his wife. "What is this... your mischief? Now I know there's a thief right here in our house. Every time people took bundles of money from our house, they would always complain that some bundles had one or two notes missing. Back then, I used to suspect the people who brought those bundles. Your father was also a big minister in the government once. He had a good name in the party and in society. Does his daughter have such a petty mind? Your name is Suguna, but your character?" Satyanarayana Rao taunted his wife.Then Suguna Bai retorted, "Oh... don't I know your intelligence? You say 'My name is Satyanarayana, and I'm very truthful according to my name' in all your speeches. But all the bundles of money you used to bring home, was all that honestly earned money? You deal in lakhs and crores of rupees for government officials' transfers, promotions, and other businesses. You keep a little and send the rest to the concerned ministers. Those who brought it are not honest, and those who received it are also big thieves. Now, do I need to explain how you steal government money?" When she started questioning her husband, he stammered, not knowing how to answer.However, he composed himself and said, "What? Was your father very honest? He also worked as a minister some years ago. I used to come to meet him as an ordinary party worker back then. I know very well how he used to loot government money. I know how much percentage he used to take when giving out government contracts and then when passing the bills. I myself have seen him loot crores of rupees by simply making inflated bills to get more money. Don't you know how your father made so much money?" he questioned, silencing his wife Suguna.Pavitra, who had been quietly watching everyone without saying a word, finally spoke up, "What is this, dad? Listening to all your arguments makes me wonder if I've ever stolen or cheated... Thankfully, I haven't done such things like all of you and remain pure." She comforted herself.Then Adarsh said, "What, my dear... are you boasting that you're the only one in this house who's like twenty-four carat gold? Did you forget? Chethan Gowda, who got three or four road construction projects done through dad, gave a valuable foreign wristwatch as a gift along with sweets on the Dasara festival. Dad didn't wear it, so I thought I'd keep it. But you gave it away to your friend Rakesh as a birthday gift without telling anyone? What an absolutely pure-hearted person!" Adarsh said, shutting his sister up.Satyanarayana Rao then asked with sadness, "What's happening in our house?" He then turned to Adarsh and asked, "Adarsh... how did Dharmapal's son's wristwatch come to our house?"The son, who had been sitting quietly watching until now, finally spoke after hearing his father and mother's arguments. "Dad... now I feel that me stealing my classmate's wristwatch at college is not a big deal at all. That wristwatch isn't easily available in our country. I had a long-standing desire to wear a foreign wristwatch. One day, we were all playing volleyball in the college ground. The ACP's son had taken off that watch and kept it aside while playing volleyball. The digital wristwatch looked very good, so I slipped it into my pocket without anyone seeing. But I didn't know it also had GPS and got caught. That's all," he said.Satyanarayana Rao then warned, "Look, Adarsh... ACP Dharmapal is a very honest and strict officer. I think it's not right that you stole his son's watch. Dharmapal is a very close friend of mine. So, the matter ended well because he closed the case here. Otherwise, you would have been in jail, you know?"Then Adarsh said, "Oh... Dad. Do you think they let me go without filing a case just because they're your friends? That's just your illusion. But I know the real story behind that watch. His son himself told me. One day, based on confidential information someone gave, your friend, the ACP, raided a smuggler's house. He found hundreds of foreign wristwatches worth crores of rupees. Since there were no proper documents for those watches showing customs duty had been paid, they confiscated all those watches worth about three crores of rupees. Out of those, eight or ten valuable watches were not included in the count of confiscated watches by the officers who conducted the raid and they kept them for themselves. They don't have any documents for those. So, he was afraid that if he complained about the watch being stolen, he would get caught, and that's why he closed the case then and there. You should know this," Adarsh said. Rao replied, "What? Did Dharmapal also cheat like this? I can't believe it, my boy.""Dad. In our society, generally speaking, everyone is a thief in one way or another, I say it boldly..." When Adarsh said this, both his father and mother agreed with his words and remained silent.C.A. V.K.S. Shetty