It was enough to make Baldev break down into tears. In a sudden fit of rage, he stood up and tried to punch Komal, but this time, I stepped in and grabbed him from behind before shoving him towards the table. He struck his head and fell, still weeping.

"Bahut baate kar li... Nikal nahi rahe ho?" I dusted off my hands while glancing at Nandlal.

(You've talked a lot... Don't you have to leave?)

"Saari samaan le lo. Bike mei jaenge ghar," he turned to Komal, who nodded and immediately returned with her packed bags. Nandlal gave me a thankful hug, and even little Ruhi waved to me as her parents carried her out of the house. Soon, I heard the bike's engine come to life, and they had driven off.

(Take all your things. We'll go home in my bike.)

"Tum... Tum kaun ho...?" Baldev whispered, his bloodshot eyes fixed on me.

(You... Who are you...?)

"Mai?" I knelt beside him, "Abdul Majid... Gulzar Sultan ka videshi rishtedar."

(Me? Abdul Majid... Gulzar Sultan's foreign relative.)

"Nahi... Nahi!" Baldev launched himself at me and grabbed my collar. He was grinding his bloodstained teeth. I had never seen a man look uglier than him.

(No... No!)

"Nandlal wahi camera wala hai jisne Karim ne laaya tha... Nandlal wahi hai jo mere biwi ke saath chud raha tha... Aur tum... Tum use jaante ho...? Tum kaise jaante ho us kutte ko?! Kaun ho tum?!"

(Nandlal was the cameraman whom Karim had brought... Nandlal was the one fucking my wife... And you... You know him...? How the hell do you know that bastard?! Who the fuck are you?!)

I sighed, patting his hand, "Shaant ho jao, Baldev. Kal police tumhari aur Sarpanch Ji ka talashi karenge... Aise pite hue chehre se jaa sakte ho kya?"

(Calm down, Baldev. Tomorrow police will investigate you and the Sarpanch... Will you show up looking this bruised?)

"Baat ko badalne ki koshish mat karo! Kya tumne yeh sab jaan boochkar kiya hai?!"

(Don't try to change the topic! Did you orchestrate all of this?!)

"Maine?" I chuckled, "Yeh tumhare karmon ka nateeja hai. Kitne parivaro ko barbaad kar chuke ho...? Kitne logon ke biwiyon ke saath so chuke ho...? Kabhi soch hai? Hemchand ab chal bhi nahi sakta... Karz kahan se chukayega? Aur ek Thakur tha... Yaad hai? Do saal pehle uski bhi khun ki thi... Aur apne gunaahon par parda daalne ke liye... tumne Naman ki maut ko khudkushi ka roop de diya."

(Me? This is the result of your karma. How many families have you ruined so far? How many men's wives have you slept with? Have you ever thought of it? Hemchand can't even walk now... How will he pay off his debt? And there used to be a Thakur... Do you remember him? You murdered the man two years ago... And to cover it all up, you framed Naman's murder as a suicide.)

There was suddenly fear in his eyes. I loved it.

"Tum... Tum yeh sab kaise jaante ho...? Kaun ho tum? Police? Ya usse bada?"

(You... How do you... Know all this...? Who the hell are you? The police? Or someone higher?)

I laughed, "Haan... Usse bada hu... Aur jaldi tumhare liye Yamadev bhi banunga."

(Yes... I'm someone higher... And I'll become the the God of Death for you as well.)

With that, I left Baldev's house. Yusuf was waiting outside the gates in a car, and to my surprise, Rehman was not there, "Beta kaha hai?"

(Where's your son?)

"Padh raha hai... Kal pareeksha hai," He replied as I got in the car. We drove towards his home.

(He's studying... He's got an exam tomorrow.)

"Nandlal abhi kuch der pehle yahan tha," I shook my head.

(Nandlal was here a while back.)

Yusuf looked surprised as he glanced at me, "Yahi tha, matlab? Usne kaha do ghante pehle hi nikal jaunga."

(What do you mean a while back? He said he'd be leaving two hours in advance.)

"Ladki ke saath kamre mei tha... Baldev darvaza thod kar andar gaya."

(He was with the girl in the room... Baldev broke down the door and went inside.)

"Ahh..." Yusuf sighed, "Pagal ho gaya hoga. Aur sab kuch bata di use?"

(Ahh... Must have driven him crazy. Did they tell him everything?)

I hummed, "Woh ab jaante hai ki mai ab dushman hu... Par yeh nahi jaanta ki mai kaun hu."

(He knows that I'm the enemy now... But doesn't know who I am yet.)

Yusuf glanced at me, "Kab batane ka irada hai...?"

(When do you plan on telling him...?)

"Jaldi hi..." I grinned, "Kal police Gulzar Sultan ko jail mei dalenge. Uske baad hum sab kuch dekh lenge." Yusuf nodded, agreeing that it was wise.

(Soon... Tomorrow police will throw Gulzar in jail. We'll take care of the rest after it.)

When we went home that night, he bought meat for his son as he was working so hard for his exams. Rehman's eyes lit up with joy as he ate dinner. Kids were truly a blessing. And only those who saw it deserved to have them.

The next morning, Yusuf and I went to Gulzar's mansion. The police investigation was in progress, and I saw Baldev standing beside his beloved Sarpanch with bandages on his face. Karim rushed towards me at that time, "Abdul Ji... Abdul Ji, musibat hai..." He gulped, "Ghar mei kahi par bhi aapke paise nahi mil rahe. Police do ghanto se talaashi le rahe hai."

(Abdul Ji... Abdul Ji... We're in trouble... Nobody can find your money in the house. The police have been searching for two hours.)

Gulzar and Baldev glanced at us from the distance. I could see that the latter had spewed everything to his beloved Sarpanch. I was no longer welcome in the haveli, but what annoyed me was Gulzar's undefeated smirk.

There were at least three suitcases of counterfeit money with him. He didn't even realise that they were fake. Added to that, I'd testify in court for all his other crimes, including tax fraud and attempted murder. I also couldn't just let it slide that he and his men were responsible for killing Naman.

The least Gulzar deserved was life imprisonment.

"Baldev ne kaha tha ki Gulzar ne sab kuch chupakar rakha hai... Soch ke dekho, woh kaha chupa sakta hai?"

(Baldev told me that Gulzar has hidden everything... Think hard, where could he hide it?)

Karim didn't know. We continued waiting outside until the DSP himself came out of the home and informed Gulzar that he was clean and that nothing could be found regarding him. How could that be?

All this effort would be for nothing if the money couldn't be found.

"Aapne sabi jagah ache se dekh li hai?" I asked the DSP again. He glared at me this time, "Do ghanto se ghar ki talaashi le raha hu. Yaha par kuch bhi nahi hai. Tum par badnami ka ilzaam lag sakta hai... aur is jurm ke liye qaid bhi ho sakte ho."

(Did you search the house well?)

(I've been searching for the past two hours. There's nothing here. He could file a complaint against you for defamation... You can even go to prison for it.)

No... How could Gulzar hide the money that well?

It had to be in there somewhere.

Just as the police prepared to leave, Karim stepped forward, "Mai jaanta hu ki paisa kaha par hai!" Gulzar froze at his words.

(I know where the money is!)

"Abbu ke bistar ke neeche chupayi gayi hai... Maine dekha tha ek bar-"

(It was hidden under Abbu's bed... I had seen it once-)

"Saamp ki aulad!" Gulzar Sultan slapped his son in front of everyone, "Kya bak rahe ho?! Waha kuch nahi hai, pehle se dek chuka hai!"

(You snake! What are you spewing?! There's nothing there! They've already checked the place!)

"Haan, pehle se dekh chuka hai..." Chandramohan sighed.

(Yes, we've already verified...)

"Ek baar aur dekh lijiye," I replied. Karim led them inside this time, and the police officers checked under the mattress and the bed, but nothing could be found.

(Please check once more...)

Karim looked confused because he seemed sure of it. I couldn't let the officers give up that easily until everything had been checked. For some reason, the bed looked thicker than necessary, and an idea clicked in my head.

"Palang ko ulta karte hai," I told Karim, and he helped me even though he seemed unsure. Even though the wood appeared thick under the bed, it was surprisingly light. The officers knocked on the bottom, revealing that the inside was hollow. Iron crowbars were used to break it open, revealing stacks of counterfeit cash.

(Let's turn the bed and check underneath.)

"Sab kuch naqli paise hai, saab. Aur yeh mujhe sab dena chahte the..."

(It's all fake money, sir. And he wanted to give it all to me...)

"K-kya...?" Gulzar muttered in shock, "Naqli paise?"

(W-what...? Fake money?)

Chandramohan took his handcuffs immediately, "Bahut saalon se logon ke khun pee rahe ho... Ab jao jail." He put it on Gulzar's hands, making everyone gasp. The feared thug and Sarpanch was finally going to face the consequences.

(You've been leeching off of innocent souls for many years... Now rot in jail.)

A/N - Share ur thoughts :)