THE PAPER WAR - IV

“Sorry, it was an important call” the inspector said approaching Hussain and replacing his cell phone back in his pocket. “Do you need coffee?” asked the inspector. Hussain was silent, he had a gut feeling something was wrong. “I’ll take it as a yes” the inspector replied and ordered two coffees to the constable. “I am really sorry for your wife, Mr….?” the inspector paused. “Hussain” Hussain completed the sentence. “Oh, Hussain, okay, I am really sorry, but let me tell you something” the inspector paused himself waiting for Hussain’s gesture of approval. “Sir, let me please complete my…?” Hussain said when the constable came with two cups of coffee.

“Have your coffee, I don’t want you to speak until I finish” the inspector said, this time a little threatening. Hussain was left option less. “Listen to me, I don’t want you to speak of this to anyone, okay?” the inspector was saying when Hussain interrupted. “But why sir?” Hussain said. Hussain was about to tell something when the inspector spilled the steaming coffee into Hussain’s face. It caused a terrible pain to Hussain. He screamed in agony. Hussain quickly wiped off the coffee with his shirt. It was still burning. Hussain’s hands began to tremble in fear. “I said I don’t want any interference” the inspector was still speaking with a smile. “Yeah, now, I want don’t want you to open these matters to anyone, write down your address” the inspector said handing over a notepad. Hussain did it in a flash. “Okay, I will be checking your address in a couple of days and when I come, your main door should be locked, and after that I would be obviously enquiring about you with your neighbors and they must all say one thing” the inspector paused. Hussain raised his head to see the inspector. The inspector smiled and replied “They must all say that Hussain fled the city the previous day, okay? And now get the hell out of here”

Hussain reached his home and switched on the lights. He sat on the chair to relax himself. Then something hit him like a lightning from nowhere.

“I was a journalist, I shouldn’t hide the truth, I was about to kill myself, then this happened, if I disobey them, they are going to kill me anyways, I’ve got nothing to lose” thought Hussain.

Hussain quickly walked back to his writing room, took his pen, pad and started writing. “Aalia refilled my pen after a decade with a meaning” thought Hussain. He started to write about all that happened to him. He completed the article by 3 ‘O’ clock the next morning and called his friend who was in a renowned press which produces weekly magazines.

“Tell me” his friend answered. “I’ve got a human interest story, could you publish, its urgent” Hussain asked. “Yeah sure, anything for you, I’ll send my man there, give me a copy, the magazines will be out in the store this evening” his friend said. Hussain thanked him. “It seems you’re back” his friend added. “Yeah, I’m” Hussain replied.

In a guest house, less than a mile the minister was partying with his fellow mates. He was at the peak of fun when his attendant interrupted and showed him the weekly magazine. Sujith read the article twice and said “Get Mr. Prakash on phone”

It was late in the evening when Prakash was leaving the station. It had been a long day for him. He switched on his vehicle when his cell phone rang. it was from the minister. “Mr. Prakash?” the familiar voice of the minister spoke on the other side. “Ya, tell me sir” the inspector answered tiredly. “What was your assessment on Hussain, Mr. Prakash?” the minister asked. “I said he looks like a coward” the inspector answered. “And what was mine?” the minister asked casually. “You too judged him a coward sir” the inspector replied. The minister said carefully “Unfortunately Mr. Prakash, we both were wrong”. The minister hung up.