Love and Hate

  • 03 Apr - 09 Apr, 2021
  • Salaar Laghari
  • Fiction

The police officer answered,

“Police Inspector Rita was found murdered yesterday; she received the last death threat from your husband Bradley. We have to arrest our suspect.”

I came by Martha’s side. She fell on her knees as she was in a state shock because of learning about her mother’s sudden death.

“I am Bradley,” I said to the police officers.

I kept my forearms before them and said,

“I do not know anything about Rita’s murder, nor I have anything to do with it but you can still do what you are here for.”

They handcuffed me. I saw my wife crying. I was deep down quite worried that our life was finally getting better after a long time, and now this incident took place which all of a sudden ruined our peace.

The police officers had arrested me and they were taking me to the police station.

Martha was crying and while she was, she remembered a conversation from her past.

Carl said to her,

“This week, your mother has received more than ten death threats.”

“Oh, dear! This means she was speaking the truth.”

“Who?”

“My mother just came by. About half an hour or less ago.”

“Oh! So, she told you?”

“Yes. She said that Brad and I must shift somewhere else because of this.”

“Exactly. That’s what I came here for. Look, she’s a cop. A very tough one. People like her do receive such threats.”

“But she’s my mother,” Martha argued, “How can I leave her alone? And that too in this city?”

As Martha gained a little consciousness, she said to herself,

I shouldn’t have… I shouldn’t have left her alone.

She wiped the tears from her face and said,

I know that it is not Brad’s work. I don’t blame him. But there is someone, and I don’t know who.

**********

Meanwhile at the crime scene, the boundaries were marked and the shape of a marked dead body could be seen. There was a little crowd of police officers who were discussing the murder scene.

One of the police officers said to the detective who was working on this case,

“We’ve been told that there were no witnesses at all.”

“Oh!”

“And unfortunately, there are no CCTV footages as well.”

“Why?”

“Because there were none installed around this place.”

“I see,” the detective responded.

“This crime is not an unexpected one. This woman had received several death threats.”

“I see. What was her name, again?”

“Rita.”

“Yeah, Rita. So, you are telling me that there can be several suspects in this case."

“Yes. That is true.”

The detective gave a little thought and then said,

“Who gave her the death threat most recently?”

“A man named Brad.”

“Brad?”

“Yes, and the really interesting part is that this guy is related to her.”

“Who? Brad?”

“Yes.”

“How?”

“He is her son in law.”

“Oh dear, this just gets interesting here.”

They had a little more conversation and then they conducted the investigation thoroughly.

**********

Next afternoon, Carl was seated with Martha outside our house on a somewhat broken sofa. Martha had our daughter on her lap and she was weeping silently.

Carl began the conversation,

“I am really shocked about all of this. This murder was inevitable but Brad’s conviction was something that I could not expect.”

“I know he has not done this. He had decided to move on. We were planning to leave this city forever, but

this happened.”

“Listen to me, I promise you I will bring Brad out of this for sure.”

“But what about the killer?” she asked.

“He shall be caught. He better be caught or else Brad won’t get any sort of bail.”

“But my mother, I think she has paid for her sins.”

“Yes, she was very cruel on Brad’s father. The other day she told me the entire scenario.”

“She told me as well.”

“I had kept that as a secret,” Carl answered.

“So, did I….”

After a brief moment of silence, Carl said,

“I am very concerned about the killer. I will find him anyhow.”

“Finding the killer is one thing, what’s really bothering me is this coincidence.”

“Coincidence?”

“There are two strange coincidences.”

“My mother killed Brad’s father. Brad and I fell in love and got married really soon. Isn’t this some kind of coincidence that you see in movies or read in novels?”

“I suppose, may be… and the second coincidence?”

“My husband threatened her. He almost killed her but didn’t. And just a few days later she got shot.”

“Well, her getting shot is not something strange. I’m sorry to say this but this was inevitable.”

“I agree.”

After few seconds of silence, Carl asked,

“Do you want to visit Brad?”

“I do…But where?”

“He’s somewhere in the central jail. We can go and visit him as normal visitors.”

“Okay, but when can we go?”

“How about tomorrow morning?” Carl responded.

“That sounds okay to me.”

**********

Next afternoon, the two of them had come for a visit. They were sitting on the opposite side as we were seated on a visitor’s lounge.

I said to them,

“Thank you for coming.”

“How are you Brad?” Martha asked me.

“I’m good. I’m really sorry about your mother.”

“No, it’s okay. You are not responsible for that.”

“Oh…” I felt relieved. “I’m glad you are thinking like that.”

“Brad,” Carl called me and said, “Do you want me to hire a lawyer?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“Look, I have no reason to live. This life is just getting painful. I just want to die now. I will accept my crime in the court, even though I have not committed it and then…”

“Are you out of your mind?” Martha interrupted me angrily. “You are willing to get hanged for a crime you did not commit. How could you? And you’re saying you have no reason to live? Have you forgotten your two children?”

“No,” I got depressed.

“Listen to me Brad,” Carl spoke in between. “I will find some expert lawyer for you.”

“It’s of no use.”

“Listen to me, I am telling you that you will be out of this real soon. Come on you have to live for your children.”

I had no words which was why I looked down on the desk.

“Alright,” I said after a while, “I’ll do it. I’ll say in court whatever you’ll ask me to.”

“Good,” Carl commented.

“But I’m really sorry; I have no reason to live anymore.”

to be continued...

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