CRIMES AT CORNERS – SEASON 3

  • 21 Sep - 27 Sep, 2019
  • Salaar Laghari
  • Fiction

The car finally stopped as they reached the location. Rehan opened the car’s door and stepped outside. He looked at the shop he was headed to. He then looked at the cameraman stepping out of the car. The cameraman said to him:

“You walk towards the shop. And walk slowly. I’ll be shooting you from behind.”

“…Okay.” Rehan replied after a while.

Rehan took another deep breath and then started to walk. He kept on walking until the cameraman said to him:

“Walk slowly.”

He slowed down and walked. Finally as they reached the shop, Rehan greeted the shop owner and asked him:

“Is this your shop?”

The shop owner didn’t answer and looked at the cameraman. Rehan asked again:

“Excuse me, I’m asking if this is your shop?”

“Yes.” The shop keeper replied kind of reluctantly.

“So, you’re the owner of this shop?”

“Yes, what do you want?”

“Do you sell any expensive phones in cheap price?”

“Yes.”

“How cheap?”

“Well, I can give you an eighty thousand worth mobile for just one thousand.”

“Eighty thousand rupee phone in just one thousand?” Rehan asked in a surprising tone.

“Yes.”

Rehan kept on looking at him with amazement for a while until the shopkeeper asked:

“Look, now do you want to buy the phone or not?”

“Yes, I will.” Rehan spoke changing his standing position.

“And would you mind telling me who this person is? Why is he holding this camera? Is he shooting a video?”

“Uh, don’t worry about him. Just tell me about the phones. Can you tell me from where do you get such phones?”

“What do you have to do with that?”

“I have nothing to do with that but I think I’m entitled to know.”

“Why?”

“I want to know how reliable the phone is. I don’t think there should be any problem in giving that sort of information.”

“What information?” the shopkeeper tried to avoid answering him.

“Alright, just tell me that why are you selling such expensive phones in such a cheap price?”

“Why? What do you have to do with that?”

“I just want to make sure that the quality of the product I’m purchasing would not be compromised.”

“It won’t be.”

“Look Sir, ” Rehan spoke taking out his wallet, “I am going to buy three phones from you. And I will pay two thousand rupees for each. Just tell me from where did you attain these?”

“…Okay, I will tell you. But first I want this cameraman to put down his camera.”

“Okay, no problem.”

Rehan looked at him and the cameraman put down the camera. He didn’t switch it off and the video kept on recording. Rehan then looked back at the shop keeper and asked:

“Alright, the camera’s off. Tell me now.”

“There are several mobile snatchers in contact with me. When they are not satisfied with any particular phone, they simply sell it to me for just five hundred or less.”

“Oh, so you buy these?”

“Yeah.”

“And what about the victims? Have you ever realised what they go through?”

“I don’t care what they go through. And you shouldn’t ask this from me as long as you are purchasing these phones yourself.”

“Oh, well that’s agreeable.”

“And now I must ask you to leave.”

“How would you feel if three criminals break in and steal your entire shop?”

“I am not answerable to you about this, okay?”

“No tell me, how would you like it?”

“I know where you are getting at with this. But I am not accountable to you.”

“Why? Why aren’t you?”

The cameraman changed the camera’s direction and aimed it in a way that the shop keeper’s face was visible. Rehan asked him for the second time:

“Why? Why aren’t you answering me?”

“Because I’m not answerable, that’s why.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yes, and who are you by the way? Are you the state’s president? The way you are breaking in and interviewing me as if I am accountable to you and bound to answer your every question.”

“If you are not going to answer then I might expose you. But if you do answer me and accept that what you are doing is morally wrong, then I might cooperate with you.”

“Just go away, I don’t want your cooperation. Just leave.”

“I am not going anywhere that easily,” Rehan said firmly. “Every word that you just spoke, I have recorded it and I can expose you through my TV channel.”

“I don’t care. Just get out.”

Rehan kept on looking at him for a while and then as the cameraman turned his camera towards him, he said to the shopkeeper:

“Alright fine, we’re leaving. But don’t think that this is it. I’ll be back and I shall come with the police next time. And I will also expose you on our show Crimes at Corners.”

The shopkeeper looked at him with fear in his eyes and said in a low voice:

“Just go away now.”

Rehan then turned completely towards the camera and said:

“Ladies and gentlemen of Pakistan as you clearly saw today that this man who sells stolen phones in cheap prices is not willing to accept his crime. What should be done with him or such kind of people? The audience is going to suggest that. And their suggestion will be our decision.”

The camera man paused the video recording as he understood that Rehan was done with his speech.

“Okay, now what?” said

the cameraman.

“Now we’ll do another shot outside the market. I’ll give another similar speech and then we’ll come again and interview another shop keeper.”

“But shouldn’t we interview the shopkeeper first?”

“We can, but I need a little rest first.”

“Oh, so are you going for refreshment?”

“Yes, kind of.”

“Already?”

“What?”

“I’m asking that are you tired? Already?”

“No, I am not.” Rehan answered firmly.

And then he turned away from him. While walking, Rehan thought to himself:

No wonder this job is not easy.

He angrily walked outside the place.

Several minutes later, while Rehan was sitting at some shop and was drinking water, the same cameraman came and asked him:

“Can we continue now?”

Rehan looked up at him and answered:

“Alright fine. Let’s go. But first we are going to do that shot outside the market. You know what I’m talking about, right?”

“Yes, I know.”

Rehan stood up and prepared himself for the next shot.

Five minutes later, outside the market, Rehan was standing and the cameraman was shooting his video:

“Ladies and gentlemen of Pakistan, as you can see I am standing outside this electronic market, so today we’re going to interview those shop keepers who make their livelihood through selling stuff that does not really belong to them.”

He took a deep breath and then continued:

“That’s right people, we have such shop keepers around here who sell stolen cell phones and property that does not legally belong to them.”

Rehan changed his position and then said to the cameraman:

“Alright, let’s go.”

“Wait, Rehan said.” the cameraman. “Just do this one little shot and say that let's go and see how they run their business, something like that.”

“Oh, yeah sure.”

Rehan then looked at the camera and said in clear words:

“So, citizens of Pakistan let’s go and ask these people about how they are running their businesses and how they are fooling everybody.”

“Okay, let's go inside.” The cameraman suggested while he paused the recording.

Rehan walked towards the shop that was his next target.

Two minutes later, Rehan while standing outside some particular shop, said to the shopkeeper pretending to be a criminal:

“I have this cell phone. I just snatched it moments ago. Are you going to purchase it?”

“Okay.” the young shop keeper responded. “Is it locked?”

“What?” Rehan spoke purposely so the shop keeper would speak louder and his voice would be audible enough.

“I’m asking is the phone locked?”

“Yes…yes, it is locked.”

“Then I’m sorry I won’t pay more than five hundred, no matter how expensive the phone is.”

“And if I give you an unlocked phone?”

“You mean the snatched phone?”

“Yes.”

“Then I might pay you a good price.”

“How good?” Rehan asked.

“Well, that depends. That depends on the condition and quality of the phone.”

“Oh, okay. Well, that’s understandable.”

“Show me the phone.”

Rehan took out the phone from his pocket. While taking it from Rehan, the shop keeper asked:

“Is the phone locked?”

“Yes.” Rehan answered.

The shop keeper gave an expression of unsatisfaction and said:

“Then I’m sorry brother. I cannot pay you more than five hundred rupees for this.”

“Why not?”

“This thing is of no use to me. It is nothing different than a piece of rock.”

Rehan chuckled. The shop keeper spoke:

“If you are willing to give this in five hundred, then I’m fine with it. But if you want more, then I’m sorry I simply can’t help you.”

Rehan thought for a while and then changed the mode of the conversation:

“You do know that I stole this mobile, right?”

“Yeah, that’s not something new for me.”

“And you also know that what I did to the person from whom I stole it?”

The shop keeper remained silent waiting for an answer from him.

“I killed the guy.” Rehan answered. “I shot the owner of this phone.”

“So, what do I have to do with that. I know plenty of people like you. They keep on doing such crimes and at the same time they are my dealers. They are my clients”

“So, what you are saying is that it doesn’t really matter to you that who you are dealing with?”

“Why should it? As long as I am earning money through my dealers then why should I care about what they do in their personal lives?”

Rehan didn’t respond. The shop keeper continued:

“You are the killer. You are the one who has killed another human being. You shouldn’t be the one talking about moral values.”

“What if I bring the police and show them everything you just said?”

“How are you going to show them?”

“You see that guy?” Rehan said pointing towards the camera guy. “He has been recording our conversation throughout this time.”

“He is standing too far. I’m sure he hasn’t caught any of my words.”

“Perhaps he hasn’t, but I have,” Rehan said showing him the voice recorder after taking it out of his front pocket.

The shop keeper got annoyed and said:

“Look, I don’t care who you are or what your purpose is. Do you understand? I don’t give a damn about you. I’m just going to ask you to leave. And believe me I can use a really harsh language, but I won’t. I’m just asking you very politely to leave.”

Rehan walked away from the shop and said:

“Alright fine. We’ll leave. But believe me this isn’t over yet.”

Rehan and his cameramen left the place and while coming out of the market, one of the cameramen said:

“We still have one more to interview.”

Rehan stopped walking and after taking a deep breath, he sighed:

“I know.”

“So, are we going to interview them?”

After several seconds, Rehan responded by quickly uttering:

“Yes, we are. Let’s go.”

**************

That day’s evening, as Rehan came back to his room, he put off his coat and jumped directly on his bed. He was feeling very tired so he closed his eyes and tried to sleep. He kept on thinking about his tough and tiring job. He realised that his first day was really very difficult as compared to his previous jobs. He wondered:

“Its for everyday now. Every upcoming day of your life shall be like this. You just need to refresh yourself every hour and sleep well. And you need a little getting used to it.”

He almost fell asleep until something hit his door and the sound that was created disturbed him and woke him up. As he opened his eyes, he kind of realised that the sound was because of Maria. He didn’t really care and went back to sleep.

Maria who was standing outside waited for him to come out, but he didn’t and she kept on waiting for five minutes. So, she stood up and went back to her room.

Three hours later, while Rehan was sound asleep, he heard his cell phone ringing. He woke up and checked his phone. It was Zakaullah’s caller ID. He answered the call:

“Yes, Mr. Zakaullah.”

“Hi, you have done a fine job today. Your tomorrow’s task is something difficult and interesting.”

“Oh, well what is it?”

to be continued...

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