Twin brothers

twin-brothers

It was cold day. Light winds were blowing and sun was shining outside.

It was a jail with lots of visitors waiting outside the building waiting to go inside. Visiting hours were 2.00 to 4.00 in the noon.

I got a call at around 1.30 in the noon to meet a prisoner. I usually avoid going during visitor hours as it is very crowded.

But I had to meet this prisoner as I generally meet them whenever need arises and especially when someone’s life is involved. That’s what lawyers are taught-ethics.

I drove from my home in Hari Nagar to jail and thought of reaching in 10 minutes but it took half an hour in reaching due to slow movement of traffic.

I reached at around 2.30 and saw heavy crowd. I went to the gate and entered inside from the side gate after showing my identity.

It was a long distance from the entrance gate. I went straight about 200 meters, turned right and walked another 150 meters. I entered a big hall where I made entry in the visitors log register. I displayed my identity and went straight to the cell where the inmate was sitting in one corner.

I went near the cell. The inmate called me by name. Krishna. I saw his face. I kept on looking at his face. His face was exactly same as mine. He said I am your twin Shyam.

I was stunned. I did not have any twin. I was never if I had any sibling.

Shyam’s height and complexion was same as mine. His face was plump unlike me. His hair was clumsy. He could not have shiny and soft hair like me. One does not have that privilege in jail.

I said. Well Shyam. How can I help you?

He said I am a poor man and have been framed in a murder case that I have not committed. Please save me from the clutches of law and let me live my life. You are a very famous lawyer and have never been defeated in a criminal case.

I looked at him with suspicion. I knew these criminals. They gather information and use people for their personal benefit.

I said why I should believe you. I do not know you. I came because you wanted to meet me.

He started narrating his story.

He said Krishna, you will not believe me but our mother is same. Our mother name is Karishma Mehra and stayed in Paharganj. You were fortunate to get good education and become a lawyer. I was left to feed myself on the road.

I grew and attended a govt school but dropped out. I had to feed myself and think of earning. I started washing utensils in a road side hotel.

One day I meet Pappu a thief who stole petty things.

We became friends and started dreaming of leading a good life. Pappu was earning reasonable good amount.

Sometimes you earn more through wrong ways rather than going right way. Though person pays in some form or another for earning through wrong ways.

We were walking in Paharganj for our prey.  We were looking for someone with fat wallet or expensive watch.

10 minutes later a short and plump man got down from his car, a Mercedes. Three other men also got down. They all looked smart and rich.

Our plan was ready. The men walked and enjoying sunny weather. We walked and came near them. Pappu slowly took out wallet from hip pocket of one of the men and tried snatching wrist watch very gently from another man. This man suddenly noticed the movement and started shouting at us. Pappu and me were alerted and started running. But soon another group of men caught both of us and called police van. We panicked as we knew if once caught we would rot in jail. The man calling police seemed influential. We started shouting back at him.

He became angry and took out pistol and fired at us. But the shot was missed. The group of rich men with fat wallet and expensive watches on their hand also came at the spot. They knew each other as was evident from their faces as if they were about to beat each other.

They knew each other as it was evident from their conversation. The man who called police fired at rich man whose wallet was with us. The rich man also fired at him and the man fell down on the road with blood all over his chest. Now the rich man threw gun at me and ran from there.

The police came in about 5 minutes and saw gun in my hand.

No one came forward to protect us or say any defensive statement. Police wasted no time and took us to the police station. We were locked up for two days. Third day in the morning I was told by the constable that I would be shifted to Jail and Pappu would be released as there was no evidence against him.

But I had gun in my hand in the market and police had seen this. I had to be in the jail for this. On the day of shifting I saw a fat man talking to the police man. I got closer to him when I was being shifted. He was the same man who was in the market and fired in exchange for the shot received by the man calling police.

I started thinking and many things were cleared in my mind.  I had to think of my mine as no one else will tell me these things.

The fat man was a part of mafia dealing in drugs and smuggling. The person killed in the market was part of another mafia.

Shyam was now crying. He said it has been 10 years in the jail and heard about me last month. He saw me on the TV which is located in a hall in jail so that inmates could see it the evening.

My heart sank. It was not because he was my brother (as told by him though I did not believe him). It was because as a human Shyam had suffered for a crime he had not committed.

I said, I will take your case but you have to promise that whatever you had told should not be a lie. Otherwise I will leave this case immediately.

I left the cell and walked out. Sun had set and it was 4.00 in the evening.

I started working on the case. I went to meet him again next week and saw one man meeting him. He was aged about fifty years old.  He was tall and slim with white hair and glasses. I did not see him properly but he looked like my father.

My father had left my mother after incurring loss in business and was staying with another woman.

I had to produce him Shyam in the court for hearing of the case. There were few witnesses and few arguments were exchanged.

Finally after two months of hearing, Shyam was released from the jail.

I felt relieved that I had won the case and also Shyam had got justice.

I never thought of doing any DNA test to establish whether we were twins. I knew I never had any twin and I took Shyam’s case so that he is released if he is innocent.

He did not tell me any future plans after getting released.

A week later I was reading newspaper to know what was happening around the world especially in the field of crime.

I turned pages and suddenly saw my photo. I thought that the media has published it because of winning case.

I started reading but my happiness turned sour. The words read” Shyam and Richard are now great friends and hold a major share in mafia world.

I could not believe whatever I read. I again read the article and now I was furious.

Shyam had lied to me. The fat man had gather information about me and had got Shyam released from the jail so that they could expand their empire.

I learnt one thing. You should never be emotional especially in this field.

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