short story collection

The story of slow poisoining

Chapter 1 : The story of slow poisoning: This case came to me from my own apartment in Kolkata. Aunty Kapadia came to see me after my heart attack and sat down chatting with me about her life and children. She actually requested me to have a chat with her son who was suffering from depression and panic attacks. I suggested the name of Dr. Sanjay garg of Fortis and told her how good a doctor he was. But she insisted on my talking with him. I assured her that I would talk to him the next day. The next morning I after my breakfast left for Kapadia home in the next block. When I reached their home Aunty was getting ready to leave for office and uncle enjoying his retired life was sipping tea and reading his news paper and Samir was sitting quietly near his piano.I wished everyone and started walking towards Samir when I heard uncle calling out my name” Sharmistha have breakfast with me” he said. I was full so I refused by saying” uncle I have already taken my breakfast”. After some time aunty left for office and uncle after breakfast dosed off in the chair with the television blaring. It was Samir and I who were awake and chatting. We chatted about lots of things and I was surprised to find Samir well informed and articulate in his talks. She came to know from Samir that he was on insulin twice a day and his blood sugar level was uncontrolled and erratic. After chatting I went back home and decided to visit him in the evening during his insulin time. I went back to have lunch of rice, pulses and omelette with mashed potatoes. I myself was a diabetic and because of my diabetes I suffered the heart attack. So I stay in lot of restrictions and I saw that Samir had no control over his diet. I thought I will have a chat with aunty regarding this. So from home I called her in her office and spoke to her about it. Then I called my dietician and fixed an appointment for Samir for the next day. At about 6’oclock I went back to check on Samir and also to have a walk with him. There at his home it was time for his insulin. I noticed that Samir took his insulin and ate something. I detected a powdery thing in his food. I asked his attendant about it and he told me it was his alternative medicine to control diabetes. It made me suspicious and no alternative medicine is ever mixed with food. This was as per my knowledge went. I have been sick so many times that by now I was an expert on medicines and hospitals. I decided to check on the powdery thing that the attendant was talking about. But I did not want him to know anything. The bottle ws lying near so I quietly took out some and wrapped it in paper to get it checked by my police friend Subhajit Roy. I came back home undetected and went to Subhajit’s home to give it to him. It was late so I did not chat with him much. Three days passed by and then came my friends call. He told me that the powder was Atophan and is a slow poison which takes several days and month to react. The drug promotes uric acid excretion in the body and damages liver. The victim’s urine colour is yellow in colour and dies of liver atrophy. The technical terms were going over my head. All I understood that Samir would die because of that poison. I had to find out who was doing it. I could not talk to uncle and aunty about it as they were not clear of suspicion either. I started going to their home twice day and started talking to Samira lot. I also spoke to the maid of the house. I came to know that it was aunty who got the medicines for Samir as uncle was more of a recluse. I followed aunty one day to office and remained near her office the whole day. It was tiring for me but I did it sitting in cafe coffee day near her office. In the evening I followed her home and luckily she went to the medicine shop and after she left I went in and told them about the poison that they were giving her for money. The medicine shop owner refused said that they have never given her any such thing. He showed me her prescription and said that this is what she took now and then. I was perplexed that it was not aunty but she was responsible for buying medicines. That day when I went to meet Samir I noticed that his food was clear and had no film over it. I also noticed that Uncle was very rude to me. This time I decided to follow uncle in his walks. He always went with the house maid and she seemed extra clever to me. The next morning she followed uncle and this was the right move on her part. In the park Uncle met a man and chatted with him for long. She also noticed that he handed over a packet to him. All along the maid was with him, listening to every conversation that was being held. After some time Uncle left and Sharmistha followed the man. He went into a medicine shop and disappeared after that. I went back home to rest and have lunch. In the evening I went to Samir’s house and chatted with him. Samir told me that he does not like food anymore and he has trouble urinating also. I had to move fast his end was drawing near. I decided to go the medicine shop and enquire about that man in the park. In the evening I went into the shop and found the man sitting in the counter. Luckily for me he turned out to be a gutless man and blurted out the truth. Now it was time to confront the culprit. I went to the Kapadia household and confronted the maid in front of uncle and aunty. She was a hard nut to crack but on pressure blurted out the truth that she was being paid by Sudhir ,Samir’s elder brother to kill him. I had no idea that Samir had another brother. As aunty said later on that Uncle apparently had married twice and Sudhir was her step son from the 1st wife. Because of family connections police was not called in but Samir was hospitalised to be treated and Uncle disinherited his elder son and aunty decided to send Samir abroad so that he was never harmed again. I also received my first pay cheque of Rs. 15000 plus expenses. Finally I saw money my hard earned money after months.