The Confession

Nilu had a hair cutting saloon. Every day he had a good number of clients. On the weekends the rush was more and he was hard-pressed for time. Sometime he thought to take an assistant to help him. He even had offered this post to a friend called Kalu. But Kalu had not shown interest. So Nilu continued on his own. His clients were good and were patient with him regarding time. Also the clients were known to him and he knew their demands. 

But one day Nilu had a customer who was seen after many months. He was Kalu and he was visiting the saloon after a long time. 

' Where were you so long my friend,? ' Nilu asked of Kalu who had just vanished from the area. Before answering, Kalu looked around. There was no other client in the saloon. The music was blaring out from the music system . Nilu was fond of music, so he had a music system from which all types of music played. With music clients remain happy and the work is done better. 

The look on Kalu was such that he was going to reveal something, Nilu thought. So he quietly switched on the recorder of his music system. Kalu was unaware of it. 'I want to share with you something. It's confidential. Without sharing it I will be doomed with the burden of guilt which is no longer bearable,' clarified Kalu. 

Kalu began his side of the story. Kalu had been involved in a bank robbery. It was actually a heist. The cash van had come to the bank branch. This was a routine process going on for years. The cash is accompanied by one armed guard and a couple of porters. There had been no untoward incident so the system had become a little complacent. Due to man power shortage, there was not enough porter to carry the cash box so the guard substituted as a porter to help carry the box to the branch. This left only the driver to guard the remaining cash, if any . The driver was sitting inside the driver's cabin unmindfully and a sack of cash was lying unguarded and the door of the van was open. 

Kalu had the full situation to himself. He thought this was his opportunity. Too long he had spent his life with little or no money. Now fate was smiling on him, he guesed and he must make the most of this opportunity. Kalu convinced himself that he was doing no wrong. So he casually lifted the sack unobserved by anyone and quickly took a rickshaw to his home. It was a perfect crime and there was no witness. It was also in the afternoon so there was not much activity and it was hot and sunny. There was no movement of people around the van. Those days there was no close circuit television cameras around. So there was no suspicion around Kalu. 

The next morning it was flashed in the newspapers that the bank's cash was missing and it was around eighty lac rupees. One sack of cash had gone missing and there was no clue of it nor any trail left behind of the money sack. 

After hurriedly narrating this momentous event in just one breath, Kalu halted a bit, to sum up his courage. Nilu remembered having read this in the newspaper a few months ago. Nilu had his recorder on so whatever Kalu said was already recorded and could be used as evidence. Kalu went on saying that though he was not under any body's suspicion but the guilt feeling in his mind was tremendous. This feeling would not rest him in peace. After decamping with the cash, Kalu had fled the region and was away for a few months. In fact, he had yet to enjoy the benefits of the loot. The cash was lying in his storeroom untouched. There was no one else besides his mother so no one would get access to it. Now he wanted to start life afresh with the help of the money but at a different town far from here. Only he had to convince his mother about it. She should agree, Kalu thought out loudly. 

So, Kalu wanted that Nilu should suggest such a hairdo which would change his facial identity. Kalu should be above suspicion with the help of this new look. 'Tonsure my head so that I can wear a wig and become totally unrecognisable', Kalu suggested. 'But, your mother is still alive. We generally shave our heads when someone of our elders die' Nilu reminded Kalu. 'But I'm not showing my shaved head to the world. I'd be wearing a wig,' corrected Kalu. 

Nilu did as per Kalu's bidding and shaved his head. Kalu became totally bald. Out popped an old man's white haired wig and Kalu donned it on his head. Kalu looked into the mirror and he was amazed to see himself. He himself could not recognise his own self. 

Kalu soon was on the way to his home. Nilu made his way to the Police station with Kalu's confession recordings. At a little distance from his house Kalu stopped. He thought of hiding but knowing that with his new look no one would be able to recognise him, decided otherwise. He could see a police constable guarding his house. Then he found his house locked from outside. His mother must have gone out. But where could she have gone? Kalu did not have duplicate keys. 

But why a policeman was guarding his house, Kalu thought. Had the law caught up with him. He had his worst thoughts going in his mind. So with much curiosity, Kalu started walking towards the Police station. Nearing the Police station, Kalu halted at a vantage point from where he could see everything going on inside. 

He could see his mother sitting with a sack and some wads of cash bundles was strewn over the table being examined by the Police . Kalu could discern it as it was the same sack of cash which Kalu had picked up from the cash van. Further Kalu saw Nilu who was standing in front of one police official with a recorder. So Kalu could make out that his game was up. 

He hurriedly retraced his step and went straight to the bus station and took the first bus leaving the town. He was undecided about where he was headed. But he knew that it was towards his freedom. He had made his confession and the looted booty returned, so in his mind, Kalu knew he was free of guilt.