Who Was Culprit?

Large and sparkling glasses of the mirror, crystal embedded chandelier just above the head with an aroma of roses filled in the house astonished John. John, a slender man with a smile on his face and creased lines on his head, never compared himself to his friend, Anni, but his house created a corner of jealousy in his heart.

Well, time knew how to mold the character of any celebrity and here John was simple and rich enough to have two-third of Anni’s comfort but his wife changed his destiny. She stole his way of living for another person. John broke like pieces of glass. He continued to live his same lifestyle at loan expense which was supported by his minimal wages.

‘So, how it is?’ Anni asked sharply in his ears which brought John back from memories into reality. 

‘Yes, of course’, John said and laid his weight upon the couch and indicated Anni to sit. ‘Please sit. Consider it as your house’, both giggled and Anni took his seat.

While in mid of this conservation, John’s phone rang. 

‘Here is our busy businessman’, Anni taunted him but John wiped out his sweat dismissing his statement.

He peeled the phone’s cover. ‘Yes, I am on the deal. Just keep the ready decided amount to celebrate my victory’, he said this with a big selfish smile. With that, they ended their phone conservation and John seated back with Anni.

‘It looks you are going to beat me in income tax’, Anni said with a friendly smile. John stretched his lips but he knew what his deal is and who will be the most benefitted person.

‘Hey John, do you remember Mrs. Pearson?’

‘Yes, the same neighbor who gave birth to each baby every new year.’

Both laughed cum shouted at the thought

‘So, how many should she has now?’

They busted with laughter which descends with John’s phone. This irritated Anni for not giving proper time of their fifteen years old friendship. They grew taller together, changed their habits, and learned to face the challenge. By the time, John returned back in hurry and announced his departure.

Anni took his ego at its peak level and filled his glass with wine lying on the ledge of the window. He waved John with his back. John locked the door and put the keys inside.

Anni was in deep pain from the heart and stressed from the brain. He spent his whole evening on his couch thinking hard about Lena and her ex-husband John. Lena was a center of attraction for both John and Anni but he lost the race. But Lena was not in the fate of any of them. Although, after leaving John, Anni tried all his best to gain her, but alas! Staff members completed their formal hours; they left him with the back door, along with the silence wandering in the house.

Around 2 pm, when night guards were twitching their eyes, the main door was unlatched. The sound was feeble and planning was strong. The thief knew every expensive place to the stole. Foot by foot, he examined every object and felt its price. Within an hour, the house of lakhs stepped down to thousands.

New morning brings a new start and yes here, Anni and John going to face their new beginning. Anni’s hangover was ended and he found him in the ring of police and his staff with a creepy face wanting to sympathize with his condition. He rubbed his eyes and slowly came to know his transition from last night. He dialed John to get his support but a doubt-built house in his mind. He recalled that John had duplicate keys given by him and police were searching the person who entered the house with the keys because the lock was perfectly okay.

Before any other thought can enter into his brain, he thudded the door of the police station. He stepped inside the main cabin of the senior inspector and found Lena’s current husband filing missing information about Lena. This report shocked me and large grief settled down in his heart. First, his friend betrayed him and now his hope was missing. Well, anyhow, he was accorporating police with all his best condition. He reported his doubts and with his heavy head, he stepped back away from the police. His best place in solitude was to visit North beach, quiet and alone.

After a few minutes, he was with his lonely beach, counting things he lost recently. There, at the far sight of view, he found a group of people, surrounding a body. When he got near and made his space from the crowd in which he was a connoisseur, he found John, fainted and blood was flowing from his brain. His palms got gentle and his muscles angered. But he was on his friendship. He took him to the hospital and brought him back to his real world.

“Now, how you are feeling, I think that might be an expected question after all you created the best situation so that I can’t doubt, right?”, Anni spoke in a breath, so waited to relax his calms.

John tried to sit and gave his excuse for all that happened with him silently.

“Listen to me, it's related to Lena…”, his muscles ached.

Anni astonished. Creases on the brain got relaxed, he listened patiently.

“Lena betrayed me. He promised to get back with me but his only condition is to hide this fact from you”, John said.

“But why?”, Anni surprised.

“Because she wants to steal your money and wealth. He took keys from me after throwing a heavy stone by her husband”, John was now feeling light.

Now they both were together. Friendship was strong. They both caught Mark with the help of the police and with heavy inquiries, they found Mark’s wife, Lena. Lena, who cheated John and Anni, confessed her crime, and greed was told as a reason.