Stories

Paralysis

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Paralysis

Shashank Purandare

I am paralytic and wheelchair bound for the last 5 years. My wife Kavita passed away 5 years ago. After that I suffered a stroke and have been paralysed since then. We were married when I was 25 and Kavita was 20. We have two children, Chinmay, who is 30 and, Chaitrali who is 27 now.

Did I tell you that I suffered the stroke after the accident? That car accident after the brakes failed? Kavita died then. She was in the front passenger seat. The airbags did not open. I was injured, suffered a stroke, and am paralysed since then. Yeah, I remember I told you this. My left side is paralysed and I cannot walk. Hence the wheelchair.

It is electric so I can move around on my own. Quite advanced actually! It allows me to get into the car without help. I of course have a helper 24/7. He is strong and can lift and carry me around, not that it is required, but still. Santosh is more like my secretary and does a lot of work for me. Wait, someone is calling, I have to take this call.

“Yes? What do you mean you cannot get minister’s appointment? Try harder. I have to see him today. No excuses!!”

Idiots! Sorry, so where was I? Yeah, the wheelchair. It is a technological wonder. Costs a fortune, of course. But still! Did I tell you that the seat can move up and down at a press of a button?

Sorry. Another call! “Yes Chaitu? Yes, I will be home for lunch within the hour. I will have soup, salad, fried rice and dessert. See you!”

Chaitrali has her office at our home. She is a corporate lawyer. Being my daughter, her clients come to her office, if required. That is the advantage of being filthy rich. Oh! Didn’t I tell you how I reached such a position in my life? Kind of slipped my mind. But I thought you knew! Anyway, I will tell you on my way home.

I beckon Santosh, who is sitting on the sofa near the window in my huge thousand square foot office overlooking the Arabian sea. I move my chair from behind my big mahogany desk which is almost empty except my laptop. Santosh picks it up. The big double doors of my office open automatically as I move my chair towards it. I move my chair through the long corridor of my empire, VK shoes, towards the lift. I had the option of having a lift in my room, but did not use it since I wanted myself to be visible to my employees. It makes a difference!

Once I reach my car the front passenger door opens and two arms slide out. I align my chair with those arms and the chair slides in. The door closes automatically and I tell Santosh, who is also my driver and bodyguard, to move. He knows that I am going home.

So, Ah! How I became filthy rich! You see, I was not great in academics, but managed to get my basic degree in business management without much difficulty. We are three brothers. Ajay is the eldest and Sujay is the youngest. So, you can easily guess my name now. Avantika is our little sister. She married her college friend, Rakesh, who is practically useless. Ajay married Riya and has a son. Sujay married Reva. She is very cute and is one of my favourite persons. They have no kids, by choice.

Oh, sorry, sorry! I drifted again. This is my problem. I ramble a lot, especially since after our accident, when Kavita died. But I already told you that. So, back to what I was telling you. My father was not filthy rich, but rich enough to provide for all of us. My mother passed away when I was little, during Avantika’s delivery. After my marriage, my father gave me enough money to start my own business. I bought a shop in one of the malls and named it as VK shoes. I started selling various brands. The business expanded rapidly. Today I am the biggest distributor of shoes in India, all the National and International brands. I am a franchisee of almost every brand and have a chain of shops in almost every city in India. My father was in diamond business. He used to buy uncut diamonds from South Africa and sell them in India after polishing. Ajay inherited diamond business after my father’s death and is doing okayish, if you know what I mean.

I encouraged Sujay to get into the business of lab grown diamonds. I have a friend who makes this system where you can grow those diamonds. I do not understand much about this but Sujay does. The sales of lab grown diamonds are improving as the prices keep falling. One needs to do a balancing act to stay afloat. But Sujay seems to have mastered the act. Reva is helping him out in his business. She is very smart and has a level head on her shoulder.

I reach home. My lunch is ready. Chaitu gives me company. She reminds me of Kavita. I miss her a lot. But life must go on. Lunch over, I move my chair to my bedroom on first floor for a quick nap. I will not bore you with technical details about my wheelchair. Suffice it to say, I do not need assistance to get into my bed. My appointment with the minister is arranged at 4 pm. Enough time for a nap!

And like that my days go on. Meetings with clients, ministers, my staff etc., etc.,. By 9, I am back home and asleep by 10. I have accepted paralysis as part of my life. But Physiotherapy helps. I am getting back to using by left hand now. About the leg, fingers crossed!!

But one day, I get a phone call, which transforms my life.

After another 15 days, I receive a phone call from the DIG, Mumbai. I Rush over to police head quarters. The new DIG, Ritesh Shah, is my friend. The earlier DIG Abhijit Jagdale, was completely unsympathetic to me. He did not investigate our accident properly. He hushed it up and declared it as an accident. But I know better. Being rich has its disadvantages. You have admirer as well as enemies. After Jagdale was transferred, Ritesh took over. He reopened the investigation of our accident. I am sure he has found something.

That turns out to be the case. Ritesh tells me that my car was tampered with. The nut of brake oil tank was loosened by someone. The oil leaked out slowly leading to failure of the brakes. That the airbags did not open was shear bad luck. I did sue car manufacturer for that. But money does not matter to me now.

But whoever loosened the nut was stupid. He used polythene gloves alright. However, since the nut was hot, the glove burned and a partial finger print was left on the nut. Ritesh tells me that the suspect has been apprehended and is being interrogated. He is going to lead us to the actual culprit.

Although by now I know who sabotaged our car. All I needed was proof, which I am going to get shortly.

Ritesh calls me in the evening and tells me the name of the person who set this up. I expected it. But still I am saddened by this event. I call my Kids to my room. I tell them the whole story. At first they refuse to believe this. They are equally shocked. Now we need to break this to our entire family. I consult Ritesh. He agrees to come next morning.

All three of us spend restless night. I call Santosh in the morning and tell him to set up the family meeting in our conference room at 10.30 am. Ritesh arrives at 10. I have a long chat with him. Ritesh says he will take charge of the meeting.

One by one all my family members arrive. We meet in the conference room. Everyone is shocked to see DIG Ritesh Shah in his full attire. He sits at the top of the table. He begins:

You all know that five years back Vijay and Kavita met with an accident. Kavita unfortunately did not survive and Vijay was paralysed. At that time, the then DIG, Abhijit Jagdale ruled it as an accident. After his transfer, I took over as DIG. Vijay requested me to reopen the investigations since he suspected foul play. I have just concluded the inquiry and arrested Mohan Jadhav as his finger print was found on the drain nut of the brake oil box of the car. During interrogation he confessed to the tampering of the brake oil box. He said that he was paid rupees five lakhs to do that. He has given us the name of the person who paid him. We also now have the records of telephonic conversations and subsequent money transfers. We know who paid him.

But let us go back a bit. Before your father Anand Joshi passed away, he setup all three of you, Ajay, Vijay and Sujay. He also paid enough money to his daughter, Avantika. While Ajay sustained himself in his diamond business, Sujay was struggling. While lab grown diamond business was good, Sujay did not anticipate the falling prices of lab grown diamonds. He did not tune his business model to changing scenario. Soon he was making losses and became bankrupt. But he knew that if Vijay was to die, he would get part of his empire as his heir. As I speak, former DIG Jagdale is being arrested. He was also paid to suppress evidence.

Now Ritesh pauses in his narrative. Everyone is looking at Sujay. I take over the narrative. Sujay plotted to kill me. But I survive, Kavita dies. I become paralytic. Sujay still does not get his money. Now, we have proof that Sujay tried to kill me.

Suddenly, I stand up. Yes, I lied to everyone. After six months of physiotherapy, I am no longer paralytic. But I hide the truth, even from my own kids, as I had to know what really happened. Sujay, I treated you like my own son. And this is what I get in return. Reva, I adored you like my own daughter. Don’t tell me that you are not part of this.

Suddenly, I feel exhausted. I sit down. Chaitrali hands me a glass of water. I look at Ritesh and tell him, please take them away. I no longer want to see their faces.