Quagmire

He had placed unalloyed trust in Raj and that was a mistake.

Raj was a simple boy, from a poor family. He was not well educated and had been hired to do routine clerical work. But he was hard working and sincere. He was ever eager to learn something new. Soon he had won the confidence of everyone in the office.

He had begun to trust Raj, not because he was a distant relative, but because it was in his nature not to distrust anyone. Impressed by his performance and desire to learn, he had allowed him to handle the accounts. Raj was a fast learner and, within weeks, he had started handling financial statements.

Exactly one year later, to his shock and dismay, Raj vanished with everything that was in the cash chest. He was the custodian of the cash. But, for last few weeks, he had allowed Raj to handle it. He had conceded his folly when he was confronted by the investigating police officer.

“Don’t you worry, we will catch him,” police officer had said with a glint in his eyes.

‘Why should he do such a silly thing? Why did he commit such a serious crime for a petty amount of fifty thousand rupees? What will become of his family if he is caught? How long can he evade the police? He is so young and he has spoiled his life, why? How could I be fooled by such a simple follow? Or was he just pretending all these days?’

He felt bogged down in a quagmire of doubts and unanswered questions.

**************

A post for A to Z April (2015) Challenge

Letter Q for Quagmire

You may like to read my earlier posts

P for Plan

O for Outrage

N for Nightmare

Serendipity

“Serendipity? What do you mean? I never heard this word,” he asked. He was baffled.

She did not answer. Perhaps she had not heard what he was saying. She was lost in her thoughts.

“Did I ever tell you that my grandfather and his father were in the army? They had fought many battles and in many countries.”

“So what?” he was still not sure where it was leading to.

“Last week we sold our grandfather’s house.”

“…..” he looked askance at her.

“We were to transfer the house on 17^th. For no reason we decided to stay there on 16^th and spend a night in that house. That house was full of our childhood memories…… I was not able to sleep. Just to while away my time I started going through some papers I had found in an old box. In 1917, my great grandfather had helped a rich Belgian merchant who had been arrested on the false charge of spying. In gratitude, the merchant had given him a precious diamond. War over; great grandfather wanted to sell the diamond but someone told him that it was the missing Florentine diamond. He got scared and didn’t sell it. He hid it.”

“Now I see why you are looking so lost. You must be wondering where the diamond was; you do want that priceless diamond but you can’t find it?” he said in a crudely mocking tone. Something hurt him deep inside.

“No,” she thought she could feel his hurt.

 “What does that mean?” he asked impatiently.

“We found the diamond. It was buried in the lawn of that house; buried under a plant of yellow roses.”

“I can’t believe it,” his eyes were brimming with greed.

“I wonder if I had quickly gone to sleep, what would have happened to that diamond,” she asked.

“Where is that diamond? His suppressed desires were overwhelming him.

“What does serendipity mean? Did I mention that word?” she looked a bit lost.

“Where is that diamond?” he almost shouted.

She just could not look at him.

****

A post for ABC Wednesday

S for Serendipity