The Forbidden Daughter (40 page)

When Kumar handed her the phone with his hand pressed over THE

FORBIDDEN

DAUGHTER 293

the mouthpiece, he still had the puzzled frown. “It’s Karnik’s wife. She says it’s urgent that she talk to you. She sounds upset.”

The loathsome name of Karnik set Isha’s blood simmering.

“What does she want—
her
portion of her husband’s ransom?”

“I don’t know.”

“Isha Tilak speaking,” she murmured into the phone, every nerve inside her itching to lambaste the woman, but she reigned in the need to lash out. She’d done enough damage with that uncontrollable urge to vent. Besides, Mrs. Karnik was a social acquaintance, even if theirs was an occasional nod-and-smile type of relationship.

“Mrs. Tilak,” said the woman, her voice quivering.

“What do you want, Mrs. Karnik?”

There was a moment of silence. “My husband had a serious heart attack a little while ago.”

“Really!”

“He’s had heart problems for several years.”

“I see.” What else could she say under the circumstances?

The woman was obviously distraught. “So what exactly do you expect
me
to do?”

“Vivek is in no condition to talk to you, so I’m doing it on his behalf.”

Isha swallowed hard, the rage returning. “About what, Mrs. Karnik? About the ransom your husband wants to extort in return for my child?” Until now it seemed that the wily old man had been doing his dirty work himself. But to have his wife involved in it? That was hard to believe!

“No! You don’t understand.”

“I understand very well! Since he’s too sick, you’re doing it for him.”

“Please! Listen to me,” the woman pleaded on what sounded like a sob. “I don’t want your money! I want to help get your baby back. I’m calling to confess and apologize on Vivek’s behalf,” she said.

Isha took a long, deep breath and forced herself to listen.

“What do you want to tell me?”

294
Shobhan Bantwal

Neela Karnik cleared her throat and proceeded to tell Isha everything she had learned the night before.

Despite the woman’s pauses and sniffles, Isha heard the message clearly. The room was silent, except for the hum of the fan.

The tension emanating from the tightly held breaths of the people surrounding her was so dense, so palpable, that Isha could almost reach out and touch it.

Shock and confusion warred in her mind. Was it really a heart attack? Or could Karnik have attempted suicide because he’d suffered a sudden attack of conscience?

In the end, she had very little to say to the older woman. “I’m sorry. I know it’s not your fault.” Despite her own grief, she pitied Mrs. Karnik. That poor woman probably had no idea what her rotten husband had been up to all these years. Or did she?

Hanging up the phone, Isha turned around to face the five pairs of eyes staring at her. They were waiting for her to speak.

“Karnik has suffered a major heart attack.”

“Good Lord!” said Baba.

“His wife called on his behalf to confess the truth about his illegal abortion business, about hiring someone to go after Nikhil . . . everything.” She noticed the color drain from Baba’s face. His gaze shifted away from her. He started staring at his hands like he’d never seen them before. Isha wondered if he was finally beginning to recognize that he and Ayee may have inadvertently caused the death of their son. “In the end she apologized for causing us so much grief.”

“Any
other
information?” asked Harish.

Isha nodded, knowing what he meant. “Nikhil’s killer and the kidnapper are one and the same. His name is Ishwar Gowda. He’s a police inspector and has been on Karnik’s payroll for some time.”

“I was right!” said Harish. “He
is
a policeman!”

“He . . . um . . .” The mixed emotions were making Isha tremble. “He killed Nikhil supposedly in self-defense.”

“How could it be self-defense when he broke into our store THE

FORBIDDEN

DAUGHTER 295

and stabbed my son to death?” demanded Baba, his mouth quivering.

“Apparently Gowda couldn’t find the evidence, so he and Karnik left the matter alone, assuming that since Nikhil was dead Karnik would be safe.”

“So what is happening now?” asked Baba, abruptly and unexpectedly subsiding into resigned calm. His color was beginning to improve but he was unusually subdued, very unlike the arrogant, demanding man Isha had known. She knew for sure then that he blamed himself, at least partly, for Nikhil’s death.

“Because of my actions, Karnik hired him again,” she admitted. “But Mrs. Karnik told me Gowda is a deranged and dangerous man who’s been extorting money from Karnik. And the killing and kidnapping were Gowda’s ideas, not Karnik’s. All Karnik supposedly wanted was to recover what belonged to him.”

“Did she mention where the baby is?” Sheila asked, putting a comforting arm around Isha’s shoulders.

“Gowda supposedly has her in his house. His wife is taking care of her.” Overwhelmed, Isha put her face in her hands. “If he’s unstable I’m afraid he may have . . . killed her by now.”

“Don’t say that!” Sheila wrapped her arms around Isha.

“Don’t even
think
that. If Gowda’s wife is keeping an eye on her, I’m sure Diya’s safe.”

“Sheila’s right,” concurred Harish. “I know Mrs. Gowda.

The Gowda’s children are my patients. She seems like a pleasant, normal woman.”

Harish’s phone started to peal and he flipped it open.

“Phillip?” He listened for a second. “Oh, Patil
has
landed? Excellent!”

“Tell him about Neela Karnik’s call,” prompted Sheila.

Nodding at her, Harish quickly described the situation to Phillip.

There was a long pause while he was put on hold, so Harish explained to the rest of them that Phillip was discussing the latest developments with Patil. Then Phillip came back on the line 296
Shobhan Bantwal

with information, and Harish asked him, “Right now? Very good! And ring me as soon as you know the address. I’ll meet you there.”

Harish ended the call and thrust the phone back into his pocket. “Patil is gathering his best armed policemen and they’ll head to Gowda’s house as soon as they can. It will take a while for him to make some phone calls, pick up his Jeep from the airport parking lot, and then drive to Gowda’s house. Phillip’s going to let me know when they’re ready to leave the airport.”

In spite of the new information the word
deranged
still disturbed Isha. If Gowda was indeed a psychopath, Diya could be dead by now, or perhaps badly hurt. God, she couldn’t bear to think that. A quick and painless death would be better than being tortured.
Why, Lord? Why did you give her to me as a gift
after that long struggle, only to take her away now?

They all sat in taut silence, sipping cups of Sundari’s tea and willing the phone to ring.

Exactly thirty-eight minutes later, Phillip called Harish to inform him that he and Patil were getting ready to leave the airport. He also gave Harish Gowda’s address.

Harish was striding toward the door in the next instant. “I’m going there to meet them.”

“I will go with you,” announced Baba, rising to his feet.

“The police don’t want any civilians around, sir,” said Harish, trying to keep his voice respectful despite his contempt for Srikant Tilak.

“Then how come
you
are going?” Tilak demanded.

Harish sighed. “I’m a doctor. I can help in ways you can’t.”

Kumar nodded in assent. “He’s right, Baba. It’s best that we leave this to the police.”

“Harish.” Isha went to him. “Can I please go with you?”

He shook his head. “Phillip and Patil said no. It’s risky.”

“Is it safe for you to go, then?”

“I’ll take care of myself. Don’t worry.”

“I can’t help worrying.” When she saw the determined light in his eyes, she knew he would go, no matter how dangerous it was.

THE

FORBIDDEN

DAUGHTER 297

Then she thought of something. “Wait one second.” She ran to the bedroom and returned with a fuzzy stuffed toy—a chocolate-colored monkey with a silly grin on its face. It had miraculously missed the kidnapper’s wrath. “Take this. It’s her favorite toy.

She stops crying when she sees it, no matter how upset she is.”

Harish tucked the toy under his arm. In spite of the riveted audience, he put a hand to Isha’s face. “I’ll do my best to bring Diya back. Meanwhile just keep praying.”

She nodded. “Thank you, Harish. I’ll never forget your kindness.”

Chapter 33

As Harish raced to the address Phillip had given him, his heart was hammering wildly against his ribs. Despite his outward calm, put on mostly for Isha’s sake, he was thoroughly scared.

He had handled a variety of medical emergencies, but this was an entirely different type of crisis for him—so much more personal—with so much more at stake.

Nonetheless, he had to keep his faith in the fact that Diya was in a woman’s care. With some luck the baby would come out of this alive and well.

It was still very early in the morning, not quite seven o’clock, and the sun was barely out when he turned onto Temple Road, a community of middle-class individual homes, most of them built some twenty-five to thirty years ago. The streetlights were still on, and he could see that on many homes the paint was mot-tled with mold in places that didn’t see the sun. Lights were on in some windows.

Deep pink and purple streaks painted the dawn sky. Flocks of crows were already perched on rooftops, foraging for insects and tidbits. It was a cool, dewy, typical Palgaum morning, with puffs of fog still lingering in places. If he wasn’t in such a height-ened state of dread, he’d have driven at a more leisurely pace, savored the scene.

On the street, there were three police vehicles parked at odd angles amidst the civilian ones. Obviously the police had rushed there and done a haphazard parking job.

THE

FORBIDDEN

DAUGHTER 299

He left his own car several houses down so as to remain in-conspicuous. Phillip had warned him that the only way Patil would allow the presence of a civilian during a police raid would be if Harish stayed a good distance away and didn’t interfere in the operation. Even Phillip was allowed to be there as a professional courtesy and because of his crucial role in the evolving crisis.

Taller and wider than the other officers, Phillip was clearly visible. Also, he was the only one not wearing a uniform besides Patil, who had probably driven there straight from the airport.

The two men stood a little distance away from the others, who were huddled behind a Jeep. They stood in a tight circle surrounding one man who was talking and gesturing.

They were obviously working out a strategy to approach Gowda.

Despite the clandestine nature of the police activity and the early hour of the morning, there were a few curious people already emerging from their homes and standing on their verandas, staring at the men. One bald old man stood bare-chested in white pajamas, speaking into a mobile phone. He had probably jumped out of bed and immediately started calling his neighbors and friends, inviting them over for a front-row view of whatever was about to happen.

Noticing Harish’s arrival, Phillip signaled him over. It surprised Harish, who’d planned on standing at a safe distance because of Patil’s instructions. But Phillip motioned to him again, so he approached the two men.

“Got here rather fast, I see,” said Phillip, slapping Harish’s shoulder in a gesture of friendly support. His expression said:
you were speeding again, weren’t you, you devil?

Patil offered his hand to Harish. “Dr. Salvi. I’m sorry about the Tilak child.” He raised one thick brow. “The baby is your patient?”

“Yes.” But Diya was much more than a patient. She was his baby, as much
his
as she was Nikhil’s. His fear about the possibility of losing her was proof of that. “The Tilaks are close fam-300
Shobhan Bantwal

ily friends,” he added in response to Patil’s speculative eyes summing up Harish’s role in the nasty business.

Harish surveyed the modest, single-story house that looked similar to his own bungalow. Not a curtain stirred in the two windows facing the street as the first rays of the sun began to penetrate the fog and cast a dull glow on the panes. Were Gowda and his family still asleep? Or was the lunatic awake and pacing? And where was Diya?

“The inspector is getting his troops ready to surround Gowda’s house,” Patil explained, indicating the huddled circle of men.

“Is it safe to do that? What if Gowda panics and does something rash?”
Like kill the baby
.

“It’s our last resort,” answered Patil with a resigned shrug.

“We know he is in there, but he refuses to answer his phone, and it’s too dangerous to go knock on the door. He could start shooting.” He narrowed his eyes on the house. “But he knows we’re here.”

“How do you know that he knows?”

“He’s aware of our presence, Harish,” said Phillip. “I bet he hasn’t slept a wink all night, since he’s been writing ransom notes and planning a means of escape.”

“You think he may have expected this?”

Patil shook his head. “I don’t think so. But it is no longer a surprise. He is able to see what’s happening outside his house and must realize that we’re here to apprehend him.”

“And yet he hasn’t tried to make contact with you?”

“He is overconfident, and he has some psychiatric issues. We have had problems with him ever since he joined the department. Over the years, he has been getting bolder and more . . .

uh . . . difficult.”

Harish frowned at him. “Then why is he still on the force? Why wasn’t a renegade police officer with
psychiatric issues
fired?”

“Lack of solid proof, Doctor!” snapped Patil, his tone both defensive and condescending. “Government does not function like the private sector, you know.” He obviously considered Harish’s question ridiculously naive.

THE

FORBIDDEN

DAUGHTER 301

“But there must have been
something
to make you aware of his activities?”