Nine
Manzur Ahmed had many musings many thoughts, many ideas in his mind. He was under tremendous pressure. His heartbeat began to increase. The incident of Akmal was affecting him badly. Sometimes he would become restless. He’d pace from one room to another. Sometimes he muttered to himself. He could not decide what to do. His blood pressure rose. From last night his blood pressure had been high. He thought over an issue. But before he could come to a conclusion another thought came to his mind. All his thoughts revolved round Akmal.
Sometimes he thought about Akmal’s father. He could see how the man suffered and bore the pang of separation from his son. He felt for him. Shock after shock had made the man very hard. He had great patience. Manzur thought he couldn’t have as much patience as Humayun Kabir. Manzur was not a hardened man, but events have made him one.
He had first thought that he could easily solve the mystery behind Akmal’s arrest. But when he got into the job he found it was very difficult. The people in his department did not co-operate with him at all. They did not help by giving him any information. Rather they concealed information regarding Akmal. He knew only they did it. Information was kept away from him on the order of top-led officials.
Manzur Ahmad now realized that the issue of Akmal was political. Some influential person was in involved with the matter. His colleagues also did not co-operate with him since they were afraid of losing their job. If he ordered his juniors in this regards, his own job would be in line.
For the last few days Manzur Ahmed had not been speaking. He thought that he talked about Akmal’s case. Facts were not always helpful. So he decided to keep mum. The proverb goes, ‘The deaf has no enemy. He was also following the same.’
The sunshine of the morning peeped into the room through the gap in the screen on the window. The sunshine has felled on the bed. The screen was blown by sudden gusts of wind. The golden sun danced as if some dolls were dancing on the bed of Manzur Ahmed. He was lying idly on the bed. He was enjoying the puppet show of the morning.
When the sun moved a little to the west the sunshine vanished. He jumped up from the bed. He had to get prepared to go to office. It was his habit to leave for office. At that time everyday even when he was rushed by some task, he reached office before nine. There was no record that he was late in office even for a single day.
There was a special reason that he was hurrying to his office today. He had an appointment with the IGP on that day. He would have face to face with him about Akmal. He might get some valuable information from the IGP. What sort of information he would get from his boss? Would that be positive or negative? He would know whether Akmal was alive or dead. Was he treated harshly? Would he be able to return to normal life or would he have met a tragic end ahead. Such questions were creeping in his mind. He rushed to the bathroom. He quickly finishes shaving. As he comes out, the telephone rang. His heart throbbed. He got a different message from the sound of the telephone.
He rushed to receive the phone but stopped. He stood there for several minute for another call. No, the phone did not ring. He again went back to the bathroom. He stood under the shower and was about to turn the tap on. Just then the telephone again rang. He was in hesitation. Should be first have a bath or pick up the phone which might delay him? If the phone kept ringing and he would be late in his office.
Manzur Ahmed was thinking while he shampooed his hair. The telephone kept ringing so he hurried out weeping himself in a towel. But as soon as he touched the receiver the ringing stopped. He became very worried. He asked himself, ‘Is any one playing a game with me? Who could do that? Did anyone know how I am passed for time in the morning?
It was incredible that some one would phone in the house of Additional Inspector general just to make fun with him. Was it a ghostly phone? How could that be? Manzur Ahmad shook off all the worries. He again thought that it might be an important call. Anyone of his family could ring him from Canada. He could not make out any thing. There was so use in wasting time guessing. Only five minutes were left for his appointment with the IGP. He had to leave the house immediately.
Again he rushed to the bathroom. He stood below the shower. Then suddenly the shower dried up. He had not finished his bath, but the water had stopped flowing. It was a common feature in the capital city of Dhaka. If he had preserved some water, the problem could be avoided. But he had forgotten to do that as he was in a hurry. After a few moments the electricity also went off. He could not decide whether the events were coincidental or there was any mystery behind them. He asked his attendant Ramzan to bring him some water from the boiled water of the container. Ramzan quickly did so, and Manzur finished his bath some difficulty.
He had to get prepare. Again the telephone rang. After one or two rings he received the telephone call, there was no sound from the other end. This time he was really angry. He decided he would not receive any telephone. He had hardly any time at his disposal. He had to go without breakfast; He gulped down a glass of water and rushed to the car.
IGP Hafizur Rashid was looking his watch. It was 9-30, but there was no sign of Manzur Ahmed. He was supposed to be in his office before nine. The IGP could wait another half an hour for him. After that he’d have to leave for the Home ministry to attend a meeting. He had to finish some of his official business too. Then he asked about Manzur Ahmed from his personal office. The Additional IGP was stuck in the traffic. He would be reached soon. The personal officer informed the IGP.
Manzur Ahmed could not reach the office in time. The ghostly telephone and traffic jam made him delayed. He was extremely annoyed with the driver. In his consideration the driver was responsible for delay.
