The Perils of Easy Money (686 words)

There was a nip in the air as the waning moon shone dimly over the empty highway. After dropping off a load at Hosur, Kapali was heading back to Chennai in his mini-truck. Given to booze, he was always in need of money and looked for easy ways to augment it. He liked the easy money obtained without much effort. After a hearty meal at Krishnagiri, he hummed a tune while lighting a cigarette.  The road stretched ahead like a ribbon of darkness, and the night felt peaceful.

After an hour of driving, Kapali spotted two men waving frantically at him by the side of the road. Beside them lay a bulky bundle. His mind flashed to the thought of easy money—maybe they needed a lift and would pay handsomely. He pulled over with a screech.

“This is our relative,” one of the men said. “He fell from a terrace and died on the spot. We need to send his body to Gudiyatham. His family will be waiting on the highway to collect it. We’ll pay you 500 rupees for the trouble of carrying.”

Kapali felt a shiver down his spine. He didn't like the idea of transporting a dead body, but the lure of easy cash tempted him. Sensing their desperation, he decided to squeeze out some more money.

“I don't carry dead bodies. Company rules are strict. But for 1000 rupees, I’ll do it,” he said.

After some negotiation, the men reluctantly agreed but refused to travel with him, claiming they had urgent work to attend to. Kapali, eyeing the bundle suspiciously, insisted that one of them accompany the bundle. When they pleaded inability, he raised his price to 2500 rupees, which they paid before loading the body into the truck. He was happy to be richer with 2500 rupees in his pocket.

As he was nearing Gudiyatham, Kapali started feeling uneasy. He pulled over to relieve himself, but as he returned to the truck, a slight movement of the bundle caught his eye from the rear mirror. His heart skipped a beat. Was the bundle moving? He froze, staring through the rear-view mirror, his pulse quickening as he saw the bundle shaking violently.

Fighting his fear, Kapali jumped out and opened the cloth covering. Inside, tied and bloodied, was a man—alive, but barely.

Kapali’s hands trembled as he untied the man. “They told me you were dead!” Kapali exclaimed. The man gasped for air. Kapali poured some water into his mouth.

“They tried to kill me... I went to collect the money they owed me. They beat me with iron rods,” the injured man whispered. “Please, take me to the nearest hospital. I’m from Bangalore.”

Kapali didn’t waste a second. He rushed the man first to the nearest police station when the man was alive, to escape any harassment later and narrated the entire incident to the inspector, luckily present there. The inspector insisted on speaking to the injured man to verify the story. Kapali hurried outside to the truck followed by the inspector, but when he touched the man’s shoulder, he felt the chilling stillness of death.

Panic flooded Kapali as the inspector checked the man's pulse. “He’s dead,” the inspector said coldly, eyeing suspiciously and maliciously at Kapali with his blood-smeared hand and shirt. 

“I swear, I’m innocent! He was alive just moments ago and spoke to me! Please believe me, I beg of you” Kapali implored even as he nudged again in vain the dead body, but his words fell on deaf ears.

The inspector smirked. “Let’s see how innocent you are after this.” He reached into Kapali’s pocket, pulled out the bundle of 2500 rupees and said.” Huh, innocent, is it?” 

With the dead body now lying silent, the only witness gone and the unexplained money seized, Kapali’s fate looked sealed.

As he was dragged inside the police station, he saw a glimmer of light from a lantern far away on the road. When Kapali resisted being pulled for a better look, he was given a big blow and pushed inside even as the distant light disappeared.