June 1st, 2022. The city of Delhi. Although the geography textbooks are fascinating about telling students that the monsoon season comes as soon as June hits, I think it’s quite the wrong information that comes through the book. I have never in my life seen a monsoon coming in the month of June. While the winter season starts to break, the monsoon time just comes hand in hand with it. It’s so tiring to have unexpected rainfall when there’s another season coming up right away. The plans we make during September and October, which we thought to be perfect, just get ruined. Now coming to the present scenario, the city of Delhi at the beginning of June is hot and burning. The Sun is roaring around the sky. The people in the streets are soaking their handkerchiefs or towel in water and putting them on their necks supported by the collar of the shirts they are wearing. People on the streets such as the hawkers and the rickshaw pullers are washing their faces under the cold water every now and then. One of my friends once asked a rickshaw puller, “Why do you always put your face underwater whenever you find the time?” The reaction he got was more of a raging than a polite answer. “Please take my passengers on my rickshaw and make them visit the places they intend to visit. This scorching heat is just unbearable. You are from a higher-tier family, you always live under AC.  Babu, please don’t mock us by asking these types of questions.” My friend didn’t find anything to reply to, rather he was ashamed of himself for asking such a foolish question. 

I see people who work in multi-national companies or any other government of the corporate sector, eat mutton biryani even in that scorching heat. I mean, think of the enzymes in their stomach, they are boiling inside. Obviously, they are past the point of highest potential. I couldn’t think of eating anything like that, especially in this heat. So, I only drank rehydrating solutions and glucose. 

The smokes from the old cars and other automobiles also add some temperature to the ‘extreme heat’ of Delhi. I remember once I was travelling in a taxi to my office when somewhere I was struck in a traffic jam. After some ten minutes, when the signal was given, the truck’s exhaust that was just beside our taxi, directly hit me in the face and the taxi driver couldn’t stop laughing seeing my face. Yes, it was charcoal black. When we watch movies, especially Bollywood, Delhi is portrayed in a yellow hue, just like the deserts in the west. And it is absolutely correct. The Sunrays falling on the city is so bright that it gives the city a characteristic colour. People call Delhi the ‘Political capital of India’, ‘City with the most amazing street food delicacies’ and whatnot. You would often see people making food vlogs on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and where not.

The Criminal Investigation Department. Since it takes command directly under the Central Government, it has a high-rise building with many employees. The whole building is not only for those detectives -police, but different departments work there. The government is trying to save the plots to lend it out for some other government buildings or apartments for people to live in. Honestly, speaking I don't prefer these high-rise buildings. The more area a building covers, the more excitement. Although I hate high rises, I think sometimes having high rises in a city gives it a futuristic look. Take the example of the famous DLF (Delhi Land and Finance) Cyber City. As far as I remember, DLF was the one that hosted the Indian Premier League (IPL) in 2008 for the first time. For those who don't know the IPL, it is a cricket tournament that takes place every year for people to have an entertaining sport that they can support. The IPL also acts as a support system for small businesses and provides a place for those young cricketers to showcase their cricket skills in front of the whole world. I think this tournament itself is a selection criterion for those who wish to take up cricket at an international level. Oh, sorry, I have been talking a lot off-topic. Never mind.

So, coming back to the track. The Crime Investigation Department (CID) building has twenty-four floors. The rooftop has a helipad attached for emergency use. The building is separated into four departments- the lowermost section has the crime branch; then comes the cyber-crime cell; then the Special Crime division, and then the Forensic Science Laboratory. The helipad is for the Forensic Labs to transport bodies or corpses for clinical analysis.

"Hello Mr. Desai, have you submitted the report on the latest crime at Nehru Street?"

"No sir. But I think it will be ready by today. You will get the report on your table tomorrow morning."

"The deadline was today, as far as I know."

"I knew, sir. But the fact is that the stenographer who was in charge of typing the report was out of the station due to some emergency."

"Okay. But make sure that the report must be on my table before I arrive tomorrow"

The phone rings up. Mr. Desai is calling again. Mr. Desai, the assistant officer of the Criminal Investigation department. He is a humble man, who likes to be on the path of truth, even if he becomes a roadside refugee.

The next day. Nehru road. People gathered there and protested the Government claiming compensation for the man who died in the road accident.

"What happened?" Mr. Chatterjee asked.

"The people are on the streets to stand against the Government asking for compensation for the man that died a week ago." The driver answered.

Hey, readers! I think after reading the line written above, you must be having this question in your mind who is this Mr. Chatterjee? Let me introduce him.

Mr Karna Chatterjee, aged 30 and still unmarried. He has the record for being the youngest person to become an Officer at the CID at the age of 28 years. A man of six foot and 3 inches. He despises having a beard except for a moustache on his face because he thinks he looks old after having a beard and keeping only the moustache gives him a daring look. He has a broad shoulder, thick lens glass, and a slightly darker complexion as compared to the typical brown colour we Indians have. Always wear a suit to have a stout personality wherever he goes. He is an honest, successful young officer who gives priority to his duties. There was a little drawback in his personality. In his college days, as far as I remember, he had a bad temper issue. He was unable to control his anger when he confronted somebody that talked ill about him. He was always able to hold his own regarding arguments and debates. But now, he is out of that shell and has become a completely new person. Being a little daring in his childhood days, he always aspired to be a crime branch officer that he achieved today. He was never afraid to express his opinion and was also great at getting his point across.

On coming to the office, Mr. Chatterjee greets everyone in his office. He tends to treat everyone in his department whenever something great happens in his life. Overall, he was a super admirable person that people could hope for. He always had a knack for making people feel comfortable, and he made everyone laugh with his unique sense of humour. He was also very hardworking and dedicated to his job, and he never hesitated to put in extra hours when necessary. He was a great leader, and people looked up to him for guidance and support. He was always willing to help out and lend a hand to anyone who needed it. His spirit and enthusiasm were contagious, and he was an inspiration to all those.

"Cut through the skin at the lateral portion of the fourth rib"

"Ok sir"

"There must be a damaged tissue due to the accident."

While instructing the newly arrived doctors, he suddenly shouted out, "Do it fast! Do it fast! We have to submit the report by today."

To be continued...

[Chapter 2 arriving soon...]