Manjunath will be 28 on February 23.’’ A birthday reminder flashed on our e-group. There was a sinister irony in this. For today was also the day the chargesheet in Manju’s murder was filed. On this day when one Monu (Mittal) was being chargesheeted another Manu (Sharma) was walking away free, acquitted in the Jessica Lall case. It wasn’t just ironic. It was tragic.

I deleted the reminder but not the memories. I went back to the day I visited the petrol pump where Manju was shot. As I stood in the eerie silence of that sealed, deserted pump, I could really feel the death he must have died. The kind of death that nobody should die. All alone and cold. On a dusty road, in UP’s hinterland, in the dead of the night. Dying with just one thought. It’s all over.

Manju’s parents stand with me, their sorrow merging with the silence. I feel an indescribable pang. Manju’s mother Pramila asks the police escort, ‘‘What were Manju’s words when he saw Monu Mittal pull out the revolver?’’ She explains, ‘‘Monu Mittal always behaved like a friendly dealer. He’d come home once, when I was with Manju. I had even served him coffee.’’

Neighbouring petrol pump owner Agarwal speaks up, ‘‘Manju used to smoke occasionally. When my workers got him a cigarette, he would insist on paying. He used to address the workers on each visit and urge them to sell quality fuel, quality lubricants. He used to say, maalik nahi, customer paise deta hai—our first duty is to our customer. There has never been, nor will be, an officer so honest.’’

... contd.