Man Watcher of Andhera Goan
The streets weren’t safe after dawn. Andhera Goan was not safe for women after dawn. Newspaper vendors made a trickling sound using their bicycle bells. The milk cans sounded like a wind chime. Factory workers hurried towards their shifts, and nurses walked towards Sthree and Purush hostel at Andhera Goan tired after the night shifts.
Dawn meant safety but the story of Sthree and Purush hostel was different. Dawn meant doorway to crime.
Jose Komban, a respected banker by 10 am spoke softly and dressed well. Nobody looking at him would have imagined what he did after dawn.
He hunted women from the Sthree and Purush hostel where he stayed like a predator.
Jose had a particular interest in women who travelled alone in the early morning. Nurses were his favourite targets. He carried a deep hatred towards them. A wrong injection given by a nurse had killed his mother.
Susan was a photographer by profession and with Jose, they had created a cruel business. Susan also stayed in the same hostel and targeted weak women with poor family backgrounds and the soft targets were the nurses, working with hospitals with a dream to go abroad. With hidden cameras Susan photographed the victims in bathrooms and bedrooms while they were changing clothes.
At dawn Jose walked towards the bakery and tea stall to chase these women. Some got attracted by his charm and the ones who refused were blackmailed.
“Come to my room,” Jose would tell them. “If you don’t, these photographs will be sent to every male at the hostel and printed in Blue Film magazine.”
Blue Film magazine terrified many as it was a Global magazine circulated privately and no investigation could uncover the racket behind it. Jose promised them that he would burn those photographs if they spent a day in his bed. Many helpless women came because they were afraid.
Susan would hide inside a cupboard and take photographs and recorded videos of the women with Jose. They made money from the shame and helplessness of their victims.
Susan knew what they were doing was wrong. She wanted to make money and she was in love with Jose. She had spent several nights with him and he had given her precious gifts. He would charmingly say, “ I love you Susan and we will go soon to America or Europe for our honeymoon.”
Susan believed him and from small acts of dishonesty with her hostel friends,opened doors for serious crimes. Hidden cameras, private photographs, blackmail and intimidation destroyed the peace of many innocent women. There were five suicides in the hostel and two murders which was under investigation. The victims were women involved with Jose and they were too frightened to speak.
Reena Thomas, one of the victims, a young nurse decided she would not remain silent.
She went to the police with evidence enough to screw Jose.
Her complaint led to an investigation with strong evidence s. As the police looked deeper, they discovered that Reena was not the only victim.
Jose was arrested. His banking career ended in disgrace. He was not ready to lose Susan.
“You get me a good lawyer,” he told her. “I promise I will marry you.”
Susan was pregnant and with cherry blossom dreams, she hired a famous criminal lawyer, and Jose was eventually released. They had enough money and the tables were turned against Reena. Jose shifted to a bungalow and Susan was thrown out of the Sthree Purush hostel.
Reena and the other women slowly began rebuilding their lives. Without Jose and Susan around, the women walked a little more confidently.
Susan was struggling to find a home. She begged Jose for marriage.
Jose laughed, “Marriage? You still believe that?”
“l am pregnant,” she said and Jose laughed louder.
The arguments became worse. The man who had once promised to protect her began physically abusing her. Susan was hurt but with revenge in her heart, she went to meet Jose on a dark night.
Nobody paid attention to the couple arguing near Jose’s place.
“You ruined my life!” Susan shouted.
Jose looked at her coldly.
“You helped me ruin the lives of others.”
That sentence pushed her over the edge.
The argument became violent.
When the police arrived, Jose was dead.
Susan was arrested after 15 days from a famous celebrity’s house. During questioning, she confessed to the crimes she and Jose had committed together. Susan confessed that she was pregnant. That day Jose hit her and locked her in the wardrobe. She was working with a famous celebrity for a photo shoot and her idea was to kill Jose. She had stolen the gun of the celebrity and using the silencer mode, she opened the wardrobe by dawn and shot Jose on his head.
The court sentenced her to two years of imprisonment considering her confession.
The streets of Andhera Goan were still busy by dawn but imperfect with the Blue Film Magazine circulating around.The Sthree Purush hostel was safe from dawn to dusk with Reena being the new incharge of the women’s wing with 24 hours police protection.
