The Honeybee Conspiracy

Part 45

Chapter 43

A few days later, the new Navy Chief Admiral Anand Fadnavis was announced by the Government. He had another two years left before he retired. However, the two years were going to be very eventful.

The swearing-in ceremony was held with the usual aplomb and ceremonial parades and protocols. Lady Anamika Fadnavis was delighted, the very look on her face revealedeverything, her eyes were darting across the enclosures like an eagle scanning the vicinity for its prey. She was hungry, again.

Shyam had made it a habit of keeping in touch with all his regular guests during his days at Sholur. He had an inert ability to make friends and nurturing them into very close friendships. Ofcourse, his intention was business but he also knew that you never know when you really need a favor and somehow life has that strange way of making you feel guilty when you part with a friend for the most absurd reasons.

He was spending a lot of time by himself on the portico. The booze was now permitted to just once a week by his better half. It was not by choice or any great big change in the attitude of trying to stay healthier. The fact was, she now controlled the purse strings. Perhaps, this is the same plight with most of the husbands across the country. He walks behind her holding the grocery bags in both hands, pushes the trolley behind her at the supermarkets. He probably would never have done this for his mom. The amazing things he does after he gets married. What a transformation, boy. But in reality, he had to accept it. All these years, he didn't have a penny of savings. She was now the Commander in chief of 'Operation Savings' and he was her subordinate. He smiled at himself. But he also knew that he loved her like hell and there is certain happiness you get when you hand over the reins to your wife.

"What now doing?" she shouted from the Kitchen. Shyam leptout from his thoughts. "Nothing baby", he said smiling at himself.

He was going on thinking whose help to seek to get the gold bars out from Andamans. After days of rolling this in his mind, he zeroed in on Rajendra Kumar, his old friend, the Deputy Commissioner of Income Tax. He could not find a better candidate. For starters, he was a government employee and he was with the Income Tax. It had its merits and demerits but he couldn't think of a better person. But the question was, would he do it. Well, it was either him or nobody. "Go for it, boy," he told himself.

The next day in the evening, he got in touch with Rajinder and briefed him on the developments. "Give me sometime Shyam, I'll come back to you. Ok," said Rajinder.

He waited.