Monster

'Ok, it's time to sleep now. Good night baby,' Sara kept the book that she had been reading to Alex aside and kissed the top of his head. She pulled the duvet around his small body but Alex held onto her arm.

'Mom, can you stay till I fall asleep. Please...' Her 4 year old son pleaded.

'Alex, you know that there are no monsters in your room. Didn't we go through this just last week? Can you see that cross on that table? That's God's symbol and no monster can touch you because God will protect you. Ok?' Sara explained in a soothing voice to little Alex.

'Mom, I'm very scared. Please don't leave me till I fall asleep', he cried with tears in his eyes.

Sara sighed and sat on his bed. The trouble had started couple of months ago. Alex had complained of a monster that came to his room during night after he fell asleep. He would refuse to talk about the monster to his parents but he was so terrified after these incidents that he would plead to sleep in his parents' bedroom for the next few days.

The next morning Sara was preparing breakfast when Alex came in, still in his pajamas. He looked teary eyed and his eyes were red as if he hadn't slept properly.

'Mom, the monster is more powerful than God because even the cross couldn't prevent the monster from entering my room last night.' Alex whimpered while holding onto her legs. Sara's heart broke and she lifted him into his arms and pacified him until he fell asleep again.

Sara powered her laptop to check the CCTV footage. Few weeks back Sara was disturbed by Alex's stories of monsters and she had decided to install a CCTV in his room on a weekend when their house was empty. Of course Alex was not aware of it.

When she saw the feed from the camera her body froze in shock and panic. In the dead of the night, when Sara was deep asleep, the door to Alex's room creaked open. A shadowy figure wafted towards Alex's bed and gagged him with his large hands. As the figure bent close to whisper in Alex's ears, the bedside lamp threw a dim light on the monster's face. It was no monster who slept beside Alex and slowly slid his hand in his pants. 

That day Sara realized that a monster need not be a creature with two heads or a deformed body. A monster is as normal looking as you and me. It can walk amidst us and act as sane as anybody. The monster if it's there lies in the soul of a person and unfortunately there's no mirror invented yet that will allow us to look into a person's soul.

This post was written for Write Tribe Problogger Challenge.

#writebravely #writetribeproblogger

Theme for this post- Monster

Love in Times of Terror- Part 4

I am writing fiction after a long, long break and ‘Love in Times of Terror’ is a short story that I have decided to publish in 4 parts over the next few days. I hope you’ll like it and do leave comments and feedback J

You can read the previous chapter here- Part 3

Source- istockphoto

Shirin got up and sat on a boulder near the edge of the mountain. Her face was showcasing the fury inside her.

“What do you know about me Rakesh? Do you know how it feels when your brother is dying in your arms, pleading with you to save him but you are too scared to even move. Do you know how it feels to see your parents’ dead right in front of your eyes but you can’t hold them, can’t hug them a last time? Do you know how helpless it feels?”

Rakesh was silent as he let Shirin cry out her tears of frustration.

When she was calm again he spoke. “No, I don’t understand your grief. Neither will I pretend to. But what I do know is, killing innocent people for no fault of theirs is not a right thing to do. Would you have felt satisfied if you had sacrificed the lives of those poor men and women or would you have gone killing others, till you feel that the murder of your family was vindicated?”

Shirin looked at him helplessly.

“What do you want Shirin? Do you want a hundred more young boys and girls like you, out on the streets, seeking revenge? Because when you kill innocent people, you are doing exactly what you had experienced, to the loved ones of those dead. Their children, brothers, sisters, wife, husband will seek revenge, just like you did. An eye for an eye will make the whole world blind but it will not ease your pain.”

Shirin started pacing, wringing her hands in frustration.

“I don’t know Rakesh. Few years back I was restless, every day I had dreams of my parents dying, of my hands bloodied with my brother’s blood. I hated myself for being helpless, for not avenging the death of my family. That’s when I met Rashid Ali, who goaded me on about how Indian Army killed innocent civilians in war. He held speeches, well attended by young men and women, on how Kashmir deserved to be independent and not a bone of contention between two countries. I met other victims of war, who were members of Azad Kashmir and they spoke of how they had suffered and how Rashid helped them to overcome their grief. We were taught how to handle arms and guns. We underwent rigorous physical training and learned how to survive in extreme conditions.

And then I met you Rakesh. You, with your soft words and gentle demeanor captured my heart. My resolve broke. Rashid knew that I was becoming weak in my purpose. And he gave me this mission, this mission to plant a bomb in the IT Capital of India. I knew that backing out would mean irking Rashid’s ire. And Rashid can be a dangerous adversary. In fact I’m sure once he realizes that his mission has been botched, a plan would be hatched to destroy me.” Shirin held Rakesh’s face in her hands.

“I’m scared, Rakesh. I want to know how life with you would be like. I want to know how our children would look like. I want to build a family with you. I want to grow old in your arms. I want to live with you.” The tears streamed down her face.

Rakesh wiped them and kissed her wet cheeks.

“Then you have nothing to be scared of. I’ll be with you every step of your way. I’ll never leave your side, and that’s a promise. Let’s go to the police and confess everything. Do you trust me?”

Rakesh extended his hand forward and Shirin placed her hand in his.

“I would trust you with my life, Rakesh”. Silently they walked away from the sun, setting below the horizon, hopeful of the future that lay ahead of them.

~~~

Love in Times of Terror- Part 3

I am writing fiction after a long, long break and ‘Love in Times of Terror’ is a short story that I have decided to publish in 4 parts over the next few days. I hope you’ll like it and do leave comments and feedback J

You can read the previous chapter here- Part 2

source- istockphoto

Rana was getting impatient and nervous. He was pacing the parking area with a cigarette dangling from his lips. Four hours had passed since they started the search but they couldn’t find the bomb. The parking area had few cars and bikes that were parked from yesterday. Employees were allowed to park their vehicles for 24 hours after which there would be a fine to be paid.

His men had checked the vehicles, the underground drainage sewers, the over-head pipes but they couldn’t locate the bomb. Rana knew that time was running out on him. He had to take a decision to vacate the IT Park soon. If the alert was a genuine one and his men failed to locate the bomb then he would not be responsible for the consequences. He had argued with his seniors that this was a risk he was not ready to take.

Shaken by the threat in his voice, his seniors had decided that if Rana’s men couldn’t locate the bomb by 1 PM, the IT Park would be vacated and the situation would be made public.

Rana looked around him. It was a huge empty space and he wondered why anyone would choose it to plant a bomb. He answered his own question by guessing that this place was least secured and completely free of any electronic surveillance. There were two guards posted at the entrance and exit who were now looking at the proceedings with curiosity. There were small guard posts at the entrance and exit where the guards could rest during the night.

The nondescript structure was so small that only one person could sit at a time. Rana was about to throw the cigarette butt on the ground when he was struck by a thought. He ran to the guard post at the entrance. His men had completely ignored searching this cramped place. The small one room was filled with empty plastic cups, some clothes belonging to the guard, few keys, a torch light and a couple of registers.

Rana started rummaging through the litter piled in the tiny room. But he didn’t find what he was looking for. The security man came running when he saw the officer messing up his den.

“Sahib, what are you doing? Do you need something?” cried the man clearly ruffled.

“The room at the exit, is it same like this one?”

“Yes Sahib”.

Rana ran to the other side of the parking lot, hoping and praying fervently that his hunch be true. When Rana reached the exit post, his eyes immediately fell on the box kept at the corner of the room. He called the guard assigned at the exit, and asked him to open the box.

“Sahib, this is just a tool box. It has not been opened from a long time”

“Just open the damn box, you idiot”, Rana swore some more as the terrified man forced open the rusty box.

Inside there was contraption with wires entangled together and a small red digital clock ticking away furiously.

Rana heaved a sigh of relief just as the bomb detonating squad reached the spot.

***

Rakesh rode his bike silently with Shirin sitting behind him. Her head rested on his shoulders even as her hands clutched his waist.

“Isn’t the multiplex the other way”, Shirin asked, noticing that Rakesh was driving in the wrong direction.

“I have a surprise for you. You do trust me, right?” Rakesh spoke with the wind blowing past his face.

Shirin tilted her head to hear him and replied, “I would trust you with my life, Rakesh”.

Rakesh had a grin on his face as he continued to drive. After an hour of riding, he stopped and Shirin saw that they had left behind the hustle of city.

“Where are we?” she asked Rakesh.

Rakesh took her hand and guided her to a place where a tall rocky mountain stood smugly as if daring the visitors to scale it and conquer. Rakesh started climbing it deftly. Shirin had no difficulty in following Rakesh’s cue. Shirin reached to the top of the mountain first, panting and gasping for breath.

As she looked around, she was struck by the absolute splendor of the beauty around her. Her eyes could only see vast greenery covered in thick foliage. It was calm and serene. She sat down gazing at the open sky. Rakesh joined her and their eyes locked. Rakesh spoke, his voice sounding low and faint.

“Shirin, I know about your involvement with Azad Kashmir extremist group.”

Shirin was suddenly as still as a statue.

“I heard you speaking on the phone yesterday night about the bomb that you had planted”, he spoke, but his tone was not accusatory.

Shirin remembered the call she had got from the private number.

“Is it done?” was all he had asked her.

“Yes, I have planted the bomb in the parking lot of our office and it’s set to explode at 3 PM tomorrow. Rashid Bhai, I still have my doubts if I have done the right thing. The bomb will kill thousands of innocent men and women. Is this the mission of Azad Kashmir? Will Allah forgive us for that?” Shirin had talked in a whisper so that she wouldn’t wake up Rakesh, who she thought to be sleeping soundly.

“Shirin, for any cause there are sacrifices that one cannot avoid. When the Indian Army bombed your house in Kashmir and killed your parents and your little brother, just to extricate a few Pakistani militants, did they think about the innocent civilian causalities? Weren’t your parents and brother innocent too? Why did they die when it was not their battle?”

“Yes Rashid Bhai, my family was killed for no reason. I still remember that night when I hugged my brother’s little body as he bled to death in my arms. I was scared to come out, even though I knew that my brother was dying. In front of me, I saw my parents dead with their eyes still open and their mouths frozen in a scream. I’ll never forget that horrible night. Allah saved me for a reason and that reason is revenge. To avenge the death of my family.” replied Shirin, her voice shaking from fury.

“We have to teach the Indians a lesson or two. Kashmir is ours, it’s a paradise that belongs to us rightfully and they cannot take it away from us. You have assured yourself a place in heaven because you have done His bidding, my daughter. Tomorrow will be a new dawn for us”, commended Rashid Ali, the mastermind behind Azad Kashmir.

Rakesh who woke up to have a glass of water couldn’t believe his ears. How could his Shirin be a terrorist? He went back to sleep to think things over. When he was sure that Shirin had fallen asleep next to him, he went out, his mind a whirl of thoughts. He came back only during the wee hours of morning.

When Shirin was showering, he called the police and informed them about the impending bomb attack. He just hoped that the police would act upon the threat and not take it as a prank call.

He also decided that if the police were unable to find the bomb, he would force Shirin to come clean with the police. He would not sacrifice the life of thousands of men and women for the sake of his love.

But when he saw the flurry of activity involving the bomb squad near the parking facility, he was relieved. He had let out a sigh of relief realizing that the police were successful in detonating the bomb. All he had to do now was to convince Shirin to surrender to police. But knowing Shirin’s past, Rakesh fathomed that it would not be an easy task.

***

Love in Times of Terror- Part 2

I am writing fiction after a long, long break and ‘Love in Times of Terror’ is a short story that I have decided to publish in 4 parts over the next few days. I hope you’ll like it and do leave comments and feedback J

You can read the previous chapter here- Part 1

Source- istockphoto

Chapter 2

Inspector Rana listened to the voice on the tape umpteenth time.

“…please don’t take this lightly”. He replayed the whole conversation again but he couldn’t guess if the voice belonged to a male or a female. The person seemed to have intentionally muffled his/her voice. But why would the person refuse to come to the station and talk? Was he or she involved in the attack?

Geetha who was standing next to Rana was nervously swaying from one foot to another.

“Sir, I think we should take some action. I have a gut feeling that this call is not a prank”, she said adding her two cents of wisdom.

Rana scowled at her. The last thing he needed was a bomb threat in his precinct. He looked at his watch. It was already 8. The parking area of the IT Park was spread over several square feet of land. Combing the area for the bomb would be like searching for a needle in a hay stack. A tough task but definitely not impossible. Rana decided to act swiftly.

He placed a call to his senior officers and soon there was a meeting conducted in the station.

Rana barked out instructions to the men surrounding him, after bringing them up to date of the bomb threat.

“Inform the bomb squad to be ready and get the sniffer dogs to start searching the area. We have limited time, since we don’t know where the bomb could have been placed. Check for vehicles. Check for underground drainage running through the parking area. Check for pipes. Check for everything that you lay your eyes on. I don’t need to tell you that this is a major disaster. If the bomb is for real, it has the potential to kill thousands. So be alert and act smart.”

An officer asked him if they could shut down the IT Park and send the employees home.

The same thought had crossed Rana’s mind too, but the calls put to intelligence agencies confirmed that they had not received any terror alerts. So it was only this call that had put the officers on high alert. If this news became public and the threat turned out to be a false alert then they would become the laughing stock. He had to handle this carefully.

“No, we don’t make this news available to public yet and that means no talking to the media. For now, we are just closing down the parking area in guise of maintenance work. Let’s just hope that we get the bomb or this alert turns out to be a joke.”

Rana quickly dismissed the men and took out a cigarette. He had cut down to a pack a day, but this case was already getting on his nerves. He knew that he was walking a tight rope. If the threat was indeed real and he couldn’t locate the bomb then he wouldn’t be able to live with the guilt. He walked inside his office to speak to his seniors again.

***

Rakesh and Shirin met during their tea break. Although they worked on different floors they always had tea together. Today, some of their colleagues had joined them too.

Rakesh kept glancing at Shirin. He couldn’t believe that a beautiful girl like Shirin had fallen in love with him. The day Shirin had accepted his proposal he had been on cloud nine. He knew that she was lonely and had no one in this world except for him. It made him more protective about her. They had met a year before and last week Rakesh decided that he would propose to Shirin.

He was an orphan too, like Shirin. They acted like anchors in other’s life providing support and comfort. He knew that those beautiful eyes belied the pain and suffering that her heart felt. He wanted to take care of Shirin, he wanted to make her happy, he wanted to wipe the tears off her face forever and put the smile back on her lips.

Shirin caught Rakesh staring at her and smiled a thousand watt grin. Only Rakesh could make her smile like that and it made her love him even more. If that was possible!

As they were heading back to their desk, Rakesh caught Shirin’s hand.

“Hey, so that movie date is still on, right?” quipped Rakesh holding onto her hand.

“Of course, have I ever said no to you”, Shirin said with a slight smile.Both headed back to their desk, happy and content of the future that lay ahead of them.

***

You can read the next chapter here- Part 3

Fearless in a Big Bad City

As Annie’s stop approached, she got down from her bus but she was scared when she saw a dark, smarmy looking man waiting in the shadows near the bus shelter.

She began walking rapidly towards her house and even though it was a dark, cloudy night, she could see the man following a few steps behind her.

This had been happening for few days and now she wished that she had had a brother, a father or at least a boyfriend who could protect her but then Annie was an orphan and she told herself that if she could defend herself all through her life then she could fight on her own too.

“Hey you, slime ball, why don’t you show your face instead of hiding in the shadows so that when the police have you behind the bars I can identify you”, she shouted loudly, turning back and confronting the stranger.

As the man ran away, scared at her outburst, Annie smiled and decided to enroll herself in a self-defense class immediately; after all she was a fearless, single, independent woman in big, bad world.

Note- Written for Lillie McFerrin 5 sentence fiction- Fearless

The Silent Night After The Storm

This post has been published by me as a part of the Blog-a-Ton 45; the forty-fifth edition of the online marathon of Bloggers; where we decide and we write. To be part of the next edition, visit and start following Blog-a-Ton.

 

Inspector Vikram Sinha rubbed his weary eyes and sighed as he sat down in his chair inside his tiny cubicle. It was his first moment of respite in the last 20 hours of pure madness and chaos. He remembered that he had been in bed, sleeping peacefully with his arms around his beautiful wife, when he had received the dreaded phone call at 4 AM. His wife had cursed loudly before turning her back at him and going back to sleep.

After talking on the phone for 5 mins, he got dressed hurriedly and rushed to his jeep. He drove through the silent streets towards Vasanth Vihar area, which was one of the top elite residential localities in Delhi. But as he reached closer to his destination he saw the throng of people jostling each other, trying to get their video cameras beyond the police barriers. Media! 

He checked his rear view mirror. Sure enough! There were at least half a dozen cars tailgating him with the word “PRESS” written on their front windshield. He raced them to the front gate of Goel Villa and quickly entered the massive oak doors at the entrance. The media tried to push their mikes in front of his face demanding to know the situation but he remained tight lipped. 

He met Ajay, his colleague and best friend, in the hall of the grand three storey house. Mrs. Rina Goel obviously had a very good taste since the house was done up very elegantly and artistically. 

“Good morning Viks! Isn’t it an awesome way to start the day, huh?” Ajay quipped brightly.

Vikram gave him a withering look before marching into the bedroom “Ok, what’s the situation?”

Ajay briefed Vikram quickly as they both grimaced looking at the bloody scene. Mrs. Goel lay spread-eagled on the bed, completely naked, with blood all around her. Her body looked ashen probably because the blood in the body had drained out. There were several slashes on her arms and torso that looked like they were inflicted by a boning knife used in kitchens for slicing meat. But her face had taken most of the brunt of rage. Vikram found it almost impossible to believe that the beautiful woman with the delicate features, whose large portrait he had seen in the hall, was the same woman whose grotesque body now lay on the blood-stained bed for everyone’s viewing. 

 

“She was raped before she was killed and her private parts were viciously lacerated. A kitchen knife was found at the scene when we arrived. The husband, Ankur Goel, was found in a semi-comatose state. His clothes were all blood stained but he was not harmed physically. There were no other servants in the house. They all live in the outhouse which is towards the back of the house.” 

“Who called the police?” Vikram bent low to examine the body, although he had to control himself from gagging. 

“One of the servants heard Ankur Goel howling loudly and crying out for help. But by the time he rushed here, his master had collapsed. Ankur is being treated in the hospital. The doctor informed that he’s fine. Maybe it was just the shock”, Ajay had something else to tell but he remained silent until he had Vikram’s full attention.

“Ok, so here’s the clincher. When the police arrived here, Ankur was in a delirious state, mumbling incoherently. But one of the officers thought that he was muttering over and over again “I’m sorry Rina, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done it!” 

Vikram raised his left eyebrow and Ajay knew that this was Vikram’s way of stating that he was not impressed by this little piece of information. He pulled Vikram to the side, away from the group of people from the forensics team who were all over the body, minutely examining for any clues.

“It’s a well-known fact that 7 years ago, the beautiful and stunning model Rina Malhotra married the owner of the multibillion company, FastTrack Communications, Ankur Goel, for money, status and prestige. It was a marriage of convenience. Ankur wanted a beautiful trophy wife who could further his social stature and Rina wanted a man who could provide her the material comforts. The gossip mills were running wild with stories around this couple; one of the strongest rumors was that Ankur couldn’t physically satisfy his wife.” Ajay paused here as Vikram looked at him incredulously.

“You know, he couldn’t play in bed, he couldn’t get it up.”

“I know what you mean, Ajay. Go on.”, countered Vikram.

“Ok, so while Ankur held important meetings with some high profile men in the business world, Rina used to have clandestine meetings with other men. Of course it was all under wraps and people would only hear about it but could never prove it. Like those urban legend stories.”

“Where do you get your information?”, Vikram asked amazed by Ajay’s in-depth knowledge.

“Uh, my wife loves reading Society Magazine. But it’s all true!” Ajay turned a shade crimson as Vikram shook his head, sighed and turned to finish his examination of the crime scene.

***

By noon, the police had a break in the case. The knife that was found in the crime scene had Ankur’s fingerprints all over.  Traces of his semen were found in Rina’s private parts. Ankur was brought in for questioning and Vikram was itching to have a go at Ankur. But his seniors were treading delicately over this case because it had fragile written all over it. Ankur Goel was one of the richest, influential businessmen in India and arresting him for the murder of his wife was scandalous.  

Finally late in the night Vikram got the green light from his seniors for the interrogation.

Vikram was bone-tired but he knew that it was going to be a long night. It was the night after the storm, carrying ominous menace in its pregnant silent winds that blew gently.

As Vikram stood outside the cramped interrogation room, he saw Ankur Goel with his shoulders hunched forward, sitting in a desolated manner.  Ankur was short and stout and he appeared mild-natured. The kind of man you would see in the parks, playing ball with his children and smiling gently at his wife. He didn’t look like a murderer. But Vikram had sufficient experience with murderers to understand that appearances could be deceptive.

As he walked in, Ankur got up to shake hands with him. 

“Hi, sit down. Are you comfortable? “, Vikram asked, keeping a close eye on Ankur’s expressions.

“Yeah, thank you for everything that you guys have done although I know the facts are all against me. But believe me I didn’t do it. Why would I kill my wife? God, I loved her so much. Did you know that I met her when we were 15 years old? She’ll always be my first and last love.” Ankur seemed to be distressed and continued rambling.

“Mr. Goel, can you explain the sequence of events that happened yesterday night?”

“Please call me Ankur. We had a few clients from Japan visiting us and there was a conference and then a late night dinner party that was arranged for them. It was almost quarter past 12 when I finally reached home. I have a key to the house so that I don’t disturb Rina when I come home late. But when I entered the hall I was surprised to see the lights on the hall were on and I could hear some sounds from our bedroom.  I had a fright thinking that maybe a burglar had broken in. I rushed into our bedroom and then my memory fails me.”

“What do you mean? You can’t remember anything?” Vikram asked a little astonished.

“I remember feeling a little dizzy, maybe I got hit on the head, but I’m not completely sure about it. When I came to, I saw that Rina was on the bed and there was blood all around me. I ran to her and tried to see if she was still breathing but the carnage she had been subjected to, shocked me. I screamed and I think I fainted. The next time I woke up I was in the hospital bed”

“Can you tell a bit on how you and Mrs. Goel met?”

A sad smile spread on Ankur’s face as he reminisced. “We were neighbors in Jaipur where my parents used to live before. I first saw her in college and I fell in love with her instantly. You know she is that kind of a person. I mean she was.” 

Vikram saw that Ankur was trying very hard to control his tears but he continued.

“She was a very warm, kind and an honest lady. Although I was a topper in college, I didn’t have many friends. But Rina always had time to spend with me. She was a stunner, extremely beautiful and most of the guys wanted to talk with her, but she maintained her dignity. She remained friends with everyone but declined all proposals from men. She was clear that she would marry the guy her parents would choose for her. She had a traditional upbringing and I respected her for her mature decisions. 

Our family business flourished and from a small business in Jaipur we became a multibillion company. Upon my request, my family sent Rina’s parents a proposal for her and they accepted. I was on cloud nine the day Rina became my wife. For years I had dreamt of living a life with her, to be able to wake up each day looking at her lovely face, to be able to hold her hands and walk beside her. And all my dreams were coming true.

 We had a wonderful married life, in fact we were inseparable. Whenever I went abroad for my business, Rina would be depressed and I had to promise to make it up to her by shopping for her. You know, she loved nail colors. She loved collecting them and whenever I went abroad, I would shop for nail polish in all brands for her. God, how will I ever live without her? I just can’t believe that my Rina is no more.

Tears were now flowing copiously down Ankur’s cheeks. It was obvious to Vikram that Ankur had loved his wife dearly. Was he really capable of butchering his dear wife? Vikram decided that either Ankur was innocent or he was a very good actor.

“Tell me Ankur, how was your personal relation with your wife. I heard there were some rumors about…”, Vikram decided to probe further.

“Oh you know the gossip mills! They can never see a happy couple. Rina was a very loyal wife. We loved each other deeply.” Vikram was staring at a nervous twitch around Ankur’s mouth as he spoke.

“As they say there’s never a smoke without a fire. I mean you were on a lot of business trips. How did you know that your wife remained faithful?” Vikram was now aware that Ankur was getting agitated. His eyes were beady and shifting rapidly.

“What do you think? I would spy on my own wife? Never! I loved her more than my life. I cared for her. I would have died for her”, Ankur now closed his eyes as tears formed a wet trail on his cheeks.

“Then why did you kill her? Why did you butcher your own wife? Why Ankur? Tell me!” Vikram shouted at Ankur.

When Ankur opened his eyes, Vikram felt his blood run cold. His heart missed a beat. Gone was the calm, pleasant demeanor of the mild mannered man. The person who sat before him now, with his feet up on the table with a swagger, was a different person altogether.

“Why are you asking that fucker?  If you should talk to any person then it’s me. I’ll answer all your questions. You want to know who killed that bitch. It’s me, I killed her. I carved her body using a knife, with my own hands. “

“Who are you?” Vikram asked maintaining a stoic face when his heart was drumming inside his ribcage. 

“I’m Karan. The man inside this fucker’s body. Of course he isn’t man enough to handle his own wife. Every time she slept with another male, the only fucking thing he did was to weep.”

““Boo Hoo, Rina doesn’t love me. Rina cheats on me.” Every day he wept like a girl and he didn’t do anything about it. He was scared that she would leave him if he confronted her. I say fuck that bitch! So that’s what I did!”

“What did you do to her?”

“Ha! She was in bed with another man when the loser entered his house yesterday. Of course he couldn’t handle it! He’s a dickhead! And I had to jump in to save his ass. The moment the bitch’s lover realized that they had company he ran to save his hide. Good thinking I would say, otherwise I had to handle two bloody bodies.

I showed her that I could give what she wanted. I tied her and raped her but that bitch wasn’t satisfied. I got the knife from the kitchen and cut her part by part. I had so much fun when I slashed her face. The bitch was so proud of her mug. She thought she was some fucking Miss World, you know! She deserved it. She married him only for his money and that bastard believed that she had loved him. Have you seen him? His own mother wouldn’t have loved him. He’s so fucking ugly! Sometimes I do feel pity on that son of a bitch”

Ankur then laughed maniacally but after few seconds the laugh turned into howls of desperation.

Vikram was stunned by what he had seen. In front of his own eyes he saw another transformation in Ankur as his face turned calmer and his eyes cleared. He became more composed, with his shoulders hunched forward anxiously. He lost his swagger but his hands shook as he spoke.

“Did anything happen Inspector? I.. I.. think I blanked out again. I feel so confused and dizzy. D..D..Did I do something? Why are you staring at me?”

Ankur continued to look around him vaguely as Vikram quietly left the room.

***

A week later the initial reports were at Vikram’s desk. Ankur Goel was diagnosed to be suffering from split personality disorder or dissociative personality disorder. It was an extremely rare case of mental disorder where in the patient’s behavior was controlled by two distinct personalities residing in the same human body. After several sessions of hypnosis and therapy, it was concluded that Ankur had loved his wife so much that her continuous adultery and her scorn towards him for his lack of ability to sexually satisfy her had driven him over the edge. His inability to face the stressful situation had created another person inside him who was completely unlike him. Karan was confident, brash, vulgar and never let anyone hurt him.

It was an open and shut case. Ankur had escaped prison because of his mental trauma and was put under special care in the psychiatry ward of hospital.

Vikram leaned back in his chair and wondered for the umpteenth time if Ankur was really a victim of mental disorder or if he was just a damn good actor. It was something he would never know!

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This post is a part of Write Over the Weekend, an initiative for Indian Bloggers by BlogAdda.