Aman Shukla
The intensity of rain was increasing rapidly. The water droplets were hugging the Earth as if they were thirstier than the Earth. With the help of the light coming from the thunder, I was walking on an unknown path. It was so dark that it felt like sun will never rise again. I had no idea where this path was leading to, my heart felt so heavy that even death was not a solution today.
The cars passing by slowed down a little but eventually went away as if they never saw me. But again, who would even want to stop for a person whose hands are blood stained holding a heart on this dark path?
My feet gave up and I couldn’t walk anymore so I sat on the bridge nearby hanging my legs towards the river holding the heart, stained in the blood. My tears were falling as much as the blood was dripping from that heart.
Meanwhile I was lost in my thoughts.
Like every day, today as well I got ready for my office in the morning. Since my 10th book was also a bestseller, I was having a small party with my colleagues. Before leaving, I went to see my wife in the kitchen and she gave me the tiffin and said “You better leave for your office otherwise you’ll have to write a love story again” she smiled and her eyes sparkled “and yes, I have to visit the hospital later today so keep some money on the table” she leaned forward and gently kissed my cheeks “I hope you have a nice day” I smiled back, kept the money on the table and started to leave when a chiming voice stopped me “Papa!” I turned to see her innocently charming face, hugged and kissed her on the forehead and left for the office.
Later around two in the noon I got a phone call that said “Dead bodies of a mother and a daughter are found near the main market, come fast” my heart leapt into my throat and I was frightened to the soles of my shoes. I couldn’t start my car, as if fear has paralyzed me. A colleague helped me and gave me a ride to the market. The place was filled with people surrounding two stretchers where the bodies were kept. Anxiety eclipsed my thoughts and as I was taking each step closer to the bodies, fear throbbed inside me. The moment I saw the bodies, I froze with horror. There she was motionless, she didn’t smile at me anymore, her eyes weren’t sparkling anymore. Beside her laid my little daughter stained in blood, still forever. The fact that I won’t hear that voice calling me again made my chest rose and fell with rapid breaths and my eyes flooded with tears. I could feel nothing but blind terror. In front of my eyes, there laid my whole life, blood all over their bodies. I gathered myself and asked the police officer “How did...?” and I choked. Words couldn’t come out of my mouth, but my mind was flooded with questions. He replied “The clinic where your wife went was a scam. They were doing illegal organ trafficking. They raped your wife and then killed both, took the organs and dumped the bodies here.” A nameless dread engulfed me, all the emotions in me turned into anger and I was burning with rage. I wished I was dead by now but then there was some work left for me to do.
In the evening, I was sitting outside the hospital mortuary meanwhile the post-mortem was being carried out inside. I was trying to process what happened and suddenly my phone rang, it was from an unknown number. Panic surged through me and I picked up the call while suppressing the shiver. “Your wife was incredibly sexy” the phone was disconnected after these loathsome words. That voice felt familiar. I ran out of the hospital, took my bike and left for my home.
Meanwhile rain started pouring and by the time I reached home electricity was gone. It was dark everywhere and my anger was mounting. I called my watchman and he opened the gate for me. “Call me on my phone, right now!!” I shouted on him while I was brimming with hostility.
As Stunned as he looked, he stood there silently for a few seconds and then his expressions hardened, he shoved me away and started running as if trying to escape the circumstances and what his actions have led him to. In that moment I felt like I knew what had happened, he was the one. He had raped my wife and had murdered both my wife and daughter, both my reasons and will to live, took the organs out of their bodies to portray it as a crime of an organ trafficking case. But I wasn’t going to let him escape like that after what he had done to my family. Rage pounded in me like a drumbeat and I started chasing him. It was raining heavily, barely anything was evident and justified and for a moment I thought I lost him but then I heard a scream and saw a light coming from a distant place. I knew it was him and ran towards the light. When I reached there, I saw him lying on the road. Saw him in a state to give up, in a position of as if he knew he had it coming. He was apparently hit by a car. But that was not enough for me. That wasn't the justice I deserved and rather love of my life deserved. I wanted to punish him myself and make him regret every little decision he had ever took. I wanted him to pay for his sins. I picked an iron rod lying beside the road, dragged it to where he was lying. He tried to run away but couldn’t stand. He cried “Please!! Leave me” but all I could hear was my wife’s last words to me. I lifted the iron rod high in the air and with all the force penetrated it in his thighs. He screamed and all I could see was my daughter’s body. I took that rod out of his thighs, sat on him and penetrated it in his chest this time, as the rod was getting inside his body, blood was oozing out from every possible hole of his body. It was a bloodbath and now with those small droplets of water his blood was also flowing, it was like his sins were being washed. I cut open his chest and removed his heart from his body. I stood up, took his heart in my hand and left his body there to pay for his sins. I couldn't think of a better way to pay respect to the dead.
I started walking aimlessly, completely drenched in the rain, hands full of his blood and his heart in my hands. I thought that maybe this would bring me at ease and I had done all I could to make him pay for his brutal actions but no. I felt numb. As if I had no soul. The unbearable pain of not being able to save my wife and my daughter was eating me inside and to avoid that guilt, I jumped into the river.
Good work✨🌼
What an intriguing peice of art!!😍