Revenge

Revenge


“Trrrrrrrrrr” Deafening sounds of the alarm clock echoed the walls of the bedroom, as Vicky slumbered under the sheets, his mind still imagined the sounds to emanate from the deep well that lead to the hell , somewhere beneath the earth. He managed to open his eyes, the morning sunlight that scattered through the fluttering curtain, blinded him momentarily.

The nauseating smell of the cigarette filled his nostrils, as he slowly slid from the bed.

He brushed his hairs with his fingers, looked around his room. The ashtray was full of cigarettes, ash strewn all around , his dirty laundry scattered and the bottle of whisky.

He held his head as he came back to his senses. He realized that it was the whisky he had yesterday night, that was making his head ache. He couldn’t believe that the weekend has actually ended.

“God! I have to go to the office” He grumbled and slowly dragged himself to the rest room.

Little latter he stood before the mirror tucking his blue shirt in his trousers. He looked at his face and wondered how much he has changed in these six months. His eyes were squinty and dark lines under them, showed obvious lack of sleep.

“How much my life would have changed, If I had married that day” he felt nagging pain deep inside and felt like reaching for the bottle of whisky in his refrigerator. He knew that he should not drink before leaving for the office and that too so early in the morning.

He looked at himself. He was not looking bad, rubbed his fingers on his jaw line. He wondered why Reshma, the girl with whom his parents had arranged his marriage, eloped from the marriage hall.

Life had changed for Vicky after that day. He was so excited in his bridal wear and looked good in the silk shirt and traditional loin cloth around his waist. Actually he enjoyed banters of his friends who were trying to make him lament losing his bachelorhood.

He was a perfect bachelor, after all he had his own house and car, and a good job as a software engineer. It was after all that pestering by his parents that he had agreed to marry Reshma. They had met briefly, she looked beautiful and had finished her home sciences. She looked bold while talking to him as well.

He still could not forget the shame when there was a commotion in the marriage hall, on the news that the bride has eloped with her boyfriend.

She had taken all his pride, his dreams of his perfect life with her. He probably would have healed himself, if the people around him had not made him remember her rejecting him.

The strange stares of colleagues, of his relatives and the tension in the air. He thwarted efforts by parents to get him married again. And had himself transferred to the Mumbai office, to be away from his family and friends and their exaggerated concern for him, which didn’t allow him to heal.

He stood his ground facing the new city, drowned in vices, tried hard to see the reason in it all and yet failed to handle his bruised male ego.

“If only she had told me that she was in love with someone, I would have stopped marriage” He wondered why did she took the decision to elope form the marriage hall, when all friends, relatives had gathered for the occasion. Her parents had disowned her and nobody knew when she vanished without any trace with her boyfriend.

He walked in the state of sleep, waded his way through the people filled with sense of urgency, who rushed to get into the office elevator. There were people all around him, but many were new faces, dared to smile at some familiar faces he saw. He dragged himself to his cabin, and there he saw cheerful face of Nathan. His face was lit up in the morning glory, it irritated Vicky, he felt his exaggerated cheerfulness taunted him, though he wore the customary smile on his lips.

He sank into his chair, and set into the act of setting his laptop computer on his table. He wanted to get out of this endless cycle of routinised life, as his life dragged into sheer boredom and creepy thoughts of self pity.

He was lost in his thoughts, when he turned his head to see Nathan grin. His breath so close as he closed his eyes instinctively. He could smell his cologne. His skin darker, gleamed in the sunlight , coated with his sweat.

Vicky barely managed to smile, “Bastard! I guess he is again playing tricks for free booze”

He winked his eyes and whispered “Do you remember about the evening plan?”

Vicky realized that he had discussed about visit to some brothel house, in the infamous red light area of Mumbai.

The moist breeze from the sea felt cooler than usual, As Vicky stood in the glow of the orange lights of the street lamp over his head. He looked at the lined stalls, the smell of burning meat, spices blended with smell of jasmine that few vendors pestered the shady men, in the street, to buy.

He lit his cigarette, pressed the bud between his lips, and inhaled, felt the smoke burning him inside. He was so conscious of his own hollowness, as he slowly started following Nathan. Glanced at women standing there exhibiting themselves as mere piece of flesh. He felt shady men, stripped them with their eyes, devoid of any trace of humanness.

He felt uncomfortable when some of the women teased him. Their teasing and taunts lost in the cacophony of loud music coming from the lined ghetto of brothel houses on the both side of the narrow street. He waded his way through the swarm of pimps coaxing him with their whispered voices.

He followed Nathan, and felt his body stiffened, his nostrils flared as he was so conscious of his breath getting warmer. The smell of Jasmine flowers blended with stench of tobacco, as he climbed on the narrow stairway, lit dimly. He seems to be confused by the silhouettes of the men and woman on the wall, as he entered behind Nathan into this small dimly lit windowless room. He looked around at the walls with wet patches and peeled paint enamel. He felt strange sensation, something stirring in his lower belly, a strong urge to release that emptiness into someone with the rage that he had lived all this time.

A fat woman, with her masculine features and face, devoid of any kindness, smiled at Nathan. He felt his body stirred up with emotions that he had never experienced before. He felt his leg tremble as he was pushed into a windowless room. His resistance melted as he felt Nathan’s grin taunted his manhood. He gulped his spit, as he looked at what looked like a hard bed with flower printed bed sheet. He could see an ash tray on the table and a water bottle, as he closed the door behind him. The bed sheet was crumbled and the strange smell overwhelmed Vicky. The sight of crumbled sheets and jasmine flowers strewn all over the pillow and sheet, made him realize that she had been just used, as he felt his excitement being slowly replaced by a repulsive feeling.

He dared to raise his head, and felt the fiery heat escape from his eyes, his lips trembled as he saw the rear of a young woman. Her fair brown skin glowed in the dim orange lights, her hairs disheveled, jasmine flowers ripped off, bare thread hanged on hair at places. Her naked back above her blouse, showed scars of abuse, he felt strange pity for the woman as he saw her tending fresh burn scar of cigarette on her wrist.

His eyes widened and a muffled whimper as he grabbed the foot of the bed, for support, “Reshma!!” His mind, his senses all had become numb and disoriented. He felt the world had stopped that very moment when he saw Reshma, the girl who could have been his wife, standing before him.

His eyes moved as he could see her cringe, covering herself, ashamed of her body, cringing trying to hide her soul.

Vicky’s felt his body trembling, as he turned instinctively to escape from the room, as he had always done all his life. He felt his feet frozen when he heard “Please! Someone else will come” her desperate trembling voice “Stay”

He stood there, the moment was frozen, he felt all his fury and anger for her melting like they never were part of him. He could hear her sobs; he did not register any thing she said, as she narrated how she was brought here by her boyfriend and sold.
He realized that his eyes were wet and mind finally cleansed, as he dialed his friend running an NGO for rescue of girls trapped in the flesh trade.

Little later he stood outside, cops were taking the girls out, He saw Reshma climbing into the Police van, folding her hands and bowing her head in gratitude. Vicky had just finished talking to distraught father of Reshma, of course not disclosing where he found her.

Vicky felt his mind purged and thoughts cleansed, as he dialed his parents. His voice was filled with new found enthusiasm and love of life

“Yes Mom! I would like to meet the girl, whose photograph you had sent” he could hear squeal of his parents in delight.