The death of the devil ...

Date: 08/09/09

The death of the devil …..

As I marveled at the ring the jeweler stated, “Shall I pack it Sir?”

 ”No Thanks. I was just having a look at it. Can I see it closely? , if you don’t mind.” I said.

“Sure Sir. Here”, said the shopkeeper. I took the ring in my hands and on close observation noticed few initials written on it. “C.A.M”. “Charles Augustus Milverton”, I whispered to myself.

“Hmm… How did you come across this ring? Was it sold to you by anyone? “, I enquired.

“Right Sir, It was sold to me last week by a lady. “, said the jeweler.

“Can you tell me her name and address?”, I asked.

“Sorry Sir, but we don’t disclose any personal information of our customers.” said he.

I silently took out my identity card and showed it to him. “I am extremely sorry Detective Carruther. I couldn’t recognize you. It seems that you are working on a case. Just a minute, I will give you her information………Emma Christine was her name and she lives in Hampstead, Street No.13, house no. 4A.” said the jeweler.

It was not the name that I was expecting. So I took out a photograph from my pocket and asked the shopkeeper, “Is this that lady”, showing the photograph to him. “Yes Sir, this is that very lady”, he replied. “Thanks”, I said and gave him a pleasant smile which was followed by my departure from the shop.

Charles Augustus Milverton was the most dangerous man in the city, who was reputed as a blackmailer. He used to gather peoples personal information and then blackmailed them for money. Last night, he was killed by someone. I hated Milverton since I knew him. Milverton was extremely greedy and no amount of money could satisfy his hunger for wealth. I honestly wanted him to be murdered someday and was happy at his death, but finding the criminal was my job.

                It was evident that one of his victims of greed had killed him to seek revenge. He was killed mercilessly with 6 bullet shots, and his money and belongings were stolen. Never in my 12 year old career had I seen a burglar waste 6 bullets and time just to steal some jewelry and cash. The murder was for pure revenge tried to be shadowed by the act of robbery. The manner of the death made it evident that he was killed to seek some revenge.

                I had gathered the photographs of all his victims and went to each jewelry shop to enquire his belongings. On visiting eleven shops it was confirmed that one of his victims Mrs. Dawn Hooper had sold all his belongings at different shops under different names.

                I knocked at Mrs. Hooper’s place. She opened the door. “May I come in?” I asked. She made me sit on a couch and asked for my identity. “Detective Carruther”, I said. Her face first turned pale then to blue-black. “What do you want from me?” she asked. “Just the pistol with which you killed Milverton.”, I said. She fell on her knees and started weeping. “He deserved it. He tortured my saintly husband to the extent that my husband committed suicide. Only his death could bring my soul at peace. So I killed him. Now I don’t mind spending the rest of my life behind bars. Take me to the police.” She said.

                “He truly deserved it. Relax. I am not taking you to any prison; instead I have come to thank you, as you did a favor to mankind. Still, you are a criminal to the police and they suspect you. By, tomorrow they will have you……..unless you hand me over that pistol with which you killed him. It is a proof against you. I will take it to its proper place. You will be free then.” I said. She slowly smiled and took out the pistol from beneath the couch I was sitting on. “Here” she said and handed me the pistol. I scanned the entire house for any other evidences against her and eliminated them.

                “Have a happy life” I said and left with the pistol under my overcoat. I threw it in a nearby river. As I walked towards my house with the mystery unraveled, I wondered how much happiness, helping the criminal brought to me, rather than to get him arrested.

                Sometimes, just abiding the regulations of the court does not bring Justice. You need to listen to your heart and keep room for exceptions.

                                                                                                                                                      -Abhishek Thakur

REALIZATION

“I don’t know what the fish, am I doing in this dammed world!” I wondered. He has got one gf, she’d got one, he’d got one –it seemed that except for me everyone got what he/she wanted i.e. someone to care for, respect, love or draw inspiration from! Only I, like an idiot was single in the stupid world.
I felt a piercing sensation on my neck. I turned back to see an infant-like thing with white wings floating in the air, with a bow and arrow in his hand. It disappeared. There was no wound but the pain was real. Things were happening too fast for me to understand. I went to my mom in the kitchen. “Mom my neck is paining severely”, I said. “Then go, get some rest”, she said thinking that this was one of my excuses to skip studies. I felt frustrated. I went to the veranda and stood there silently. It was dark outside.
Just then, again, I noticed that infant-like thing in my garden. I moved out and started to follow it. The “thing” was heading out of my housing campus or precisely-flying out my housing campus. I followed it. It went straight to the middle of the main road and disappeared there. All I remember after that, is- a honking sound form behind and B-A-N-G – I was down on the ground. Within a fraction of a second, every memorable event of my life flashed through my eyes-my family, friends, school, dance, birthdays, crushes, the silly poems I used to write for them and what not! And then It was all over……………………………..
…………………………………..the harsh sunlight woke me up. I was still lying on the middle of the road, at that very place. Though there were few spots of blood around me, but I was unharmed and did not have a single scratch on my body. I felt fresh. I rose from the road and returned home. It was locked. God knew where they had gone. I shouted in front of my neighbour’s house but received no response. Frustrated. Having nowhere else to go I made my way towards my school.
When I reached in front of the school gate, I could see the assembly going on. I had a feeling that the people were not noticing me. The school guards also did not notice me. It seemed that I had become invisible. Nobody could feel my presence or see me. When I entered the basketball court (where the assembly was going on), I could see my classmates weeping. There was a feeling of sorrow in their eyes. My previous so called “crushes” also had tears rolling down their eyes. When I turned towards the Principal, I was horrified to see my photograph beside the stage with a white garland on it. What the f***???, they were performing a funeral of mine!!! I felt helpless. I screamed out my presence, but no one could hear me. I realized that it was not me who was screaming but it was my soul.I didn’t want to die so soon.
After the assembly everyone went to their respective classes. None of my subject teachers taught anything that day, in my class. They remained silent. My friends were quiet. I screamed the whole day long, but no one could hear me. Soon the school got over and every one left. Then the “infant-like thing” appeared once again. This time it approached me and asked, “How do you feel now? After dying?”.
I realized that my friends loved me, they cared for me, respected me-my teachers loved me and my family…family??…… Where were they??
“They are in the hospital mourning over your death”, explained that “thing”. I realized that there were so many people who loved me that I didn’t require any other form of love.
“Can’t I get the love back??” I cried in despair.
“I am cupid”, he said-“My work is to unite all those who love each other. Go to the hospital and enter your body and you will be alive once again”……..”And don’t worry I will be sending a princess for you soon.” Without waiting for any further explanation I ran to the hospital…..
…….In the hospital, my mom was beside my body, which was being taken for post mortem. I was declared dead a few hours ago. My dad and my brother were also weeping intensely.My body was kept under custody. I entered my body. Now I could feel the pain which the accident imparted to my body.
I could not speak nor open my eyes. So I just wiggled my fingers a little. “He is still alive”’ screamed, my mom, and the doctor close to me, came rushing. I wiggled my fingers again and the doctor softly spoke the words “Miracle”.
My Dad grasped my hand and said-“Thank god!!I knew that you will be back.” Doctors called it the “miracle of science” but my heart knew the truth.
“Thank you Cupid”, my heart said.





©Abhishek Thakur.

School Corridor:

I was walking along talking to myself as usual. It’s a very useful habit to have you know. Scientifically speaking, it removes boredom, refreshes your mind and most importantly it keeps you occupied when you don’t have friends to talk to. But when people around you look at you speaking to yourself, they call it madness. Therefore I had a reputation of a boring, not so happening and a mad guy. My fellow mates were making a mock of me as I was passing the corridor, yet I didn’t care. Why should I?
As I kept heading towards my classroom, I saw a girl by me, slip and fall on the freshly washed, detergent laced floor.
“Need help?” I asked her.
“Any doubt?” she replied and offered me her hand. I gave her my hand and gently offered my support to her. This was the first time I had ever helped a girl. Cool!!
“New??” I asked.
“Any Doubt?” she replied.
“Nope, no doubts, because your eyes have told me everything about you, except your name.” I replied back.
She permitted herself a smile and replied, “I’m Sam from Peru, I am a student of class O level one.”
“Then you must have come here as a part of the International Student Exchange Campaign?” I asked.
“You’ve got it right!” she replied.
I was pleased to hear that she was from my class. For the first time, I looked into her eyes and was awestruck by her beauty. I don’t know how I dared to, but I ask her, “What do you do, apart from being beautiful?”
“Sorry??” she asked.
I felt that I had said things that I should not have had, so I ran away from there.

Classroom:
I sat in the last table of my classroom, alone. Sam came and sat on the 2nd table. I don’t think that she had noticed me. After eating my Tiffin during the recess I went to the washroom. When I returned I saw Sam sitting next to where I was sitting. After hesitating a little I went and sat at my place.
“I’m sorry, I forgot to ask your name.” she said.
“Me??” I asked.
“Any doubt?” she replied.
“Ah….Bh..I’m…eh…Andrew Tolstoy; you can call me ‘A’.‘T’.” I said gaining courage.
Being a boy is really a tough job, especially when you have so many new girls around you, who might be noticing you. It takes a great deal of courage to interact with them.
“Friends?” she said and offered me her hand for the second time. I happily welcomed it and said, “Any doubt?”
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The conversation grew. We became better friends from just friends and best friends from better. In just seven months time we were like two sides of the same coin. She brought a great change in me. She modified my hairstyle and dressing sense and made me rank among the most well dressed boys in the school.
The Prom night was coming up. Both of us were excited to find partners for the prom. It was easy for her to find a partner due to her beauty, which was deadly. Even I convinced a sweet girl, Tina, for the same.

PROM night:
I was dressed in a black suit with a red tie and properly gel’d hairs. I felt that I was looking better than the Hollywood heroes. I had come along with Tina. She was dressed in a rosy pink gown. Soon after entering the Prom, we were on the dance floor, dancing to the most romantic songs ever, but I felt that something was missing.
Then came Sam with her partner Chad, a handsome hunk and the captain of the School soccer team. Sam was dressed in a royal blue gown and her black locks brushed upon her face whenever she took a step.
Both Sam and I were dancing on the same floor with our respective partners.
Although I was dancing with Tina but I was thinking about Sam all the time. I felt jealous. Jealous of Chad! Sam was just ten to fifteen feet away from me, yet I was missing her. This emotion was strange. I realized that the fuse of my heart was blown. I realized that like all other teenagers I had fallen in love….

Next morning; School:
“I love you!!” I said.
“What!!” she exclaimed as her face turned pink and then pale.
“I love you!!” I said.
“What!!” she re-exclaimed.
“Your legs must be tired, because you’ve been running through my mind all night” I added.
“You have gone mad, stop you silly jokes.” she said.
“Joke?? This is no joke, I’m serious.” I replied.
“But why do you love me? Are you nuts?” she enquired.
“Why??Because you are like a dictionary to me, you add meaning to my life.” I answered.
She ran away from there, after hearing my answer.

Next morning; School:
The last night was of mixed emotions for me. I was excited, worried and afraid at the same time.
I entered my classroom half-an-hour before time. I was shocked to see Sam already present there. She was sitting next to my seat. I could not face her. I went and sat on the other corner of the class. She got up from her seat and sat next to me. Slowly she brought her lips close to my ears and whispered, “I thought about it and I have no reason to not love you, I love you too...”
Teenage love was in the air. As other couples do, we used to go to the theatres, amusement park, disco together. Time passed faster than we could realize. We were happy but not for long.

Two months later:
The academic session came to an end. We had never thought about this day. She had to return to her country. This meant that I would not be able to see her again until I had enough money and independence to go to her country. She left as the winter leaves the tropical countries. The last words she told to me were, “Take care. I will always miss you.”
Gone were those happy days. We used to talk over phone or email in the following days. One more month passed. One not so fine day she called me and said, “Listen, the ISD rates are alarmingly high, I can’t call you anymore. My dad scolds me. Look after yourself. Bye forever.”
I was heartbroken. The fascinating world of love had come to an end. It took me a long time to get over the sorrow due to communication gap and repair the fuse of my heart.

Four months Later; Annual Concert Day::
A fair and beautiful girl came and sat next to me. The concert was delayed by half-an-hour due to technical problems. The girl and I started our conversation from, “What’s the time please?” and within five sentences of our talk I asked the girl, “Are you really beautiful or am I day dreaming.”………….And so dear readers time had completed a full circle..And it all started again…
As readers you might be finding the story pointless. But let me tell you that the moral of this story is “that the fuse of a teenage heart is meant to be blown again and again….;D..