Tuesday, December 11, 2018

He spent a restless day, moody and withdrawn. After Khaleed had left the previous night or rather early in the morning, Raghuveer had tried to rest. Sleep was not easy, with dreams and visions plaguing him. He could not remember any of the dreams but always woke up in a sweat and with a stiff shoulder. At eight in the morning, he gave up and got out of bed, groggy and grouchy. He was disturbed and decided not to go to work either, he just could not sit at a desk and focus at the administrative paperwork which was his lot during peace times.

Despite the unease, he could not wait for nightfall. And found himself leaving for the park almost as soon as they finished dinner, hoping that he would have some time to think. However, it was not to be for Luc appeared within a few minutes of him reaching the park.

Another night, another city.

His head spun for a shorter time and his nausea did not last long as it had the previous night. Was it just one night since he had taken a life, albeit a not so innocent one? He shook himself out of the dizziness and looked around. They were on the rooftop of a building, a short squat one, which was under renovation, there were support bamboos all around. He stomped his foot on the roof, it appeared to be strong, so the repair job could be a merely cosmetic one. He turned around and in the distance, he could make out the lit frame of the Howrah Bridge twinkling against the night sky.

So they were in Kolkata, a city he had been posted for a couple of years, more than a decade ago. He should have been familiar with where they had appeared but then things and places looked different at night time. It was cold, with a biting wind and he wondered where in the city he was, the answer almost snapping at his thoughts, "Girish Park."

Raghuveer tried recalling about the place, hoping he could understand the significance when he heard Luc speak again, "This is a nice park and a nice locality though it is relevant for us on account of its proximity to Sonagachi. I do not need to specify much on that, do I?"

He did not have to, Raghuveer had heard of Sonagachi, Asia's largest red-light area though its relevance to what he had to do was not clear. But before he could say another word, he saw the case in Luc's hands and reached out for it. Questions would have to wait, at least till he set up his rifle. From their position, it was apparent that the victim would be either be walking towards them on the sidewalk ran along the park boundary or sit on the bench set in a clearing off the pathway.

They had to wait for more than fifteen minutes before they spied someone walking down. It was a couple of ladies and Raghuveer was curious as to why two women would need to stroll in a park. From the dappled light of the street lamps, he could make out that they were not prostitutes, not with the way they dressed and walked. Simple sarees, a thick sweater and a purposeful walk, not to mention that the older woman, who would be in her early fifties, carried herself like a person of authority.

"That is Dr Mohini Mitra."

He did recognise her then; he had met her once. She had an unforgettable persona and being the wife of Brigadier Koushik Mitra, a notorious philanderer, had ensured that she was often the centre of gossip, especially among the army wives. "It is an interesting name, would you not agree?"

Raghuveer shrugged; Mohini, a mythological character, was an enchantress and it did not help Dr Mitra being named as such. Dr Mitra's assured and calm demeanour had only served to fuel the gossips as had her name. Further, they were childless, which was held against her, though none dared be impolite to her face, owing to the rank of her husband. And the fact that she was actively involved in an NGO, at times, had some of the women blaming her for her husband's roving eye.

Though he recalled her, what aroused his curiosity was her presence. It was a little after ten in the night, not too late for Kolkata, yet it was odd, especially considering the location of the park. Why a doctor should be meeting someone in the park, in the middle of the night? Maybe she was having an affair, it would be a fitting reply to her husband, but he felt that was not the reason. She had not appeared to be that type of a person and further, she would not choose either this time or the place for a clandestine meeting. Nor would she have come with another lady.

"I think you should listen for yourself and understand."

"She is late, Didi, she was supposed to be waiting for us."

Dr Mitra voice was calm as she softly replied, "Have some patience, she is young and frightened. What she is going to do is not easy for anyone especially for one who has gone through what she has. You should be able to empathise."

The other woman lapsed into silence, though Raghuveer could see that she was displeased. He did not bother about how his vision and hearing had sharpened suddenly, it had to be Luc's doing; he was curious to find out more about Dr Mitra. Why was she the Devil's pick?

A few minutes later, a young woman hurried towards the bench where Dr Mitra was seated, her fear visible in rushed steps and furtive glances. The ladies waited till the young girl calmed down enough before talking to her, with Dr Mitra's companion taking the lead.

He did not have to strain to hear what they were speaking but with the oblique way that they went about it, Raghuveer initially could not understand what was involved.

As the words made sense and realisation settled, Raghuveer's initial admiration turned to disgust and anger. Never had he imagined that Dr Mitra was one who encouraged and arranged for abortions. He could understand and accept the same when it could endanger the life of the mother, but abortions only because the fetus was female, was an abomination.

He did not need any other explanations, nor did he care as to why the Devil would want such a person dead. In his reckoning, Dr Mitra had no right to live. He set the sights and waited for Luc's signal. At the merest whisper, Raghuveer fired.

And as with the previous night, he saw with crystal clarity; the bullet struck Dr Mitra in the heart and there was no blood splatter. Time seemed to freeze as Dr Mitra clutched her chest. Luc leant over her and a trail of blue mist, glinting as the open seas, flowed into his palm.

In a matter of seconds, he heard the women scream, before the world twisted...

...and he found in self back at the bench near his home.

His wet t-shirt clung to him and his eyes burned as he sat rubbing his right shoulder; why was that hurting? Raghuveer had no answer to that, it was his shooting arm and the specially made rifle, despite its power, did not have a strong recoil. Strangely, as long as he was in Luc's presence his shoulder did not bother him, but now it burned. And he was drenched in sweat, as though he had travelled through fire. Maybe he had, that could be the only rational explanation for his perspiration in the middle of a cold winter night.

He did not know how long he sat there, till he heard Khaleed call him. No words were exchanged between the friends and as they walked home, he thought about Dr Mitra; a woman he had always sympathised for being trapped in a childless marriage and with a philanderer of a husband. Yet now there was no sympathy for her.

He spared a glance towards Khaleed; Khaleed and Ameena had been desperate for a child. They had tried everything, praying, visiting fertility clinics, they had even undergone the expensive IVF route but all had been in vain. The bureaucratic red tape had somehow delayed and denied the option of having a child through adoption too. Finally, they had given up, deciding to shower all their love and affection on Tarun and Trisha. Khaleed had been content though Ameena would sometimes turn wistful as she played with his children.

There must be thousands of couples like Khaleed and Ameena who would welcome a child into their hearts and homes. And then there were doctors like Dr Mitra who performed illegal abortions, more despicable if the mother was pregnant with a girl.

It was unfair and unjust. Maybe there truly was no justice in the world.

Another life taken, and even though Raghuveer is convinced of the righteousness, are you, my reader, sure too? Do let me know.

Thank you for reading,
Nyna