innovate-issue-005

My head was heavy when I left Mr. Ghosh’s little garage with a gun in my hand. The only thing thatwas going through my mind was that I have to save Rizu. Nothing else mattered much. I couldn’t lethim die. I couldn’t let him just die. He was a piece of my soul and I was afraid that if he dies, thatpiece of the soul will die with him. He made me cute little drawings for the cover of my book. Icouldn’t let him die.I followed the path with my legs chose to walk upon; I didn’t spare a glace behind. I was scared if Ilooked behind once then I will lose all the courage that I had pent up in my mind.I had to do it before it was too late. I was selfish, I know. But in a world where we have to struggleeveryday for our very existence, it was a small price to pay.As I made my way in the fog, I spotted three figures coming from the opposite direction. One was atall man and another little short. There was a female in between them. No wait, I remember now, therewere four figures. There was little child in the lap of the taller man.My hands trembled as I made my way towards them. I was saying sorry to them a hundred times in mymind. Hope they had forgiven me by now but I think that isn’t possible.“Give me your wallet and anything valuable you have, if you want to spare your lives!” I said. I wascareful to wear a black mask so as to hide my identity.The little shorter man was calm. He did what I told him to do. He took his wallet. But he first took outthe cards he had in is wallet and then threw the wallet towards me. I caught it and put that inside myheavy shawl.The taller man seemed to be rather hesitant. He fumbled with his wallet but in the end he was able togive it to me.I knew it was far from being enough. There would be hardly 1000 rupees in the two wallets. It wasthen something caught my eyes. It was a golden chain.It will go a long way, solving my problems.I pointed the gun towards the women. She understood what I meant.“Hey, give me your golden chain!” I said and my revolver glinted in the street lamps like the goldenchain in her neck.“Take it easy!” the taller man said, moving an inch closer to me. My hands trembled a lot.“You move back, I am serious, I will shoot.” I tried to sound brave.I don’t remember what happened after that. All was a blur of activities and blotches of sound thatpolluted the memory of that night. All I remember was that there was THE SHOT! The shot thatsilenced it all!The girl looked through me, clutching her belly. The red blood spread through her white dress. I amsorry, I shouldn’t have killed her. Even today, I see her face in my dreams. It haunts me; those littletwinkling eyes follow me where ever I go.