Outside the Central Prison, Varanasi, India.
A man dressed in shabby clothes stepped out of the prison as the massive metal gates closed behind him. He was a free man now, and his first action was to turn around and take a final look at the place that had been his 'home' for over seven years.
"Bye-bye, suckers," he said, flipping the bird at the gates. "Will see you in hell!"
"Keep it up, and you'll be back here in no time," the officer escorting the man warned him before handing him a bag. "Here are your devices and accessories. Though I don't think the phones from then would even work now."
"Huh? Are eight years that long of a time?" The man took the bag and smiled at the officer, "Besides, you don't need to act all concerned about me anymore, Officer Mehra. After all, you have spent seven years trying to make my life hell."
With that, he turned to take in the surroundings. His nineteen-year-old self had only seen the outside world through the prison walls, and now that he was outside, the world he remembered differed significantly from what was before him.
Throughout his stay in prison, Officer Mehra, his correction officer, had been there to help the man maintain his sanity. Also, Mehra was the only person who viewed him as a human, despite the crime he was framed for committing, and even in his freedom, Mehra was there to help him.
"Is that so?" Officer Mehra chuckled. "For me, it was more like holding by a raging beast down by its neck. Look, I know what happened on that night eight years ago wasn't your fault, but try not to let that injustice affect your future-"
"Injustice... what a sweet word," the man replied while tying his shoulder-length hair. "Well, you're right. There's no point pondering about the past."
"Aahan, I'm being serious. Do not make the same mistake again," Officer Mehra said in a fatherly tone. "Those people are not to be trifled with."
"I got it already! Geez!" Aahan spoke with a hint of annoyance as he turned around, looking for a familiar face waiting for him. But there were none. "So they didn't show up after all..."
"Do you want me to drop you somewhere?" Officer Mehra sensing the sadness in Aahan's voice, offered him a ride, but Aahan declined.
"I didn't build this body for nothing!" Aahan smiled, ignoring the pang of sadness in his chest, pointing at his 6'5" muscular physique. "I'll find my way back."
However, Mehra had other plans as he handed Aahan an envelope. Aahan was a bit surprised as it was the first time someone had given him a 'present' in eight years.
"What's this?" Aahan asked the officer but only got a smile in return. "Fine, I'll see for myself."
As he opened the envelope, he saw a stack of unfamiliar currency notes and a handwritten note with what Aahan assumed to be an address.
"What's this?"
"Some money to get you a head start in the new world," Officer Mehra informed Aahan. "And that's the current address of your brother. I thought you'd like to meet him, but your parents live with him nowadays. I know they want nothing to do with you, but you should try meeting them-"
Before Officer Mehra could finish explaining, Aahan wrapped him in a bear hug, lifting the officer off the ground with ease.
"Oof, put me down, you big oaf!"
Aahan did as he was told, still smiling like an idiot. "Thank you! You don't know how much this means to me!"
"You can thank me by being an uptight citizen," Officer Mehra mumbled, getting all serious again. "You can leave now... and if possible, let's meet again, but this time in a restaurant or something."
"Of course..."
With that, Aahan left the prison's premises for good. Walking through the familiar yet unfamiliar streets was a strange feeling. The development in the region was impressive, as he had never thought he would see massive skyscrapers built around the banks of the Ganga.
But that wasn't all; the streets were as bustling as ever, with people and vehicles moving as one. The only thing Aahan took notice of was how there were some people with weird machines attached to them. It kind of looked like a sort of breathing apparatus but Aahan didn't pay much attention to them.
"I think it was supposed to be here," Aahan mumbled, looking for the confectionery store they used to visit all the time. "Maybe I should bring something for Vivaan and Mom-"
However, the moment Aahan remembered about his family, his smile disappeared. In all the years he was in prison, his parents didn't visit him once. Not even to inform him that they were disowning him.
His elder brother, Vivaan, was the only one who sent him letters regularly. Officer Mehra knew about their bond, and that's probably why he gave him the address.
"Vivaan was supposed to pick me up... at least that's what he wrote in the last letter he sent me a couple of weeks ago. I wonder what-"
Suddenly a strange smell began to seep into the air, attacking his senses. It was a disgusting blend of decaying flesh and something else, something foreign.
But it was a smell he could never forget... after all, it was the smell that turned his life into a living hell eight years ago. Aahan looked around, and no one seemed to notice the scent as they merely moved around without any worries.
"I shouldn't... not after what happened the last time..."
Aahan instinctively slowed his pace, his brows furrowing as he tried to find the source of the odour. He glanced around, his eyes scanning the nearby trees and bushes, searching for anything out of place.
Officer Mehra had warned him not to mess around with anything that didn't concern him. But as the memories of 'that' night flashed before his eyes, Aahan knew he couldn't stand still and do nothing.
Despite his mind telling him not to, Aahan couldn't stop himself from following the trail of the smell. He needed answers to what happened that night eight years ago, and the strange smell was the only lead he had to uncover the truth.
As he followed the smell, it grew stronger, more pungent, leading him off the main path and deeper into the outskirts. The surroundings grew dimmer as the sun dipped below the horizon.
"A dead end..."
Soon Aahan found himself in front of a closed-off alleyway. The strange thing was, the alley handled been sealed by barricade tape, but through Kalava¹, the religious thread used by Hindus to fend off evil. As strange as it was, it made it easier for Aahan to jump over the barrier and enter the alley.
"Using things like Kalava here. Good to know people's beliefs are as far-fetched as ever." Aahan scoffed.
He used to be an avid believer in gods but stopped once he was punished for crimes that he never committed.
Even then, he knew there had to be a reason the alley had been closed and was prepared to deal with the consequences when they came. But what he saw next froze him in his place.
Right at the end of the alley was a massive crack, a tear in the air itself. The fissure glowed with an eerie orange hue, like a path to another world concealed behind.
"What is that..." Aahan said, covering his nose as the smell had gotten unbearable. "I... should look for answers, right? Yes... I have to."
Aahan's conscious begged him to turn and run away. But the smell emanating from the fissure had taken control over his senses.
Aahan's heart raced as he inched closer, his breath catching in his throat. The fissure seemed to shimmer with unnatural energy, drawing him in like a moth to a flame.
Driven by fascination and his need for answers, Aahan extended a trembling hand towards the glowing tear. His fingers got pricked as they made contact with the shimmering surface. The sudden shock brought Aahan back to his senses, but it was too late.
Before Aahan could pull back his hand, the fissure seemed to come alive, its edges rippling like water in a disturbed pond. In an instant, he was enveloped by the pulsating light, his surroundings blurring into a whirlwind of colours.
His heart pounded wildly in his chest as he felt himself pulled, tumbling through the fissure into an unknown realm. The world around him spun and twisted, the reality twisting and reshaping itself. And then, as abruptly as it had begun, the sensation ceased.
Aahan's surroundings stabilised, and he found himself standing in the same spot as before... but something was off. The skies were blood-red, and the area around him was utterly destroyed. It was as if he was in a dystopian version of earth.
"What the hell is going on here?"
___
Chapter Glossary:
1. Kalava: It is a red thread that is tied to the wrist by Hindus before the beginning of a religious ceremony or 'Puja'. The thread is tied on the right hand by males and on the left hand by females. The thread is tied to invoke the blessings of the Hindu deities, especially of the particular deity to whom the puja is dedicated.
There is also a popular belief that the sanctified red thread, with the blessing of the gods, protects a person from diseases, enemies and other dangers.