"A good of one is often an evil of another."
I entered the village under the cover of night, moving stealthily and sticking to the shadows. The air was thick with anticipation as I waited near the back of the house. In a few minutes, Meera appeared, her presence like a beacon in the darkness. She rushed to me, throwing her arms around my shoulders and kissing my cheek tenderly. Her eyes sparkled with a mixture of triumph and relief. "You can't even imagine the joy I am feeling right now," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "It is my first small victory over Sarla."
I gazed at her, concern furrowing my brow. "Come with me, Meera. You don't have to stay with him if you don't want to."
Meera's expression turned grim, and she spoke with a heavy sadness on each word. "If I want to? I don't even know what I want. As a child, I wanted to make my father proud of me, to show him that I was capable of everything a son could have done for him. But he never acknowledged my efforts. To him, I was just an asset to be traded for a capable son-in-law. He loved me, but what is love without trust and respect? My longing for those things led me to Sarla, who affectionately showered me. In my desperation, I eloped with him on the day of my marriage. But when I returned, my father looked at me with such hate and disgust that I couldn't even meet his gaze."
Her voice grew stronger as she continued, "Sarla managed to convince him, and my father accepted me back. But not because of my qualities; it was because I brought him a capable son-in-law. My identity shifted from being my father's daughter to Sarla David's wife. In the early years of our marriage, Sarla was kind and supportive. But when I couldn't bear him children, his love turned into obligation, and he started to see me as a burden. He never showed aggression towards me, but he tormented young girls like Aanchal to satisfy his twisted mind."
Tears welled up in Meera's eyes, and I could feel the weight of her guilt and despair. "Even though I never harmed a single soul, I felt guilty for Sarla's sins. I wanted to make a change, and freeing Aanchal was my first step. Sarla has wronged so many, and now he must pay. My father must see Sarla's destruction before he dies. Both my father and husband need to suffer for their crimes and understand the torture I endure every day because of their egos."
I asked, "How will you do that?"
"Sarla loves his brothers more than anything in the world," Meera said, her eyes gleaming with determination. "Seeing them dead will devastate him. I want you to kill Raju. He is just like his brother—cruel and egotistical. He was furious when he learned that Aanchal had eloped with Ravi. He will soon get extremely drunk and return here to vent all his anger. That will be the perfect time to finish him."
I asked worriedly, "Why did you tell everyone that Aanchal and Ravi eloped? It has put their lives in danger."
Meera's voice was calm and calculated. "I didn't say anything. The villagers assumed this when they found out that both Aanchal and Ravi were missing. Everyone knew that Aanchal and Ravi were close, so this assumption of them eloping together spread like wildfire. But it saved you. I convinced Sarla that you were intoxicated and tied somewhere in the forest. Sarla will not waste his time and men searching for you in the middle of the night, so you just have to return tomorrow and tell everyone that you were drugged and therefore couldn't do anything. But if Raju dies tonight, Sarla will be more focused on his brother's death."
I said anxiously, "If Raju dies in the colony, Sarla will wreak havoc on these innocent people."
Meera responded, "Don't worry about that. Mathur uncle and I have planned everything. Antony will take the blame in exchange for something Mathur uncle promised him."
Curiosity got the better of me. "Where is Mathur?"
Meera's irritation was evident. "He is where he has to be. Just focus on the task at hand for now." With that, she quickly ran and disappeared into the darkness, leaving me standing alone under the night sky.
I looked around and saw that no one was around. Then, I slowly climbed inside the house through a window. The whole house was engulfed in darkness. I switched on the light and walked towards my room. I opened the door and lay on my bed and closed my eyes. Thoughts of Aanchal and Ravi were circling in my brain. I trust Jaspreet but still, the fear of them getting captured was lingering in my mind. I kept my eyes closed, but sleep was quite far away from my eyes. I opened my eyes and walked downstairs towards the kitchen to drink water. I walked towards the kitchen and fetched a glass of water and was about to drink when someone grabbed me from behind and started punching me in the gut. I didn't understand who it was, but I kicked him in the leg and then hit his head with my elbow. He backed off a little and was about to jump on me, but I thrust a knife inside his heart. He fell to the ground and died.
I pulled off his mask and saw a young man. I didn't know who was he or what he was doing in Aanchal's house and why he attacked me. I pulled him and thrust his dead body inside the cupboard. I walked upstairs and was about to enter my room when the sound of a car stopping violently startled me. I looked through the window and saw that Raju had come as expected in a drunken state. He was cussing the inhabitants of the colony in his native language and smashed a bottle of alcohol on the ground. Meera and Mr. Mathur told me that they had already planned everything and I just had to kill Raju, but still, something was a little fishy in all this. I slowly walked downstairs and faced him. He couldn't even see me clearly due to his intoxicated state. He grabbed my collar and started cussing me in his native language. Many people gathered around and were looking at us with anxious eyes. Many women started praying silently as if they knew that Raju was going to do something horrible as he always did. The young girls hid behind their mothers and some even ran inside their houses.
Raju released my collar and slowly started to walk towards the crowd. He grabbed one woman's blouse and tore it. She stood there silent as a rock and didn't even flinch. Raju slowly walked towards another woman and did the same. Anger was visible on her face, but her husband caught her hand as to say that she should remain silent. I looked around and saw Anthony, Mr. Mathur, and Meera standing amidst the crowd. Meera looked at me, her eyes as red as blood. She picked up a stone and threw it on Raju's head. Raju screamed, "WHO THE HELL THREW THIS STONE ON MY HEAD?" Meera said something in her native language and all started throwing stones at him. Raju tried to run, but Anthony caught him and thrust his knife inside his chest. Slowly, all the people started beating him with everything they could gather. Raju was bleeding heavily and was on the brink of death. Meera came near me and gave me a gun. She said, "Finish him." I said, "He is already bleeding immensely. I don't think this would be necessary." Meera said, "It is necessary. Do it." I pointed the gun towards Raju and Raju looked at me. His whole head was bleeding and drops of blood were dripping all over his face. He smiled even in his last moments, "DO IT! DO IT IF YOU DARE!"
I pressed the trigger and Raju fell to the ground. His eyes remained open but his life ended. I threw the gun away and hugged Meera who said, "It's okay. You did the right thing. He had to die and he did. Soon, Mukesh and Sarla will die too." Mr. Mathur patted my shoulder and said, "You can stay at my house if you want." Meera said, "I think that will be the best. Mathur uncle, keep him warm. First murder always brings cold to one's body." Mathur took me to his house, and lay me on the bed, and pulled the blanket on me. I looked outside the window and saw that Aanchal's house was burning. I asked, "Why did they burn Aanchal's house?" Mr. Mathur smiled, "House? That was that poor child's cage. Today, we have burned it down and this is just the beginning of Sarla's destruction." He laughed and said, "Sleep well, boy. Tomorrow morning, you and all these people will see a new day." He walked outside the room. I closed my eyes and tried to sleep and somehow now I was feeling quite sleepy.
As the first rays of sunlight streamed through the window, they gently brushed against my eyelids, coaxing me awake. I blinked a few times, trying to shake off the remnants of sleep. Yawning, I swung my legs over the side of the bed and placed my feet on the cool floor. Rising slowly, I padded quietly to the door and turned the handle, pushing it open.
A heavy silence enveloped the house, its stillness unsettling. A sense of worry began to knot in my stomach as I descended the staircase, my footsteps echoing softly in the empty hall. Reaching the dining room, I spotted a bowl filled with fresh fruits and creamy milk resting invitingly on the table. Next to it lay a small piece of paper, slightly crumpled. Curiosity piqued, I picked it up and read the message scrawled across it: "Good morning, Suraj. Eat the fruits and milk and come to Sarla's mansion."
After quickly downing the milk and grabbing a fruit, I dashed toward the mansion, my heart racing. As I approached, the sight of a large crowd gathered outside sent a fresh wave of anxiety through me. I maneuvered through the throng, feeling the stares of the onlookers on my back, until I finally reached the imposing front door. With a deep breath, I pushed it open and stepped inside, the atmosphere thick with tension.
There before me stood familiar faces—Sarla, Mukesh, Meera, and Mr. Mathur—all gathered around a lifeless body sprawled on the floor, the air heavy with grief and uncertainty. Just then, Sumeet caught my arm, pulling me aside. Leaning in close, he spoke in a hushed tone, urgency lacing his words. "Don't go over there just yet. Sarla is in a terrible mood. First, some girl escaped from him, and now his brother has perished in a fire—right in the same house where she was. If he sees you, he will unleash all that anger on you."
I furrowed my brow, confused. "How did he figure out that Aanchal fled?"
Sumeet rolled his eyes in exasperation. "Come on, he's a powerful man. It's not hard to imagine he has people keeping an eye on things. How could you let a teenager drug you and tie you up in the woods? You're an officer of UCID! Just think about the scandal if this gets out."
"It was unexpected," I protested. "Besides, Aanchal and I don't share any deep connection." I kept the deeper truth buried inside, aware that sharing it with Sumeet would serve no purpose and could even endanger us both.
Sumeet shook his head. "Just act as if you were completely oblivious. Thankfully, Meera and the old man have testified to your innocence and convinced Sarla that what happened wasn't your fault."
I asked, showing false curiosity. "Why would they go out of their way to do that?"
"I have no idea, and honestly, it's a blessing that they did," Sumeet replied, urgency in his voice.
Resigned, I nodded. Together, we cautiously approached Sarla, who fixed his gaze on us, particularly lingering on me. He rose, his expression a mix of sorrow and resolve, and made his way toward me. I bowed my head, attempting to convey sincerity. "I'm truly sorry, Sarla. I had no idea Aanchal was planning something like this. Had I known, I would have done everything to prevent it. I deserve whatever punishment you see fit."
Sarla placed a hand on my shoulder, his voice low and somber. "Bad things often catch us unaware, Suraj. You didn't foresee Aanchal's actions, and I didn't anticipate the tragic death of my brother. I should have been more vigilant; I had my suspicions about Anthony, but never imagined it would culminate in this way. People will remember this and taunt me forever, but only those who've truly suffered understand that some events are simply beyond our control. I don't blame you. Now go, take some time to rest. Last night was undoubtedly painful for you."
With lingering tears in his eyes, he turned away from me, pain etched on his features. I glanced at Meera, who offered me a weak smile, but I couldn't find the strength to return it. Yes, Raju had been a vile person, and perhaps his demise was inevitable, but witnessing Sarla's anguish stirred something deep within me. I had lost a sibling too, and it was a pain that felt all too familiar.......