The Adventures of a Dumb Detective and his Wily Mate.

Untitled Part 16

Chapter 16

Ani was sitting in the compartment of a train. He was looking at me. The train jerked forward and I began to run next to it. The train gathered speed and I ran, faster and faster. My breath was whistling out of my chest, my sides were aching, my face felt on fire. But I was not giving up. Ani was waiting for me in there, I needed to catch that train and be with him. I mustn't betray him. I ran with all my strength, but failed. The train sped further and further away from me. His face grew smaller and smaller until it disappeared and I stood alone, panting and heaving, my whole body on fire.

Rudra jerked himself upwards and sat up. He drew his knees into his chest and stared out into the gloomy rainy morning. He was drenched in sweat. The power was still not back on. He wiped his face and realized that he'd been crying in his sleep.

Heaving a tired breath, he went to take a bath.

He asked himself once again, the questions which always plagued him.

What would have happened had he not met Ani on that fateful day? Had he not pledged himself to him?

Would he have caved in under his mother's pressure and married? Lead the conventional life of a middle-class man? A wife, children, a simple job, an ordinary life. Ordinary happiness?

He shook his head as he recalled how he felt seeing Agni for the first time.

He looked down ruefully at the flagpole rising between his legs and laughed at himself. 

Ordinary happiness, the conventional joys, the comforts of a respectable life...No... that security was not meant for him.

He murmured to himself, 'leading a half-life, staying deaf and blind to my own heartbeats, managing with only half a breath? No! I choose not to do that! I'd rather die alone than live in that hell!'

Yet he smiled as he asked himself,  'is this hell any better though?'

He shrugged off the questions as he wiped off the water from his body. 

**

Downstairs his brother was reading the newspaper. 'Looks like a lot of the state's banks are going to go under in the current crisis.' He spoke without looking up.

Rudra glanced at the front-page news. 'How much are we going to lose?'

'Not much. I think the family account has about a thousand rupees. The cash is safe in my office locker. I don't know how much big brother has banked though. I'll give him a trunk call and find out.'

Rudra's eldest brother, Ashutosh was now the principal of a famous public school in Darjeeling. He visited only during the school holidays.

Rudra nodded at Rajat and sipped his tea. He was worried about Sameer. He got up and made a phone call. 'Good morning.' He said to Sameer and grinned at the sleepy voice on the other end.

'What is this? A revenge phone call? You woke me up on my day off, at the crack of dawn!' His voice had still not lost the softness of deep sleep.

'Ha, ha! Serves you right! But nah, I called to ask, how much money do you have in your bank?'

Sameer chuckled. 'What bank? Guru, I'm a good husband. My wife is my bank. I bring my salary to her and she puts it away in her locker. Even I don't have access to it. I have to beg for bus money to manage day to day.'

Rudra grinned at this image of docility Sameer was painting. He said, 'shut up. Don't start spouting lies without even brushing your teeth first. I asked because of the banking crisis. Hope you'll not be losing much.'