Beneath the Surface

Chapter 8: The Birth of Vengeance

Raju hadn't spoken much since Kamal's death. He drifted through the days, each moment stretching into the next, consumed by thoughts of revenge. The world outside moved on, but inside him, something had shifted permanently.

At the roadside food stall where he now worked, Raju appeared like any other young boy-quiet, diligent, and focused on his job. The smell of fried snacks and the sizzling of oil filled the air as customers came and went. But beneath his calm exterior, his mind was churning, filled with thoughts darker than the sky at dusk.

He was biding his time.

One evening, as the streets began to quiet down, Raju stood by the food stall, staring off into the distance, lost in thought. The owner of the stall, a middle-aged man with a round belly and kind eyes, wiped his hands on a cloth and glanced at Raju.

"You've been quiet, kid," the man said, handing over a bag of samosas to a customer. "Everything alright?"

Raju blinked, snapping out of his daze. "Yeah, I'm fine," he muttered, forcing a small smile.

The man raised an eyebrow but didn't press further. "Good. Just don't burn out on me. You're a good worker."

Raju nodded, but his mind was elsewhere. He had been watching the girl, Kamal's girl-the one Kamal had loved so much. She still walked by the stall every afternoon with her group of friends, laughing and chatting as if nothing had changed. Her carefree attitude filled Raju with a fresh wave of rage every time he saw her. She didn't even know Kamal was dead.

She was the first. She had to be.

---

The following night, Raju sat alone on the edge of his bunk in the dingy room he rented near the stall. The dim light from the streetlamp outside cast long shadows across the floor. In his hand, he clutched a crumpled piece of paper-Kamal's love letter to the girl. He had found it in Kamal's belongings after his death. The words were simple, innocent, filled with hope.

She didn't deserve them.

Raju's grip tightened on the paper until it tore slightly. He tossed it aside and stood up, pacing the small room. His heart pounded as he thought about what he had to do. The fear was there, gnawing at the edges of his mind, but the anger was stronger. He needed to act. He needed to make her pay.

He pulled out a notebook he had bought from a nearby shop and flipped through the pages, revealing detailed sketches and notes. He had been following her for weeks now, learning her routines, where she went, who she was with. It was all there-the times she left her house, the route she took to school, the quiet alley she passed through every afternoon.

It was the perfect spot.

---

The next afternoon, Raju stood by the stall, his eyes locked on the street. The girl and her friends approached, laughing loudly as they always did. Raju's heart raced, but he kept his face neutral, his hands steady as he served a customer. The girl didn't notice him-she never had. To her, Raju was invisible, just another boy in the background.

As she passed by, Raju wiped his hands on his apron and took a deep breath. He followed her at a distance, keeping to the shadows. She broke off from her group, just as he had anticipated, heading toward the narrow alley that led to her house. The sound of her footsteps echoed softly off the walls as she walked, humming a tune to herself.

Raju's palms were slick with sweat. His heart hammered in his chest, the fear rising again. Can I really do this? he thought, his legs feeling heavy. But then Kamal's face flashed in his mind-the way he had looked, hanging lifelessly from that rope. His friend, the only one he had ever had, gone because of her.

No. He couldn't turn back now.

Raju quickened his pace, his breathing growing shallow as he approached her from behind. She didn't hear him coming. His mind raced, going over the plan he had rehearsed so many times. It wasn't supposed to be this hard. It was simple: grab her, silence her, and end it. Just like he had imagined.

He reached for her shoulder, his fingers trembling as they made contact. The girl turned, startled, her eyes wide with confusion. For a brief moment, Raju hesitated, but the surge of anger that followed pushed him forward. His hand covered her mouth before she could scream, and in one swift motion, he pulled her into the shadows of the alley.

---

It was over in minutes.

Raju crouched beside the body, his breath ragged, his hands shaking uncontrollably. His clothes were stained, his mind numb from the act he had just committed. The fear that had gripped him earlier was gone, replaced by a hollow sense of relief. He had done it. He had avenged Kamal.

But as he stood there, staring down at her lifeless form, he realized something that shook him to his core. This wasn't enough. One girl wasn't enough. The rage still burned inside him, and the faces of her friends danced in his mind, mocking him the way they had mocked Kamal.

He had to finish this.

---

The second girl wasn't hard to find. She lived nearby, and by now, news of the first girl's disappearance hadn't yet spread. Raju waited in the same alley, hidden in the shadows as she passed by. His hands still trembled, but his mind was calmer now. He knew what to expect. He knew what to do.

This time, it was quicker. Smoother. The fear was still there, lurking in the back of his mind, but Raju had pushed it down. The monster inside him was awake now, fully awake, and it was hungry.