A Mess of Silence

6: A Mess of Silence FINAL CHAPTER

Ankir Kumar was the driver who drove the traveller bus in which Bhati, Ravi and Aparna and others got to Vintage Watson. Ankur himself wore nice shirt and pants for the futile occasion of New Year. He would still be an underpaid driver, his wife would still be lying on her sickbed suffering with tuberculosis and both his sons out of his hands would still be out there snatching purses to quench their afeem addiction. He would still be a person ruined by fate. These were the thoughts going on in Ankit's mind around two hours past zero, while everyone else were dancing and drinking (except Ravikul of course) down at the party. He had wished himself a happy new-year at twelve and had been sitting there lost in his thoughts. But now an idea hit him. He could make a difference if he wanted to. It was first day of a new year—perfect day to do something...something out of the way. He looked at himself in the mirror, his hair was short on the sides and long around the middle, face clean shaved and smooth. He had a dark complexion but a strong Bihari jaw made up for it. He was suddenly glad he hadn't had any gutkhka in two days. He had not eaten it on nothing more than reasonless instinct, but now it made sense. He put in his mouth a centre fresh, made his fingers go through his hair and jumped of the traveller. Consciously or not, he left this old Nokia in the traveller bus.

His black shoes were dusty; plucking a leaf from a nearby tree he wiped the shoes clean. Then walking gracefully, shifting his hands from time to time he went to the hotel's entrance. The decorated reception was filled with muffled music and bass vibrations. It was no problem deducing that the party was going on in the basement. He climbed down the stairs and was making way to the party hall when he suddenly stopped. Here the music was pretty loud and just outside the glass entrance stood two humongous bouncers, long hair tied in a ponytail, half the face covered in big black beards and biceps as big as his hips. If they asked anything— first Ankit couldn't speak English well, and second his bhojpuri accent would give it all away. And maybe the humane monsters would even beat him up for fun. He took a deep breath and let it out. He had to take a chance. He started walking and involuntarily flinched as he reached the door. He guessed his appearance was actually good when one of the bouncers opened the gate for him, and both chanted a robotic Welcome, sir. With his heart in his throat, Ankit nodded and went inside. There he went to the bar and asked for a drink. The bartender did not give an eye to his Bhojpuri accent. As it turned out the bartender too was from Chhapra. It was there Ankit would lie unconscious until eleven next morning like so many other people.

***

Around two hours after Ankit came into the party, Ravikul's phone vibrated like a terrified fly's wing, in his pocket. He took it out and it turned out of be the alarm he'd put in before reaching Vintage Watson. It was the alarm declaring it was four in the morning. He hadn't had a drop of alcohol, but his wife and Bhati both were drunk out of their minds. Ravikul walked to her and grabbed his wife's hand, jumping on her naked feet on the dance floor, "It's time, we need to go!"

Aparna pushed his hand away and her head kept swaying to the rhythm of the DJ and kept dancing. Ravi tried again, "Aparna, that's enough we have to—" but Aparna had pushed his hand away. Without giving it a second thought, Ravikul slapped her. His hand completing a big arc behind him and smacking onto that beautiful face with huge momentum. The slap was hard enough to throw her onto the floor. He couldn't have explained how much pleasure that gave to his mind. He was glad for the deafeningly music and drunk crowd: no one paid any attention. He fingers grabbed roughly Aparna's arm and hurled her onto her feet. She didn't understand what the hell was happening but at least the slap had put away her fucking stubbornness.

He found Bhati, who still had some logic left inside him to agree at once that the needed to leave. They got outside to find their Traveller bus was empty.