The Punishment

Crossing Paths

Ravi was walking down the street in honor that night, barely any effect of the ten drinks he had just had could be seen on his face or maybe it was because he, almost all the time, stood drunk. A daily wage laborer having no objectives in life, no care about the poor family of four staying in a village over a thousand kilometers from Delhi, the capital city of India; but also famous as the worst city for women for the rape rates in the city of hearts was ever growing, showing no signs of plateauing or peaking.

The dirty street he strolled in was one of the thousands in the Paharganj area, barely ten feet wide and lined by tall buildings that served as the cheap accommodation and dining places for millions like him, who had no set place to stay or eat at; despite that they avoided finding a bed at those places for spending the money which might seem like penny bucks was too big an amount out of their daily income to spend, neither could they afford the smartphones or other things of general entertainment.

Ravi being no exception, with his blanket hung to his side he wandered looking for one spot on the footpaths on which slept hundreds of his other fellows. As he neared the end of the street, from which he would have had to look for a place on the next street and maybe the one after that. Around the corner, on the Pan Shop he saw a young man in his mid-twenties, getting down from a bike in shear confidence. Wearing low waste pants, glittery shirt and leather sneakers.

He screamed at the shop owner for a tobacco pan while spitting the one already in his mouth.

"Quick you moron" he said, unable to wait even two minutes,

"What happened bro? calm down" said Ravi in a chill voice, closing up to the guy, clearly seeing that he was drunk as well.,

"Bro this uncle, age has taken him over; let me give a tight slap then he will speed up" the guy said, raising his arm,

The old man in the shop was disgusted to see him but couldn't say anything for his very income came from such crowd.

"Oh come'on, why kill the old man? Your single slap would do that I can bet!" exclaimed Ravi, winking at the shopkeeper who smiled back.

"haha, you're right, very right" said the biker, "what's your name again buddy?"

"Ravi"

"Nice name Ravi, where are you headed with this blanket in hand?" aske the biker,

Ravi took a moment to think, he couldn't tell about him being a road peddler, could he?

"Just got this from someone at the bar man, he lost a bet; no plans for now" Ravi said,

"Come with me, we'll have fun" he said,

While Ravi didn't particularly like the guy but he didn't feel like sleeping the night away either and so the two took off on the bike of Daksh.

Daksh drove rough, particularly speeding at the corners trying to imitate a Moto GP biker while his own bike was far worse than the slowest Moto GP bike ever.

Daksh slowed his bike as he neared a lit-up market, looking at the crowd getting out of one of the clubs, the well dressed drunk girls caught his attention as he said to Ravi "what say Ravi bro? let's have some fun tonight?"

Ravi didn't understand and asked Daksh for clarity to which he said, "let's pick up one of those cheeky girls, find a corner and have fun."

"What are you talking about Daksh" he said, still not understanding for even the thought of them never crossed his mind.

Daksh stopped the bike at the roadside, turned around to look Ravi into his eyes. Ravi got a feeling he had seen this one somewhere earlier too but he didn't bother upon his drunk imagination again. Daksh, without any hesitation while staring straight into Ravi's eyes said "Rape, Ravi bro, Rape" while bringing his arms and resting them on Ravi's shoulder.

That phrase from Daksh's mouth sent chills down Ravi's spine, particularly the way he said it in, coldly as if it were a normal thing. Ravi, furious indeed, didn't know how to react for his drunk head was getting too heavy with every moment that passed.

"Are you nuts Daksh?" he whispered so no one else could hear,

"Ravi! Why are you getting scared?" Daksh said, "you know these whores! They want it as much as we do. Moreover, do you think we can get that beautiful ass in this lifetime?"

"It's totally fine!" said Daksh in his cold consoling voice, "I do it all the time, it's so much fun Ravi, you won't go to a brothel again."

This drove Ravi nuts, he wanted to run away or smash Daksh hard but he knew he shouldn't do that, for a person so cold about the sin of could have very likely been a murderer too and wouldn't leave alive someone who he just revealed his truth to. While Ravi thought of his next step, Daksh continued his speech.

"That sweet, spicy body sent! My God!" he said fondly, "Makes me just wanna eat that flesh inside out and that under, oh my god, it's what you expect from those actresses in the movies Ravi bro!"

"Come!" he said, pulling Ravi's arm, "Don't be scared, let's wait for one of them to reach for their cars and then we'll have our moment."

"No" Ravi refused, pulling his arm back, he couldn't do that, he had his own sisters and mother back at home, never would he want something similar to happen to them.

"What's wrong?" Daksh turned in fury,

"It's just Daksh, my head!" Ravi excused, "I had over ten quarters today, I can't even stand as we talk!"

"Damn!" Daksh said, "I'm disappointed!'

"I am afraid I'll have to ask for leave, where exactly are we?" Ravi asked;

"Ravi bro, why now? The night has just begun" said Daksh, "we're in Karol Bagh"

"I must leave for home Daksh, sorry!" Ravi said and begun walking away from him.

Daksh turned his bike and offered to drop him home, Ravi didn't refuse the drive but didn't know where he'll be going for he couldn't tell him about his reality. Regardless he sat on the bike again, part reason being he didn't wish for the rapist to attack a poor soul that night. Thinking where he could take him, Ravi decided on taking a ride to one of the slums on the outskirts of the city, he had a couple friends there who wouldn't have minded giving him shelter.

As they reached the destination, Ravi got down, saying a goodbye while Daksh got down too to give him a hug. As soon as he hugged Ravi, he lost it, the thought of him being a regular rapist had thrown him impatient; the idea of having his own sister being standing in front of Daksh gave an uncontrollable fury which he couldn't control and with his very hands he took the head of Daksh and smashed it into the Bike's engine, burning his left cheek in the process. The already high Daksh lost conscious in the middle of the dark street behind the slum.