Nightmare in suburbia

He was an ex police officer. Still had extremely good connection with cops and local powerful people.

He used his years in police to collect heads. They were his boys and girls. Who have fallen in his vicious clutches due to no fault of theirs. The social pariahs, who have committed the social sin of loving someone of same gender and that too with proof. Proof collected carefully by the monster. So he could use them like puppets. The best type of puppets, who have no where to run.

Story 1:

Tamanna was scared; her soft beautiful face was flushed.

Sohail gently held her hand. “Don’t be scared jaanu. We will reach Kolkata and hide in my parent’s home.”

His parents showed him the door. Good that Tamanna did not have to face that insult. She was waiting in the taxi to be escorted by her mother in law. But Sohail came back sad and distraught.

He rented a small flat. A week passed away like dream. They decorated every inch of that flat.

“Jaan, I don’t know how to tell this to you, but would you mind joining my office? The expenses are too high for me to meet alone. I never thought my parents will shut their door on me.” Sohail asked her timidly.

“Why not? It’s my duty to help you. Is not it? She smiled sweetly.

“My boss is looking for a secretary. He will pay ten thousand to the girl. I believe that will be a great help for us.”

“Let’s see him tomorrow and see if he appoints me.”

He did. He was a very generous man. He helped them in getting a better flat, even arranged for a loan. Quite a hefty amount of loan which he arranged to deduct from their salary.



It was well past midnight. Sohail has left to deposit the money in bank, so they could buy things later.

Tamanna was pacing in the balcony, worried to death. Slowly night turned into dawn but Sohail did not showed up.

She contacted her neighbours, who contacted the police and searched the hospitals but he was nowhere.

She could not contact her family; there was no one there but her step mother and sisters. Sohail has saved her from their clutches. She has been serving them as slave since her father passed away fifteen years ago.

There was no question of contacting them. Then she thought about Mr. Sisodia, Sohail’s boss.

“Pack your things and come here. Stay with us and we will try to locate Sohail.” Mr. Sisodia said, “My car will pick you up in half an hour.”

His car came with his manager. He paid the flat’s rent and cleared the dues.

He took her to Mr. Sisodia’s bungalow. It was situated in outskirts of Kolkata.

She felt uneasy when she noticed that there was no woman visible. No sign of any family was there.

“My family lives in Ballygunge Place. I have made arrangements of your staying here.”

“You can stay and work from here if you want, that will not be required though, till you clear my dues. The loan which you took from me. All the papers were signed by you and it amounts to five lakh.”

All of a sudden he transformed into a wolf right in front of her eyes.

Years later when Tamanna looked back at that day, the darkest day of her life she realized, a smart girl would have become suspicious when Mr. Jain cleared the dues in such a hurry.




Story 2:

“Mom, dad I am leaving for that trip I told you. Do I have a budget for expenditure?” Jeevesh asked.

“Jeev, I can earn thousands time more in a day than you can spend in a month.” His father retorted, “Now go and enjoy yourself boy, don’t forget that you are the only son of a millionaire.”

“I will be back after twenty days. Will be calling you in between.” He waved at them and sped away in his car.

His car crossed the borders of Kolkata and headed for a small village. He was planning a big surprise for his parents. He was about to come back with a bride.

He met her on orkut. She is a beauty queen. Studies in Kolkata. She belongs to a hand to mouth family. But that does not matter to him. And he hopes his parents will too accept Lata. He has arranged his own marriage, though with the help of his in-laws. He has financed for every thing. Tonight is his wedding night.

His car entered the dusty road of the village. After a few turns he reached Lata’s house.

The house was deserted. It did not appear that there was any body in that house. He searched every room but they were locked.

He tried to knock the door of the next hut but it too was deserted. He walked a little bit and located another hut. A woman came out after hearing him. “Nobody lives in that hut.” She answered.

“I know babu, the hut on the bank of the pond. No one lives there.” She repeated impatiently.

She even accompanied him to confirm her words.

“This hut is empty for years. I will go now. I have to cook.” She left him bewildered.



“You want to say that you handed over Lakhs of rupees to strangers?” the Police Officer simply gawked at him.

“Do you have any photo of the girl?” he asked. Still looking at him with a deep amusement.


“No.” he gulped. “We have met just two months ago and we thought there was no need of keeping a photo before we were going to marry.” Jeevesh said.

The Police Officer felt pity at the embarrassed boy sitting on the chair. Sweating profusely. He was hardly as old as his own son.

“Do you think you will be able to drive back home on your own?” he asked. “Don’t hope for any thing at all but I will try.”

“Go home now young man.” He said kindly.



Sohail and Lata were sitting in front of Mr. Sisodia. Collecting the details of their next assignment. Hoping in their heart that soon Mr. Sisodia will release them after making enough amount of money out of them.

Their liberty was completely dependent on Mr. Sisodia’s mercy. A flicker of disobedience from their end or annoyance from his end will result in their living death.

Treachery

I

 

Dusk was slowly settling down in the town when Madhurima stopped her sunny in her courtyard. Three doors opened instantly. A child peeped from one of them and a teenager from the other. She looked up and smiled at her mother who has come out to the balcony after hearing her enter. Next she smiled at the kids who were already near her.

 

“It’s my turn today.” The teenager girl said.

 

“You never take me out for a trip.” The child pouted.

 

“Didi, you took Lina yesterday, it’s my turn today.” A young boy shouted from the doorway.

 

“Come upstairs and change first.” Her mother said and Madhurima started to climb the stairs after locking the sunny.

 

 

She has shifted to a small town in UP to pursue her career. She has lost her father in her childhood and rest of her family lived in a small town in west Bengal. Only her mother accompanied her to this small town. One of her distant relations lived in this town and they were the one who informed her about this job.

 

 

They rented a floor of a three storey house. The landlords lived in the top most floor and Madhurima occupied the first floor. The ground floor was occupied by a family. Husband, wife and their two children – one son and one daughter. The son was about Madhurima’s age, he lived in Delhi, worked there. The daughter Kanti was a few years junior than her. Not married yet. Kanti was Madhu’s dearest friend, she trusted her with all her heart.

 

“You are back!” Kanti opened the door of her flat and smiled at her. “Are you coming in or going out again to give them a ride?”

 

“I will need your bike for a while when it is free.” She said. She treated her like her own sister and never bothered about formalities like permission. She just informed her like siblings do.

 

 

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II

 

Madhurima entered Kanti’s rooms after an hour. She was sitting there with Gudiya on her lap. Her brother’s daughter. Her mother has passed away when she was just a baby. Kamesh has left her with his family.

 

Gudiya was a very sweet child; she was adored by every one in the house. She was a very soft and well behaved kid.

 

“Come beta. How are you?” Kanti’s mother Manju asked. “How is your work going on?”

 

“Every thing is perfect aunty. How are you?” she smiled before sitting down.

 

“Ma bring some tea for Madhu. Madhu I am taking your sunny for a while, ok?” Kanti said before leaving. “I will be back within an hour ma; I am going to Saroj’s home.”

 

Saroj was Gudiya’s aunty. Her mother’s sister, they lived a few miles away from here. Saroj often came to see Gudiya and vice versa. But Gudiya doted after Madhurima so much that it was impossible to make her go to any one else when Madhurima was around. She just glued herself to her.

 

Kanti returned an hour later and they both went to the roof, it was a summer evening, and sitting on the roof was a great comfort for anyone. All the roofs were occupied with people.

 

“Kanti, Devesh again tried to talk with me.” Madhurima told her after a while.

 

Kanti took a long time to react, may be she was thinking about some thing. “Give it some time he will move on when he will know that you don’t like him.”

 

“It really does not look like that. I have seen his car following me when I come home from school. He has never tried to talk with me in the road but he follows me all the same.”

 

“You know he is a rich and influential man’s only son. I am scared.” Madhurima was scared.

 

Devesh was the only son of a rich businessman here, a strikingly handsome man. Madhurima knew they were no match so she never entertained him. But he seemed to be obsessed with her. He had a showroom right outside her school and whenever she went to school or came out of it she was sure to meet him. Standing outside his showroom just staring. But his gaze was so intense that she could feel its burning sensation.

 

Not only that he escorts her to her home almost every day, that is, his car follows her to her home every day when she returns from school and she has seen it inching on the road near her home too many times.

 

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III

8.1.10

 

A few months passed by and just like Kanti told her, the scenario did change but it became a perfect nightmare.

 

Devesh was no longer seen in the streets, in place of his car half a dozen cars driven by rowdies started to stalk and scare her whenever she dared to step out.

 

After being saved from sure death a couple of times she decided to leave that place and return to her native town with her mother.

 

Kanti came to bid her goodbye in the station. Her eyes were brimming with tear.

 

She got an invitation to her marriage a couple of months later. To her shock she was getting married to Devesh. It was a arranged marriage. She apologized that she wont be able to attend her marriage because she really hated that place and did not wanted to go there ever again.

 

She soon moved forward in life and time flew away like a bird out of cage.

 

She was running for the train when someone blocked her path. She was about to give him a piece of mind when the man startled her by calling out her name, “Madhurima? Is that you? How is Kamesh?”

 

She stared at the guy. “I am Devesh. You don’t recognize me? I recognized you instantly.” He said in a little complaining way.

 

“Kamesh? Who Kamesh?” she asked.

 

“Your husband.” Devesh replied.

 

“I am not married. Who is this Kamesh by the way?” she asked. She has missed her train already because he did not step aside. They were sitting in the cafeteria of the station.

 

“Kanti told me you are engaged to his brother and later told me that you will marry him…. “He was staring at her with a shocked expression.

 

“How is Kanti? I did not have any contact with her since ages. As for Kamesh, now I remember who he is but whatever Kanti told you is wrong because I have never seen this guy, forget about marrying or loving him.” She answered.

 

“Are you going to Kolkata? We live in Kolkata now. Please come with me and meet Kanti.” He requested.

 

They boarded the next train. Reached Kolkata and Devesh requested her to sit in a restaurant, have a cup of tea. Then Devesh shared a story with her. A story which she will never forget.

 

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IV

 

“I fell in love with you at the very first sight. I still remember how you walked to the school wearing a white sari. Simple yet gorgeous.”

 

 

“I used to stand there just to see you but soon I realized I won’t be able to live without you so I tried to become your friend but you snubbed me again and again.”

 

“Then I befriended Kanti and she gave me a number, telling me it was yours. Believe me that girl had a stunning similarity with your voice and way of talking.”

 

Madhurima remembered Kanti used to mimic her expertly.

 

“That girl kept on squeezing me for more than a year. I have showered costly gifts to her through Kanti because she said that she will meet me only after marriage and for that I will have to wait for a year. She wanted to know how deep my love was.”

 

“The year dragged by and I asked you, that is, her to permit me to meet her mother. She said Kanti will tell me the date and venue.”

 

“I waited for a month for Kanti, and you (she) stopped responding to my calls.”

 

“Then Kanti one day came and told me that you are in love with her brother. She showed me your sunny standing outside his deceased wife’s home. Not once, but at-least a couple of dozen times. For hours at a go.”

 

“I lost my humanity and asked my workers to teach you a lesson. To confirm that you are scared out of that town so that I don’t have to see your face again.”

 

“I married Kanti to settle my scores with you. We were returning from our honeymoon when the car overturned. I was saved unharmed but she lost both her legs.”

“I guess we paid for the sins we did against you.” he concluded the story.

 

“I feel pity for you both but please don’t ask me to meet any of you again.” Madhurima got up and walked away.

 

 

(END)

The bored executive

He worked in a medical transcription firm. Their clients were mainly from US, so their works started after mid day, but he preferred coming to office early. To spend some time away from home, he has married a few years back but was yet to have any children.

 

Staying at home was never one of his favourite things. So he used to escape to office at the earliest possible time and kill his time on internet.

 

On cyber world he was a writer, a senior citizen, who has crossed his seventies, a widower with two married daughters, grandchildren.

 

Actually he has stolen this image from his own father in law, he used to use his image as his own only pretending as a South Indian Man instead of a Bengali, which his father in law was.

 

His wife Radha and her sister Sudha kept their father Harendhranath Das with them on rotation; his sister in law lived in Texas. His father in law did not need a single penny from them; his daughters coaxed him to stay with them because he was extremely lonely after his wife’s departure a few years ago. They have been together for forty years.

 

So Nagendra Ghosh used to become Nageswara Rao the moment he logged in his blogs. It had too many advantages. He could easily befriend women of his own age faking as a old, helpless, attention hungry man. These women used to shower all their attention on him thinking he was a darling old man. An image of their father may be.

 

He used to have a lot of fun prying out their personal stories under the veil of affection. Sometimes he went a little further too. If he particularly liked a woman he used to meet her pretending as himself, that is, the son in law of the famous blog writer Nageswara Rao. It was usually just one or two dinners or lunches together. Sometimes, it was a movie or concert together.

 

 

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He has been mixing with this girl for more than six months now. She seemed quite an innocent type of girl. He had an idea that she was a beautiful girl. She was very, very charming in cyber world at least. She lived in Delhi, alone. The chance of meeting came all of a sudden. Nagendra had to go to Delhi for a official tour.

 

He went online after getting the news. Chanda came online after a few buzzes from him. He asked her if she could meet his son in law in Delhi. She consented. Asked him to introduce him to her. He introduced himself to her.

 

They met in a restaurant and he did what he had never done before. He fell in love with her and ended up in love bed. He woke up with remorse next morning but she coaxed him out of his remorse. Three days later he came back from Delhi.

 

He was about to get the taxi when his phone beeped, it was a sms from Chanda. “Missing you.”

 

It would have been a lie if he said that he fought tooth and nail to not give in, actually he just fell in her arms like a ripe fruit falls from tree.

 

From that day onward, whenever his company wanted someone to go north, he volunteered, and made a trip to delhi, even at his own expense.

 

A few years passed by, he got a little bored and started to look for new faces. Soon he started to make frequent trips to South. This time it was Shreemayee, from Chennai.

 

That night he came back home, his wife was sitting grimly at a sofa. He asked her if every thing was alright.

 

“Do you know a woman named Chanda?” she asked.

 

He felt as if the earth was moving under his feet. “No, why?”

 

“She called me up, asking about you, she is in kolkata and wants to meet me.” She said.

 

“Where is she staying?” he asked.

 

“She is staying in a hotel in Dalhousie. Here is the address…” she handed him over a slip.

 

“Let me first confirm who she is. Then we will decide if you can meet her. Okay honey?” he pecked her on the cheek.

 

He reached the hotel early next morning. The receptionist confirmed from her and gave him the direction to her room.

 

He knocked; she answered the door and hugged him, passionately kissing him on the lips. “What is this Chanda? Why did you call my home?” his words stopped in his mouth when he saw his wife and Shreemayee sitting there on the sofa.

 

His wife stood up, “I used to blog as Amrita Arora. The story writer you used to bully to no end. I was surprised to see someone so much similar to my father, so I started to pry and pandora’s box opened itself.”