Mashed Musings

I couldn’t believe she did this and that too a day before Valentine’s Day. Its one thing to watch all this happen in movies and its another thing to watch this happen to yourself. My girlfriend dumped me, and with what elan! There wasn’t an iota of shame on her face when she came to meet me afterwards. The mere thought of knowing a person capable of so much treachery and malevolence was giving me the creeps. Did I actually know her? Or was I just pretending? The other guy was better well of, was of her community and moreover chosen by her parents. So many positive reasons which landed me in a trash can. I was sitting at the Connaught Place metro station waiting for my train to ISBT. A train just arrived but my thoughts were so scattered that by the time I collected them, the train was gone. I stared aimlessly at the taillights as the train snaked away. Tears welled up in my eyes. I was so emotionally drained that I could have done anything to get rid of the void in my heart. Five minutes later, the next train arrived. This time, as the doors swooshed open, I pushed myself inside. The train was chock-a-block with people. I got hold of a dangling handle and threw my bag on the floor. I started tapping my feet as the train tunneled through dark hollow pipes inside the earth. A few seconds later, I heard a sound. It was the kind of sound people make when they are really irritated by something. I turned and saw a girl standing next to me. I couldn’t see her face but she was clearly bugged by the continuous tapping of my feet. I stopped it. I got down at ISBT to take the connecting train to Rohini, where I lived.

*     *     *

I couldn’t believe he did this. I had pursued this relationship with all my heart, but everything flew out of the window when I saw Rahul with that…aarrhgghh…I don’t even want to take her name. Not only were they dancing in that wretched pub like two snakes entangled to each other but were also doing something inexplicable. I stormed inside and hit her on the head and then I did something I would never do again. I kicked Rahul between his legs. I could hear his scream even after I stormed out of the pub. I wanted to cry but my anger was holding me back. I wandered here and there for sometime. Then I sat in the Inner Circle park and wrote my diary before I realised that I had to get back before my roommate sleeps, otherwise it wouldn’t take something less than a lightening bolt to wake her up. I entered the Connaught Place metro station where I took the ticket to Delhi University. I had gone to CP from college to meet Rahul in that pub. I missed two trains as I was deep in thoughts staring at the yellow line which the passengers were not supposed to cross before the train stops…the line which nobody cared about. I got into the train and caught hold of a handle somehow. I threw the bag on the floor. As the train started, I noticed a guy standing next to me who was tapping his feet like a maniac. In a few seconds this tapping got to my nerves and I made a sound. It stopped immediately. Finally the guy got off at ISBT.

*     *     *

As I entered my home, I told mom that I was not hungry and went to my room. I threw the bag on the bed and sat on the chair and held my head in my hands. Somehow, the feeling has not sunk in yet. Nishita had the guts to give me a parting card which I had not opened yet. I unzipped my bag to take out the card. What came in my hand was a red diary. I fumbled the bag for the card but everything which came in my hand was alien. This was not my bag!! Where did I lose it? In the train? At the station? I opened the diary and to my relief found an address on the first page. The bag belonged to someone named Akriti Chauhan who dwelled in Kamala Nagar. Maybe she had my bag. I decided to go to her home first thing in the morning. As I was about to flip the diary back in the bag, I had in impulse to open and read it. I turned to the last page. A few lines were hastily jotted there :

Dear Diary,

What happened with me today was something I had never imagined would happen and that too a day before Valentine’s Day. I had so much faith in my love. It all shattered in a few seconds. What had I done to deserve this? I loved Rahul with all my heart but today I kicked him. I KICKED HIM!!!!! When will this pain go? I want to cry. Oh God!!! Please let me cry.

I stared at the diary for a few moments. I kept on touching the word “faith”, as if trying to feel the word. Then suddenly I slammed it shut.

The next day I reached Delhi University by metro and then took a rickshaw to Kamala Nagar. My heart went acrid when I eyed the couples roaming around me, completely drenched in love and celebrating Valentine’s Day. I reached Akriti’s apartment completely dejected and rang the bell. A girl opened the door and for a second I was dumbstruck. She was gorgeous. For a second I completely forgot Nishita. I was staring at her with my mouth open.

“Yes?”, she asked.

“Are you Akriti?”. I asked as I came to my senses.

“Yes.”

“I have your bag. I think you have mine.” I said as I took off the bag from my shoulder and gave it to her.

*     *     * 

When I reached my apartment my flatmate was, thankfully, awake. I told her that I was not hungry and went to my room. I splashed some cold water on my face but my cheeks were still burning. I sat on the bed for sometime, staring at the ceiling fan and then opened my bag to write my diary. What came in my hand was a card. The bag was not mine. Where was my bag?? Oh GOD!!! My diary was inside it!! Someone will read it!! I emptied the contents of the bag on my bed but was not able to find an address. Cursing my fate, I opened the card. It was addressed to a guy named Mukul. The girl who wrote the card was Nishita. It said :

Dear Mukul,

I am so sorry for whatever happened but both of us have to understand this. We can’t be together. Mom and Dad have found a match for me. You have to let me go. I can’t let my parents down. Please understand.

Nishita.

I stared at the card for a long time. Tonight, I was not the only one whose heart was broken.

The next morning, the bell rang and as I opened the door, I saw the most handsome guy I have ever seen, standing at my door. For a second I completely forgot Rahul.

“Yes?” I said with great difficulty.

“Are you Akriti?”. He asked.

“Yes”.

“I have your bag. I think you have mine.” He said as he took off the bag from his shoulder and gave it to me.

“Oh yes. Please come inside.”

He moved inside and sat on the sofa. I brought his bag from inside and gave it to him.

“By the way, I read the card.”

“I read the diary.”

For a second both of us stared at each other. Then we smiled.

“Happy Valentine’s Day.” He said.

“Same to you.”

I asked him if he was alright and then he told me about his broken relationship. I don’t know why but I too poured my heart in front of him. We realized that our bags must have exchanged in the train. He was that irritating foot tapper. We went to Barista and talked till the evening. I never felt that I was talking to a stranger. I told him that my Valentine’s Day was not as bad as I had expected. I found a friend. We exchanged numbers before he left. As I moved towards my apartment I wondered what destiny had in store for me. My heart was such an amalgam of pain and happiness that it was hard to express an emotion. Maybe…Rahul was never meant for me. Maybe…

*     *     *

Akriti never felt like a stranger. We talked like long lost friends. Somehow the fact that we were going through the same emotions helped us to connect. She told me about Rahul. Her story was as shocking as mine, if I may call it that. She was really sweet and we promised to meet again. My heart was not acerbic anymore. As I moved towards the station after saying goodbye to her, I felt very light. There was pain but there was happiness also. Mixed emotions, as they call it. I had started to realise that maybe Nishita was never meant for me. Maybe…

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She was staring at the sun. The sun was taking its last breath before it would die in the ocean and give way to the cover of the night and then would be reborn again like the Phoenix the next morning, in another part of the world, in another ocean. The vicious loop which would snail everyone towards their end. Faintly luminous stars were visible on the other end of the sky, where the dominance of the sun was loosing its grip. She smiled as she gazed at the ball of fire about to taste water.
“Isn’t it beautiful?”
The voice completely shocked her out of her wits. She was sitting on the corner of a bench at a secluded area where all she could hear was the sound of the lapping waves and the occasional gush of the soft wind from the sea. She gave out a small cry and moved her hand towards her heart.
“Oh! I am so sorry. I didn’t mean to shock you.”, the stranger said as she stared at him.
He was around fifty. He had jet black hair with soft streaks of whites in-between. The lines at the ends of his eyes were prominently visible as he smiled. He was wearing a black overcoat, a black jeans and black shoes. His smile was infectious and so were his light grey eyes. He was sitting at the other corner of the bench.
“I am fine. Yes, it is beautiful.” She said as she faced the sun again.
They sat staring at the Sun for a few moments.
“Do you ever wonder why humans are here?”. The stranger asked her.
She turned and stared at him for a while.
“I am 20. Do you really think that I need to think about this?”
“Try.”
“Ok. hmmmm….lets see. The earth was at a perfect distance from the Sun which lead to the evolution of life form. Then human species came and took over the world as they were better equipped to survive and as the Dinosaurs were, thankfully, already extinct. That’s why they are here.”
The stranger was silent for a few seconds.
“Now let me ask you a few questions.”, the girl said.
“Ok.”
“What is the purpose of all this?”
He looked at her and gave one more of his infectious smiles.
“The purpose is to enrich the souls with the experiences on this Earth.” He said.
“Why?”
“So that the souls learn and evolve, so that they can enrich the one and only source.”
“Why?”
He stared at her and blinked twice.
“There is no why after this. It is the ultimate truth.”
“But think about it. Even if there is a source to which all the souls return, as you say, then why is that source enriching itself? What is its purpose?”
“You ask me questions which are beyond my domain, young lady.”
“Try.”
“Hmmm…maybe the source is some monster who enslaves the souls and feed on their experiences. Maybe that’s why souls never remember their previous experiences, because they are all sucked out of them by the source.”
“Now this is imagination.”, the girl said as she smiled.
“Maybe this is the truth. What we think is God, is some monster soul master.” The man whispered as he eyed the Sun.
“Ok, now try to be a little more optimistic.”, the girl said.
“Ok…maybe the source…I can’t think of an explanation. What can be the purpose of the source? I never thought about it. I never questioned it.”
They were silent for a few more moments as the Sun inched towards the ocean.
“What is your name?”, the girl asked.
“The Angel of Death.”
“oh!!! Really? Then you must be knowing all the answers to my questions. You must be close to God.” She said as she laughed.
“I am not supposed to ask questions which are beyond my duties.” The man said and gave her a wink.
“And what are your duties, my dear Angel of Death?”
“I ferry people. When the soul leaves the body, it does not remember the path to the source. I take the soul back to the source.”
She was finding it extremely amusing and laughable.
“Why are you here today?” She asked.
“Oh!!! I came here to ferry a soul. A girl is going to die on that road in a few minutes.” He said pointing at the road far off at the other end of the beach.
“I must go now. Its time.” He said as he stood up.
“Hey!!!won’t you wait for the sunset?”
“No. I must leave now. It was nice talking to you.”
“Same here. Bye, Angel of Death.”
“Bye and see you soon.” He smiled back as he waved.
The sun was halfway in water now. It has splashed its golden red colour all over the ocean and the sky as the rotating earth hid it completely from view. Sunsets always warmed her heart. She considered it as God’s best art work. The girl sighed and smiled at the sight and stood up. She started to move towards the road.
As she reached the busy road she saw the angel of death crossing the road. He was so absorbed in his thoughts that he didn’t hear the blaring horns of the bus approaching him. As the bus hit him, he was thrown high up in the sky, and died instantly as he hit the ground.

* * *

As he opened his eyes, he saw the girl standing in front of him.She was smiling at him. He felt really light and realised that he was floating in air. As he looked down, he saw his body lying in the middle of the road surrounded by strangers crying for help. The girl was wearing a long white gown now and had huge white feathers and a halo on her head.
“Who are you?” He asked her.
“The Angel of Death”. She said.
“Come, let me show you the path to reach the source. You shall find the answers to all your questions there, as you have found them a million times before and you will forget them just before you enter flesh, as you have forgotten them a million times before.” She said as she took his hand and moved up high in the sky. As they flew up, he saw the sun rise, moving away from the waters of the earth and shining with all its brilliance and might.

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I slowly opened the door of daddu’s room. It was a small dingy room with paint coming out at various places, wide blotches of water at the ceiling due to the heavy rains two days back. There was a cot at one end of the room, a small table at the other end with a dirty plastic jar and a cracked plastic glass on it. There was an almirah at the foot of the bed. The doors of the almirah were open and all that it contained once was packed in a tattered suitcase lying near the table. The sunlight was filtering through the sole open window and was bathing the Pandora’s box lying on the bed.

I had the key in my hand. I had always wanted to open it and see what was inside but today I couldn’t muster up enough courage. It was a wooden box with carvings on it. I moved towards the bed and sat on its edge. I moved my fingers over the curves of the box trying to figure out the secrets it held. Tears were welling up in my eyes as I inserted the key and opened the lock. Everything was blurred and I couldn’t see anything at first. Then I wiped my tears and took out the contents.

* * *

I was born Zahir Shirazi in the city of Kanpur. Zahir is an Arabic word which means “radiant”. The name was given by my grandfather Wahab Shirazi whom I fondly called Daddu. Daddu used to tell me that when he saw me for the first time, he found my face as radiant as the morning dew glittering in sunshine. When I was born, mother was already very weak but my father was too euphoric because of my presence to notice that. Daddu was always on her side taking care of all her needs but everything turned futile as she took her last breath two months after I was born. She was the daughter daddu never had and somehow he couldn’t get over her death for the rest of his life.

As I grew up, I sensed a constant rift between daddu and abbu. I could never understand the reasons. Abbu was a very eminant lawyer and didn’t had much time for me. Daddu used to take me to the park where we used to run till I was left breathless. Daddu was very energetic for his age and he always used to encourage me for going into sports. This was something unacceptable to my father. He wanted me to be a bada aadmi (successful man) and a career in sports was a path I could not tread.

Once when I was 9, I went into Daddu’s room and saw him sitting next to the wooden box. He was holding something in his hands and as soon as he saw me, he just dropped it back in the box and closed it hastily.

“Had your lunch?”. He asked.

“What are you hiding daddu? Show me!show me!”. I tried to take the box which he had hid behind him.

“No, Zuhu. Baba, this is the Pandora’s box. Children are not allowed to look into it.”

“Pandora’s box. What’s that?”

“Its a box which contains evil things. If it is opened, then it may unleash something which is not good for anybody. That is why it should be kept shut.”

“But you just opened it!”.

“Zuhu…Ok. We both shall make a promise to each other. Ok?”

“Ok”. I was somehow a little sceptical but consented.

“I will show you what’s inside the Pandora’s box when the time is ripe. That’s my promise. Your promise to me will be that you will always listen to your heart and do what you think is right for you. Ok?”

I stared at him for a while. He was looking in my eyes and I knew at that moment that he would definitely let me see the contents of the Pandora’s box someday.

* * *

As I grew up, I saw Daddu many times sitting with the Pandora’s box just staring at it.

“When will you show me the Pandora’s box?”. I asked him several times.

“You will see it when you need to see it.”

I was good at studies but was better at sports. I used to run like a cheetah (that’s what Daddu used to say). I won a lot of competitions at school but somehow father never used to encourage me. There were times when my trophies were smashed against the walls and I was slapped hard. Things went out of control on that fateful day when I won the Racing championship of my district. I was 14.

“This is how you will become a successful man? Running and jumping like a buffoon?”. My father said as he slapped me hard on the face.

“Your son has won….”. Daddu tried to intervene.

“You…you, just keep out of it. Thanks to you, he is neglecting his studies and winning these useless trash of trophies.”

“They are not useless…”

“Is it? Who can know this better than me?”. His eyes were blazing red and for a second he stared at Daddu. Daddu lowered his eyes and went out of the room.

A few days later when I went into Daddu’s room after coming from school, it was empty. Father promptly told me that Daddu has moved in an old age home.

“I cannot allow him to live here anymore. You can meet him once a week for one hour.”. He said as he promptly closed the door of his study.

* * *

I was devastated. Daddu was the center of my existence. I used to stare aimlessly at walls for hours and soon lost my appetite, but my father was very firm. Daddu was not coming back. I used to meet him on Sundays. He was his radiant self and used to cheer me up a lot. We used to race till the end of the park and then drop down and laugh. Oh!! how I missed him.

“Do you still race at school?”. He asked me once. I lowered my eyes.

“My poor boy!!!”. He said as he gently moved his fingers on my cheek.

We met like this for 4 years till father decided to send me to USA for further studies. Daddu came to meet me at the airport. He was very happy. Father moved away as he saw him coming. He told me that he will be back in 10 minutes. Daddu kissed me at the forehead.

“When will I see you again?”. He asked. I embraced him and started weeping like a child.

“Do you remember the Pandora’s box?”. He asked.

“Yes. But I don’t want to see whats inside. My life is dark enough without opening it…and I was not able to keep my promise.”

“You will see it someday. And don’t worry about the promise. Some things are not meant to be.”

* * *

I was in USA for the next 12 years. After completing my engineering I got a job in a good multinational company there. I fell in love with Audrey. She was half French & half English. We married against father’s wishes but I was not bothered. Soon we were blessed with a baby boy. All through this happy phase of my life, I was constantly in touch with Daddu. I tried to persuade him to come and stay with me but he always laughed at the idea. I came down to India every year with my family to meet him. He was growing old and fragile and I was worried for him. He was not ready to leave the old age home.

“This is my home. Don’t ask me to start life afreash at this stage, I don’t have the courage”. He said whenever I tried to bring up the topic of his coming with us.

Then one day, while working in office, I got a call from his Old age home. He had died peacefully in his sleep and had left a key for me.

* * *

As I pulled out the paper cuttings from the box, I saw photographs of Daddu when he was young. Daddu running on tracks, winning medals, smiling, waving hands, laughing. As I tried to look for more clippings in the box something metallic hit my fingers. I pulled out a handful of medals from inside. There were medals won in major National events and even Asian games. I could not believe what I was exposed to. Somehow the pieces of the puzzles of my last 30 years of existence were falling in place. At the bottom of the box was a letter. Daddu has scribbled a few lines for me.

Dearest Zuhu,

Your father never forgave me for following my dream and neither did your grandma. Running was my passion but it was not enough to live a luxurious life. I gave it up but somehow it was too late.

I never wanted you to see all this, as it would have fuelled your father’s anger. That’s why I called it a Pandora’s box. I was tempted to show it to you many times, when I saw that you had the same fire, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. I couldn’t let your life end up like mine. I couldn’t pass my curse to you.

Don’t burden your heart with too much thoughts. You are wise, successful and happy and that is all that matters.

Always be happy my child.

I will always love you.

Your Daddu.

He jumped into the tube at Charring Cross. He had to get down ten stations later at Queen’s park, but somehow he was not bothered. He was just waiting for her. From the last two days, she was boarding from Paddington. The first day he saw her, she was roaming around, as if looking for someone. The second day, she was again doing the same thing, when suddenly her eyes rested on him and she stared at him till the last station. He could not believe his luck. Just two days ago he had left his wife. She was becoming unbearable after just one year of marriage. He had just met her 15 minutes ago to discuss the formalities of the divorce. His wife was happy that both of them understood that they were not meant for each other and there were no hard feelings. They raised a toast too.

As the doors slided open at Paddington, she walked in and sat next to him. She had these lovely curls and deep blue eyes that he couldn’t help staring back.

“What’s your name?”.He asked.

“Aida”.

She leaned forward and said something in his ears. His eyes widened. He couldn’t believe what he had just heard. The train stopped at the next station. She got up and moved towards the door, turned and ask him to follow. As he stepped out of the train, he saw a huge circular white cloud emerging in front of them. It grew in size rapidly and was rotating slowly.

“What is that?”. He asked in his shaky voice.

“The Portal. Do you want to come?”. She asked. For a second her breath stopped. She wanted him to say no.

* * *

When they stepped out of the portal, he looked up. The sky was dazzling with the stars. He was walking on a brick pathway which was just hanging in mid air. He looked down and realized that there was no support beneath. All the other pathways which he could see far and below were the same. There were a few scattered castles here and there. There were deep blue waves of clouds way below. It was as if the whole city was floating. The girl turned back and smiled at him.

“What is this place? Is this a dream?”. He asked.

“Have patience and follow me.”

Soon he realized that he was not walking at all. He was floating, just like the others. There were creatures all around moving in different directions. Soon the density of castles grew and they reached an enormous and heavily guarded fortress. There were huge guards on the main gate. Their torso was human but the head was that of a lion. They were sitting on golden dragons. The walls of the fortress were manned by archers and soldiers. The archers were eagle headed and had wings too. He looked at them with awe. He was sure he was in a dream.

“Come. Let’s go inside”. She said.

The huge spiked iron door was opened with a lot of effort by ten lion headed soldiers. After walking through a labyrinth of walkways, they entered a huge chamber, heavily guarded and beautifully decorated. There was a throne at the other end, made of glittering diamonds. She turned and looked at him.

“The queen will now see you”.

“Wait a sec. What the hell is happening? Where am I? Why can’t I stop this dream?”.

“Because this is not a dream.”

“This is nuts. I was in London.”

“This is London too. Its just that you haven’t seen this part of the city.”

He just stared at her in bewilderment. Nothing was making sense. His head was swimming. She just stared at him for a while.

“Have you heard of overlapping dimensions?”

“What??”

“Its a bit hard to understand. There are other dimensions in addition to what humans know of. Besides the basic four dimensions there are n number of other dimensions which are invisible to humans. Some of these co-exist with the four dimensions you know of, but you can’t see them. Its like parallel universes existing simultaneously.”

“You mean there is another world on earth which we can’t see.”

She rolled her eyes. She was really bored of this. She just wanted to close her eyes and rest, just wanted to get rid of all this, just wanted to end the loop.

“Yes. In a way you can say that. See things are quite different here. Here we don’t grow old like humans. Death doesn’t come to us the way it come to humans. We just pass to a higher dimension when we are meant to. Our sins are predefined and so are the punishments. Sometimes, the holy trinity of salvation calls upon a sinner before his time is exhausted in this forty seventh dimension. Sinners can get expelled to mortal planets like earth to serve their sentences. That is what happened to….Oh!!! How could all this be so wrong. How could we not understand the prophecy?”. She sighed as tears rolled down her eyes.

“Ah!! So the earth is like hell? But you can find happy people there.”

“What better punishment can be there than to lead a mortal life?”

“How do you speak my language?”

“I don’t. Neither can I speak English nor can you speak Galactica. I cast a spell when you entered here, so that we can understand eath other.”

He looked around. He was sure that he was in a dream. The room had started to fill up with weird creatures. There were wild ogre like creatures, three headed fairies, a huge centipede with a human head, human unicorns. They all looked like the fairy tale creatures he had heard of. Then he saw the queen. She was the most fairest and beautiful woman he had ever seen. She had eight hands coming out from her back, just like some Indian goddess. As she entered, everyone bowed down. She looked at him and asked him to step forward. As he moved ahead, he saw a huge rectangular white marble pillar on his right. On the top of the pillar was engraved - “The Prophecy” and below it, four lines were engraved.

“The fourth dimension will bring what you crave,

Glory and fortune will become thy slaves.

He shall live forever and his shoulders won’t droop,

but an untimely demise will start the loop.”

The queen looked at him and smiled. He was awestruck. He moved close to her. One of her hands touched his cheek. A lightening struck his brain. His consciousness went into a whirlpool. Suddenly everything came back in a flash. Yes, he was a sinner, reborn on earth as a mortal to pay for his sins. He was Aldrich, the king of the forty seventh dimension, the fore-bearer of the Calhoun clan. He was the one who called upon the King of the Galactic arc for a dual and tricked him to defeat. He had to face the wrath of the holy trinity and was sentenced a mortal and worthless life on earth. The woman in front of him was his queen. The woman he loved the most. The woman who begged in front of the holy trinity to spare her husband.

“My lord!!!! Why did it happen to us??”. There were tears in her eyes.

“My queen!!! So the prophecy was right. You brought me back from the fourth dimension.” He said as he wiped tears from her eyes.

“It was a mistake. I should have never done that. I didn’t fully understand the prophecy. No one did. I just wanted to see you once, my lord. That’s why I took the aid of the witch of Khazadoom and Aida to open the portal. Oh!!! I should not have done that.”

“Why do you say so? I am here. I am with you, my beloved.”

As he said this, a sharp pain erupted in his chest. He fell down on the ground and the queen dropped down on her knees and looked sadly in his eyes. Aida came forward and stood near his feet. The whole court gathered around.

“What’s happening?”. He asked gasping for breath as he looked around.

“Your wife on earth poisoned you in the morning. She hates you for ruining her life, for this divorce. My Lord! you are dying.”

He was having a heart attack. He looked around. Everyone was screaming. Creatures were melting in the ground. He held his chest and closed his eyes. As he took his last breath, everything around him exploded in a blinding white soundless flash.

* * *

He opened his eyes and looked around. The train was nearing a station. There was a slight pain in his chest but it soon went away. The train has reached Paddington. Yes, she will be here. From the last two days, she was boarding from Paddington. The first day he saw her, she was roaming around, as if looking for someone. The second day, she was again doing the same thing, when suddenly her eyes rested on him and she stared at him till the last station.

As the doors slided open at Paddington, she walked in and sat next to him. She had these lovely curls and deep blue eyes that he couldn’t help staring back.

“What’s your name?”.He asked.

“Aida”.

She leaned forward and said something in his ears.

“Sire!!! This is the 79,487 th time we are meeting. Our dimensions are stuck in a loop because of your death in the forty seventh dimension in the human form…something that should not have happened in that dimension. This loop can be ended only if you don’t follow me in the portal. There is no other way. I can’t stop the loop. It throws me back here every-time. I can’t stop my actions either. Only you can help us. My Lord, just for a second, stop thinking like a human.Sire!!! Don’t you remember anything???”

His eyes widened. He couldn’t believe what he heard. The train stopped at the next station. She got up and moved towards the door, turned and ask him to follow. As he stepped out of the train, he saw a huge circular white cloud emerging in front of them. It grew in size rapidly and was rotating slowly.

“What is that?”. He asked in his shaky voice.

“The Portal. Do you want to come?”. She asked. For a second her breath stopped. She wanted him to say no, desperately.

She entered the portal and turned back. She stared at him for a while as the portal closed behind him. She wiped off a tear from her eye as she asked him to follow her.

Its not hard to kill people. I am not saying this because this is my profession but killing someone is nothing more than a mind-game. Its awkward for the first time, I agree, but that’s because your mind is not used to the idea….like we were not used to the earth being round. After you get over the shaky hand and the sweaty palms, its a cakewalk. Think of people as targets in some video game and that is it.

I live in New-York and on the risk of being pompous, I must tell you that I am notoriously famous. It just happens that I am good at my work. Having an impeccable track record is not everyone’s cup of tea. People know how to find me even though I don’t remain at a single place for a long time for obvious reasons. The key to success in this profession is good homework skills. Before you hit a target, you need to gather all the necessary information about them. From the time they open their eyes till the time they close them again. Basically the daily itinerary of the target.

Mrs. Elizabeth O’Connor made her first appearance on a windy Sunday evening. I was tossing a pair of eggs when a knock at my door brought me to full alert. I reached for the door.

“Yes?”. I said.

“Is this a dagger which I see before me, the handle towards my hand?”, said a quivering voice on the other side.

That was the password. I usually changed my passwords every week and drop it in various ears. The voice was painful. It was not difficult to decipher that. I opened the door and encountered a face in great agony. She was wearing a black cocktail dress with a thick diamond necklace wrapped around her neck. She was not very beautiful but had a glow on her face, an attractive glow. She was looking at me with her huge brown eyes as if making a decision. I too was a little amused as this was not something that walks up my door usually.

“Arthur?” she asked.

“Yes. Come in please”. Arthur was the alias I used.

“I am Mrs. O’Connor. Perhaps, you know me.”, she said while rotating her eyes around.

“I might know you in the future, if someone give me the money and requires me to.”

“I beg your pardon.”

“Please come to the point. I like conversations with strangers to be really short.”

She stared at me for a while. She was again doing the same thing. Making a decision. She was someone who may never have imagined in her wildest dreams that she will land up in a killer’s lair. She was completely out of place, the same way a murderer is before committing his first sin.

“I want you to kill someone for me.”

“I presumed that much.”

I stared at her for a while before she understood that I was waiting for her to proceed.

“Two months back, I started to have this nagging feeling that something was wrong with my husband. He was too romantic, too cautious, too understanding….as if he was trying to hide a layer. A layer which would expose if he stops acting. Ours was a love marriage and things were going great from the past 5 years before this feeling hit me. Believe me, it took great courage on my part to hire a private detective. This is what he crushed me with.”

She took out a few photo and threw them on the table. I picked them up to have a closer look. The detective was good. The woman for which Mr. O’Connor has royally ditched his wife was stunningly beautiful.

“They look good together”. The words had almost slipped my mouth by the time I realized what I said. Mrs O’Connor stared at me with her mouth slightly open. She extended her hand and I placed the photos in her hand.

“She works in his office. Yes, it sounds very clichéd, but its happening for the first time in my life. You can use these photos and I also have other details. The detective has been collecting them from the past one month.”, she said while handling me a file filled with papers and more photos.

“I generally do the research myself”, I told her while taking the folder.

“I really don’t think wasting another month on creating a similar file is wise. And moreover my patience won’t stand the test. I just want her dead. As soon as possible, in full public view and in front of my husband. I want her to stare in my husband’s eyes when she takes her last breath. I want my husband to hold her while her body goes limp”. Her eyes were blazing and for a split second I saw the venom of hatred. She had finally taken the decision.

“Now we are talking. You know the price. I will give you an account number. Transfer the money in that before the D day or the deal is off.”

“My husband has planned a huge party in the Plaza on the 18th of this month. You have 10 days. The party is in the Grand Ballroom. I’ll be sending you more details soon.” , she said while getting up.

I got a few more visits from Mrs. Elizabeth O’Connor over the next few days. She came to provide me some more feed on the event - How the event was shaping up, what Sarah(yes, that was the target’s name) would be wearing etc. She also arranged my entry pass but I told her that it was not required. I did my own research on the Grand Ballroom at the Plaza. I looked up the probably points of entry and exits in the nearby buildings, the best location to carry out the assassination and all the worst case scenarios. One day before the event, the money reached my account.

***** ***** *****

The party was in honor of a new client of Mr. Neil O’Connor. It was the biggest deal in the history of his organization which explained the show off. When you succeed, don’t forget to show it off to your enemies. I took my sniper gun and landed on a nearby building from where I could have a clear view of the ballroom. She was there….Sarah….in a stunning red gown, hovering over Mr. Neil O’Connor. For a second, she just took my breath away and I stared at her through the telescope of my gun. Elizabeth was also there, polite and sad, meeting guests and trying to smile. I assembled my gun and locked in my target. Elizabeth was a little nervous. She knew I was around, watching everything and she was waiting……

Nobody realized that Sarah was shot till she had fallen and removed her hand from her chest as blood spurted out. The floor was choking with her blood and there were screams. Mr. Neil O’Connor took her in her arms but it was too late. He was bewildered, screaming and frantically looking around for some help. Elizabeth was standing in one corner, expressionless, staring at the corpse. I ran down the building, walked a few streets in random directions before finally taking a cab.

***** ***** *****

I woke up late next morning. As I was roaming around in a departmental store to pick up my meals, my eyes wandered over the newspapers. At first, the headlines didn’t registered. I had almost walked away when I sharply turned back and grabbed the newspaper. I read the headlines at-least ten times before it all started making sense. I bought the paper, went home and switched on the television. The news was splashed all over.

“Mrs. Elizabeth O’ Connor, wife of the famous industrialist Mr. Neil O’Connor, was shot dead yesterday in the Grand Ballroom of the famous Plaza hotel. The incidence took place at a party given by Mr. Neil O’ Connor to celebrate the largest deal finalized by his company. The motive behind the killing is still unclear”.

Yes, the news was all over. I flipped through a few channels. There was no mistake. I started laughing. I could not understand the reason of the deception. I could have tried to go till the depth of it all, but somehow it didn’t mattered. I did a job and I was paid well. Soon I got busy in other assignments and the incidence was pushed back in my memory. But the nagging question was still there…..WHY?

***** ***** *****

Then around four months later, I received this letter. It was just lying on the floor. There was no address.

Hello Arthur,

How are you?

I could not have written you this letter, but as I am beginning a new chapter in my life(all thanks to you) and the least I could do is to let you know.

Don’t think too much about why things happened the way they did. Try to reason, and you will find the answer. All I could say is that Neil is an extremely successful man and successful men have a lot on their conscience. He could not have done it himself and you would have doubted me and asked too many questions, specially money related.

I am very sure all this doesn’t matter to you. You did a fabulous job and Neil and I are in-debt to you for our whole lives.

We got married yesterday and are leaving for our honeymoon tonight….and don’t worry about the letter. You won’t find it the next time you enter your house.

Yours truly,

Mrs. Sarah O’Connor.

***** ***** *****

That was the last I heard from her. It was a case of the hunter being hunted, the trickster who got tricked. Should I blame her for taking away the last ounce of trust I had in my heart or should I be thankful to her to reaffirm my lost faith in any human? But I guess I don’t have the right to complain. There are so many people who die for all the wrong reasons….and the right ones. Who cares!!!