(Part 1)

(Part 2)

(Part 3)


I got down at my station, Kalyan. Was seeing the station after three whole days, nights to be more precise. I just wanted to go home and hit the sack. I just wanted to clear my mind of all that had happened in that fateful last local. Oh Samira, how could anyone do such a thing to her.  

I entered my society. It was 2:15 am in the morning and certainly not the time for most of my society members to be near the Volleyball ground. They were all huddled up near the tap where we wash ourselves after a good game of volleyball. They were apparently tying together logs of wood. On one side was an earthen pot filled with inverted incense sticks creating intense smoke. Pappu was disentangling the a long garland. Someone must have expired. What was happening?? I certainly was in no mood for another shock.

I asked Rajesh Uncle who had passed away. He just stared blank eyed at me, as if I weren’t there at all. The sadness in his eyes said it all. He didn’t need to say anything at all. I decided to leave him alone. Anyways, I would come to know of it at home.

I entered the lift, which was filled with people. By the time the lift was about reach my floor, I was hearing a lot of people crying. Damn, someone on my floor had expired. I was really concerned now. Had Mrinal’s Grandfather, finally succumbed to his blood cancer?? Or was it Deepak’s old Nani?? I couldn’t wait to get back home.

The lift finally reached my floor. The cacophony of cries had increased. I saw Deepak’s Nani sitting in her chair, sniffing (Thank God it wasn’t her, she was like my own Nani). But I noticed that most of the crowd had converged outside my door. I just ran as fast as I could. This couldn’t be happening. On the way I also happened to see Mrinal’s Grandfather. But I didn’t care.

I entered my house squeezing my way through the crowd. Nothing could have prepared me for what I was about to see. It was not only unbelievable but unimaginable!! Hell it just wasn’t possible! I was looking at a garlanded picture of myself and a body which was MINE!! Ma, Pa, Didi were crying uncontrollably. How on earth was it possible?! As if the incident in the train was not enough, this was another shock. This wasn’t for real. Im sure this was all a dream. Ma would wake me up any moment.

But Ma was just there beside my body, tears rolling down her face. This was no dream. I just wasnt understanding what was going on. I suddenly felt a blinding pain in my chest near my heart. When I touched it, I felt something warm. When I looked at my hands, they were red. My shirt was fast filling with what seemed like my own very blood. I opened the top button of my shirt. There was a gash near my heart. Blood was oozing out of it. Oh My God!

It all came back. The weird behavior of my colleague today at office, the reaction of Rajesh Uncle, the blood wound, the screams, the stab, the damn last local!! I just sat beside my body. Ma, Pa, Didi, I’m sorry. I couldn’t even touch them for one last time.

The headline on Page 2 of that day’s Mumbai Mirror on the newspaper rack read

“Brave Youth succumbs to wounds” By News Correspondent

The Samira Ahmed rape case took a tragic turn today with her saviour having succumbed to his wounds. The wound was very deep as the knife had penetrated the auricle. The chances of Nirvaan Mehta making it were very slim. Samira Ahmed was declared dead on admission itself. Today, two  nights after that fateful train journey Nirvaan Mehta bid adieu to the world.

According to onlookers,  Nirvaan  was the only person who went ahead to save Samira from those rapists, even though they had choppers and knives with them. Nirvaan was said to have fought with those monsters, but he was outnumbered.  Both Samira and Nirvaan were stabbed in the chest and in the back. The struggle didn’t last for long. The motive is being alleged as professional rivalry. Its sad what competition can cause one to do…