Epilogue
The air in the room was thick with a silence that pressed down, heavy and suffocating. A lone human figure sat hunched on a worn wooden chair, the only illumination of a stark, rectangular beam cast onto the opposing wall. Within that shimmering rectangle, a video played.
It was a young man, no older than nineteen, captured in a moment of pure, unadulterated joy. His laugh was infectious, his eyes sparkled with life, and his every movement radiated a boundless energy. He was, in every sense of the word, full of life and happiness.
The figure in the chair stirred, a low, hoarse voice breaking the oppressive quiet. "I have avenged your death, bhai," the figure rasped, the words echoing oddly in the small, confined space. The voice was raw with a grief that time had not dulled, and a grim satisfaction that offered little comfort. The young man on the screen, eternally vibrant, continued to smile, oblivious to the dark declaration.
Flashback : Year 2015
Shailesh, a third-year student, was the scion of a prosperous businessman. He moved through college with an air of entitlement, flanked by a loyal group of friends who delighted in tormenting their fellow students. Their antics went largely unchecked, thanks to Shailesh's influential family.
Among their classmates was Sahil, a young man with an unyielding moral compass. Sahil frequently stood up against Shailesh's misdeeds, a defiance that irked Shailesh to no end. He was accustomed to fear and subservience, and Sahil's unwavering courage was a constant source of frustration.
One day, Sahil, pushed to his limit, lodged a formal complaint against Shailesh with the college management. Predictably, Shailesh's wealth shielded him from any repercussions. However, from that moment on, Shailesh's casual annoyance morphed into a burning hatred. He marked Sahil as his archenemy and began to meticulously plot his revenge.
Shailesh's campaign against Sahil escalated, a series of increasingly cruel taunts and humiliations. Yet, through it all, Sahil faced him, head held high, his spirit unbroken. But one day, Shailesh crossed an unforgivable line.
He orchestrated a devastating conspiracy, fabricating evidence that implicated Sahil in exam paper theft and painted him as a person of low moral character. Shailesh leveraged his influence, enlisting the help of several other students and even some teachers, all complicit in his wicked scheme.
Sahil was a man of immense self-respect. The accusations not only decimated his reputation within the college but also shattered his very sense of self. The weight of the baseless charges, the crushing humiliation, and the despair of a future marred by such infamy became unbearable.
Rather than endure a life steeped in insult and sorrow, Sahil made a tragic choice. He hanged himself in his hostel room, but not before mailing a final, desperate letter to his brother.
***
The crumpled letter trembled in Siraj’s hand, the flimsy paper barely containing the raw agony it held. His eyes, already blurring with unshed tears, struggled to focus on the familiar handwriting of his younger brother, Sahil.
“Dear bhai,” it began, the words etched with a despair that clawed at Siraj’s throat. “It is not possible for me to live in this world with the allegations and insults that I am facing nowadays because of Shailesh. He has proved that I have a loose character. He also proved that I used to steal exam papers. All of this has ruined me. I am not able to live in college like this. So I am finishing myself.”
A sob ripped through Siraj, a guttural sound that seemed to tear at his very soul. He clenched his jaw, battling the rising tide of grief, his gaze fixed on the next lines, each word a fresh stab to his heart.
“But promise me that you will avenge my death. Don’t take any help from the police or college management. True and poor people like you and me are nothing in this world. Only wealthy and spoiled people like Shailesh have support from all. I hope you will not disappoint me.”
The finality of the words, the utter desolation in Sahil’s plea, shattered Siraj’s composure. Tears, hot and stinging, streamed down his face, blurring the ink on the page. His brother, his bright, honorable Sahil, driven to such an extreme. The injustice of it all, the sheer powerlessness in the face of wealth and corruption, burned within him. He clutched the letter to his chest, the paper crinkling under the pressure, a silent vow forming in the depths of his anguish. Sahil would not be disappointed.
***
Siraj, a man consumed by a burning desire for retribution, had spent years meticulously plotting his revenge against Shailesh. He had become an unseen shadow in Shailesh's life, observing his routines, cataloging his habits. One crucial piece of information he had unearthed was Shailesh's regular commute on 'The Nature Express,' a detail that would prove pivotal to his elaborate scheme.
But Siraj knew he couldn't accomplish his goal alone. His plan, though precise, required a team, individuals who understood the deep-seated pain of injustice. He began his search, looking for those whose lives had been irrevocably altered by the callous indifference of the wealthy. His inquiries led him to Sonu and Kim, two souls bearing the invisible scars of exploitation. And then there was Ramakant, a man whose past was also shadowed by the long reach of a powerful hand.
Siraj chose his method of communication carefully, opting for the anonymity and classic touch of letters. In each missive, he painstakingly laid out his case, presenting the evidence of Shailesh's wrongdoings, the undeniable truth of his transgressions. Initially, skepticism was their default. Doubt, a natural companion to any proposition so audacious, clouded their judgment. Yet, beneath the initial disbelief, a flicker of something else stirred within Sonu, Kim, and Ramakant – a shared, silent disappointment. They had all, at some point, yearned for vindication, for an opportunity to confront those who had wronged them, but had never dared to act.
Siraj, anticipating their trepidation, offered reassurance. He emphasized his intention to inflict no harm upon them, stressing that his use of letters was a testament to his desire to protect their identities and safety. He clarified his objective with unwavering conviction: their assistance was solely to facilitate his boarding of the train. The act of murder, he vowed, would be his burden alone.
As they continued to read his letters, a profound emotional shift began to occur within Sonu, Kim, and Ramakant. The shared narratives of their past pains, the echoes of their unaddressed grievances, resonated deeply. A powerful sense of empathy, coupled with a dormant desire for justice, began to eclipse their initial hesitation. The carefully constructed walls around their wounded hearts crumbled, replaced by a fierce, protective instinct towards Siraj and a burgeoning commitment to his cause. In the quiet chambers of their hearts, the seeds of vengeance, watered by years of unfulfilled yearning, began to sprout. They were ready to accompany Siraj, not just as accomplices, but as silent witnesses to a reckoning they had long awaited.
***
The glow of the video illuminated Siraj's face, his voice a low, intense murmur as he confided in his brother, a presence he could only see on screen. "You know, dear brother," he began, a tremor in his voice, "I was always so disappointed with my physical structure. My dwarfism, it created so many problems in my life. I was a mere object of amusement for others, a spectacle. Even our parents, were ashamed of me. But you," he paused, a tender smile touching his lips, "you were never ashamed. You always supported me. That's why I've survived this cruel life until now, and I've even managed to establish a good business on my own."
His gaze sharpened, a dark satisfaction flickering in his eyes. "But my dwarfism, my short stature… it actually helped me avenge your death. That was the first time I didn't hate my physical structure."
His voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper as he recounted the meticulously planned revenge. "On the day of the journey, our plan truly began. Kim boarded the train from Shivpur, carrying a large trolley bag. I had folded myself inside it. It was absolutely necessary to cross the security checkpoint undetected. I managed to convince the security officer at Shivpur station; he, too, had been a victim of mistreatment by a wealthy person, so he sympathized with my plight. With his unwitting help, I easily boarded the train with Kim."
"It was already late at night, and darkness had swallowed everything. I already had a duplicate key to Shailesh's cabin, which Sonu had arranged for me. Ramakant and Kim then helped me discreetly emerge from the trolley bag in the dead of night. At a precise moment, Sonu cut off the train's lights for a short while, plunging the carriages into an inky blackness. In that brief window, I slipped into Shailesh's cabin and murdered him. I made sure to take some of his valuable belongings, so it would look like a theft case. Afterward, I hid myself in Ramakant's cabin and waited for the next station."
"As the train approached the station, slowing down, Sonu again cut off the lights. In that momentary darkness, I jumped from the train and vanished into the night."
A grim satisfaction settled on Siraj's features. "Shailesh deserved that kind of death. People like him, they shouldn't be allowed to live freely."
His eyes softened, a wave of profound sorrow washing over him. "I know nothing can ever bring you back to me, bhai. But today, I am happy that I have avenged your death."
"Goodbye, bhai!" The words hung in the air, a final, poignant farewell before Siraj ended the call, leaving only the memory of his brother's face on the screen. The weight of his confession, and the chilling satisfaction of his revenge, settled in the quiet room.
The End
Written by : Anand Kumar Sharma
Cover designed by : Anmol Sharma
Note : The characters and events portrayed in this story are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons,living or dead,is coincidental and not intended by the author.
