Nightmare

 “Make sure you lock all the doors safely. Eat your food on time. I will not be listening to any nonsense like you've forgotten to look at the clock or didn't feel like eating! Who in their right mind gives those sort of answers?!” My mom was muttering. My parents were going out of town that night. 

“Be careful son. Call us if anything is amiss,” added my father. He was about to tell something, but my mom gave no chance to my poor dad with the words, “Enough Srikanth! Come soon and place the luggage in the car. We are already running behind the schedule in the first place.” 

“Must have been a master of sarcasm whoever coined the line - 'Marriages are made in heaven,'” my father was mumbling to himself as always and carried the luggage. 

 “Bye Akash. See you soon! And sleep early. Don’t be awake late in the night,” she ordered me in the similar tone. 

“Come on mom!! I am no longer a child!!” I shouted. 

“That’s the reason she is asking you to sleep early,” my father winked at me and both of them bade me farewell before I realized what he actually meant... 

I walked into my room to gather my study material. I arranged them in an order and ended up opening a book. I began to read the first line for the entrance exam that was due the next day sitting comfortably in an armrest chair and leaned my head against the headrest. 

As I started skimming through the pages, I was distracted for some reason and didn’t feel like studying anymore. Maybe it was due to the fact that I had already secured a seat in an engineering college through the EAMCET(State level entrance test for engineering) exam, that made me take this (BITSAT) exam for granted. 

My thoughts traveled from exam to different places and finally settled on ghosts. It's quite natural for an alone person at night especially to think about these supernatural beings. My heart started thumping loudly in my ribcage making me aware of the irritatingly silent surroundings. I got pulled into my past where I had heard stories from my grandmother and friends at school. 

Suddenly, a line crossed my mind that I'd read somewhere, 'A baby's laughter is one of the most beautiful sounds one may ever hear anytime except its 1 AM, one is home alone and suddenly realize that one doesn't have a baby at home'. 

I laughed dryly at that thought trying to ease my restlessness. To my surprise, something similar had happened. I could not even risk letting my breath out as I heard whispers far off in another room, I guess, in my house. I started panting hard and my palms started sweating. A line of perspiration formed on my forehead, nose, and upper lip. My body's temperature had risen a few degrees and I was becoming even more restless as the time ticked on! 

Slowly, keeping my book aside, I stood and walked carefully towards the living room and peeked into it as though it were not legal to look that way. I felt as if I were intruding my own house. 

I had my feet slowly tread into the living room and scanned it. I was relieved to find it empty. I found it pacifying my nerves and returned happily to my room. It had been only a mere illusion of mine. Trust me to freak out for a silly thing! I had imagined somebody to be there as I was constantly thinking of ghosts at the moment or a few moments ago. 

I settled on my chair once again and repeated the act of skimming through the pages; i.e. STUDYING, the word that I thought, was formed from the words 'STUDENT' and 'LYING'. Despite my eyes, reading the lines from the book, my mind without my consent, revisited the concept of ghosts! Yeah! Again ghosts! In order to save myself from anxiety and tension, I thought of easing my nerves by having a cup of coffee. I walked into the kitchen and started making a steaming cup of relief. To my utter horror, I again heard whispers at a distance, this time a tad bit longer than before. I quickly got my legs moving into the other room and looked around checking for anything unusual. 

I asked, “Who's there?” warily expecting a response. When I did not get one, I assured myself that I was alone and everything seemed peaceful and calm now. As I was about to turn around, I heard a sound from the kitchen. The kettle crashed on the floor and I rushed to see if the coffee spilled and found the same; the contents sprawled on the floor. My doubts were now confirmed, as I was 100% sure that I had not placed the kettle improperly near the edge of the kitchen platform. 

‘I am a fool not to call any of my friends to accompany me tonight. I should have gone along with my parents at the least. I bought this all to myself; frankly, I do not give a damn for this exam and now here I am, facing my worst fears that could become true any moment. I have no idea how would I make myself fall asleep tonight. It definitely feels as though there is an unwanted company tonight in my house now’. My inner voices intensified my fear. 

My body was trembling with fear, my heart was beating wildly, every inch of my body was shivering on its own and I was terrified like hell. My mouth went all dry for the second time in the night and I had held my breath not daring to let loose. I was unable to move from the place where I had been standing. All I wanted to do was run into my room and hide there, call someone to accompany me for the night but I couldn't move a muscle. 

My whole body became numb and so was my brain. Gathering all my leftover courage (very less, of course), I took a deep breath and moved into the living room to call a friend. My eyes identified the chair first across the TV and I intended to move stealthily. Yeah! Detective mode on! I tread the way sneaking and that's when I noticed a silhouette of a man in the drawing room, adjacent to the living room. 

‘Holy crap! Without a doubt, there is somebody in my house and I don't know what to do! I cannot believe this is all happening to me. I hope this is a dream and I would wake up. But no, this is not a dream and I'm living this moment of terror waiting for the worst to happen. No doubt I have done something horrible which is why I am facing this situation.’ As my intrapersonal communication kept me completely occupied, I had not noticed that my feet dragged me to the drawing room until I found myself at an arm’s length of the front door. Realization hit me that nobody was standing there and with a huge relief, I turned back 180 degrees thinking all my fears had been due to my extreme paranoia. I felt all the color drain from my face as I was facing a masked man!!! I was staring at him with unshakeable fear. That's when I felt my mouth go dry for the third time, yeah I was counting and I could barely gather my senses as I was shocked to an extreme end if that was ever possible. Before the practicality was out to show its colors, and I was about to shout, the masked man marched forward with a cloth which I assumed he had wanted to use to knock me out cold. I felt him meddle with me and I was protesting in his hold by pushing and kicking him. I struggled in his grip and tried every way possible. All of a sudden, all the lights were out and I couldn't see a thing! 

I heard a scream in the dark followed by a thud indicating a heavy weighted object hit the ground. Within no time, the lights were switched on and to my horror, the masked man who was trying to harm me was knocked cold out on the floor! Completely still! Blood was pooling around the head area underneath him. 

I couldn't digest the fact that he's dead just like that! That too in my house! A whirl of thoughts was swirling in disarray in my head. A sheath of perspiration formed all over my body. My palms were sweating to such an extent that few droplets began to drop down. I stared at the immobile man on the ground for one full minute. His eyes were wide open looking at the ceiling of the room. Had I known any better, it seemed as though the guy was staring fixedly at a point. But the blood pooled around him told me otherwise. 

Dhud-Dhud! Dhud-Dhud! My heart was pounding in my chest and I could hear my heartbeat in my ears. My face flushed with heat and I could feel jets of heat waves ejecting from every inch that stood on my neck. 

Dhud-Dhud! Dhud-Dhud! I heard the sound again and found myself shaking with fear. ‘Oh God no! I can’t take this anymore. Please stop it all.’ I was trembling. 

Dhud-Dhud! Dhud-Dhud! The sound continued and I realized that someone was at my door. 

‘Who the hell could be knocking now? Oh no! There is a dead body of a man in my house. What will they think?’ Despite all these fears, I opened the front door. To my shock, I found two policemen standing there! 

‘How did they get here so fast?!’ I questioned myself. I could see their lips moving but could not hear what they were saying. They repeated themselves I guess because I could see a frown on their faces and this time I could hear the words that came out. 

“Excuse me, Can you move?” policeman one didn't wait for me to respond and made his way inside. Policeman two looked at me like I was crazy not to listen to policeman one and shook his head disapprovingly and followed his way into my house. I followed them into my house and saw them examining the dead body on the floor. Policeman one asked me to handover the cordless phone immediately and I was going to my bedroom to retrieve it. Policeman two followed me there and snatched the phone from my hand as though I'd call someone without them knowing. Policeman two pointed his head towards the living room and was waiting for me to go there. 

As soon as I reached the living room where policeman one was there, he finished examining the body I guess and said, “You are under arrest as you have been found all alone at the scene of crime making you the primary suspect.” 

I went into another sea of shock. I was staring at him without any expression on my face. Soon he took out a cloth from his pocket; blindfolded me and asked me to move forward. I guess policeman two was guiding me by holding my hand. He was rough in doing so. He made me feel that I was a criminal and had detested the thought of touching me in any way. I moved as I was told and soon the air became a bit cool indicating we were out of my house. My lips slowly murmured “My home.” I guess one of the policemen heard me and locked the door and told me they'd secured it well. 

I heard policeman one talking but it was not to me this time. He was on the phone I guess as he told someone that they were coming and asked two guys to guard my house. 

‘This is it. My life is screwed. What am I going to do? How will I face my parents? What about my studies, career? What do I do to prove that I have not murdered that man whom I didn't even know? Oh God! Help me, please. What do I do now? Somebody, anybody help me!’ I was wailing on the inside. 

Policeman two guided me further and stopped suddenly. He asked me to climb a step and get into the vehicle. It dawned on me that it was the police jeep. 

‘I got arrested and I am going to jail and will have a criminal record on my profile. How will I ever get a job now? How do I prove I'm innocent? Can this all be a sick joke please?’ I wanted that all to be a stupid dream and wake up right then. But the complete opposite had happened. The roof of the jeep hit my head. It made me realize that it was all real. 

“Please leave me. I didn't do anything! I didn't kill that guy. I don't even know him,” said I. 

“Shut your mouth. Every criminal uses the same lines,” yelled policeman one. 

I let out muffled cries and policeman two said, “Stop that or we'll encounter you on the way to the police station. We'll close the case saying you tried attacking us.” 

I couldn't breathe anymore. ‘How can they do that? They don't have a concrete proof against me and they were planning on killing me! My God!’ The pain that I had felt was too much. 

‘I am being tormented by all these horrible things. What did I ever do to experience all this shit?’ Tears rolled down my eyes. That time the policemen ignored me and let me suffer on my own. 

After a while, the jeep had come to a sudden still. I didn't notice the time that had passed as I was in my own world thinking what would ever happen next. Policeman two asked me to get down by giving his hand. They made me walk for a while and it was few degrees warmer than before. I guessed to be at the police station. A stench of sweat hit me, which made me wrinkle my nose and hold it up in the air. 

A hand was on the back of my head. I felt the blindfold fall lose and I was able to see. My eyes winced at the bright light that hit them. I squinted my eyes to adjust to the light. I was pushed into the lockup cell by a set of hands. I was too shocked to believe all that was happening and found myself on the other side. As I turned around, I saw the clock on the wall; it was 12:05 AM in the night. I slowly sat against the wall pulling my knees to myself and rested my head on them. 

“Maybe 10 years of imprisonment,” a voice said. 

“No, I reckon it to be a lifetime imprisonment. Murderers should not be let loose at all. They deserve the worst possible punishment on earth.” 

“It looks like a self-defense case. Maybe one year or two.” 

“Leave this routine discussion yaar. What is Sachin’s score today?” 

The policemen were discussing the possible punishment for me. Truly my life was messed up in a horrible way possible. I couldn't bear to hear their discussion about my punishment. 

I felt my eyes droop and my eyelids closed eventually. I had fallen asleep by the amount of toll my mind had undergone over the past few hours. I felt someone poking my rib cage. That's when I slowly opened my eyes and saw someone standing beside me. He was policeman two. He was glaring at me as I had fallen asleep. 

“Hello mister, get up! Come out,” he barked at me. His loud voice boomed in my ears and I was immediately wide awake. My heart was becoming heavier as the time passed by. I couldn't take it anymore. 

‘Why did he ask me to come out? Oh please stop all this, I haven't done anything,’ I kept wailing on the inside. I didn't have the courage to tell the police anything. Before policeman two would again yell at me, I pushed my feet forward and walked out of the cell. I noticed the clock again and it was 03 AM. 

Policeman one was looking at someone with an irritated look on his face. Whoever it was, he didn't like them coming there. ‘But why am I asked to come out?’ Well, my question was answered soon as the people standing in front of policeman one were my friend Sandeep and a lawyer along with him. Tears rolled down my eyes as soon I saw him. The lawyer was talking to policeman one. I hadn't heard anything of what was being said as I couldn't put into words how much relieved I was when I saw Sandeep standing there in front of me in the police station. 

Policeman one told me, “You have been granted a bail. You are free to go home but are not to leave the city until you're proven innocent.” 

I couldn't believe my ears. ‘Did I hear right? Was I being sent home? I don't have to stay in the jail tonight? How could he bail me out in this midnight? Whatever that’s none of my business. Oh, my God. Thank you, I couldn't be happier than this. Even though I couldn't leave the city, I no longer have to stay in this horrible hellhole.’ My inner voices were discussing. 

Before I could respond, I found myself being blindfolded. ‘Why this again?’ I wanted to ask. I didn't comment or utter any word as I was afraid they would put me in the lock up again. Sandeep and the lawyer were anyway there with me so I wouldn't have to worry about anything I thought. I really felt grateful for the guy. He took the pain to come here and get me out. I was truly blessed to have such an amazing friend. 

Again I was walking blinded. I didn't whine. I wanted to get away from the police station as soon as possible. After a five minute walk, the offending blindfold was removed and I could finally see. We were on an empty road, without any means of transport. It was nothing of concern for me. I was happy that I was no longer in that lockup cell. I saw Sandeep calling someone. We kept walking straight and I had no idea which direction we were headed. Soon after ten minutes, I heard a motorbike coming towards us, and it stopped to my right. It was Rajeev, another friend. He smiled at us and we both hopped on his bike and we went to my home. They hadn't asked me anything but I had a feeling they will as soon as we reach my home. They had left me alone with my thoughts through the entire ride. 

When we reached my home, a fresh stream of tears threatened to fall down but I stopped them before that happened and took a deep breath. I had realized that the key to my home was with the policemen and I had forgotten to take it back. 

‘Now do I have to get back there? Oh no! I don't want to go there again,’ I was thinking when Sandeep was walking towards the front door; took out a key and opened the lock and pushed the door open. 

“I took the key from the constable before we left,” explained Sandeep. I nodded thankfully and followed him into my home. 

“How did you know I was at the police station?” my voice quivered when I had asked Sandeep the question. 

“The policeman called my home and told that you were arrested. He was doing a background check on you. He asked me what kind of a guy you were and all that. Come on man, let’s get inside and talk about it. You look so pale. Get freshened first.” 

I nodded in response and walked into my home. The clock ticked 4 AM. I dared to look at the spot where the masked guy was a few hours ago dead on the floor. I was shocked to find the spot clean. It was as though nothing had happened here at all. I was staring that place without breathing and Sandeep patted my shoulder sympathizing me understanding what I was thinking. 

“They cleaned everything and took the body away to the mortuary. Let go of it Akash!” Sandeep answered my unasked question and was assuring me -he's there for me. I nodded slowly. I walked into the bathroom soon and washed my face and took care of business and walked into my bedroom where I found Sandeep and Rajeev waiting for me. Sandeep patted his hand on the bed asking me to sit there. He was being so considerate of the entire mishap. I felt privileged to have a friend like him. Rajeev too was supportive all the time. He had passed me a bottle of water and I gulped a mouthful. It tasted divine. 

“Now tell me Akash, how did you kill that guy? Who was he?” asked Sandeep. I was shocked to hear that question coming from him. I would have understood if it had come from Rajeev, but Sandeep? No, I didn't think he would ask me that. Did he really think I could murder a guy? I got furious with him and couldn't withhold my emotions any longer. 

I glared at him and yelled, “Who killed? Are you thinking the same way too? God!! Here I was feeling grateful to you and relieved that at least my friends believe that I didn't kill that masked guy! How foolish of me!!” 

“Then how did he die?” asked Rajeev. 

“Who knows? It’s all my fate that he was dead in my house. I don't even know the guy for goodness' sake!” 

“Who was he then? A thief or something else?” Rajeev continued firing questions at me. 

“I'm not Google man, to have answers to all your questions,” I shouted on his face in frustration. 

‘Did they really think I am capable of a horrendous thing such as murder? They have got to be freaking kidding me!! They know I don't dare to do anything that I'm not comfortable with. Now they're accusing me of murder? Say what? The thought of murder alone sends shivers down my spine. How the hell do they accuse me of murder? Are they so thick headed?’ I doubted that seriously. 

After two minutes of torturous silence, Sandeep asked me, “What's going to happen now? Imprisonment?” 

My tension amplified itself like the run-rate of the Indian team on the cricket field when VVS Laxman starts batting against the Aussies. 

“How did he look? Did you see him anywhere earlier?” Rajeev fired off again. 

I shook my head in denial and hung my head low. After a while, Sandeep asked me to look up and said, “Does he look like him by any chance?” 

I raised my head not understanding what he was saying; the shock that I felt when I raised my head could not be compared to what I'd felt all night. My blood was boiling and my fists balled up involuntarily. My thoughts were swirling at their pace. My emotions were on a roller-coaster ride. Anger, pain, frustration, helplessness all were high battling amongst themselves to come out victorious. It was all because the same masked man was standing in front of me!!! ALIVE!!! ....