“Wow, what a big ground to play, Rose. Come, let’s go”, exclaimed Prince when he saw a semi-orbital open ground from the balcony. The Pintos had moved to a new flat at 602 Mukti Apartment, after Albert had made a lucrative deal.
“Careful you two”, cried Julie, who seemed to be bothered more about the unpacking than her kids while Albert was busy settling the account with Movers and Packers and ensuring that all was in.
He was just about to close the door when he overheard “Radhika, get me some tea first, we’ll do the unpacking later.” “Can we do just this big box first?” was the quick reply which was followed by an even quicker “No, tea first”. The noise of what seemed to be a ‘normal’ husband-wife conversation crossed his ears from the neighborhood. A smile broke out on his face, as he shrugged and went inside to help out Julie.
“Someone has probably moved in next door as well”, said Albert, now also wanting to have a cup of tea.
“Is it? We’ll catch up with them later, but darling, can you get some coffee first? I am just too tired.” replied Julie, as she thumped herself on the big ‘L-shaped’ sofa, which graced their hall.
“Sure, but where are the kids?” asked Albert, pouring the hot coffee from the thermos. “They must be around playing somewhere downstairs. Don’t worry they will be fine. Now lets start unpacking.”
Radhika always used to curse the Police, not because she felt they were no good, but because she had been through too many ‘Shifting blues’ over the last 5 years, courtsey the police. Her husband, Vikas Bhatia was an inspector and this was his 4th posting in the last 5 years. The Bhatias had moved into 603, the flat adjacent to that of the Pintos’.
Three days had passed by and they happened to bump into each other. They crossed. “Vikas?” a low, questioning voice interrupted.
He turned, “No ways, Albert? How have you been? Rather, where have you been? Been a long time man. And what brings you here? Here to see someone or …” the police officer seemed to be at his best.
“Hang on, I stay here, in fact just moved in, 602”
“What? We are at 603”
“So, its you Mr. Inspe…”
“Oh crap” Vikas looked at his watch, “Can we catch up later tonight? At around 9:00 tonight. I have got to go, something urgent has come up.”
“Ok, ok, no problem, glad to see you after so long Mr. Tom inspector. Carry on Sir!” Albert said. Vikas waved and Albert obliged with a salute and a wink.
Vikas and Albert had been friends, the best of friends, at school. But later, as it turns out with everyone, had lost all contact.
“May we come in Mr. Jerry?” “Yes please. Come in Mr. Tom” Albert opened the door as both of them had a thunderous laugh. Prince and Rose, curious to know who the visitor was, peeped from behind Albert’s legs. These are my children, Price and Rose, and Vikas was spontaneous to pinch their cheek with his rough fingers.
“Gosh Vikas, your fore-arms don’t look in a good shape. Seems you are handling a hot case.” Albert tittered.
“No this happened some 8 years back. A different story. Forget it”
Julie, engrossed in her daily soaps, was unaware of what was happening at the door until the commercial break relieved her.
“Please come in Vikas, and let me introduce you to my wife, Julie”
“Julie, this is Vikas, and Vikas, this is Julie”.
He saw her and the smile that pecked his face suddenly disappeared. The same was the case with Julie, who was quite unsure of how to react. Their eyes met, only for a second, but only to sway in different directions, as if same magnet-poles were kept aside each other. His mind flashed back 8 years, and some memories, which he thought he had forgotten, seemed to crop up again. He wanted to look at her ceaselessly and admire the beauty that she was. He wanted to just hug her tight and ask her how she had been all this while. He wanted to hold her by her arms and shake her and seek answers to all the questions that she had left unanswered. He almost got goose bumps.
Julie fiddled with her dress and continued to gaze at the flooring. “Ahem ahem, even I need some introduction” Albert snapped and broke the silence.
“Oh ya, this is my wife Radhika and this is Albert, we studied at the same school.”
Julie rushed to the kitchen under the pretext of getting the guests something to eat and drink, but deep inside she just wanted to keep herself away from the sight of the familiar guest, Vikas.
“Julie, can you make us all some tea?” Albert asked.
“Coffee is fine”, Vikas interrupted knowing that she preferred coffee to tea.
“Ok, lets ahve coffee dear”, Albert said with raised eyebrows.
Vikas continued to gaze out of the balcony. There was nothing much to gaze outside, as not only was the view the same as from his balcony, but also because there was a graveyard which could just about be seen therefrom. A small semi-circular ground, an annexe to the graveyard, was the place where Rose and Prince would spend most of their evenings playing Ball-Ball in the always vacant ground. It was rumored that the ground was once a part of the graveyard, and this was enough to put-off all parents from sending their children there to play.
“So, have you made friends here already Rose?” Radhika asked, wanting to start a conversation as Vikas still looked to be drowned in thought.
“Yes aunty. You know aunty, Nick Roy is very good. He gets me the ball all the time wherever Prince throws” Rose tittered.
The word Nick broke Vikas’s gaze as he startled into a fresh gaze at Rose.
“Oh wow, and is Nick in the same school as you?”
“Nick uncle doesn’t go to school aunty, he is almost Uncles’ age”, chuckled Price as he looked at Vikas.
Vikas was clueless and he almost broke into sweat.
Some time had passed since Albert and Radhika had exchanged all routine questions, leaving a lull in the hall. Albert peeped into the kitchen to see what was taking Julie so long.
“Watch out Julie” a sudden shrill echoed, as Albert rushed and pulled Julie back, who was about to put her left hand over the already ignited stove, with no utensil atop. What’s wrong, darling? Are you all right? You almost burnt your left hand too.” Her right forearm had just about recovered from the severe burns, which she had suffered in an accident.
“I have had just too much today. I need some rest dear.” said Julie, who seemed to have lost all her thought once she had seen Vikas. Vikas, the heartthrob of the college, who was crazy about her, to whom she meant the world, who was ready to do anything, literally anything, to hear her ‘Yes’ for him.
“No problem dear, we’ll offer them juice” said Albert taking the can from the fridge.
“Can I go and sleep Albert?” she said, before he could ask her to come out for a chat.
Radhika almost sensed it, just as all women can sense what’s going on at the neighbors house, and said, “We might just leave for now. Vikas and I have planned a small house warming party this Saturday. Why don't you guys join in?”
“Sounds like a good idea. We sure will”
Vikas had then realised that this could be his golden chance to have a word with Julie. He waited anxiously, yet nervously for Saturday. Anxious, since he was to see his first love and nervous, because what had happened between the three of them was horrific. He just didn’t want to relive those moments of hell, that unimaginable thing that he had done for Julie. He had actually been a party to crime, a heinous one. A chill would go down his spine whenever he recollected his past. The fire, the burning hands, the shouts of ‘Betrayer’, Julie’s wicked laughter and his sly half-lipped smile suddenly clobbered his mind; the echoes of ‘I won’t spare you two. The story is incomplete you betrayer, the story is still incomplete. Let there be justice God, let there be justice’ resounded ceaselessly. His sweat had drenched him almost completely, when he looked at his burnt forearms in disgust and squeezed himself by his knees in bed that night.
It was Saturday, ca. 7:00 p.m. and the guests made their way into the Bhatias’. An hour passed and the Pintos moved into 603 as well. Julie was smart enough to keep her door half open, after giving some excuse for not making it nextdoors for the party, giving Vikas an opportunity to come and meet her.
15 minutes later, Vikas was there in a new cream-color kurta. Julie was on her sofa and looking beautiful as ever in her simple yet graceful blue sari.
“Good that you joined the police Vikas” she paused “alteast some hope that our past does not resurface in public” as she welcomed Vikas with her inept words.
“Hmmm, yes, but there is not much a police inspector can do. I think you don't yet realise the gravity of what we have done.”
“I love you so much Nikhil.” said Julie
“Yeah, I still remember the day you said yes to me potential Ms. Julie Nikhil Roy; although I must also thank Vikas for still being our such great friend, even after you said a ‘No’ to him. I feel really on the top of the world having you in my life and not having any more ‘easy- money’. The donation of my One Crore lottery to CRY, has really made me feel better. Thank you for giving me such a noble thought dear God. I will build my way to the top, and Julie, with you by my side, my journey is going to be even better.” as Julie offered a reticent smile. “With my todays’ birthday, I, Nikhil Roy, aka Nick, take an oath to never leave you Julie alone, and also my best friend Vikas. We’ll remain together always. Our friendship-trio has been so wonderful, that without even any one of us, the presence of just two feels incomplete. There is no Nick without Julie and Vikas and where there is Julie and Vikas, there will always be Nick. Yes, there will always be me whenever and wherever you and Vikas are there.” he iterated. “Both of you have made my life just so precious.” Nikhil continued.
“Lets light-up the bonfire Nick, c’mon” cried Vikas
“Yes, my friend.”
“10 more minutes and no more of you and your stupid voice”, muttered Vikas, who was doing his part of the plan.
He had started pouring petrol around the bonfire circumference ca. 10 feet radius, while Julie was letting Nick feel her breath, to keep him distracted.
As planned, around five minutes later, Julie drew Vikas near the bonfire. “Nick darling, why don't you light the bonfire and begin your Birthday celebrations?” Nick leaned as if to smooch Julie, as he caught the ignited stick. Julie and Vikas slowly moved backwards. “To my upcoming years and the rest of my life to my best friend, Vikas and the love of my life, Julie” he pronounced.
“Correction, to MY love and your death Nick” and Nick was just too late to understand all this, as the bonfire was lit and the evil fire seemed to have done its part too!
Nikhil cried for help and tried to run near them for help, but Vikas and Julie pushed the human torch in the now ‘bon-pyre’ with their bare hands, also burning their own hands in pursuit.
“I helped you in Nick’s murder. All your plan. Then why in the world did you ditch me? I haven’t seen you after that fateful night? Why did you leave me? Why Julie, why?”
“My dear fool, you still didn't get the point, did you? Its all about money, honey.”
Vikas was balled over to hear that.
“So, all your promises of starting a new life with me were fake, eh?” he croaked. “I should have been wise enough to realise this, but ‘Love is Blind’ as they say”, and he moved forward exasperatedly, as if to kill her by pressing her neck.
“Hey, you are here?” Radhika asked when she came searching for Vikas.
“Yes, I just came to invite her too” replied Vikas
Radhika turned and returned to her house. “Oh, darn the electricity” she cried as the all-lit house turned pitch-dark.
“I’ll get the candles” said Albert, heading back to his house to search for some. He fumbled in the drawers in the kitchen, in vain.
“Julie, where are you? You know where the candles are?”, he called entering the hall.
The reply was a loud grunt which sounded like a ‘No’. He saw someone sitting on the sofa and asked, “Vikas is that you?” A similar loud grunt affirmed his presence.
“Well, you guys don't move, its really messed up outside. Ah, there are the candles” as he picked them up and moved to the kitchen to get a matchstick; just when electricity re-lit up the house.
“Ha, that's ironic.”, he mumbled as he came back into the hall wanting to keep the candles.
“Aawww ….” he shrieked. Radhika followed the noise and shrieked even louder when she saw what she saw. The guests, who followed were dumbstruck.
The sight of two burnt skeletons, one draped in a sari and another in a kurta on the sofa was indeed spine-chilling!
Nikhil had taken his revenge!
