For the last couple of days, the memories were jolting his mind unceasingly with continuously changing scenes of joys and pains like a cinema reel running on the screen of his inner consciousness without any background music, just a whirring sound of a reel and rapidly changing scenes.
It is about a year now that his father was brutally murdered. No doubt an atrocious event it was that people shall evoke for years but today he feels a little changed.
Some images appeared on his wall of consciousness, made him smile as if his Ex-Girlfriend is standing in front of him
The reminiscence of the times spent with her left him with a loaded heartbeat so heavy and loud that he could hear it. When he reaches out some self-control he said:
You! I mean after so long, suddenly like this?
The Image smiled and said, “I saw you tense so I thought why not invade your thoughts so that to give you some joyful moments. Is there everything alright?”
“Oh Really? Did I come into your dreams? and how did you come to know that I am tense?” he asked to the image.
“How come I know? Hahaha! Everyone knows this my dear friend. Don’t you realize that you advertise your worries on your Facebook wall every day?” The image replied
“So, what happened to your father?” The image inquired
His heart started aching and his smile turned into sadness and with a heavy voice he said;
“Baba (Father) was murdered brutally”
“Tell me what exactly happened”, the image insisted
“Nothing important dear, only some of our peasants were not coming to work as bonded labor”.
On that Baba gave directives to our Kaamdar (Assistant of Feudal-lord) to bring all peasants to fields at any cost. When we are to feed them how come they defy us? If they work as bonded labor, shall we not give them bread & butter. They were showing attitude as if they owe industries. Since Kaamdar could not find any male in the peasant’s village he kidnapped all females dragging them to the farmhouse”
“Without their consent? And what do you mean by Dragging? Were they animals?”
Your language doesn’t match your education. It seems as if you have never been to a big educational institution” the image replied in anger.
“Oh no darling, I mean you know me very well. Did I ever force you when we were together? I mean without your consent I even never touched you, but these peasants don’t deserve any respect they are taking the wrong doles of our care. When Baba sent them a message they had to come. He just said it as if was a normal thing.”
What did you just say? Without my consent you never touched me? Rehan! Do you really still feel like this? Anyway, I don’t blame you. Tell me what happened next? The image named him for the first.
What else could happen, one of the peasants killed Baba so brutally for the honor. He came to our farmhouse with some goons in the late night and chopped Baba’s Body into pieces while my poor Baba was asleep. Moreover, he attacked the farmhouse with his companions and released their females. See, what else we can expect from criminals? He replied with sadness.
When the image of his girlfriend started fading from her consciousness he named her, Muskan, Hay! Muskan! Please don’t leave me in the middle of everything; please don’t go since I have yet not shared the real pain of my heart.
“Rehan! Don’t you think that there is also something wrong done by your father? The Image asked
“Muskan! Look I told you many a time that I shall not tolerate a single word against my Baba” he replied in anger
“But I…” Image tried to so say something
“I said Just stop!”
He said while crosscutting the talk of Image
After some silence he started his conversation once again;
“But I have also given them a lesson. Both the sisters of my father’s murderer are now my hostage. Now I would do with them whatever I wish to. And yes the murderer is also arrested. He shall be hanged soon I hope”. He said in a winning style.
Rehan! Do you realize that after doing everything as per your wish and desire why you are still so depressed? Asked the Image
Muskan, dear! I’m not depressed, it is only these so-called NGO workers and Civil Society Organizations activists especially their mean women workers who are irritating otherwise I am alright. They can’t even run their homes properly and here they made my life hell for these two ignorant villager girls. At least I can give them two meals. Otherwise with these mean women both of them would be dancing on roads shamelessly. Huh! Now shamelessness is also a right and liberty. He said with spitefulness
When the image of his girlfriend started fading, it said to him;
“Rehan! Have you ever realized what is the biggest problem with you? Huh! If you had some you would have been different. More dangerous is that even after losing a lot you don’t even realize that there may be something wrong at your end.
“And Yes! Keep to your mind that the main reason behind our breakup was your egocentric behavior. You never asked my consent for anything you did. You always did whatever you wished to, and that was without my consent”. The image said with a smirk on his face and disappeared while Rehan was jumbled in confusion to see the smirk on the face of Muskan.
- The Consent (A Short Story) - 29/01/2021
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- Buried Alive (Short Story) - 14/11/2020
