Years passed and now I must prepare myself for college.
I waited outside the cotton college gate as many students walks in.
Finally, the day came for me to study and earn my degree at the one of prestigious college of Guwahati.
I walked into the gate with a weird pair of headphones. I thought that college life would be different from school and it was indeed. Since 2008, the government laid strong rules against college ragging and bullying, no new students faced such harassment and was rather treated with minor fun from the seniors.
As I walked inside the class someone hugs me from behind, it was Harsh, with him we also see Aura and Vijayender.
I was happy to see some familiar faces from school.
"You guys? You got admitted here? And Rajiv?" I was glad to see them after the school.
"Didn't you hear? He died last year of drug overdose." Aura, the bearer of the bad news.
"Oh god, I am sorry to hear that." I was shaken to the core.
At the English literature class, the professor was teaching Hamlet.
Shakespear was made sort of mandatory in college back in 2012.
SFX: - TKKK TKKK TKKK (sound of chalk moving on the blackboard.)
"Note down fast, as I will wipe off the lines to make space for the next." Prof. Dharam is a fast writer on the board and so, I had to speed up.
SFX: -KHCHHH KHCHHH KHCCCH (sound of pen moving in Aryan's notebook.)
it is now 2015, and I was at the final semester giving my last exams.
2015, EXAM HALL
SFX: -TRING (THE FINAL BELL RINGS)
Students submitted their papers.
Aura was upset that she couldn't finish the paper. I and other tried to cheer her up.
"It's fine yaar, at least you tried. Hey Aryan, what's next for you, Masters or just job?" Harsh, as usual with his questions.
"I am taking a long vacation and will prepare for Masters in the same time. I want to be a professor you know, or may be cop like my dad." I already had a career goal in my mind.
"I will be looking over my family business, I hope I can make tasty lassi like my Baba in our restaurant." Vijayender, he had a different plan all over.
"Paa ji, tussi great ho!" and we cheered him up.
A hooded figure somewhere in Chennai is butchering an innocent.
SFX: - SLASH, SLASH, SLASH. (Sound of kukri cutting through the body of the victim).
Meanwhile, Chennai was becoming a hunting ground for a serial killer. While Aryan back home was still unaware of his true fate.
The killer then commits suicide by stabbing himself with the kukri. (He wasn't the real killer. The real one would be revealed much later.)
Back in Guwahati, my dad is watching a strange news on TV, the news about the same murder case. And to his surprise, he gets a call.
SFX: -BUZZ BUZZ!
"(After picking up the phone) Hello, yeah okay, I will leave for tomorrow! Thanks Vijay. Rudra? Why do we???? Hello, hello?" and the name Rudra was more than enough to make my dad falter.
Since dad was a senior police officer of the crime branch department he was called by ACP Vijay at Chennai.
After hanging up the phone dad explained the situation to me and mom.
"Special case, I will have to leave for Chennai tomorrow." Dad had to make it clear.
"How long will it be? Given your health condition you must rest." I was concerned given his past record.
"I will be fine." And with that he shrugged it off.
Dad only looked fine, I knew that he was neglecting a ticking time bomb. The blockage in my dad's respiratory system could kill him any time.
I was sleeping in my room. But then I have a nightmarish vision where I see my dad dying.
The nightmare was more like a warning sign to the tragedy to befall upon our family.
"(drinks water) is dad really fine?" I thought to myself.
Dad was outside with his luggage packed, bidding final goodbyes to us but suddenly.
SFX: -AKH….AKH (HE WAS GRAPSING FOR BREATH.)
At the funeral pyre in Bhoothnath Cremation ground.
A part of my life was gone leaving me hollow and empty.
I was crying and sobbing as I was about to attempt the unthinkable.
I took the barrel of my dad service pistol to my forehead.
"[Shaking and trembling] I…. I can't." Not that I was afraid but I was worried about mom.
My mom walks in and sees the pistol on the ground, I was still crying.
"Oh my…. Aryan!" She was worried.
A mother knows the pain of a child without father.
"I know it's hard for your son, but suicide is not the easy way out, I lost Anjan and I can't lose you." Mom, while still caressing me.
"Save me!" I pleaded to her.
Meanwhile, back in Chennai tension was brewing as without Crime branch the investigation was impossible for the local police.
"He was the best, not in Assam but before this he served at Delhi and Mumbai also. He died of a cardiac arrest." Inspector Vijay, paying his condolence.
"So, how do we proceed?" sub-inspector asks.
"Call in Rudra for me from the Paranormal and supernatural wing." A name that was famous in the department was called to investigate further.
Rudra picks up the phone.
"I see what you are telling Anuj. I shall help. Oh, come on, Anything for the Tamil Nadu police. Consider it free." And thus the hunt begins.