Our Story Needs No Filter

by Sudeep Nagarkar

  ‘Is anything wrong?’

  He glanced at her, but didn’t reply.

  ‘You look lost. Is something troubling you?’ she asked again.

  ‘I’m not sure.’ Jai took another sip from his cup and said, ‘I don’t know where to start. Maybe it’s better if I keep my mouth shut.’

  Burning with curiosity, Megha insisted, ‘Still . . . in short, if you can.’

  ‘It’s about the missing student’s case,’ he finally said.

  ‘What about it?’

  ‘The ABCP feels that there are lots of secrets regarding the case. It’s not as straight as it looks.’

  ‘Do they have any concrete proof?’ Megha asked anxiously.

  ‘I don’t know . . . I mean they have not revealed it to me yet. But they are sure Krishna is involved in something dangerous. Either Mani came to know about it or was actively involved in it—we don’t know yet.’

  ‘Mani was an active member of the SCI, right?’ Megha assumed, given Akhilesh’s support for him.

  ‘No. SCI is supporting him because he’s a Tamilian. Otherwise he was not an active part of any organization. But the ABCP has secretly investigated and found from his friends that he often talked about Kraanti and revolution. That’s mysterious.’

  ‘Who was he actually then?’

  ‘Maybe just a victim.’

  Lost in their own thoughts, they browsed their phones for a while, when Jai broke the silence.

  ‘By the way, don’t write any open letters on this information. Otherwise, I’ll be the next person to disappear from this campus.’

  ‘What a joke.’ Megha laughed.

  ‘Did that moron say anything to you after that?’ Jai asked.

  ‘No. He just stares and shouts rude comments whenever he sees me alone. He’s the one that requires mental treatment,’ Megha replied, tired of Akhilesh’s antics.

  ‘Just avoid him, if he had to do something, he would have done it by now. He doesn’t have the guts.’

  Megha smiled.

  ‘But he was right about one thing,’ Jai said, leaning forward on the table.

  Megha looked confused. ‘And what’s that?’

  ‘That you need mental treatment.’ Jai burst out laughing.

  ‘Jai!’ She tried to hit him with a cup but missed, causing it to crash on the floor and break.

  ‘See, I told you, these are the signs.’

  ‘I am not going to forget this.’ Megha ran behind him as he got up to leave the canteen.

  ‘Do you sometimes forget that we are here to study?’ Megha said with a smile as she caught up with him. They walked towards the college building.

  ‘Yeah, with all this drama, that’s the last thing on my mind. But you are doing well, aren’t you?’ Jai asked, referring to her high score in the previous semester.

  ‘Not as well as you. How do you manage to balance everything in your life?’

  ‘It’s not that tough. I just stay away from all the usual addictions—girls, alcohol and smoking.’

  ‘So you mean that people who don’t fall in love don’t smoke or drink? Only lovers do?’

  ‘I am not saying that. But see, when a girl leaves a guy, he starts drinking to get over the pain which eventually leads to smoking. It’s a chain effect which I don’t want to risk getting into.’

  ‘Your logic and your theories . . . keep them to yourself.’ Megha was exasperated. She wanted to tell him how she felt, but his rigid beliefs made her stay quiet. She wanted to sail the oceans of love with him, but the fear of destabilizing the calm ship of their friendship held her back from taking off the mask of pretence.

  Ten

  22 June 2016

  ‘Today I’m assigning you your biggest task yet. On the face of it, it may look easy but it isn’t. The NGO people to whom you’re supposed to be delivering the parcels today come under the high-risk bracket. That’s the reason I don’t want any other student to handle it except you.’

  ‘Why is it high-risk?’ asked Raghu.

  ‘Because it’s a decider. It’ll decide the fate of thousands of poor Dalits and people from other lower castes; it’ll decide the results of the student elections which are not far. It’ll decide our fate. This time you have to bring back another bag along with you and hand over a note with the parcels. Upon arrival, you have to deliver the bags to a firm in Delhi.’

  ‘Do you think this is the only way to fight this battle?’

  Furious at being constantly questioned, Krishna reacted, ‘Yes, we need to unite. They are trying to discriminate against us on religious grounds. We are only poor, not weak, and we need to be responsible citizens and stand up for what is right. If our votes count in the election, why aren’t we counted as proper citizens of society? We need to provide a united front as those who truly believe in secularism, socialism and the Constitution.’

  Krishna paused, then continued, ‘Forget about the elections, it’s about our movement and the fact that our rights are constantly being denied. It is high time we be given an equal status in society and treated with dignity, irrespective of the kind of work we do. That is the only way to fight the battle.’

  Krishna’s words, like always, inspired Raghu and he graciously accepted the task. He had to deliver the parcels to some part of Haryana, to a member of an NGO that helped Krishna and his team by acting as mediators. Recalling his first fearful mission, he hoped for a smooth road ahead this time. It was late in the evening and throughout the ride, he ensured that the parcels were kept well concealed. They reached Haryana within a couple of hours but the journey from there on to the location was impeded by bad roads.

  After reaching Good Luck restaurant, which was the drop-off point, Raghu surveyed the spot and found everything under control. He wanted to wrap up everything as soon as possible and leave, but the wait had just begun. Yet another hour passed by before Raghu checked his watch again for the umpteenth time and decided to call Krishna. But just like last time, there was no response. The restaurant as well as the hotel attached to it seemed deserted; even the receptionist was snoring. He looked at his watch again, worried by the long wait and lack of response. He wondered if he should just leave the parcels there and go, but remembered he had to collect a bag in return. Before he could decide what to do, his phone rang.

  Ruhi calling.

  Raghu disconnected the call and decided to open the parcels to check if it was safe to leave them there itself. As he opened the trunk of the car, he saw piles of boxes, stacked one on top of the other. He looked for a pair of scissors or a knife in the toolkit, and on finding one, began to rip open the topmost box. His phone was still ringing. Putting the box down, he picked up his phone. It was Ruhi again. Raghu took the call to ask her to stop calling when she shouted from the other end, ‘I need to tell you something like right now.’ She sounded worried.

  ‘Not now, Ruhi. I will call you tonight, I am a little busy.’

  ‘I know! But I need to tell you—’

  Before she could finish, Raghu disconnected the call.

  Fuck . . . how I should contact him, this is serious. Ruhi panicked when Raghu didn’t pay any heed to her requests. She needed to get in touch with him somehow, to tell him what she had heard, or rather, what she was still listening to, standing outside a classroom. She heard hushed voices,

  ‘Just a little more time and Raghu will be the next one.’

  ‘You mean . . . are you serious, even after so much of chaos?’

  ‘It’s not me who has decided that. Also, he’s not going to be facing it alone.’

  ‘Then?’

  ‘Both of them,’ the voice confirmed.

  Ruhi’s mind spun at what she had overheard. She tried to peep into the classroom, to see who was talking. One thing was clear—the second voice belonged to Krishna. She had even seen him go inside. Ruhi was sure he was involved in something illegal, but no matter how many times she called Raghu, he kept disconnecting her call. Scared of being seen by the students inside, she left the c
orridor, knowing she had to do something to help Raghu. His life was in danger.

  Raghu cut open one of the boxes and couldn’t believe his eyes. In a second, all his beliefs crashed. His life’s goals and ambitions came to a screeching halt as he ripped open a few more boxes. With every box, he grew angrier, as he realized that he was just a puppet controlled by Krishna. The revolution and Kraanti were all just an act to provoke him into conducting their illicit affairs. They were not helping the poor or the people from lower castes. He had been manipulated by people who were propagating fake ideologies. Raghu was suddenly aware that this scandal was much bigger than Krishna; there were bigger political parties pulling the strings and even the NGOs were involved.

  Every box that Raghu had brought along had bundles of notes. The car was filled with money. Raghu had no idea where the money came from, but he understood that it was put in the names of NGOs to keep it hidden. Remembering the note he had been instructed to deliver, he tore open the envelope as well and read the message.

  Hope the material this time is of better quality and not like last time when we targeted the DLF Mall area near MGU for the riots. Your money is safe in the boxes.

  Raghu went numb. That was the same incident that had caused a fight with his friends and almost cost him the love of his life. It changed his outlook towards everything, and even if indirectly, he had been supporting the people responsible for it all along. Raghu was overcome with fear and froze at the spot. Suddenly he felt his phone vibrate; it was Krishna. Wait at the location itself. A car will be reaching the spot soon. Be alert and safe.

  He looked around to see if anyone was watching him. Every time he glanced around, he felt a pair of eyes following his every move. He had a million questions and his head hurt with confusion; the person who was advising him to be safe was the one who had put him in this dangerous situation. But worse was his guilt. The note was the clue, and all the pieces fit now.

  It was all his fault. He was the one to blame for arguing with his friends, for being so easily manipulated and, most importantly, for putting Ruhi’s life in danger. All this time he had been helping the people who had initiated the incident that almost took Ruhi away from him, forever.

  Eleven

  28 April 2016

  Ruhi was still in the fortress of her bed, cocooned in her blanket, when her phone buzzed. She had been thinking about the previous night and wanted to lose herself once more in the memories of her and Raghu together. She reached over and smiled as she read Raghu’s message.

  While there are many things I am unsure of, you are not one of them. You’re the only girl for me. I always knew our friendship would blossom into something bigger. You are the warmth I need to keep me safe in this dark world. Before you came into my life I was just an average guy in an average world, there was always something missing. Today, I realized exactly what I was missing, it was you. Everything about you, from the way you act, to the way you love me, makes me believe that I will never get tired of you. You were a rock star last night and revealed parts of me I didn’t even know existed until we made love. For this, I will forever be grateful and look forward to the life we will share. There are some things in life beyond our control. The sun will rise and set, the tide will continue to flow, the seasons will continue to change and I will continue to love you.

  Unable to resist herself, Ruhi replied in a second:

  You know, while thinking about last night, I discovered there is something mysterious about our relationship. This relationship is almost a thing in itself and yet it is something no one can see or touch. I share so much with you and have told you things I never imagined telling anyone. It is you I want to wake up next to, you who I want to grow old with. I am the same person I have always been and yet the friendship I discovered with you has shown me new dimensions of life I could never have imagined. I understand this love we share may pose a difficulty in the future, but I am perfectly fine with that. There’ll be tough times, but there will be a hundred more happy ones. I love you.

  I love you too. Let’s go out somewhere, came Raghu’s reply.

  Not now. I need to attend my history class. You know Professor Nair is very strict. After the lecture then?

  Done.

  ‘We did it yesterday,’ Ruhi said, blushing.

  ‘Are you serious?’ Megha threw her a surprised look. ‘Where?’

  ‘Campus.’

  ‘Wow, that’s unreal. You are crazy.’

  Megha wanted to know every detail and Ruhi didn’t spare any. She gave a minute-to-minute narration of the incident. The only person who had an objection to this heated discussion was Mrs Nair, their history teacher, who warned them about gossiping in class. However, unable to contain her excitement, Megha continued to discuss further. A little later in the lecture, she took a deep breath, feeling uneasy. Ruhi made her drink some water but the uneasiness abided in her.

  ‘Ma’am, I am unable to sit and concentrate. I have a recurring migraine problem and my head is hurting very badly.’

  ‘So what do you want me to do? To stop this class just because you can’t concentrate. You didn’t seem very interested to begin with,’ Professor Nair said bluntly.

  ‘Can I skip the class please? I am unable to focus, everything is blurry,’ she said slowly.

  ‘Okay, you can leave. Ruhi, you can go along and help her.’

  ‘Yes, ma’am.’ Ruhi was happy to oblige.

  ‘Ma’am, my attendance?’ Megha asked, not wanting to lose out on the first twenty minutes she had spent in the class.

  ‘You just skip the class and take care.’

  Professor Nair turned back and began addressing the rest of the students. Though happy that they could leave, the girls were still unsure about their attendance. But they knew that Professor Nair was very strict and normally never changed her mind. So they left, with the professor’s eyes following them till they stepped out of the classroom.

  ‘Are you okay?’ Ruhi asked, holding her hand.

  ‘My headaches come quite frequently these days. I’ll have to tell the doctor to change my medicines.’

  ‘Do you think Mrs Nair will mark our attendance?’

  ‘Ideally, she should, but you never know with her,’ Megha said. ‘Now finish your story.’

  Ruhi laughed and continued telling her tale. When she was done, Megha decided to go rest in her room for a while, while Ruhi messaged Raghu.

  He had been waiting for her message, and they decided to go to DLF Mall.

  ‘I feel so inferior when I come to shopping malls like these and see the amount of money people spend,’ Raghu commented as they walked towards the food court.

  ‘Don’t feel bad. Even these people are constantly looking for sales and offers to make things cheaper. Otherwise even they buy everything online at a cheaper rate.’ Ruhi laughed.

  ‘Will you feel bad if I don’t buy you clothes from H&M or a fancy bag from Zara?’

  ‘Don’t be a fool, Raghu. If that was what I wanted from a relationship, I had a million other options. I’m with you because I love you, and not your money. I won’t mind even if you buy me clothes from Sarojini,’ she joked.

  They both smiled at each other and after a little while, found an empty table. Raghu glanced at the options and asked, ‘What’ll you have?’

  ‘I am not really hungry. You want to have something?’ Ruhi asked him, scanning the numerous choices in front of her.

  ‘Don’t worry; I can afford a pizza.’ Raghu grinned.

  Ruhi agreed and watched him as he went to order a pizza and juice for both of them. While standing at the counter, she saw him opening his bag and putting a small box inside his pocket. When he walked back to the table she caught him red-handed.

  ‘What are you hiding?’

  ‘Nothing,’ Raghu said, avoiding the question and looking everywhere but at her face.

  ‘Come on, I saw you putting something into your pocket while you were standing at the counter.’

  ‘That�
�s not fair.’

  ‘Please?’ said Ruhi, guessing it was something for her. Raghu told her to close her eyes while he took the small box out of his pocket. Sitting with her chin resting on her hands, Ruhi almost lost her balance when Raghu pulled one of her hands and placed the box in it. She smiled widely in anticipation.

  ‘This is for you, to symbolize our love. I know that when I tell you that you are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen, it sounds like pure flattery, but it is true. You are the epitome of everything I have ever wished for. And although this is not twenty-four-carat gold, it carries my twenty-four-carat love.’

  Ruhi opened her eyes and saw Raghu holding a ring in his hand. He slowly slipped it on her finger and kissed her hand. Blushing, Ruhi got up from her chair and went around the table to give him a kiss on his cheek. Raghu got a little uncomfortable with all the eyes on them. But Ruhi didn’t care. Despite his limited means, this guy had tried to gift her the perfect gift, just to show what she meant to him, and it touched the core of her heart.

  As they made their way back, Ruhi and Raghu were suddenly surrounded by a nervous crowd—people were in a state of panic, screaming and running helter-skelter. Some men had pulled up in big cars and trucks, brandishing powerful weapons. They were randomly and brutally lashing out at everyone they could get hold of while shouting slogans against the lower castes.

  Terrified, Raghu grabbed Ruhi’s hand and began to run. They ran past broken shops, scenes of crying children and a cloud of wails. Dust rose as people scrambled to get away. Amid all the chaos, Ruhi tripped and fell, landing on her jaw. Raghu bent down to help her when he felt a hard blow on his back. His whole body exploded with pain as he realized that he had been hit with an iron rod. The merciless blows came again and again, even as Ruhi howled and screamed. Somehow Raghu managed to brave the pain and push off his attacker. Pulling Ruhi along he shouted, ‘Run!’ The riots continued and the air was thick with the cries of people. Tears streamed down Ruhi’s face as Raghu turned into a narrow, isolated lane. ‘I can’t walk any more,’ she said, stumbling.