by Naitik Jain
“No man! I still have the video lectures left to study in Fluids. I’ve just completed reading the theory from the book. I’m going to fail this time in at least a couple of subjects. I haven’t studied at all!”
That was a statement I was expecting from him. Surya was the guy I quite literally ran to before every examination. He was the only person I knew who had the patience and the goodness to sit down and explain things to me. He was the principal reason of me being confident about passing the semester. Even though our streams were different, our department was the same, so we had a few common subjects, which he taught me.
Chas, on the other hand, was my wing mate. We’d spend time talking about random stuff, often singing karaoke songs and doing all kinds of crazy things at random times. He was one of the nicest people I knew, and would always be ready to help, no matter what the situation was.
Both Surya and Chas was really good friends of mine, and we would often debate together, roaming around the country for various debating tournaments.
“I gotta go man, got lots to study for the midsems,” said Surya.
“Yeah, all the best to you man. Take care. Good night!”
Chas and I started to climb back up to our rooms. The four floor climb was probably one of the reasons why we started to talk so much.
“What happened to your hand?”
“Oh, you saw that? It’s nothing much.”
“Doesn’t seem like it. Did you apply anything to it?”
“Antiseptic creams. I didn’t apply much though. It will heal on its own.”
“Take care of yourself man.”
“So, how’s everything with you?”
“Things are pretty great. Trying for internships and stuff you know. Second year is pretty difficult, and the professors, for some strange reason, are worse. I mean, the Signet professor literally puts me to sleep every time he talks. I don’t even know why these people get hired here.”
“I share the same sentiment man. I sleep in every dynamics class I attend, and thankfully the professor doesn’t do anything about it. There were only 7 people in class today. I really need to start studying though, because I’m lagging way too behind the stuff being taught in class.”
“I need to study too. I’ll catch up with you later. Good night. Study hard for the exams!”
“Good night. Sleep or study well!”
He went into his room, and I into mine. I needed to study too much to allow myself to get distracted by my phone, so I put it into the drawer and took out the economics notes.
Despite being one of the easiest and my favourite subject, Economics seemed to run away from me tonight. None of the theories I was studying were actually going into my head. None of the concepts were understood, and I was just shuffling from page to page, thinking that there might be something that I would understand.
The problem, however, was not with the subject. It was with me. I was way too distracted to study anything. I couldn’t get her face out of my mind. That look that I had seen on her face that day, was different our first meeting. When I saw her for the first time, she had an admiration for me in her eyes. She respected me, and thought highly of me. I think she misunderstood my intentions when I came there. I don’t blame her for that though, because anyone would have thought the same. People go to such places only for such things.
She had a look of disgust on her face. No, it wasn’t disgust. It was disappointment. The kind of a disappointment that one faces when one’s hopes crash. She had probably thought of me as a morally high person, and, as of now, I had made sure those hopes had gone crashing down.
I needed to bring those hopes back up. I needed to give her the life she deserved, and not the life she was forced into. For that, I needed a plan of action.
I put my economics notes away. I didn’t understand anything anyway, so there was no point studying it. I pulled out my laptop, and took out my phone from the drawer. It was time to organize things.
As I opened my phone to make the first call, my hand froze. The phone slipped out of my hand and fell on the bed. The home screen was displaying the most recent message received, and it was from an unknown number. I didn’t have the guts to pick the phone up again for a while. When I did, I read the message again and again.
“I know who you are, and I know where you live. Ansh, if you want to save yourself, and your family, stay away from my areas. Maybe you don’t care about yourself, but I’m sure you care about her.”
Attached with the message was the Facebook profile picture of my mother.
CHAPTER 11
“I don’t know how he got to know who you are, or who your mom is! I had told you to stay clear form him, but you had your own intentions. Suffer for it now!”
“Come on! You have to help me out here. I’m working way too hard for this, and there’s no way I’m giving up on this. I need to know whether this was an empty threat or whether he can actually do anything.”
“You’re getting into risky business. Gujjar is not a person you can mess around with. He will take you down pretty easily. He is a very powerful man, and knows how to use this power. Don’t try to fool around bro, or he will pretty much destroy you. Maintain your distance. You still have time, take my advice, and get out of this mess while you can.”
“We’ve had this conversation before. I am not getting out of this. Find the source of the number and give it to me. I need to get stuff done.”
“Okay then. The drill stays the same. My name does not come up anywhere.”
“Of course it won’t come up anywhere. Just get this done for me. I promise you that your name will remain a secret.”
“Actually, I’ve already done it for you. I knew you would ask for this. The number is local, and is owned by one of Gujjar’s henchmen. He is rather high up in the ranks, and handles extortions for him. He’s rather dangerous, and lives in Rajabazar. My guess is that he lives either in or near the centre Gujjar holds there. He has a weakness for prostitutes and alcohol, like most of Gujjar’s men.”
“How on earth did you get so much knowledge? I’m pretty sure Gujjar doesn’t maintain records of his illegal activities and his henchmen on websites!”
“He doesn’t, but the internet is not my only source of information you see. Anyway, this is all I know about him. Should help you get to some stuff. Just be careful, and make sure nobody finds out who you are. These threats are not baseless, and Gujjar can cause some serious damage.”
“Okay. I will be careful with what I’m doing now. Thanks a lot.”
“Good luck man. Hope you stay safe. Take care. Bye”
He hung up, and I was left to think of my next step. I couldn’t go back as myself, because I had clearly given away more than I should have. I needed a source, someone inside that centre, someone who could help me get that girl out. I had no intention to destroy Gujjar; I just had to get the girl out.
The train whistled, and jolted to a start. He was in a hurry to get on, for this was his train back to Delhi, where he was going for the vacations. The exams were over, and after a day long trip in Kolkata, he decided to go back home for the week. He broke into a run, but just as he did, he collided into a young bearded man. He looked straight at him, apologized to him, and hurried off, jumping into the train just at the right time.
The man he collided into stood there and smiled. He was wearing a yellow t-shirt and track pants. His beard looked like it hadn’t been shaven for a month, and he had a mole beside his nose. He looked dirty, drunk and ragged. He was just the kind of guy you’d expect to see in a brothel. That was probably why he had come to Kolkata at night, to spend the night there. The collision served as a perfect test. Nobody could recognize me in this get up.
I took a bus to Rajabazar, and walked straight to his ‘centre’.
“What do you want?” Someone else was on guard today.
“What do people want here?” I said in the best drunk tone I could fake.
“You have the money? Drunken as
ses like you show up at our doors all the time. You never have the money. Get the hell out of here.”
I took a hundred rupee note out and held it out to him. “Is this good enough for you?”
He took the money, and then ushered me in.
The man inside was the same as before. “Is this one good enough for you?” He asked, pointing you a youngish girl, who gave a weird expression and winked at me. She was scantily and provocatively dressed, with her hair flowing down her shoulders. Despite all this, there was a disgust that she had towards this job, and it was evident from her face. She didn’t want to be there, and probably would have left at the first chance she got, but I guess she didn’t get any chance at all.
“Yes, she’s good enough.” I returned that weird smile of hers, and she led me into a room and closed the door. It was time for me to take my chance now. This was the only way I could get something done. I had to do something quickly, to ensure that what I needed to do was done smoothly.
She started to undress, but just as she did, I asked her to stop. She gave me a weird expression. I handed her a hundred rupee note, and said, “We need to talk.”
She gave me a puzzled expression as I motioned her to sit down, and then sat down beside me on the bed. “Are you actually interested in doing this?”
“I’m not here for interviews. Fuck me if you want to, or pay me and get out of here.”
“Calm down. I’m not here for an interview. I’m here for something much better. Answer my question. Do you like it here? Will you leave if given an opportunity?”
“Of course I would. This whole place disgusts me. I want to get out of here as soon as possible. I was sold to these people by that jerk of a brother that I had, and have had to stay here since then. They keep me fed and pretty, and that is it. I don’t have a life beyond this whore house.”
“Good. Let’s talk work then. There is a girl I need to help escape from here. I don’t know her name, but I know her face. She came in here very recently I think, and she goes back to her home once a year for a few days. Do you have any idea of who she may be?”
“There are a couple of new girls here, but only one of them is allowed to go back home. Meira is her name here, and I don’t know her real name. I talk to her from time to time. What exactly do you want me to do?”
“I want you to help me get Meira out. First, you’re gonna have to get me to meet her once. I’ll come again tomorrow morning. Try convincing the guy to let me go with Meira. Then, we’ll decide on a time and day to escape, and get out of here. We’ll have to leave at a time when the activity is low, and then get out of here as fast as we can.”
“Easier said than done. The henchmen will start looking for us soon after we escape, and we’ll be caught in no time.”
“Not necessarily. If we get out of here soon enough, and leave the city, there is a good chance that we may not get caught. Gujjar, the owner of the entire business, operates principally in Bengal, Bihar and Jharkhand. If you can get out of this area, you will be safe. Just maintain a low profile.”’
“You are right. The idea seems good. Come in tomorrow at noon, and you’ll get to spend the time you want to with her. Talk things out, and you’ll be good to go. What is your name, by the way?”
“My name doesn’t matter. Just refer to me as the bearded drunk who came in the previous night.”
“Alright. I hope you know what you are doing. Please get us out of here as soon as possible. Good luck.” She gave me a quick hug, and messed her look up a bit, so that it didn’t look suspicious.”
In that brothel, among the sighs and moans coming from the other rooms, I had finally hatched my plan. Meira, or whatever her real name was, would be free soon, and my job would be done. I would finally be free from the guilt of not acting several years ago, and the bad dreams would stop coming. Redemption from my sins was difficult, but it would be achieved soon. I was finally happy.
I walked back to the road, and took a cab to a lodge nearby, to spend the night there.
CHAPTER 12
The amount of stress laid on to the appearance of a person becomes evident when one is on the receiving end of the ugly looks. I got refused by cab drivers three times just, getting dirty looks from each of them. My rather ugly appearance seemed to have had a rather strong effect on the people around me.
Once I was on the road, though, nobody seemed to care much about me, despite me having a bottle of whisky in my hand. I walked past a cop pretty calmly, and he didn’t even budge. I had thought drinking in broad daylight in such public places was a crime. It turns out that nothing really is a crime, because the people responsible for enforcing the law don’t really care about the law.
I reached the brothel around noon, and walked straight inside. The guard there didn’t really do anything, since he recognized me from the previous night. I was greeted by the same guy, this time with a grin. They treated the returning customers better than the new ones. He smiled at me and said, “The girl you were with last night told me that you were too much for her. You seem to be quite a man.”
I grinned back at him.
“We have just the right girl for you then.” He said, pointing to a rather athletic looking girl.
I looked around for the girl I had spoken to last night. She was nowhere to be seen. Did she fool me? Was I stupid enough to trust a stranger and put Meira’s life in danger? Of course I was! How could I put Meira in danger because of my own stupidities? I should have known better than that. Now she had no escape, and would probably be caught and killed.
The man looked at my blank expression, and assumed that I was not interested in that girl. “I think I should listen to that girl now. She told me you needed something purer, but I didn’t listen to her. Don’t worry, our latest is free right now, but we’ll charge extra for her.”
“That’s okay. Bring her to me.”
“She’ll be here in a minute.” He held out his hand, and I gave him double the money that I had given him the previous night. He put the money in his pocket, and signalled to a man standing at the door.
After what seemed like an eternity, I finally heard footsteps coming from behind me. She walked towards me, her head fixed on the floor.
“Take good care of this man Meira, he’s paying quite a bit for you. If we hear any complaint from him, you will be taken care of pretty well.” He grinned at her as he said that to her, and she looked at him with fear.
She took my hand and walked me into a room nearby, shutting the door behind her. She bolted the door, and walked slowly towards me, faking a smile and completely at it. Her discomfort was evident from my face.
“You didn’t recognize me too, Meira. It’s me, the guy you met in the train.”
She had a shocked and disgusted look on her face. She certainly didn’t expect me to see me in a brothel like this for the second time, and this entire thing came as a huge shock to her. “What do you want me to do with you?” she asked me, the disgust evident in her tone.
“I’m not here for what you think I am. I am here to get you out of this mess. It’s time you leave this place. I’ve spoken to another girl, and she has agreed to help. We must get out of here.”
“What? Are you serious? There is no way I can escape this place. They keep a constant watch on me, because they know I can escape at any point of time. This place is guarded very well, and escape from here is practically impossible.”
“There has to be some way to get out of here. Plus, we have another person helping us now, so that should make things easier. We should be able to get out of here.”
“There is a door on the back side of the building which leads to a walled backyard, but the wall is eight feet high, and jumping it will gather attention from the people on the front gate, and we’ll get caught easily.”
“Why can’t I just pay your debt off and free you from here?”
“That is because they don’t want me to leave this place now. Some other people had tried to buy me from these people
too, but they turned out every offer made. Apparently, I am too valuable to them to part with.”
“I see. Our best option then is to ensure that the jump is as soft as possible. Where is this door, and when can we do this?”
“The wall is the one you see after you go to the next building. It leads to a small lane, which is connected to the main road. It is basically behind the building, so that makes it easier to get out. I think a time of around 3 a.m. should be fine, because the people coming reduce then. I will fake an illness that night, so that they don’t force me to work. Who is the other girl?”
“I don’t know her name, but she will contact you soon. I need a date too.”
“How about we do this tomorrow?”
“No. my work ends day after. Can we do this two days later?”
“Okay. Make sure you’re not seen by the people around. Everyone is afraid of these goons, and they’ll do anything to get in their favour. So you will have to be very careful around them. Just make sure you get here on time. I will be ready.”
“Okay. I’ll make the other arrangements. The other girl knows you, so she will contact you. Inform her about the date, so that both of you can escape together. We have to be very careful about this. One small mistake can put both of you in serious danger.”
“I know that very well. I hope we get this done well enough. I really want to get out of here into a safer place. This is not what I was born for.”
“I know. Don’t worry; I’ll get you out of here safely. You don’t need to worry about that.”
We followed the same drill. She gave me a quick hug, and then messed her look up a bit, so that the people outside didn’t get suspicious. “I hope you had a good time this time,” the man outside said, grinning at me. I grinned back at him, not wanting to say another word.
Another cab ride took me back to the lodge, where I dumped the beard and lost the ragged clothes. I changed back into my former look, picked up my stuff, and took a cab back to Santragachi railway station. I took my phone out and called my dad. “The train was early dad. I’m back in Kolkata.”