Shocking

The sun was out already. My Nakul bhaiya was already waiting in the garden behind Sai Baba’s mandir. With him were Avantika and Raghu. She just couldn’t get it as to why Nakul was believing all of this. All of the were waiting for Sabun’s arrival. Sabun, who was an incomplete story in the form of a human.

"Are you sure that he’ll come? '

Bhaiya asked Raghu.

"That's a story not a human, who lies. The story can be fake but it is never a lie. Now that he said that he’ll come means he definitely will.” Raghu responded strangely.

All of a sudden, Raghu could see Sabun approaching them from one end. Along with Sabun, there were the remaining 11 members too but Raghu couldn’t see them. In fact, Avantika and Nakul bhaiya couldn’t see anyone. Not even Sabun.

" Sabun’s here."

However, Nakul bhaiya was surprised. He couldn’t see anyone.

“I can’t see anyone. Where is Sabun?”

"Kushal had once read it out for me and I’d really liked it. That is why I can see him. You on the other hand, had read that story yourself. Try to recollect it. You’ll definitely see Sabun then."

As soon as Raghu said that, Nakul bhaiya remembered something. Something that I had told him once. If we really love someone, we can hear their voice, can see their face. Similarly, if we read any story with our heart and mind, we can actually see that story in reality. It’s just that the story must have some truth to it, some dignity, something worth remembering. Nakul bhaiya then closed his eyes. Avantika was really worried by now. And Raghu was constantly observing Sabun. An incomplete, a half Sabun. Sabun’s left hand was dripping with foam. Raghu then asked Sabun, “Do you have anyone else over here with you?”

He nodded. The remaining 11 members were around Sabun. Aakash, Budhiya, Falak, Jungle all of them were present over there. Raghu tried to see all of them, but unfortunately, he couldn’t. Nakul bhaiya then started recollecting Sabun’s story.

A 9 years old child who stole soap from a store. He was an orphan. He had only a single pair of clothes. He had found a teacher who was willing to teach him. That teacher had told him once, to clean himself, and also wanted him to wear fresh clean clothes. The child was bashed by the shopkeeper for stealing soap from his store. And that is why, he was called by the name Sabun in his locality.

As soon as Nakul bhaiya could recollected the story, his eyes were all teary. When he opened his damp eyes, he was shocked. He could finally see Sabun. Dirty clothes. And half of his body foamy, just like soap. Raghu again asked Nakul bhaiya-

“Can you see him now?”

Nakul bhaiya nodded. Avantika was tensed. She also couldn’t see anything or anyone. Sabun then faced Nakul bhaiya and started talking to him,

"Kushal is with us in Tarun’s flat. Tarun had thrown him in the woods. We brought him home from the woods. We’ve kept him hidden in a bed"

Nakul bhaiya was shocked, again. He didn’t get a good feeling out of this. Sabun continued-" You should come to Dindoshi with us, where Trun’s flat is. You’ll find Kushal over there."

"Kushal is fine, right? Why have you kept him hidden in a bed?”

Sabun didn’t know what to answer. He started looking at his team mates faces. He wasn’t sure if he should tell Nakul bhaiya the exact truth. The things that Sabun said had scared Nakul bhaiya. He asked him once again.

"Answer me Sabun, Kushal is fine right? Nothing has happened to him, right?"

Sabun was waiting for his team mates to answer to this question. But everyone was quiet. No one knew what to tell Nakul bhaiya. Even Raghu was confused. Avantika had no clue about what exactly was happening over there because she couldn’t see anyone other than Nakul bhaiya and Raghu. And then, Nakul bhaiya started crying.

"Something is wrong Avantika. I'm really scared. I just have to see my brother. "

My brother was all emotional by now.

“What is Sabun talking? What did he say?" asked Avantika.

"We have to go with Sabun right now. Something doesn’t feel right. Sabun wants to show us something.”

And then, Sabun started walking ahead. All three of them followed him.

Avantika and Nakul bhaiya were on his bike. Raghu had taken a bus to Dindoshi (Goregaon, Mumbai). Even Sabun sat with Nakul bhaiya on his bike. Wasn’t this surprising? One story was with Nakul bhaiya on his bike and the remaining 11 stories were following them, just looking at each other.

With a thousand questions in his heart, a brother was looking out for his younger brother and on the way, Nakul bhaiya got many flashbacks. An hour later, Nakul bhaiya arrived outside the same apartment. Nakul bhaiya got quite apprehensive when he arrived in the premises of the building. He took out the visiting card from his pocket, the same which he had found in the woods. He looked at Sabun and remembered what he’d said about Tarun; ‘Tarun had dumped Kushal in the woods, we brought him back over here with us.’ Nakul bhaiya’s heart was pounding in his chest. He started climbing the stairs quickly. Avantika followed him.

◆◆◆

"You should go out of Mumbai for a few days," said the extremely fat man sitting in front of him. Tarun and Sahim were sitting in the office talking. As soon as Sahim said that, Tarun started laughing-

"Don’t worry sir. Where did Kushal go, what actually happened to him, no one knows or will ever know. Why worry about getting caught?"

"Who else knows about all this except us? "

“Sakshi.”

"Then why are you asking me such a stupid question. I don’t want to get caught because of you. What if Sakshi turns against us?”

“She’ll meet with the same fate as Tarun, simple.”

"Are you crazy? You’re a coordinator, right? You’ve done it once and that’s enough. Take my advice and go to Manali for a few days. I’ll deal with Sakshi."

"But ..."

"Tarun listen to me. Kushal’s family won’t be at peace until and unless they won’t find him. They will definitely try everything that’s possible. So, just this time listen to me. Pack your bags and leave for Manali as soon as possible."

Tarun vexed and went out of the office. An irritated Sahim said to himself-

"Stupid. Couldn’t do a thing properly.”

The flat was locked. Outside the flat were Avantika and Nakul bhaiya. Avantika was still trying to figure out as to what was happening around her. Sabun was standing next to them. He then rang the doorbell. And out of the eleven people inside, Aakash opened the door. Avantika was shocked and wondered that when the flat was locked from outside, who was it who opened the door? At the same time, Raghu called Nakul bhaiya to inquire about the flat number. After talking to Raghu over the phone, he kept the call and went inside the flat. Everyone, including Akash, Budhiya were looking at Nakul bhaiya.

" Where is my brother? Kushal, Kushal, I’ve come to take you home."

He frantically started looking out for Kushal. And then, Sabun directed Nakul bhaiya to come to the bedroom. Nakul bhaiya entered the bedroom. And then Avantika stirred. The top of the bed opened up on its own. And what they saw after that, left them speechless. It was a corpse. My corpse. Nakul bhaiya started screaming and crying. He hugged my corpse and cried his heart out. The 12 black cloaked people also started mourning. Raghu also reached at that time. He rushed into the bedroom after he heard Nakul bhaiya’s scream. When he saw my dead body, he too was in a state of shock. My body was in pieces. My head, legs, hands torso, everything was cut down. It was these 12 people who’d kept all of my body parts together.

"I’d promised baba I’d bring Kushal back in one piece. Alive. How am I supposed to take him home like this?” Nakul bhaiya cried. And then all of a sudden, he asked-

“Who did this?”

"Tarun." Sabun replied immediately.

Nakul bhaiya’s fist got tight. His eyes were red in anger and his lips were shivering. His entire body was shaking due to anger. Seeing his dear brother like that, lifeless, in pieces in front of him, broke him. Nakul bhaiya had heard about Tarun from Sabun. And at that exact moment, Tarun was about to enter his flat. He sensed immediately that someone was inside his flat. The door was left open. In a hurry, Raghu had kept it open. He slowly, without making any noise, entered the flat. He could hear some whispers from the bedroom. He rushed towards his bedroom. A confused Tarun saw a girl and two boys in his bedroom.