08-01-2025, 05:56 AM
The next day, Imran met his two friends, Aamir and Ali, at their usual hangout spot – a small tea stall tucked between a fruit market and a tailor's shop. They were both 18, like him, and had known each other since they were kids. As they sipped on sweet, milky chai, Aamir noticed the dark circles under Imran's eyes. "What happened, yaar?" he asked, his concern genuine. "You look like you've seen a ghost."
Imran took a deep breath, his hand shaking slightly as he held his cup. He hadn't slept much the previous night, haunted by the events on the bus. He felt like he can’t hold it anymore and let it out "It's Mom," he began, his voice low. "Those... those two animals on the bus..."
Aamir's and Ali's expressions grew serious as they leaned in closer, their curiosity piqued. "What happened?" Ali asked, his eyes narrowing with concern.
Imran took a sip of his tea, trying to gather the words to explain the unspeakable. "Mom... she was molested on the bus yesterday." His voice was tight, each syllable forced through clenched teeth.
Aamir and Ali's eyes widened, but it was Gopi, the oldest of the trio, who spoke first. His deep, rumbling voice was filled with anger. "What? Did you do anything?"
Imran nodded solemnly, his eyes dark with remembered rage. "I wanted to, but it was so crowded, and Mom... she just stood there." He paused, his voice cracking with the weight of his secret. "But I know who they were. I see them around the neighborhood sometimes."
Gopi's expression grew thunderous, his eyes glinting with a promise of violence. "Give me their names," he demanded. "I'll take care of it."
Imran felt a flicker of hope. Gopi was strong, fearless. He had a reputation in their neighborhood for dealing with troublemakers. If anyone could get justice for his mother, it was him. He rattled off the descriptions of the two men, his voice shaking with anger.
"I'll need to talk to your mom," Gopi said, his jaw clenched. "We have to be sure before we do anything."
Imran nodded, his heart racing at the thought of reliving the traumatic event with his mother. But he knew Gopi was right. They needed to be certain of the facts before they could act. "Okay," he agreed. "I'll take you to her."
As they approached Imran's home, Aamir and Ali exchanged knowing glances. They had noticed how Gopi's gaze often lingered on Nabila whenever they saw her in the neighborhood, the hunger in his eyes barely concealed. They knew he had a crush on her, but they had never dared to voice their suspicions to Imran. Now, as they followed Gopi into Imran’s house where Nabila was sitting on a sofa in the hall, her eyes red and swollen from crying, they couldn't help but feel a twinge of unease.
Imran's mother looked up at the sudden intrusion, her expression a mix of surprise and anger. "What is the meaning of this?" she demanded, her voice trembling. Imran stepped forward, his own anger at the men on the bus momentarily forgotten. "Mom, these are my friends. They want to help."
Nabila's gaze flickered from Imran to Gopi, then back again. "Help with what?" she asked, her voice sharp.
Imran took a deep breath, steeling himself for her reaction. "Mom, I told them what happened on the bus," he admitted, his voice dropping to a whisper.
Nabila's eyes flashed with fury as she shot to her feet, her hand slapping the table with a resounding crack. "How dare you?" she hissed, her voice quivering with barely restrained rage. "You promised, Imran!"
Imran took a step back, his eyes wide with shock. "Mom, I-I just wanted to... to make it right," he stuttered, his cheeks burning with embarrassment and guilt. "They said they could help. They won't tell anyone else, I promise."
But Nabila's anger was a living thing, a storm that had been brewing since the moment she had stepped off that bus. "You had no right!" she spat, her voice rising. "It's none of their business! You've made a fool out of me, out of us! What will people say?" Her hands trembled as she clutched her saree, her eyes flashing with betrayal.
Gopi stepped forward, his expression a mix of regret and determination. "Aunty, please," he began, his voice gentle despite his towering frame. "We're just trying to help. Those bastards don't deserve to walk the streets." He took a deep breath, his fists clenching at his sides. "We won't tell anyone, I swear. But we can't let them get away with this."
Nabila's eyes searched his, the anger slowly dissipating into despair. "What can you do?" she whispered, her voice brittle. "The world is full of monsters like them. They'll just find another victim."
Gopi stepped closer, his eyes intense. "I know a cop," he said firmly. "A good one. He'll listen to us. If you can identify those men, we can file a complaint. Maybe it won't bring you the peace you deserve, but it'll keep them from doing this to another woman."
Nabila's shoulders slumped, the weight of the world on her. She knew the risks of speaking out, the whispers that would follow. But the fire in her son's eyes and the promise in Gopi's voice gave her a flicker of hope. She took a deep breath and nodded slowly. "Alright," she murmured. "But we must be careful."
Gopi nodded solemnly, a plan forming in his mind. As they stepped out of the house, he couldn't help the smug laugh that bubbled up within him. He had been waiting for an opportunity to get closer to Nabila for so long, and now fate had handed it to him on a silver platter. The thought of playing the hero, the protector, filled him with a thrill that was dangerously close to lust. He knew it was wrong, but he couldn't deny the desire to be her savior, to have her look at him with something other than the polite indifference she usually reserved for the neighborhood boys.
They decided to go to the local security officer station the following day. Nabila, her resolve bolstered by her son's unshakable faith in Gopi, agreed to go along. As they waited in the stifling heat, surrounded by the dull murmur of other people's woes, Imran couldn't help but feel a mix of anger and anxiety.
The cop, a middle-aged man with a thick mustache and a weary expression, took down their statement with a surprising lack of judgment. He promised them that he would do his best to find the men, his pen moving swiftly over the pad of paper as Nabila recounted the incident, her voice steady despite the tremble in her hands. Imran felt a flicker of hope – maybe, just maybe, they could bring those monsters to justice.
As they left the station, the air outside seemed cleaner, the sun's rays less harsh. Nabila looked at them with newfound determination, her shoulders squared. "We've done our part," she said, her voice firm. "Now, let's go home and forget this ever happened."
Imran and his friends nodded, but Gopi's mind was racing. He couldn't shake the feeling that this was just the beginning. He had to make sure those men paid for their crimes. Over the next few days, he kept a vigilant watch around the neighborhood, his eyes scanning every face that passed by, hoping to spot the two men. His obsession grew, fueled by a need to avenge Nabila's honor and perhaps to claim some of it for himself.
One evening, as he was heading home from the tea stall, he saw them – the same two men leaning against a wall, smoking cigarettes and laughing. Imran confirmed it was them. Gopi’s heart pounded in his chest, and without a second thought, he approached them, his friends trailing behind. "You remember him?"(showing Imran) Gopi growled, his fists clenched at his sides. "You remember what you did to my aunt?"
The two men looked up, their expressions shifting from amusement to surprise and then to hostility. "What's your problem, kid?" the one with the scar on his cheek sneered, taking a step closer.
Gopi didn't flinch. "You know what my problem is," he spat back. "You're the animals who molested my aunt on the bus."
The scar-faced man's smug grin grew wider, showing a set of rotting teeth. "Oh, so you're the little hero, huh?" He took a drag of his cigarette, blowing the smoke in Gopi's face. "You think you can do anything about it?"
But Gopi had had enough. His muscles coiled like a spring, and before the man could react, he swung a punch that connected with a satisfying crunch against the side of his jaw. The man staggered back, surprise morphing into rage, but Gopi was already on him. His fists flew in a blur, landing one after the other with a ferocity that sent the man reeling into his friend. The second man tried to interfere, but Gopi was too quick. He grabbed the man by the collar and slammed him into the wall, his forearm pressing hard against his throat. "You think you can get away with this?" Gopi snarled, the veins in his neck bulging. "You think you can just touch anyone you want?"
The first man, still recovering from the initial assault, lunged at Gopi. Imran stepped in, driven by a primal instinct to protect his mother's honor. He threw a wild punch that glanced off the man's cheek, stunning him momentarily. The two friends, Aamir and Ali, weren't far behind. They had seen enough of this kind of behavior in their neighborhood and weren't about to let it go unchallenged. Together, the four of them descended upon the two men like a pack of wolves, their fists and feet landing with a symphony of painful thuds and cracks.
The street grew tense as people stopped to watch the unfolding spectacle, a few cheering on the youths. The men, caught off guard, tried to fight back, but they were no match for the fury of the boys. Imran's heart raced as he threw punches, each one fueled by the memory of his mother's suffering. The crowd grew, and soon, the men realized they were outnumbered and outmatched. They stumbled away, their clothes torn and faces bruised, cursing and spitting as they retreated.
Breathless and shaking, Imran watched them go, his chest heaving with anger and adrenaline. Gopi turned to him, a feral grin on his face. "You did good, yaar," he said, clapping him on the back. "They won't mess with anyone's mom again."
But the victory was hollow. The sight of his mother's abusers, bruised and beaten, didn't fill Imran with the satisfaction he had hoped. Instead, he felt a cold dread creeping up his spine. "What have we done?" he murmured. "We can't just... beat them and let it go. They'll come back. They'll want revenge."
Gopi's grin faded, the gravity of the situation finally setting in. "You're right," he said, his voice sober. "We need to be smarter." He glanced around, ensuring no one from the crowd had recognized them. "We need to teach them a lesson they won't forget."
The very next day, as Imran and Nabila stepped out of their house on their way to market, they were met with a chilling sight. The two men they had reported to the security officer were leaning against the autorickshaw parked outside, smirks on their faces. Nabila's eyes widened in fear, but before she could react, they grabbed Imran, yanking him into the waiting vehicle and sped away. She screamed, the sound echoing through the narrow alleyways, but by the time the neighbors rushed out, the autorickshaw had disappeared.
Her heart racing, Nabila called Gopi and her husband Rafi, recounting the horror in a trembling voice. They immediately sprang into action, searching the neighborhood and alerting the local authorities. But it wasn't until later that evening, when the sun had dipped below the horizon, that she received a chilling phone call. It was one of the men, his voice a sneer over the static-filled line. "If you want to see your son alive, come alone to the old mechanic's shop on the outskirts of the city. Don't tell anyone. If we see even a hint of the security officer, we'll slice him up like a piece of meat."
The room spun around Nabila, and she had to sit down to keep from collapsing. Her fear was a living, breathing entity in the room with her, wrapping its cold, clammy hands around her throat. She was torn between rage at the men who had done this to her and anger at her son for getting himself into this mess. How could he have been so reckless, so foolish?
"What have you done?" she whispered, her eyes brimming with unshed tears. She knew the dangers of speaking out, the risks they had taken. But she had allowed herself to hope that with Gopi's help, they could have brought those animals to justice without retribution. Now, it seemed that hope had been shattered into a million pieces, leaving only a path of pain and fear in its wake.
Her legs trembled as she approached the old mechanic's shop, the setting sun casting long shadows across the cracked concrete. The metal sign above the doorway creaked in the wind, a mournful sound that seemed to echo her own dread. The place was a relic of a bygone era, abandoned and forsaken, the perfect lair for men with no conscience.
The door groaned as she pushed it open, the sound piercing the silence of the deserted area. The smell of grease and dust hit her nose, a stark reminder of the world's cruel indifference. Inside, the light was dim, the only source a single, flickering bulb hanging from the ceiling. She saw Imran immediately, a stark silhouette against the grimy backdrop. His arms and legs were bound tightly with ropes, his mouth sealed shut with a piece of silver tape. His eyes, wide with terror, found hers, and in that moment, she knew she had to be strong, for both of them.
The two men sat on a wooden bench, a makeshift table in front of them with a half-empty bottle of whiskey and a crumpled pack of playing cards. They looked up from their game, grinning like hyenas who had just spotted a weak gazelle. One of them, the one with the scar, leered at her, his eyes raking over her body in a way that made her skin crawl. "Ah, the beauty has arrived," he sneered. "Your son's been a idiot, hasn't he?"
The other man, the one who had groped her on the bus first, stepped forward. He was clean-shaven and better dressed than his companion, but his eyes were cold and dead. "I'm Vijay," he said, his voice low and menacing. "This is my partner, Raju." He gestured to the scar-faced man, who gave a mocking bow. "You've been a busy woman, reporting us to the cops and all."
Imran took a deep breath, his hand shaking slightly as he held his cup. He hadn't slept much the previous night, haunted by the events on the bus. He felt like he can’t hold it anymore and let it out "It's Mom," he began, his voice low. "Those... those two animals on the bus..."
Aamir's and Ali's expressions grew serious as they leaned in closer, their curiosity piqued. "What happened?" Ali asked, his eyes narrowing with concern.
Imran took a sip of his tea, trying to gather the words to explain the unspeakable. "Mom... she was molested on the bus yesterday." His voice was tight, each syllable forced through clenched teeth.
Aamir and Ali's eyes widened, but it was Gopi, the oldest of the trio, who spoke first. His deep, rumbling voice was filled with anger. "What? Did you do anything?"
Imran nodded solemnly, his eyes dark with remembered rage. "I wanted to, but it was so crowded, and Mom... she just stood there." He paused, his voice cracking with the weight of his secret. "But I know who they were. I see them around the neighborhood sometimes."
Gopi's expression grew thunderous, his eyes glinting with a promise of violence. "Give me their names," he demanded. "I'll take care of it."
Imran felt a flicker of hope. Gopi was strong, fearless. He had a reputation in their neighborhood for dealing with troublemakers. If anyone could get justice for his mother, it was him. He rattled off the descriptions of the two men, his voice shaking with anger.
"I'll need to talk to your mom," Gopi said, his jaw clenched. "We have to be sure before we do anything."
Imran nodded, his heart racing at the thought of reliving the traumatic event with his mother. But he knew Gopi was right. They needed to be certain of the facts before they could act. "Okay," he agreed. "I'll take you to her."
As they approached Imran's home, Aamir and Ali exchanged knowing glances. They had noticed how Gopi's gaze often lingered on Nabila whenever they saw her in the neighborhood, the hunger in his eyes barely concealed. They knew he had a crush on her, but they had never dared to voice their suspicions to Imran. Now, as they followed Gopi into Imran’s house where Nabila was sitting on a sofa in the hall, her eyes red and swollen from crying, they couldn't help but feel a twinge of unease.
Imran's mother looked up at the sudden intrusion, her expression a mix of surprise and anger. "What is the meaning of this?" she demanded, her voice trembling. Imran stepped forward, his own anger at the men on the bus momentarily forgotten. "Mom, these are my friends. They want to help."
Nabila's gaze flickered from Imran to Gopi, then back again. "Help with what?" she asked, her voice sharp.
Imran took a deep breath, steeling himself for her reaction. "Mom, I told them what happened on the bus," he admitted, his voice dropping to a whisper.
Nabila's eyes flashed with fury as she shot to her feet, her hand slapping the table with a resounding crack. "How dare you?" she hissed, her voice quivering with barely restrained rage. "You promised, Imran!"
Imran took a step back, his eyes wide with shock. "Mom, I-I just wanted to... to make it right," he stuttered, his cheeks burning with embarrassment and guilt. "They said they could help. They won't tell anyone else, I promise."
But Nabila's anger was a living thing, a storm that had been brewing since the moment she had stepped off that bus. "You had no right!" she spat, her voice rising. "It's none of their business! You've made a fool out of me, out of us! What will people say?" Her hands trembled as she clutched her saree, her eyes flashing with betrayal.
Gopi stepped forward, his expression a mix of regret and determination. "Aunty, please," he began, his voice gentle despite his towering frame. "We're just trying to help. Those bastards don't deserve to walk the streets." He took a deep breath, his fists clenching at his sides. "We won't tell anyone, I swear. But we can't let them get away with this."
Nabila's eyes searched his, the anger slowly dissipating into despair. "What can you do?" she whispered, her voice brittle. "The world is full of monsters like them. They'll just find another victim."
Gopi stepped closer, his eyes intense. "I know a cop," he said firmly. "A good one. He'll listen to us. If you can identify those men, we can file a complaint. Maybe it won't bring you the peace you deserve, but it'll keep them from doing this to another woman."
Nabila's shoulders slumped, the weight of the world on her. She knew the risks of speaking out, the whispers that would follow. But the fire in her son's eyes and the promise in Gopi's voice gave her a flicker of hope. She took a deep breath and nodded slowly. "Alright," she murmured. "But we must be careful."
Gopi nodded solemnly, a plan forming in his mind. As they stepped out of the house, he couldn't help the smug laugh that bubbled up within him. He had been waiting for an opportunity to get closer to Nabila for so long, and now fate had handed it to him on a silver platter. The thought of playing the hero, the protector, filled him with a thrill that was dangerously close to lust. He knew it was wrong, but he couldn't deny the desire to be her savior, to have her look at him with something other than the polite indifference she usually reserved for the neighborhood boys.
They decided to go to the local security officer station the following day. Nabila, her resolve bolstered by her son's unshakable faith in Gopi, agreed to go along. As they waited in the stifling heat, surrounded by the dull murmur of other people's woes, Imran couldn't help but feel a mix of anger and anxiety.
The cop, a middle-aged man with a thick mustache and a weary expression, took down their statement with a surprising lack of judgment. He promised them that he would do his best to find the men, his pen moving swiftly over the pad of paper as Nabila recounted the incident, her voice steady despite the tremble in her hands. Imran felt a flicker of hope – maybe, just maybe, they could bring those monsters to justice.
As they left the station, the air outside seemed cleaner, the sun's rays less harsh. Nabila looked at them with newfound determination, her shoulders squared. "We've done our part," she said, her voice firm. "Now, let's go home and forget this ever happened."
Imran and his friends nodded, but Gopi's mind was racing. He couldn't shake the feeling that this was just the beginning. He had to make sure those men paid for their crimes. Over the next few days, he kept a vigilant watch around the neighborhood, his eyes scanning every face that passed by, hoping to spot the two men. His obsession grew, fueled by a need to avenge Nabila's honor and perhaps to claim some of it for himself.
One evening, as he was heading home from the tea stall, he saw them – the same two men leaning against a wall, smoking cigarettes and laughing. Imran confirmed it was them. Gopi’s heart pounded in his chest, and without a second thought, he approached them, his friends trailing behind. "You remember him?"(showing Imran) Gopi growled, his fists clenched at his sides. "You remember what you did to my aunt?"
The two men looked up, their expressions shifting from amusement to surprise and then to hostility. "What's your problem, kid?" the one with the scar on his cheek sneered, taking a step closer.
Gopi didn't flinch. "You know what my problem is," he spat back. "You're the animals who molested my aunt on the bus."
The scar-faced man's smug grin grew wider, showing a set of rotting teeth. "Oh, so you're the little hero, huh?" He took a drag of his cigarette, blowing the smoke in Gopi's face. "You think you can do anything about it?"
But Gopi had had enough. His muscles coiled like a spring, and before the man could react, he swung a punch that connected with a satisfying crunch against the side of his jaw. The man staggered back, surprise morphing into rage, but Gopi was already on him. His fists flew in a blur, landing one after the other with a ferocity that sent the man reeling into his friend. The second man tried to interfere, but Gopi was too quick. He grabbed the man by the collar and slammed him into the wall, his forearm pressing hard against his throat. "You think you can get away with this?" Gopi snarled, the veins in his neck bulging. "You think you can just touch anyone you want?"
The first man, still recovering from the initial assault, lunged at Gopi. Imran stepped in, driven by a primal instinct to protect his mother's honor. He threw a wild punch that glanced off the man's cheek, stunning him momentarily. The two friends, Aamir and Ali, weren't far behind. They had seen enough of this kind of behavior in their neighborhood and weren't about to let it go unchallenged. Together, the four of them descended upon the two men like a pack of wolves, their fists and feet landing with a symphony of painful thuds and cracks.
The street grew tense as people stopped to watch the unfolding spectacle, a few cheering on the youths. The men, caught off guard, tried to fight back, but they were no match for the fury of the boys. Imran's heart raced as he threw punches, each one fueled by the memory of his mother's suffering. The crowd grew, and soon, the men realized they were outnumbered and outmatched. They stumbled away, their clothes torn and faces bruised, cursing and spitting as they retreated.
Breathless and shaking, Imran watched them go, his chest heaving with anger and adrenaline. Gopi turned to him, a feral grin on his face. "You did good, yaar," he said, clapping him on the back. "They won't mess with anyone's mom again."
But the victory was hollow. The sight of his mother's abusers, bruised and beaten, didn't fill Imran with the satisfaction he had hoped. Instead, he felt a cold dread creeping up his spine. "What have we done?" he murmured. "We can't just... beat them and let it go. They'll come back. They'll want revenge."
Gopi's grin faded, the gravity of the situation finally setting in. "You're right," he said, his voice sober. "We need to be smarter." He glanced around, ensuring no one from the crowd had recognized them. "We need to teach them a lesson they won't forget."
The very next day, as Imran and Nabila stepped out of their house on their way to market, they were met with a chilling sight. The two men they had reported to the security officer were leaning against the autorickshaw parked outside, smirks on their faces. Nabila's eyes widened in fear, but before she could react, they grabbed Imran, yanking him into the waiting vehicle and sped away. She screamed, the sound echoing through the narrow alleyways, but by the time the neighbors rushed out, the autorickshaw had disappeared.
Her heart racing, Nabila called Gopi and her husband Rafi, recounting the horror in a trembling voice. They immediately sprang into action, searching the neighborhood and alerting the local authorities. But it wasn't until later that evening, when the sun had dipped below the horizon, that she received a chilling phone call. It was one of the men, his voice a sneer over the static-filled line. "If you want to see your son alive, come alone to the old mechanic's shop on the outskirts of the city. Don't tell anyone. If we see even a hint of the security officer, we'll slice him up like a piece of meat."
The room spun around Nabila, and she had to sit down to keep from collapsing. Her fear was a living, breathing entity in the room with her, wrapping its cold, clammy hands around her throat. She was torn between rage at the men who had done this to her and anger at her son for getting himself into this mess. How could he have been so reckless, so foolish?
"What have you done?" she whispered, her eyes brimming with unshed tears. She knew the dangers of speaking out, the risks they had taken. But she had allowed herself to hope that with Gopi's help, they could have brought those animals to justice without retribution. Now, it seemed that hope had been shattered into a million pieces, leaving only a path of pain and fear in its wake.
Her legs trembled as she approached the old mechanic's shop, the setting sun casting long shadows across the cracked concrete. The metal sign above the doorway creaked in the wind, a mournful sound that seemed to echo her own dread. The place was a relic of a bygone era, abandoned and forsaken, the perfect lair for men with no conscience.
The door groaned as she pushed it open, the sound piercing the silence of the deserted area. The smell of grease and dust hit her nose, a stark reminder of the world's cruel indifference. Inside, the light was dim, the only source a single, flickering bulb hanging from the ceiling. She saw Imran immediately, a stark silhouette against the grimy backdrop. His arms and legs were bound tightly with ropes, his mouth sealed shut with a piece of silver tape. His eyes, wide with terror, found hers, and in that moment, she knew she had to be strong, for both of them.
The two men sat on a wooden bench, a makeshift table in front of them with a half-empty bottle of whiskey and a crumpled pack of playing cards. They looked up from their game, grinning like hyenas who had just spotted a weak gazelle. One of them, the one with the scar, leered at her, his eyes raking over her body in a way that made her skin crawl. "Ah, the beauty has arrived," he sneered. "Your son's been a idiot, hasn't he?"
The other man, the one who had groped her on the bus first, stepped forward. He was clean-shaven and better dressed than his companion, but his eyes were cold and dead. "I'm Vijay," he said, his voice low and menacing. "This is my partner, Raju." He gestured to the scar-faced man, who gave a mocking bow. "You've been a busy woman, reporting us to the cops and all."