The Retribution

By Sreemoyee Mitra

“Oh ho! You’re just 5 minutes late my friend!” said the man on the bus stand sipping the last drops of his tea. Raghav could not contain his disappointment and sat on the bench beside him. If only he had finished his business a little earlier in Pune. Shit! He cursed. Why did the bus have to be from here? He was not very good at planning public transports; it has been a long time since he did one.

“When is the next bus to Mumbai?” asked an anxious Raghav while checking his phone; he wasn’t getting any network signals since some time now. Ishika would be angry he feared.

“There is no bus Five the in morning. You better find a hotel and stay back tonight” said the man in the red shirt while paying money for the tea. “Don’t stay here all night. It isn’t safe, this highway has a reputation of accidents and robbery.”

“Yes sir you should go from here. It is getting late and I will close my shop shortly” said the old shopkeeper whose son had already started wrapping their daily earnings.”

“I cannot be that late. I’ve to reach by dawn. Please, I insist, there must be another way” pleaded Raghav.

“There are certain tourist buses which go from here, if you’re lucky enough and they find you, you can get a ride. But mostly they’re in great speed, so I would not recommend” said the red shirt man. He seemed like a wise middle aged man. As he climbed on his bike he looked at Raghav and said “If you want, I can give you a ride to a hotel nearby”

“No sir thank you” said Raghav who was determined about returning.

“Very well then brother, Good night” the man went away on his bike leaving behind a trail of smoke amidst the fog that has started accumulating everywhere.

“It usually becomes very dark and quiet at night sir. You should’ve gone with him” Said the shopkeeper who seemed very agitated by Raghav’s decision of staying back.

It was around 7:30 p.m when they closed the shop and headed home but not before warning Raghav for the last time about the inconveniences and dangers of staying there. Apart from wild animals and thieves they even mentioned certain tortured spirits who abodes in those roads and trees to which Raghav laughed secretly.

“Don’t worry I shall be fine. I’m sure a bus will come. Thank you for your concern.” They tried giving a smile back to him but left reluctantly.

One hour passed by without a single bus in sight. The light in front of the shop was left on by the shopkeeper for him. He was killing time reading business magazines. Few cars went by but Raghav didn’t ask for any lift. He fears intentions of strange humans more than the spirits. He slapped the back of his neck in disgust and said “wild animals my foot only mosquitoes. If a bus doesn’t come soon I’ll probably be left dead without a drop of blood” he uttered angrily. Even his phone’s network was unstable. He couldn’t call home to tell his wife about the situation. He had lied about Pune; he feared the worst. What if Ishika finds out where I was? He thought to himself but immediately dropped the thought. Huh! I would be there in the morning before she wakes up she won’t even try to find out. He relaxed and stretched his legs while laying back on the bench of the closed shop.

It's been 7 years of marriage. A happy married life or what Raghav had pictured to Ishika. Ishika was the daughter of one of the wealthiest lawyer in the city. Raghav had done internship under Mr. Bhatak and landed up this plan of being successful and rich. Ishika often visited his father’s office for her own work; she was an aspiring CA then. It didn’t take much long for Raghav to realize Ishika’s feelings for him. He then knew what to do. He forgot everything in his life and focused on making Ishika his prized wife. Mr. Bhatak wasn’t a fool either; he made Raghav sign a pre nuptial agreement barring him from any if his wife’s possession if anything unusual happens to his wife or he leaves her. Raghav was hesitant but was shrewd enough to go through with it. Ishika was smart, classy and a charming woman. Raghav knew he would be happy with her. But alas it was him. All the status and money even the love from his wife couldn’t take away his betrayal side. He met Rai on a work trip to Chicago. Rai reminded him of his freedom and made him feel wanted as a man not just the successful lawyer he was. It has been 2 years now they’ve been seeing each other secretly. Raghav is not just a successful lawyer he really was the best. Since 2 years he has successfully kept their affair in the shadows. Rai had a doing in it too. She was an actress and to be involved with a married man would tear up her image. They both liked the relationship exactly the way it was. Physical and discrete. Considering how careful Rai usually is, Raghav was shocked at yesterday’s sudden message. “Come over tomorrow to Parihill resort, Pune. I’ve made the arrangements. Be discrete and we shall be fine”. Discrete he was, only forgot to be punctual. Had he left the resort 10 minutes ago, he wouldn’t be here being a feast to the mosquitoes. Raghav blamed himself for his situation.

While he was caught up thinking about how to make it up to his wife, whom he is going to wish their 7 years Anniversary tomorrow, a flash of light interrupted his thoughts. Yes!! It is a bus!! A tourist bus! Raghav glanced at his watch. Almost Ten. Phew! He was exhausted yet with all his strength he stopped the bus. The stopped few metres ahread of him and pulled back. A man came out of the bus and asked in irritation:

“Who are you? What are you doing here at this hour?”

“I am to return to Mumbai but have missed my bus. Here, see my ticket” Raghav held his bus ticket up.

“Okay okay I get it.” said the agitated man. He was a middle aged bald man, in tshirt and a track pant. He seemed least interested in understanding Raghav’s problem. “Our bus is full. You cannot ride with us” the man stated and started walking towards the bus.

“Please sir, I’ll sit on the floor. I really have to be there tomorrow morning. Raghav pleaded with all his strength.

“Look son, wait for few hours I’m sure you’ll get a bus. We cannot accommodate you” said the man firmly and politely. His words were sharp yet felt very grieved to Raghav. As they were talking, Raghav could hear noises from inside the bus. Everyone seemed upset as to why the bus had stopped.

“Please sir please.” Raghav held the man’s hands and requested. He even insisted on giving money for the delay but the man refused. After a short argument the man let Raghav inside the bus and said “Remember it was your wish”.

Raghav felt like he got air back in his lungs. He jumped onto the bus and grabbed an aisle seat beside a girl on the 4th row. While sitting he thought how irritating the man as he lied to him about the bus being full.

The bus had started moving. Raghav pulled out his earphones and proceeded to listen to music. Without any internet, music was all he could have his phone do. The bus was moving pretty fast Raghav wondered. I’ll be there on time. He smiled and relaxed on the seat. But as he looked around he felt he is the only person on the bus to be happy. Due to the exhaustion of waiting and overwhelmed with joy, he didn’t notice this earlier but the passengers of the bus seemed particularly eerie. Most of them seemed doomed, some of them sat with their eyes open, with tears peeping inside their eyes, few of them laughed together, altogether it was just very strange. Shifting his eyes from other seats Raghav noticed the woman sitting beside him. He couldn’t see his face as she has been staring out of the window all this time. He saw she had a bag with her resting on her lap. Bag! Raghav shook in terror as he suddenly realized that he did not see any bag on the luggage carrier. He got up from his seat. No! He was right. There were no other bags than his. How is this possible?? He got seated completely flabbergasted. The strangeness in the bus, the play of shadow and light inside the bus, the lies of that man, a bus with no luggage, nothing added up to Raghav. He again glanced at the woman beside him; she had her head down on her knees with her feet up on the seat. She seemed sleepy. Raghav tried easing and focused on choosing a song on his phone. The phone flashed with the name “Ishika”. His network was back!! He picked up the call and whispered slowly “my flight was delayed. I’ll be there soon. It’s about to take off soon. My phone was not working. Don’t worry babe. Love you too.” Raghav disconnected the call and changed his phone to airplane mode.

“Lies come as easy to Raghav Mehen as easy comes waves to sea.” Raghav shuddered as he heard a female voice whispering his name beside him.

He knew this voice. It has been exactly 7 years since he heard it.

“Mita?” Raghav exclaimed in sheer surprise.

“So I’m not that unforgettable am I Raghav?” the woman beside him lifted her face.

It was Mita Nayak. The smartest girl of their batch and Raghav’s ex girlfriend. Raghav looked at her carefully. She has changed so much. Her hair, her styling everything seemed different. But that face! What a beauty! Raghav couldn’t help but stared at her overcoming his shock from this unexpected meet. The eeriness of the bus has worn off from his mind; he was sitting beside Mita, the girl he left!

Raghav blushed. “You never were” he replied.

“Really? I remember otherwise. Do you…” Raghav stopped Mita and said “it’s in the past Mita. We both were very young. Can we not forget and talk like two friends meeting after a longtime? Raghav insisted.

But the flashbacks had already occupied Mita’s mind. She controlled herself and replied “Sure. How are you? I expected you to be in a BMW by now.” Mita stopped and waited for Raghav to answer.

“I had some personal business. It was easier to take a bus and not the car.” Raghav added “but enough about me what about you?”

Mita’s face suddenly changed and she almost shouted the words “why are you on this bus?” It was as if she suddenly remembered something important.

“I’m going to Mumbai. Are you all not?” Before Raghav could say anything more Mita almost pushed him and stood up “No no no no you cannot be in this bus. You’ve to get out. She rushed towards the front row and talked with someone. Their conversation was so discreet it did not reach Raghav’s ears. After few minutes, Mita came back, composed and got seated.

“What was that?” asked Raghav, still trying to process everything.

“I guess it’s only destiny that you are” smiled Mita looking at Raghav

“I guess so too” Raghav smiled back and leaned towards Mita.

“So…. RAGHAV..What were you doing in Pune? Personal business you mentioned. Wife?” smirked Mita while asking the question. She has pulled herself a little aside from Raghav.

Determining the sarcasm in her tone and reason of her words, Raghav said “I’m not happy Mita. Rai gives me the freedom that I miss at home. The freedom I had with…” Mita put her left hand on Raghav’s shoulder and stopped him.

“Don’t” she murmured. “So once a cheater, always a cheater” she said while turning her face back towards the window.

The bus was going awfully fast. But what Raghav just realized is that it wasn’t taking its common route. The bus was going off route through trees. Raghav panicked.

“Mita! The bus is going on a wrong direction” he gasped and panicked.

“Relax. It’s running on its course. Go to sleep and everything would be fine.” Mita was calm and seemed relaxed.

“Are you naïve? Or have you forgotten this road completely. It’s dangerous and lengthier this way. Wait let me talk to the driver.” Raghav stood up and moved towards the front of the bus. The bus had taken up quite the speed and it was very difficult navigating inside it. As he tried moving slowly, the grim faces of the passengers terrified him. They all looked like they’ve seen death. But Raghav ignored and moved towards the driver. A morose mist had taken over the bus it seemed. Does it usually fog this much in September?

“Which way are you taking us? Are you new or what? ” Raghav lashed at the driver; but the driver did not even flinch a bit. Raghav looked around and found the passengers unnaturally calm about this. It was as if they did not care for the route, they all were just so very sad about something. But he could not sit tight, he had to reach home. So he placed his hand on the man’s shoulder and as he turned around Raghav shuddered back. He was a man probably in his 50s, lean yet stout. But what is this? Even in this chilly weather, Raghav had started sweating profusely. He fell on the seat beside the driver in disbelief. What on earth is going on! The man was blind! Raghav lost his senses.

When he gained his consciousness he found himself lying half hanged beside the driver seat. Raghav noticed that the man was barely even doing anything. The bus was probably running at a speed of 70kmph. As he turned his back he found Mita leaning towards him in anger.

“Get back in your seat” she almost threatened Raghav. Seeing his inability to move, Mita almost dragged his hand. After reaching their seats Raghav started growling in terror. He cries were silent yet very loud.

“What is going on? Why are you all so calm? The driver is blind! He is BLIND! Who are you? His words were mixed with infirmity and terror while he drenched in his own sweat.

“We never asked you to be here. But I guess it is only your fate that it had to be like this.” Mita continued talking despite looking outside the windows. She had opened the windows wide and the gush of wind was blowing her hair and messing around her face. Had it be some other time, Raghav would’ve fallen again, but now, all he cared for was his life.

She continued “This is not a tourist bus Raghav. Look around, you’ll see misery, desperation, surrender and disparity. We are all very tired. Tired of fighting for our lives, some few years some even more. Do you even know how it feels to slowly see your dreams burn? Your loved ones desperately tring to make your life a little longer? NO. You don’t.” she stopped, Mita’s voice was choking from dry cries. She spoke again “When I first saw you in the bus I thought life was finally giving you the taste of your deed, but I was wrong. It seems you were just very unlucky to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. My dear Mr. Mehen, this bus is our death wish. And now you’re a part of it.”

“DEATH WISH?” Raghav sprung up from his seat but was immediately pulled down by Mita. “Sit down” she murmured angrily. She then continued “You see that couple over there” Raghav’s eyes hovered over the seat next to him. There was an old couple who now, were holding hands while tears were rolling down their eyes. Their heads rested on each other. Mita said “They have been together for the past 65 years. Both of them recently found out that their children are making excuses to not meet them, even stopped sending money, they’re in their 80s now. Do you think it is an offence if they wished to die consciously and together? I think not. They have earned this. See that man over there, he has AIDS. His family disowned without even caring to know how he got it. He is just 37. And that lady over there, her husband is getting involved with other woman now as she is fighting terminal cancer for the past 9 years. She has had enough to see and experience. And our driver? He was an uber driver but one night while he was reaching a location for a pickup a speeding truck hit him. He survived but lost his eyes due to massive head injury. His family is very poor and he cannot watch his wife cleaning toilets for a living to feed them. He chose death over life. One can judge him but here we don’t. He was being a burden to his family. With him gone, they’ll have a less stomach to fill.”

Mita stopped to take a breath. He faced Raghav and stared directly into his eyes. It was as if she could pierce through his bones and get into his soul. Raghav sat there unmoved; his motor responses were not abiding him. He wanted to scream and escape this nightmare but sat still in horror. Mita’s words pierced him like a thousand ice spikes. She continued “But all these do not bother you. You self centered pathetic excuse for a man”. Raghav sat like a statue lifeless, yet droplets of sweats forming on his forehead. Mita continued “Just like my life, my will never bothered you. My dreams, my feelings, it never mattered. Do you know you left me deserted 5 days before my semester exams? I was shattered. I could barely eat anything for the next 2 days. My roommate took care of me and gave me the will to sit for the exams. But I did miserably. You know how it feels to have always been the best in every sphere of life but failing to sit for the campus interviews because you were ineligible? You don’t cause that very year you started as junior lawyer and married Ishika.” Mita stopped to wipe the tears. They were running fast. She gulped her feelings and said “I was devastated Raghav. I could not focus on my studies and had taken a job in a small law firm. Depression and frustration led me in to darkness and substances. I tortured myself so much with drugs that God punished me. It was when I had recovered and was living with my parents in Delhi that I was diagnosed with cancerous tumor. I had just started seeing life differently, starting to feel confident again. I fought. . . I fought for 3 years only to see my parents break down every now and then and blaming themselves for my fate. My brother was spending his college life in hospitals due to me. I couldn’t watch that with my eyes. I chose to end all of our agony. Ugh the feeling.” Mita broke down into tears.

Raghav felt the bus speeding up even more; he moved a little and gathered all his strength to finally speak.

“I am sorry Mita. I never wanted. . .” Mita raised her left hand and stopped him.

“Stoppp!! Every word that comes out of your mouth is a lie. You lie in court. You’re a bigger liar in life. You made promises to me and broke them when I needed you the most. You are the reason I am here today. You ended all our lives, mine, my parents; you’re even cheating on your wife, the woman you so desperately left me for.” Mita’s words came out in disgust. As she proceeded to say more a woman approached from behind. Mita stopped and looked at her. As Raghav turned his head around, he felt like the last bit of ground has moved from beneath his feet. It was Mrs. Chandra. Raghav recalled in disbelief. 6 months ago, her husband came to Raghav for a case of domestic violence. The woman had filed a case claiming that her husband abuses her now and then and treats her like his property. Just last week Raghav had closed the case, winning off course! He made this woman look like a liar, incapable of managing a household, even defamed her by saying he had an affair and only for the sole purpose of it, wanted to divorce. Chandra lost the case, unable to find justice for herself and haunted by the false accusations, this was her only way to liberty.

“I was just doing my job Mrs. Chandra. I never had any personal grudge against you” unable to comprehend her feelings from her face Raghav pleaded guilty and said “I am sorry. If possible, please forgive me.” He raised his face and stared at her.

“How many lives have you messed with bastard?” Mita lashed out. “Do you have any humanity left in you?”

“Let him be Miss. I am sure he had tasted some of his deed and that is why ended here.” She leaned upon Raghav and said the words “May you rot in hell”.

In the conundrum, Raghav forgot about the bus. He suddenly stood up from his seat and shouted “I’ve to get down” and pleaded “Please let me go. I promise I will make up for all my mistakes. Please give me a last chance… Please.. Mita.. Please.. help me..” Raghav begged for his life and cried.

“Even if I want to, I cannot, it is almost 15 minutes past 12. We should lose control over our brakes by now.. If you want you can jump off the bus but at this speed, you’d probably end up dead anyway. This is your retribution Mr. Raghav Mehen. You have ruined far too many times to be accountable for. Accept it and plead for forgiveness to God, maybe in next life you could be better” Mita sat down calmly and closed her eyes. Mrs Chandra had tear in her eyes. Before returning to her seat she said “I wanted to live a happy life, you took it from me. There is no difference between you and my husband.” She went. The words felt like the final nail to his coffin for Raghav. But he wasn’t ready to give up on life so easy. He had to experience so many things. His son was only 4. He had to see him grow. He had to become a better person.. a better lawyer.. tears rolled down incessantly from his eyes.. “I don’t want to die” he murmured and immediately rushed towards the drivers’ seat. He threw the driver over to the next seat and took charge of the wheel.

“It’s only a matter of time . .” driver laughed but it felt like a shallow howl, a cry disguised as laughter. But Raghav did not give up. He had managed many ill vehicles back in his college days, he can do something. HE HAD TO. He was not yet ready to accept his fate.

Every minute went by and the speed was not coming down. Raghav tried very hard but couldn’t manage anything. His hands were shaking and sweating, his mind was knotted. He felt as if a part of him was accepting this punishment. What a life he had! He could’ve had so much if it wasn’t for his greed and ill plans.. Mita! Oh Mita! He loved her. Even his twisted heart had feelings for her . . . he did so bad . . . she is dying…. Raghav stopped thinking and sat still.

Raghav left the steering wheel, he knew where the bus was heading, and somehow he knew he belonged there. He stood up much to his own surprise and came back to his seat. He was moving like an animal under some spell.

Mita looked at him. He stared at her and said “You were right. This is my only salvation. But I feel lucky myself to be here with you”. . . he held Mita’s hands and sobbed “Before becoming this, the boy in me loved you Mita. I really loved you. If only I knew better, today we could have been happy. You would not have to take death over your life.” Raghav’s face was buried in Mita’s hands. Both of them were sobbing. So were the other passengers of the bus.

Death is easy, living is difficult. But even the strongest fall weak infront of death, no matter how much prepared one is. But choice is freedom, choosing to die in all senses over leading a miserable life is tough. They did it. They chose to die for the ones they loved. So did Raghav. He chose to die for Mita, it was the least he could do he felt. Maybe if he ever gets the opportunity to love her again, he would do it better. Raghav closed his eyes.

As the bus fell of the cliff, the darkness of the valley stood witness to a tragic end to so many stories. As the bus hit the ground, it caught fire. The flames rose high up, lightening the black night sky. Only if one could know what horror this night had experienced.

By Sreemoyee Mitra