Convict 786
Episode 2
To be continuing ……………..
Anju started crying after hearing his story. Tears spilt down her eyes. It seemed she also had a painful story.
Vishnu asked Anju to share her story. Anju, wiping her tears, started her story.
"I'm a Bangladeshi Hindu. I was very happy with my parents in Bangladesh. My father was a priest. Adjacent to our hut was the temple of goddess Kali. One night, a group of Muslim iconoclasts attacked our temple. They broke the idol of Kali. My father restrained them from breaking the idol. They stabbed my father several times. I saw my father trying hard to save his life from inevitable death. He was lying in a pool of blood with multiple knife wounds. They stabbed my mother after him. They both died before my eyes. I couldn't save them. Our hut and temple were demolished. Before I ran from the spot, they caught me.
The whole night, they raped me one after one. I moaned in pain but they tied my mouth with a cloth. I moved my hands to save myself but they fractured my hands. still, I can feel severe pain I suffered that night. In next morning, they fled away dumping me alone. I tried hard to move my body but I couldn't. The police came and took me to a government-run hospital. For three months, I was lying motionless on the floor of the hospital compound as there was no space for the patients. Every day, I only could see the admissions of Hindu women with the same tragedy. Later when I was able to move my body, they discharged me. I had no place to go. So, I took shelter in one of the government rescue camps. Many Hindu families had already taken shelter in the camp. I met Tanima in the camp.
Within a few days, we became good friends. I often shared my life stories with her but she never said a word about her past. Whenever I wanted to know, she replied the same line that she would tell me everything someday. One night I couldn't sleep. I remembered my parents and that terrible night. I opened my eyes. I needed to talk to Tanima but I couldn't find her beside me. I looked for her here and there. I saw her going towards the backside of the camp. The place was secluded. No one usually dared to go there. I pursued her. I was shocked to see her talking to someone over a satellite phone. I overheard part of her conversation."
"We're very close to the case, we'll nab them very soon." She cut the call after saying this.
"I came close to her and wanted to know her identity. In reply, she disclosed that she was a spy sent by an intelligence agency of India. I got to know about the secret mission of the Muslim iconoclasts from her. It was headed by an intelligence agency of Pakistan. Their mission was only to eradicate Hindus from Bangladesh. Tanima was sent to nab the culprit behind this master plan. She also informed that the next day she was going to arrest one of the agents of Pakistan. We went back to our camp and slept.
The next day, I could not find Tanima anywhere. After a thorough search, I understood that she was probably killed by a Pakistani agent. I suspected that the camp staff were involved.
I couldn't stay there for a long because I had known the fact, therefore, one of the staff secretly sold me at a higher price. I was forcefully smuggled across the border. Like me, many other Hindu girls were also smuggled into India.
We were dragged to a house in Kolkata. The surroundings were full of three-story houses where small rooms are visible on each storey. The houses were nothing more than mere concrete structures with paints wearing out from almost everywhere giving an eerie feeling that the walls were about to crumble any minute. I was handed over to Jamuna mashi, an owner of one house. Jamuna mashi paid them some money and they left the place. I could sense where I was. It was frequented by many big shots and the richest, for it housed the best of the beauties willing to strip naked and offer their body just for the pleasure of the guys who visited them. Yes, it was the famous brothel place in the town. I tried to run away many times but they have the guards. I got punished every time I tried to escape. I cried the whole day and night but no one was there to listen.
One day, Dipen babu came to our house. He was welcomed with a garland of flowers by Jamuna mashi. We were called and told to stand in a queue. Dipen babu was supposed to choose one of us for the night. He chose me. Dipen babu took me to a small room where he played with my body the whole night. He was a sexual predator. I remembered those Muslim iconoclasts who had raped me the same way that night. I felt raped for the second time. My soul tried to be free from his firm hands but I had to sleep there motionless as his prey. From that day he became my client. He comes every other day and pounces on my body."
They silenced for a few minutes. Vishnu could understand what mistakes he had done. He had also pounced on Muslim girls as a sexual predator. Tears dropped from both of their eyes. Before they could say further, the guard reminded them about the end of their meeting time. Anju wore back her saree. She, looking at Vishnu, finished her story.
"One day, Dipen came and told me about you. How brutally you killed old Muslim men and women, raped Muslim girls along with Dipen and others. It seemed a pride story for him. But I know how the victims suffer. I requested him to send me to you. I wanted to make you understand we are human. Stop killing us in the name of religion."
She, before leaving the cell, looked at him. She wanted to say more but restrained herself.
"Goodbye, we won't be able to meet again. Tonight, I'm going to kill Dipen, the minister." She whispered into his left ear and left the place.
Vishnu, the convict 786, stared at her till she disappeared. He was dumb for a few minutes. His eyes got moistened. His heart filled with remorse. He lied on the floor again. But he could not sleep. He tossed the whole night. He could hear the screams of those Muslims whom he had killed and raped in the riot. He had been reluctant to die but he was eagerly waiting for his death now.
