He consumed me everyday, so I devoured him
There is someone that exists, like a lurking shadow, not a being but a reflection of other worldly.
It’s sunny today, The scorching heat is piercing my skin. I was a tacky summer lemonade warming up to water the hell out of my body. I feel enchanted when I clean my pores as if a weight that has been existential on my shoulders has been lifted off. It’s so crazy, how we all feel when we bathe. Is it like washing our sins? If it is then I am a harbinger of piety. Bathing is the first thing I do when I think about the bathroom. Lately, I have been also using bath salts, it cleanses your soul with a tad bit of fruity fragrance. No wonder I eat fruits and not meat. I don’t say I am a vegan, for even the weight of those words might eventually lead me to bathe again to wash my sins off for I judged someone for their choice.
“Hello, How are you?” Someone called me from the back. I turned and saw Anish I went near him and hugged him, even if I am draped in sweat he will come and hug me. We were together for a long time. He likes my musky scent. According to Anish, he says, I always have a musk with a special kind of endorphins running wild and making him sensual. We walked past flower shops and many street vendors. I was expecting him to gift me a bouquet, but he went passed it. I gazed on the opposite slanting my head. We were walking now in an empty lane. He holds my hand, gently draws himself towards me, and breathes off my lips. I could feel it, the irresistible sensation was too strong for me, so I had to hold his lips with mine. As we kiss passionately butterflies run through my stomach. He holds me tightly and kisses my neck as he reaches inside my top wear going deeper into my nether areas. I was getting all hooked up on this instinctual feeling.
“Seems like an intense loving relationship, What do you think Sarge?”
“Yes, Detective why did we take up this case? The murder of this girl and her boyfriend. I mean the CIA was in this.”
“Sarge, precinct detectives are as good as CIA or FBI. And moreover, she had terror links that were unfound, it was a mistake. She got an unconstitutional background investigation that led nowhere.”
“You stay put Detective.”
“I will Sir, but you can call me by my name.”
“Okay Jason, I will call you by your name.”
“Sarge can I also refer to you as ‘Russel’.”
“No, not at all, I did not permit you to call me by my name.”
Jason moves to his computer and studies the case yet again. He saw this lady and asked himself, why did this lady vanish like that and when someone thought she was gone for good she suddenly resurfaces? Was someone there at that time when she was killed off? Jason frankly for now has no idea what’s happening in the case. He was trying his best to keep himself calm but for some reason, his nerves were bumpy and had trapped his heart. A strange wave of fear arose in his heavy heart, Jason looks into the mirror now folding his suit and wearing his tie, and looks at the mirror. He saw Sargent Russel Brown looking at him.
Yes, Jason told me that I died, “Are you sure” asks the doctor? I am 100% sure something was happening to me! Dr Sharma looks at Ruchi’s mother she cries looking at her daughter. Dr looks at the floor, thinks something, and asks Ruchi, “Ruchi Beta, Can you just go over and head over to my check-up room?” Your mother brought you here to enquire about your blood pressure. Could you go and see what levels they are at? I walked and went there. Did you see Dr. Sharma behaving a little weirdly? I still remember he said, Anish was dead. How can he die if Jason tells me he meets him every other day?
While they were in the other room, I tweaked the door and snooped on some valuable convo, “Why are the police behaving like this?”, Dr asked Ma. Ma cried and said, “I don’t know, my daughter came home which I thought was dead after 3 years and now the case has again reopened.” Dr. Sharma told Ma, “She has delusion, she is having an acute sense of paraphernalia, a dystopian perspective.” My mother cried again… Dr. Sharma replies, “Mam take care of yourself, your daughter will be alright.”
I came home and Ma sat in her chair bathing in the sun like a lifeless blob of meat. I asked her what happened Ma?
“Nothing Beta, feels like my health is sensitive today. She coughed a little.”
“Ma are you taking your bronchitis medication? It might develop into something bigger like Asthma if not treated well.”
“Ma why are you going? Can you please come back? Ma, I cannot see or hear you. Please come back. Ma always goes away when I ask her about medicines.”
I was seated thinking I will think about my own thoughts then I heard, “Sarge this space is soothing lush green trees, lime fragrant smell. It can really win your heart.”
I looked at them as they were talking to and fro, and then I see Jason. I said, “Hye Jason”. “Hey, Are you looking for someone?” Meanwhile before Jason spoke something the older gentleman replied, “Yes are you Ruchi?”. To which I replied ‘yes’. “Are you available for some questions?” asks Gentleman whom Jason was referring to him as Sarge apparently. No sorry, I replied. I told him, “My mother has strictly told me not to talk with strangers.” The older man insisted. I gave in at last and allowed him to come to our home. I went inside, Ma keeps the home clean, and it was visually proven How beautiful our home was. She made it squeaky clean and she did everything all by herself. Ma is one heck of a powerful lady. She is like a father figure to me. She always taught me to be strong. But strangely Ma was not answering her door. As soon as her door was locked I got more fearful, my body was stiff and charged like a vibrating machine things could get stuck up even with a touch of a leaf. I started crying and panicking. Jason was showing me a letter for some reason, biting his teeth, not the Sarge as he calls this courteous old man.
Sarge started banging on the door, He used all of his energy, maybe it was the Police or Cop training to bang on the door, and he barged in straight at the forefront. What I saw was heart-wrenching, my legs twitched I fell on my knees, and I saw my mother hanging from the ceiling. I saw a knife just lying there, I knew Ma used it to cut apple slices evenly, so I picked it up and slit one of my hands. The wound was fresh. I was teary-eyed and also on the floor. Sarge came in for the rescue. Jason looked all sweaty and red. Sarge holds my arm and tells Jason, “Go get an antiseptic with cotton and bandage. I said I don’t know where the bandage is. I felt life was oozing out of me, little in fractions. Felt like I was in bath salts but there were salty sweats that were flowing to my lips and I can taste it. I was sweating like a marathon athlete I had to endure all the blood loss. Sarge came in and did my dressing while I lay dying. Sarge picked up my chin and brushed my face parting my hair, while I looked at him and cried, his eyes were also moist. I was listening to them talking, Sarge and Jason. Would you go or me? We need to send a convoy to bring in the paramedics to fasten the post-mortem. I can’t seem to find any network signal here. Sarge vanishes from the scene. His bodyguards came to the door. I told them can you please sit in chairs, I just want some company. I looked at Sarge leaving.
I have always asked Mom why did she have this desolate home in this wilderness. She always seemed to have found a way to not answer my questions. It’s been half an hour now, I felt a little fresh from the power nap. As I saw Sarge’s car coming from a distance, I told the Guards, Can you please leave I need to change my clothes. I am smelling from all the sweat. The guards said but we cannot allow that. I told them, “I need to bring my innerwear from another room so if possible please stand on the other side of my room back there in the kitchen. The guards were going. Sarge’s car was taking a turn at the intersection.”
Jason barged on me and grabbed me by my neck. At that moment I felt How battling for life means. My body stopped functioning. He blocked all my blood flow. I was struggling to breathe, I gasped and coughed but no he was hell-bent on killing me. I went into deep delusion at that time I was tripping into ecstasy. I saw things moving, lying still my head moving slowly, slowly at a very low pace inside the water, the bath salts are not to texturize my skin evenly, they are inside me as I pour gushing saliva off my wet mouth as Jason shakes my head like a Chicken rolling headless. His fingers were grabbing me by the bone. His face was bloodlust while mine was bloodless. I was beating the floor, yet the feeling to struggle was partially surreal.
But suddenly I heard a gun firing. I suddenly felt a warmth in my stomach. Jason fell on my face. All dystopian systems crumbled in front of my eyes. I thought I will be enlightened. Sarge, was about to say something, picking Jason’s body up.
Then a person seemingly a hospital worker came in, Sir! Where is the body? There was a bewildered expression on his face. By then I fell down to my knees as if I was asking Lord to give me mercy for all my sins. The prostration was natural. My head was down and a wave of light air streams gathered around me. It felt like I was in a gas chamber. Never felt alike with the pigs that are killed off like that, I thought that was a terrible way to go. I gave a look bewildered, took the letter out of Jason’s pocket, and pushed it underneath the bed.
I cried the whole day all alone. Few guards were outside my home. It was 5 in the afternoon. Sarge came in, I was rubbing my moist eyes. He said, “It was Jason.” I was shocked, and with an appalling face, I asked, “What Jason Sir?” He replied, with a swiveled-up face, “He killed your boyfriend Anish.” I had a straight face willing to shed a tear or two but my eyes were all dried out maybe it was lack of water. “I asked, “How did you know”. He paused for a moment, “I am very sorry for what you went through, We found a weapon at Jason’s place, it matches Anish’s DNA. “I don’t know what to say” Sarge, holds me with his arms while I roll my eyes getting suffocated. I had enough of cozy experiences today, I literally just came out of death. I cannot let anyone grab me like that. Sarge asked me, “Do you have someone you can talk to?” I replied, “No Ma was my only source of companion. I felt that while saying. Okay, I will leave some of my guys here. If you need any assistance call me. I asked him, “Sir but my mother.” He said we are suspecting Jason has something to do with that. We will inform you as soon as we find something.
The next day, the Police Officers, Detectives, and Ma’s Childhood Friends attended her funeral, and my best friend Rosie. Rosie, my second mother, had a giant heart. For she was my friend but I cannot fathom the kind of things she used to do for me, She might have been my second mother. At home, my Father was always abusing my mother and beating me, I hardly did my homework. Rosie did it all for me, I told you she was a good person. I said a few words for Ma. Some of her friends came they shared a word or two. They were also shocked why suddenly she disappeared and knowing she is dead broke their heart. The estrangement really got to them at the ultimate time. Everyone with wet eyes left the Church. I called Rosie and hugged her. Her tears were floating endlessly. I saw a mark on her shoulders elongating to her neckline, one of her sleeves and shoulder handles was torn. I could see brown spots.
She was about to leave, and I called her, “Hey Rosie.” She replied, “Yeah.” Do you want to come home?” Rosie sought, actually, I need to go and prepare lunch for my husband he gets irritated so easily. I told her, “Well he can wait, you are my best friend, we are meeting after such a long time.”
We came to our paternal home which was small compared to the house in the wilderness. I entered our cozy interiors. Rosie was so tall, always imagined her to be a WNBA athlete. She had to literally make sure that her head does not get hit by the door heads. She sat on my chair. I asked her, shall I make your favorite? Rosie says, “I don’t drink that nowadays, we are grown up. Tea will work or just coffee.”
Please, Rosie, “A child within a person never dies until you let it die. I am making chocolate milk.” Rosie took a sip and a broadening smile appeared on her face, She said while I chimed in, “Lots of coffee and little milk with even more sugar.” She laid back and sipped little and little looking through the window.
Rosie laughed with the widest of smiles. She said, “You and your advice.” I looked at her, as I grip her hand, “Yes if there is an issue always call my champ.” She knows I am her champ, growing up in an abusive house, I knew How to put bullies into place. She told me, “I had to go now. I was holding her tightly.” I replied, “You are not gonna let me go right.” I asked her, “Rosie where does your husband work.” She replied, “Oh he is a banker at AmEx”. Then she slanted a little making confusing eyebrows, “You did know where he works right.” I said to her, “Nowadays contacts mean everything, I don’t even have Ma now.” Rosie came near me hugged me, and said, “You have me”, while brushing my back.” She gently kissed my forehead bye.
As Rosie went through the window onto the street, zooming off from the horizon. Ma came with her severed hand. She sat down, opened her hair brushed it off, lit a cigarette, and took a deep puff. She blew that onto me. I looked at her, She said, “ When?” I told her “Today” Ma replied, “The bank closes at evening 6.”
While she handed me a South American Nicaraguan passport. I took inside my bag and Ma looked at the horizon. You know “he tried to make me limbless”. Meanwhile, I am listening to the news. “Does not justify losing your hand.” She replied, “I have seen worse.” I asked, “Ma are you still in character?” Still remember the circus show where you lay upside down, it was my favorite felt like you were given capital punishment, and the moment you acted like a hung person. She smiled, and I chuckled while the news played………………………………..
”New York Detective Jason Andrews has been booked for one more felony. Ruchi Shikara’s mother allegedly committed suicide prior to the question-answer session with victims Ruchi and her mother who were also involved with the death of Ruchi’s Father and Boyfriend Ankur and Anish. Her mother committed suicide moments ago before the police could interrogate the couple. Prior to a convoy of officers leaving the crime scene, Jason Andrews was seen attempting to kill Ruchi Shikara in the absence of Seargent Russel Brown. The latest development in the story that we are getting, is an amputated hand of Ruchy’s mother has been found at Jason Andrews’s residence. We will update this report as soon as we have more info on this news.
I paused the telecast, took out a matchbox, and burnt Jason’s letter. It wrote,
”You know that you are a cunt. Why did you reopen his case again? And I know you have kept the weapon used to kill your lover, I can rant you anytime. I did the grunt work and now you want to backstab me. Get over it. He fucked you on that empty road because you wanted. You liked it rough and you had your needs fulfilled. When I fuck you, I too fuck you hard because you are that, a whore. Get over the blackmail threats, I just needed sex, I had a chip on your shoulder and you gave it to me. I am coming for you remember that, I will kill you and that giant pain in the ass mother of yours. You know I am a cop, I can spin the case entirely 360 degrees. You will pay for your acts soon.”
After burning, Ruchi looks at the knife dipped in her blood, cleans it, and then packs it in her bag and leaves the room.