A Love Like That

I am walking down the path to my cell. I can feel the eyes of the other prisoners on me as if staring into my soul. Guessing what crime I could have committed to be here. I could see the look of shock on everyone's face. Why not? My friends told me I look so innocent.

Finally, I reach my cell where I see 8 more prisoners already staying there. It looked really dirty. The mattresses of the prisoners were all spread around, an Indian style toilet seat at the right side. It smelled like rotten eggs and pee. I almost threw up. But I had to get used to it. This was going to be my life until I die. There was no escape from this.

A middle-aged man came up to me and asked- "Why are you here my child?"

"I killed my father", I replied.

For a fleeting moment, a look of horror crossed over his face, which instantly changed to disbelief.

"What are you hiding boy? Whom are you covering up for? Is it worth it?", He asked.

I was surprised how did he come to know my truth? Was I so easy to read? Was it so obvious? But no, it couldn't have been. The judge did not see through my lie. He was convinced by my act that I was the murderer.

I didn't even try to deny to the man who would become my close friend in the coming years.

"It was totally worth it. I saved a life from being destroyed", I replied.

Slowly slowly I made many friends in the prison. A young, scrawny looking boy who had been charged with theft. He was going to be released in a few months. An elderly man who had spent most of his life here. He had killed his neighbour who had raped his sister. There were so many of them who were so kind, yet serving this prison sentence.

My brother and my mother kept visiting me in jail. Initially, they would cry seeing my condition, but I told them not to. I was happy here. Free from the judgment and expectations of the outside world. Later they accepted my fate, just like I had. My friend Nitin, who had looked right through my lie, became close to my family. He had no family of his own and started considering my family as his.

There was this one man who really did not like me. I never understood why. He would always give me cold looks whenever he would see me, hit me or kick me whenever I would pass by. Once I walked up and asked him,

"What problem do you have with me? What did I do to you?"

His reply was-" You look like my son whom I killed, because of whom I am here. Beware, I am soon going to send you where my son is".

I wasn't frightened. How could he kill me in a prison? He had no weapons, and there were so many people around. It was impossible.

After 6 months-

It was my birthday. All my friends wished me and gave me the best possible gifts that they could in this condition. I was really happy. My mother and brother were coming to meet me today. I went to take a bath.

In the cell, I saw that man, who had threatened me, waiting for me. He had a knife in his hand. Where did he get that from, I had no clue. And I probably would never get to know. He came towards me with the knife, I tried to run but I fell. I screamed as loudly as I could for help, but it was too late. He came close and stabbed me in the back. Once, twice, thrice, multiple times. The pain was excruciating.

He told me- "Happy birthday kiddo. Say hello to my son from my side."

I could see my friends rushing inside. Nitin came and held me and started crying. He kept telling me I would be okay, but I knew this was the end. I could feel my body giving up, my eyes shutting. But I had one thing to say to him.

"My friend, please say goodbye to my family from my side. I wanted to meet them before I go but I can't hold on much longer. Tell my mother I love her, I will miss her. And tell my brother I will watch over him from the sky, and protect him just like I always have. Just like when he killed my father, I took the stone from his hand and took the blame upon myself. Tell him to live happily. I don't regret doing that, and I never will. I would do it a hundred times again if I have to."

Suddenly everything went blank.