Mess!

 CHAPTER 1

INTENSITY

The city of Kaalibazar is on an alert. An alert they did not expect in recent times. Markets were operating and Halls were full. The metro crowd was swarming to accommodate in the congested lobbies. The most inveterate process of the rich getting richer and poor getting poorer also continued. But.. from the past two weeks, a lot has changed eccentricity. The main effect was not only in common areas but in random places in the city. The externalities of the sort of events taking place have resulted in the whole city being alert.

The police's lack of management niche and better investigators has resulted in the higher agency 'District Crime Management Department' coming into play. Located in the district headquarter, the office of DCMP took part in an exigent meeting with the Kaalabazar Police station and hierarchically higher agencies. The decision of sending an investigative team was made after some divergent discussions. Today is 6th October and the team arrived at 6 p.m. by train. It was through the renovated Kaalabar train station that they entered the city. Senior inspector Gabriel came outside the train with all his belongings. Loud choirs of Devi Maa merged with the indistinct chatter-patter of the crowd and the loud train whistles. Manohar Babu is notoriously known as 'Khankir Chele' among the DCMP and Tom, Dick and Harrys's of the criminal world.

As the VIP businessman Manohar made his way, his personal pimps kicked the sleeping impoverished people out of the VIP's way. Everybody looked on and avoided being in Manohar's proximity. Manohar left with a captivating smile. Gabriel did not like looking on like the mass. Smoking a Marlboro, he walked towards a mobile street vendor. "I would need 5 long shawls. Tell me the fair price or I am walking off" he said. He said the last lines with the most serious intonation. The vendor could easily sense Gabriel's direction and ended the deal with a cut-rate amount. Gabriel handed them to the impoverished ones one at a time.

He did not turn back to accept any gratitude. He walked with his trolley bag and handbag to the Taxi ticket counter. He got himself a taxi and immediately recalled the number plate to save it in a personal self-ran WhatsApp group. There was a large crowd in front of every vegetable shop, meat shop, grocery shop, and dispensaries. Stationery shops were flooded with students and many private coaching centers were closing up at twilight time itself. A number of students came out drenched still in their school uniforms. Gabriel knew people flooding streets was not uncommon in the market areas.

But, Gabriel could sense the crowd's urgency. People were not bargaining but rather carrying their stuff without the slightest questions. Nobody was waiting too long for change and the evening porch meetings around the tea stalls could not be seen. Apart from this, the traffic policemen wore guns around their shoulders. Gabriel understood that the situation was not at all intrinsic. He knew his first official case would be dark but was not sure of the darkness' stage. He saw a reciprocal picture in the pavements. It was only the impoverished ones who slept and were stable.

Office goers left some food for them along their way. Some left shawls and a few ones left clothes too. The haves helping the have nots in the open street further compelled Gabriel to understand the events around him even more. "Why in the world are these people doing charity all suddenly?" he asked the taxi driver. The taxi driver looked at Gabriel and slurped some spit in a quick time. His sweaty Adam's Apple shone as he turned backward. "Sir! They think their donation would save them from the mass kidnapping" he said. Gabriel got the reference and understood the massive gap between reality and sources. "Does this situation happen only at nights?" Gabriel asked looking at the motors around him.

"Days are safe, sir but people are not preferring to stay post twilight. They want to finish every leftover task, grab their require staff an run to their respective homes. As of the donation, these rich people are busy in their money rich immaculate world during the days and dodge poor during the days. But, as soon as twilight pours in or the weather turns the table, they start donating and buying". The driver chortled in a satisfying way after replying. The taxi crawled like a snake through the minimal space the traffic jam offered. After a while, the moon shone brightly in the dark night. The night sky was not inky and few stars were visible. Alternate places had the smell of diesel all over. Pavements stored loads of garbage and crap.

A few miles beyond stood tall RCC buildings with nameplates fixated on the gates. Bulldogs gazed angrily at every passer-by. Their eyes did not search the humans but some anonymous presence. Alarmed and riveted eyeballs of theirs just rotated sometimes to the left and sometimes to the right. The streets were close to being completely vacant as the taxi stood before the Police station- A building with a dire need for renovation. Gabriel proceeded after making the payment. "Don't stay up late" Gabriel warned the driver as he halted to look backward. The driver gave Gabriel a glimpse of his revolver and Gabriel left with a nod. The police station had everyone preoccupied.

The tables were loaded with files and photos. The notice board had title o 'MISSING' and below it was photos of everybody- Toddlers to quadragenerians. Lots of the faces seemed to belong to the Elite. Some were the VIP's. Middle-class people filled a large portion and the rest few seemed quite impoverished. The notice board lacked space for a single extra photo and beneath Gabriel came a few 'haveldars' with a new notice board. Gabriel held his head down and the intensity of darkness was somewhat predictable now.

Hello friends, I am quite determined to make 'Mess' a complete tale. The second chapter will drop anytime soon. Consider this as the pilot and tell me in the comment box if you want more episodes.