Murder was his Passion

We have all heard and seen news reports of twisted and sick killers who kill just for the heck of it or for some twisted and pervasive cause which has no justification in a moral, legal and human context. More importantly, these killers are not just restricted to Western countries so we can decry them and color them as a result of a corrupt, loose and dysfunctional cultural and social system. These kinds of people are very much present in the countries of the East as well. Sick and twisted people like the Nithari Killer or the killer who used to practice occult rituals before going out to kill are just some of the examples.

My following story is also based on such a character that chooses to kill to feel the rush of ‘God-Like’ power over others; who had everything in his life and could have spent his life like any normal being but choose differently because he wanted to experience the sick feeling of ‘high’. So here it goes.

Vishal Singh (Vicky for short) was a dashing, young man with the looks of a Greek God. He was one of the most successful young businessmen in the country. People used to look up to him with much respect and admiration and girls would drool over him. He was so popular that it was said that he was always the centre of attraction in any social gathering; now whether that may be social occasions, or official seminars, or just plain parties. Vishal himself had come from a very ordinary middle-class background where his father had worked in a bank and his mother was a school teacher in Delhi. It was just because of his sheer hard work and dedication that Vishal had come to this point where he was now and his parents were very proud of him. In all,  life was going great for Vishal. But just like all of us Vishal too had a dark ugly secret in his life which he took pains to hide it from everybody including his girlfriend Sonia. Sonia was a tall, pretty girl who was working in one of the top-notch software companies in Delhi and also had a figure which would make any top model envious of her. She doted on Vishal and the two of them were both so popular and also were the reason for envy of many.

One day when both of them were coming back from a late-night party, something happened that transformed Vishal and brought out the dark, ugly part of him outside which ruined every body’s life including his own. So on a very pleasant night when they were coming back from a party, the moon shining bright, just as if for them when they hit a lonely stretch of road which was covered by forests on both sides as an ongoing project to keep Delhi green when they saw an old homeless man come hobbling on the sidewalk. Sonia was so moved by this sight that she asked Vishal to stop the car and she got out of the car to help the poor man and also give him some money. The old man was overwhelmed by this kind act and he blessed her which made Vishal suddenly very angry and he shouted on the poor man to get away from there and never show his face. The poor man got scared and hobbled away as fast as he could from there. This led to a fierce argument between Sonia and Vishal and Sonia asked him to drop her at her place.

Despite Vishal’s protests and apologies, she was adamant to go to her place only for the night and Vishal had no option but had to accede to her demand, so he dropped her off and sped away. While going back and still seething from inside Vishal decided to pay a visit to the place where they had last seen the old man. When he reached the place he got out of the car and took out an instrument with which spare wheels of automobiles are replaced. He was quite drunk also and he started shouting for the old man when he did not get any response this enraged him further and he started shouting and cursing at the old man to come out of his hiding place. When the old man got out hearing the shouts and came in front of Vishal; he did not know that it was his last moment alive as Vishal with a strange evil expression on his face and a maniacal glee started hitting the old man with that rod in his hand all the time cursing him and swearing at him.

At first, the poor homeless old man could not understand why was he being attacked in such a vicious manner and he tried to protect himself as much as he could with his feeble strength. But Vishal kept on pounding him with that rod until the man did not drop dead and before that Vishal demanded that the old man pleads for his life before him. Which the old man did but Vishal so into his element that he did not even bother to listen to his pleas for mercy but rather he videotaped the old man doing so. Vishal kept on hitting the man and filming him till the moment when he realized that there was no life in left in his victim is the time when he stopped and calmly poured the rest of the alcohol on the body and doused it with fire. It was while driving back that Vishal suddenly felt relaxed and so calm that he started laughing strangely; as if it seemed that all his rage and fury has now been satiated with the killing of an innocent victim and he for the first time felt the power of god over somebody else. That night he had a very peaceful sleep. There was so much peace and tranquillity on his face that it seemed that nothing had happened.

The next day when people were coming out of their houses to go for their daily jobs is when they were affronted with the sick pungent smell of burning flesh. As they went ahead to investigate the source of the smell, they were horrified to see a dead human charred body and they immediately notified the police. The first thing that Inspector Dharma Singh noticed was the absence of any next of kin, and when he asked the group of people all of them replied that the old man loving addressed as ‘Babaji’ was all alone but was very helpful and kind to people. So the question of any enmity or any hidden property did not arise as he was a poor old man who somehow scraped through each day. Another strange thing that inspector Dharma noted was that the absence of any witness or the murder weapon as it was unclear as to how he was killed. Still, he promised the people that he will investigate and bring the culprit to justice.

As we all know when ordinary people die, it is not much of any sensational news and that too of an old, poor, homeless man; someone who nobody knew, except for the other people of his community of poor downtrodden and homeless people. People were not interested in listening or reading about such news, rather they were too much hooked on the more sensational gossips and controversies about the rich and powerful as hyped by the TRP seeking media. So nobody even bothered to read the little news item in the newspaper.

Within a few days, everyone lost interest in the case and the old man became just another statistic in the number of unsolved murder victims.

Meanwhile, Vishal, on the other hand, was enjoying his life to the fullest and he did not have the slightest of remorse. Dharma Singh at the same time was trying to deduce the make of the car by the tyre tracks left at the scene of the crime but was told by Forensics that it could have been any car. Still, he kept on pursuing any lead on the case as he believed that ‘life is sacred and it is a sacrilege to take any life in any form, shape or size’.

When everything became quiet after some time Vishal went on the prowl for his next victim. Such was his anticipation and his exhilaration that he even refused to meet with Sonia. This surprised her as they were meeting after two weeks and he had also acted bizarrely over the phone.

Vishal got his chance of proving to his deluded self that he had ‘God-Like’ powers when he spotted a young couple walking together on the same deserted stretch of road where he had committed his first murder. This time it had been raining hard and after a short lull in the downpour, Kapil & Preeti had decided to enjoy the evening weather after a sumptuous lunch and a movie. They, unfortunately, had no idea that this was going to be their last evening together in this life. Vishal had been roaming for a few days in search of his next victim when he had first spotted them and he hid behind one of the trees, taking advantage of low visibility during the rainfall. As the evening progressed, he kept on tracking their moments as both Kapil and Preeti were oblivious to the imminent danger. When the sky was again overcast with dark ominous clouds, Vishal taking advantage of the emptiness of the area pounced upon them and started hitting Kapil ruthlessly with his weapon.

At first, both Kapil and Preeti were taken aback at the sudden appearance of Vishal and the intensity with which he started hitting Kapil. Realizing that Kapil was reeling after each blow, Preeti tried to scream for help but Vishal was quick to hit her also which knocked her unconscious to the ground. Kapil by this time had suffered so much blood loss by the constant blows of Vishal that he barely could remain conscious and kept on trying to plead for mercy for both him and Preeti. But Vishal was now in his element and he kept on hitting him until he was sure that Kapil was dead and then he turned to Preeti and repeated the process all over again. All this while he had been filming their pleas and cries for help. Such was his mental sickness that he never even bothered to think that Preeti was a girl and he kept on hitting viciously just like a savage animal. When he was finished with both of them, he again doused their bodies in fire and calmly left the scene. This time however Vishal had been spotted by someone while he was making his getaway.

Bhola, a construction worker was also out enjoying the evening when he suddenly saw a couple of fires burning in the woods nearby and also smell of burning flesh wafted up to his nose with the evening breeze. At first, he felt repugnant with the smell but then decided to investigate further is the time when he saw the silhouette of a man in a raincoat walking away from the woods. He could not see the front of the figure as Vishal’s back was towards him and he was walking oblivious to any threat of detection. Bhola got both a bit apprehensive and curious at the same time and went ahead in the woods when he saw the burning corpses. He got the fright of his life and ran as fast as he could towards the nearest police station.

Inspector Dharma Singh was luckily at the same police station and he quietly grew alarmed as he listened to Bhola describe the scene, Dharma deduced that this might have been the same killer and when he asked Bhola that whether he had taken a look at the man or not, Bhola replied that he was so scared at the man’s demeanour and the way he was walking that he forgot to take a look. Inspector Dharma along with the station -in-charge went to the crime spot and had a look. Here also the modus operandi seemed to be the same, only this time an exquisite ring had fallen off from Vishal’s finger and this became a vital clue for catching the killer.

Now the media started taking an interest and call for speedy arrest of the killer were splashed in big bold letters in all the newspapers and even in televisions and social media. Inspector Dharma, on the other hand, had already started his investigation and was enquiring about the ring from various jewellery shops that could have made this particular ring. He did not have to wait long as he got a lucky break when one of the established jewellery shops in the city gave him a call and told him that this particular ring was made for only three people and all of them were very rich and influential people.

When Dharma interviewed the first two people, he found out that both of them had perfect alibis and had no logical reason to commit these murders. Vishal meanwhile had started completely ignoring Sonia and was always acting in such a bizarre manner that left Sonia wondering. However, she chose to keep quiet about it and not bother his parents with what seemed to be a trivial thing.

Dharma when went to interview Vishal at his home, he found that Vishal had a megalomaniac complex on one hand was also very evasive in responding to his questions. When Dharma said that ‘we have proof of you visiting the place at the time of the murders and also there is a witness’, Vishal scoffed at him but when Dharma showed him the ring and told him that it was found at the murder spot and the other two people had their rings with them. The colour of Vishal’s face grew pale and he started shouting at Inspector Dharma ‘that how dare you insinuate that I have anything to do with these murders?, do you know who am I?’ It seemed like coals were burning in his eyes and it would drill holes in Dharma’s body.

Inspector Dharma just calmly looked at him and decided to play a trick with him to get a confession out of him. He said ‘that we have a witness who has seen you at the crime scene and killing all these people and will testify against you’. Hearing this Vishal lost his temper and in a fit of rage that of a wild animal attacked Inspector Dharma. Inspector Dharma had anticipated this and tackled him to the ground and called for back-up. He was then arrested on the charges of murdering the old man, Kapil & Preeti and taken away. When Sonia heard of this news, she completely broke down as she dearly loved Vishal as his parents were also aghast on hearing this.

Inspector Dharma looked at Vishal’s family and felt sorry for them and while parting he just gave a piece of advice to Sonia that “ take care of his parents as if they are your own and remember always that falling in love is not a crime, but try to choose with whom you fall in love with”. With that, he left the place.