RACE

NOTE: This story is loosely based on true-life incidents that I witnessed in my college before few months back. It's additionally inspired from Christopher Nolan sir's Following. And this is a story based on the author's fiction.  It does not apply to any historical reference.

2022:

AAVARAMPALAYAM, COIMBATORE:

7:35 PM:

Around 7:35 PM in Aavarampalayam on the outskirts of the city in a secluded area, a young man is sitting angrily with a hammer. To his downside, a dead woman is lying along with the severed head of another unknown person. Looking at the sky, a young man recalled his life. He is sitting along with two other people.

SIX MONTHS BACK:

HINDUSTAN COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCE:

I have discovered in life that there are ways of getting almost anywhere you want to go if you really want to go. The miracle isn't that I finished.

The miracle is that I had the courage to start. Fear is gradually replaced by excitement and a simple desire to see what you can do on the day. It doesn't matter whether you come in first, in the middle of the pack, or last. You can say, I have finished. There is a lot of satisfaction in that.

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, there was a lockdown for more than six months. The aftermath of the lockdown was full of restrictions. College life went through online. After one and a half years, I joined the college. In between one and a half years, I took up an interest in writing stories and poems on a known website. Upon being insisted by my fellow writers and friends to publish my stories as a novel, I made a decision to find inspiration for my first novel by following strangers around the streets of Aavarampalayam, Coimbatore. I followed two methods for this- following the strangers online and offline.

When you put yourself on the line in a race and expose yourself to the unknown. You learn things about yourself that are very exciting. Good health, peace of mind, being outdoors, camaraderie: those are all wonderful things that come to you when running. But for me, the real pull of running—the proverbial icing on the cake—has always been racing. Initially, I set strict rules for myself regarding whom I should follow and for how long, but I soon discarded them as I focussed on a well-groomed, handsome man in a dark suit of Karamadai. The man in the suit, having noticed he is being followed quickly confronted me.

Pulling my shirt, he asked: "Are you Rishi Khanna's friend Dinesh?"

I nodded my head and said, "Yes. I am Dinesh." He removed the mask from his face and said, "I am Nagoor Meeran. We have already met before some days during an online chat on Instagram." After some discussions, Nagoor took me to Ukkadam Bus stand, where he meets a stranger, holding a bag. After getting a bag from him, he took me along with him on his bike to Kuniyamuthur. He meets his friends: Afsal, Anish and Karthick to supply the bag separately to them. I was completely awestruck and wondered what's next he's gonna to do.

Looking at me, Afsal asked: "Hey. What da? Again you have come here." I feared that he could slap me just like in the previous encounter with him. However, Nagoor stopped him and said to me: "No need to fear da. Afsal. He wanted to spend some memorable time with us." Afsal and his friends felt glad upon hearing this from him. Nagoor said: "You know that, I have influence with big people and known gangsters from Rishi. But, you know another thing? We supply costly drugs to the city of Coimbatore through several people in link from Mumbai and USA, with support from these gangsters."

He asked me to accompany them in their drug smuggling activities, to which I accepted to know how they are spoiling the children and students with these dangerous drugs. The material gains from this crime seem to be of secondary importance to Nagoor. He takes pleasure by consuming Cocaine, smoking cigar,s and drinking wine. At night time, he asked me in a drunken state: "You know what is my true passion?"

I looked at him. While he said: "My true passion is using the emotions and weakness of our school students and college students. So that, I can get them addicted to drugs." He sums up his attitude as: "You take it away, and show them what they had." I was really thrilled by Nagoor's lifestyle. I attempted break-ins of my own, as Nagoor encouraged and guides me.

At Nagoor and his friend Afsal's suggestion, I altered my appearance, cutting my hair short and wearing a dark suit. I assumed the name "Joseph Christ" based on the credit card Nagoor gave me. I began to pursue a relationship with second-year college student Reshika, whom they plan to get addicted to drugs. Reshika is the ex-girlfriend of a drug-addict Mouli with whom she broke up after he murdered a man, with whom he had a fight in a drunk state.

During a conversation with Reshika, she said to me: "Dinesh. The bald guy from my class is blackmailing me with incriminating video and photographs."

"What?" I was shell-shocked. Since they additionally have footage of her intimacy with ex-boyfriend Mouli. She said: "When he was drunk, he barged into my room and had sex with me one day. I have lost my virginity to him."

Believing her words, I broke into the Bald Guy's safe. However, I was caught in the act by an unidentified man. I then bludgeoned the man with a claw hammer and fleed with the Bald Guy's money and photos. Upon returning to Reshika's flat, I found that the photos are innocuous modeling shots. Looking at them, I was totally shocked. I met Reshika angrily at VLB College road.

"You bloody cheat!" As I said this, Reshika laughed and smoked a cigar. She said: "Oh! Have you learnt the truth? But, it's too late, you know?"

"Why did you pull me into this murder?" I asked. At the right point of time: Nagoor, Afsal and Karthick entered in. I was totally shocked and heart-broken. Now, Reshika holds their hands of Nagoor and hugged him.

5:30 PM TO 7:30 PM

Looking at me, she said: "I and Nagoor are lovers. India has a widespread drug problem. So we took this problem for granted and supplied more drugs. At this point in time, the police got to know about this. They seized our drugs in Ukkadam. In an attempt to deflect suspicion against Nagoor. We made it appear as though there are multiples of drug supplies in the city as Modus operandi."

Heartbroken and guilt-ridden, I decided to confess my crimes to the police. While Reshika laughed at Nagoor by saying that they were successful. Nagoor however laughed, which his friends look by surprise. He said: "Reshika. Do you know? I am actually working for The Bald Guy. The police officer, who seized the drugs is also a part of this modus operandi to deceive both you and Dinesh. Since, you had been blackmailing the police officer from the fake encounter that he did in Thudiyalur."

As she looks fearfully, Nagoor takes a hammer and said: "Giving me ₹5.4 crores he said, your murder should be in such a way that it cannot be connected to him." Nagoor beheads Reshika so that she can meet her brutal death. Afsal, Anish, and Karthick have a change of heart at this time. For the sake of money, Nagoor has killed his own girlfriend and tomorrow, he would never hesitate or regret killing them. Henceforth, the guys killed Nagoor brutally in a secluded place of Aavarampalayam.

(With this, the first-person narration ends.)

PRESENT:

At present, Afsal buried the dead body of Nagoor and Reshika into the dense forestry of Karamadai around 12:30 AM. Dinesh looked in surprise. While, Anish cleared the evidences and clues about his death smartly. The guys dropped Dinesh back in his hostel at Gandhipuram around 3:00 AM. Before leaving, Afsal hugged Dinesh and said: "Bro. Stay strong as you live your life story and remember your blessings, no matter what circumstances you face."

They left the place in their car. The next day, Dinesh records all these events in his diary. Before closing the diary, he decides to write a quote on the first page. After some searches, he writes this quote in his first page- "Big occasions and races which have been eagerly anticipated almost to the point of dread are where great deeds can be accomplished. I also realize that winning doesn't always mean getting first place. It means getting the best out of yourself. Why race? The need to be tested, perhaps. The need to take risks. And the chance to be number one. Everyone in life is looking for a certain rush. Racing is where I get mine. It's part of the routine, and I accept it. It means I'm there and I'm ready."