So much for Justice: Part 1

DISCLAIMER

The characters, their names, and the events in this story are entirely a work of fiction. Any resemblance to any person, dead or alive, will entirely be coincidental.

The following story contains some content that may be unsuitable for young readers.

     

     "It's not my fault," he shouted, but it was too late. He had already fallen to the ground. He heard footsteps coming from behind. He stumbled to get up, but his leg was trembling very badly and bleeding all over the grass. Now all was over.

     A month ago, when Ray had met Sam and Sameer for the first time in college, he thought that they would be the last people on Earth whom he would befriend. But everything changed when they saved him from getting ragged just the next day. Ray can remember perfectly, how they had rescued him from the senior boys, who were mocking him.

     Some started trash-talking. Some spanked his bottom. It wasn't long until the commotion in the hall was heard by two unknown boys, who were bunking a lecture. Sam and Sameer. Staunch believers that juniors ought to stick together for safety, Sam and Sameer quickly beat up the seniors. Even though they were short, they were strong and muscular. They practically tore down the lockers and even broke some tiles of the floor. In the end, a teacher passing down that hallway stopped the ruckus. One of the seniors, who was that teacher's pet, complained that they were getting 'physically assaulted' by the three violent juniors.

     Sam, Sameer, and Ray got detention. Ray started protesting, but Sameer shushed him, "Bro, this is not going to work. You were getting bullied, no bastard from the staff came to save you. Trust me when I say, they're not gonna listen to who's right either." That made Ray visibly nervous. "Hey, you get beat by these jerks again, you come to us, alright?" Sam told Ray. "Yeah. Alright." Ray was too shocked to speak anything.

     For the entire month, nothing went sideways. Ray found out that Sam and Sameer both actually went to underground boxing tournaments, where crimelords and gang members used to go to satisfy their hunger of letting out their inner beast. When asked whether or not they had fought there, Sam and Sameer only laughed and said that they weren't stupid enough to make themselves visible at a place they weren't supposed to be, and only 'watched and learned' from those fights.

     And that was Ray's first month with Sam and Sameer. Soon, priorities started shifting from vengeance to academics. Ray thought things couldn't get any better and carefree when something unbelievable occurred. One of the seniors, responsible for the attack on Ray, had sexually abused a first-year girl in the open hall. He was supposed to be expelled, according to the college regulations, but his father, a wealthy businessman bribed the head of the college and the boy was only suspended for two weeks.

     Having had enough, Sam and Sameer lay thinking about the topic for a while. The girl, Indrayani, now scarred for a long time, was like a sister for Sameer. He wasn't his usual self, but Sam and Ray tried their best to cool him down as much as they could. Two weeks later when the boy came back to college, the two tried their best to keep Sameer away as far possible from the boy as they could. Then for three days, he started to get more and more calmed, but the deep hatred remained in all their hearts.

     One day, they were walking out of the college after dispersal when they saw Indrayani walk alone away from the college, very quickly and not surrounded by her usual chatter of friends. Noticing something wrong immediately, the three boys followed her. She didn't even notice them until they called out her name. She turned back in hurry and they saw that her eyes were bloodshot and her dress had been ruffled.

     "What's… what's wrong?" Sameer asked. "You look like you were caught in a storm." "Nothing, I'm fine." Her voice was extremely rough. "Indrayani, even if you lie," Sam said, "Your looks tell all the truth. Something's happened. What is it?" She stood there for a moment and then fell into Sameer's arms, sobbing uncontrollably. "It's alright, it's alright," he said. "What's wrong?" Ray asked. Through unceasing gasps and sobs, she said, "The b-b-boy who a-assaulted me last time, he-he-" And then she succumbed to tears once again. By now, some people were gathered around.

     Sameer shouted at everyone to disperse, which they obeyed immediately. Indrayani slowly looked up in their faces. "He-he was standing in the lobby. He started following me to the girls' bathroom. When I hit him with my shoe, he punched me hard in the stomach. And when the peon heard my cries for help and came to see, he took her broom and hit her very hard on the head. She fell and-and-and her head broke on the floor. He-he killed her, Sameer. He killed the peon. Then he pulled me inside the bathroom, and then… and then…" She started crying hysterically. Terrified.

     Sameer told Sam and Ray to go home and said that he would be accompanying her home. He then called an auto-rickshaw and the two went off. Sam and Ray stood there for a while. Then they started on the ways to their respective homes. "Hopefully there will be a police complaint," Ray said. Sam replied, "The police won't do shit, Ray. That bastard's crazy rich father has the local police in his pocket." That moment Ray felt all the dark and hopelessness in the world.

     That night, when everyone in his house was asleep, Ray received a message from Sameer saying 'Very urgent. Come at Infinity Conez ice-cream parlour.' His heart beating harder than a rockstar drummer, he wore his black hoodie sweater and rushed downstairs quietly, careful not to wake anyone up.

     Ray was sure to carry the key with him and would tell his parents that he had to give a book back to a friend, which was crucial. He could improvise later. Right now, the main objective was to reach to that place quickly. He kept his hood off his head, so as to not attract undue attention from dogs.

     When he was nearing the ice-cream shop, he saw that Sam and Sameer were standing there, wearing hooded jackets just like him. When he got near, he noticed that they were carrying crowbars. Sameer looked like he was actually going to a makeshift war. He was wearing a utility belt, and multiple knives were attached to it, along with a hammer and a Nerf gun. "Guys, what is this about?" Ray asked. Sameer looked very serious when he said, "Ray, tonight you have a chance to help us get revenge, and eradicate a vile creature from this planet." "Wait, what do you mean?" "We will give you two options. Either you can come with us and help us kill the scumbag who attacked Indrayani, or you can turn around and go home right now."

     Ray felt the blood in his veins go cold. "Wait, you are joking right?" "Does it look like we are joking? We called you in the dead of night. Just look at us, man." Ray nervously looked around. There was no one to be seen. Every light in the nearby buildings was out. The only lights visible were the headlamps on the distant highway. He asked the two, "Are you sure that you want to take this step? Is killing him the right thing?" "What else will you do, huh?" Sam spoke up. "I don't know… Complain to the police, or the college head-" "Didn't you notice, genius? When we complained last time, he got away with it," was Sam's reply.

     "Look, this is far more than ragging," said Sameer. "Every time stuff like this happens, people shrug it off. Especially when the aggressor has power, like in our case." "Exactly Sameer, people want to keep away from guys like this. Look, I understand. He attacked your, no, our sister. I get it. But if the police can't help us, if the… law can't help us, what do you think will?" "Justice, Ray," was the response from Sam. "Justice in the good old way." He got close to Ray's face and said lower than a whisper, "Think about how many lives you'll be saving, Ray. How many more girls you'll save in the future... if only you summon your courage for this single night…"

     Ray stood there without speaking for an entire minute. Then, slowly, looked into each of their faces and spoke low and slow, "What weapon do I get?" Sameer pulled out two of the three kitchen knives attached to his belt and gave them to Ray. "Alright boys," he said. "I know the way. Follow me."

TO BE CONTINUED