Splinters Of Time

Part One: Bird In Cage

Complete Devastation

"My lord this woman contacted me to kill her husband and two kids two months ago, I took this contract for rupees 10 lakh, but unfortunately police held me for an unsolved theft and sent me to jail for six months. Perhaps she gave this contract to someone else." Shrill voice of degenerate criminal Ramu Kala echoed in court room.

"This woman trapped my son in her beauty web, and finally killed him and my grand children for another man judge saab." Whimpered her father in law Mansa Singh.

"This woman is violent she used to insult my son publically, Judge saab I do believe that this woman killed my son and my grand children." sobbed Rama Devi, her mother in law.

"She attacked my wife a few months ago and when I intervened she tried to insult me as well. Please send this woman away from our family." pleaded her brother in law Randhir Singh.

"This is a dangerous woman my lord, this woman has no place in any civil society, I demand death penalty for her." district attorney Ravi Sharma roared in the court room.

One young man of age 38 and two children a boy and a girl of ages ten years and six years were found dead on their beds. Cause of death in autopsy was poisoning. Mrs Sindu wife of deceased was the only person who was present in the room where the dead bodies were found. She never opposed the allegation of witness Ramu, who claimed that she gave him the contract of killing her husband and children.

Police couldn't gave any strong evidence against her, district attorney couldn't clear the motive of killing but still three people were killed in cold blood. Mrs Sindu was the only person who was capable of poisoning them, thus I found her guilty under section 303 of IPC and punish her with ten years term in a jail.

Jaora Jail

"Don't you have a family who could fight your case in the high court?" asked one of the male constables who were taking her to Jaora jail, which was 300 km east of Will City.

Sindu kept quiet.

"It seems you think that Jaora is a funny place like our lock up, but Jaora is a hell, you won’t last longer there."

Sindu closed her eyes and put her head on the rough surface of the prisoner van.

It took them eight hours to get there. The jail was outside of district Devdurg near Jaora village.

It was almost evening when she was ushered into the eerie premises of the big jail. The administration block of the jail was equally gloomy. Warden office was at the far corner of the block.

The jail warden a fifty six years old burly male DK, looked at her with his lust filled eyes and asked, "Don't you have any family member around?"

Sindu didn't say anything.

"Open this bloody mouth whenever I ask to open It." snarled the jailor.

"No."

"What no?"

"I'm alone in this world now."

"Don't worry this jail is full of your own class." said the warden with a broad smile and allotted her cell number 130 in south block, most notorious block of the jail.

Her next stop was the jail hospital for medical check up.

Dr. Ramesh a lanky male in his early forties, looked at Sindu and said, "Take your clothes off and lie on the table."

Sindu looked at him surprisingly.

"Are you deaf?"

Sindu didn't understand what he wants. She a post graduate of Lady Sri Ram College Delhi, JRF holder and aspiring economics professor, was a widow at the age thirty six and in jail to serve ten years term for the murder of her own family.

The man in white rob was saying her to get necked in front of male sentries and male nurses. Where the hell was so called Amnesty people who looked after the welfare of terrorists and other criminals in the jail?

The doctor gestured the male nurses and they darted at her like hawks and shred all her clothes off and strapped her on an iron table. The doctor made her open her mouth checked her hair and later he checked all her body orifices by inserting his gloved index finger into them.

He took his time and hot tears came out of Sindu eyes. All the male eyes were mocking at her.

Later the male nurses gave her two blue color salwar kurta, which was going to be her jail uniform for the rest of her jail term. She put them on and looked at the doctor who has not only naked her body but her Saul as well.

He smiled at her and said, "Necessary to prevent drugs in the jail, women prisoners hide drugs in their private parts."

Sindu looked at him and hot tears went on wetting her well worn jail uniform.

Devilish Trio

South block cell number 130 was a ten by twenty dirty room all alike rest of other fifty same size cells. Sindu was given two chilblained blankets which smelt badly. When she was pushed in her cell, three big women clad in jail attire looked at her with a great interest.

"Booked for murder?" asked one of the big women.

Sindu kept quiet.

"Heed me you wee punk otherwise you won’t last a single night here." said the same woman.

"Her name is Veena, she is mean and dangerous, be careful of her. This is Silke and my name is Rabia; we love easy life, be with us and enjoy your life here." said the other woman.

"Don't worry about these lowly women, I'll protect you from them." said the third woman who was looking at her with her lust filled eyes.

Sindu knew she was among seasoned criminals and was in a grave danger.

All the prisoners of south block were hoarded to dining hall where they were served bad smelling pulao. Some inmates were looking at her with their curious eyes.

"If we leave you alone they shall tear you apart, these are all sex starved women." said Silke with a dirty smile.

They were all hoarded back to their cells and at exactly ten the lights of all cells were switched off. Now Sindu could see her fellow inmates in the dimly lit veranda lights.

She was half asleep when she felt a dirty breath on her face. She tried to get up but she was under the bulk of one of those women. She tried to scream but a thick hand cupped her mouth. She felt dirty hands all over her body and the longest night begun for her.

Unintended Rumble

Sindu was assigned to work in jail laundry, and her three tormentors were around. They made her complete the work which was assigned to them. They have threatened her not to utter a single word against them otherwise they shall dump her in the laundry.

She was at the verge of breaking when she came across Jilly Khanna in the dining hall from her own block.

"Seem educated, how come you came at this blasted place?" asked Jilly, a tall woman in her early forties.

Sindu had no intentions to talk to anyone so she kept quiet.

"Jilly she is our protégé, don't mess with us." warned Veena.

"Shut your dirty lid, do what you can." said Jilly and stood up to face all the three big women.

All the three women were on her feet and were ready to plunge at Jilly.

"Stay where you are." warned the sentries who were on duty in dining hall.

All the three women went on staring menacingly at Jilly, swore silently and sat.

Jilly stared back carelessly and sat down.

Retaliation

Night was the same but morning brought new news to Sindu, she was assigned to work in jail library. All the three women were surprised.

The sentry took her to library which was a big hall, full of books filled cabinets. There was only one person to welcome her, Jilly Khanna.

"That satanic trio isn't only having power here." said Jilly looking at Sindu.

"Why did you do it?" asked Sindu.

"I know you must be living in the hell with them. Want to get rid of them?"

"Yes, but how?"

"Just follow what I say." said Jilly and gave Sindu an ice pick stolen from kitchen.

Sindu looked at the ice pick questioningly.

"Use it as a knife and kill one of those witches."

Sindu was a bit confused.

"Don't hesitate; you have to spend a long time here. Either kill those witches or live as their handmaid all your jail term here."

Taking someone life wasn't easy for Sindu, no matter she was serving ten years term for the murders she didn't commit. But these women are animals; their dirty hands are destroying her body and Saul every night. They don't deserve to live, they must die.

As Sindu anticipated she was again in the laundry next day but she was ready to write another chapter of her life today. Only she wanted one of those witches separate from the trio. Her chance came when Veena decided to go to washroom; she stealthily looked at the rest of the two, who were taking a nap on the heap of dirty sheets. Sentries were busy watching dirty videos on their smart phones.

She silently followed Veena and entered the washroom. As she entered the washroom, Veena turned and said, "What the hell do you want?"

Sindu said nothing just took the ice pick out of her clothes and darted at Veena. She raised her hand and stabbed it in her left breast. Bewildered Veena fell on the floor, there was blood all over and she saw Sindu with her dying eyes. Sindu carefully withdraw the ice pick from her breast and threw it in the gutter on her way back to laundry

Instead of cleaning dirty laundry she also made a place for her on the heap or dirty sheets and lay on it pretended to be sleeping. Her heart was beating very fast but soon she became relax, she has committed first crime of her life and a very serious one.

Her little nap was disturbed by the commotion in laundry, an inmate who went to washroom found Veena dead and she started screaming like hell. Soon all the jail administration was in laundry, they rounded up all the inmates and hoarded them to warden’s office he threatened to hang all of them if they don't tell him who committed the crime none uttered a single word. Rabia and Silke were shocked because they knew who had the motive to kill Veena but they were sort of afraid and realized that the woman who could kill her family could kill anyone.

Crime Queen

Very next day Rabia and Silke rubbed their noses in front of Sindu and begged her to spare them. From the very day all the south block and rest of the jail knew that there was a cold blooded murderer amongst them. Everyone knew who killed Veena but code of silence prevailed. Now she was Didi for them all, she went on working in laundry but she was never allowed to work by her fellow inmates.

"Enjoying your new reputation?" asked Jilly who met her in dining hall.

"No, I never wanted this reputation."

"No problem, but now no one will dare to touch you until someone more powerful come into this jail."

"You are an advocate?"

"Yes I used to be one but now I'm serving three years term for cheating one of my bigwig clients."

"How come?"

"Money, Ms Sindu, money. I went on cheating him until he found out. Now my three years term is almost over. I don't have money; my licence to practice law has been cancelled by the bar association."

"Family?"

"I used to have one cheater husband, who eloped with a minor girl. Enough about me, how come you kill your own children and husband?"

"I didn't kill them."

"I see, so someone framed you."

"Yes."

"Who can be it?"

"I don't know."

"Don't you want to find out and avenge the death of your family?"

"Yes I want to but how can I?"

"Ten years is not a short term but keep the fire of revenge burning in you and kick this time with this only desire."

"When is your term ending?"

"By the end of this month."

"Can you do me a favour?"

"Sure, what is it?"

"Please find a man by the name Ramu Kala for me. Engage a detective; to meet his fees please collect my debit card from my lawyer Mr. Dheeraj Chawla. Here is the PIN of my debit card. There is enough money in my account to track a man for ten years.

Part Two: Debt Of Past

Ten Years Later

Rat In Trap

Ramu Kaka was a bit tired today, the money which he accumulated as a thief was exhausting steadily. He has grown older and weaker, cheap country liquor has consumed all his internal organs. But he was still a philanderer, he has just enjoyed the hot body of a rather young girl and was going back to his one room flat in Labour Colony situated in old part of Will City.

Due to lack of money he decided to walk towards his colony. He was trying his best to walk steadily but his intoxicated eyes couldn't penetrate the gloomy fog around and see a tall woman who was following him.

January evening and chilly gusts of wind have forced people to stay in the warmth of their houses, practically the roads of Labour Colony were deserted and a few people who were on them were in a hurry to reach their homes.

Ramu saw the livid colour of his flat exterior and fished out main doors key. He open the door with a great effort and entered, he was about to close the door but a heavy kick on his chest toppled him. He tried to get up and saw a woman entering in his house and closing the door. The woman turned towards him and started kicking him with her metal sole long boots. Within five minutes he was crawling in his own blood pool.

The woman dragged him towards a chair and forced him to sit in it.

"Recognize me?" Said the woman.

Ramu who was whining in pain, shook his head.

"I gave you contract of killing my husband and children."

Ramu rubbed his eyes and tried to recognize the woman. Yes she was the one against whom he witnessed in the court. He shivered to see the rage in her eyes.

"I was helpless, your in-laws and brother-in-law threatened to kill me. That is why I witnessed against you."

“I guessed, want to live?” said she withdrawing a pistol from her jacket’s pocket.

“Please let me go I had no intentions to harm you, I’m innocent.”

“Your innocence proved me guilty for killing my own family. Look at this gun it has a fire range of 100 meters for a very expert shooter and I’m holding it for the first time. Now get up and start running on the road, I'll shoot after 30 seconds, if you crossed 100 meter distance by then you will be out of my gun range and safe."

Ramu looked at her with his intoxicated eyes and she shouted, "Run you idiot otherwise you are going to get it right now."

Ramu jumped like a pawn and ran towards the road, in the meantime Sindu fixed silencer on the barrel of her pistol.

Sindu looked at her wrist watch and after 30 seconds she aimed at the stumbling drunkard on the road and pulled the trigger. A muffled sound of hiss and heart wrenching scream of that sordid man echoed in the air and lingered for a while.

Semblance Of Normalcy

Rama Devi clearly recognized her in spite of her weak sight, and she shoot a question, "What do you want?"

Sindu had a glance of her former heavenly abode; there was not any changes except the colours of the walls.

"So you knew your younger son killed my husband and children?" Asked Sindu without giving any answer to her question.

"Yes."

"And you let him go with this crime?"

"What could we do, we had lost one son and had no intention to lose another."

"So you conspired to get me hanged for the crime which I didn't commit?"

"You committed the crime of hitting my younger son, your slap cost my elder son's life. Now get out."

"Where is your younger son? I want to have a final word with him."

"I don’t know."

Sindu looked at her meaningfully and left.

As soon as Sindu got out of Rama Devi’s sight she took her cell phone and dialled a number after hearing from the other side she said, “Beware she has come back.”

Sound Of A Slap

He is in Manali at Lova lake, spending summer vacation with his family on a caravan.

Sindu looked at the message sent by Jilly and turned her car towards the direction which was shown by the GPS to go to Manali.

She met Rahul during the days of her PhD, he was an Associate Professor in English department and she was pursuing her PhD in Economics at Will City College. Within six months of their meeting they decided to spend life together. As soon as she came to Rahul's home after marriage she realized that his parents were not happy with this marriage at all. These things happen and life goes on was her assumption but birth of Neha and Kshitiz couldn't made any difference in her in-laws attitude. Things got worse when Rahul's younger brother Randhir got married and his wife Lekha joined hands with her in-laws against her. She never lost a chance to insult Sindu but Sindu being a gentle woman went on ignoring her until the day when Lekha insulted her verbally and physically.

On that day Sindu came back from her college, Lekha was in the porch and she said, "Take your shoes off, you always make the floor dirty."

Sindu took her shoes off and entered the house, at the very moment she heard Lekha saying.

"Two bit hussy."

"What?" said Sindu surprisingly?

"Are you deaf, you are a two bit hussy, your husband is your pimp and your bastards are born of your customers." said Lekha mockingly.

It was enough to infuriate Sindu she came towards her and slapped her.

Lekha fell on the floor and called her husband to fix Sindu. Randhir came out abusing her and hit her with his fist. In response Sindu slapped him hard. Randhir darted at her like a hawk but Rahul came in between them. Randhir retreated and said, "You will both hear the sound of this slap for a long time."

And after six months of this incident Rahoul and her kids were found dead, and she was sent to jail as a murderer of them.

"Yes, the sound of that slap was still lingering in the air. But this is the time to payback what you did to my family and me." Murmured Sindu.

Manali was still 700 km away.

Flight Of The Nature

It was raining hard when she reached in Manali. She waited until it was dark and secured a hunter knife in her long shoe, pistol in her belt and some extra rounds of cartridge in her jacket pocket. Finding that medium sized caravan was easy just beside the lake Lova.

She started walking towards the caravan; soon it was in her sight. She slowed her pace and started walking towards the caravan stealthily. She heard the music which was being played inside the caravan. She decided to kick open the door.

She ran towards the door to kick it hard but all of a sudden the door opened and Randhir appeared with a gun in his hand and fired at her. She took the shot in her chest and got unconscious.

When she regained consciousness she found herself on ground tied in nylon ropes. They were total four standing beside her. Randhir, his wife and two kids in raincoats.

"These rubber bullets are really wonderful; they don't kill you but hurt you hard. How are you feeling darling?" said Randhir.

No voice came out of her mouth.

"Yes I poisoned your husband and kids, and I helped law to send you behind bars for ten years. But it seems you didn't learn anything and came again to get killed." said Randhir and spat on her face. His wife and kids also spat on her face.

"Kids go bring her coffin." ordered Randhir to his boys.

His boys ran towards the caravan and brought a steel trunk dragging on the ground. The trunk was barely four feet long and two feet wide.

"Lekha help me stuff this two bit hussy in this trunk."

"Sure darling." replied Lekha.

Within two minutes they stuffed her in the trunk.

"Do you know this lake has unfathomable depth and it will be your grave now." said Randhir.

At the very moment a lot of rain water started pouring, conditions of cloudburst were prevailing.

"Kids this is a dangerous place during now let's burry this two bit hussy and get out of here before we get stuck here." said Randhir and closed the lid of the trunk.

Sindu was in a real fix.

So it's the end thought Sindu and let her paining body loose. There was darkness in the trunk; her knees were touching her chin. She was claustrophobic and she was now dying with her phobia.

Wait.....it will be over soon, she told to herself. And that very moment she realized that the trunk was being dragged, perhaps in the direction of lake. Hard rain drops were making an eerie sound. Trunk had been dragged for while but suddenly she heard the sound of a weird roar and running steps. Within a few seconds she felt that the steel coffin was flying and the sound of roaring went on increasing. Soon her flight went to halt and her coffin clashed with a hard object and she lost consciousness.

Part Three: A Big Question Mark

A New Morning

When she regained consciousness she found herself out of the steel coffin lying on a heap of debris. With a little effort she untied ropes and got up. It was a sunny day and there was debris all over not a sign of caravan and its travellers. There was not a sign of lake as well. Perhaps she was above twenty feet of its former level.

There was nothing left for her to do, perhaps nature has taken her share and consumed the evil family.

She felt a severe pain in her chest, may be the rubber bullet inflicted some internal injury. She had no idea where to go to get out of this vale. She even had no idea to what to do with her life. Soon the biggest question hit her. She has lost her children, was she still a mother? She has lost her husband, was she still a wife?