The Country Of The Honest

Jasmine was sitting in the darkness with her heart racing. She picked up her phone, her eyes fixed on the screen as she waited for someone's response. 

She called a number and left a voice note, "Antony, please answer! They are watching and following me. I don't know what to do."

There was still no response. She began trembling. After a brief moment, she received a call from Antony. She picked up the call in a hurry, "Antony, where are you? I am fucking scared."

"What happened? I am on my way," Antony said quickly before cutting the call.

Jasmine sighed and tried to calm herself.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. She panicked. The knocking continued. She hid herself in the almirah. She closed her eyes and prayed. The knocking stopped. She waited for Antony to arrive. After an hour, she heard the doorbell. She was full of sweat, hiding inside an almirah and felt uneasy due to difficulty breathing. She saw the phone. There were five missed calls and a message from Antony, "Open the door. I have been ringing the bell for the last ten minutes."

She got out of the almirah and fell on the floor. She was exhausted and had no energy left. Her vision was blurry till it all became dark. 

Jasmine woke up and found Antony sitting alongside her.

"Don't worry. You are at your home. You were lying unconscious on the floor when I found you," Antony said.

"Where were you? What if something would have happened to me?" Jasmine said while holding back her tears.

"Nothing will happen to you and don't forget who you are," Antony said while holding her hand, "For how long has this been happening?"

"It's been a month. It all started with threats but for the last seven days, they started following me while going to the office and coming back home. It's only a matter of time before they do anything hideous to me."

"It's been happening for so many days and you didn't bother to tell me," Antony said in a disappointing tone, "Don't worry, I will take care of it."

The next morning, they left for work. On the way, Jasmine noticed a car behind them. She got tensed, "That car has been behind us from the time we left the home."

Antony glanced at the car through the side mirror and applied a sudden break. The car behind also stopped. He got out of the car. The car reversed, took a cut and ran away. 

He sat inside his car, "This is getting serious. For the time being, stop going to work till this cools down and I will be filing a complaint with the police," Antony said while starting the car.

"But I can't halt my work like this. It is at a very crucial stage."

"Are you fucking serious? All this is happening and you are still being stubborn about the work? Can't you wait for some time? Let it all cool down and then do whatever you want to," Antony said loudly.

"I can't. It will be too late if I halt my work. Don't worry, I will work from home."

Antony slapped his forehead, "You are so stubborn."

"I have to end what I started. I know that the situation is bad and I am afraid of what's happening but this is for the millions of people living in this country."

"Let me do your work," Antony said.

"This is my research, my hard work and I don't want to involve you in this."

Antony took a deep breath and said, “I will complete your work in the office. I am not their target, you are."

"Trust me, I will do it from home with precaution.”

Antony rubbed his eyes and said, “Fine!”

Jasmine kissed Antony, “Thank you.”

That evening, Jasmine was doing her work and Antony was talking with someone on the mobile when suddenly, the door burst open and a group of men in black uniforms stormed in. Jasmine heard the noise and fearing the worst, she closed her documents and before she could hide them, one of the men entered the room and said, "You are coming with us."

She stood up and tried to run but the man grabbed her by the hair and dragged her outside the room. She screamed but they put a cloth in her mouth. She saw Antony lying on the floor and a man standing with a gun pointed at him. Her face was covered and made to sit in a car. Antony was also brought in the car.

After travelling for some minutes, the car stopped and they were taken inside a building. They tied both of them to the chair. Jasmine's face cover was removed. She found herself in an unknown building at an unknown location. One of the men came forward, grabbed her hair and slapped her multiple times till her cheeks turned red. She screamed in pain. The man put a knuckle in his fingers and punched her in the face, "Tell us about your sources and disclose all the information you have."

Jasmine spit the blood but didn't say anything.

"Even you know that you would not be able to hold out for long. It will be better for you if you tell us what we want."

The other man removed the face cover of Antony, "Ask her to give up. She's acting like she is tough."

"Jasmine put a full stop on it. Don't be stubborn. Is it more important than our lives?" Antony shouted.

The man picked up a hammer and pointed it toward Antony, "It won't be a problem if we beat him to death in front of your eyes because, for you, the work is more important."

“You won't do anything to him,” Jasmine said in pain.

“We won't do anything?” The man laughed and struck a hammer on Antony’s hand. Antony screamed in pain.

Jasmine also screamed in fear, “Don't hurt him. He has nothing to do with it.”

“So, tell us.”

Jasmine didn't say anything and looked at Antony whose hand was shivering.

“Enough of your shit,” the man took out a gun and shot Antony in the chest.

“No!,” Jasmine screamed, “I will tell you. Please stop.”

The man smiled, “Better late than never.”

“But first leave him.”

“You want another bullet in his chest? Speak!,” the man shouted.

“I have a friend in the President's office,” Jasmine said while sobering.

“Why were you doing this? You used your position to brainwash the citizens of his country and you have been doing this for long,” the man said.

“I am brainwashing the citizens? Then what is the President doing?” Jasmine cried.

“Don't you dare! He is our Supreme Leader. Tell us the name of your source.”

“I won’t risk his life. I don’t know what you will do to him,” Jasmine whispered.

The man pointed the gun at Antony’s head and said, “No problem. Save that person at the cost of him.”

“Stop! Don’t do anything more to him. You have hurt him enough. It’s Mike who provided me with all the information. He works in the President’s office. He gave me all the information of what was happening inside the office.”

The man smiled, “So a person inside the office is doing this? Mike might not see tomorrow's sun.”

The man dialed a number and said, “She has opened her mouth. It is Mike who is providing her all the information. He works in the media cell of our Supreme Leader’s office. Grab him and you know what to do with him.”

The man smiled and looked at Jasmine, “You know the problem is that people like you act like you can save the country. Put one thing in your tiny brain, only our Supreme Leader can save this country. You just have to live as he guides. You could have lived a peaceful life but you chose this.”

“Why are you trying to kill me? I am innocent,” Antony laughed.

A man cut the ropes and freed Antony. He shook his hand, “You hit the hammer hard, idiot. You could have broken my hand.”

Jasmine was shocked. She was unable to process what was happening. 

“Don’t be shocked. The bullet was real but I had a vest on,” Antony laughed.

He stood aside the man. Another man grabbed her hair and pulled them. He switched on a trimmer and trimmed all of her hair. Jasmine cried as she couldn’t believe what was happening. 

Antony grabbed her ears and twisted them, “Now, after all this. We can’t leave you free. It will not be good for us. So, what should we do to you? Keep you locked here forever or eliminate you?”

Other men said, “It's better to eliminate her.”

“How could you do this?” Jasmine cried.

“How long have we known each other? A year? And when did you start your work due to which you are here? Two years,” Antony smiled.

“What are you saying that all this was a trap? You did all this just because of my work? How can you do this, Antony?”

He smiled, “Antony is not even my real name. I am tired of hearing it. You should call me Santano. How can you be such an idiot? You should have known that we would not allow anyone to speak against our Supreme Leader. He's the reincarnation of God. Anyone speaking against him is an anti-national. You did this to yourself. You were offered money, you didn't accept it. The defamation cases were filed against you, then also you didn't stop. When you didn't stop even after all this, we had to opt for the last option. Now, you must have understood why they accept the money and work accordingly.”

Santano grabbed a box and opened it. He took out a syringe filled with a liquid and came closer to Jasmine, “The story will end as usual. You will die and no one will even remember if you existed. No funeral will happen. Your family and friends will never know what happened to you. The same will happen with Mike. I hope this is what you wanted.”

He raised his hands to strike the syringe but stopped, “I think that you should see tonight’s address to the nation by our Supreme Leader.”

After half an hour, another group of men brought a person into the room. His hands were tied and his face covered. His face cover was removed. Mike looked around. Santano came forward and punched him in the face with knuckles. He spit blood.

Santano kept punching his face till Mike’s face was covered with cuts, bruises and blood. His eyes were swollen with cuts on eyelids and some of his teeth also broke. Mike trembled in pain.

Santano smiled, “You are working in our Supreme Leader’s office and this is how you are serving him? You are a threat to our great nation and you know your fate.”

“You blind fucker doesn’t know who is the real threat,” Mike said in pain while spitting out blood.

“Don't worry we know that the people like you are the real threat,” Santano shot him in the head.

Jasmine screamed. Santano took a cloth and stuffed it in her mouth.

Santano’s mobile rang. He looked at the number and picked up the call. After hearing the call, he responded, “Sir, don’t worry. The main threats have been taken care of. You prepare the statement for the nation's address. Tonight’s the night you have been waiting for, the night a great nation will be born.”

The streets of the city were getting filled with the crowd after the news of the detention of the opposition party leaders spread out. Some came with the purpose of a peaceful protest and others came with an intent to ignite violence. The police closed all the ways to the government buildings. They stood in the way of the crowd. There was a tense situation with no one knowing what might happen next. 

At the President's office, preparations were going on for the President's address to the nation. The press arrived in the building with everyone wearing the same dress. 

On the streets, as some protestors started shouting slogans, a few of them threw molotov cocktails toward the police. The police started throwing tear gas towards the protestors. There was chaos everywhere. Everyone started running in different directions. The protestors started burning the public properties. The police tried to disperse the crowd by throwing tear gas and beating them with batons. 

At the president's office, a man walked toward the media. Seeing him, all the media personnels stood up. The man smiled and stood in front of a mic. He looked at the media and said, “Let’s begin.”

All the screens in the country turned black and then the screen turned on again with the president on the screen. 

“My citizens, Today I stand before you to announce a new era for our nation.”

Everyone stopped their work and looked at the screens. Some on mobile, some on television and others on billboards. The protestors were still busy fighting with the police force.

“I have been your president for the last eight years and you all know how much good work I have done to make this nation a great nation. Don't look at the international rankings as they are fake rankings just to conspire against us. See the domestic rankings. We are at the top in all the categories. Even after succeeding in all the domains, I have come to a stark realization. We have been bogged down by petty quarrels, political halts and the relentless pursuit of power. The honest and hardworking who want to work for the progress of our nation are trampled by the corrupt and influential.”

Santano was watching the speech on the television with Jasmine who was in a bad condition. Santano smiled, “It has finally begun.”

“Democracy promises equality, but delivers only inequality. Democracy promises justice, but delivers only injustice. Democracy promises freedom, but delivers only oppression. Democracy has failed us. The time has come to acknowledge the truth. Our democracy is a mockery. And I will no longer be bound by its shackles. I will not be swayed by the whims of the masses or the interests of the few. We will no longer be held hostage by the false promises of democracy.”

Jasmine tried to say something but couldn’t due to the cloth in her mouth. Santano removed the cloth. Jasmine took a long breath and said, “This should be stopped.”

Santano laughed, “You think that your investigation and reporting would have stopped all this? No one can stop our Supreme Leader. He's the reincarnation of God.”

“I will no longer be your president. I will be your Supreme Leader who will not be accountable to the people but to history. A leader who will march together with his people into a new era of prosperity, unity and glory. Long live our great nation.”

All the screens turned black.

The police head at the site of the protest received a call, “Those who are protesting against us are the enemy of this nation. No more explanation needed. You know what to do.”

The air was thick with tension and the smell of tear gas. A police head shouted, “We have the order.”

The gunshots rang out, echoing off the buildings. People screamed and fell to the ground. The police continued to fire, their bullets tearing through flesh and bone. The firing continued for nearly fifteen minutes. When the dust settled, the streets were littered with bodies. The police looked for the alive ones, their weapons still smoking. 

Santano cut the call, “There is no place for opposition in this nation. Those who will oppose our leader will die.”

“They were protestors who were crying for justice and who had been silenced by the brutal hand of authority. These streets, once filled with hope and defiance, will not be haunted by the ghosts of violence and oppression,” Jasmine said in a low tone.

“Social media has been banned, independent media reporting has been banned, they will only show what our leader would want them to show. Now, no one can stop our nation from becoming a great nation under the great leadership of our Supreme Leader,” Santano smiled.

Santano grabbed the box and took out the syringe.

“This nation has succumbed to the creeping darkness. The sounds of gunfire and screams will keep echoing in your mind and it will be a haunting reminder of the brutal suppression of dissent,” Jasmine said while looking at Santano who had the syringe in his hands.

He struck the syringe into Jasmine’s chest. Jasmine gasped. The blood started coming out of her nose and ears. Her eyes widened in shock and pain. Her body shook violently, her limbs twitching and spasming. Her chest heaved, struggling to draw in a final breath. Her body relaxed and her eyes froze in a permanent stare.

The Supreme Leader's words struck a chord with his loyal followers, who saw him as a visionary leader who would bring greatness to their nation. They cheered and celebrated, hailing him as a hero. But for others, the speech marked the death of democracy.

Within the coming days, the opposition was silenced. Jasmine’s reporting and the investigation of other honest journalists and workers were discredited, and they were all branded traitors.

The President's promise to create a country of the honest came at a steep price. The President ruled with an iron fist, crushing any dissent or opposition. The nation was plunged into darkness, with freedom and democracy becoming distant memories. He became a legend in his own right, a figure of fear and reverence. And so, democracy died that day, suffocated by the very hands that were meant to protect it. The nation was forever changed, and the world was left to pick up the pieces of a shattered dream. The President's vision for a great nation had come true, but at a cost that would haunt the nation for generations to come.