The Grisly Side

I had very little work to do and money was no problem. While I worked in the tea shop, I had to slog day and night for just two square meals a day and now cleaning few cars and resting for the whole day. Food was prepared for all the servants, though the quality was no match to the one prepared for the maliks, but nonetheless it was no less than feast for me. Over and above food, I got some money as well for the service. Surprisingly, over all these, Sahib-the son of the malik, gave lot of money for bringing the smoking stuff. I went out to meet Vijay, collected the same packet, watched movies, wandered around the streets and returned. After that afternoon when I had smoked the stuffed cigarette with sahib, I stopped smoking it. I just could not absorb the kick it gave. However, Sahib smoked in my room, I would see his eyes turning red and he would transform into something different. I learnt much later that the tiny packet I brought from Vijay for a hefty sum was called Marijuana. I was happy with my life filled with happy little things and he was with his. I would wait endlessly for a glimpse of the girl in the balcony.

I think humans are designed to be greedy. So was I. The easy life became monotonous for me. I wanted more thrill, more money.

“You supply this stuff in colleges and I will pay you handsomely,” Vijay proposed. I agreed readily. It was an easy task. There would always be a guy standing either under a tree or sitting in a tea shop. The syndicate, though illegal and unorganized, worked very efficiently. I would do the work seamlessly. I had more money in my pocket. I started spending money in my dress, I wanted to appear smart, I had to impress the balcony girl after all. I had no courage to initiate, I would just stand and gaze at her, and she would laugh looking at me. Her laughter left me enchanted. I would dream about her, holding hands and walking in the park. I would even sing, as if singing for her.

“Hey you stop the noise, let me catch a little sleep,” some servant would shout occasionally. I had poor singing voice but when the heart is in love, who cared about melody.

One day while I had gone to a college locality to deliver the stuff a sturdy hand gripped my wrist. It was a policeman in plain clothes. Another policeman, again in plain clothes, hit me hard on my thighs with a cane. It felt like someone had sliced my flesh with knife. The jerk was sudden and the guy lost his grip, I ran like a bull with raised tail. They chased me but again, I ran faster, I knew the lanes and the by-lanes; they lost sight of me in no time.

“Listen if you ever got caught never open your mouth or else they will get you killed,” Vijay confided in me.

“But who are these, THEY?” I asked.

“It is better if you don’t know, but keep it in mind always.”

I understood that day why they paid so easy money. I had to be more cautious now, anyone could be a policeman.

“By the way, don’t worry, we would have paid some money to the police and got you back,” Vijay reassured me looking at my pale face.

“But they were beating me.”

“You need to be ready; they will beat you but not kill you. Further, just like you they also get cut for each deal. You are a small pawn in the big scam.”

I felt my head reeling; the city which appeared normal had a grisly side. I had already faced the awful side as a child worker, now I was seeing the vile side of the same city.